Influence of seasonal factors in the earned value of construction

[EN] The objectives in each construction process can be multiple. However, the constructions have to be carried out under some restrictions concerning price and terms. They constitute some strategic and interdependent goals. In other words, ¿time is money¿. Several papers support that seasonal effects influence the execution rate of construction. Thus, most of them try to improve the forecasts by evaluating and joining them to the planning, although always measuring their influence indirectly. In this paper, we suggest a methodology to directly measure the influence of the seasonal factors as a whole over the earned value of construction. Additionally, we apply it to a certain case study regarding the subsidised housing of public promotion in the Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain). It is worth mentioning that our results are clarified: we have calculated the average monthly production for each month a year with respect to the annual monthly mean. Moreover, the differences regarding the average monthly production we have contributed are quite significant, and hence they have to be taken into account for each earned value forecast so that a project becomes reliable.The authors would like to thank Gicaman SA, Eres SA, and Urvial SA (construction companies) by the cession of their outcome data corresponding to 161 public promotions that gave rise to 5,319 subsidised housing.Ruiz-Fernández, JP.; Benlloch Marco, J.; López, MA.; Valverde-Gascueña, N. (2019). Influence of seasonal factors in the earned value of construction. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences. 4(1):21-34. https://doi.org/10.2478/AMNS.2019.1.00003S213441Koehn, E., & Brown, G. (1985). Climatic Effects on Construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 111(2), 129-137. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(1985)111:2(129)El-Rayes, K., & Moselhi, O. (2001). Impact of Rainfall on the Productivity of Highway Construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 127(2), 125-131. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(2001)127:2(125)Kenley, R., & Wilson, O. D. (1989). A construction project net cash flow model. Construction Management and Economics, 7(1), 3-18. doi:10.1080/01446198900000002Skitmore, M. (1992). Parameter prediction for cash flow forecasting models. Construction Management and Economics, 10(5), 397-413. doi:10.1080/01446199200000038Chan, D. W. M., & Kumaraswamy, M. M. (1995). A study of the factors affecting construction durations in Hong Kong. Construction Management and Economics, 13(4), 319-333. doi:10.1080/01446199500000037Kaka, A. P., & Price, A. D. F. (1993). Modelling standard cost commitment curves for contractors’ cash flow forecasting. Construction Management and Economics, 11(4), 271-283. doi:10.1080/01446199300000027Blyth, K., & Kaka, A. (2006). A novel multiple linear regression model for forecasting S‐curves. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 13(1), 82-95. doi:10.1108/09699980610646511Khosrowshahi, F., & Kaka, A. P. (2007). A Decision Support Model for Construction Cash Flow Management. Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, 22(7), 527-539. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8667.2007.00508.

The use of deep learning to improve player engagement in a video game through a dynamic difficulty adjustment based on skills classification

The balance between game difficulty and player skill in the evolving landscape of the video game industry is a significant factor in player engagement. This study introduces a deep learning (DL) approach to enhance gameplay by dynamically adjusting game difficulty based on a player’s skill level. Our methodology aims to prevent player disengagement, which can occur if the game difficulty significantly exceeds or falls short of the player’s skill level. Our evaluation indicates that such dynamic adjustment leads to improved gameplay and increased player involvement, with 90% of the players reporting high game enjoyment and immersion levels

An IoT system for remote health monitoring in elderly adults through a wearable device and mobile application

With the increase in global life expectancy and the advance of technology, the creation of age-friendly environments is a priority in the design of new products for elderly people healthcare. This paper presents a proposal for a real-time health monitoring system of older adults living in geriatric residences. This system was developed to help caregivers to have a better control in monitoring the health of their patients and have closer communication with their patients’ family members. To validate the feasibility and effectiveness of this proposal, a prototype was built, using a biometric bracelet connected to a mobile application, which allows real-time visualization of all the information generated by the sensors (heart rate, body temperature, and blood oxygenation) in the bracelet. Using these data, caregivers can make decisions about the health status of their patients. The evaluation found that the users perceived the system to be easy to learn and use, providing initial evidence that our proposal could improve the quality of the adult’s healthcare.PRODEP | Ref. PRODEP UCOL-EXB-176 (Code: DSA/103.5/15/10874

Eight Million Years of Satellite DNA Evolution in Grasshoppers of the Genus Schistocerca Illuminate the Ins and Outs of the Library Hypothesis

