Una asignatura on-line de Historia de los Algoritmos

This paper describes the objectives, contents learning methodology and results of an on-line course about History of Algorithms for engineering students of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. This course is conducted in a virtual environment based on Moodle, with an educational model centered at student which includes a detailed planning of learning activities. . Our experience indicates that this subject is is highly motivating for students and the virtual environment facilitates competencies development

There Is an Inverse Correlation between Basic Motor Skills and Overweight in Schoolchildren Aged 8 to 12

In the last three decades, childhood obesity has become a 21st century epidemic, a product of social development. The purpose of this study was to analyze the repercussions that overweight and obesity have for the basic motor skills of a group of children in primary school, as well as their interrelations. We analyzed a sample of 287 students from Spain, aged between 8 and 12 years. Anthropometric data were taken to determine their Body Mass Index (BMI). A scale of assessment of basic motor skills was used to evaluate their motor skills. The BMI data revealed that 11% of this sample was considered obese, and 26% was overweight. Children showed higher competence in locomotor skills than in object control and turn and rolling skills, for which motor competence levels were lower. Likewise, there was an inverse relationship between BMI and basic motor skills; children with obesity had the lowest levels of motor skills, and there was a significant difference regarding non-obese children (p ≤ 0.05). These results showed that overweight and obese children have lower basic motor skills, which can lead to the abandonment of physical activity and the preference for other activities that reinforce a sedentary lifestyle

Automatic Generation of Questionnaires for Supporting Users during the Execution of Declarative Business Process Models

When designing an imperative business process (BP) model, analysts have to face many design requirements (e.g., managing uncertainty, optimizing conflicting objective functions). To facilitate such design, declarative BP models are increasingly used. However, how to execute a given declarative model can be quite challenging since there are typically several variants related to such model, each one presenting different degree of goodness. To support users working on declarative models while a high flexibility is maintained, we propose removing the worst variants from the source declarative model at design time while keeping the best variants. This way, the variants which are kept are narrowed down incrementally during run-time. For managing these variants during run-time we suggest to build upon configurable BP models. To configure such models, we additionally propose to automatically generate questionnaires. The results over a real case study are promising

Variabilidad espacial y temporal en la comunidad de cladóceros de la Ciénaga de Paredes (Santander, Colombia) a lo largo de un ciclo anual

En la Ciénaga de Paredes (73 · 45'-73· 49'W y 7·26'-7·29'N), ubicada en el Departamento de Santander (Colombia), se determinó la composición, la variación espacial y temporal de la estructura de la comunidad de cladóceros, con base en arrastres verticales con malla de 68 μm, en ocho estaciones de muestreo en un ciclo anual (febrero de 1998 a enero de 1999).Para evaluar la estructura, se utilizaron los números de Hill (N0, N1 y N2) y la equidad. El soporte del muestreo fue calculado con los estimadores Chao 1 y 2. La existencia de diferencias significativas de los números de Hill, la equidad, la densidad numérica, la columna de agua, el pH, el OD, y la temperatura, entre campañas y entre estaciones, se realizó a través de un ANDEVA. Las especies y morfoespecies encontradas (31) poseen distribución tropical, subtropical y cosmopolita; pertenecen generalmente a cuerpos de agua temporales, llanuras de inundación o ciénagas. Las mayores abundancias fueron registradas para Moina minuta, Moina cf. micrura, Diaphanosoma brevireme y Ceriodaphnia cornuta, las cuales representaron el 81.9 % del total de individuos colectados. Los resultados obtenidos por los estimadores de riqueza indican que si se aumentara el esfuerzo de muestreo con las técnicas utilizadas, no incrementaría el número de morfoespecies. Con respecto a la variación espacial de la estructura, la estación V presento mayor equidad, riqueza y diversidad, pero menor densidad numérica, esta condición muestra la diferencia de esta estación en comparación con las demás; su tendencia atípica es explicada ya que dicha estación se encuentra cerca del afluente principal de la Ciénaga (Quebrada La Gómez). En la variación temporal, la estructura de la comunidad de cladóceros cambió entre campañas de muestreo ya que la equidad y la riqueza presentaron diferencias significativas, que se evidencian en el cambio de la abundancia relativa de las morfoespecies, mas no en la abundancia de cladóceros. Esto es causado por las fluctuaciones de la precipitación y el alto de la columna de agua.In the Ciénaga de Paredes (73 · 45'-73· 49'W y 7·26'-7·29'N), located in the Department of Santander (Colombia), the composition, and the spatial and temporal variation of the cladoceran community structure was determined with samples taken with a 68 μm vertical-hauled net, at eight sampling stations in an annual cycle (February 1998 to January 1999). To evaluate the structure, Hill numbers (N0, N1 and N2) and evenness were used. The sampling support was calculated with the Chao 1 and 2 estimators. The existence of significant differences for Hill numbers, evenness, numeric density, water column, pH, OD, and temperature among field trips and among stations, was analysed through an ANOVA. The species and morphospecies found (31), had a tropical, subtropical, and cosmopolitan distribution; belonging to temporary water bodies, floodplains or "ciénagas". The highest abundances were registered for Moina minuta, Moina cf. micrura, Diaphanosoma brevireme and Ceriodaphnia cornuta, which represented 81.9 % of the total collected individuals. The results obtained with the richness estimates suggest that if the sampling effort were increased using the same techniques, the morphospecies' number would have not increased. With regard to the structure's spatial variation, the station V showed higher evenness, richness, and diversity, but lower numeric density; this condition shows the difference between this station and the other ones; ical trend is explained by this station being near to the main tributary of the "Ciénaga" ("Quebrada La Gómez").Regarding the temporal variation, the cladocerans' community structure changed between field trips, since the evenness and the richness showed significant differences, reflected by the variation in the relative abundance of the morphospecies but not in the cladocerans' abundance. This was caused by the fluctuations in rainfall and water level

