Texture-based Classification for the Automatic Rating of the Perivascular Spaces in Brain MRI

Los espacios perivasculares (EVP) se relacionan con una cognición deficiente, depresión en la edad avanzada, enfermedad de Parkinson, inflamación, hipertensión y enfermedad de pequeños vasos cerebrales, cuando están agrandados y son visibles en imágenes de resonancia magnética (MRI). En este artículo exploramos cómo clasificar la densidad del PVS agrandado en los ganglios basales (BG) mediante la descripción de la textura de la RM cerebral estructural. La textura de la región BG se describe mediante estadísticas de primer orden y características derivadas de la matriz de co-ocurrencia, ambas computadas a partir de la imagen original y los coeficientes producidos por la transformada de wavelet discreta (WSF y WCF, respectivamente), y patrones binarios locales (LBP). Los resultados experimentales con un clasificador de Máquina de vectores de soporte (SVM) muestran que WCF logra una precisión del 80.03%

Proposal of didactic unit for Physical Education: “sport orientation as an inclusion tool for the students with ADHA”

En el ámbito educativo, cada vez son más las propuestas de evolución hacia modelos educativos en los cuales se fomente la inclusión con la finalidad de generar un clima positivo por parte de todo el alumnado hacia el proceso de Enseñanza-Aprendizaje, cuyo principal objetivo sea la aceptación de las diferentes dificultades de aprendizaje que fomente la empatía hacia las dificultades de los demás. El alumnado con Trastorno por Déficit de Atención y/o Hiperactividad (TDAH) a menudo encuentra barreras relacionadas con su perfil de inatención y/o hiperactividad que le impiden alcanzar su desarrollo integral en el ámbito educativo. Por ello, la presente propuesta de Unidad Didáctica titulada “Orientación deportiva para personas con TDAH” ofrece posibilidades para dar respuesta a estas dificultades mediante adaptaciones no significativas en el área de Educación Física. La implicación familiar y docente es fundamental en este proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, debido a la cantidad de beneficios del ejercicio físico para personas con TDAH. Además, la metodología empleada es la gamificación, pues que permite aumentar la motivación del alumnado debido a basarse en el juego como eje principal de las sesiones, de la misma forma, permite al docente controlar los logros obtenidos por el alumnado. Por ello, la gamificación se aplica a una propuesta de unidad didáctica de orientación deportiva, una práctica de ejercicio físico principalmente aeróbico. Algunos de los beneficios de la práctica de la orientación deportiva en escolares son la ayuda al desarrollo de competencias básicas, reducción del estrés, la ansiedad y la depresión y el aumento del rendimiento académico, además de la reducción de los síntomas de Trastorno por Déficit de Atención y/o Hiperactividad. A su vez, permite el desarrollo de valores deportivos, de aceptación e inclusión de los demás y, respeto y cuidado hacia el medio ambiente. Finalmente, es recomendable realizar diferentes propuestas de Unidad Didáctica para otros niveles educativos con la finalidad de favorecer las competencias clave y los valores sociales.In the educational field, there are more and more proposals for evolution towards educational models in which inclusion is promoted with the purpose of generating a positive climate on the part of all students towards the Teaching-Learning process, whose main aim is the acceptance of the different learning difficulties that encourages empathy towards the difficulties of others. Students with Attention Deficit and/or Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may find barriers related to their profile of inattention and/or hyperactivity that avoid them from achieving their comprehensive development in the educational area. Therefore, the present proposal for a Didactic Unit entitled “Sports guidance for people with ADHD” offers possibilities to respond to these difficulties through non-significant adaptations in Physical Education. Family and teacher participation is essential in this process due to the number of benefits of physical exercise for people with ADHD. Also, the methodology used is gamification, since it allows increasing student motivation due to being based on the game as the main axis of the sessions, in the same way, it allows the teacher to control the achievements obtained by the students. Therefore, gamification is applied to a proposal for a sports orientation didactic unit, a practice of mainly aerobic physical exercise. Some of the benefits of practicing orienteering in schoolchildren are the development of basic skills, reduction of stress, anxiety and depression and the improvement of academic performance, in addition it may reduce the Attention Deficit and/or Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms. In consequence, it allows the development of sports values, acceptance and inclusion of others and respect and care for the environment. Finally, it is advisable to make different proposals for teaching units for other educational levels to promote key skills and social values

