Development of Database and Software Modules to Identify Case Relationships Using Unstructured Data

In this study, I intend to show how text based unstructured data, such as word processor documents and e-mails, can be systematically parsed for instances of data classes. Data classes can be any data type that can be fully described using the defined syntax of regular expressions. Examples of data classes can include SHA1, or MD5 hash values, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, or any other data type whose format is well defined. Furthermore, possible correlations between datasets may be identified by grouping instances of equal or similar values within a data class. This approach of utilizing regular expressions to define the search criteria negates the need to predetermine what keyword to search for

Manager’s and citizen’s perspective of positive and negative risks for small probabilities

So far „risk‟ has been mostly defined as the expected value of a loss, mathematically PL, being P the probability of an adverse event and L the loss incurred as a consequence of the event. The so called risk matrix is based on this definition. Also for favorable events one usually refers to the expected gain PG, being G the gain incurred as a consequence of the positive event. These “measures” are generally violated in practice. The case of insurances (on the side of losses, negative risk) and the case of lotteries (on the side of gains, positive risk) are the most obvious. In these cases a single person is available to pay a higher price than that stated by the mathematical expected value, according to (more or less theoretically justified) measures. The higher the risk, the higher the unfair accepted price. The definition of risk as expected value is justified in a long term “manager‟s” perspective, in which it is conceivable to distribute the effects of an adverse event on a large number of subjects or a large number of recurrences. In other words, this definition is mostly justified on frequentist terms. Moreover, according to this definition, in two extreme situations (high-probability/low-consequence and low-probability/high-consequence), the estimated risk is low. This logic is against the principles of sustainability and continuous improvement, which should impose instead both a continuous search for lower probabilities of adverse events (higher and higher reliability) and a continuous search for lower impact of adverse events (in accordance with the fail-safe principle). In this work a different definition of risk is proposed, which stems from the idea of safeguard: (1Risk)=(1P)(1L). According to this definition, the risk levels can be considered low only when both the probability of the adverse event and the loss are small. Such perspective, in which the calculation of safeguard is privileged to the calculation of risk, would possibly avoid exposing the Society to catastrophic consequences, sometimes due to wrong or oversimplified use of probabilistic models. Therefore, it can be seen as the citizen‟s perspective to the definition of risk

Rethinking the risk matrix

So far risk has been mostly defined as the expected value of a loss, mathematically PL (being P the probability of an adverse event and L the loss incurred as a consequence of the adverse event). The so called risk matrix follows from such definition. This definition of risk is justified in a long term “managerial” perspective, in which it is conceivable to distribute the effects of an adverse event on a large number of subjects or a large number of recurrences. In other words, this definition is mostly justified on frequentist terms. Moreover, according to this definition, in two extreme situations (high-probability/low-consequence and low-probability/high-consequence), the estimated risk is low. This logic is against the principles of sustainability and continuous improvement, which should impose instead both a continuous search for lower probabilities of adverse events (higher and higher reliability) and a continuous search for lower impact of adverse events (in accordance with the fail-safe principle). In this work a different definition of risk is proposed, which stems from the idea of safeguard: (1Risk)=(1P)(1L). According to this definition, the risk levels can be considered low only when both the probability of the adverse event and the loss are small. Such perspective, in which the calculation of safeguard is privileged to the calculation of risk, would possibly avoid exposing the Society to catastrophic consequences, sometimes due to wrong or oversimplified use of probabilistic models. Therefore, it can be seen as the citizen’s perspective to the definition of risk

Ruolo dell'ecocardiografia doppler nella selezione dei pazienti candidati all'impianto dei dispositivi di assistenza ventricolare

Il numero di pazienti con insufficienza cardiaca avanzata, terminale ed insensibile al trattamento medico convenzionale è in rapido aumento. Una delle più promettenti alternative al trapianto cardiaco è l'uso di dispositivi di assistenza ventricolare (VAD). Questa tesi affronta i criteri di selezione dei pazienti candidati a VAD. Il campo del supporto circolatorio meccanico è avanzato molto negli ultimi 10 anni, con conseguente rapida crescita dei pazienti con insufficienza cardiaca avanzata che possono beneficiare di dispositivi impiantabili. Con il progresso della tecnologia, le limitazioni associate all'età, le dimensioni del corpo e comorbilità sono diventate progressivamente meno limitanti l’impianto dei VAD. I VAD vengono utilizzati come ponte per il trapianto cardiaco, ponte per una decisione futura, ponte per il recupero o come terapia finale di destinazione. L’ecocardiografia svolge un ruolo chiave nella gestione dei pazienti supportati con un VAD ed è di fondamentale importanza in quattro aree: valutazione pre-operatoria dei potenziali candidati, guida durante l'inserimento del dispositivo, individuazione delle complicanze e monitoraggio cardiaco del recupero della funzione ventricolare. Nuove frontiere possono essere previste per l’ecocardiografica, ed in particolare per l’ecocardiografia da stress farmacologico, per una corretta selezione dei pazienti candidati a supporto meccanico

