627 research outputs found

    Shooting Down Hijacked Airplanes? Sorry, We’re Humanists. A Comment on the German Constitutional Court Decision of 2.15.2006, Regarding the Luftsicherheitsgesetz (2005 Air Security Act)

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    The article analyzes a very remarkable decision of the Constitutional Court of Germany that struck down a law (2005 Air Security Law) that expressly authorized the federal government to shoot down hijacked airplanes, in case they were likely to be crashed against a target on the ground. The Court ruled that deliberately killing innocent people on board is incompatible with the right to human dignity, as established in the Basic Law. The article focuses on some of the main issues addressed by the Court (among others, the absolutization of human dignity, which makes unconstitutional for the legislature and for the executive to weigh between the lives of the passengers on board an the lives of the victims of the crash), and tries to situate it in the context of the German and European case law on antiterrorism and human rights

    Characterisation of youth entrepreneurship in Medellín-Colombia using machine learning

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    The aim of this paper is to identify profiles of young Colombian entrepreneurs based on data from the “Youth Entrepreneurship” survey developed by the Colombian Youth Secretariat. Our research results show five profiles of entrepreneurs, mainly differentiated by age and entrepreneurial motives, as well as the identification of relevant skills, capacities, and capabilities for entrepreneurship, such as creativity, learning, and leadership. The sample consists of 633 young people aged between 14 and 28 years in Medellín. The data treatment was approached through cluster analysis using the K-means algorithm to obtain information about the underlying nature and structure of the data. These data analysis techniques provide valuable information that can help to better understand the behaviour of Colombian entrepreneurs. They also reveal hidden information in the data. Therefore, one of the advantages of using statistical and artificial intelligence techniques in this type of study is to extract valuable information that might otherwise go unnoticed. The clusters generated show correlations with profiles that can support the design of policies in Colombia to promote an entrepreneurial ecosystem and the creation and development of new businesses through business regulation

    DESARROLLO DE SISTEMA DE VISIÓN ARTIFICIAL PARA CONTROL DE CALIDAD DE BOTELLAS EN LA EMPRESA CARTAVIO RUM COMPANY

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    This article aims to develop a quality control system for bottled beverages for Cartavio Rum Company by using Visual Studio 2017 software, using the transformed hough and canny algorithm for borders and the application of morphological filters (erode). This system consists of a conveyor belt that generates the movement of the bottles, until it is detected by the camera, which obtains the images that are processed. For this, there is a system for the entry of the bottles to the conveyor belt, which will be taken place of capture of the images made by software. It identifies the level of loading of the product, evaluate the alignment and the correct color of the labels of the bottle, also it verify the control of sediments or small strange bodies in the bottles contents, then perform the previous processing the same. At the end of the preprocessing and determine the final characteristics of the product through pre-established parameters in bottled rum drinks, by using artificial vision, the bottles that pass the control continue towards a place process in the boxes where they can be dispatched and controlled, those that do not comply are rejected and reprocessed. Several tests concluded that the artificial vision system showed an efficiency of 95% compared to visual inspection of the human eye with 55%, corroborating the effectiveness of artificial vision in the quality process in the company.El presente artículo tiene por objetivo desarrollar un sistema de control de calidad de bebidas embotelladas para la em-presa Cartavio Rum Company mediante el software Visual Studio 2017, empleando el algoritmo transformado de houghy canny para los bordes y aplicación de filtros morfológicos (erode). Este sistema consta de una banda transportadoraque genera el movimiento de las botellas, hasta ser detectadas por la cámara, la cual obtiene las imágenes que son pro-cesadas. Para ello se tiene un sistema para el ingreso de las botellas hacia la faja transportadora que serán llevadas hasta el lugar de captura de las imágenes realizada mediante un software que se encarga de identificar del nivel de llenado del producto, evaluar la alineación y el correcto color de las etiquetas de la botella, también verificar el control de sedimentos o pequeños cuerpos extraños en el contenido de las botellas, para luego realizar el pre procesamiento de las mismas. Al finalizar el pre-procesamiento y determinar las características finales del producto mediante parámetros preestablecidos en bebidas embotelladas de ron, mediante el uso de visión artificial, las botellas que pasen el control continúan hacia un proceso de ubicación en las cajas donde serán despachadas y aquellas que no cumplen son rechazadas y reprocesadas. Se realizaron diversas pruebas que concluyen que el sistema de visión artificial muestra una eficiencia del 95% comparado al de la inspección visual del ojo humano con 55%, corroborando la efectividad de la visión artificial en el proceso de calidad en la empresa