This study was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-FAPESP (process number 2014/11763-8) and Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-CAPES. The authors are grateful to anonymous reviewers for valuable comments. O.M.P.-G. and F.J.R.-R. acknowledge the scholarship obtained from the Lawski Foundation (Sweden), H.S. to the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant No. IOS-1253493) and the United State Department of Agriculture (Hatch Grant TEX0-1-6584), D.A.M. was supported by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-CONICET from Argentina. D.C.C.-d.-M. is recipient of a research productivity fellowship from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-CNPq (process number 304758/2014-0). Computing ran on resources provided by the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing (SNIC) through Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science (UPPMAX). We also thank Alexander Suh (Uppsala University, Uppsala/Sweden) for helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript and to Cristiane Mileo (UNESP-Rio Claro/SP) for helping with some figures.Satellite DNA (satDNA) is an abundant class of tandemly repeated noncoding sequences, showing high rate of change in sequence, abundance, and physical location. However, the mechanisms promoting these changes are still controversial. The library model was put forward to explain the conservation of some satDNAs for long periods, predicting that related species share a common collection of satDNAs, which mostly experience quantitative changes. Here, we tested the library model by analyzing three satDNAs in ten species of Schistocerca grasshoppers. This group represents a valuable material because it diversified during the last 7.9 Myr across the American continent from the African desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), and this thus illuminates the direction of evolutionary changes. By combining bioinformatic and cytogenetic, we tested whether these three satDNA families found in S. gregaria are also present in nine American species, and whether differential gains and/or losses have occurred in the lineages. We found that the three satDNAs are present in all species but display remarkable interspecies differences in their abundance and sequences while being highly consistent with genus phylogeny. The number of chromosomal loci where satDNA is present was also consistent with phylogeny for two satDNA families but not for the other. Our results suggest eminently chance events for satDNA evolution. Several evolutionary trends clearly imply either massive amplifications or contractions, thus closely fitting the library model prediction that changes are mostly quantitative. Finally, we found that satDNA amplifications or contractions may influence the evolution of monomer consensus sequences and by chance playing a major role in driftlike dynamics.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-FAPESP 2014/11763-8Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-CAPESLawski Foundation (Sweden)U.S. National Science Foundation IOS-1253493United State Department of Agriculture TEX0-1-6584CONICET from ArgentinaCNPq 304758/2014-

EFHB is a novel cytosolic Ca²+ sensor that modulates STIM1-SARAF interaction

FUNDAMENTOS/OBJETIVOS: STIM1 y Orai1 son los componentes clave de la entrada de Ca2+ en la tienda (SOCE). Entre las proteínas que participan en la regulación de la SOCE, la SARAF previene la activación espontánea de la SOCE y modula la función de STIM1. MÉTODOS: Se estimó la movilización de Ca2+ citosólico en células cargadas de fura-2 usando un microscopio invertido de epifluorescencia. La interacción de STIM1 con Orai1, EFHB (miembro de la familia B del dominio de la mano EF, también conocido como CFAP21) y SARAF se detectó mediante inmunoprecipitación seguida de Western blotting utilizando anticuerpos específicos. La participación de EFHB en la translocación de NFAT al núcleo se detectó mediante microscopía confocal. RESULTADOS: Aquí reportamos la identificación del EFHB como un nuevo regulador SOCE. El EFHB interactúa con el STIM1 al agotarse el almacenamiento y se disocia a través de un mecanismo dependiente de Ca2+-. El silenciamiento mediado por el ARNi así como los estudios de sobreexpresión revelaron que el EFHB juega un papel relevante en la interacción de STIM1 y Orai1 al agotarse las reservas, la activación de la translocación de SOCE y NFAT del citosol al núcleo. El silenciamiento de la expresión de la EFHB suprimió la disociación de la SARAF de la STIM1, lo que indica que la EFHB podría desempeñar un papel importante en la interacción dinámica entre ambas proteínas, lo que es pertinente para la activación de los canales de Orai1 al agotarse el almacenamiento de Ca2+ y su posterior modulación mediante la inactivación lenta dependiente del Ca2+. CONCLUSIÓN: Nuestros resultados indican que el EFHB es un nuevo regulador SOCE que modula la interacción STIM1-SARAF.BACKGROUND/AIMS: STIM1 and Orai1 are the key components of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). Among the proteins involved in the regulation of SOCE, SARAF prevents spontaneous activation of SOCE and modulates STIM1 function. METHODS: Cytosolic Ca2+ mobilization was estimated in fura-2-loaded cells using an epifluorescence inverted microscope. STIM1 interaction with Orai1, EFHB (EF-hand domain family member B, also known as CFAP21) and SARAF was detected by immunoprecipitation followed by Western blotting using specific antibodies. The involvement of EFHB in the translocation of NFAT to the nucleus was detected by confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Here, we report the identification of EFHB as a new SOCE regulator. EFHB interacts with STIM1 upon store depletion and dissociates through a Ca2+- dependent mechanism. RNAi-mediated silencing as well as overexpression studies revealed that EFHB plays a relevant role in the interaction of STIM1 and Orai1 upon store depletion, the activation of SOCE and NFAT translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus. Silencing EFHB expression abolished the dissociation of SARAF from STIM1, which indicates that EFHB might play an important role in the dynamic interaction between both proteins, which is relevant for the activation of Orai1 channels upon Ca2+ store depletion and their subsequent modulation via slow Ca2+-dependent inactivation. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that EFHB is a new SOCE regulator that modulates STIM1-SARAF interaction.• Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Contrato Juan de la Cierva IJCI-2015-25665, para Isaac Jardín Polo • Junta de Extremadura y Fondos FEDER. Contrato IB16046, para José Javier López Barba • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Subvención BFU2016-74932-C2-1-P, para Letizia Albarrán Alonso • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Subvenciones Subvenciones BFU2013-45564-C2-1-P/2-P y BFU2016-74932-C2-1-P/2-P • Junta de Extremadura y Fondos FEDER. Subvenciones IB16046 y GR18061peerReviewe

