Incorporating Uncertainty and Cero Values into the Valuation of Protected Areas and Species

Under the Spanish conservation law, compensation is envisaged for the damage associated with all actions that reduce the quantity or quality of protected areas and species. This paper provides a tool to evaluate the monetary equivalent of this damage. We conduct a contingent valuation exercise to estimate the existence value related to protected areas and species in Aragon. This estimate is then reconsidered including the possibility of zero bids and also the possibility of uncertain preferences for non-familiar goods. Considering these two effects, mean values are reduced significantly giving support to previous recommendations of dividing by two contingent valuation estimates from dichotomous choice question formats.natural heritage, contingent valuation, Spike model, uncertainty, Land Economics/Use, B23, C24, C42, C52, D62, Q26,

Context-aware Assessment Using QR-codes

In this paper we present the implementation of a general mechanism to deliver tests based on mobile devices and matrix codes. The system is an extension of Siette, and has not been specifically developed for any subject matter. To evaluate the performance of the system and show some of its capabilities, we have developed a test for a second-year college course on Botany at the School of Forestry Engineering. Students were equipped with iPads and took an outdoor test on plant species identification. All students were able to take and complete the test in a reasonable time. Opinions expressed anonymously by the students in a survey about the usability of the system and the usefulness of the test were very favorable. We think that the application presented in this paper can broaden the applicability of automatic assessment techniques.The presentation of this work has been co-founded by the Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Crime trends through two decades of social changes in Spain

"Over the last two decades, the Spanish social fabric has undergone a variety of profound changes, which in turn may explain the rise in police-recorded crime and prison population figures. Although the rise in crime reported to the police has been higher for common offences—misdemeanors—, the mainstream media concentrates overwhelmingly in serious violent crimes—felonies—. Spain does not have an official agency responsible for conducting victimization surveys to measure crime trends as directly experienced by the citizens. Based on this methodology, our study shows that contrary to information gathered from police data, and despite social fabric changes, crime in Spain is decreasing. The present study also reveals the distorted public perception of this trend, which seems to respond to a repetitive coverage of serious crime by the mainstream media." [author's abstract

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles and vaccine applications

Vaccines based on outer membrane vesicles (OMV) were developed more than 20 years ago against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B. These nano-sized structures exhibit remarkable potential for immunomodulation of immune responses and delivery of “self” meningococcal antigens or unrelated antigens incorporated into the vesicle structure. This paper reviews different applications in OMV Research and Development (R&D) and provides examples of OMV developed and evaluated at the Finlay Institute in Cuba. A Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) process was developed at the Finlay Institute to produce OMV from N. meningitidis serogroup B (dOMVB) using detergent extraction. Subsequently, OMV from N. meningitidis, serogroup A (dOMVA), serogroup W (dOMVW) and serogroup X (dOMVX) were obtained using this process. More recently, the extraction process has also been applied effectively for obtaining OMV on a research scale from Vibrio cholerae (dOMVC), Bordetella pertussis (dOMVBP), Mycobacterium smegmatis (dOMVSM) and BCG (dOMVBCG). The immunogenicity of the OMV have been evaluated for specific antibody induction, and together with functional bactericidal and challenge assays in mice have shown their protective potential. dOMVB has been evaluated with non-self neisserial antigens, including with a herpes virus type 2 glycoprotein, ovalbumin and allergens. In conclusion, OMV are proving to be more versatile than first conceived and remain an important technology for development of vaccine candidates. - See more at: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2014.00121/abstract#sthash.MwqUyZQ1.dpu

Potencial del hongo basidiomiceto (Trametes Versicolor) para reducción de carga contaminante en aguas residuales de un centro de salud, Cusco 2023

La investigación se centra en aprovechar el potencial del hongo Trametes versicolor para reducir la presencia de agentes contaminantes en aguas de desecho provenientes de un centro de salud en Cusco en 2023. Se empleó un enfoque cuasi experimental utilizando biodiscos inoculados con Trametes versicolor. La muestra consistió en 30 litros de agua residual hospitalaria, tratada en diferentes intervalos y velocidades (24 horas / 6 rpm, 48 horas / 4 rpm y 72 horas / 2 rpm). Se validaron fichas de registro con expertos en el campo. Los resultados indicaron que los contaminantes iniciales estaban por debajo de los VMA. Después del tratamiento, se observó una mayor eliminación de contaminantes con una retención de 72 horas a 2 rpm. Los porcentajes de eliminación fueron notables: DBO5 (97.11%), DQO (11.32%), SST (93.04%), aceites y grasas (96.67%), STD (6.73%), SS (97.14%), aluminio (62.92%), boro (88.24%) y zinc (95.56%). En resumen, los biodiscos con Trametes versicolor lograron una eficiencia del 65.05% en la erradicación de sustancias contaminantes existentes en las aguas de desecho del centro de salud en Quiquijana. Esta investigación resalta la capacidad de este enfoque para reducir la carga contaminante en aguas residuales hospitalarias, lo que tiene implicaciones importantes para la gestión ambiental y la salud pública

