A proposal for federated chatbots for distributed information access (extended version)

Chatbots can be a good way to interact with IoT devices, and other information systems: they can provide information with a convenient interface for casual or frequent interaction. Sometimes there can be good reasons to have more than one chatbot: maybe we have several computers, or diverse infrastructure, with different access conditions. This work concentrates on this case, when it can be useful to establish a method for them to work in a cooperative way. In principle, coordination is a good property: each one of these chatbots can be devoted to solve different tasks and our users can have different needs when accessing to every capability of each chatbot. In this paper we are proposing an architecture for several chatbots that can interact via a command and control channel, requesting actions for other bots and collecting the replies in order to pass them to the user. The chatbot infrastructure is lightweight, and it can use public (but not publicly viewable) infrastructure providing an easy way to start a project with it.Comment: This is a preliminary (and longer) version of the original pape

The stabilisation of reduced carboranes

Chapter 1 presents the most relevant literature in the fields of borane, carborane and metallacarborane chemistry, providing the reader with an overview of these topics. The area of supraicosahedral (hetero)carborane chemistry is covered in detail, focusing on the instability of reduced carborane dianions towards re-oxidation. Chapter 2 reports the attempted stabilisation of reduced carborane dianions by control of the cage carbon atom movement. The design and preparation of a rigid tether and its attachment to meta-carborane are presented, accompanied by a detailed study of the reduction chemistry of the unprecedented tethered carborane formed. Chapter 3 introduces the concept of reduced carborane stabilisation by inductive effects. A series of novel carboranes bearing electron withdrawing fluorinated aryl groups is reported. The influence of these substituents is investigated in detail by computational, structural, spectroscopic and electrochemical studies in order to select the best carborane precursor for polyhedral expansion chemistry. Chapter 4 describes the polyhedral expansion of selected carboranes. The synthesis and characterisation of a series of novel supraicosahedral species are presented, together with an exhaustive discussion of the effect of fluorinated aryl groups in polyhedral expansion chemistry. Chapter 5 gives full details of the experimental procedures undertaken and also provides spectroscopic and analytical data for all the new compounds reported herein. Appendix 1 provides details of the crystal structure determinations of compounds synthesised. Appendix 2 (provided on compact disc) gives the appropriate crystallographic files in RTF and CIF format

Expectations, abilities and difficulties that presented the students in the Practicum Hospital

Objetivos: Conocer las expectativas, habilidades y dificultades que presentan los alumnos durante el practicum hospitalario, con el propósito de mejorar el proceso de aprendizaje. Material y método: Estudio exploratorio, método mixto secuencial, cualitativo - cuantitativo. Muestra de 112 estudiantes. La recogida se realizó en tres fases a través de preguntas abiertas entregadas antes del inicio de las prácticas, en la mitad y al finalizar. La información recogida se categorizó entre las cinco competencias a desarrollar por el estudiante a lo largo de su formación en el Practicum. Resultados: En relación a la mayor expectativa que los alumnos presentaron al inicio, fue la de la primera competencia, un 64 % opinaba que mediante la experiencia, autonomía y conocimientos prácticos se conseguiría la seguridad necesaria para desarrollar la práctica profesional. El mejor conocimiento y habilidad adquirida durante el primer periodo fueron los procedimientos en un 95%, seguido de la dinámica organizativa de la unidad en un 61%. En el segundo periodo también fue el principal conocimiento y habilidad mejor adquirida la de procedimientos con un 88%, seguida de la comunicación paciente/familia /equipo con un 57%. La mayor dificultad que presentaron en el primer periodo fue un 73% con los procedimientos, medicación y técnicas y un 41% las relacionadas con la organización y equipo. Conclusiones: Este estudio nos ha aportado una visión de las expectativas, habilidades adquiridas y dificultades de los alumnos durante las prácticas clínicas, de las cinco competencias a desarrollar. Esta información nos ayudará a adecuar actuaciones e iniciativas de mejora.Objectives: know expectations, abilities and difficulties that presented the students during the practicum hospital during the practicum hospital in order to improve the learning process. Materials and methods: Exploratory, mixed method sequential study, qualitative - quantitative. Sample of 112 students. The collection was conducted through three surveys given before the start of the internship, middle and end. The information collected was categorized among the five competencies to be developed by the student throughout his training at the practicum. Results: In relation to the increased expectation that students had at the beginning, was the first competition, 64% felt that through experience, autonomy and expertise will get the confidence to develop professional practice. Improved knowledge and skills gained during the first period were the procedures by 95%, followed by the organizational dynamics of the unit by 61%. In the second period was also the main skill best acquired knowledge and the procedures with 88%, followed by communication patient / family / team with 57%. The greatest difficulty presented in the first period was 73% with the procedures, techniques and medication and 41% related to the organization and team. Conclusions: This study has provided an overview of the expectations, skills acquired and difficulties of students during clinical practice, the five powers to develop. This information will help us adapt actions and improvement initiatives

