Guideline to reference gene selection for quantitative real-time PCR

Today, quantitative real-time PCR is the method of choice for rapid and reliable quantification of mRNA transcription. However, for an exact comparison of mRNA transcription in different samples or tissues it is crucial to choose the appropriate reference gene. Recently glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and P-actin have been used for that purpose. However, it has been reported that these genes as well as alternatives, like rRNA genes, are unsuitable references, because their transcription is significantly regulated in various experimental settings and variable in different tissues. Therefore, quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the mRNA transcription profiles of 13 putative reference genes, comparing their transcription in 16 different tissues and in CCRF-HSB-2 cells stimulated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and ionomycin. Our results show that Classical reference genes are indeed unsuitable, whereas the RNA polymerase II gene was the gene with the most constant expression in different tissues and following stimulation in CCRF-HSB-2 cells. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functional analysis of a real-time protocol for networked control systems

Traditional real-time control systems are tightly integrated into the industrial processes they govern. Now, however, there is increasing interest in networked control systems. These provide greater flexibility and cost savings by allowing real-time controllers to interact with industrial processes over existing communications networks. New data packet queuing protocols are currently being developed to enable precise real-time control over a network with variable propagation delays. We show how one such protocol was formally modelled using timed automata, and how model checking was used to reveal subtle aspects of the control system's dynamic behaviour.

Improving envelopment in Data Envelopment Analysis under variable returns to scale

In a Data Envelopment Analysis model, some of the weights used to compute the efficiency of a unit can have zero or negligible value despite of the importance of the corresponding input or output. This paper offers an approach to preventing inputs and outputs from being ignored in the DEA assessment under the multiple input and output VRS environment, building on an approach introduced in Allen and Thanassoulis (2004) for single input multiple output CRS cases. The proposed method is based on the idea of introducing unobserved DMUs created by adjusting input and output levels of certain observed relatively efficient DMUs, in a manner which reflects a combination of technical information and the decision maker's value judgements. In contrast to many alternative techniques used to constrain weights and/or improve envelopment in DEA, this approach allows one to impose local information on production trade-offs, which are in line with the general VRS technology. The suggested procedure is illustrated using real data. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The multiple pheromone ant clustering algorithm and its application to real world domains

The Multiple Pheromone Ant Clustering Algorithm (MPACA) models the collective behaviour of ants to find clusters in data and to assign objects to the most appropriate class. It is an ant colony optimisation approach that uses pheromones to mark paths linking objects that are similar and potentially members of the same cluster or class. Its novelty is in the way it uses separate pheromones for each descriptive attribute of the object rather than a single pheromone representing the whole object. Ants that encounter other ants frequently enough can combine the attribute values they are detecting, which enables the MPACA to learn influential variable interactions. This paper applies the model to real-world data from two domains. One is logistics, focusing on resource allocation rather than the more traditional vehicle-routing problem. The other is mental-health risk assessment. The task for the MPACA in each domain was to predict class membership where the classes for the logistics domain were the levels of demand on haulage company resources and the mental-health classes were levels of suicide risk. Results on these noisy real-world data were promising, demonstrating the ability of the MPACA to find patterns in the data with accuracy comparable to more traditional linear regression models. © 2013 Polish Information Processing Society.

An Approach to Variable Aggregation in Efficiency Analysis

In the nonparametric framework of Data Envelopment Analysis the statistical properties of its estimators have been investigated and only asymptotic results are available. For DEA estimators results of practical use have been proved only for the case of one input and one output. However, in the real world problems the production process is usually well described by many variables. In this paper a machine learning approach to variable aggregation based on Canonical Correlation Analysis is presented. This approach is applied for efficiency estimation of all the farms in Terceira Island of the Azorean archipelago.

El diminutivo en el español de Santo Domingo

Esta investigación analiza el uso del sufijo diminutivo en un corpus oral de jóvenes de la República Dominicana. El material procede de la transcripción de veinte entrevistas orales realizadas en los años noventa en Santo Domingo. En este estudio se realiza un análisis de las ocurrencias documentadas, su morfología, sus preferencias en cuanto a la selección de las clases de palabras que se toman como base para la formación de diminutivos, sus posibles valores semánticos y comunicativos, y, por último, se determina la frecuencia de uso del diminutivo en función del sexo de los hablantes.

Incomplete DJH rearrangements as a novel tumor target for minimal residual disease quantitation in multiple myeloma using real-time PCR.