Probabilistic Evaluation of 3D Surfaces Using Statistical Shape Models (SSM)

[EN] Inspecting a 3D object which shape has elastic manufacturing tolerances in order to find defects is a challenging and time-consuming task. This task usually involves humans, either in the specification stage followed by some automatic measurements, or in other points along the process. Even when a detailed inspection is performed, the measurements are limited to a few dimensions instead of a complete examination of the object. In this work, a probabilistic method to evaluate 3D surfaces is presented. This algorithm relies on a training stage to learn the shape of the object building a statistical shape model. Making use of this model, any inspected object can be evaluated obtaining a probability that the whole object or any of its dimensions are compatible with the model, thus allowing to easily find defective objects. Results in simulated and real environments are presented and compared to two different alternatives.This work was partially funded by Generalitat Valenciana through IVACE (Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness) distributed nominatively to Valencian technological innovation centres under project expedient IMAMCN/2020/1.Pérez, J.; Guardiola Garcia, JL.; Pérez Jiménez, AJ.; Perez-Cortes, J. (2020). Probabilistic Evaluation of 3D Surfaces Using Statistical Shape Models (SSM). Sensors. 20(22):1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20226554S1162022Brosed, F. J., Aguilar, J. J., Guillomía, D., & Santolaria, J. (2010). 3D Geometrical Inspection of Complex Geometry Parts Using a Novel Laser Triangulation Sensor and a Robot. Sensors, 11(1), 90-110. doi:10.3390/s110100090Perez-Cortes, J.-C., Perez, A., Saez-Barona, S., Guardiola, J.-L., & Salvador, I. (2018). A System for In-Line 3D Inspection without Hidden Surfaces. Sensors, 18(9), 2993. doi:10.3390/s18092993Bi, Z. M., & Wang, L. (2010). Advances in 3D data acquisition and processing for industrial applications. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 26(5), 403-413. doi:10.1016/j.rcim.2010.03.003Fu, K., Peng, J., He, Q., & Zhang, H. (2020). Single image 3D object reconstruction based on deep learning: A review. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 80(1), 463-498. doi:10.1007/s11042-020-09722-8Pichat, J., Iglesias, J. E., Yousry, T., Ourselin, S., & Modat, M. (2018). A Survey of Methods for 3D Histology Reconstruction. Medical Image Analysis, 46, 73-105. doi:10.1016/j.media.2018.02.004Pathak, V. K., Singh, A. K., Sivadasan, M., & Singh, N. K. (2016). Framework for Automated GD&T Inspection Using 3D Scanner. Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series C, 99(2), 197-205. doi:10.1007/s40032-016-0337-7Bustos, B., Keim, D. A., Saupe, D., Schreck, T., & Vranić, D. V. (2005). Feature-based similarity search in 3D object databases. ACM Computing Surveys, 37(4), 345-387. doi:10.1145/1118890.1118893Mian, A., Bennamoun, M., & Owens, R. (2009). On the Repeatability and Quality of Keypoints for Local Feature-based 3D Object Retrieval from Cluttered Scenes. International Journal of Computer Vision, 89(2-3), 348-361. doi:10.1007/s11263-009-0296-zLiu, Z., Zhao, C., Wu, X., & Chen, W. (2017). An Effective 3D Shape Descriptor for Object Recognition with RGB-D Sensors. Sensors, 17(3), 451. doi:10.3390/s17030451Barra, V., & Biasotti, S. (2013). 3D shape retrieval using Kernels on Extended Reeb Graphs. Pattern Recognition, 46(11), 2985-2999. doi:10.1016/j.patcog.2013.03.019Xie, J., Dai, G., Zhu, F., Wong, E. K., & Fang, Y. (2017). DeepShape: Deep-Learned Shape Descriptor for 3D Shape Retrieval. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 39(7), 1335-1345. doi:10.1109/tpami.2016.2596722Lague, D., Brodu, N., & Leroux, J. (2013). Accurate 3D comparison of complex topography with terrestrial laser scanner: Application to the Rangitikei canyon (N-Z). ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 82, 10-26. doi:10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2013.04.009Cook, K. L. (2017). An evaluation of the effectiveness of low-cost UAVs and structure from motion for geomorphic change detection. Geomorphology, 278, 195-208. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.11.009Martínez-Carricondo, P., Agüera-Vega, F., Carvajal-Ramírez, F., Mesas-Carrascosa, F.-J., García-Ferrer, A., & Pérez-Porras, F.-J. (2018). Assessment of UAV-photogrammetric mapping accuracy based on variation of ground control points. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 72, 1-10. doi:10.1016/j.jag.2018.05.015Burdziakowski, P., Specht, C., Dabrowski, P. S., Specht, M., Lewicka, O., & Makar, A. (2020). Using UAV Photogrammetry to Analyse Changes in the Coastal Zone Based on the Sopot Tombolo (Salient) Measurement Project. 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Modelling the balance of care:Impact of an evidence-informed policy on a mental health ecosystem