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone and receptor distributions in the visual processing regions of four coral reef fishes

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is widely distributed in the brain of fishes where it may function as a neuromodulator of sensory processing and behavior. Immunocytochemical and neuronal label experiments were conducted on species from four families of coral reef fishes (Chaetodontidae, butterflyfish; Pomacentridae, damselfish; Gobiidae, goby; and Labridae, wrasse) to assess conservation of GnRH targets in the visual processing retina and brain. In all species, GnRH-immunoreactive (-ir) axons from the terminal nerve project principally to the boundary between the inner plexiform (IPL) and inner nuclear (INL) layers of the retina, and are less prominent in the optic nerve, ganglion cell, IPL and INL. However, the density of GnRH innervation within the retina differed among fish species with highest concentrations in the damselfish and butterflyfish and lowest in the goby and wrasse. Experiments also show that GnRH receptors are associated with GnRH-ir axons within the fish retina primarily at the IPL-INL boundary, the region of light-dark adaptation and image processing of contrast, motion or color. GnRH-ir axons overlapped central projections of retinal ganglion cell axons primarily within the stratum album centrale and stratum griseum centrale of the tectum in all species, and were concentrated in several diencephalic visual processing centers. GnRH receptors are also localized to diencephalic visual centers and the stratum griseum periventriculare of the tectum, where motion perception and coordination of motor behavioral responses in three-dimensional space occur. This work demonstrates that the basic neural substrates for peptide-sensory convergence are conserved at multiple processing levels in the visual system of several reef fishes. Species differences in GnRH innervation to the retina and GnRH receptor distributions may be related to phylogeny, their use of vision in natural behaviors, or possibly binding properties of the antibodies. Future studies are needed to characterize the exact GnRH variants and receptor types found in these species so that possible functional consequences of GnRH influence on vision can be defined. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG

La humanización del trabajo de parto: necesidad de definir el concepto. Revisión de la bibliografía

En los últimos años estamos asistiendo a un cambio en el modelo de atención sanitaria al parto, en el que se pone énfasis en el concepto de humanización asociado a la atención sanitaria al trabajo de parto. A pesar de la relevancia actual del concepto y de sus implicaciones sociosanitarias, hay poca bibliografía que lo defina. El objetivo de este artículo es conocer el origen y el significado del concepto de «humanización del parto» y sus características mediante una revisión bibliográfica de la literatura científica publicada al respecto. Los resultados de la revisión muestran que se trata de un término polisémico, que se basa en tres aspectos fundamentales: convertir a la mujer en el centro de la atención, facilitarle apoyo emocional y prestarle una atención clínica fundamentada en la evidencia científic

Birth cultures: a qualitative approach to home birthing in Chile

Background: birth cultures have been transforming in recent years mainly affecting birth care and its socio-political contexts. This situation has affected the feeling of well-being in women at the time of giving birth. Aim: for this reason, our objective was to analyse the social meaning that women ascribe to home births in the Chilean context. Method: we conducted thirty semi-structured interviews with women living in diverse regions ranging from northern to southern Chile, which we carried out from a theoretical-methodological perspective of phenomenology and situated knowledge. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyse the information collected in the field work. Findings: a qualitative thematic analysis produced the following main theme: 1) Home birth journeys. Two sub-categories: 1.1) Making the decision to give birth at home, 1.2) Giving birth: (re)birth. And four sub-categories also emerged: 1.1.1) Why do I need to give birth at home? 1.1.2) The people around me don't support me; 1.2.1) Shifting emotions during home birth, 1.2.2) I (don't) want to be alone. Conclusion: we concluded that home births involve an intense and diverse range of satisfactions and tensions, the latter basically owing to the sociocultural resistance surrounding women. For this reason, they experienced home birth as an act of protest and highly valued the presence of midwives and their partners