Trois cas de gynandromorphisme chez <i>Sergentomyia minuta</i> (Diptera, Psychodidae) dans la Péninsule Ibérique

Three gynandromorphe specimens of Sergentomyia minuta have been identified among sandflies captured in North-East Spain. The simultaneous presence of more or less modified male genitalia and of fome female structures were the most conspicuous features encountred.</p

First results on ongrowing of hatchery reared Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, kept in sea cages

Bluefin tuna (ABFT) fingerlings born in captivity were raised during 15 months in sea cages. ABFT were fed with raw fish, and they grew during this period from 4 gr to 8 kg. Mortality rate was great, mainly during the first three months. This is the first experience of ongrowing ABFT born in captivity.EU (SELFDOTT), Caladeros del Mediterráneo, S.A. Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Instructional Changes Adopted for an Engineering Course: Cluster Analysis on Academic Failure

As first-year students come from diverse backgrounds, basic skills should be accessible to everyone as soon as possible. Transferring such skills to these students is challenging, especially in highly technical courses. Ensuring that essential knowledge is acquired quickly promotes the student’s self-esteem and may positively influence failure rates. Metaphors can help do this. Metaphors are used to understand the unknown. This paper shows how we made a turn in student learning at the University of Almeria. Our hypothesis assumed that metaphors accelerate the acquisition of basic knowledge so that other skills built on that foundation are easily learned. With these goals in mind, we changed the way we teach by using metaphors and abstract concepts in a computer organisation course, a technical course in the first year of an information technology engineering degree. Cluster analysis of the data on collective student performance after this methodological change clearly identified two distinct groups. These two groups perfectly matched the before and after scenarios of the use of metaphors. The study was conducted during 11 academic years (2002/2003 to 2012/2013). The 475 observations made during this period illustrate the usefulness of this change in teaching and learning, shifting from a propositional teaching/learning model to a more dynamic model based on metaphors and abstractions. Data covering the whole period showed favourable evolution of student achievement and reduced failure rates, not only in this course, but also in many of the following more advanced courses.The paper is structured in five sections. The first gives an introduction, the second describes the methodology. The third section describes the sample and the study carried out. The fourth section presents the results and, finally, the fifth section discusses the main conclusions

Application of a diagnostic algorithm for the rare deficient variant Mmalton of alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency: a new approach

Background and objectives: alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is associated with a high risk for the development of early-onset emphysema and liver disease. A large majority of subjects with severe AATD carry the ZZ genotype, which can be easily detected. Another rare pathologic variant, the Mmalton allele, causes a deficiency similar to that of the Z variant, but it is not easily recognizable and its detection seems to be underestimated. Therefore, we have included a rapid allele-specific genotyping assay for the detection of the Mmalton variant in the diagnostic algorithm of AATD used in our laboratory. The objective of this study was to test the usefulness of this new algorithm for Mmalton detection. Materials and methods: we performed a retrospective revision of all AATD determinations carried out in our laboratory over 2 years using the new diagnostic algorithm. Samples with a phenotype showing one or two M alleles and AAT levels discordant with that phenotype were analyzed using the Mmalton allele-specific genotyping assay. Results: we detected 49 samples with discordant AAT levels; 44 had the MM and five the MS phenotype. In nine of these samples, a single rare Mmalton variant was detected. During the study period, two family screenings were performed and four additional Mmalton variants were identified. Conclusion: the incorporation of the Mmalton allele-specific genotyping assay in the diagnostic algorithm of AATD resulted in a faster and cheaper method to detect this allele and avoided a significant delay in diagnosis when a sequencing assay was required. This methodology can be adapted to other rare variants. Standardized algorithms are required to obtain conclusive data of the real incidence of rare AAT alleles in each region

Clustering dinámico para tiempo de encendido mínimo en redes inalámbricas de sensores (CLUDITEM) : Definición del árbol de encaminamiento

