Methodological guidelines for reusing general ontologies

Currently, there is a great deal of well-founded explicit knowledge formalizing general notions, such as time concepts and the part_of relation. Yet, it is often the case that instead of reusing ontologies that implement such notions (the so-called general ontologies), engineers create procedural programs that implicitly implement this knowledge. They do not save time and code by reusing explicit knowledge, and devote effort to solve problems that other people have already adequately solved. Consequently, we have developed a methodology that helps engineers to: (a) identify the type of general ontology to be reused; (b) find out which axioms and definitions should be reused; (c) make a decision, using formal concept analysis, on what general ontology is going to be reused; and (d) adapt and integrate the selected general ontology in the domain ontology to be developed. To illustrate our approach we have employed use-cases. For each use case, we provide a set of heuristics with examples. Each of these heuristics has been tested in either OWL or Prolog. Our methodology has been applied to develop a pharmaceutical product ontology. Additionally, we have carried out a controlled experiment with graduated students doing a MCs in Artificial Intelligence. This experiment has yielded some interesting findings concerning what kind of features the future extensions of the methodology should have

Selecting and Customizing a Mereology Ontology for its Reuse in a Pharmaceutical Product Ontology

This paper presents our experience in reusing mereology ontologies in a Pharmaceutical Product ontology, an ontology built by the EU NeOn project. It shows a set of mereology ontologies implemented in different machine interpretable languages and analyzes them according to the different types of mereology identified by Varzi. Then, it describes the specifications of mereology modeling necessities for Pharmaceutical Product. Finally, it presents the ontology which fits best with the specifications. One of the results of this work is a procedure to reuse general (also called common) ontologies

A Maut aprroach for reusing domain ontologies on the basis of the NeOn Methodlogy

Knowledge resource reuse has become a popular approach within the ontology engineering field, mainly because it can speed up the ontology development process, saving time and money and promoting the application of good practices. The NeOn Methodology provides guidelines for reuse. These guidelines include the selection of the most appropriate knowledge resources for reuse in ontology development. This is a complex decision-making problem where different conflicting objectives, like the reuse cost, understandability, integration workload and reliability, have to be taken into account simultaneously. GMAA is a PC-based decision support system based on an additive multi-attribute utility model that is intended to allay the operational difficulties involved in the Decision Analysis methodology. The paper illustrates how it can be applied to select multimedia ontologies for reuse to develop a new ontology in the multimedia domain. It also demonstrates that the sensitivity analyses provided by GMAA are useful tools for making a final recommendation

Pre-fire aboveground biomass, estimated from LiDAR, spectral and field inventory data, as a major driver of burn severity in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) ecosystems

100022Background: The characterization of surface and canopy fuel loadings in fire-prone pine ecosystems is critical for understanding fire behavior and anticipating the most harmful ecological effects of fire. Nevertheless, the joint consideration of both overstory and understory strata in burn severity assessments is often dismissed. The aim of this work was to assess the role of total, overstory and understory pre-fire aboveground biomass (AGB), estimated by means of airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Landsat data, as drivers of burn severity in a megafire occurred in a pine ecosystem dominated by Pinus pinaster Ait. in the western Mediterranean Basin. Results: Total and overstory AGB were more accurately estimated (R2 equal to 0.72 and 0.68, respectively) from LiDAR and spectral data than understory AGB (R2 ¼ 0.26). Density and height percentile LiDAR metrics for several strata were found to be important predictors of AGB. Burn severity responded markedly and non-linearly to total (R2 ¼ 0.60) and overstory (R2 ¼ 0.53) AGB, whereas the relationship with understory AGB was weaker (R2 ¼ 0.21). Nevertheless, the overstory plus understory AGB contribution led to the highest ability to predict burn severity (RMSE ¼ 122.46 in dNBR scale), instead of the joint consideration as total AGB (RMSE ¼ 158.41). Conclusions: This study novelty evaluated the potential of pre-fire AGB, as a vegetation biophysical property derived from LiDAR, spectral and field plot inventory data, for predicting burn severity, separating the contribution of the fuel loads in the understory and overstory strata in Pinus pinaster stands. The evidenced relationships between burn severity and pre-fire AGB distribution in Pinus pinaster stands would allow the implementation of threshold criteria to support decision making in fuel treatments designed to minimize crown fire hazard.S

A MAUT approach for reusing ontologies

Knowledge resource reuse has become a popular approach within the ontology engineering field, mainly because it can speed up the ontology development process, saving time and money and promoting the application of good practices. The NeOn Methodology provides guidelines for reuse. These guidelines include the selection of the most appropriate knowledge resources for reuse in ontology development. This is a complex decision-making problem where different conflicting objectives, like the reuse cost, understandability, integration workload and reliability, have to be taken into account simultaneously. GMAA is a PC-based decision support system based on an additive multi-attribute utility model that is intended to allay the operational difficulties involved in the Decision Analysis methodology. The paper illustrates how it can be applied to select multimedia ontologies for reuse to develop a new ontology in the multimedia domain. It also demonstrates that the sensitivity analyses provided by GMAA are useful tools for making a final recommendation

Preliminary Study on the Effect of an Early Physical Therapy Intervention after Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: A Multicenter Non-Randomized Controlled Trial

