An association rule mining method for estimating the impact of project management policies on software quality, development time and effort

Accurate and early estimations are essential for effective decision making in software project management. Nowadays, classical estimation models are being replaced by data mining models due to their application simplicity and the rapid production of profitable results. In this work, a method for mining association rules that relate project attributes is proposed. It deals with the problem of discretizing continuous data in order to generate a manageable number of high confident association rules. The method was validated by applying it to data from a Software Project Simulator. The association model obtained allows us to estimate the influence of certain management policy factors on various software project attributes simultaneously

Gender differences in neuromuscular, haematological, and urinary responses during padel matches

Research on the acute physiological response to a padel match is limited. The present study aimed to: (a) evaluate neuromuscular, urinary, and hematological responses after simulated padel competition (SC) and (b) analyze possible gender differences. In this study, 28 high-level padel players participated (men = 13, age = 26.83 ± 6.57 years; women = 15, age = 30.07 ± 4.36 years). The following parameters were analyzed before and after SC: neuromuscular (hand grip strength, squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), and Abalakov jump (ABK)), hematological (red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit), and urinary (pH, specific gravity, microalbuminuria, and red blood cells). Significant gender differences were found in neuromuscular and hematological responses, with men obtaining higher values (p < 0.05). For the SC influence, changes were noted in ABK and microalbuminuria (p < 0.05). The percentages of change in hand grip strength, SJ (height and watts), CMJ (height), and ABK (height) were higher for men than women (p < 0.05). SC negatively influenced the neuromuscular parameters to a greater extent in women. Our results could be related to gender differences in game actions, the temporal structure, and anthropometric and physiological characteristics. Game dynamics and a different organic response between male and female padel playing were confirmed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Effect of a padel match on biochemical and haematological parameters in professional players with regard to gender-related differences

Haematological and biochemical parameters have not yet been analysed in professional padel players. The aim of this study was to determine the basal values of these parameters and to observe the effect of a simulated competition on them, including gender-related differences. A total of 14 male professional players (age: 28.2 ± 7.9 years), and 16 female professional players (age: 29.7 ± 3.7 years) participated in this study. Players were allowed to hydrate ad libitum during the matches. Haematological and biochemical values were obtained before and after a simulated competitive padel match. The men’s group showed higher baseline values in red blood cells, haematocrit, haemoglobin, urea, creatinine, uric acid, albumin, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) (p < 0.01) than the women’s group. Attending to match effect, significant differences were obtained in urea, creatinine, CK and glucose (p < 0.05). Finally, the group x match interaction revealed significant differences in serum concentrations of sodium and chloride (p < 0.05). In conclusion, high-level padel matches provoke several changes in biochemical parameters related to muscle damage and protein catabolism. Recovery and fluid intake strategies could be added regarding gender. The results obtained could be due to the differences in the intensity and volume of the simulated competition

Structural, electronic, and hyperfine properties of pure and Ta-doped m-ZrO₂

A combination of experiments and ab initio quantum-mechanical calculations has been applied to examine electronic, structural, and hyperfine interactions in pure and Ta-doped zirconium dioxide in its monoclinic phase (m-ZrO₂). From the theoretical point of view, the full-potential linear augmented plane wave plus local orbital (APW + lo) method was applied to treat the electronic structure of the doped system including the atomic relaxations introduced by the impurities in the host in a fully self-consistent way using a supercell approach. Different charge states of the Ta impurity were considered in the study and its effects on the electronic, structural, and hyperfine properties are discussed. Our results suggest that two different charge states coexist in Ta-doped m-ZrO₂. Further, ab initio calculations predict that depending on the impurity charge state, a sizeable magnetic moment can be induced at the Ta-probe site. This prediction is confirmed by a new analysis of experimental data

Coexistence Of Different Charge States In Ta-Doped Monoclinic HfF₂: Theoretical And Experimental Approaches

A combination of experiments and ab initio quantum-mechanical calculations has been applied to examine hyperfine interactions in Ta-doped hafnium dioxide. Although the properties of monoclinic HfO₂ have been the subject of several earlier studies, some aspects remain open. In particular, time differential perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy studies using Ta-181 as probe atom revealed the coexistence of two hyperfine interactions in this material but an explanation was only given for the more populated one. Until now, no models have been proposed that explain the second interaction, and it has not yet been associated with a specific crystallographic site. In this work, a detailed study of the different charge states for the impurity-probe atom (Ta) was performed in order to understand the second interaction observed in Ta-doped monoclinic HfO2. The combination of experiments and theory suggests that two different charge states coexist in this compound. Further, ab initio calculations predict that, depending on the impurity charge state, a sizeable magnetic moment can be induced at the probe site. This is confirmed by a new analysis of experimental data

Comparación de métodos de clasificación de imágenes de satélite en la cuenca del río Argos (Región de Murcia)

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Control of drives and gears in a thermal simulation booth, using free software Node-red

