A knowledge model for the development of a framework for hypnogram construction

The final publication is available via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2016.11.016[Abstract] We describe a proposal of a knowledge model for the development of a framework for hypnogram construction from intelligent analysis of pulmonology and electrophysiological signals. Throughout the twentieth century, after the development of electroencephalography (EEG) by Hans Berger, there have been multiple studies on human sleep and its structure. Polysomnography (PSG), a sleep study from several biophysiological variables, gives us the hypnogram, a graphic representation of the stages of sleep as a function of time. This graph, when analyzed in conjunction with other physiological parameters, such as the heart rate or the amount of oxygen in arterial blood, has become a valuable diagnostic tool for different clinical problems that can occur during sleep and that often cause poor quality sleep. Currently, the gold standard for the detection of sleep events and for the correct classification of sleep stages are the rules published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), version 2.2. Based on the standards available to date, different studies on methods of automatic analysis of sleep and its stages have been developed but because of the different development and validation procedures used in existing methods, a rigorous and useful comparative analysis of results and their ability to correctly classify sleep stages is not possible. In this sense, we propose an approach that ensures that sleep stage classification task is not affected by the method for extracting PSG features and events. This approach is based on the development of a knowledge-intensive base system (KBS) for classifying sleep stages and building the corresponding hypnogram. For this development we used the CommonKADS methodology, that has become a de facto standard for the development of KBSs. As a result, we present a new knowledge model that can be used for the subsequent development of an intelligent system for hypnogram construction that allows us to isolate the process of signal processing to identify sleep stages so that the hypnograms obtained become comparable, independently of the signal analysis techniques.Xunta de Galicia; GRC2014/035Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; TIN2013-40686-

B1 Was the Ancestor B Chromosome Variant in the Western Mediterranean Area in the Grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans.

We analyzed the distribution of 2 repetitive DNAs, i.e. ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and a satellite DNA (satDNA), on the B chromosomes found in 17 natural populations of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans plorans sampled around the western Mediterranean region, including the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands, Sicily, and Tunisia. Based on the amount of these repetitive DNAs, 4 types of B variants were found: B 1 , showing an equal or higher amount of rDNA than satDNA, and 3 other variants, B 2 , B 24 and B 5 , bearing a higher amount of satDNA than rDNA. The variants B 1 and B 2 varied in size among populations: B 1 was about half the size of the X chromosome in Balearic Islands, but two-thirds of the X in Iberian populations at Alicante, Murcia and Albacete provinces. Likewise, B 2 was about one-third the size of the X chromosome in populations from the Granada province but half the size of the X in the populations collected at Málaga province. The widespread geographical distribution of the B 1 variant makes it the best candidate for being the ancestor B chromosome in the whole western Mediterranean region

A computational system for the Heuristic Forecasting of Fire Risk

5 pages, 5 figures.-- Communication presented at the 6th World Multiconference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics and 8th International Conference on Information System Analysis and Synthesis (SCI/ISAS 2002, Orlando, Florida, Jul 14-18, 2002).This article describes a computational system which forecasts the potential risk of forest fires, by processing a set of meteorological variables so as to produce a fire weather risk index. The system also studies a set of area characteristics, which provides us with long-term static information on potential fire risk. This area-specific information constitutes the interpretation context and can be used to refine the results computed from the weather index

Promoting Entrepreneurship amid Youth in Windhoek’s Informal Settlements: A Namibian Case