Major efforts worldwide have been made to provide balanced Mental Health (MH) care. Any integrated MH ecosystem includes hospital and community-based care, highlighting the role of outpatient care in reducing relapses and readmissions. This study aimed (i) to identify potential expert-based causal relationships between inpatient and outpatient care variables, (ii) to assess them by using statistical procedures, and finally (iii) to assess the potential impact of a specific policy enhancing the MH care balance on real ecosystem performance. Causal relationships (Bayesian network) between inpatient and outpatient care variables were defined by expert knowledge and confirmed by using multivariate linear regression (generalized least squares). Based on the Bayesian network and regression results, a decision support system that combines data envelopment analysis, Monte Carlo simulation and fuzzy inference was used to assess the potential impact of the designed policy. As expected, there were strong statistical relationships between outpatient and inpatient care variables, which preliminarily confirmed their potential and a priori causal nature. The global impact of the proposed policy on the ecosystem was positive in terms of efficiency assessment, stability and entropy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that formalized expert-based causal relationships between inpatient and outpatient care variables. These relationships, structured by a Bayesian network, can be used for designing evidence-informed policies trying to balance MH care provision. By integrating causal models and statistical analysis, decision support systems are useful tools to support evidence-informed planning and decision making, as they allow us to predict the potential impact of specific policies on the ecosystem prior to its real application, reducing the risk and considering the population’s needs and scientific findings

Semaglutide in type 2 diabetes with chronic kidney disease at high risk progression—real-world clinical practice

Albuminuria; Obesity; SemaglutideAlbuminúria; Obesitat; SemaglutidaAlbuminuria; Obesidad; SemaglutidaBackground Semaglutide [glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor-agonist (GLP-1RA)] has shown nephroprotective effects in previous cardiovascular studies. However, its efficacy and safety in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been rarely studied. Methods This is a multicenter, retrospective, observational study in patients with T2D and CKD with glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 7.5–9.5% treated with subcutaneous semaglutide for 12 months in real-world clinical practice. The main objectives were glycemic control as HbA1c 5%. Results We studied a total of 122 patients, ages 65.50 ± 11 years, 62% men, duration of T2D 12 years, baseline HbA1c 7.57% ± 1.36% and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 50.32 ± 19.21 mL/min/1.73 m2; 54% had a urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR) of 30–300 mg/g and 20% had a UACR >300 mg/g. After 12 months of follow-up, HbA1c declined −0.73% ± 1.09% (P 5% of their body weight. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased −9.85 mmHg and −5.92 mmHg, respectively (P 300 mg/g). The mean eGFR (by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration) remained stable. The need for basal insulin decreased 20% (P < .005). Only 7% of patients on insulin had mild hypoglycemic episodes. Semaglutide was stopped in 5.7% of patients for digestive intolerance. Conclusions In this real-world study, patients with T2D and CKD treated with subcutaneous semaglutide for 12 months significantly improved glycemic control and decreased weight. Albuminuria decreased by >50% in patients with macroalbuminuria. The administration of GLP-1RA in patients with T2D and CKD was safe and well tolerated