Quidditch as a collaborative sport in the scope of physical education

Los Deportes Alternativos surgen como una opción novedosa a las prácticas motrices comunes. Son actividades motrices, lúdicas y recreativas cuyo fin es satisfacer las necesidades psicobiológicas, de entretenimiento, imaginación y socialización. Además, han sido incluidos en el currículo de Educación Física, con el objetivo de hacer que el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje en la iniciación deportiva escolar sea más lúdico e inclusivo. Por ello, el objetivo de este trabajo es realizar una búsqueda de documentos relacionados con el Quidditch, para así aumentar el conocimiento relacionado con este Deporte Alternativo. La búsqueda de evidencia científica se realizó utilizando la siguiente palabra clave: “Quidditch”. Para su inclusión, los documentos debían estar publicados hasta febrero de 2023, y estar disponibles en la Web of Science como una de las bases de datos más utilizadas. Fueron incluidos o excluidos en base a criterios específicos establecidos para seleccionar los manuscritos más adecuados. Después de un análisis en profundidad, el trabajo finalmente incluyó quince manuscritos. Los resultaron mostraron que el Quidditch es un deporte en plena expansión, capaz de promover valores y actitudes deportivas, sin embargo, se debe tener en cuenta qué debe realizarse de manera correcta para prevenir lesiones, evitando choques y golpes, manteniendo en todo momento situaciones de seguridad en la actividad a la vez que se mejora la condición física. Además, los documentos científicos sobre Quidditch relacionados con el ámbito educativo son escasos, así como los documentos descriptivos sobre las normas, equipamiento, faltas y acciones del juego. Por ello, se recomienda ampliar el campo de investigación de este deporte, así como animar a la comunidad educativa a su práctica y desarrollo en las aulas.Alternative Sports emerge as a unique option to common motor practices. Alternative Sports are motor, playful, and recreational activities whose purpose is to satisfy psychobiological, entertainment, imagination and socialization needs. In addition, they have been included in the physical education curriculum, with the aim of making the teaching-learning process in school more playful and inclusive. Therefore, the aim of this work is to carry out a search for documents related to Quidditch, to increase knowledge related to this Alternative Sport. The evidence search was conducted using the following keyword: “Quidditch”. For inclusion, documents had to be published up February 2023 and be available on the Web of Science as the most used database. They were included or excluded based on specific criteria established to select the most suitable manuscripts. After an in-depth analysis, the study finally included fifteen manuscripts. The results showed that Quidditch is a sport in full expansion, able to promote sports values and attitudes. However, it may be considered that it must be done correctly to prevent injuries, avoiding crashes and blows between participants, maintaining safety situations in the activity while improving physical condition. In addition, scientific documents on Quidditch related to the educational field are scarce, as well as descriptive documents on the rules, equipment, fouls, and actions of the game. Therefore, it is recommended to expand the field of investigation of this sport, as well as encourage the educational community to its practice and development in the classroom

Reliability of an automatic classifier for brain enlarged perivascular spaces burden and comparison with human performance

pp. 1465-1481En el cerebro, los espacios perivasculares agrandados (PVS) se relacionan con la enfermedad de los vasos pequeños (SVD), mala cognición, inflamación e hipertensión. Proponemos un esquema totalmente automático que utiliza una máquina de vectores de soporte (SVM) para clasificar la carga de PVS en los ganglios basales (BG) como baja o alta. Evaluamos el rendimiento de tres tipos diferentes de descriptores extraídos de la región BG en imágenes de RMN ponderadas en T2: (I) estadísticas obtenidas de los coeficientes de la transformada de Wavelet, (II) patrones binarios locales y (III) bolsa de palabras visuales (BoW), descriptores basados en la caracterización de claves locales obtenidas de una rejilla densa con las características de transformación de la función de escala-invariante (SIFT). Cuando se utilizaron estos últimos, el SVM clasificador alcanzó la mejor precisión (81,16%). Lo obtenido del clasificador utilizando los descriptores del BoW se comparó con las calificaciones visuales realizadas por un neurorradiólogo experimentado (observador 1) y por un analista de imágenes entrenado (observador 2). El acuerdo y la correlación cruzada entre el clasificador y el observador 2 (κ = 0,67 (0,58 – 0,76)) fueron ligeramente más altos que entre el clasificador y el observador 1 (κ = 0,62 (0,53 – 0,72)) y entre ambos observadores (κ = 0,68 (0,61 – 0,75)). Por último, se construyeron tres modelos de regresión logística que utilizan variables clínicas como variable independiente y cada una de las clasificaciones de PVS como variable dependiente, para evaluar clínicamente lo significativas que resultan las predicciones del clasificador. El ajuste del modelo para el clasificador era bueno (área bajo la curva (AUC) valores: 0,93 (modelo 1), 0,90 (modelo 2) y 0,92 (modelo 3)) y un poco mejor (es decir, valores de AUC: 0,02 unidades superiores) que las del modelo para el observador 2. Estos resultados sugieren que, aunque se puede mejorar, un clasificador automático para evaluar la carga de PVS de la resonancia magnética del cerebro puede proporcionar resultados clínicamente significativos cercanos a los de un observador entrenado.S