The hypervariable regions of immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) rearrangements provide a specific tumor marker in multiple myeloma (MM). Recently, real-time PCR assays have been developed in order to quantify the number of tumor cells after treatment. However, these strategies are hampered by the presence of somatic hypermutation (SH) in VDJH rearrangements from multiple myeloma (MM) patients, which causes mismatches between primers and/or probes and the target, leading to a nonaccurate quantification of tumor cells. Our group has recently described a 60% incidence of incomplete DJH rearrangements in MM patients, with no or very low rates of SH. In this study, we compare the efficiency of a real-time PCR approach for the analysis of both complete and incomplete IgH rearrangements in eight MM patients using only three JH consensus probes. We were able to design an allele-specific oligonucleotide for both the complete and incomplete rearrangement in all patients. DJH rearrangements fulfilled the criteria of effectiveness for real-time PCR in all samples (ie no unspecific amplification, detection of less than 10 tumor cells within 10(5) polyclonal background and correlation coefficients of standard curves higher than 0.98). By contrast, only three out of eight VDJH rearrangements fulfilled these criteria. Further analyses showed that the remaining five VDJH rearrangements carried three or more somatic mutations in the probe and primer sites, leading to a dramatic decrease in the melting temperature. These results support the use of incomplete DJH rearrangements instead of complete somatically mutated VDJH rearrangements for investigation of minimal residual disease in multiple myeloma.

DEVELOPMENT OF A DECISION/DEPLOYMENT SUPPORT TOOL FOR VARIABLE SPEED LIMITS IN RECURRENT CONGESTION

Traffic demand increases are pushing aging ground transportation infrastructures to their theoretical capacity. The result of this demand is traffic bottlenecks that are a major cause of delay on urban freeways. In addition, the queues associated with those bottlenecks increase the probability of a crash while adversely affecting environmental measures such as emissions and fuel consumption. With limited resources available for network expansion, traffic professionals have developed active traffic management systems (ATMS) in an attempt to mitigate the negative consequences of traffic bottlenecks. Among these ATMS strategies, variable speed limits (VSL) and ramp metering (RM) have been gaining international interests for their potential to improve safety, mobility, and environmental measures at freeway bottlenecks. Though previous studies have shown the tremendous potential of variable speed limit (VSL) and VSL paired with ramp metering (VSLRM) control, little guidance has been developed to assist decision makers in the planning phase of a congestion mitigation project that is considering VSL or VSLRM control. To address this need, this study has developed a comprehensive decision/deployment support tool for the application of VSL and VSLRM control in recurrently congested environments. The decision tool will assist practitioners in deciding the most appropriate control strategy at a candidate site, which candidate sites have the most potential to benefit from the suggested control strategy, and how to most effectively design the field deployment of the suggested control strategy at each implementation site. To do so, the tool is comprised of three key modules, (1) Decision Module, (2) Benefits Module, and (3) Deployment Guidelines Module. Each module uses commonly known traffic flow and geometric parameters as inputs to statistical models and empirically based procedures to provide guidance on the application of VSL and VSLRM at each candidate site. These models and procedures were developed from the outputs of simulated experiments, calibrated with field data. To demonstrate the application of the tool, a list of real-world candidate sites were selected from the Maryland State Highway Administration Mobility Report. Here, field data from each candidate site was input into the tool to illustrate the step-by-step process required for efficient planning of VSL or VSLRM control. The output of the tool includes the suggested control system at each site, a ranking of the sites based on the expected benefit-to-cost ratio, and guidelines on how to deploy the VSL signs, ramp meters, and detectors at the deployment site(s). This research has the potential to assist traffic engineers in the planning of VSL and VSLRM control, thus enhancing the procedure for allocating limited resources for mobility and safety improvements on highways plagued by recurrent congestion.

Sociocultural context as a facilitator of student learning of function concepts in mathematics

In Costa Rica, many secondary students have serious difficulties to establish relationships between mathematics and real-life contexts. They question the utilitarian role of the school mathematics. This fact motivated the research object of this report which evidences the need to overcome methodologies unrelated to students’ reality, toward new didactical options that help students to value mathematics, reasoning and its  applications, connecting it with their socio-cultural context. The research used a case study as a qualitative methodology and the social constructivism as an educational paradigm in which the knowledge is built by the student; as a product of his social interactions. A collection of learning situations was designed, validated, and implemented. It allowed establishing relationships between mathematical concepts and the socio-cultural context of participants. It analyzed the impact of students’socio-cultural context in their mathematics learning of basic concepts of real variable functions, consistent with the Ministry of Education (MEP) Official Program.  Among the results, it was found that using students’sociocultural context improved their motivational processes, mathematics sense making, and promoted cooperative social interactions. It was evidenced that contextualized learning situations favored concepts comprehension that allow students to see mathematics as a discipline closely related with their every-day life.

Dynamic-Data Driven Real-Time Identification for Electric Power Systems

Power system engineers face a double challenge: to operate electric power systems within narrow stability and security margins, and to maintain high reliability. There is an acute need to better understand the dynamic nature of power systems in order to be prepared for critical situations as they arise. Innovative measurement tools, such as phasor measurement units, can capture not only the slow variation of the voltages and currents but also the underlying oscillations in a power system. Such dynamic data accessibility provides us a strong motivation and a useful tool to explore dynamic-data driven applications in power systems. To fulfill this goal, this dissertation focuses on the following three areas: Developing accurate dynamic load models and updating variable parameters based on the measurement data, applying advanced nonlinear filtering concepts and technologies to real-time identification of power system models, and addressing computational issues by implementing the balanced truncation method. By obtaining more realistic system models, together with timely updated parameters and stochastic influence consideration, we can have an accurate portrait of the ongoing phenomena in an electrical power system. Hence we can further improve state estimation, stability analysis and real-time operation.

