Embedding-based Scientific Literature Discovery in a Text Editor Application

Each claim in a research paper requires all relevant prior knowledge to be discovered, assimilated, and appropriately cited. However, despite the availability of powerful search engines and sophisticated text editing software, discovering relevant papers and integrating the knowledge into a manuscript remain complex tasks associated with high cognitive load. To define comprehensive search queries requires strong motivation from authors, irrespective of their familiarity with the research field. Moreover, switching between independent applications for literature discovery, bibliography management, reading papers, and writing text burdens authors further and interrupts their creative process. Here, we present a web application that combines text editing and literature discovery in an interactive user interface. The application is equipped with a search engine that couples Boolean keyword filtering with nearest neighbor search over text embeddings, providing a discovery experience tuned to an author's manuscript and his interests. Our application aims to take a step towards more enjoyable and effortless academic writing. The demo of the application (https://SciEditorDemo2020.herokuapp.com/) and a short video tutorial (https://youtu.be/pkdVU60IcRc) are available online

Estudio de los contenidos relacionados con los números fraccionarios en el currículo de la educación básica primaria en Colombia

Aquí se reporta el análisis curricular de la noción de fracciones en los documentos oficiales colombianos y textos de una editorial. Con este estudio se buscó responder a la pregunta ¿Cómo se profundiza en el estudio de los contenidos relacionados con los números fraccionarios en el currículo del área de matemáticas de la educación básica primaria en Colombia? Los resultados dieron cuenta de que en los documentos oficiales, no se clarifican herramientas didácticas para que el profesor oriente el estudio de las fracciones. Por otro lado, los textos guía siendo el recurso más usado por los profesores pues estos le ofrecen una variedad de situaciones en las que se hace uso de esta noción desde diferentes contextos

Replicative aging is associated with loss of genetic heterogeneity from extrachromosomal circular DNA in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research. Circular DNA can arise from all parts of eukaryotic chromosomes. In yeast, circular ribosomal DNA (rDNA) accumulates dramatically as cells age, however little is known about the accumulation of other chromosome-derived circles or the contribution of such circles to genetic variation in aged cells. We profiled circular DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae populations sampled when young and after extensive aging. Young cells possessed highly diverse circular DNA populations but 94% of the circular DNA were lost after ∼15 divisions, whereas rDNA circles underwent massive accumulation to >95% of circular DNA. Circles present in both young and old cells were characterized by replication origins including circles from unique regions of the genome and repetitive regions: rDNA and telomeric Y' regions. We further observed that circles can have flexible inheritance patterns: [HXT6/7circle] normally segregates to mother cells but in low glucose is present in up to 50% of cells, the majority of which must have inherited this circle from their mother. Interestingly, [HXT6/7circle] cells are eventually replaced by cells carrying stable chromosomal HXT6 HXT6/7 HXT7 amplifications, suggesting circular DNAs are intermediates in chromosomal amplifications. In conclusion, the heterogeneity of circular DNA offers flexibility in adaptation, but this heterogeneity is remarkably diminished with age.ISSN:1362-4962ISSN:0301-561

Screening for Familial APP Mutations in Sporadic Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Background Advances in genetic technology have revealed that variation in the same gene can cause both rare familial and common sporadic forms of the same disease. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), a common cause of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the elderly, can also occur in families in an autosomal dominant pattern. The majority of affected families harbor mutations in the Beta amyloid Peptide (Aβ) coding region of the gene for amyloid precursor protein (APP) or have duplications of chromosomal segments containing APP. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 58 subjects with a diagnosis of probable or definite CAA according to validated criteria were included in the present study. We sequenced the Aβ coding region of APP in 58 individuals and performed multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification to determine APP gene dosage in 60. No patient harbored a known or novel APP mutation or gene duplication. The frequency of mutations investigated in the present study is estimated to range from 0% to 8% in individuals with probable CAA in the general population, based on the ascertained sample size. Conclusions/Significance We found no evidence that variants at loci associated with familial CAA play a role in sporadic CAA. Based on our findings, these rare highly-penetrant mutations are unlikely to be seen in sporadic CAA patients. Therefore, our results do not support systematic genetic screening of CAA patients who lack a strong family history of hemorrhage or dementia.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U.S.) (grant K23NS042695)American Heart AssociationAmerican Stroke Association (Bugher Foundation for Stroke Prevention Research

Propuesta estratégica de mejora en la implementación de los estándares mínimos del Sistema de Gestión de la Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo en la empresa Thomas Kids para el segundo semestre del 2019 y principios del 2020