    El conjunto de círculos pirenaicos de Ondarre en la Sierra de Aralar (Gipuzkoa): de monumento funerario a hito ganadero

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    En este artículo se presentan tres crómlechs excavados en la Sierra de Aralar. Ondarre I tiene un diámetro de siete metros y está conformado por 35 testigos. El túmulo de tierra tiene 45 cm de altura. En su zona central había 4 losetas de caliza, y una pequeña cubeta con huesos incinerados, pertenecientes a dos individuos y abundantes carbones. A seis metros de distancia está Ondarre II, que tiene un diámetro de 4,5 metros y conserva sólo 15 de los testigos. En el sondeo se han localizado pequeñas manchas de carbón en el centro y algún sílex. El crómlech de Ondarre III tenía un diámetro de unos 9 metros, pero está muy incompleto, ya que conserva sólo cuatro testigos. Junto a sus bases y en la zona central se hallaron carbones. Uno de ellos fue reutilizado como haustarri (hito ganadero), según un documento del siglo XIX. Las fechas radiocarbónicas los sitúan en el Bronce Final

    Metabolomics reveals impaired maturation of HDL particles in adolescents with hyperinsulinaemic androgen excess.

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    Hyperinsulinaemic androgen excess (HIAE) in prepubertal and pubertal girls usually precedes a broader pathological phenotype in adulthood that is associated with anovulatory infertility, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The metabolic derangements that determine these long-term health risks remain to be clarified. Here we use NMR and MS-based metabolomics to show that serum levels of methionine sulfoxide in HIAE girls are an indicator of the degree of oxidation of methionine-148 residue in apolipoprotein-A1. Oxidation of apo-A1 in methionine-148, in turn, leads to an impaired maturation of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) that is reflected in a decline of large HDL particles. Notably, such metabolic alterations occur in the absence of impaired glucose tolerance, hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia, and were partially restored after 18 months of treatment with a low-dose combination of pioglitazone, metformin and flutamide

    Current clinical spectrum of common variable immunodeficiency in Spain: The multicentric nationwide GTEM-SEMI-CVID registry

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    Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) constitutes a heterogenic group of primary immunodeficiency disorders with a wide-ranging clinical spectrum. CVID-associated non-infectious morbidity constitutes a major challenge requiring a full understanding of its pathophysiology and its clinical importance and global variability, especially considering the broad clinical, genetic, and regional heterogeneity of CVID disorders. This work aimed to develop a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective study over a 3-year period describing epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and prognostic features of 250 CVID patients in Spain. The mean diagnostic delay was around 10 years and most patients initially presented with infectious complications followed by non-infectious immune disorders. However, infectious diseases were not the main cause of morbimortality. Non-infectious lung disease was extraordinarily frequent in our registry affecting approximately 60% of the patients. More than one-third of the patients in our cohort showed lymphadenopathies and splenomegaly in their follow-up, and more than 33% presented immune cytopenias, especially Evans' syndrome. Gastrointestinal disease was observed in more than 40% of the patients. Among biopsied organs in our cohort, benign lymphoproliferation was the principal histopathological alteration. Reaching 15.26%, the global prevalence of cancer in our registry was one of the highest reported to date, with non-Hodgkin B lymphoma being the most frequent. These data emphasize the importance of basic and translational research delving into the pathophysiological pathways involved in immune dysregulation and diffuse lymphocytic infiltration. This would reveal new tailored strategies to reduce immune complications, and the associated healthcare burden, and ensure a better quality of life for CVID patients

