381 research outputs found
Analyzing Variable Human Actions for Robotic Process Automation
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) provides a means to
automate mundane and repetitive human tasks. Task Mining approaches
can be used to discover the actions that humans take to carry out a
particular task. A weakness of such approaches, however, is that they
cannot deal well with humans who carry out the same task differently
for different cases according to some hidden rule. The logs that are used
for Task Mining generally do not contain sufficient data to distinguish
the exact drivers behind this variability. In this paper, we propose a new
Task Mining framework that has been designed to support engineers who
wish to apply RPA to a task that is subject to variable human actions.
This framework extracts features from User Interface (UI) Logs that
are extended with a new source of data, namely screen captures. The
framework invokes Supervised Machine Learning algorithms to generate
decision models, which characterize the decisions behind variable human
actions in a machine-and-human-readable form. We evaluated the pro posed Task Mining framework with a set of synthetic UI Logs. Despite
the use of only relatively small logs, our results demonstrate that a high
accuracy is generally achieved.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades PID2019-105455GB-C31 (NICO)Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) EXP 00130458/IDI-20210319-P018-20/E09 (CODICE
Loss of pancreas upon activated Wnt signaling is concomitant with emergence of gastrointestinal identity
Organ formation is achieved through the complex interplay between signaling pathways
and transcriptional cascades. The canonical Wnt signaling pathway plays multiple roles
during embryonic development including patterning, proliferation and differentiation in distinct
tissues. Previous studies have established the importance of this pathway at multiple
stages of pancreas formation as well as in postnatal organ function and homeostasis. In
mice, gain-of-function experiments have demonstrated that activation of the canonical Wnt
pathway results in pancreatic hypoplasia, a phenomenon whose underlying mechanisms
remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that ectopic activation of epithelial canonical Wnt
signaling causes aberrant induction of gastric and intestinal markers both in the pancreatic
epithelium and mesenchyme, leading to the development of gut-like features. Furthermore,
we provide evidence that β -catenin-induced impairment of pancreas formation depends on
Hedgehog signaling. Together, our data emphasize the developmental plasticity of pancreatic
progenitors and further underscore the key role of precise regulation of signaling pathways
to maintain appropriate organ boundaries
Piezoelectric characterization of ain thin films on silicon substrates
The electric field induced deformations of thin piezoelectric, aluminium nitride (AlN) layers, on top ofa silicon substrate, were studied by numerical calculations and interferometric measurements. Our calculationby finite element method demonstrates that substrate deformation under the top electrode may be comparableto the deformation in the thin AlN layer, for a given applied voltage. Simulations also show the effect of aclamped or free substrate condition and the relative contributions of d33 and d31 piezoelectric constants. ALaser scanning vibrometry technique was used to measure deformations in the top surface with sub-picometervertical resolution. By comparing calculations and experimental data, quantitative information about both d31and d33 constants can be obtained
Simulation and laser vibrometry characterization of piezoelectric AlN thin films
In this paper, the electric field induced deformations of sputter-deposited piezoelectric aluminum nitride thin films sandwiched between electrodes on top of a silicon substrate are studied by numerical calculations and scanning laser interferometric measurements. In our calculations based on the finite element method, the results show the displacement of the top and bottom surfaces of both the thin film and the substrate, for either a free or a perfectly clamped structure. The confirmation that the bottom surface of the film is deformed reveals the limitations of techniques that only access the top surface, as well as the double-beam interferometric configuration, under specific conditions. In addition, the simulations demonstrate the dependence of the displacements on the size of the upper electrode and the contribution of the transverse piezoelectric coefficient d31 to the features of the displacement profiles. A laser scanning vibrometry technique was used to measure deformations on the top surface with subpicometer vertical resolution. By comparing the calculated and the experimental displacement profiles, an advanced approach is discussed to obtain accurate quantitative information of both coefficients d31 and d33
Examination of the Feynman-Hibbs Approach in the Study of Ne-Coronene Clusters at Low Temperatures
Feynman-Hibbs (FH) effective potentials constitute an appealing approach for
investigations of many-body systems at thermal equilibrium since they allow us
to easily include quantum corrections within standard classical simulations. In
this work we apply the FH formulation to the study of Ne-coronene clusters
( 1-4, 14) in the 2-14 K temperature range. Quadratic (FH2) and quartic
(FH4) contributions to the effective potentials are built upon Ne-Ne and
Ne-coronene analytical potentials. In particular, a new corrected expression
for the FH4 effective potential is reported. FH2 and FH4 cluster energies and
structures -obtained from energy optimization through a basin-hoping algorithm
as well as classical Monte Carlo simulations- are reported and compared with
reference path integral Monte Carlo calculations. For temperatures K,
both FH2 and FH4 potentials are able to correct the purely classical
calculations in a consistent way. However, the FH approach fails at lower
temperatures, especially the quartic correction. It is thus crucial to assess
the range of applicability of this formulation and, in particular, to apply the
FH4 potentials with great caution. A simple model of isotropic harmonic
oscillators allows us to propose a means of estimating the cut-off temperature
for the validity of the method, which is found to increase with the number of
atoms adsorbed on the coronene molecule
Winter diet of the long-eared owl Asio otus (Strigiformes: Strigidae) in the grasslands of Janos, Chihuahua, Mexico
Abstract
Background: The long-eared owl (Asio otus) has a Holarctic distribution, including much of North America. This
nocturnal species is considered to be extremely secretive, and poorly known in the Great Plains of the United
States and Canada, as well as to México, where no previous studies on its diet have been conducted.
