Valoración de los servicios de ecosistema: Aplicación del modelo hedónico en la cuenca del río Piedras

Áreas de infraestructura natural, dentro del tejido urbano, presentan servicios de ecosistemas importantes para la calidad de vida. Los esfuerzos de investigación de las pasadas décadas han caracterizado estos servicios y aplicado técnicas para la valoración e integración a la planificación urbana. Este estudio, utiliza la técnica de valoración hedónica para determinar el valor indirecto de áreas de infraestructura natural y sus servicios, reflejado en el precio de venta de viviendas unifamiliares en la cuenca del río Piedras en San Juan. Resultados del modelo de regresión reflejan la importancia de amenidades naturales como ríos y quebradas así como la de los espacios verdes visibles desde éstas. El deterioro de la calidad de los espacios públicos en la ciudad refleja, en los resultados, una magnitud mayor de variables de áreas privadas de infraestructura verde y comercial. A la luz de los resultados, la política de planificación para la provisión de acceso a servicios de ecosistema debe examinar las mejores prácticas dentro de la ciudad y presentar alternativas de integración ciudadana, mejoras y cambios de percepción sobre los espacios públicos y naturales en la ciudad

Structure-activity relationships based on 3D-QSAR CoMFA/CoMSIA and design of aryloxypropanol-amine agonists with selectivity for the human β3-adrenergic receptor and anti-obesity and anti-diabetic profiles

Indexación: Scopus.Acknowledgments: This work was supported by FONDECYT No. 11130701. We would also like to thank fDoTr CthLeafbr efeora vthaeil afrbeilei tayvoafiltahbeilsitoyf towfa trheer seoqfutwireadret orecqaulciureladt etothcealAcuDla(thet ttph:e/ A/dDt c(lhatbt.pw:/e/dbstc.cloabm.w/seobfst.wcoamre/-stoofotlws aarned-tools and http://teqip.jdvu.ac.in/QSAR_Tools/). SDG. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.The wide tissue distribution of the adrenergic β3 receptor makes it a potential target for the treatment of multiple pathologies such as diabetes, obesity, depression, overactive bladder (OAB), and cancer. Currently, there is only one drug on the market, mirabegron, approved for the treatment of OAB. In the present study, we have carried out an extensive structure-activity relationship analysis of a series of 41 aryloxypropanolamine compounds based on three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) techniques. This is the first combined comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity index analysis (CoMSIA) study in a series of selective aryloxypropanolamines displaying anti-diabetes and anti-obesity pharmacological profiles. The best CoMFA and CoMSIA models presented values of r2 ncv = 0.993 and 0.984 and values of r2 test = 0.865 and 0.918, respectively. The results obtained were subjected to extensive external validation (q2, r2, r2 m, etc.) and a final series of compounds was designed and their biological activity was predicted (best pEC50 = 8.561). © 2018 by the authors.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/5/119

Bibliotecas nacionales y robótica : el sistema de robots de la Biblioteca Valenciana

The management of the physical documentation continues being a challenge of many centers, especially in those that, as the national libraries, should negotiate enormous collections and to adapt uses and guidelines of work to buildings with a high historic-artistic value. Is the case of the Biblioteca Valenciana, the national library of the Valencian Community, that since the year 2000 counts on own headquarters in the Monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes, jewel of the Spanish and Valencian renaissance. The study describes the system of robots installed in said year, its characteristics, utilities and advantages, as well as the problematic one detected after four years of operation

The Relationship between Visual-Spatial and Auditory-Verbal Working Memory Span in Senegalese and Ugandan Children

