844 research outputs found
Allocating educational resources through happiness maximization and traditional CSP approach
This is an electronic version of the paper presented at the 4th International Conference on Software and Data Technologies, held in Sofia on 2009An instance of an Educational Resources Allocation (ERA) problem is the distribution of a set of students
in different laboratories. This can be a complex and dynamic problem if non-quantitative considerations (i.e.
how close the final allocation is to the student preferences or desires) are involved in the decision process. Traditionally,
different approaches based on Constraint-Satisfaction techniques and Multi-agent negotiation have
been applied to the general problem of Resource Allocation. This paper shows how a Multi-agent approach
can be used to model and simulate the assignment of sets of students to several predefined laboratories, by
using their preferences to guide the allocation process. This approach aims at finding new solutions that try
to satisfy individual student needs with no knowledge about the general allocation problem. The paper shows
some experimental results and a comparison, between a CSP-based solution modeled in CHOCO, a CSP
Java-based library, and a Multi-agent model implemented using MASON, a multi-agent simulation platform.This work has been supported by research projects
TIN2007-65989 and TIN2007-64718. We also thank
IBM for its support to the Linux Reference Cente
a caseâcontrol seroprevalence study
Background Infection with Toxoplasma gondii can be acquired via the ingestion
of undercooked or raw meat containing tissue cysts, or via ingestion of water
contaminated with oocysts. Professional long distance truck driving may have
epidemiological importance for food-borne infections since drivers eat out of
home and in places where hygiene and cooking practices are uncertain. We aimed
to determine whether interstate truck drivers in Durango, Mexico have an
increased risk of infection with T. gondii as indicated by seropositivity; and
to determine the socio-demographic, work, clinical, and behavioral
characteristics associated with T. gondii seropositivity in interstate truck
drivers. Methods Through a caseâcontrol study design, 192 truck drivers and
192 controls from the general population of the same region matched by gender
and age were examined with enzyme-linked immunoassays for the presence of
anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies. Socio-demographic, work, clinical and
behavioral characteristics from the truck drivers were obtained. Results
Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 23 (12.0%) of 192 truck drivers
and in 13 (6.8%) of 192 controls (ORâ=â21.0; 95% CI: 1.23-358.38; Pâ=â0.002).
Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were found in 7 (3.6%) cases and in 7 (3.6%)
controls (Pâ=â1.00). The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was higher in
drivers with reflex impairment than in those without this impairment (4/13,
30.8% vs 19/179, 10.6%, respectively; Pâ=â0.05), and in drivers with hearing
impairment than in those without this impairment (3/7, 42.9% vs 20/185, 10.8%,
respectively; Pâ=â0.03). Multivariate analysis of work and behavioral
characteristics of truck drives showed positive associations of T. gondii
exposure with trips to the south of Mexico (ORâ=â3.11; 95% CI: 1.02-9.44; Pâ=
0.04) and consumption of horse meat (ORâ=â5.18; 95% CI: 1.62-16.55; Pâ=
0.005). Conclusions Results suggest that interstate truck drivers may have an
increased risk for T. gondii infection, and that T. gondii exposure may be
impacting neurological functions in truck drivers. Contributing factors for T.
gondii exposure should be taken into account for the design of optimal
prevention measures against T. gondii infection
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection and associated risk factors in Huicholes in Mexico
BACKGROUND: Very little is known about the seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in ethnic groups in Mexico. Huicholes are an indigenous ethnic group living in a remote mountainous region in Mexico. We sought to determine the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies in Huicholes; and to determine the association of Toxoplasma seropositivity with socio-demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics of Huicholes. METHODS: We performed a cross sectional survey in Huicholes from September 2013 to January 2014. A convenience sampling method was used. We investigated the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies in 214 Huicholes using enzyme-linked immunoassays. A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain the characteristics of the Huicholes. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association of Toxoplasma exposure and Huicholesâ characteristics. RESULTS: Of the 214 Huicholes studied (mean age: 37.98â±â15.80 years), 71 (33.2%) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies and 47 (66.2%) of them were also positive for anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies. Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection did not vary with age, sex, or occupation. However, seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies was significantly higher in female than in male Huicholes. Multivariate analysis of socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics showed that T. gondii exposure was associated with consumption of turkey meat (ORâ=â2.28; 95% CI: 1.16-4.46; Pâ=â0.01). In addition, seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was significantly higher in Huicholes suffering from dizziness and memory impairment than those without such clinical characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate serological evidence of T. gondii exposure among Huicholes which may be impacting their health. Results of this first study of T. gondii infection in Huicholes may be useful for the design of optimal preventive measures against infection with T. gondii
Immunology and Oxidative Stress in Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical and Basic Approach
Multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibits many of the hallmarks of an inflammatory autoimmune disorder including breakdown of the
blood-brain barrier (BBB), the recruitment of lymphocytes, microglia, and macrophages to lesion sites, the presence of multiple lesions, generally
being more pronounced in the brain stem and spinal cord, the predominantly perivascular location of lesions, the temporal maturation of lesions from
inflammation through demyelination, to gliosis and partial remyelination, and the presence of immunoglobulin in the central nervous system and cerebrospinal fluid. Lymphocytes activated in the periphery infiltrate the central nervous system to trigger a local immune response that ultimately damages myelin and axons. Pro-inflammatory cytokines amplify the inflammatory cascade by compromising the BBB, recruiting immune cells from the periphery,
and activating resident microglia. inflammation-associated oxidative burst in activated microglia and macrophages plays an important role in the demyelination and free radical-mediated