LDR brachytherapy offers superior tumor control to single-fraction HDR prostate brachytherapy: A prospective study

[Purpose]: To compare the clinical outcomes of single-fraction high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy and single-fraction low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy as the sole treatment for primary prostate cancer. [Material and Methods]: A quasi-randomized study that allocated, from March 2008 to February 2012, 129 low and intermediate risk prostate cancer patients to one single-fraction HDR of 19 Gy (61 patients) or to a 145 Gy 125I LDR permanent implant (68 patients. Biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analysis. [Results]: After a median follow-up of 72 months in the HDR group, 26 patients relapsed, and after a median follow-up of 84 months in the LDR group, 7 patients relapsed (p < 0.0001). The 5-year bRFS was significantly better for the LDR group than for the HDR group (93.7% and 61.1%, respectively) (p < 0.0001). The 5-year OS also was significantly better in the LDR group (95.5% vs. 89.9%) (p = 0.0436). [Conclusions]: Permanent LDR prostate implant brachytherapy offers better clinical outcomes than single-fraction HDR for prostate cancer.Peer reviewe

Impaired Mitophagy and Protein Acetylation Levels in Fibroblasts from Parkinson's Disease Patients

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. While most PD cases are idiopathic, the known genetic causes of PD are useful to understand common disease mechanisms. Recent data suggests that autophagy is regulated by protein acetylation mediated by histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activities. The changes in histone acetylation reported to be involved in PD pathogenesis have prompted this investigation of protein acetylation and HAT and HDAC activities in both idiopathic PD and G2019S leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) cell cultures. Fibroblasts from PD patients (with or without the G2019S LRRK2 mutation) and control subjects were used to assess the different phenotypes between idiopathic and genetic PD. G2019S LRRK2 mutation displays increased mitophagy due to the activation of class III HDACs whereas idiopathic PD exhibits downregulation of clearance of defective mitochondria. This reduction of mitophagy is accompanied by more reactive oxygen species (ROS). In parallel, the acetylation protein levels of idiopathic and genetic individuals are different due to an upregulation in class I and II HDACs. Despite this upregulation, the total HDAC activity is decreased in idiopathic PD and the total HAT activity does not significantly vary. Mitophagy upregulation is beneficial for reducing the ROS-induced harm in genetic PD. The defective mitophagy in idiopathic PD is inherent to the decrease in class III HDACs. Thus, there is an imbalance between total HATs and HDACs activities in idiopathic PD, which increases cell death. The inhibition of HATs in idiopathic PD cells displays a cytoprotective effect

Considerations about the Continuous Assay Methods, Spectro-Photometric and Spectrofluorometric, of the Monophenolase Activity of Tyrosinase

With the purpose to obtain the more useful tyrosinase assay for the monophenolase activity of tyrosinase between the spectrofluorometric and spectrophotometric continuous assays, simulated assays were made by means of numerical integration of the equations that characterize the mechanism of monophenolase activity. These assays showed that the rate of disappearance of monophenol () is equal to the rate of accumulation of dopachrome () or to the rate of accumulation of its oxidized adduct, originated by the nucleophilic attack on o-quinone by a nucleophile such as 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone (MBTH), (), despite the existence of coupled reactions. It is shown that the spectrophotometric methods that use MBTH are more useful, as they do not have the restrictions of the L-tyrosine disappearance measurement method, of working at pH = 8 and not having a linear response from 100 μM of L-tyrosine. It is possible to obtain low LODM (limit of detection of the monophenolase activity) values with spectrophotometric methods. The spectrofluorimetric methods had a lower LODM than spectrophotometric methods. In the case of 4-hydroxyphenil-propionic acid, the LODM obtained by us was 0.25 U/mL. Considering the relative sensitivities of 4-hydroxyanisole, compared with 4-hydroxyphenil-propionic acid, LODM values like those obtained by fluorescent methods would be expected