Considering the high unemployment rate among Namibian youth and a lack of job opportunities, the promotion of entrepreneurship has gained wider attention in the country. A number of initiatives have been started such as entrepreneurship trainings and workshops, business idea competitions, etc. All these aim to inspire young people to think of alternative income sources. As part of a two-year funded community outreach research and development (R&D) project, we have investigated participatory approaches to engage marginalized youth into conceptualizing their own context, imparting skills, and deriving new career paths. This article reports and reflects on one of the interventions we have recently concluded with a group of youth in Havana, an informal settlement in the outskirts of Windhoek. We conducted what we entitled “The Havana Entrepreneur”, a series of interactions inspired upon the model of the American reality game show “The Apprentice”. Over a number of weeks two youth groups were given challenges to tackle by means of competing against one another. After completion of each challenge, groups were rated by a number of judges on skills demonstrated such as marketing, presentation, reflection and creativity among others. We observed an increase in, and improvement of skills revealed along tasks’ completion, besides an openly expressed self-realization and discovery of abilities by participants. Moreover, the youth are currently engaged in the continuation of activities beyond the initial entrepreneurial interactions. Thus we suggest replicating “The Havana Entrepreneur”, including the recording on camera of it by the youth themselves as a new mode to instigating a wider entrepreneurial spirit in informal settlements

The role of dynamical polarization of the ligand to metal charge transfer excitations in {\em ab initio} determination of effective exchange parameters

The role of the bridging ligand on the effective Heisenberg coupling parameters is analyzed in detail. This analysis strongly suggests that the ligand-to-metal charge transfer excitations are responsible for a large part of the final value of the magnetic coupling constant. This permits to suggest a new variant of the Difference Dedicated Configuration Interaction (DDCI) method, presently one of the most accurate and reliable for the evaluation of magnetic effective interactions. This new method treats the bridging ligand orbitals mediating the interaction at the same level than the magnetic orbitals and preserves the high quality of the DDCI results while being much less computationally demanding. The numerical accuracy of the new approach is illustrated on various systems with one or two magnetic electrons per magnetic center. The fact that accurate results can be obtained using a rather reduced configuration interaction space opens the possibility to study more complex systems with many magnetic centers and/or many electrons per center.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Proposal of an extended t-J Hamiltonian for high-Tc cuprates from ab initio calculations on embedded clusters

A series of accurate ab initio calculations on Cu_pO-q finite clusters, properly embedded on the Madelung potential of the infinite lattice, have been performed in order to determine the local effective interactions in the CuO_2 planes of La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 compounds. The values of the first-neighbor interactions, magnetic coupling (J_{NN}=125 meV) and hopping integral (t_{NN}=-555 meV), have been confirmed. Important additional effects are evidenced, concerning essentially the second-neighbor hopping integral t_{NNN}=+110meV, the displacement of a singlet toward an adjacent colinear hole, h_{SD}^{abc}=-80 meV, a non-negligible hole-hole repulsion V_{NN}-V_{NNN}=0.8 eV and a strong anisotropic effect of the presence of an adjacent hole on the values of the first-neighbor interactions. The dependence of J_{NN} and t_{NN} on the position of neighbor hole(s) has been rationalized from the two-band model and checked from a series of additional ab initio calculations. An extended t-J model Hamiltonian has been proposed on the basis of these results. It is argued that the here-proposed three-body effects may play a role in the charge/spin separation observed in these compounds, that is, in the formation and dynamic of stripes.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Primary fallopian tube carcinoma: review of MR imaging findings

Objectives To review the epidemiological and clinical features of primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC), and to illustrate the spectrum of MRI findings, with pathological confirmation. Methods This article reviews the relevant literature on the epidemiological, clinical, and imaging features of primary fallopian tube carcinoma, with pathological confirmation, using illustrations from the authors' teaching files. Results Primary fallopian tube carcinoma came under focus over the last few years due to its possible role on the pathogenesis of high-grade serous epithelial ovarian and peritoneal cancers. Typical symptoms, together with the presence of some of the most characteristic MRI signs, such as a "sausage-shaped" pelvic mass, hydrosalpinx, and hydrometra, may signal the presence of primary fallopian cancer, and allow the radiologist to report it as a differential diagnosis. Conclusions Primary fallopian tube carcinoma has a constellation of clinical symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging features, which may be diagnostic. Although these findings are not present together in the majority of cases, radiologists who are aware of them may include the diagnosis of primary fallopian tube cancer in their report more frequently and with more confidence. Teaching Points PFTC may be more frequent than previously thought PFTC has specific clinical and MRI characteristics Knowledge of typical PFTC signs enables its inclusion in the differential diagnosis PFTC is currently staged under the 2013 FIGO system PFTC is staged collectively with ovarian and peritoneal neoplasmsinfo:eu-repo/remantics/publishedVersio