tissue injury in the pathogenesis of MS. The inflammatory environment in demyelinating lesions leads to the generation of oxygen- and nitrogen-free radicals as well as proinflammatory cytokines which contribute to the development and progression of the disease. Inflammation can lead to oxidative stress and vice versa. Thus, oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in a self-perpetuating cycle
Lecturas de polĂtica monetaria y financiera
1 archivo PDF (487 pĂĄginas)Conjunto de trabajos de investigadores especializados en teorĂa monetaria y financiera, que presentan un anĂĄlisis teĂłrico y empĂrico de los cambios de la economĂa mexicana, propuestas y crĂticas tanto de los procesos mismos cĂłmo de las polĂticas con que enfrentan las autoridades monetarias nacionales el reto que implica la mayor integraciĂłn del sistema mexicano al internacional. Las investigaciones se agrupan en seis secciones temĂĄticas: PolĂtica monetaria y cambiaria; Influencia de los flujos internacionales de capital; La polĂtica monetaria y sus relaciones con la inflaciĂłn; Sector financiero, crisis y polĂtica econĂłmica; Sector bursĂĄtil y Marco Legal
Human papillomavirus infections in women seeking cervical Papanicolaou cytology of Durango, Mexico: prevalence and genotypes
BACKGROUND: HPV infection in women from developing countries is an important public health problem. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalences of HPV infection and HPV genotypes in a female population of Durango City, Mexico. Also to determine whether any socio-demographic characteristic from the women associated with HPV infection exists. METHODS: Four hundred and ninety eight women seeking cervical Papanicolaou examination in three public Health Centers were examined for HPV infection. All women were tested for HPV DNA PCR by using HPV universal primers. In addition, all positive HPV DNA PCR samples were further analyzed for genotyping of HPV genotype 16, 18 and 33. Socio-demographic characteristics from each participant were also obtained. RESULTS: Twenty-four out of four hundred and ninety-eight (4.8%) women were found infected by HPV. HPV genotype 16 was found in 18 out of the 24 (75%) infected women. Two of them were also coinfected by HPV genotype 18 (8.3%). In the rest 6 PCR positive women, genotyping for HPV genotypes 16, 18 and 33 were negative. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HPV in women of Durango City is low; however, most infected women have high risk HPV genotype. The women who were studied showed low frequency of risk factors for HPV infection and this may explain the low prevalence of HPV infection. The high frequency of high risk HPV genotypes observed might explain the high rate of mortality for cervical cancer in our region
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type VIIC: A Mexican Case Report
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a heterogeneous group of heritable connective tissue disorders whose primary clinicalfeatures include soft and extensible skin, articular hypermobility and tissue fragility. EDS type VIIC or âhuman dermatosparaxisâ is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by severe skin fragility and sagging redundant skin (major criteria) with a soft, doughy texture, easy bruising, premature rupture of fetal membranes and large hernias (minor criteria). Dermatosparaxis (meaning âtearing of skinâ), which has been described in several non-human species, is a disorder of the connective tissue resulting from a deficiency of the enzyme that cleaves the registration peptide off the N-terminal end of collagen after it has been secreted from fibroblasts. We describe a Mexican case from consanguineous parents with all the phenotypical characteristics previously described, plus skeletal abnormalities
The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment
The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in
operation since July 2014. This paper describes the second data release from
this phase, and the fourteenth from SDSS overall (making this, Data Release
Fourteen or DR14). This release makes public data taken by SDSS-IV in its first
two years of operation (July 2014-2016). Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14
is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all
data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14
is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation
Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS); the first data from the second phase of the
Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2),
including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data driven machine
learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes
from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous
release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of
the publicly available data from SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the
important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both
targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS
website (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release, and provides links to
data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is
planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be
followed by SDSS-V.Comment: SDSS-IV collaboration alphabetical author data release paper. DR14
happened on 31st July 2017. 19 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by ApJS on 28th Nov
2017 (this is the "post-print" and "post-proofs" version; minor corrections
only from v1, and most of errors found in proofs corrected
Evidence of spatial clustering of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases in Greater Mexico City: report from the Mexican Inter-Institutional Group for the identification of the causes of childhood leukemia
BackgroundA heterogeneous geographic distribution of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases has been described, possibly, related to the presence of different environmental factors. The aim of the present study was to explore the geographical distribution of childhood ALL cases in Greater Mexico City (GMC).MethodsA population-based case-control study was conducted. Children <18 years old, newly diagnosed with ALL and residents of GMC were included. Controls were patients without leukemia recruited from second-level public hospitals, frequency-matched by sex, age, and health institution with the cases. The residence address where the patients lived during the last year before diagnosis (cases) or the interview (controls) was used for geolocation. Kulldorffâs spatial scan statistic was used to detect spatial clusters (SCs). Relative risks (RR), associated p-value and number of cases included for each cluster were obtained.ResultsA total of 1054 cases with ALL were analyzed. Of these, 408 (38.7%) were distributed across eight SCs detected. A relative risk of 1.61 (p<0.0001) was observed for the main cluster. Similar results were noted for the remaining seven ones. Additionally, a proximity between SCs, electrical installations and petrochemical facilities was observed.ConclusionsThe identification of SCs in certain regions of GMC suggest the possible role of environmental factors in the etiology of childhood ALL
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