Genetic transformation of Artemisia carvifolia Buch with rol genes enhances artemisinin accumulation

The potent antimalarial drug artemisinin has a high cost, since its only viable source to date is Artemisia annua (0.010.8% DW). There is therefore an urgent need to design new strate- gies to increase its production or to find alternative sources. In the current study, Artemisia carvifolia Buch was selected with the aim of detecting artemisinin and then enhancing the production of the target compound and its derivatives. These metabolites were determined by LC-MS in the shoots of A. carvifolia wild type plants at the following concentrations: arte- misinin (8μg/g), artesunate (2.24μg/g), dihydroartemisinin (13.6μg/g) and artemether (12.8μg/g). Genetic transformation of A. carvifolia was carried out with Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101 harboring the rol B and rol C genes. Artemisinin content increased 3-7-fold in transgenics bearing the rol B gene, and 2.3-6-fold in those with the rol C gene. A similar pattern was observed for artemisinin analogues. The dynamics of artemisinin con- tent in transgenics and wild type A.carvifolia was also correlated with the expression of genes involved in its biosynthesis. Real time qPCR analysis revealed the differential expression of genes involved in artemisinin biosynthesis, i.e. those encoding amorpha-4, 11 diene synthase (ADS), cytochrome P450 (CYP71AV1), and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), with a relatively higher transcript level found in transgenics than in the wild type plant. Also, the gene related to trichome development and sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis (TFAR1) showed an altered expression in the transgenics compared to wild type A.carvifolia, which was in accordance with the trichome density of the respective plants. The trichome index was significantly higher in the rol B and rol C gene-expressing transgenics with an increased production of artemisinin, thereby demonstrating that the rol genes are effective inducers of plant secondary metabolism

Síndrome Doege-Potter. Reporte de caso

El tumor fibroso solitario de pleura es una neoplasia poco frecuente. La asociación de hipoglicemia como manifestación paraneoplásica con este tipo de tumor, se conoce como Síndrome de Doege-Potter. La hipoglicemia es secundaria a la secreción tumoral de una forma aberrante de IGF-II, que estimula de manera permanente al receptor de insulina. La resección quirúrgica completa es el tratamiento de elección, que se asocia con la curación instantánea de la hipoglicemia y bajo riesgo de recurrencia. Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 55 años de edad, que acudió al servicio de emergencia por presentar episodios recurrentes de hipoglicemia. A su ingreso, los análisis mostraron hipoglicemia severa y niveles bajos de insulina y péptido C. La radiografía de tórax mostró una opacidad homogénea que ocupaba casi todo el hemitórax derecho, y la tomografía computada, una tumoración heterogénea con bordes bien definidos en el mismo hemitórax. La paciente fue sometida a una toracotomía abierta con resección completa del tumor. El estudio histológico fue compatible con tumor fibroso solitario pleural. La paciente no volvió a presentar otro episodio de hipoglicemia, siendo dada de alta