El sistema, es un módulo mecánico de simulación de los efectos ambientales, por medio de sensores, motores y maquetas. El prototipo evalúa las condiciones térmicas y de velocidad de viento que inciden sobre estructuras a escala, para representar las afectaciones reales y posibles soluciones del modelo analizado. La estructura de aproximadamente 3 metros de longitud por 1,30 metros de ancho y altura variable, consta de una base giratoria de un metro de diámetro, la cual tiene un sistema de reducción mecánico con engranajes impresos en impresora 3D. El sistema cuenta con una tarjeta de control que permite la regulación de los motores, el control de la plataforma móvil y el control de la intensidad lumínica. Esta tarjeta es manipulada por un software libre Node-Red. El protocolo de comunicaciones está basado en la arquitectura de cliente/servidor (TCP/IP), la cual cuenta con una gran disponibilidad de conexiones de dispositivos electrónicos, fácil de implementar y maneja bloques de datos sin requerimientos previos. Palabras clave: efectos ambientales,  reductores mecánicos, protocolo de comunicaciones, simulación

Anatomic alterations and prevalence of high myopia

El objetivo de esta revisión fue describir las alteraciones anatómicas características del ojo con miopía alta e identificar la prevalencia de esta condición en diferentes poblaciones. La miopía alta se caracteriza por el alargamiento del globo ocular. La elongación del polo posterior causa complicaciones en la esclera, la coroides y la retina, y amenaza la visión central, por lo que es causa importante de baja visión y ceguera prevenible en el mundo. El continente con mayor prevalencia de miopía alta es Asia, por lo que la raza se considera un factor importante. La revisión realizada indica que existen diferencias en la definición de miopía alta que utilizan los estudios, así como en el método que aplican para la medición refractiva y para la clasificación patológica.The purpose of this review was to describe the characteristic anatomic alterations in the eye with high myopia and to identify the prevalence of this condition in different populations. High myopia is characterized by elongation of the eyeball. The elongation of the posterior pole causes complications in the sclera, choroid and retina, and threatens central vision, which is why it is an important cause of low vision and preventable blindness in the world. Asia is the continent with the highest prevalence of high myopia; therefore, race is considered an important factor. This review indicates that there are differences in the definition of high myopia between studies, as well as in the method used for refractive measurement and for pathological classification

Localization of a bacterial group II intron-encoded protein in human cells

Group II introns are mobile retroelements that self-splice from precursor RNAs to form ribonucleoparticles (RNP), which can invade new specific genomic DNA sites. This specificity can be reprogrammed, for insertion into any desired DNA site, making these introns useful tools for bacterial genetic engineering. However, previous studies have suggested that these elements may function inefficiently in eukaryotes. We investigated the subcellular distribution, in cultured human cells, of the protein encoded by the group II intron RmInt1 (IEP) and several mutants. We created fusions with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and with a FLAG epitope. We found that the IEP was localized in the nucleus and nucleolus of the cells. Remarkably, it also accumulated at the periphery of the nuclear matrix. We were also able to identify spliced lariat intron RNA, which co-immunoprecipitated with the IEP, suggesting that functional RmInt1 RNPs can be assembled in cultured human cells.This work was supported by research grants CSD 2009–0006 from the Consolider-Ingenio, BIO2011-24401 and BIO2014-51953-P from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad all including ERDF (European Regional Development Funds). We thank Dr. Antonio Barrientos Durán for technical advice. MRC was supported by an FPI Ph.D grant. J.L.G.P´s laboratory is supported by CICE-FEDER-P09-CTS-4980, CICE-FEDER-P12-CTS-2256, Plan Nacional de I+D+I 2008–2011 and 2013–2016 (FIS-FEDER-PI11/01489 and FIS-FEDER-PI14/02152), PCIN-2014-115-ERA-NET NEURON II, the European Research Council (ERC-Consolidator ERC-STG-2012-233764) and by an International Early Career Scientist grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (IECS-55007420).Peer Reviewe

Adenosine A2A receptor modulation of hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapse plasticity during associative learning in behaving mice

© 2009 Nature Publishing Group All rights reservedPrevious in vitro studies have characterized the electrophysiological and molecular signaling pathways of adenosine tonic modulation on long-lasting synaptic plasticity events, particularly for hippocampal long-term potentiation(LTP). However, it remains to be elucidated whether the long-term changes produced by endogenous adenosine in the efficiency of synapses are related to those required for learning and memory formation. Our goal was to understand how endogenous activation of adenosine excitatory A2A receptors modulates the associative learning evolution in conscious behaving mice. We have studied here the effects of the application of a highly selective A2A receptor antagonist, SCH58261, upon a well-known associative learning paradigm - classical eyeblink conditioning. We used a trace paradigm, with a tone as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and an electric shock presented to the supraorbital nerve as the unconditioned stimulus(US). A single electrical pulse was presented to the Schaffer collateral–commissural pathway to evoke field EPSPs (fEPSPs) in the pyramidal CA1 area during the CS–US interval. In vehicle-injected animals, there was a progressive increase in the percentage of conditioning responses (CRs) and in the slope of fEPSPs through conditioning sessions, an effect that was completely prevented (and lost) in SCH58261 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.)-injected animals. Moreover, experimentally evoked LTP was impaired in SCH58261- injected mice. In conclusion, the endogenous activation of adenosine A2A receptors plays a pivotal effect on the associative learning process and its relevant hippocampal circuits, including activity-dependent changes at the CA3-CA1 synapse.This study was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Research (BFU2005-01024 and BFU2005-02512), Spanish Junta de Andalucía (BIO-122 and CVI-02487), and the Fundación Conocimiento y Cultura of the Pablo de Olavide University (Seville, Spain).B. Fontinha was in receipt of a studentship from a project grant (POCI/SAU-NEU/56332/2004) supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), and of an STSM from Cost B30 concerted action of the EU