La empresa Thomas Kids, para crear un ambiente laboral con condiciones favorables a las personas que allí laboran, mejorar sus procesos, la productividad y así mismo mejorar su imagen corporativa; propone una propuesta estratégica de mejora en la implementación de los estándares mínimos del Sistema de Gestión de la Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo que de ahora en adelante llamaremos SG-SST el cual permitirá que el empleador desarrolle un proceso lógico, basado en la mejora continua, con el objetivo de gestionar los peligros y riesgos que puedan afectar la seguridad y la salud de sus trabajadores. Teniendo en cuenta la importancia de prevenir las lesiones y enfermedades causadas por las condiciones de trabajo a los cuales estarán expuestos los trabajadoresStrategic proposal for improvement in the of the minimum standards of the occupational health and safety management system at Thomas Kids for the second half of 2019 and early 202

Transportes Activos como Alternativa Segura y Sostenible en una Ciudad Post-Pandemia

Este proyecto de grado, nace del seminario internacional interdisciplinario 2021- “la ciudad post-Covid”; un seminario que buscaba que los estudiantes propusiéramos ideas de como seria la vida en una ciudad luego de la pandemia, vista desde 4 ejes temáticos (urbanismo tradicional, relaciones interpersonales, producción y distribución, saber e información por redes sociales). Por esta razón, este proyecto de grado busca incentivar a que las personas de la ciudad de Bogotá conozcan los beneficios de utilizar transportes activos para movilizarse a sus puntos de destino, con la finalidad de disminuir los grandes contagios por 4 Covid 19 que se presentan diariamente en el transporte público de Bogotá; aunado a lo anterior, mejorar la movilidad de la ciudad, disminuir el tráfico motorizado y contribuir a la mejora de la calidad del aire en la misma

Selection of Metal-poor Giant Stars Using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Photometric System

We present a method for photometric selection of metal-poor halo giants from the imaging data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). These stars are offset from the stellar locus in the (g-r) vs. (u-g) color-color diagram. Based on a sample of 29 candidates for which spectra were taken, we derive a selection efficiency of the order of 50%, for stars brighter than $r \sim 17^m$. The candidates selected in 400 deg$^2$ of sky from the SDSS Early Data Release trace the known halo structures (tidal streams from the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy), indicating that such a color-selected sample can be used to study the halo structure even without spectroscopic information. This method, and supplemental techniques for selecting halo stars, such as RR Lyrae stars and other blue horizontal branch stars, can produce an unprecedented three-dimensional map of the Galactic halo based on the SDSS imaging survey.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Accepted by Ap

The DESI Sky Continuum Monitor System

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is an ongoing spectroscopic survey to measure the dark energy equation of state to unprecedented precision. We describe the DESI Sky Continuum Monitor System, which tracks the night sky brightness as part of a system that dynamically adjusts the spectroscopic exposure time to produce more uniform data quality and to maximize observing efficiency. The DESI dynamic exposure time calculator (ETC) will combine sky brightness measurements from the Sky Monitor with data from the guider system to calculate the exposure time to achieve uniform signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the spectra under various observing conditions. The DESI design includes 20 sky fibers, and these are split between two identical Sky Monitor units to provide redundancy. Each Sky Monitor unit uses an SBIG STXL-6303e CCD camera and supports an eight-position filter wheel. Both units have been completed and delivered to the Mayall Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. Commissioning results show that the Sky Monitor delivers the required performance necessary for the ETC.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

Exploring the use of skeletal tracking for cheaper motion graphs and on-set decision making in Free-Viewpoint Video production

In free-viewpoint video (FVV), the motion and surface appearance of a real-world performance is captured as an animated mesh. While this technology can produce high-fidelity recreations of actors, the required 3D reconstruction step has substantial processing demands. This means FVV experiences are currently expensive to produce, and the processing delay means on-set decisions are hampered by a lack of feedback. This work explores the possibility of using RGB-camera-based skeletal tracking to reduce the amount of content that must be 3D reconstructed, as well as aiding on-set decision making. One particularly relevant application is in the construction of Motion Graphs, where state-of-the-art techniques require large amounts of content to be 3D reconstructed before a graph can be built, resulting in large amounts of wasted processing effort. Here, we propose the use of skeletons to assess which clips of FVV content to process, resulting in substantial cost savings with a limited impact on performance accuracy. Additionally, we explore how this technique could be utilised on set to reduce the possibility of requiring expensive reshoots