Contribuciones de weierstrass a las funciones elípticas

Este trabajo de investigación de maestría contiene algunas reflexiones en torno a la emergencia histórica de la función de Weierstrass. Entre otros elementos interesantes, se prueba que dicha función se hubiera podido construir con los elementos disponibles en la época, es decir, los aportes de Abel, Jacobi y Liouville en el campo de las funciones elípticas. También se precisa la contribución original de Weierstrass en este campo, la cual consistió en fundar la teoría de las funciones elípticas sobre la base firme de los productos y las series infinitas; claro está, aprovechando las ventajas del lenguaje de la Variable Compleja.

Densidad, estructura poblacional y reproducción de Cedrela salvadorensis Stand “Cedro real” en el área protegida bosque de Cinquera

Se caracterizó la estructura poblacional de C. salvadorensis en el Bosque de Cinquera. Para lo cual se establecieron 11 transectos de tamaño variable. Se registró una población de 163 individuos con una densidad de 61.9 ind. ha-1, un promedio de diámetro y altura de 31.4 ±15.95 cm y 10.55±3 m respectivamente. El área basal total fue de 15.85 m2. Las clases diamétricas y alturas superiores obtuvieron los mayores promedios de producción de frutos por árbol, existiendo una correlación positiva de 0.71 (P≤0.022) entre la producción promedio de frutos por clase diamétrica y una correlación de 0.97 (P≤0.000) para la producción de frutos por clase de altura. Se registró una producción total de 6,521 frutos con un promedio de 40 frutos por individuo. El promedio de semillas por fruto fue de 56.9±7.8, de las cuales el 76.98% son viables y 23.02% son inviables. El número de semillas por kilogramo se estimó en 11,521, el 72% son viables y 28% inviables. Se estimó una producción total de 25.93±3.05 Kg de semillas, 22.7±2.62 Kg son semillas viables y 3.23±0.44 Kg inviables. No se encontró evidencia de asociación entre los caracteres biométricos y peso delos frutos con la producción de semillas. De igual forma no hay asociación para las variables pH, contenido de P, K, Ca, Mg y N con la producción de frutos por árbol.El porcentaje de germinación promedio de la semilla fue de 51%. Siendo superior y estadísticamente significativo (P≤0.016) la germinación en el ambiente lumínico sombra. Se encontró diferencia significativa (P≤0.000) en el porcentaje de germinación entre los tres pesos de semillas sometidas a los ambientes lumínicos luz y sombra. Las semillas de mayor tamaño tuvieron mayor porcentaje de germinación que las semillas de menor peso. Los índices de esbeltez y de calidad de Dickson demuestran que las plantas sometidas al ambiente lumínico luz son de mejor calidad (P≤0.05), según t-Student.Los contenidos de K, Ca y Mg en el suelo son altos. No obstante, el P se encuentra en un nivel bajo o crítico. El contenido de materia orgánica es alto, y la relación C/N fue de 6.5.

Invertibility characterization of Wiener-Hopf plus Hankel operators on variable exponent Lebesgue spaces via even asymmetric factorization

We obtain invertibility and Fredholm criteria for the Wiener-Hopf plus Hankel operators acting between variable exponent Lebesgue spaces on the real line. Such characterizations are obtained via the so-called even asymmetric factorization which is applied to the Fourier symbols of the operators under study.

La importancia de las representaciones semióticas de funciones reales en la resolución de problemas de cálculo integral

En este trabajo se describen las dificultades que tienen los estudiantes de ingenieria en FIME-UANL, al representar una función real en diferentes sistemas semióticos en la resolución de problemas, lo cual influye decisivamente en temas posteriores como es el de cálculo integral. La constatación se realiza mediante la aplicación de un test científico que evidencia el cambio de registros como la dificultad fundamental. La fundamentación teórica del trabajo se basa en la noción semiótica de registros llevado al plano matemático. Se hace una propuesta en la enseñanza de la matemática para aportar al aprendizaje del tema de funciones, que toma como fundamental la introducción de tareas y acciones relacionadas con el tránsito entre representaciones semióticas y así contribuir a la posibilidad de resolver problemas en el cálculo integral.

Propuesta de un modelo de remuneración variable, basado en sistema de evaluación de desempeño por competencias, para el personal de la dirección provincial del Consejo de la Judicatura del Azuay

RESUMEN Todo proceso de evaluación tiene unos efectos, los explícitos son los que acaparan la atención de los evaluados y evaluadores, olvidándose de los efectos implícitos. Sin embargo, el auténtico poder de la evaluación está en los efectos implícitos. De esta manera al final se impondrá el modelo de intervención o gestión que subyace en toda evaluación, siendo la fuerza invisible de la evaluación, y en ocasiones utilizada para evitar conflictos dentro de la Administración pública, al permitir imponer un modelo de gestión. La investigación se basó en un conjunto de variables, acciones e interrogantes que fueron orientadas para que se cumplan los objetivos acerca de la evaluación de competencias en base del desempeño de los profesionales del Consejo de la Judicatura del Azuay.