On the perception of leaf morphology and visible light by Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acariformes, Tetranychidae)

The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae is one of the most polyphagous and most damaging pests worldwide. The behaviour of the mite differs on its various host plants and this could influence crop defence strategies. We investigated the perception of leaf morphology by T. urticae in relation to the effects of visible light on the selection of sites on which females prefer to live and feed. Mite females chose the shaded surface when smooth and glabrous lemon leaves were offered as a surface for living and feeding, showing a photophobic behaviour. However, they clearly preferred the abaxial surface of bean leaves regardless of the presence or absence of visible light. As no differences were found regarding the food quality between the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces, mite behaviour seems to be related firstly to the perception of leaf morphology and secondly to visible light. As regards the first factor, T. urticae prefers the abaxial surface of leaves with a complicated architecture, i.e. veins in relief, on which they can easily build their dense web, and this factor has priority in comparison to the negative effect of the visible radiations. The second factor is important on smooth and glabrous leaves, these being unsuitable for building the complicated characteristic webs of T. urticae

INVESTIGATING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BEGINNERS AND ADVANCED CLIMBERS

The aim of this study is to identify the differences in the movement patterns of beginners and advanced climbers, according to quantitative parameters. In order to do so, climbers (n=17) of a variety of skill levels were analyzed as they climbed up the test routes. From this, the following conclusions were drawn: beginner climbers (n=11) require very much the aid of tactic and visual information to elaborate their responses, whereas more experienced climbers (n=6) are able to anticipate their response only with the aid of visual information. This characteristic was conveyed through the greater amount of hand movements performed by the beginners, as well as a longer period of time required to ascend the test routes

El estado del arte: Salud inteligente y el internet de las cosas

El Internet de las cosas (IoT) es la nueva tendencia de dispositivos en el mercado. Esta tecnología está siendo desarrollada por múltiples fabricantes de diversas partes del mundo para solucionar problemas específicos del día a día de las personas. Sin embargo, en la actualidad se están dando muchos casos de fallas de seguridad en dispositivos IoT, en este caso en hospitales. En este escrito también se describe el IoT como un complemento al sector salud haciendo referencia a las tecnologías creadas e implementadas por distintos fabricantes. Se presentan también los distintos métodos de seguridad que los fabricantes han implementado en sus soluciones y sus productos, desde diseños de topologías alámbricas e inalámbricas, hasta seguridad perimetral estricta de capa 2 y capa 3, las cuales trabajan en conjunto con la programación segura y recomendaciones para que el usuario final realice el uso adecuado del mismo. Al final del escrito se presenta la tecnología WBAN y los riesgos que conlleva junto con el IoT si no se asegura adecuadamente, ya que podría ser crítico y pondría en riesgo la vida de los pacientes. El objetivo es implementar en nuestro sistema IoT una capa extra de seguridad informática sin depender que el fabricante la haya embebido en su producto. Dicha capa dificulta que el atacante pueda manipular nuestros equipos a su conveniencia o que pueda explotar una falla conocida en un dispositivo que pueda perjudicar la vida, salud e integridad del paciente

Dispersal of Aedes aegypti: Field study in temperate areas using a novel method

Background & objectives: Since Aedes aegypti was identified as vector of yellow fever and dengue, its dispersal is relevant for disease control. We studied the dispersal of Ae. aegypti in temperate areas of Argentina during egglaying, using the existing population and egg traps. Methods: Two independent replicas of a unique experimental design involving mosquitoes dispersing from an urbanized area to adjacent non-urbanized locations were carried out and analyzed in statistical terms. Results: We found relationship between stochastic variables related to the egg-laying mosquito activity (ELMA), useful to assess dispersal probabilities, despite the lack of knowledge of the total number of ovipositions in the zone. We propose to evaluate the egg-laying activity as minus the logarithm of the fraction of negative ovitraps at different distances from the buildings. Interpretation & conclusion: Three zones with different oviposition activity were determined, a corridor surrounding the urbanization, a second region between 10 and 25 m and the third region extending from 30 to 45 m from the urbanization. The landscape (plant cover) and the human activity in the area appear to have an influence in the dispersal of Ae. aegypti. The proposed method worked consistently in two different replicas.Fil: Bergero, Paula Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ruggerio, Carlos Alberto. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto del Conurbano; ArgentinaFil: Lombardo Berchesi, Ruben Jorge. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto del Conurbano; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Schweigmann, Nicolas Joaquin. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Solari, Hernan Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; Argentin

The Rise and Fall of Family Firms in the Process of Development

This paper explores the causes and the consequences of the evolution of family firms in the growth process. The theory suggests that in early stages of development, valuable family specific human capital stimulated the productivity of family firms and the development process. However, in light of the rise in the importance of managerial talents for firms' productivity in later stages, family firms generated a misallocation of managerial talents, curbing productivity and economic growth. Evidence supports the dual impact of family firms in the development process and the role of socio-cultural characteristics in observed variations in the productivity of family firms