A Multiclassifier Approach for Drill Wear Prediction

Classification methods have been widely used during last years in order to predict patterns and trends of interest in data. In present paper, a multiclassifier approach that combines the output of some of the most popular data mining algorithms is shown. The approach is based on voting criteria, by estimating the confidence distributions of each algorithm individually and combining them according to three different methods: confidence voting, weighted voting and majority voting. To illustrate its applicability in a real problem, the drill wear detection in machine-tool sector is addressed. In this study, the accuracy obtained by each isolated classifier is compared with the performance of the multiclassifier when characterizing the patterns of interest involved in the drilling process and predicting the drill wear. Experimental results show that, in general, false positives obtained by the classifiers can be slightly reduced by using the multiclassifier approach

Effects of habitat and land use on breeding season density of male Asian Houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii

Landscape-scale habitat and land-use influences on Asian Houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii (IUCN Vulnerable) remain unstudied, while estimating numbers of this cryptic, low-density, over-hunted species is challenging. In spring 2013, male houbara were recorded at 231 point counts, conducted twice, across a gradient of sheep density and shrub assemblages within 14,300 km² of the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan. Four sets of models related male abundance to: (1) vegetation structure (shrub height and substrate); (2) shrub assemblage; (3) shrub species composition (multidimensional scaling); (4) remote-sensed derived land-cover (GLOBCOVER, 4 variables). Each set also incorporated measures of landscape rugosity and sheep density. For each set, multi-model inference was applied to generalised linear mixed models of visit-specific counts that included important detectability covariates and point ID as a random effect. Vegetation structure received strongest support, followed by shrub species composition and shrub assemblage, with weakest support for the GLOBCOVER model set. Male houbara numbers were greater with lower mean shrub height, more gravel and flatter surfaces, but were unaffected by sheep density. Male density (mean 0.14 km-2, 95% CI, 0.12‒0.15) estimated by distance analysis differed substantially among shrub assemblages, being highest in vegetation dominated by Salsola rigida (0.22 [CI, 0.20‒0.25]), high in areas of S. arbuscula and Astragalus (0.14 [CI, 0.13‒0.16] and 0.15 [CI, 0.14‒0.17] respectively), lower (0.09 [CI, 0.08‒0.10]) in Artemisia and lowest (0.04 [CI, 0.04‒0.05]) in Calligonum. The study area was estimated to hold 1,824 males (CI: 1,645‒2,030). The spatial distribution of relative male houbara abundance, predicted from vegetation structure models, had the strongest correspondence with observed numbers in both model-calibration and the subsequent year’s data. We found no effect of pastoralism on male distribution but potential effects on nesting females are unknown. Density differences among shrub communities suggest extrapolation to estimate country- or range-wide population size must take account of vegetation composition

Diminution of Voltage Threshold Plays a Key Role in Determining Recruitment of Oculomotor Nucleus Motoneurons during Postnatal Development

The size principle dictates the orderly recruitment of motoneurons (Mns). This principle assumes that Mns of different sizes have a similar voltage threshold, cell size being the crucial property in determining neuronal recruitment. Thus, smaller neurons have higher membrane resistance and require a lower depolarizing current to reach spike threshold. However, the cell size contribution to recruitment in Mns during postnatal development remains unknown. To investigate this subject, rat oculomotor nucleus Mns were intracellularly labeled and their electrophysiological properties recorded in a brain slice preparation. Mns were divided into 2 age groups: neonatal (1–7 postnatal days, n = 14) and adult (20–30 postnatal days, n = 10). The increase in size of Mns led to a decrease in input resistance with a strong linear relationship in both age groups. A well-fitted inverse correlation was also found between input resistance and rheobase in both age groups. However, input resistance versus rheobase did not correlate when data from neonatal and adult Mns were combined in a single group. This lack of correlation is due to the fact that decrease in input resistance of developing Mns did not lead to an increase in rheobase. Indeed, a diminution in rheobase was found, and it was accompanied by an unexpected decrease in voltage threshold. Additionally, the decrease in rheobase co-varied with decrease in voltage threshold in developing Mns. These data support that the size principle governs the recruitment order in neonatal Mns and is maintained in adult Mns of the oculomotor nucleus; but during postnatal development the crucial property in determining recruitment order in these Mns was not the modifications of cell size-input resistance but of voltage threshold

Radiación fetal a dosis bajas de rayos X en la rata albina (Rattus norvegicus albinus)

The project's goal was to obtain short-term information concerning the pathological effects caused in foetuses by exposure to low doses of X-rays (1 roentgen and 5 roentgen) in female albino rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) on the 12th. day of gestation. Post-radiation repercussions and litter follow-up within defined haematological and morphological parameters were studied. Bone marrow hypoplasia, high mortality, congenital malformation and sluggish growth were found to be present in the experimental litiers. The use of low X-ray doses which are widely used in radiodiagnosis exams, permitied the experimental observation of albino rats, which warns us of the irreversible risk which the human embryofoetal development could be involved in.Con el objetivo de obtener información sobre los efectos patológicos a corto plazo en el feto, causados por la exposición a dosis bajas de rayos X de sus progenitoras, se irradiaron ratas albinas el día 12 de la gestación y se investigaron sus repercusiones con parámetros morfológicos y hematológicos; se observaron alteraciones significativas como hipoplasia medular, retardo del crecimiento fetal, malformaciones congénitas y mortalidad. Una extrapolación animal-humano en cuanto adosis-efecto, alertasobre los posibles riesgos de desarrollo embriofetal humano causados por madres que se exponen a estas dosis consideradas por muchos como no perjudiciales