BACKGROUND: Using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) Conant et al. (1999) observed that visual and auditory working memory (WM) span were independent in both younger and older children from DR Congo, but related in older American children and in Lao children. The present study evaluated whether visual and auditory WM span were independent in Ugandan and Senegalese children. METHOD: In a linear regression analysis we used visual (Spatial Memory, Hand Movements) and auditory (Number Recall) WM along with education and physical development (weight/height) as predictors. The predicted variable in this analysis was Word Order, which is a verbal memory task that has both visual and auditory memory components. RESULTS: Both the younger (<8.5 yrs) and older (>8.5 yrs) Ugandan children had auditory memory span (Number Recall) that was strongly predictive of Word Order performance. For both the younger and older groups of Senegalese children, only visual WM span (Spatial Memory) was strongly predictive of Word Order. Number Recall was not significantly predictive of Word Order in either age group. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that greater literacy from more schooling for the Ugandan age groups mediated their greater degree of interdependence between auditory and verbal WM. Our findings support those of Conant et al., who observed in their cross-cultural comparisons that stronger education seemed to enhance the dominance of the phonological-auditory processing loop for WM

Evaluating the performance of model transformation styles in Maude

Rule-based programming has been shown to be very successful in many application areas. Two prominent examples are the specification of model transformations in model driven development approaches and the definition of structured operational semantics of formal languages. General rewriting frameworks such as Maude are flexible enough to allow the programmer to adopt and mix various rule styles. The choice between styles can be biased by the programmer’s background. For instance, experts in visual formalisms might prefer graph-rewriting styles, while experts in semantics might prefer structurally inductive rules. This paper evaluates the performance of different rule styles on a significant benchmark taken from the literature on model transformation. Depending on the actual transformation being carried out, our results show that different rule styles can offer drastically different performances. We point out the situations from which each rule style benefits to offer a valuable set of hints for choosing one style over the other

Structural Brain Alterations in Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been related to brain alterations in female survivors. Nonetheless, few studies have used an exploratory approach, focusing on brain regions that are traditionally studied in other populations with post-traumatic stress. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), strangulation, and childhood trauma are highly prevalent among this population, and have also been associated with brain alterations and functional deterioration. As such, it is difficult to determine how different brain regions are affected by the complex interplay of these factors in female survivors. The aim of this study is to assess (a) brain alterations in female survivors of IPV as compared to non-victim females and (b) the potential causal mechanisms associated with such alterations. We hypothesized that structural brain differences would be found between female survivors of IPV and non-victims, and that these differences would be related to IPV-related TBI, strangulation, IPV severity, depression, post-traumatic stress, generalized anxiety, and childhood adverse experiences. A total of 27 non-victims and 28 survivors completed structural magnetic resonance imaging and questionnaires to measure the potential causal mechanisms for brain alterations. Structural brain differences were found between groups, principally in volumetric analyses. The brain regions in which between-group differences were found were related to attempted strangulation, IPV-related TBI, severity of IPV, adverse childhood experiences, and post-traumatic stress. These results demonstrate that a wider range of brain regions may be impacted by IPV and that various factors are implicated in the structural brain alterations found in female survivors. This study demonstrates the importance of post-traumatic stress, childhood and adult trauma, and physical violence in assessing brain alterations in IPV survivors. Further, it serves as a critical first step in assessing an extensive list of potential causal mechanisms for structural brain alterations, using a more comprehensive a whole-brain structural analysis of IPV female victims, a largely understudied and vulnerable population.I+D+I Operative Program FEDER project of the Andalusian Government in 2018 B-CTS-493-UGR18Ministry of Education and Professional Training in SpainUniversity of Granada (Spain)Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities FJCI-2017-3339

Common motifs in scientific workflows: An empirical analysis

While workflow technology has gained momentum in the last decade as a means for specifying and enacting computational experiments in modern science, reusing and repurposing existing workflows to build new scientific experiments is still a daunting task. This is partly due to the difficulty that scientists experience when attempting to understand existing workflows, which contain several data preparation and adaptation steps in addition to the scientifically significant analysis steps. One way to tackle the understandability problem is through providing abstractions that give a high-level view of activities undertaken within workflows. As a first step towards abstractions, we report in this paper on the results of a manual analysis performed over a set of real-world scientific workflows from Taverna and Wings systems. Our analysis has resulted in a set of scientific workflow motifs that outline i) the kinds of data intensive activities that are observed in workflows (data oriented motifs), and ii) the different manners in which activities are implemented within workflows (workflow oriented motifs). These motifs can be useful to inform workflow designers on the good and bad practices for workflow development, to inform the design of automated tools for the generation of workflow abstractions, etc

