Creating agent platforms to host agent-mediated services that share resources

After a period where the Internet was exclusively filled with content, the present efforts are moving towards services, which handle the raw information to create value from it. Therefore labors to create a wide collection of agent-based services are being perfomed in several projects, such as Agentcities does. In this work we present an architecture for agent platforms named a-Buildings. The aim of the proposed architecture is to ease the creation, installation, search and management of agent-mediated services and the share of resources among services. To do so the a-Buildings architecture creates a new level of abstraction on top of the standard FIPA agent platform specification. Basically, an a-Building is a service-oriented platform which offers a set of low level services to the agents it hosts. We define low level services as those required services that are neccesary to create more complex high level composed services.Postprint (published version

Development of the Platysma Muscle and the Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (Human Specimens at 8–17 Weeks of Development)

There is controversy regarding the description of the different regions of the face of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) and its relationship with the superficial mimetic muscles. The purpose of this study is to analyze the development of the platysma muscle and the SMAS in human specimens at 8–17 weeks of development using an optical microscope. Furthermore, we propose to study the relationship of the anlage of the SMAS and the neighbouring superficial mimetic muscles. The facial musculature derives from the mesenchyme of the second arch and migrates towards the different regions of the face while forming premuscular laminae. During the 8th week of development, the cervical, infraorbital, mandibular, and temporal laminae are observed to be on the same plane. The platysma muscle derives from the cervical lamina and its mandibular extension enclosing the lower part of the parotid region and the cheek, while the SMAS derives from the upper region. During the period of development analyzed in this study, we have observed no continuity between the anlage of the SMAS and that of the superficial layer of the temporal fascia and the zygomaticus major muscle. Nor have we observed any structure similar to the SMAS in the labial region

Automatic multi-seed detection for MR breast image segmentation

In this paper an automatic multi-seed detection method for magnetic resonance (MR) breast image segmentation is presented. The proposed method consists of three steps: (1) pre-processing step to locate three regions of interest (axillary and sternal regions); (2) processing step to detect maximum concavity points for each region of interest; (3) breast image segmentation step. Traditional manual segmentation methods require radiological expertise and they usually are very tiring and time-consuming. The approach is fast because the multi-seed detection is based on geometric properties of the ROI. When the maximum concavity points of the breast regions have been detected, region growing and morphological transforms complete the segmentation of breast MR image. In order to create a Gold Standard for method effectiveness and comparison, a dataset composed of 18 patients is selected, accordingly to three expert radiologists of University of Palermo Policlinico Hospital (UPPH). Each patient has been manually segmented. The proposed method shows very encouraging results in terms of statistical metrics (Sensitivity: 95.22%; Specificity: 80.36%; Precision: 98.05%; Accuracy: 97.76%; Overlap: 77.01%) and execution time (4.23 s for each slice)

Cancer Cérvico Uterino en la Tercera Edad: P. del Río, 2005-2008 / Cervical Cancer in the aged: Pinar del Río, 2005-2008

El propósito del presente trabajo ha sido caracterizar epidemiológica y clínicamente al cáncer cérvicouterino en la tercera edad en Pinar del Río. Método: Diseño observacional, descriptivo, transversal. Universo: Mujeres de 60 años y más de la región oeste de la Provincia Pinar del Río que tuvieron biopsias que interesaban el cuello uterino. Variables: edad, motivo de consulta, diagnóstico, rendimiento citológico, incidencia y mortalidad (por 100000 mujeres de ese grupo de edades) y letalidad en %. Resultados: Los motivos principales de consulta fueron la lesión macroscópica y el sangrado posmenopáusico. Predominó el subgrupo de 60-64 años (rango 60-94). Casi el 50% tenía lesiones cervicales. La citología mostró una sensibilidad de 9,8%, especificidad de 96,5%, valor predictivo positivo de 71.4% y el negativo de 54.7%. El carcinoma escamoso invasor (CINV) en cualquiera de sus estadios presentó una incidencia promedio anual de 57,4; el adenocarcinoma endocervical (AEC) de 8,0 y el adenocarcinoma endometrial (AEM), 35.6. No hubo diferencias de edad (F=0.52; p = 0.76). El carcinoma escamoso in situ tuvo una incidencia anual 10,2. La mortalidad anual por CINV fue de 14,3 y por AEC, 3,6, mientras que por AEM fue de 11,3. La letalidad mayor se observó en el AEC (54.5 %), Conclusiones. Las mujeres de la tercera edad aportan lesiones malignas con altas tasas de mortalidad y letalidad por lo que deben ser priorizadas ante cualquier signo macroscópico o sangrado posmenopáusico. Debe hacerse un seguimiento más continuo en la mujer antes de arribar a 60 años para evitar la morbilidad y la muerte. Palabras clave: cáncer del cuello uterino, anciano, lesiones ABSTRACT With the purpose of analyzing the state of the art in cervical cancer and precursor lesions a review of articles and research papers on the topic of the last five years was performed. Other original papers and articles considering level i-ii of medical evidence were reviewed. The medical literatures browsed on line were published on: Cochrane, Dynamed, Evidence-based Medicine Updates, New England Journal of Medicine, J Clinical Oncology, Medscape, PubMed, and the International Agency of Cancer in France. The following aspects were revised: definitions, epidemiology, etiology, risk factors, cytology, colposcopy, histopathology, classification, clinical stages, treatments, prevention, health promotion and social problems. Cervical Cancer is a preventable and curable disease, which is sexually transmitted by Human Papillomavirus having an annual higher incidence and prevalence; despite the screening programs it is still a health problem. Alternatives of screening are needed and they should be adequate to the local necessities, establishing a sustainable prevention and treatment to diminish the social and economic burden derived from this problem. Key words: cervix neoplasms, wounds and injuries, aged