Las Redes Inalámbricas de Sensores Inteligentes (RISI) son particularmente útiles en ambientes hostiles o de difícil acceso, donde el mantenimiento de los nodos que las constituyen es muy dificultoso. Estas redes se auto-organizan para adaptarse a topologías cambiantes, y deben trabajar bajo fuertes restricciones de energía, tratando de maximizar su tiempo de vida útil. En este trabajo se analiza la definición del árbol de encaminamiento de un algoritmo jerárquico para adquisición periódica de datos en aplicaciones de supervisión ambiental. Sus objetivos son disminuir y distribuir adecuadamente el consumo de energía, para lo cual se utiliza clustering dinámico y se mantienen apagados los transceptores de los nodos el mayor tiempo posible. En el trabajo se describen las simulaciones realizadas y se reportan los resultados alcanzados. Además, se proponen líneas de trabajo futuro teniendo en cuenta las conclusiones obtenidas.Intelligent Wireless Sensors Networks (IWSN) are particularly useful in hard access or hostile environments, where constitutive node maintenance is very difficult. These Networks are self organized to adapt to changing topologies, and shall work under strong energy constraints trying to maximize its life time. A hierarchical algorithm routing tree definition for periodical data acquisition in environmental supervision applications is analyzed in this work. The main objectives are to diminish and to adequately distribute the energy consumption using dynamic clustering and keeping shutted off the nodes transceptors as long as possible. Simulations made and achieved results are reported in this work. Future works are proposed based on the conclusionsWorkshop de Arquitecturas, Redes y Sistemas Operativos (WARSO)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Controladores digitales reconfigurables: Implementación a partir de Redes de Petri

La línea de investigación abarca diversos aspectos relacionados con el diseño, simulación e implementación de redes inalámbricas de sensores. En este contexto se aborda la temática de controladores digitales orientada al diseño del módulo de control de los nodos sensores. En la mayoría de las aplicaciones se utilizan microcontroladores, sin embargo, en algunos dominios los dispositivos de lógica reconfigurable resultan ventajosos. Por este motivo se trabaja en la implementación de controladores reconfigurables utilizando formalismos y herramientas específicos. Finalmente, los proyectos de investigación desarrollados por el equipo de trabajo tienen su implicancia académica en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje del área digital de la carrera de Ingeniería Electrónica.Eje: Arquitectura, Redes y Sistemas OperativosRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Clustering dinámico para tiempo de encendido mínimo en redes inalámbricas de sensores (CLUDITEM) : Definición del árbol de encaminamiento

Las Redes Inalámbricas de Sensores Inteligentes (RISI) son particularmente útiles en ambientes hostiles o de difícil acceso, donde el mantenimiento de los nodos que las constituyen es muy dificultoso. Estas redes se auto-organizan para adaptarse a topologías cambiantes, y deben trabajar bajo fuertes restricciones de energía, tratando de maximizar su tiempo de vida útil. En este trabajo se analiza la definición del árbol de encaminamiento de un algoritmo jerárquico para adquisición periódica de datos en aplicaciones de supervisión ambiental. Sus objetivos son disminuir y distribuir adecuadamente el consumo de energía, para lo cual se utiliza clustering dinámico y se mantienen apagados los transceptores de los nodos el mayor tiempo posible. En el trabajo se describen las simulaciones realizadas y se reportan los resultados alcanzados. Además, se proponen líneas de trabajo futuro teniendo en cuenta las conclusiones obtenidas.Intelligent Wireless Sensors Networks (IWSN) are particularly useful in hard access or hostile environments, where constitutive node maintenance is very difficult. These Networks are self organized to adapt to changing topologies, and shall work under strong energy constraints trying to maximize its life time. A hierarchical algorithm routing tree definition for periodical data acquisition in environmental supervision applications is analyzed in this work. The main objectives are to diminish and to adequately distribute the energy consumption using dynamic clustering and keeping shutted off the nodes transceptors as long as possible. Simulations made and achieved results are reported in this work. Future works are proposed based on the conclusionsWorkshop de Arquitecturas, Redes y Sistemas Operativos (WARSO)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Delay effects in the response of low-grade gliomas to radiotherapy: a mathematical model and its therapeutical implications

Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are a group of primary brain tumours usually encountered in young patient populations. These tumours represent a difficult challenge because many patients survive a decade or more and may be at a higher risk for treatment-related complications. Specifically, radiation therapy is known to have a relevant effect on survival but in many cases it can be deferred to avoid side effects while maintaining its beneficial effect. However, a subset of LGGs manifests more aggressive clinical behaviour and requires earlier intervention. Moreover, the effectiveness of radiotherapy depends on the tumour characteristics. Recently Pallud et al. (2012. Neuro-Oncology, 14, 1-10) studied patients with LGGs treated with radiation therapy as a first-line therapy and obtained the counterintuitive result that tumours with a fast response to the therapy had a worse prognosis than those responding late. In this paper, we construct a mathematical model describing the basic facts of glioma progression and response to radiotherapy. The model provides also an explanation to the observations of Pallud et al. Using the model, we propose radiation fractionation schemes that might be therapeutically useful by helping to evaluate tumour malignancy while at the same time reducing the toxicity associated to the treatmen