Findings: We analyzed 120 pellets collected during January 2007 in roosts in a 2–3 m height mesquite scrub
within a grassland area of Reserva Ecológica El Uno, located in the Natural Protected Area Janos. We registered and
identified three orders, four families, eight genera and ten species of mammals and two orders and one family of
insects. Winter diet is dominated by mammals, especially rodents in both frequency and biomass. Cricetidae and
Perognathus flavus were the most frequent family and species, respectively. On the other hand, when analyzing
biomass, Sigmodon species were dominant, achieving almost 70% of the consumed biomass. Levin's standardized
niche breath based on frequency was calculated as 0.40, while based on biomass was 0.38. Also, two previously
unrecorded rodent species were identified as long-eared owl prey.
Conclusion: Although 18 different types of items were identified, the long-eared owl tends to be selective, with a
single genera (Sigmodon) comprising almost 70% of its consumed biomass during winter. Perognathus flavus was
also important in frequency (21%); however, it barely constitutes 2% of the consumed biomass.
Keywords: Winter diet, Long-eared owl, Grasslands, Janos, México
Resumen
El búho orejas largas es una especie Holártica, que se distribuye en gran parte de Norteamérica y que ha sido poco
estudiada, especialmente en las Grandes Planicies de Estados Unidos y en México, donde no existe un estudio
previo sobre su dieta invernal. Se colectaron y analizaron 120 egagrópilas en la Reserva Ecológica El Uno, dentro del
Área Natural Protegida Reserva de la Biósfera Janos. Se identificaron un total de 18 tipos de presa, pero la especie
mostró selectividad por dos géneros/especies, ya que cerca del 70% de la biomasa consumida fueron especies del
género Sigmodon, mientras que el 21% de las muestras contenían Perognathus flavus. Además, dos especies de
roedores identificadas constituyen nuevos registros de presa para la especie
The effect of maternal diabetes on the Wnt-PCP pathway during embryogenesis as reflected in the developing mouse eye
Embryopathies that develop as a consequence of maternal diabetes have been studied intensely in both experimental and clinical scenarios. Accordingly, hyperglycaemia has been shown to downregulate the expression of elements in the non-canonical Wnt-PCP pathway, such as the Dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis 1 (Daam1) and Vangl2. Daam1 is a formin that is essential for actin polymerization and for cytoskeletal reorganization, and it is expressed strongly in certain organs during mouse development, including the eye, neural tube and heart. Daam1gt/gt and Daam1gt/+ embryos develop ocular defects (anophthalmia or microphthalmia) that are similar to those detected as a result of hyperglycaemia. Indeed, studying the effects of maternal diabetes on the Wnt-PCP pathway demonstrated that there was strong association with the Daam1 genotype, whereby the embryopathy observed in Daam1gt/+ mutant embryos of diabetic dams was more severe. There was evidence that embryonic exposure to glucose in vitro diminishes the expression of genes in the Wnt-PCP pathway, leading to altered cytoskeletal organization, cell shape and cell polarity in the optic vesicle. Hence, the Wnt-PCP pathway appears to influence cell morphology and cell polarity, events that drive the cellular movements required for optic vesicle formation and that, in turn, are required to maintain the fate determination. Here, we demonstrate that the Wnt-PCP pathway is involved in the early stages of mouse eye development and that it is altered by diabetes, provoking the ocular phenotype observed in the affected embryos
Covalent Immobilization of Antibodies through Tetrazine-TCO Reaction to Improve Sensitivity of ELISA Technique
This research was funded by Compra Publica Precomercial, Reference 2012/000069, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Espana. ONCOVER project: Volatile compound detection system for early cancer diagnosis.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is routinely used to detect biomolecules
related to several diseases facilitating diagnosis and monitoring of these, as well as the possibility
of decreasing their mortality rate. Several methods have been carried out to improve the ELISA
sensitivity through antibodies immobilization on the microtiter plates. Here, we have developed
a strategy of antibodies immobilization to improve the ELISA sensitivity increasing the antibody
density surface through the tetrazine (Tz)-trans-cyclooctene (TCO) reaction. For this, we prepared
surfaces with tetrazine groups while the captured antibody was conjugated with TCO. The tetrazine
surfaces were prepared in two different ways: (1) from aminated plates and (2) from Tz-BSA-coated
plates. The surfaces were evaluated using two sandwich ELISA models, one of them using the
low-affinity antibody anti-c-myc as a capture antibody to detect the c-myc-GST-IL8h recombinant
protein, and the other one to detect the carcinoembryonic human protein (CEA). The sensitivity
increased in both surfaces treated with tetrazine in comparison with the standard unmodified surface.