Genetic dissection of agronomic and quality traits based on association mapping and genomic selection approaches in durum wheat grown in Southern Spain

Climatic conditions affect the growth, development and final crop production. As wheat is of paramount importance as a staple crop in the human diet, there is a growing need to study its abiotic stress adaptation through the performance of key breeding traits. New and complementary approaches, such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection (GS), are used for the dissection of different agronomic traits. The present study focused on the dissection of agronomic and quality traits of interest (initial agronomic score, yield, gluten index, sedimentation index, specific weight, whole grain protein and yellow colour) assessed in a panel of 179 durum wheat lines (Triticum durum Desf.), grown under rainfed conditions in different Mediterranean environments in Southern Spain (Andalusia). The findings show a total of 37 marker-trait associations (MTAs) which affect phenotype expression for three quality traits (specific weight, gluten and sedimentation indexes). MTAs could be mapped on the A and B durum wheat subgenomes (on chromosomes 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 3A) through the recently available bread wheat reference assembly (IWGSC RefSeqv1). Two of the MTAs found for quality traits (gluten index and SDS) corresponded to the known Glu-B1 and Glu-A1 loci, for which candidate genes corresponding to high molecular weight glutenin subunits could be located. The GS prediction ability values obtained from the breeding materials analyzed showed promising results for traits as grain protein content, sedimentation and gluten indexes, which can be used in plant breeding programs.Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian Regional Government) P12- AGR-0482FEDER P12- AGR-0482MINECO (Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness) AGL2016-77149-C2-1-

Disruption of both chloroplastic and cytosolic FBPase genes results in a dwarf phenotype and important starch and metabolite changes in Arabidopsis thaliana

In this study, evidence is provided for the role of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatases (FBPases) in plant development and carbohydrate synthesis and distribution by analysing two Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA knockout mutant lines, cyfbp and cfbp1, and one double mutant cyfbp cfbp1 which affect each FBPase isoform, cytosolic and chloroplastic, respectively. cyFBP is involved in sucrose synthesis, whilst cFBP1 is a key enzyme in the Calvin–Benson cycle. In addition to the smaller rosette size and lower rate of photosynthesis, the lack of cFBP1 in the mutants cfbp1 and cyfbp cfbp1 leads to a lower content of soluble sugars, less starch accumulation, and a greater superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The mutants also had some developmental alterations, including stomatal opening defects and increased numbers of root vascular layers. Complementation also confirmed that the mutant phenotypes were caused by disruption of the cFBP1 gene. cyfbp mutant plants without cyFBP showed a higher starch content in the chloroplasts, but this did not greatly affect the phenotype. Notably, the sucrose content in cyfbp was close to that found in the wild type. The cyfbp cfbp1 double mutant displayed features of both parental lines but had the cfbp1 phenotype. All the mutants accumulated fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and triose-phosphate during the light period. These results prove that while the lack of cFBP1 induces important changes in a wide range of metabolites such as amino acids, sugars, and organic acids, the lack of cyFBP activity in Arabidopsis essentially provokes a carbon metabolism imbalance which does not compromise the viability of the double mutant cyfbp cfbp1.España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2009-07297España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2012-33292Junta de Andalucía P07-CVI-279

Inteligencia emocional, afrontamiento resiliente y compromiso ocupacional del profesorado novel

Emotional intelligence (EI) and resilient coping (RC) have shown positive links with occupational commitment (OC). Considering the lack of research in this area, the present study examines the role of RC as a mediator and moderator in the relationship between EI and OC in a sample of 338 pre-service teachers (58.9% female; Mage= 26.85, SD= 5.66). Results showed that RC mediated (B= .20; CI= .02, .37), but did not moderate this relationship (B= -.01; CI= -.31, .29). Implications for the design of strategies for promoting positive work attitudes in teacher professional development are discussed.La inteligencia emocional (IE) y el afrontamiento resiliente (AR) han mostrado influencias positivas en el compromiso ocupacional (CO). Considerando la falta de estudios en esta línea, el presente trabajo examina el rol del AR como mediador y moderador en la relación entre la IE y el CO en una muestra de 338 docentes noveles (58,9% mujeres; Medad= 26,85, DT= 5,66). Los resultados mostraron que el AR mediaba (B= ,20; IC= ,02, ,37), pero no moderaba esta relación (B= -,01; IC= -,31, ,29). Se discuten las implicaciones para el diseño de acciones de promoción de actitudes laborales positivas en la formación inicial docente