Diferencias en el perfil reproductivo de mujeres autóctonas e inmigrantes residentes en Cataluña

ResumenObjetivoDescribir el perfil reproductivo en las mujeres autóctonas e inmigrantes residentes en Cataluña.MétodosLos abortos proceden del Registro de interrupción voluntaria del embarazo (IVE) del Departament de Salut, y los nacimientos y la población del Institut d’Estadística de Catalunya. Se han usado las variables «país de nacimiento» o «nacionalidad », según la fuente, para agrupar. Se analizan las tasas de fecundidad y aborto por edad, y las características sociodemográficas de las mujeres para el año 2005.ResultadosEl 20,8% de los 79.504 nacimientos y el 37,8% de las 16.798 IVE fueron de mujeres inmigrantes. El 14,2% de los embarazos de mujeres autóctonas y el 27,7% de los de mujeres inmigrantes terminan en aborto. Las tasa bruta de fecundidad y aborto es 1,4 y 3 veces superior, respectivamente, en las mujeres inmigrantes.ConclusionesHay importantes diferencias en las tasas y en las características sociodemográficas entre las mujeres autóctonas y las inmigrantes.AbstractObjectiveTo describe differences in reproductive patterns between autochthonous and immigrant women living in Catalonia (Spain).MethodsData on legal abortions were obtained from the abortions register in the Regional Ministry of Health, while data on births and the population were drawn from the Institute of Statistics of Catalonia. Depending on the source, the variables «country of birth» or «nationality» were used to compose the groups. Rates of fertility and abortion by age were computed for 2005 and the women's sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed.ResultsA total of 20.8% of the 79,504 births and 37.8% of the 16,798 abortions involved immigrant women, while 14.2% of pregnancies in autochthonous women and 27.7% of those in immigrant women terminated in abortion. Crude fertility and abortion rates were 1.4 and 3 times higher, respectively, in immigrant women.ConclusionsThere are important differences in abortion and fertility rates, as well as in social and demographic patterns, between autochthonous and immigrant women

Production of highly bioactive resveratrol analogues pterostilbene and piceatannol in metabolically engineered grapevine cell cultures

Grapevine stilbenes, particularly trans-resveratrol, have a demonstrated pharmacological activity. Other natural stilbenes derived from resveratrol such as pterostilbene or piceatannol, display higher oral bioavailability and bioactivity than the parent compound, but are far less abundant in natural sources. Thus, to efficiently obtain these bioactive resveratrol derivatives, there is a need to develop new bioproduction systems. Grapevine cell cultures are able to produce large amounts of easily recoverable extracellular resveratrol when elicited with methylated cyclodextrins and methyl jasmonate. We devised this system as an interesting starting point of a metabolic engineering-based strategy to produce resveratrol derivatives using resveratrol-converting enzymes. Constitutive expression of either Vitis vinifera resveratrol O-methyltransferase (VvROMT) or human cytochrome P450 hydroxylase 1B1 (HsCYP1B1) led to pterostilbene or piceatannol, respectively, after the engineered cell cultures were treated with the aforementioned elicitors. Functionality of both gene products was first assessed in planta by Nicotiana benthamiana agroinfiltration assays, in which tobacco cells transiently expressed stilbene synthase and VvROMT or HsCYP1B1. Grapevine cell cultures transformed with VvROMT produced pterostilbene, which was detected in both intra- and extracellular compartments, at a level of micrograms per litre. Grapevine cell cultures transformed with HsCYP1B1 produced about 20 mg/L culture of piceatannol, displaying a sevenfold increase in relation to wild-type cultures, and reaching an extracellular distribution of up to 45% of total production. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of this novel system for the bioproduction of natural and more bioactive resveratrol derivatives and suggest new ways for the improvement of production yields.This work has been supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (BIO2011-29856-C02-01, BIO2011-29856-C02-02 and BIO2014-51861-R), Generalitat de Catalunya (2014SGR215) and European Funds for Regional Development (FEDER) and Conselleria d’Educacio, Cultura i Sport de la Generalitat Valenciana (FPA/2013/A/074). J.M.C. acknowledges a postdoctoral and research grants from SENESCYT GOVERNMENT OF ECUADOR (006-IECE-SMG5-GPLR-2012 and Programa1-Senescyt-2014) and a grant from UTEQ (UTEQAmbiental-9-FCAmb-IFOR-2014-FOCICYT002)