Composition and Self-Adaptation of Service-Based Systems with Feature Models

The adoption of mechanisms for reusing software in pervasive systems has not yet become standard practice. This is because the use of pre-existing software requires the selection, composition and adaptation of prefabricated software parts, as well as the management of some complex problems such as guaranteeing high levels of efficiency and safety in critical domains. In addition to the wide variety of services, pervasive systems are composed of many networked heterogeneous devices with embedded software. In this work, we promote the safe reuse of services in service-based systems using two complementary technologies, Service-Oriented Architecture and Software Product Lines. In order to do this, we extend both the service discovery and composition processes defined in the DAMASCo framework, which currently does not deal with the service variability that constitutes pervasive systems. We use feature models to represent the variability and to self-adapt the services during the composition in a safe way taking context changes into consideration. We illustrate our proposal with a case study related to the driving domain of an Intelligent Transportation System, handling the context information of the environment.Work partially supported by the projects TIN2008-05932, TIN2008-01942, TIN2012-35669, TIN2012-34840 and CSD2007-0004 funded by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER; P09-TIC-05231 and P11-TIC-7659 funded by Andalusian Government; and FP7-317731 funded by EU. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Comparison of predator-parasitoid-prey interaction models for different host plant qualities

Population dynamics models suggest that the over-all level of resource productivity plays an important role in community dynamics. One such factor of resource productivity is the quality of the host plant, which can determine the effectiveness of entomophagous (predatory and parasitoid) species by altering the growth rate of the phytophagous population via effects on fecundity, survival, and rate of development. These effects have been studied in relation to the distribution of host plants and their physiological state. However, few studies have considered the differences among plant cultivars. The objective of this study was to identify a continuous-time dynamic model, to describe the effects of different tomato cultivars on a one predatortwo prey model. The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions using ten tomato cultivars, with the predatory species Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Insecta, Hemiptera, Miridae) and two prey species: the phytophagous species Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Insecta, Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) and the parasitoid species Trichogramma achaeae (Nagaraja & Nagarkatti) (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae); the latter was used as the intraguild-prey. Using the software SIMFIT, we found that a three-dimensional Lotka-Volterra type system could be well fitted to the data, estimating the phytophagous species´ growth rate, the parasitoid and predator mortality rates, the predation and parasitism rates, and the parasitoid emergence rate according to the cultivar type. The results showed an important effect of the host plant quality, by cultivar, on intraguild predation, resulting in important changes in the dynamics of phytophagous populations. These results are also discussed in relation to their importance in the biological control of pest species in greenhouse crops

Mejora de las propiedades mecánicas y compatibilidad de mezclas de PHBV/PLA con plastificantes comerciales de origen bio

Actas del Congreso publicadas por ed. Compobell. ISBN 978-84-942655-8-7Mezclas de poli (3-hidroxibutirato-co-3-hidroxivalerato) (PHBV) y ácido poliláctico (PLA) se prepararon con un plastificante comercial funcionalizado de origen bio. La morfología obtenida, así como las propiedades mecánicas y dinamo-mecánicas de probetas inyectadas se ha evaluado observándose una mejora en la compatibilidad del PHBV y el PLA y un aumento en la deformación a rotura en tracción.A number of samples of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and polylactic acid (PLA) were treated with a commercial funcionalised bio plasticiser. The relevant assessment was made on the morphology and both the mechanic and dynamo-mechanic properties obtained in the injected test tubes. An improvement in terms of compatibility between PHBV and PLA has been observed, as well as an increase in strain at break in tensile testing.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (proyecto MAT2012-38947-C02-01) y Pla de Promoció de la Investigació de la Universitat Jaume I (PREDOC / 2012/32

A House a Small Company

The traditional models of development have allowed humanity to reach social levels never before suspected, but at the same time these developmental models have favored the social division into two large groups: one where people have many resources and manage to satisfy the most minimal cravings and others with very little or nothing, that is debated on a daily basis by hunger, unhealthiness, and lack of education. Local development starts from principles based on the resources and possibilities of communities and people grouped into families that can produce, market and self-supply the productions that are capable of developing within their environment, although under certain conditions external resources are considered. The project aims to promote favorable conditions. Therefore, that the province of Manabí can sustain its agricultural production from the families themselves, by introducing innovations in the systems or local groups of small businesses that stimulate social development in the territorial dimension, promoting a change that favors the development of zone 4 and the progress of the small business

Assessing the thermoformability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- hydroxyvalerate)/poly(acid lactic) blends compatibilized with diisocyanates

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a renewable alternative to conventional barrier packaging polymers due to its thermoplastic properties, biodegradability and gas barrier performance but its potential industrial applications are limited by its high price and difficult processability. A thorough study concerning the thermoforming ability of PHBV, and blends with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) incorporating three different diisocyanates as compatibilizers (hexamethylene diisocyanate, poly(hexamethylene) diisocyanate and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate) is herein presented after component melt blending. A straightforward universal qualitative method is proposed to assess the thermoformability, based on a visual inspection of a thermoformed specimen and the ability to reproduce the mold shape, and the thermoforming window of the material. The results reveal a significant improvement in the thermoforming capacity and a widening of the thermoforming windows as the correct amounts of diisocyanates are incorporated. The barrier properties and the biodisintegrability of the blends was also studied, confirming a predictable slight decrease of the barrier performance when PLA is added, but without negatively affecting the disintegrability under composting conditions with respect to pristine PHBV