Disruption of both chloroplastic and cytosolic FBPase genes results in a dwarf phenotype and important starch and metabolite changes in Arabidopsis thaliana

In this study, evidence is provided for the role of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatases (FBPases) in plant development and carbohydrate synthesis and distribution by analysing two Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA knockout mutant lines, cyfbp and cfbp1, and one double mutant cyfbp cfbp1 which affect each FBPase isoform, cytosolic and chloroplastic, respectively. cyFBP is involved in sucrose synthesis, whilst cFBP1 is a key enzyme in the Calvin–Benson cycle. In addition to the smaller rosette size and lower rate of photosynthesis, the lack of cFBP1 in the mutants cfbp1 and cyfbp cfbp1 leads to a lower content of soluble sugars, less starch accumulation, and a greater superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The mutants also had some developmental alterations, including stomatal opening defects and increased numbers of root vascular layers. Complementation also confirmed that the mutant phenotypes were caused by disruption of the cFBP1 gene. cyfbp mutant plants without cyFBP showed a higher starch content in the chloroplasts, but this did not greatly affect the phenotype. Notably, the sucrose content in cyfbp was close to that found in the wild type. The cyfbp cfbp1 double mutant displayed features of both parental lines but had the cfbp1 phenotype. All the mutants accumulated fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and triose-phosphate during the light period. These results prove that while the lack of cFBP1 induces important changes in a wide range of metabolites such as amino acids, sugars, and organic acids, the lack of cyFBP activity in Arabidopsis essentially provokes a carbon metabolism imbalance which does not compromise the viability of the double mutant cyfbp cfbp1.España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2009-07297España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2012-33292Junta de Andalucía P07-CVI-279

How does a cadaver model work for testing ultrasound diagnostic capability for rheumatic-like tendon damage?

To establish whether a cadaver model can serve as an effective surrogate for the detection of tendon damage characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, we evaluated intraobserver and interobserver agreement in the grading of RA-like tendon tears shown by US, as well as the concordance between the US findings and the surgically induced lesions in the cadaver model. RA-like tendon damage was surgically induced in the tibialis anterior tendon (TAT) and tibialis posterior tendon (TPT) of ten ankle/foot fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens. Of the 20 tendons examined, six were randomly assigned a surgically induced partial tear; six a complete tear; and eight left undamaged. Three rheumatologists, experts in musculoskeletal US, assessed from 1 to 5 the quality of US imaging of the cadaveric models on a Likert scale. Tendons were then categorized as having either no damage, (0); partial tear, (1); or complete tear (2). All 20 tendons were blindly and independently evaluated twice, over two rounds, by each of the three observers. Overall, technical performance was satisfactory for all items in the two rounds (all values over 2.9 in a Likert scale 1-5). Intraobserver and interobserver agreement for US grading of tendon damage was good (mean κ values 0.62 and 0.71, respectively), with greater reliability found in the TAT than the TPT. Concordance between US findings and experimental tendon lesions was acceptable (70-100 %), again greater for the TAT than for the TPT. A cadaver model with surgically created tendon damage can be useful in evaluating US metric properties of RA tendon lesions

The diacylglycerol kinase α/Atypical PKC/β1 integrin pathway in SDF-1α mammary carcinoma invasiveness

Diacylglycerol kinase α (DGKα), by phosphorylating diacylglycerol into phosphatidic acid, provides a key signal driving cell migration and matrix invasion. We previously demonstrated that in epithelial cells activation of DGKα activity promotes cytoskeletal remodeling and matrix invasion by recruiting atypical PKC at ruffling sites and by promoting RCP-mediated recycling of α5β1 integrin to the tip of pseudopods. In here we investigate the signaling pathway by which DGKα mediates SDF-1α-induced matrix invasion of MDA-MB-231 invasive breast carcinoma cells. Indeed we showed that, following SDF-1α stimulation, DGKα is activated and localized at cell protrusion, thus promoting their elongation and mediating SDF-1α induced MMP-9 metalloproteinase secretion and matrix invasion. Phosphatidic acid generated by DGKα promotes localization at cell protrusions of atypical PKCs which play an essential role downstream of DGKα by promoting Rac-mediated protrusion elongation and localized recruitment of β1 integrin and MMP-9. We finally demonstrate that activation of DGKα, atypical PKCs signaling and β1 integrin are all essential for MDA-MB-231 invasiveness. These data indicates the existence of a SDF-1α induced DGKα - atypical PKC - β1 integrin signaling pathway, which is essential for matrix invasion of carcinoma cells