Race diversity in dryland maize (Zea mays L.) landraces from southern Nuevo León, Mexico

This study was done for reviewing the diversity and distribution of native maize grown at southern Nuevo León, Mexico, in 40 accessions collected in the area. Information obtained was on the production unit and on the ears traits, according to the CONABIO guidelines. In this area maize is usually grown during the Spring-Summer period, and using little technology, without fertilization or pest control. The 40 accessions correspond to seven races and seven interracial crosses. The most frequent maize races were Ratón and Cónico Norteño, especially in dry areas with little rain. Races Celaya, Tablilla de Ocho and Elotes Cónicos found in this study, had not been previously reported; but the Tabloncillo and Olotillo races that had previously been reported were no longer found. Three collections stood out for producing large ears with large kernels, thus having a high yield potential. Native maize harvested in dryland areas might offer advantages to be grown under harsh environments.Objective: To analyze the race diversity and geographic distribution of the native maize landraces currently cropped at southern Nuevo León, México. Design/Methodology/Approach: Data was obtained from 41 accessions which represent the commercial production in the dry land area, where fertilization and pest control are scarcely used. Landraces were classified according to the CONABIO guidelines for ear traits. Results: The measured accessions correspond to seven maize races and to seven interracial crosses. The two most frequent maize races were Ratón and Cónico Norteño, mostly located in the dry areas with less rain. Study Limitations/Implications: Three races, Celaya, Tablilla de Ocho and Elotes Cónicos, had not been previously reported; while two formerly reported races Tabloncillo and Olotillo, were no longer found. This study did not include the grain-colored accessions. Findings/Conclusions: Three collections stood out for producing large ears with large kernels, thus showing a high yield potential. The maize landraces harvested in dryland areas might offer advantages to be grown under harsh environments or be used as gene donors for drought tolerance

On optimal temozolomide scheduling for slowly growing glioblastomas

Background: Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral alkylating agent active against gliomas with a favorable toxicity profile. It is part of the standard of care in the management of glioblastoma (GBM), and is commonly used in low-grade gliomas (LGG). In-silico mathematical models can potentially be used to personalize treatments and to accelerate the discovery of optimal drug delivery schemes. Methods: Agent-based mathematical models fed with either mouse or patient data were developed for the in-silico studies. The experimental test beds used to confirm the results were: mouse glioma models obtained by retroviral expression of EGFR-wt/EGFR-vIII in primary progenitors from p16/p19 ko mice and grown in-vitro and in-vivo in orthotopic allografts, and human GBM U251 cells immobilized in alginate microfibers. The patient data used to parametrize the model were obtained from the TCGA/TCIA databases and the TOG clinical study. Results: Slow-growth "virtual" murine GBMs benefited from increasing TMZ dose separation in-silico. In line with the simulation results, improved survival, reduced toxicity, lower expression of resistance factors, and reduction of the tumor mesenchymal component were observed in experimental models subject to long-cycle treatment, particularly in slowly growing tumors. Tissue analysis after long-cycle TMZ treatments revealed epigenetically driven changes in tumor phenotype, which could explain the reduction in GBM growth speed. In-silico trials provided support for implementation methods in human patients. Conclusions: In-silico simulations, in-vitro and in-vivo studies show that TMZ administration schedules with increased time between doses may reduce toxicity, delay the appearance of resistances and lead to survival benefits mediated by changes in the tumor phenotype in slowly-growing GBMs.This research was funded by the James S. Mc. Donnell Foundation (USA) 21st Century Science Initiative in Mathematical and Complex Systems Approaches for Brain Cancer (Collaborative award 220020560, doi:10.37717/220020560); Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia (ref. number 451-03-9/2021-14/200007); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and FEDER funds, Spain (grant number PID2019-110895RB-I00, doi: 10.13039/501100011033 to VMP-G, and RTI2018-093596 and PI21CIII/00002 to PS-G); and Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (grant number 2020-PREDUCLM-15634 to JJ-S).S

