Bringing Statistical Methodologies for Enterprise Integration of Conversational Agents

Proceedings of: 9th International Conference on Practical Applications of Agents and Multiagent Systems (PAAMS 11). Salamanca, 6-8 April, 2011In this paper we present a methodology to develop commercial conversational agents that avoids the effort of manually defining the dialog strategy for the dialog management module. Our corpus-based methodology is based on selecting the next system answer by means of a classification process in which the complete dialog history is considered. This way, system developers can employ standards like VoiceXML to simply define system prompts and the associated grammars to recognize the users responses to the prompt, and the statistical dialog model automatically selects the next system prompt.We have applied this methodology for the development of an academic conversational agent.Funded by projects CICYT TIN2008-06742-C02-02/TSI, CICYT TEC 2008-06732-C02-02/TEC, CAM CONTEXTS (S2009/TIC-1485), and DPS2008-07029- C02-02.Publicad

Building the genomic nation: ‘Homo Brasilis’ and the ‘Genoma Mexicano’ in comparative cultural perspective

This article explores the relationship between genetic research, nationalism and the construction of collective social identities in Latin America. It makes a comparative analysis of two research projects – the ‘Genoma Mexicano’ and the ‘Homo Brasilis’ – both of which sought to establish national and genetic profiles. Both have reproduced and strengthened the idea of their respective nations of focus, incorporating biological elements into debates on social identities. Also, both have placed the unifying figure of the mestizo/mestiço at the heart of national identity constructions, and in so doing have displaced alternative identity categories, such as those based on race. However, having been developed in different national contexts, these projects have had distinct scientific and social trajectories: in Mexico, the genomic mestizo is mobilized mainly in relation to health, while in Brazil the key arena is that of race. We show the importance of the nation as a frame for mobilizing genetic data in public policy debates, and demonstrate how race comes in and out of focus in different Latin American national contexts of genomic research, while never completely disappearing

Cómo poner puertas al campo : tres revisiones panorámicas sobre el uso de biomarcadores en prevención personalizada de enfermedades crónicas

Se incluye PDF de la presentación y vídeo del seminario.El seminario trata de dar respuesta a qué biomarcadores hay disponibles o en desarrollo para la prevención personalizada de enfermedades crónicas en la población general. Las revisiones realizadas resumen las principales características y conclusiones de la bibliografía sobre este tema. Abarca los tres principales grupos de enfermedades crónicas:11 tipos de cáncer, 9 enfermedades cardiovasculares y 7 enfermedades neurodegenerativas.N

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Cu2Mn1−xCoxSnS4: Novel kësterite type solid solutions

International audienceA new family of Cu2Mn1−xCoxSnS4 chalcogenides has been synthesized by conventional solid-state reactions at 850 °C. The reactions products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDS), Raman spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility. The crystal structures of two members of the solid solution series Cu2Mn0.4Co0.6SnS4 and Cu2Mn0.2Co0.8SnS4 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both phases crystallize in the tetragonal kësterite-type structure (space group View the MathML sourceI4¯). The distortions of the tetrahedral volume of Cu2Mn0.4Co0.6SnS4 and Cu2Mn0.2Co0.8SnS4 were calculated and compared with the corresponding differences in the Cu2MnSnS4 (stannite-type) end-member. The compounds show nearly the same Raman spectral features. Temperature-dependent magnetization measurements (ZFC/FC) and high-temperature susceptibility indicate that these solid solutions are antiferromagnetic

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of titanium-based CuTi2−xMxS4 and CuCr2−xTixSe4 chalcospinels

International audienceCuTi2−xMxS4 (M=Fe, Mn, Co; x=0.3, 0.5) and CuCr2−xTixSe4 (x=0.3, 0.5, 0.7) chalcospinels were synthesized by conventional solid-state reactions. Their crystal structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All of the phases crystallized in cubic spinel-type structures (space group, F d 3 ¯ m ). For all of the chalcospinel compounds, the edge-length distortion parameter (ELD) indicated that the most distorted polyhedron was Q[(Ti,M)3Cu], which displayed an ~8% distortion from an ideal tetrahedron structure (Q=S or Se). The Mn-based thiospinel CuMn0.3Ti1.7S4 is paramagnetic, whereas the Fe-based thiospinels (CuTi2−xFexS4; x=0.3 and 0.7) are strongly antiferromagnetic due to their spin-glass states. The magnetic susceptibility measurements indicated ferromagnetic behavior for the selenospinels (CuCr2−xTixSe4; x=0.3, 0.5 and 0.7)