    The genetic architecture of low-temperature adaptation in the wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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    [Background] Low-temperature growth and fermentation of wine yeast can enhance wine aroma and make them highly desirable traits for the industry. Elucidating response to cold in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is, therefore, of paramount importance to select or genetically improve new wine strains. As most enological traits of industrial importance in yeasts, adaptation to low temperature is a polygenic trait regulated by many interacting loci.[Results] In order to unravel the genetic determinants of low-temperature fermentation, we mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) by bulk segregant analyses in the F13 offspring of two Saccharomyces cerevisiae industrial strains with divergent performance at low temperature. We detected four genomic regions involved in the adaptation at low temperature, three of them located in the subtelomeric regions (chromosomes XIII, XV and XVI) and one in the chromosome XIV. The QTL analysis revealed that subtelomeric regions play a key role in defining individual variation, which emphasizes the importance of these regions’ adaptive nature.[Conclusions] The reciprocal hemizygosity analysis (RHA), run to validate the genes involved in low-temperature fermentation, showed that genetic variation in mitochondrial proteins, maintenance of correct asymmetry and distribution of phospholipid in the plasma membrane are key determinants of low-temperature adaptation.This work has been financially supported from the Spanish Government through MINECO and FEDER funds (AGL2013-47300-C3-3-R and PCIN-2015-143 grants) and from Generalitat Valenciana through PROMETEOII/2014/042 grant, awarded to JMG. This study has been carried out in the context of the European Project ERA-IB “YeastTempTation” EGR thanks the Spanish government for an FPI grant BES-2011-044498 and MM also thanks the Generalitat Valenciana for a VALi+d ACIF/2015/194 grant. We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe

    Comparative efficacy of two primary care interventions to assist withdrawal from long term benzodiazepine use: A protocol for a clustered, randomized clinical trial

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although benzodiazepines are effective, long-term use is not recommended because of potential adverse effects; the risks of tolerance and dependence; and an increased risk of hip fractures, motor vehicle accidents, and memory impairment. The estimated prevalence of long-term benzodiazepine use in the general population is about 2,2 to 2,6%, is higher in women and increases steadily with age. Interventions performed by General Practitioners may help patients to discontinue long-term benzodiazepine use. We have designed a trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of two brief general practitioner-provided interventions, based on gradual dose reduction, and will compare the effectiveness of these interventions with that of routine clinical practice.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>In a three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial, general practitioners will be randomly allocated to: a) a group in which the first patient visit will feature a structured interview, followed by visits every 2-3 weeks to the end of dose reduction; b) a group in which the first patient visit will feature a structured interview plus delivery of written instructions to self-reduce benzodiazepine dose, or c) routine care. Using a computerized pharmaceutical prescription database, 495 patients, aged 18-80 years, taking benzodiazepine for at least 6 months, will be recruited in primary care health districts of three regions of Spain (the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, and Valencia). The primary outcome will be benzodiazepine use at 12 months. The secondary outcomes will include measurements of anxiety and depression symptoms, benzodiazepine dependence, quality of sleep, and alcohol consumption.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Although some interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing benzodiazepine consumption by long-term users, the clinical relevance of such interventions is limited by their complexity. This randomized trial will compare the effectiveness and safety of two complex stepped care interventions with that of routine care in a study with sufficient statistical power to detect clinically relevant differences.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials: <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN13024375">ISRCTN13024375</a></p

    Long-term follow-up of certolizumab pegol in uveitis due to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases : multicentre study of 80 patients

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    Objectives To evaluate effectiveness and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) in uveitis due to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID). Methods Multicentre study of CZP-treated patients with IMID uveitis refractory to conventional immunosuppressant. Effectiveness was assessed through the following ocular parameters: best-corrected visual acuity, anterior chamber cells, vitritis, macular thickness and retinal vasculitis. These variables were compared between the baseline, and first week, first, third, sixth months, first and second year. Results We studied 80 (33 men/47 women) patients (111 affected eyes) with a mean age of 41.6±11.7 years. The IMID included were: spondyloarthritis (n=43), Behçet's disease (n=10), psoriatic arthritis (n=8), Crohn's disease (n=4), sarcoidosis (n=2), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (n=1), reactive arthritis (n=1), rheumatoid arthritis (n=1), relapsing polychondritis (n=1), Conclusions CZP seems to be effective and safe in uveitis related to different IMID, even in patients refractory to previous biological drugs
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