Synthesis and characterization of graphene/polythiophene (GR/PT) nanocomposites:Evaluation as high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

Composites of polythiophene (PT) and graphene (GR) with different mass proportions were studied for their application as supercapacitors. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) along with High Resolution Scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) were employed in order to characterize the morphology and composition of the resulting composites. The electrochemical behaviour of these composites was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and specific capacitance curves were derived from these measurements. The Faradaic impedance spectroscopy response of the different composites, along with that of GR, was also studied. From these measurements it was found that a 1:1 in mass composite of GR and PT showed a higher specific capacitance, even when compared with GR alone. The introduction of the GR in that proportion also showed an enhanced cyclic stability in comparison with the sole polymer. The high specific capacitance (365 F g-1 at 1 A g-1) of this composite material indicates its potential for use as an electrode material for supercapacitors.Fil: Melo, J. P.. Universidad Bernardo OHiggins; ChileFil: Schulz, Eduardo Nicolás. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Instituto de Ingeniería Electroquímica y Corrosión; Argentina. University of Birmingham; Reino UnidoFil: Morales Verdejo, C.. Universidad Bernardo OHiggins; ChileFil: Horswell, S. L.. University of Birmingham; Reino UnidoFil: Camarada, M. B.. Universidad Bernardo OHiggins; Chil

頭部外傷の治療(交通事故による脳障害,第48回千葉医学会学術大会,第17回千葉県医師会学術大会,第10回日医医学講座,連合大会)

BACKGROUND:The negative consequences of energy dense foods are well known, yet people increasingly make unhealthy food choices leading to obesity (i.e., risky decisions). The aims of this study were: [1] to compare performance in decision-making tasks under risk and under ambiguity between individuals with obesity, overweight and normal weight; [2] to examine the associations between body mass index (BMI) and decision-making, and the degree to which these associations are modulated by reward sensitivity. METHODS:Seventy-nine adults were recruited and classified in three groups according to their BMI: obesity, overweight and normal-weight. Groups were similar in terms of age, education and socio-economic status, and were screened for comorbid medical and mental health conditions. Decision-making under risk was measured via the Wheel of Fortune Task (WoFT) and decision-making under ambiguity via the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Reward sensitivity was indicated by the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ). RESULTS:Individuals with obesity made riskier choices in the WoFT, specifically in choices with an expected value close to zero and in the propensity to risk index. No differences were found in IGT performance or SPSRQ scores. BMI was associated with risk-taking (WoFT performance), independently of reward sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS:Obesity is linked to a propensity to make risky decisions in experimental conditions analogous to everyday food choices

Investigating the Mechanisms of Hallucinogen-Induced Visions Using 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA): A Randomized Controlled Trial in Humans

The mechanisms of drug-induced visions are poorly understood. Very few serotonergic hallucinogens have been studied in humans in decades, despite widespread use of these drugs and potential relevance of their mechanisms to hallucinations occurring in psychiatric and neurological disorders.We investigated the mechanisms of hallucinogen-induced visions by measuring the visual and perceptual effects of the hallucinogenic serotonin 5-HT2AR receptor agonist and monoamine releaser, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. We found that MDA increased self-report measures of mystical-type experience and other hallucinogen-like effects, including reported visual alterations. MDA produced a significant increase in closed-eye visions (CEVs), with considerable individual variation. Magnitude of CEVs after MDA was associated with lower performance on measures of contour integration and object recognition.Drug-induced visions may have greater intensity in people with poor sensory or perceptual processing, suggesting common mechanisms with other hallucinatory syndromes. MDA is a potential tool to investigate mystical experiences and visual perception