Spatial distribution of the potential risk for avocado wilting disease, caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi in the subregion of Montes de Maria, Colombia

1 recurso en línea (páginas 273-285) : ilustraciones color.Avocado wilting or root rot, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, is the most limiting disease of avocado crops around the world. Montes de Maria (MM) is the main producer region of avocado in the Colombian Caribbean. Avocado producing areas in MM are decreasing in an inverse trend compared with the increasing hectarage world and nation-wide. Decreasing hectarage in MM is associated with phytosanitary problems, specifically the avocado wilting caused by P. cinnamomi. Climate is one of the main abiotic factors determining spatial distribution of species. For plant-pathogens, environmental conditions determine host-colonization. Under this scenario, the aim of this study was to estimate the spatial distribution of the avocado root-rot risk in the subregion of Montes de Maria, Colombia. This estimation was based on data for the presence of shoot dieback, a characteristic, easily identifiable symptom of root rot caused by P. cinnamomi. This symptom exhibits a high correlation with disease incidence and severity. A Maxent model was used to estimate the spatial distribution of the risk, showing a high statistical validation (test AUC>0.9). This model identified areas with a high risk for occurrence of branch dieback and, consequently, root rot. Areas with a higher risk of root rot were found at the higher altitudes, with lower temperatures in the coldest trimester (BIO11 ~22°C), and in the warmest one (BIO10 ~24°C), with higher rainfall during the dry season (BIO17 - BIO14).más limitante del cultivo a nivel mundial. Montes de María (MM) es la principal región productora de aguacate del Caribe Colombiano. El área de producción de aguacate en esta región, se encuentra en declive en contraposición a la tendencia mundial y nacional. Esta disminución en MM ha sido asociada a problemas sanitarios, específicamente al marchitamiento del aguacate ocasionado por P. cinnamomi. El clima es uno de los factores más importantes que determinan la distribución espacial de una especie y en el caso de los patógenos determina el nicho que facilita la colonización del hospedero. En este contexto, se tiene como propósito estimar la distribución espacial del riesgo de marchitamiento del aguacate en la subregión Montes de María. Esta estimación se realizó a partir de los datos de presencia del síntoma de marchitamiento de yemas, característico de la pudrición radicular por P. cinnamomi. Este síntoma exhibió una alta correlación con la incidencia y la severidad de la enfermedad evaluada por fincas. El modelo Maxent usado para estimar la distribución espacial de riesgo muestra una alta validación estadística (test AUC≥0,9). Este modelo ha permitido predecir las zonas donde el riesgo a pudrición radicular es más alto. Las características de las áreas con el mayor riesgo de pudrición radicular son aquellas localizadas a mayor altitud, con las temperaturas más bajas en el trimestre más frío (BIO11 ~22°C) y en el más caluroso (BIO10 ~24°C) y con la precipitación más alta durante la estación seca (BIO17 - BIO14).Bibliografía: páginas 284-28

Updating known distribution models for forecasting climate change impact on endangered species

To plan endangered species conservation and to design adequate management programmes, it is necessary to predict their distributional response to climate change, especially under the current situation of rapid change. However, these predictions are customarily done by relating de novo the distribution of the species with climatic conditions with no regard of previously available knowledge about the factors affecting the species distribution. We propose to take advantage of known species distribution models, but proceeding to update them with the variables yielded by climatic models before projecting them to the future. To exemplify our proposal, the availability of suitable habitat across Spain for the endangered Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata) was modelled by updating a pre-existing model based on current climate and topography to a combination of different general circulation models and Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. Our results suggested that the main threat for this endangered species would not be climate change, since all forecasting models show that its distribution will be maintained and increased in mainland Spain for all the XXI century. We remark on the importance of linking conservation biology with distribution modelling by updating existing models, frequently available for endangered species, considering all the known factors conditioning the species’ distribution, instead of building new models that are based on climate change variables only.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and FEDER (project CGL2009-11316/BOS

Proteomic Analysis of Polypeptides Captured from Blood during Extracorporeal Albumin Dialysis in Patients with Cholestasis and Resistant Pruritus

Albumin dialysis using the molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) is a new therapeutic approach for liver diseases. To gain insight into the mechanisms involved in albumin dialysis, we analyzed the peptides and proteins absorbed into the MARS strong anion exchange (SAX) cartridges as a result of the treatment of patients with cholestasis and resistant pruritus. Proteins extracted from the SAX MARS cartridges after patient treatment were digested with two enzymes. The resulting peptides were analyzed by multidimensional liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. We identified over 1,500 peptide sequences corresponding to 144 proteins. In addition to the proteins that are present in control albumin-derived samples, this collection includes 60 proteins that were specific to samples obtained after patient treatment. Five of these proteins (neutrophil defensin 1 [HNP-1], secreted Ly-6/uPAR-related protein 1 [SLURP1], serum amyloid A, fibrinogen alpha chain and pancreatic prohormone) were confirmed to be removed by the dialysis procedure using targeted selected-reaction monitoring MS/MS. Furthermore, capture of HNP-1 and SLURP1 was also validated by Western blot. Interestingly, further analyses of SLURP1 in serum indicated that this protein was 3-fold higher in cholestatic patients than in controls. Proteins captured by MARS share certain structural and biological characteristics, and some of them have important biological functions. Therefore, their removal could be related either to therapeutic or possible adverse effects associated with albumin dialysis