1,723 research outputs found
Semantic Privacy Policies for Service Description and Discovery in Service-Oriented Architecture
Privacy preservation in Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an open problem. This paper focuses on the areas of service description and discovery. The problems in these areas are that currently it is not possible to describe how a service provider deals with information received from a service consumer as well as discover a service that satisfies the privacy preferences of a consumer. There is currently no framework which offers a solution that supports a rich description of privacy policies and their integration in the process of service discovery. Thus, the main goal of this paper is to propose a privacy preservation framework for the areas of service description and discovery in SOA. The framework enhances service description and discovery with the specification and intersection of privacy policies using a base and domain-specific privacy ontologies. Moreover, the framework extends SOA to include roles responsible for implementing a privacy registry as well as mediating the interactions between service consumers and providers and the privacy preservation component
U B V R I Photometry of Stellar Structures throughout the Disk of the Barred Galaxy NGC 3367
We report new detailed surface U, B, V, R, and I photometry of 81 stellar
structures in the disk of the barred galaxy NGC 3367. The images show many
different structures indicating that star formation is going on in the most
part of the disk. NGC 3367 is known to have a very high concentration of
molecular gas distribution in the central regions of the galaxy and bipolar
synchrotron emission from the nucleus with two lobes (at 6 kpc) forming a
triple structure similar to a radio galaxy. We have determined the U, B, V, R,
and I magnitudes and U - B, B - V, U - V, and V - I colors for the central
region (nucleus), a region which includes supernovae 2003 AA, and 79 star
associations throughout NGC 3367. Estimation of ages of star associations is
very difficult due to several factors, among them: filling factor, metallicity,
spatial distribution of each structure and the fact that we estimated the
magnitudes with a circular aperture of 16 pixels in diameter, equivalent to
kpc. However, if the colors derived for NGC 3367 were similar to
the colors expected of star clusters with theoretical evolutionary star tracks
developed for the LMC and had a similar metallicity, NGC 3367 show 51 percent
of the observed structures with age type SWB I (few tens of Myrs), with seven
sources outside the bright surface brightness visible disk of NGC 3367.Comment: Accepted for publication (abr 2007) in The Astronomical Journal (July
2007 issue
Retinal nerve fiber layer atrophy is associated with physical and cognitive disability in multiple sclerosis
Studying axonal loss in the retina is a promising biomarker for
multiple sclerosis (MS). Our aim was to compare optical coherence tomography
(OCT) and Heidelberg retinal tomography (HRT) techniques to measure the thickness
of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in patients with MS, and to explore the
relationship between changes in the RNFL thickness with physical and cognitive
disability. We studied 52 patients with MS and 18 proportionally matched controls
by performing neurological examination, neuropsychological evaluation using the
Brief Repetitive Battery-Neuropsychology and RNFL thickness measurement using OCT
and HRT. RESULTS: We found that both OCT and HRT could define a reduction in the
thickness of the RNFL in patients with MS compared with controls, although both
measurements were weakly correlated, suggesting that they might measure different
aspects of the tissue changes in MS. The degree of RNFL atrophy was correlated
with cognitive disability, mainly with the symbol digit modality test (r=0.754,
P<0.001). Moreover, temporal quadrant RNFL atrophy measured with OCT was
associated with physical disability. CONCLUSION: In summary, both OCT and HRT are
able to detect thinning of the RNFL, but OCT seems to be the most sensitive
technique to identify changes associated with MS evolution
Involvement of the subthalamic nucleus in impulse control disorders associated with Parkinson’s disease
Behavioural abnormalities such as impulse control disorders may develop when patients with Parkinson’s disease receive
dopaminergic therapy, although they can be controlled by deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus. We have recorded
local field potentials in the subthalamic nucleus of 28 patients with surgically implanted subthalamic electrodes. According to
the predominant clinical features of each patient, their Parkinson’s disease was associated with impulse control disorders
(n = 10), dyskinesias (n = 9) or no dopaminergic mediated motor or behavioural complications (n = 9). Recordings were obtained
during the OFF and ON dopaminergic states and the power spectrum of the subthalamic activity as well as the subthalamocortical
coherence were analysed using Fourier transform-based techniques. The position of each electrode contact was determined
in the postoperative magnetic resonance image to define the topography of the oscillatory activity recorded in each
patient. In the OFF state, the three groups of patients had similar oscillatory activity. By contrast, in the ON state, the patients
with impulse control disorders displayed theta-alpha (4–10 Hz) activity (mean peak: 6.71 Hz) that was generated 2–8mm below
the intercommissural line. Similarly, the patients with dyskinesia showed theta-alpha activity that peaked at a higher frequency
(mean: 8.38 Hz) and was generated 0–2mm below the intercommissural line. No such activity was detected in patients that
displayed no dopaminergic side effects. Cortico-subthalamic coherence was more frequent in the impulsive patients in the
4–7.5 Hz range in scalp electrodes placed on the frontal regions anterior to the primary motor cortex, while in patients with
dyskinesia it was in the 7.5–10 Hz range in the leads overlying the primary motor and supplementary motor area. Thus,
dopaminergic side effects in Parkinson’s disease are associated with oscillatory activity in the theta-alpha band, but at different
frequencies and with different topography for the motor (dyskinesias) and behavioural (abnormal impulsivity) manifestations.
