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-

Improving the knowledge of sub-surface temperature, salinity and fluorescence variability patterns on the Southern Coast of Galicia

Since 2008, the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) keeps installed a thermosalinometer (TSG) on board of R/V J.M. Navaz that operates on Galician coastal waters. Weekly, it covers the area between Vigo and Muros in the framework of an harmful algal bloom monitoring. High resolution and quality coastal data are very important in order to develop accurate behavior models. The TSG continuously measures the sea subsurface salinity, temperature, and fluorescence along the ships tracks. The classical approach to distribution maps is performing objective analysis of the collected data and assumes errors associated to coastal features. Data-Interpolating Variational Analysis (DIVA) allows the spatial interpolation of data over an adaptable mesh grid, taking into account coastlines and inlets, but also advection constraints. Calculations are optimized and rely on a finite element resolution and the software allows optimizing the analysis parameters, checking for duplicates and performing quality controls. The results of performing and compare DIVA and objective analysis show slight differences that can be appreciated between the inner part of the inlets and the open sea areas. The relative length of the whole data set allows considering also monthly, seasonal and annual variability. These climatological results, that will be updated systematically, can be useful not only for scientific research but also for coastal management activities. All this products, together with quality check flags and metadata information, give added value to the original TSG measures and that will allow a future reuse of data

La ventana de madera en edificación. Monográfico Nº1. Resistencia al fuego

Jornada organizada por ASOMA con fecha 6 de junio de 2013

ParkDB: a Parkinson's disease gene expression database

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common, adult-onset, neuro-degenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of cardinal motor signs mainly due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. To date, researchers still have limited understanding of the key molecular events that provoke neurodegeneration in this disease. Here, we present ParkDB, the first queryable database dedicated to gene expression in PD. ParkDB contains a complete set of re-analyzed, curated and annotated microarray datasets. This resource enables scientists to identify and compare expression signatures involved in PD and dopaminergic neuron differentiation under different biological conditions and across species. Database URL: http://www2.cancer.ucl.ac.uk/Parkinson_Db2

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

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

Spatial and temporal variability of Nutrients in the Ría de Vigo

The Ría of Vigo (Galicia, NW Spain) is an estuary located in the northern boundary (42–43°N) of the eastern North Atlantic upwelling system. Since 1994, the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), as part of RADIALES program, has been monitoring, in a monthly basis, a hydrographic standard section composed of 4 oceanographic stations located in the inner, medium and outer part of the ría. In addition to hydrographic profiles, biogeochemical and plankton samples have been collected. The average values of the main nutrients in the study area and its inter- and intra-annual variability in relation with the oceanographic features are represented in order to establish reference and range values for the different seasons

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