SODA: Generating SQL for Business Users

The purpose of data warehouses is to enable business analysts to make better decisions. Over the years the technology has matured and data warehouses have become extremely successful. As a consequence, more and more data has been added to the data warehouses and their schemas have become increasingly complex. These systems still work great in order to generate pre-canned reports. However, with their current complexity, they tend to be a poor match for non tech-savvy business analysts who need answers to ad-hoc queries that were not anticipated. This paper describes the design, implementation, and experience of the SODA system (Search over DAta Warehouse). SODA bridges the gap between the business needs of analysts and the technical complexity of current data warehouses. SODA enables a Google-like search experience for data warehouses by taking keyword queries of business users and automatically generating executable SQL. The key idea is to use a graph pattern matching algorithm that uses the metadata model of the data warehouse. Our results with real data from a global player in the financial services industry show that SODA produces queries with high precision and recall, and makes it much easier for business users to interactively explore highly-complex data warehouses.Comment: VLDB201

Effects of cholestyramine and lovastatin upon plasma lipids and egg yolk cholesterol levels of laying hens

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cholestyramine and lovastatin, lipid-lowering agents, upon egg quality, reproductive performance, plasma lipids and egg yolk cholesterol levels of Shaver laying hens. Twenty-six-weeks-old hens were fed basal diet without animal products containing 0.2% cholestyramine (COL1), 0.3% cholestyramine (COL2) or 0.005% lovastatin (LOV) for 6 weeks. It was observed that the supplementation of the drugs did not impair albumen and shell quality. Hen performance was not adversely affected, with the exception of the significant reduction (p < 0.05) in egg weights. No significant changes were observed on plasma lipids, and egg yolk cholesterol remained unchanged with the addition of the drugs.O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar os efeitos da colestiramina e da lovastatina, drogas hipolipemizantes, sobre a qualidade do ovo, desempenho das aves, teores de lípides plasmáticos e de colesterol na gema do ovo de galinhas poedeiras Shaver. Aves com 26 semanas de idade receberam como alimentação dieta formulada sem ingredientes de origem animal (COM) acrescida de colestiramina a 0,2% (COL1) e 0,3% (COL2) e lovastatina a 0,005% (LOV) durante 6 semanas. A adição das drogas não prejudicou a qualidade da casca e do albúmen dos ovos. De um modo geral, o desempenho produtivo das aves não foi afetado, com exceção da redução observada no peso médio dos ovos. Não foram observadas mudanças nos teores de lípides plasmáticos das aves e a concentração de colesterol na gema permaneceu inalterada mediante a adição das drogas

Multilateration system with printed monopole antennas

Orientador: Hugo Enrique Hernández FigueroaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de ComputaçãoResumo: A principal contribuição desta dissertação é a proposta de uma metodologia para localização de diferentes objetos, em locais abertos ou fechados, através do método de Multilateração com efetividade no processamento do sinal recebido, utilizando de Antenas Monopolo Impressas com Chanfro no Plano Terra, dimensionadas também em tese, como uma das principais ferramentas do processo. O método de Multilateração consiste na parametrização das soluções da posição, pré-determinadas por uma Central de Processamento, que recebe a potência das Componentes localizadas pelas denominadas Componentes de Canto, e as envia para uma Central de Ênfase, a qual possui uma velocidade maior de processamento para efetuar os devidos cálculos. Para a construção de um sistema de solução da posição com um erro mínimo, um procedimento baseado em resoluções de problemas de otimização e de algorítimos do método de Multilateração é proposto, resultando em sequências de relaxações que convergem para uma solução adequadamente aplicável em ambientes abertos ou fechados. Problemas de análise robusta são analisados em detalhes para as antenas aplicadas ao sistema. Várias especificações numéricas são apresentadas ilustrando a eficiência dos métodos propostos em termos da acurácia dos resultados e do esforço computacional quando comparados com outros métodos da literaturaAbstract: This dissertation proposes, as main contribution, a new methodology to locating differents objects, in open or closed places, through the Multilateration method with effectiveness in the processing of the received signal, using Printed Monopole Antenna with Shape at Ground Plane, dimensioned also in thesis, as one of the main tools of the process. The Multilateration method consists of the parameterization of the solutions of the position, pre-determined by a Processing Center, which receives the power of the localized components by the so-called Corner Components, and sends them to a Emphasis Central, which has a higher processing speed to make the necessary calculations. For the construction of a positioning system with a minimum error, a procedure based on resolutions of optimization problems and algorithms of the Multilateration method is proposed, resulting in sequences of relaxations that converge to a solution appropriately applicable in open or closed environments. Problems of analysis are analyzed in detail for the antennas applied to the system. Numerical specifications are presented illustrating the efficiency of the proposed methods in terms of accuracy of results and computational effort when compared with other methods in the literatureMestradoTelecomunicações e TelemáticaMestre em Engenharia Elétric

Identification of three additional femAB-like open reading frames in Staphylococcus aureus

Three new proteins, FmhA, FmhB and FmhC, with significant identities to FemA and FemB were identified in the Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 55748) genome database. They were mapped to the SmaI-C, SmaI-H and SmaI-A fragments of the S. aureus 8325 chromosome, respectively. Whereas insertional inactivation of fmhA and fmhC had no effects on growth, antibiotic susceptibility, lysostaphin resistance, or peptidoglycan composition of the strains, fmhB could not be inactivated, strongly suggesting that fmhB may be an essential gene. As deduced from the functions of FemA and FemB which are involved in the synthesis of the peptidoglycan pentaglycine interpeptide, FmhB may be a candidate for the postulated FemX thought to add the first glycine to the nascent interpeptid

