Dialogue Games in Defeasible Logic

In this paper we show how to capture dialogue games in Defeasible Logic. We argue that Defeasible Logic is a natural candidate and general representation formalism to capture dialogue games even with requirements more complex than existing formalisms for this kind of games. We parse the dialogue into defeasible rules with time of the dialogue as time of the rule. As the dialogue evolves we allow an agent to upgrade the strength of unchallenged rules. The proof procedures of (Antoniou, Billington, Governatori, Maher 2001) are used to determine the winner of a dialogue game

Fetal heart rate responses in chronic hypoxaemia with superimposed repeated hypoxaemia consistent with early labour: a controlled study in fetal sheep

Objective: Deceleration area (DA) and capacity (DC) of the fetal heart rate can help predict risk of intrapartum fetal compromise. However, their predictive value in higher risk pregnancies is unclear. We investigated whether they can predict the onset of hypotension during brief hypoxaemia repeated at a rate consistent with early labour in fetal sheep with pre-existing hypoxaemia. Design: Prospective, controlled study. Setting: Laboratory. Sample: Chronically instrumented, unanaesthetised near-term fetal sheep. Methods: One-minute complete umbilical cord occlusions (UCOs) were performed every 5 minutes in fetal sheep with baseline paO2 17 mmHg (normoxic, n = 11) for 4 hours or until arterial pressure fell <20 mmHg. Main outcome measures: DA, DC and arterial pressure. Results: Normoxic fetuses showed effective cardiovascular adaptation without hypotension and mild acidaemia (lowest arterial pressure 40.7 ± 2.8 mmHg, pH 7.35 ± 0.03). Hypoxaemic fetuses developed hypotension (lowest arterial pressure 20.8 ± 1.9 mmHg, P P = 0.04) and final (P = 0.012) 20 minutes of UCOs. DA was not different between groups. Conclusion: Chronically hypoxaemic fetuses had early onset of cardiovascular compromise during labour-like brief repeated UCOs. DA was unable to identify developing hypotension in this setting, while DC only showed modest differences between groups. These findings highlight that DA and DC thresholds need to be adjusted for antenatal risk factors, potentially limiting their clinical utility

Impact of agricultural management on soil aggregates and associated organic carbon fractions: analysis of long-term experiments in Europe

Inversion tillage is a commonly applied soil cultivation practice in Europe, which often has been blamed for deteriorating topsoil stability and organic carbon (OC) content. In this study, the potential to reverse these negative effects in the topsoil by alternative agricultural management practices are evaluated in seven long-term experiments (running from 8 to 54 years the moment of sampling) in five European countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and UK). Topsoil samples (0–15 cm) were collected and analysed to evaluate the effects of conservation tillage (reduced and no tillage) and increased organic inputs of different origin (farmyard manure, compost, crop residues) combined with inversion tillage on topsoil stability, soil aggregates and, within these, OC distribution using wet sieving after slaking. Effects from the treatments on the two main components of organic matter, i.e. particulate (POM) and mineral associated (MAOM), were also evaluated using dispersion and size fractionation. Reduced and no-tillage practices, as well as the additions of manure or compost, increased the aggregates mean weight diameter (MWD) (up to 49 % at the Belgian study site) and topsoil OC (up to 51 % at the Belgian study site), as well as the OC corresponding to the different aggregate size fractions. The incorporation of crop residues had a positive impact on the MWD but a less profound effect both on total OC and on OC associated with the different aggregates. A negative relationship between the mass and the OC content of the microaggregates (53–250 µm) was identified in all experiments. There was no effect on the mass of the macroaggregates and the occluded microaggregates (mM) within these macroaggregates, while the corresponding OC contents increased with less tillage and more organic inputs. Inversion tillage led to less POM within the mM, whereas the different organic inputs did not affect it. In all experiments where the total POM increased, the total soil organic carbon (SOC) was also affected positively. We concluded that the negative effects of inversion tillage on topsoil can be mitigated by reducing the tillage intensity or adding organic materials, optimally combined with non-inversion tillage methods.</p