A Novel Electrical Method to Measure Wire Tensions for Time Projection Chambers

We present a novel electrical technique to measure the tension of wires in multi-wire drift chambers. We create alternating electric fields by biasing adjacent wires on both sides of a test wire with a superposition of positive and negative DC voltages on an AC signal ($V_{\rm AC} \pm V_{\rm DC}$). The resulting oscillations of the wire will display a resonance at its natural frequency, and the corresponding change of the capacitance will lead to a measurable current. This scheme is scalable to multiple wires and therefore enables us to precisely measure the tension of a large number of wires in a short time. This technique can also be applied at cryogenic temperatures making it an attractive solution for future large time-projection chambers such as the DUNE detector. We present the concept, an example implementation and its performance in a real-world scenario and discuss the limitations of the sensitivity of the system in terms of voltage and wire length.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures. Accepted by NIM

Myeloma cells down‐regulate adiponectin in bone marrow adipocytes via TNF‐alpha

Multiple myeloma is caused by abnormal plasma cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interact with resident cells of the bone microenvironment to drive disease progression and development of an osteolytic bone disease. Bone marrow adipocytes (BMAds) are emerging as having important endocrine functions that can support myeloma cell growth and survival. However, how BMAds respond to infiltrating tumor cells remains poorly understood. Using the C57BL/KaLwRij murine model of myeloma, bone marrow adiposity was found to be increased in early stage myeloma with BMAds localizing along the tumor‐bone interface at later stages of disease. Myeloma cells were found to uptake BMAd‐derived lipids in vitro and in vivo, although lipid uptake was not associated with the ability of BMAds to promote myeloma cell growth and survival. However, BMAd‐derived factors were found to increase myeloma cell migration, viability, and the evasion of apoptosis. BMAds are a major source of adiponectin, which is known to be myeloma‐suppressive. Myeloma cells were found to downregulate adiponectin specifically in a model of BMAds but not in white adipocytes. The ability of myeloma cells to downregulate adiponectin was dependent at least in part on TNF‐α. Collectively our data support the link between increased bone marrow adiposity and myeloma progression. By demonstrating how TNF‐α downregulates BMAd‐derived adiponectin, we reveal a new mechanism by which myeloma cells alter the bone microenvironment to support disease progression. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Gas Emission Spectrum in the Irr Galaxy IC 10

Spectroscopic long-slit observations of the dwarf Irr galaxy IC 10 were conducted at the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope with the SCORPIO focal reducer. The ionized-gas emission spectra in the regions of intense current star formation were obtained for a large number of regions in IC 10. The relative abundances of oxygen, N+, and S+ in about twenty HII regions and in the synchrotron superbubble were estimated. We found that the galaxy-averaged oxygen abundance is 12 + log(O/H) = 8.17 +- 0.35 and the metallicity is Z = 0.18 +- 0.14 Z_sun. Our abundances estimated from the strong emission lines are found to be more reliable than those obtained by comparing diagnostic diagrams with photoionization models.Comment: Abridged; accepted in Astronomy Letter

The SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein disrupts human cardiac pericytes function through CD147-receptor-mediated signalling:a potential non-infective mechanism of COVID-19 microvascular disease

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes a broad range of clinical responses including prominent microvascular damage. The capacity of SARS-CoV-2 to infect vascular cells is still debated. Additionally, the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein may act as a ligand to induce non-infective cellular stress. We tested this hypothesis in pericytes (PCs), which are reportedly reduced in the heart of patients with severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Here we newly show that the in vitro exposure of primary human cardiac PCs to the SARS-CoV-2 wildtype strain or the α and δ variants caused rare infection events. Exposure to the recombinant S protein alone elicited signalling and functional alterations, including: (1) increased migration, (2) reduced ability to support endothelial cell (EC) network formation on Matrigel, (3) secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules typically involved in the cytokine storm, and (4) production of pro-apoptotic factors causing EC death. Next, adopting a blocking strategy against the S protein receptors angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and CD147, we discovered that the S protein stimulates the phosphorylation/activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) through the CD147 receptor, but not ACE2, in PCs. The neutralisation of CD147, either using a blocking antibody or mRNA silencing, reduced ERK1/2 activation, and rescued PC function in the presence of the S protein. Immunoreactive S protein was detected in the peripheral blood of infected patients. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the S protein may prompt PC dysfunction, potentially contributing to microvascular injury. This mechanism may have clinical and therapeutic implications

Biomarker discovery and redundancy reduction towards classification using a multi-factorial MALDI-TOF MS T2DM mouse model dataset

Diabetes like many diseases and biological processes is not mono-causal. On the one hand multifactorial studies with complex experimental design are required for its comprehensive analysis. On the other hand, the data from these studies often include a substantial amount of redundancy such as proteins that are typically represented by a multitude of peptides. Coping simultaneously with both complexities (experimental and technological) makes data analysis a challenge for Bioinformatics