The c-myc-GST-IL8h detection was around 10-fold more sensible on both tetrazine surfaces, while
CEA ELISA detection increased 12-fold on surfaces coated with Tz-BSA. In conclusion, we show
that it is possible to improve the ELISA sensitivity using this immobilization system, where capture
antibodies bond covalently to surfaces.Compra Publica Precomercial, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Espana 2012/00006
Disruption of both chloroplastic and cytosolic FBPase genes results in a dwarf phenotype and important starch and metabolite changes in Arabidopsis thaliana
In this study, evidence is provided for the role of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatases (FBPases) in plant development and carbohydrate synthesis and distribution by analysing two Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA knockout mutant lines, cyfbp and cfbp1, and one double mutant cyfbp cfbp1 which affect each FBPase isoform, cytosolic and chloroplastic, respectively. cyFBP is involved in sucrose synthesis, whilst cFBP1 is a key enzyme in the Calvin–Benson cycle. In addition to the smaller rosette size and lower rate of photosynthesis, the lack of cFBP1 in the mutants cfbp1 and cyfbp cfbp1 leads to a lower content of soluble sugars, less starch accumulation, and a greater superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The mutants also had some developmental alterations, including stomatal opening defects and increased numbers of root vascular layers. Complementation also confirmed that the mutant phenotypes were caused by disruption of the cFBP1 gene. cyfbp mutant plants without cyFBP showed a higher starch content in the chloroplasts, but this did not greatly affect the phenotype. Notably, the sucrose content in cyfbp was close to that found in the wild type. The cyfbp cfbp1 double mutant displayed features of both parental lines but had the cfbp1 phenotype. All the mutants accumulated fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and triose-phosphate during the light period. These results prove that while the lack of cFBP1 induces important changes in a wide range of metabolites such as amino acids, sugars, and organic acids, the lack of cyFBP activity in Arabidopsis essentially provokes a carbon metabolism imbalance which does not compromise the viability of the double mutant cyfbp cfbp1.España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2009-07297España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2012-33292Junta de Andalucía P07-CVI-279
Disruption of both chloroplastic and cytosolic FBPase genes results in a dwarf phenotype and important starch and metabolite changes in Arabidopsis thaliana
In this study, evidence is provided for the role of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatases (FBPases) in plant development and carbohydrate synthesis and distribution by analysing two Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA knockout mutant lines, cyfbp and cfbp1, and one double mutant cyfbp cfbp1 which affect each FBPase isoform, cytosolic and chloroplastic, respectively. cyFBP is involved in sucrose synthesis, whilst cFBP1 is a key enzyme in the Calvin–Benson cycle. In addition to the smaller rosette size and lower rate of photosynthesis, the lack of cFBP1 in the mutants cfbp1 and cyfbp cfbp1 leads to a lower content of soluble sugars, less starch accumulation, and a greater superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The mutants also had some developmental alterations, including stomatal opening defects and increased numbers of root vascular layers. Complementation also confirmed that the mutant phenotypes were caused by disruption of the cFBP1 gene. cyfbp mutant plants without cyFBP showed a higher starch content in the chloroplasts, but this did not greatly affect the phenotype. Notably, the sucrose content in cyfbp was close to that found in the wild type. The cyfbp cfbp1 double mutant displayed features of both parental lines but had the cfbp1 phenotype. All the mutants accumulated fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and triose-phosphate during the light period. These results prove that while the lack of cFBP1 induces important changes in a wide range of metabolites such as amino acids, sugars, and organic acids, the lack of cyFBP activity in Arabidopsis essentially provokes a carbon metabolism imbalance which does not compromise the viability of the double mutant cyfbp cfbp1.España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2009-07297España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2012-33292Junta de Andalucía P07-CVI-279
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