Modelo matemático para estimar la producción de la energía primaria en Ecuador

En el presente artículo se estimó una serie de valores de producción de energía primaria en Ecuador mediante el modelo matemático multiplicativo de series temporales que tiene como variables la tendencia, estacionalidad y ruido, se consideró un lapso de tiempo de 12 años a partir del 2015 llegando a obtener valores estimados hasta el año 2027, como primer paso se tomaron datos históricos del balance energético nacional de Ecuador 2016, con estos insumos como punto de partida se encontró la tendencia a partir de un modelo de extrapolación lineal, llegando a determinar el comportamiento de la producción de energía primaria a través de la línea de tendencia: &nbsp;donde &nbsp;, , a continuación se analiza la estacionalidad que es otro de las variables a considerar en el modelo, para esto se tuvo que ajustar o suavizar la estacionalidad para disminuir el ruido y se lo consiguió con la técnica de las medias móviles de tercer orden, se obtuvo como resultado el índice de estacionalidad corregido, finalmente se aplica el modelo multiplicativo con el cual se consiguió valores estimados desde el año 2016 hasta 2027, se pudo predecir que para el último dato de la serie temporal la producción de energía es 241.832 kBEP (Kilo barriles equivalentes de petróleo),&nbsp; siendo el valor más alto de producción registrado

Planificación de la infraestructura - señalización de paradas en la ciudad de Riobamba, aplicando modelos matemáticos

El desplazamiento efectivo por sus diferentes arterias viales, de la ciudad de Riobamba tiene muchos inconvenientes por no tener una planificación actualizada del recorrido de las unidades de transporte público, el problema se tanto para los conductores y peatones de la ciudad, para el cual nos permitimos realizar un análisis de la actual situación de la infraestructura de las paradas y señalización de las diferentes líneas que laboran diariamente. El GAD (Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado Municipal de la ciudad de Riobamba) como gestor de tránsito en la ciudad de Riobamba deben tomar acciones correctivas&nbsp;&nbsp; en la infraestructura vial, con la ejecución de proyectos vinculados a este inconveniente a corto y mediano plazo. Tomando las acciones de mejoras a un corto plazo de acuerdo a la magnitud de la problemática encontrada, otro de los problemas encontrados por la falta de correctivos en la planificación vial es su influencia en la calidad del servicio transporte urbano de la ciudad, pues el transporte es considerado el motor económico cuyos resultados se refleja en los impactos positivos tanto en la economía local de cada ciudad

Protective role of the HSP90 inhibitor, STA-9090, in lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected Syrian golden hamsters

Introduction The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, capable of escaping the humoral immunity acquired by the available vaccines, together with waning immunity and vaccine hesitancy, challenges the efficacy of the vaccination strategy in fighting COVID-19. Improved therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to better intervene particularly in severe cases of the disease. They should aim at controlling the hyperinflammatory state generated on infection, reducing lung tissue pathology and inhibiting viral replication. Previous research has pointed to a possible role for the chaperone HSP90 in SARS-CoV-2 replication and COVID-19 pathogenesis. Pharmacological intervention through HSP90 inhibitors was shown to be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, infections and reducing replication of diverse viruses. Methods In this study, we investigated the effects of the potent HSP90 inhibitor Ganetespib (STA-9090) in vitro on alveolar epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages to characterise its effects on cell activation and viral replication. Additionally, the Syrian hamster animal model was used to evaluate its efficacy in controlling systemic inflammation and viral burden after infection. Results In vitro, STA-9090 reduced viral replication on alveolar epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner and lowered significantly the expression of proinflammatory genes, in both alveolar epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. In vivo, although no reduction in viral load was observed, administration of STA-9090 led to an overall improvement of the clinical condition of infected animals, with reduced oedema formation and lung tissue pathology. Conclusion Altogether, we show that HSP90 inhibition could serve as a potential treatment option for moderate and severe cases of COVID-19