Orientus ishidae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): biology, direct damage and preliminary studies on apple proliferation infection in apple orchard

The mosaic leafhopper, Orientus ishidae (Matsumura), is an Asian species widespread in Europe that can cause leaf damage in wild trees and transmit disease phytoplasmas to grapevines. Following an O. ishidae outbreak reported in 2019 in an apple orchard in northern Italy, the biology and damage caused by this species to apples were investigated during 2020 and 2021. Our studies included observations on the O. ishidae life cycle, leaf symptoms associated to its trophic activity, and its capability to acquire "Candidatus Phytoplasma mali," a causal agent of Apple Proliferation (AP). The results indicate that O. ishidae can complete the life cycle on apple trees. Nymphs emerged between May and June, and adults were present from early July to late October, with the peak of flight between July and early August. Semi-field observations allowed for an accurate description of leaf symptoms that appeared as a distinct yellowing after a one-day exposure. In field experiments, 23% of the leaves were found damaged. In addition, 16-18% of the collected leafhoppers were found carrying AP phytoplasma. We conclude that O. ishidae has the potential to be a new apple tree pest. However, further studies are required to better understand the economic impact of the infestations

New Variant of the Treatment of Acromion-Clavicular Dislocation with TightRope®System in a Mini - Open Approach: A Preliminary Clinical Study

Background: Many different surgical techniques have been described to stabilize the acromion-clavicular (AC) dislocations. So far many of these procedures are performed only in arthroscopy. Objectives: In this study, we describe a new technique that utilizes the tightrope with a mini-invasive open approach for the acute stabilization of the acromion-clavicular joint (ACJ) dislocation. Patients and Methods: We set an prospective study aimed to verify the efficacy of this new surgical technique. We treated 28 patients with acute ACJ dislocation with ACJ TightRope ® System with dual mini access. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 34 patients treated with arthroscopic technique. They were considered as the control group. Results: At 6 month’s follow-up, all the 28 patients showed a stable joint during clinical examination and obtained an average Constant score of 98.62/100, with a complete recovery of ROM and strength in abduction. The mean operation time was of 33.7 minutes. The mean recovery duration was 102.8 days. No significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Results of this trial suggest the effectiveness of this new mini-invasive surgical technique in producing clinical and functional recovery in patients with ACJ dislocations

The significance of nanoparticle shape in chirality transfer to a surrounding nematic liquid crystal reporter medium

This perspective reports on recent progress toward the development of an approach to a priori predict - both chirality "strength" and efficacy of chirality transfer from a chiral nanoshape solute to an achiral nematic environment

Pharmaceutic guidance to hypertensive patients at USP University Hospital: effect on adherence to treatment

This study was carried out in the outpatient unit of the Teaching Hospital of the University of São Paulo (USP), and studied the impact of an educational program aimed at improving hypertensive patients' compliance to treatment. Seventy five (75) hypertensive patients of both sexes took part in the study which had no age or race discrimination. Participants presented no other concomitant pathology, except obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia. Forty one patients were allocated to an experimental group (EG). Experimental patients attended lectures on the use of medication and artery hypertension (AH) and received personal pharmaceutical guidance for nine months. The control group (CG) comprised 34 patients who did not attend lectures or receive pharmaceutical advice in this period. The results were assessed by means of serum levels of cholesterol and fractions of tryacylglicerol (TG), urine sodium and potassium, arterial pressure (AP), body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and also based on responses to a questionnaire focusing on AH and treatment. Patients who received the guidance showed a greater decrease in AP, TG and WHR, besides an increase of potassium excretion through urine. The experimental group also scored higher on the questionnaires compared to the CG. It was concluded that the educational process, applied under the conditions of the present study, improves clients' clinical response to antihypertensive treatment and should be included in therapeutic strategies of health care services dealing with hypertensive patients.Este trabalho, realizado no ambulatório do Hospital Universitário da USP, estudou a repercussão de um programa educacional visando melhorar a adesão do paciente hipertenso ao tratamento. Participaram do trabalho 75 pacientes de ambos os sexos, sem discriminação de idade ou raça, sem outras patologias concomitantes, exceto obesidade, diabetes e dislipidemia. Quarenta e um pacientes assistiram palestras sobre uso de medicamentos e hipertensão arterial (HA), receberam orientação farmacêutica individualizada durante nove meses e foram denominados grupo experimental (GE); o grupo controle (GC), composto por 34 pacientes não assistiu palestras nem recebeu orientação farmacêutica, neste período. Os resultados foram avaliados por meio de níveis séricos de colesterol e frações, triacil-gliceróis (TG), sódio e potássio urinários, pressão arterial (PA), índice de massa corpórea (IMC), relação cintura/quadril (RCQ), além de respostas a questionário enfocando HA e tratamento. Verificou-se que os pacientes orientados apresentaram maior decréscimo da PA, TG e da RCQ, além de aumento da excreção urinária de potássio e do percentual de acertos em questionários, em relação ao GC. Concluiu-se que o processo educativo, utilizado nas condições deste estudo, melhora a resposta clínica do paciente ao tratamento anti-hipertensivo e deve fazer parte das estratégias terapêuticas de serviços de atendimento a pacientes hipertensos