These findings suggest that the activity recorded in parkinsonian patients with impulse control disorders stems from the
associative-limbic area (ventral subthalamic area), which is coherent with premotor frontal cortical activity. Conversely, in
patients with L-dopa-induced dyskinesias such activity is recorded in the motor area (dorsal subthalamic area) and it is coherent
with cortical motor activity. Consequently, the subthalamic nucleus appears to be implicated in the motor and behavioural
complications associated with dopaminergic drugs in Parkinson’s disease, specifically engaging different anatomo-functional
territories
Row spacing and seed physiological quality of Crotalaria species.
Crotalaria crops have important uses, such as in green manuring, nematode control, biological nitrogen fixation and sugarcane reform in Savanna areas. Due to its strategic importance, knowledge about crotalaria seed production technology is a relevant factor to ensure the availability of high physiological quality seeds
Molecular genetic evaluation of the Stylosanthes capitata Vog. and Stylosanthes macrocephala Ferr. et Costa germoplasms.
Hedgehog Pathway Inhibition Hampers Sphere and Holoclone Formation in Rhabdomyosarcoma
Altres ajuts: This work was supported by grants from Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RTICC-RD12/0036/0016 and RD12/0036/0027; PI11/00740 and PI14/00647), Fundació A. BOSCH, and ajuts predoctorals VHIR.Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children and can be divided into two main subtypes: embryonal (eRMS) and alveolar (aRMS). Among the cellular heterogeneity of tumors, the existence of a small fraction of cells called cancer stem cells (CSC), thought to be responsible for the onset and propagation of cancer, has been demonstrated in some neoplasia. Although the existence of CSC has been reported for eRMS, their existence in aRMS, the most malignant subtype, has not been demonstrated to date. Given the lack of suitable markers to identify this subpopulation in aRMS, we used cancer stem cell-enriched supracellular structures (spheres and holoclones) to study this subpopulation. This strategy allowed us to demonstrate the capacity of both aRMS and eRMS cells to form these structures and retain self-renewal capacity. Furthermore, cells contained in spheres and holoclones showed significant Hedgehog pathway induction, the inhibition of which (pharmacologic or genetic) impairs the formation of both holoclones and spheres. Our findings point to a crucial role of this pathway in the maintenance of these structures and suggest that Hedgehog pathway targeting in CSC may have great potential in preventing local relapses and metastases
ALMA Observations of Asteroid 3 Juno at 60 Kilometer Resolution
We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.3 mm
continuum images of the asteroid 3 Juno obtained with an angular resolution of
0.042 arcseconds (60 km at 1.97 AU). The data were obtained over a single 4.4
hr interval, which covers 60% of the 7.2 hr rotation period, approximately
centered on local transit. A sequence of ten consecutive images reveals
continuous changes in the asteroid's profile and apparent shape, in good
agreement with the sky projection of the three-dimensional model of the
Database of Asteroid Models from Inversion Techniques. We measure a geometric
mean diameter of 259pm4 km, in good agreement with past estimates from a
variety of techniques and wavelengths. Due to the viewing angle and inclination
of the rotational pole, the southern hemisphere dominates all of the images.
The median peak brightness temperature is 215pm13 K, while the median over the
whole surface is 197pm15 K. With the unprecedented resolution of ALMA, we find
that the brightness temperature varies across the surface with higher values
correlated to the subsolar point and afternoon areas, and lower values beyond
the evening terminator. The dominance of the subsolar point is accentuated in
the final four images, suggesting a reduction in the thermal inertia of the
regolith at the corresponding longitudes, which are possibly correlated to the
location of the putative large impact crater. These results demonstrate ALMA's
potential to resolve thermal emission from the surface of main belt asteroids,
and to measure accurately their position, geometric shape, rotational period,
and soil characteristics.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journal Letter
Breeding specialty soybean cultivars for processing and value-added utilization at Embrapa in Brazil.
Through traditional genetic breeding, specialty characters are introduced into soybean, to make it more suitable for differents uses. To attend this special market, Embrapa Soybean released for commercial cultivation the cultivars BRS 213, BRS 257, BRS 216, BRS 267 and BRSMG 790A for production in organic or in conventional systems. The cultivars BRS 213 and BRS 257 are null lipoxygenases enzymes, and can prevent the development of the beany flavor observed in soybean products. These cultivars make available excellent raw materials for soyfood processing. The cultivar BRS 216 has high protein content and small seed size (10g/100 seeds), what makes it suitable for ?natto? (Japanese fermented food), and for production of soybean sprouts, as ?moyashi?. The cultivar BRS 258, is a conventional cultivar, highly productive that has mild flavor and seeds with yellow hilum. Cultivars BRS 267 and BRSMG 790A presents large seed size (>25g/100seeds), and superior flavor. These cultivars are suitable for ?tofu?, flours and soymilk. BRS 267 and BRSMG 790A can also be consumed as green vegetable soybean (edamame), when harvested at R6 stage (developed grains, but immature). Among Brazilian soybean cultivars there are differences for isoflavone content, and to increase concentration of isoflavones it is suggested sowing them in locations where average temperatures are cooler during the seed filling period
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