Counting Membrane Systems

A decision problem is one that has a yes/no answer, while a counting problem asks how many possible solutions exist associated with each instance. Every decision problem X has associated a counting problem, denoted by #X, in a natural way by replacing the question “is there a solution?” with “how many solutions are there?”. Counting problems are very attractive from a computational complexity point of view: if X is an NP-complete problem then the counting version #X is NP-hard, but the counting version of some problems in class P can also be NP-hard. In this paper, a new class of membrane systems is presented in order to provide a natural framework to solve counting problems. The class is inspired by a special kind of non-deterministic Turing machines, called counting Turing machines, introduced by L. Valiant. A polynomial-time and uniform solution to the counting version of the SAT problem (a well-known #P-complete problem) is also provided, by using a family of counting polarizationless P systems with active membranes, without dissolution rules and division rules for non-elementary membranes but where only very restrictive cooperation (minimal cooperation and minimal production) in object evolution rules is allowed

Use of AFLP and RAPD molecular genetic markers and cytogenetic analysis to explore relationships among taxa of the Patagonian Bromus setifolius complex

Bromus setifolius var. pictus (Hook) Skottsb., B. setifolius var. setifolius Presl. and B.setifolius var. brevifolius Ness are three native Patagonian taxa in the section Pnigma Dumort of the genus Bromus L. AFLP and RAPD analysis, in conjunction with genetic distance measurements and statistical techniques, revealed variation within this group and indicated that B. setifolius var. brevifolius was closely related to B. setifolius var. pictus, with both taxa being more distantly related to B. setifolius var. setifolius. Cytogenetic analysis confirmed the chromosomal number of B. setifolius var. pictus (2n = 70) and B. setifolius var. setifolius (2n = 28) and showed for the first time that B. setifolius var. brevifolius had 2n = 70. The combination of molecular genetic and cytogenetic evidence supported a species status for two of the three taxa and suggested hypotheses for the evolutionary origin of these complex taxa. Species status was also indicated for B. setifolius var. setifolius. Based on these findings, we suggest that B. setifolius var. pictus be referred to as B. pictus Hook var. pictus, and B. setifolius var brevifolius as B. pictus Hook var brevifolius. The correlation between AFLP diversity and variation in ecological parameters suggested that this marker system could be used to assess breeding progress and to monitor the domestication of Patagonian Bromus species for agronomic use

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Solving the ST-Connectivity Problem with Pure Membrane Computing Techniques

Summary. In Membrane Computing, the solution of a decision problem X belonging to the complexity class P via a polynomially uniform family of recognizer P systems is trivial, since the polynomial encoding of the input can involve the solution of the problem. The design of such solution has one membrane, two objects, two rules and one computation step. Stricto sensu, it is a solution in the framework of Membrane Computing, but it does not use Membrane Computing strategies. In this paper, we present three designs of uniform families of P systems that solve the decision problem STCON by using Membrane Computing strategies (pure Membrane Computing techniques): P systems with membrane creation, P systems with active membranes with dissolution and without polarizations and P systems with active membranes without dissolution and with polarizations. Since STCON is NL-complete, such designs are constructive proofs of th

Simulating Elementary Active Membranes

The decision problems solved in polynomial time by P systems with elementary active membranes are known to include the class ^#. This consists of all the problems solved by polynomial-time deterministic Turing machines with polynomial-time counting oracles. In this paper we prove the reverse inclusion by simulating P systems with this kind of machines: this proves that the two complexity classes coincide, finally solving an open problem by P\u103un on the power of elementary division. The equivalence holds for both uniform and semi-uniform families of P systems, with or without membrane dissolution rules. Furthermore, the inclusion in ^# also holds for the P systems involved in the P conjecture (with elementary division and dissolution but no charges), which improves the previously known upper bound

Cine mexicano y realidad social. Distintas miradas

A partir de “distintas miradas” y perspectivas analíticas disciplinarias, este libro integra aspectos relevantes de la cinematografía nacional a través de una serie de películas seleccionadas por sus autores; espacio en el que confluyen: literatura, arqueología, sociología, antropología, artes escénicas, historia, geografía y comunicación. Reflexionar acerca de la relación entre el cine mexicano y la realidad social del país a partir de ciertas películas producidas en distintos momentos del siglo XX y del XXI, es el motivo de este libro, mismo que postula al cine como reflejo de nuestra historia cultural, y fuente de su conocimiento y representatividad. Correlación indisociable que ha existido desde sus inicios, como lo ha planteado claramente el historiador Aurelio de los Reyes, ya sea rescatando la idiosincrasia de una sociedad, las maneras de hablar o vestir, la arquitectura de la época, los tabúes o temas representativos del tiempo. Voz que se suma a la del historiador inglés Marc Ferro quien ha reconocido en el cine la fuerza de la imagen como un documento histórico y agente testimonial de gran valía, que puede llegar incluso a funcionar como una herramienta útil para el análisis de la realidad social. Además, Pierre Sorlin reconoce en el cine un agente de la historia que puede tener efectos de representación del pasado, e integrarse al mismo tiempo como testimonio vivo. Principales coordenadas en las que se ubica el presente libro