Update for the practicing pathologist: The International Consultation On Urologic Disease-European association of urology consultation on bladder cancer

The International Consultations on Urological Diseases are international consensus meetings, supported by the World Health Organization and the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer, which have occurred since 1981. Each consultation has the goal of convening experts to review data and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve practice. In 2012, the selected subject was bladder cancer, a disease which remains a major public health problem with little improvement in many years. The proceedings of the 2nd International Consultation on Bladder Cancer, which included a 'Pathology of Bladder Cancer Work Group,' have recently been published; herein, we provide a summary of developments and consensus relevant to the practicing pathologist. Although the published proceedings have tackled a comprehensive set of issues regarding the pathology of bladder cancer, this update summarizes the recommendations regarding selected issues for the practicing pathologist. These include guidelines for classification and grading of urothelial neoplasia, with particular emphasis on the approach to inverted lesions, the handling of incipient papillary lesions frequently seen during surveillance of bladder cancer patients, descriptions of newer variants, and terminology for urine cytology reporting

Meiotic silencing and fragmentation of the male germline restricted chromosome in zebra finch

During male meiotic prophase in mammals, X and Y are in a largely unsynapsed configuration, which is thought to trigger meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). In avian species, females are ZW, and males ZZ. Although Z and W in chicken oocytes show complete, largely heterologous synapsis, they too undergo MSCI, albeit only transiently. The W chromosome is already inactive in early meiotic prophase, and inactive chromatin marks may spread on to the Z upon synapsis. Mammalian MSCI is considered as a specialised form of the general meiotic silencing mechanism, named meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin (MSUC). Herein, we studied the avian form of MSUC, by analysing the behaviour of the peculiar germline restricted chromosome (GRC) that is present as a single copy in zebra finch spermatocytes. In the female germline, this chromosome is present in two copies, which normally synapse and recombine. In contrast, during male meiosis, the single GRC is always eliminated. We found that the GRC in the male germline is silenced from early leptotene onwards, similar to the W chromosome in avian oocytes. The GRC remains largely unsynapsed throughout meiotic prophase I, although patches of SYCP1 staining indicate that part of the GRC may self-synapse. In addition, the GRC is largely devoid of meiotic double strand breaks. We observed a lack of the inner centromere protein INCENP on the GRC and elimination of the GRC following metaphase I. Subsequently, the GRC forms a micronucleus in which the DNA is fragmented. We conclude that in contrast to MSUC in mammals, meiotic silencing of this single chromosome in the avian germline occurs prior to, and independent of DNA double strand breaks and chromosome pairing, hence we have named this phenomenon meiotic silencing prior to synapsis (MSPS)

A threshold level of NFATc1 activity facilitates thymocyte differentiation and opposes notch-driven leukaemia development.

International audienceNFATc1 plays a critical role in double-negative thymocyte survival and differentiation. However, the signals that regulate Nfatc1 expression are incompletely characterized. Here we show a developmental stage-specific differential expression pattern of Nfatc1 driven by the distal (P1) or proximal (P2) promoters in thymocytes. Whereas, preTCR-negative thymocytes exhibit only P2 promoter-derived Nfatc1beta expression, preTCR-positive thymocytes express both Nfatc1beta and P1 promoter-derived Nfatc1alpha transcripts. Inducing NFATc1alpha activity from P1 promoter in preTCR-negative thymocytes, in addition to the NFATc1beta from P2 promoter impairs thymocyte development resulting in severe T-cell lymphopenia. In addition, we show that NFATc1 activity suppresses the B-lineage potential of immature thymocytes, and consolidates their differentiation to T cells. Further, in the pTCR-positive DN3 cells, a threshold level of NFATc1 activity is vital in facilitating T-cell differentiation and to prevent Notch3-induced T-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Altogether, our results show NFATc1 activity is crucial in determining the T-cell fate of thymocytes