YouTube® in Spanish as a source of information for patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Introducción y objetivo: La mayoría de pacientes con enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal (EII) buscan información de su enfermedad en internet. La confiabilidad, la exhaustividad y la calidad de esta información en español aún no han sido estudiadas. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional analítico que incluyó videos en español sobre EII disponibles en YouTube®. Se describen las características generales, la interacción y las fuentes generadoras. Se utilizaron herramientas estandarizadas para la evaluación de la confiabilidad (DISCERN), la exhaustividad y la calidad global (Global Quality Score [GQS]). Resultados: Cien videos fueron incluidos. El 88% representaban información generada por profesionales en salud (grupo 1) y el 12% opiniones de pacientes (grupo 2). No hubo diferencias en la mediana del puntaje de confiabilidad (DISCERN: 3 vs 3, p = 0.554), ni exhaustividad (3 vs 2.5, p = 0.768) entre ambos grupos, aunque sí se encontró mayor calidad global en los videos del grupo 2 (GQS: 3 vs 4, p = 0.007). La confiabilidad fue mayor para los videos realizados por organizaciones profesionales (DISCERN: 4; RIC: 3-4) en comparación con las páginas de información en salud y agencias con ánimo de lucro (DISCERN: 3; RIC: 2.5-3.5) (p < 0.001). Para la evaluación global de calidad, la calificación fue superior para estas últimas fuentes (GQS 3 vs 4, p < 0.001). Los puntajes de exhaustividad fueron similares. Conclusión: La mayoría de videos sobre EII en YouTube® en español tienen una confiabilidad, una exhaustividad y una calidad buenas. Aunque la confiabilidad fue mayor para organizaciones profesionales, la calidad es superior en páginas de información en salud y agencias con ánimo de lucro.Q4Q3Pacientes con enfermedad inflamatoria intestinalIntroduction and aim: The majority of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) seek information about their disease on the internet. The reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality of said information in Spanish has not previously been studied. Materials and methods: An analytic observational study was conducted that included YouTube® videos on IBD available in Spanish, describing general characteristics, engagement, and sources. Standard tools for evaluating reliability (DISCERN), comprehensiveness, and overall quality (Global Quality Score [GQS]) were employed. Results: One hundred videos were included. Eighty-eight videos consisted of information produced by healthcare professionals (group 1) and 12 included patient opinions (group 2). There were no differences in the median scores for reliability (DISCERN: 3 vs 3, P = .554) or comprehensiveness (3 vs 2.5, P = .768) between the two groups, but there was greater overall quality in the group 2 videos (GQS 3 vs 4, P = .007). Reliability was higher for the videos produced by professional organizations (DISCERN: 4; IQR: 3-4), when compared with healthcare information websites and for-profit agencies (DISCERN: 3; IQR: 2.5-3.5) (P < .001), but the videos with healthcare information website and for-profit sources had a higher quality score (GQS: 3 vs 4, P < .001). Comprehensiveness scores were similar. Conclusion: The majority of YouTube® videos in Spanish on IBD have good reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality. Reliability was greater for the videos produced by professional organizations, whereas quality was higher for those created from healthcare information websites and for-profit agencies.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6392-7554https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5401-0018https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1490-1822https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8244-2958https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1222-0636Revista Internacional - IndexadaBN

Biomarkers for personalised prevention of chronic diseases: a common protocol for three rapid scoping reviews

Dataset disponible en: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/19630Introduction: Personalised prevention aims to delay or avoid disease occurrence, progression, and recurrence of disease through the adoption of targeted interventions that consider the individual biological, including genetic data, environmental and behavioural characteristics, as well as the socio-cultural context. This protocol summarises the main features of a rapid scoping review to show the research landscape on biomarkers or a combination of biomarkers that may help to better identify subgroups of individuals with different risks of developing specific diseases in which specific preventive strategies could have an impact on clinical outcomes. This review is part of the "Personalised Prevention Roadmap for the future HEalThcare" (PROPHET) project, which seeks to highlight the gaps in current personalised preventive approaches, in order to develop a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for the European Union. Objective: To systematically map and review the evidence of biomarkers that are available or under development in cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases that are or can be used for personalised prevention in the general population, in clinical or public health settings. Methods: Three rapid scoping reviews are being conducted in parallel (February-June 2023), based on a common framework with some adjustments to suit each specific condition (cancer, cardiovascular or neurodegenerative diseases). Medline and Embase will be searched to identify publications between 2020 and 2023. To shorten the time frames, 10% of the papers will undergo screening by two reviewers and only English-language papers will be considered. The following information will be extracted by two reviewers from all the publications selected for inclusion: source type, citation details, country, inclusion/exclusion criteria (population, concept, context, type of evidence source), study methods, and key findings relevant to the review question/s. The selection criteria and the extraction sheet will be pre-tested. Relevant biomarkers for risk prediction and stratification will be recorded. Results will be presented graphically using an evidence map. Inclusion criteria: Population: general adult populations or adults from specific pre-defined high-risk subgroups; concept: all studies focusing on molecular, cellular, physiological, or imaging biomarkers used for individualised primary or secondary prevention of the diseases of interest; context: clinical or public health settings. Systematic review registration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/7JRWD (OSF registration DOI).The PROPHET project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101057721. UK participation in Horizon Europe Project PROPHET is supported by UKRI grant number 10040946 (Foundation for Genomics & Population Health).S