A visual embedding for the unsupervised extraction of abstract semantics

Vector-space word representations obtained from neural network models have been shown to enable semantic operations based on vector arithmetic. In this paper, we explore the existence of similar information on vector representations of images. For that purpose we define a methodology to obtain large, sparse vector representations of image classes, and generate vectors through the state-of-the-art deep learning architecture GoogLeNet for 20 K images obtained from ImageNet. We first evaluate the resultant vector-space semantics through its correlation with WordNet distances, and find vector distances to be strongly correlated with linguistic semantics. We then explore the location of images within the vector space, finding elements close in WordNet to be clustered together, regardless of significant visual variances (e.g., 118 dog types). More surprisingly, we find that the space unsupervisedly separates complex classes without prior knowledge (e.g., living things). Afterwards, we consider vector arithmetics. Although we are unable to obtain meaningful results on this regard, we discuss the various problem we encountered, and how we consider to solve them. Finally, we discuss the impact of our research for cognitive systems, focusing on the role of the architecture being used.This work is partially supported by the Joint Study Agreement no. W156463 under the IBM/BSC Deep Learning Center agreement, by the Spanish Government through Programa Severo Ochoa (SEV-2015-0493), by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology through TIN2015-65316-P project and by the Generalitat de Catalunya (contracts 2014-SGR-1051), and by the Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST) program of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Desarrollo y crisis en el capitalismo

Revisión realizada en 2012, del desenvolvimiento de la economía mundial y los cambios que se han venido dando en el contexto de la crisis reciente, así como diversos aspectos de las transformaciones en proceso y de la situación económica y social en América Latina. La primera parte está dedicada a la crisis mundial en el marco del funcionamiento del capitalismo y la globalización, y de la permanencia de los factores económicos y financieros que propiciaron su estallido. Se consideran los efectos de la misma según los países y regiones, y se observa su incidencia en los procesos de reconfiguración en marcha, así como las estrategias y políticas seguidas para hacerle frente, sin olvidar las propuestas que se han adelantado para explicarla. En la segunda parte de la obra se analizan los problemas de la región latinoamericana y los de algunos de los países que la integran. Los temas incluyen el desempleo juvenil y el modelo agro-exportador, la inversión extranjera directa y las elecciones presidenciales, entre otros

EFECTO DE LA REFRIGERACIÓN SOBRE LA MOTILIDAD, INTEGRIDAD DE MEMBRANA ACROSOMAL Y REACCIÓN ACROSOMAL EN ESPERMATOZOIDES CANINOS

Métodos de preservación de espermatozoides mediante la refrigeración o el congelamiento han sido desarrollados para espermatozoides caninos; sin embargo, la tasa de fecundación artificial es baja, posiblemente por daños celulares aún no determinados. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la refrigeración sobre la motilidad, actividad mitocondrial, integridad de membrana acrosomal y reacción acrosomal en espermatozoides caninos incubados en tres medios distintos (Ferp Talp, CCMm, Sp Talp), utilizando nuevas metodologías (Mito Tracker, Lyso Tracker, SBTI). Los resultados indicaron una disminución significativa (p<0.05) en la motilidad, viabilidad e integridad del acrosoma en espermatozoides refrigerados en comparación con los frescos; así como una dinámica de reacción diferente en espermatozoides refrigerados respecto a los frescos. Por otra parte, los medios Sp Talp y CCMm dieron mejores resultados en mantenimiento de la motilidad, actividad mitocondrial e integridad de membrana acrosomal.Preservation methods of spermatozoa using refrigeration have been developed for canine sperm; however, the rate of fertilization is still low, possibly due to cell damage for unknown reasons. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of refrigeration upon motility, mitochondrial activity, acrosomal membrane integrity, and acrosomal reaction in dog sperm incubated in three culture media (Ferp Talp, CCMm, Sp Talp) using new methodologies (Mito Tracker, Lyso Tracker, SBTI). The results indicated that exist a significant decrease (p<0.05) in motility, mitochondrial activity, and acrosomal membrane integrity in refrigerated sperm in comparison with fresh sperm. Also, the dynamic of acrosomal reaction was different in refrigerated sperm in comparison with fresh sperm. The Sp Talp and CCMm media showed the best results in holding the mitochondrial activity and acrosomal membrane integrity

SARS-CoV-2 viral load in nasopharyngeal swabs is not an independent predictor of unfavorable outcome