The role of the small intestine in the development of dietary fat-induced obesity and insulin resistance in C57BL/6J mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obesity and insulin resistance are two major risk factors underlying the metabolic syndrome. The development of these metabolic disorders is frequently studied, but mainly in liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue. To gain more insight in the role of the small intestine in development of obesity and insulin resistance, dietary fat-induced differential gene expression was determined along the longitudinal axis of small intestines of C57BL/6J mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a low-fat or a high-fat diet that mimicked the fatty acid composition of a Western-style human diet. After 2, 4 and 8 weeks of diet intervention small intestines were isolated and divided in three equal parts. Differential gene expression was determined in mucosal scrapings using Mouse genome 430 2.0 arrays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The high-fat diet significantly increased body weight and decreased oral glucose tolerance, indicating insulin resistance. Microarray analysis showed that dietary fat had the most pronounced effect on differential gene expression in the middle part of the small intestine. By overrepresentation analysis we found that the most modulated biological processes on a high-fat diet were related to lipid metabolism, cell cycle and inflammation. Our results further indicated that the nuclear receptors Ppars, Lxrs and Fxr play an important regulatory role in the response of the small intestine to the high-fat diet. Next to these more local dietary fat effects, a secretome analysis revealed differential gene expression of secreted proteins, such as Il18, Fgf15, Mif, Igfbp3 and Angptl4. Finally, we linked the fat-induced molecular changes in the small intestine to development of obesity and insulin resistance.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>During dietary fat-induced development of obesity and insulin resistance, we found substantial changes in gene expression in the small intestine, indicating modulations of biological processes, especially related to lipid metabolism. Moreover, we found differential expression of potential signaling molecules that can provoke systemic effects in peripheral organs by influencing their metabolic homeostasis. Many of these fat-modulated genes could be linked to obesity and/or insulin resistance. Together, our data provided various leads for a causal role of the small intestine in the etiology of obesity and/or insulin resistance.</p

Intra- and Interspecies Genomic Transfer of the Enterococcus faecalis Pathogenicity Island

Enterococci are the third leading cause of hospital associated infections and have gained increased importance due to their fast adaptation to the clinical environment by acquisition of antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity traits. Enterococcus faecalis harbours a pathogenicity island (PAI) of 153 kb containing several virulence factors including the enterococcal surface protein (esp). Until now only internal fragments of the PAI or larger chromosomal regions containing it have been transfered. Here we demonstrate precise excision, circularization and horizontal transfer of the entire PAI element from the chromosome of E. faecalis strain UW3114. This PAI (ca. 200 kb) contained some deletions and insertions as compared to the PAI of the reference strain MMH594, transferred precisely and integrated site-specifically into the chromosome of E. faecalis (intergenic region) and Enterococcus faecium (tRNAlys). The internal PAI structure was maintained after transfer. We assessed phenotypic changes accompanying acquisition of the PAI and expression of some of its determinants. The esp gene is expressed on the surface of donor and both transconjugants. Biofilm formation and cytolytic activity were enhanced in E. faecalis transconjugants after acquisition of the PAI. No differences in pathogenicity of E. faecalis were detected using a mouse bacteraemia and a mouse peritonitis models (tail vein and intraperitoneal injection). A 66 kb conjugative pheromone-responsive plasmid encoding erm(B) (pLG2) that was transferred in parallel with the PAI was sequenced. pLG2 is a pheromone responsive plasmid that probably promotes the PAI horizontal transfer, encodes antibiotic resistance features and contains complete replication and conjugation modules of enterococcal origin in a mosaic-like composition. The E. faecalis PAI can undergo precise intra- and interspecies transfer probably with the help of conjugative elements like conjugative resistance plasmids, supporting the role of horizontal gene transfer and antibiotic selective pressure in the successful establishment of certain enterococci as nosocomial pathogens

Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences

Non peer reviewe