Reliability of an automatic classifier for brain enlarged perivascular spaces burden and comparison with human performance

In the brain, enlarged perivascular spaces (PVS) relate to cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), poor cognition, inflammation and hypertension. We propose a fully automatic scheme that uses a support vector machine (SVM) to classify the burden of PVS in the basal ganglia (BG) region as low or high. We assess the performance of three different types of descriptors extracted from the BG region in T2-weighted MRI images: (i) statistics obtained from Wavelet transform’s coefficients, (ii) local binary patterns and (iii) bag of visual words (BoW) based descriptors characterizing local keypoints obtained from a dense grid with the scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) characteristics. When the latter were used, the SVM classifier achieved the best accuracy (81.16%). The output from the classifier using the BoW descriptors was compared with visual ratings done by an experienced neuroradiologist (Observer 1) and by a trained image analyst (Observer 2). The agreement and cross-correlation between the classifier and Observer 2 (κ = 0.67 (0.58–0.76)) were slightly higher than between the classifier and Observer 1 (κ = 0.62 (0.53–0.72)) and comparable between both the observers (κ = 0.68 (0.61–0.75)). Finally, three logistic regression models using clinical variables as independent variable and each of the PVS ratings as dependent variable were built to assess how clinically meaningful were the predictions of the classifier. The goodness-of-fit of the model for the classifier was good (area under the curve (AUC) values: 0.93 (model 1), 0.90 (model 2) and 0.92 (model 3)) and slightly better (i.e. AUC values: 0.02 units higher) than that of the model for Observer 2. These results suggest that, although it can be improved, an automatic classifier to assess PVS burden from brain MRI can provide clinically meaningful results close to those from a trained observer

Research on abiotic resources in the recent prehistory in Tierra de Barros and Western Sierra Morena

En este trabajo se presentan las investigaciones de base arqueométrica que se están llevando a cabo con objeto de conocer los sistemas de abastecimiento de recursos abióticos de las comunidades del III y II milenio ANE en los territorios de Tierra de Barros (Badajoz) y Sierra Morena occidental (Huelva y Sevilla), a partir del análisis de artefactos elaborados con arcilla, rocas y rocas metalíferas, procedentes de contextos habitacionales y funerarios de excavaciones y prospecciones arqueológicas. Otros análisis, entre los que se incluyen los de Isótopos de Plomo, se realizan sobre muestras de materias primas obtenidas en las prospecciones geológicas del entorno, con la finalidad de establecer la relación de procedencia de los objetos manufacturados y los depósitos de los que se obtuvo el mineralIn this work the archaeometric-based research being carried out on abiotic procurement systems of the communities of the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC in the regions of Tierra de Barros (Badajoz) and West Sierra Morena (Huelva and Sevilla), gained from analyses of artefacts made of ceramic, rocks and metals, recovered from funerary and habitational contexts through archaeological surveys and excavations, is presented. Other analyses, among them Lead Isotopes, have been done on raw material samples obtained by geological surveys in the surrounding areas, with the aim of establishing the relationship of provenance between the manufactured objects and the deposits where the raw materials were obtained fromMinisterio de Educación y Ciencia MAT2005-0079

Heterosis y aptitud combinatoria para producción y calidad de forraje en seis poblaciones de maíz