The aim was to assess the ability of nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load at first patient’s hospital evaluation to predict unfavorable outcomes. We conducted a prospective cohort study including 321 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 through RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs. Quantitative Synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA cycle threshold values were used to calculate the viral load in log10 copies/mL. Disease severity at the end of follow up was categorized into mild, moderate, and severe. Primary endpoint was a composite of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and/or death (n = 85, 26.4%). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load over the second quartile (≥ 7.35 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.003) and second tertile (≥ 8.27 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.01) were associated to unfavorable outcome in the unadjusted logistic regression analysis. However, in the final multivariable analysis, viral load was not independently associated with an unfavorable outcome. Five predictors were independently associated with increased odds of ICU admission and/or death: age ≥ 70 years, SpO2, neutrophils > 7.5 × 103/µL, lactate dehydrogenase ≥ 300 U/L, and C-reactive protein ≥ 100 mg/L. In summary, nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load on admission is generally high in patients with COVID-19, regardless of illness severity, but it cannot be used as an independent predictor of unfavorable clinical outcome

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

TCTEX1D2 mutations underlie Jeune asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy with impaired retrograde intraflagellar transport

Tiina Paunio on työryhmän UK10K jäsen.The analysis of individuals with ciliary chondrodysplasias can shed light on sensitive mechanisms controlling ciliogenesis and cell signalling that are essential to embryonic development and survival. Here we identify TCTEX1D2 mutations causing Jeune asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy with partially penetrant inheritance. Loss of TCTEX1D2 impairs retrograde intraflagellar transport (IFT) in humans and the protist Chlamydomonas, accompanied by destabilization of the retrograde IFT dynein motor. We thus define TCTEX1D2 as an integral component of the evolutionarily conserved retrograde IFT machinery. In complex with several IFT dynein light chains, it is required for correct vertebrate skeletal formation but may be functionally redundant under certain conditions.Peer reviewe

26th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2017): Part 3 - Meeting Abstracts - Antwerp, Belgium. 15–20 July 2017

This work was produced as part of the activities of FAPESP Research,\ud Disseminations and Innovation Center for Neuromathematics (grant\ud 2013/07699-0, S. Paulo Research Foundation). NLK is supported by a\ud FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship (grant 2016/03855-5). ACR is partially\ud supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

SIGNO RADIOLÓGICO: LAS VALIOSAS PERLAS DEL INTESTINO DELGADO THE VALUABLE PEARLS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE

El signo del collar de perlas puede ser visto en radiografía simple de abdomen y en tomografía computada. Consiste en un conjunto de pequeñas burbujas dispuestas en forma longitudinal. Representan pequeños acúmulos de gas atrapados entre las válvulas conniventes de asas de intestino delgado dilatadas y predominantemente rellenas de líquido a lo largo de su pared no dependiente(1). Es considerado virtualmente diagnóstico de obstrucción intestinal, que ocurre cuando existe un bloqueo intrínseco o extrínseco al flujo normal del contenido intestinal que se manifiesta con dolor abdominal, distensión, vómitos, borborigmos y bazuqueo. Es una enfermedad potencialmente letal que requiere ser resuelta en forma urgente. La duración de la obstrucción, la frecuencia de los vómitos, y la aspiración del contenido gástrico o enteral pueden afectar la apariencia radiográfica. Continúa siendo difícil de diagnosticar solamente con radiografía simple de abdomen. Aunque es poco frecuente, el signo del collar de perlas es muy valioso para el radiólogo, el clínico y el paciente.The string of pearls sign can be seen in simple abdominal radiography and computed tomography as well. It consists of a row of small air bubbles longitudinally oriented in the abdomen. They represent small amounts of air trapped between val-vulae conniventes along the non dependent wall of predominantly fluid-filled, dilated small bowel loops. This sign is considered virtually diagnostic of small bowel obstruction, which occurs whenever there is an intrinsic or extrinsic blockage of the normal flow of bowel contentand manifests as abdominal pain, distention, vomiting, and increased high-pitched bowel sounds. It is a potentially Ufe threatening disease that requires urgent treatment. Duration of obstruction, vomiting frequency and gastric or enteric suction may affect radiographic appearance. It continues being hard to diagnose only based on simple radiography. Despite its low frequency, the string of pearls sign could be very valuable for radiologist, clinical physician and patient