Selective sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) represents a minimally invasive surgery in patients with breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible effect of an early physiotherapy intervention for the recovery of the upper limb and the surgical scars after SLNB in comparison with usual care. A total of 40 patients were enrolled in either the control group (n = 20) or the experimental group (n = 20). The intervention group performed an early physiotherapy program based on functional exercises, scar manual therapy, and educational tips. The control group received usual care. Shoulder range of motion (ROM), grip strength, upper limb pain and disability (SPADI), scar recovery (POSAS), myofascial adhesions (MAP-BC), quality of life (EORTCQLA-BR-23) and the presence of axillary web syndrome (AWS) and lymphoedema were assessed at baseline and immediately after intervention. A follow-up period of 6 months was performed for lymphoedema surveillance. Between groups significant differences in favor of the intervention were found for ROM (r = 0.43), grip strength (r = 0.32), SPADI (d = 0.45), POSAS (d = 1.28), MAP-BC (d = 1.82) and EORTCQLQ-BR 23 general function subscale (d = 0.37) (p < 0.05 for all variables). Our results suggest that an early physical therapy program seems to be more effective than usual care in women after SLNB. However, results should be interpreted with caution and future randomized trial with a larger sample size is neededThis research was partially supported by ICPFA. Grant number 04722/19P/MA. The funder had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and in writing the manuscript. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Diseño y validación de un instrumento de observación para valorar la toma de decisiones en la acción de recepción en voleibol

El objetivo del presente estudio fue diseñar y validar un instrumento de observación para medir la toma de decisiones en la acción de recepción en jugadores de voleibol en etapas de formación. El instrumento elaborado es una adaptación del GPAI (Game Performance Assessment Instrument) creado por Oslin, Mitchell, y Griffin (1998) en la dimensión toma de decisiones, en el que se establecen una serie de criterios que permiten valorar la toma de decisiones (apropiada o inapropiada) en la acción de recepción. El proceso de diseño y validación se realizó en seis fases: a) revisión bibliográfica; b) elaboración del instrumento por especialistas de voleibol; c) validez del instrumento a través de la técnica de jueces expertos; d) cálculo del coeficiente V de Aiken (Aiken, 1985); e) cálculo de los intervalos de con-fianza; f) fiabilidad en la observación del instrumento. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el instrumento permite una observación valida y fiable de la toma de decisiones de los jugadores en la acción de recepción de voleibol. Este instrumento puede ser empleado tanto en la investigación como durante el proceso de entrena-miento deportivo para evaluar la toma de decisiones de los deportistas.The main aim of study was to design and validate an observational instrument to measure decision-making in the reception action of volleyball players in formative stages. The instrument is an adaptation of the GPAI (Game Performance Assessment Instrument) by Oslin, Mitchell, & Griffin (1998), for the dimension decision-making, in which a number of criterion to evaluate the decision-making (appropriate or inappropriate) for reception are included. The design and validation pro-cess was conducted in six phases: a) literature review; b) development of instrument carried out by volleyball specialists; c) validity of the instrument through expert judges; d) calculation of the Aiken’s V coefficient (Aiken, 1985); e) calculating confidence intervals; f) reliability of the observation using the instrument. The results showed that the instrument allowed a valid and reliable observation of the decision-making in the reception action of player’s volleyball in formative stages. The instrument can be applied, both in research and during sports training, to evaluate athlete’s decision making.Actividad Física y Deport

Efficacy of short-course colchicine treatment in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia and hyperinflammation: a randomized clinical trial

Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si lo hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UAMSome patients with COVID-19 pneumonia develop an associated cytokine storm syndrome that aggravates the pulmonary disease. These patients may benefit of anti-inflammatory treatment. The role of colchicine in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and established hyperinflammation remains unexplored. In a prospective, randomized controlled, observer-blinded endpoint, investigator-initiated trial, 240 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and established hyperinflammation were randomly allocated to receive oral colchicine or not. The primary efficacy outcome measure was a composite of non-invasive mechanical ventilation (CPAP or BiPAP), admission to the intensive care unit, invasive mechanical ventilation requirement or death. The composite primary outcome occurred in 19.3% of the total study population. The composite primary outcome was similar in the two arms (17% in colchicine group vs. 20.8% in the control group; p = 0.533) and the same applied to each of its individual components. Most patients received steroids (98%) and heparin (99%), with similar doses in both groups. In this trial, including adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and associated hyperinflammation, no clinical benefit was observed with short-course colchicine treatment beyond standard care regarding the combined outcome measurement of CPAP/BiPAP use, ICU admission, invasive mechanical ventilation or deat

Prevalence, clinical characteristics and outcome of severe primary HIV-1 infection: a prospective cohort study

Background: Severe cases of primary HIV infection have been described in patients presenting with neurological involvement, AIDS defining events or other life-threatening events. These severe forms have not been fully studied. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of severe PHI in a hospital-based cohort of primary HIV infection, and the response to the early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) at 12 months. Methods: Every patient with PHI attending Hospital Clínic of Barcelona (1997-2015) was evaluated. Severe PHI was defined using clinical, analytical and immunological criteria. Chi-squared test was used for categorical variables and Student's t-test for quantitative variables. Results: 33% of 224 PHI patients (95% CI: 26.84%-39.16%) had a severe PHI. These patients had more symptoms, abnormal analytical parameters and hospital admissions. The severe PHI group had a significantly higher viral load although no differences were observed at 12 months in terms of viral suppression or CD4 count recovery. None died during PHI. Conclusions: Up to one third of patients in our cohort presented with a severe PHI, which was associated with higher hospitalization rates and higher plasma HIV RNA viral load. However, severe forms were not associated to a worse clinical, immunological or virological outcome at 12 months