Six corn populations drawn from outstanding forage quality germplasm, and 15 of their direct crosses were assessed in four sites located between 1,117 and 1,932 m asl. The purpose of the present study was to determine general and specific combining ability and mid parent heterosis for whole plant dry matter (TDM), ear dry matter (EDM), stover dry matter (SDM), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), neutral detergent fiber content (NDF) and crude protein (CP). Populations showed significant differences for all dry matter yield characteristics, but not for forage quality, while crosses showed differences for EDM and IVDMD. General combining ability effects (GCA) were high and significant only for TDM, while specific combining ability effects (SCA) were significant for IVDMD. Population P3 had the highest GCA for TDM (0.66 t ha-1) and P5F for EDM (0.49 t ha-1). Early cross P1*P2 had the highest heterosis for TDM (17.6 %) and highly significant SCA effects for both TDM and IVDMD (1.48 t ha-1 and 22.6 g kg-1, respectively), while crosses P2*P5F, P1*P4 and P1*P6F had high mid parent heterosis for EDM, with values ranging from 18.6 % to 26.2 %. None of the crosses showed mid parent heterosis for forage traits of importance.Seis poblaciones de maíz derivadas de fuentes de germoplasma sobresalientes por sus cualidades forrajeras y sus 15 cruzas directas se evaluaron en cuatro localidades entre 1,117 y 1,932 m sobre el nivel del mar. El objetivo fue determinar la aptitud combinatoria general y específica, y la heterosis media para variables de producción: materia seca total (MST), de elote (MSEL) y de rastrojo (MSRAS) y variables de calidad del forraje: digestibilidad in vitro de la materia seca (DIVMS), contenido de fibra detergente neutro (FDN) y proteína cruda (PC). Las poblaciones difirieron significativamente en las tres variables de producción, pero no en calidad forrajera, en cambio las cruzas difirieron en producción de MSEL y en DIVMS. Los efectos de aptitud combinatoria general (ACG) fueron significativos sólo para MST y MSEL, mientras que los efectos de aptitud combinatoria específica (ACE), lo fueron adicionalmente para DIVMS. La población P3 tuvo la mayor ACG para MST (0.66 t ha-1), y la población P5F para MSEL (0.49 t ha-1). La cruza precoz P1xP2 presentó la heterosis media más alta para MST con 17.6 % y efectos positivos y significativos de ACE para MST y DIVMS con valores de 1.48 t ha-1 y 22.6 g kg-1. En cambio, las cruzas P2xP5F, P1xP4 y P1xP6F tuvieron los valores de heterosis más altos para MSEL con valores de 18.1 a 26.2 %. Ninguna cruza tuvo heterosis media importante para caracteres de calidad de forraje

SilvAdapt.Net: A Site-Based Network of Adaptive Forest Management Related to Climate Change in Spain

[EN] Adaptive forest management (AFM) is an urgent need because of the uncertainty regarding how changes in the climate will affect the structure, composition and function of forests during the next decades. Current research initiatives for the long-term monitoring of impacts of silviculture are scattered and not integrated into research networks, with the consequent losses of opportunities and capacity for action. To increase the scientific and practical impacts of these experiences, it is necessary to establish logical frameworks that harmonize the information and help us to define the most appropriate treatments. In this context, a number of research groups in Spain have produced research achievements and know-how during the last decades that can allow for the improvement in AFM. These groups address the issue of AFM from different fields, such as ecophysiology, ecohydrology and forest ecology, thus resulting in valuable but dispersed expertise. The main objective of this work is to introduce a comprehensive strategy aimed to study the implementation of AFM in Spain. As a first step, a network of 34 experimental sites managed by 14 different research groups is proposed and justified. As a second step, the most important AFM impacts on Mediterranean pines, as one of the most extended natural and planted forest types in Spain, are presented. Finally, open questions dealing with key aspects when attempting to implement an AFM framework are discussed. This study is expected to contribute to better outlining the procedures and steps needed to implement regional frameworks for AFM.A.J. Molina is beneficiary of an "APOSTD" fellowship (APOSTD/2019/111) funded by the Generalitat Valenciana. M. Moreno-de las Heras is beneficiary of a Serra Hunter fellowship (UB-LE-9055) funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya. F.J. Ruiz-Gomez is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship of the Junta de Andalucia (Sevilla, Spain), and the European Social Fund 2014-2020 Program (DOC_0055). The authors received national and international funding through the following projects: SILVADAPT.NET (RED2018-102719-T), ESPECTRAMED (CGL2017-86161-R), Life-FOREST CO2 (LIFE14 CCM/ES/001271), ALTERACLIM (CGL2015-69773-C2-1-P), INERTIA (PID2019-111332RB-C22-BDV), CEHYRFO-MED (CGL2017-86839-C3-2-R), DEHESACLIM (IB16185), RESILIENTFORESTS (LIFE17 CCA/ES/000063), Rhysotto (PID2019-106583RB-I00), AGL2017-83828C2-2-R, RTI2018-096884-B-C31, ESPAS (CGL2015-65569-R), and caRRRascal (RTI2018-095037-B-I00).Molina Herrera, A.; Navarro Cerrillo, R.; Pérez-Romero, J.; Alejano, R.; Bellot, JF.; Blanco, JA.; Camarero, JJ.... (2021). SilvAdapt.Net: A Site-Based Network of Adaptive Forest Management Related to Climate Change in Spain. Forests. 12(12):1-27. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121807127121