A wot-based method for creating digital sentinel twins of iot devices

The data produced by sensors of IoT devices are becoming keystones for organizations to conduct critical decision-making processes. However, delivering information to these processes in real-time represents two challenges for the organizations: the first one is achieving a constant dataflow from IoT to the cloud and the second one is enabling decision-making processes to retrieve data from dataflows in real-time. This paper presents a cloud-based Web of Things method for creating digital twins of IoT devices (named sentinels).The novelty of the proposed approach is that sentinels create an abstract window for decision-making processes to: (a) find data (e.g., properties, events, and data from sensors of IoT devices) or (b) invoke functions (e.g., actions and tasks) from physical devices (PD), as well as from virtual devices (VD). In this approach, the applications and services of decision-making processes deal with sentinels instead of managing complex details associated with the PDs, VDs, and cloud computing infrastructures. A prototype based on the proposed method was implemented to conduct a case study based on a blockchain system for verifying contract violation in sensors used in product transportation logistics. The evaluation showed the effectiveness of sentinels enabling organizations to attain data from IoT sensors and the dataflows used by decision-making processes to convert these data into useful information

Tratamiento empírico vs tratamiento basado en susceptibilidad para erradicar H. pylori: ¿es posible cambiar este paradigma usando métodos moleculares modernos?

Resumen: La infección por Helicobacter pylori es la enfermedad infecto-contagiosa más diseminada a nivel mundial, alcanzando una prevalencia del 50-80% en países en vías de desarrollo. La infección crónica es considerada como la principal causa de gastritis crónica, y se ha relacionado con otras enfermedades como úlcera péptica, linfoma de tejido linfoide asociado a mucosa gástrica y cáncer gástrico. El tratamiento más común son los esquemas de erradicación que utilizan tres o cuatros fármacos, entre ellos un inhibidor de la bomba de protones (IBP) y dos antibióticos, claritromicina y amoxicilina o metronidazol. El uso empírico de antibióticos para la erradicación de la bacteria ha propiciado una creciente resistencia a dichos fármacos, disminuyendo la eficacia de los esquemas y aumentando los costos para el paciente y para el sector salud. Es por esto que el desarrollo de métodos moleculares no invasivos de siguiente generación promete ser una herramienta que revolucione la terapéutica en H. pylori. La detección genotípica y fenotípica de resistencia a antibióticos de la bacteria permite brindar esquemas personalizados de tratamiento, disminuir costos e implementar un programa de administración de antibióticos.Los objetivos de esta revisión narrativa son analizar y comparar los métodos diagnósticos tradicionales y de siguiente generación para el diagnóstico de H. pylori, explicar los diversos factores asociados a falla de erradicación y puntualizar sobre el impacto de la creciente resistencia a antibióticos sobre la reversión y la prevención de enfermedades asociados a H. pylori. Abstract: Helicobacter pylori infection is the most widespread infectious-contagious disease worldwide, reaching a prevalence of 50-80% in developing countries. Chronic infection is considered the main cause of chronic gastritis and has been related to other diseases, such as peptic ulcer, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric cancer. The most common treatment is with eradication regimens that utilize three or four drugs, including a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and the antibiotics, clarithromycin and amoxycillin or metronidazole. Empiric antibiotic use for eradicating the bacterium has led to a growing resistance to those drugs, reducing regimen efficacy and increasing costs for both the patient and the healthcare sector. In such a context, the development of noninvasive next-generation molecular methods holds the promise of revolutionizing the treatment of H. pylori. The genotypic and phenotypic detection of the resistance of the bacterium to antibiotics enables personalized treatment regimens to be provided, reducing costs and implementing an antibiotic stewardship program.The aims of the present narrative review were to analyze and compare the traditional and next-generation methods for diagnosing H. pylori, explain the different factors associated with eradication failure, and emphasize the impact of the increasing antibiotic resistance on the reversal and prevention of H. pylori-associated diseases

“Nothing is impossible”: characteristics of Hispanic females participating in an informal STEM setting

Factors that influence the underrepresentation of females in STEM careers begin early in childhood when gender biases and stereotypes emerge. Stereotypes have a psychosocial effect on females that can lead to low self-efficacy and less interest in learning and pursuing STEM careers. This study investigated the effect of a STEM summer camp on K-12 students learning in which upper elementary students explored STEM concepts through magnetic levitation (MagLev) train activities, middle school students built and programmed robots, and high school students explored STEM through both MagLev train and robotics activities. A mixed methods design was used to analyze pre/posttest scores of all students and interviews of randomly selected Hispanic female students. Data indicated that Hispanic, high school females were less likely to participate in the STEM summer camp as compared to their elementary or middle school counterparts. In addition, there were no gender differences in academic achievement at the elementary level, but Hispanic females reported significantly higher learning gains than Hispanic males. In high school, Hispanic females reported significantly lower pretest scores than males. We conclude that there is a change in the characteristics, attitudes, and academic achievement of Hispanic females from elementary to high school, but informal STEM opportunities can mitigate this change