JULIDE: a software tool for 3D reconstruction and statistical analysis of autoradiographic mouse brain sections.

In this article we introduce JULIDE, a software toolkit developed to perform the 3D reconstruction, intensity normalization, volume standardization by 3D image registration and voxel-wise statistical analysis of autoradiographs of mouse brain sections. This software tool has been developed in the open-source ITK software framework and is freely available under a GPL license. The article presents the complete image processing chain from raw data acquisition to 3D statistical group analysis. Results of the group comparison in the context of a study on spatial learning are shown as an illustration of the data that can be obtained with this tool.

CoDaPack. An Excel and Visual Basic based software of compositional data analysis. Current version and discussion form upcoming versions

In the eighties, John Aitchison (1986) developed a new methodological approach for the statistical analysis of compositional data. This new methodology was implemented in Basic routines grouped under the name CODA and later NEWCODA inMatlab (Aitchison, 1997). After that, several other authors have published extensions to this methodology: Marín-Fernández and others (2000), Barceló-Vidal and others (2001), Pawlowsky-Glahn and Egozcue (2001, 2002) and Egozcue and others (2003). (...)

Comparativa de dues eines de software pel desenvolupament de classificadors d'espectroscòpia de ressonància magnètica nuclear de tumors cerebrals humans

En aquest treball s’ha fet una avaluació comparativa dels resultats que es poden obtenir amb el software SpectraClassifier 1.0 (SC) desenvolupat al nostre grup de recerca, comparant‐lo amb l’SPSS, un programa estadístic informàtic estàndard, en un problema de classificació de tumors cerebrals humans amb dades d’espectroscopia de ressonància magnètica de protó (1H‐ERM). El interès d’aquesta avaluació comparativa radica en la documentació dels resultats obtinguts amb els dos sistemes quan en la correcció dels resultats obtinguts, així com ponderar la versatilitat i usabilitat dels dos paquets de software per a una aplicació concreta d’interès al treball del GABRMN. Per a aquest treball s’han utilitzat dades provinents de dos projecte europeus multicèntrics (INTERPRET i eTumour) en els quals vam participar. Les classes tumorals utilitzades (d’un total de 217 pacients) han sigut les majoritàries des del punt de vista epidemiològic: glioblastoma multiforme, metàstasi, astrocitomes de grau II, ligodendrogliomes de grau II, oligoastrocitomes de grau II i meningiomes de baix grau. Amb les dades d’aquests pacients s’han dissenyat classificadors basats en l’anàlisi discriminant lineal (LDA), s’han avaluat amb diferents mètodes matemàtics i s’han testat amb dades independents. Els resultats han estat satisfactoris, obtenint amb l’SC resultats més robusts amb dades independents respecte la classificació realitzada per l’SPSS.

Elementos para guiar ações visando à orientação empreendedora em organizações de software

Neste artigo, aborda-se a orientação empreendedora (OE) em organizações de software. Tem-se por objetivo propor um conjunto consolidado de elementos que possibilitem guiar ações visando à orientação empreendedora em organizações de software. Para tanto, realizou-se pesquisa de natureza exploratória, com o uso de dados qualitativos. A coleta de dados foi feita por meio de entrevistas em profundidade com executivos de 13 organizações com o intuito de realizar um levantamento de práticas efetivas de orientação empreendedora, para compreensão desse comportamento nas organizações e confirmação dos elementos da base conceitual de orientação empreendedora adotada no estudo. Como resultado, apresenta-se um conjunto de elementos da orientação empreendedora, consolidado a partir da literatura e da prática efetiva das organizações, que constitui importante referência para guiar ações visando à orientação empreendedora em organizações de software. O estudo conclui com o enriquecimento e o detalhamento da base conceitual de orientação empreendedora, com a proposição de categorias, agregação de novos elementos decorrentes da prática organizacional e a consolidação do conjunto de elementos, oferecendo subsídios às organizações de software que desejem desenvolver esse comportamento.

Pigment production by Streptococcus agalactiae in quasi-defined media.

A quasi-defined medium that supports the growth of Streptococcus agalactiae as pigmented colonies has been developed. The medium contains starch, a peptic digest of albumin, amino acids, nucleosides, vitamins, and salts. The presence of free cysteine, which could be replaced with other sulphur-containing compounds and to a lesser degree by reducing agents, was required for pigment formation.

A Nested Case-Control Study of Metabolically Defined Body Size Phenotypes and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

BACKGROUND Obesity is positively associated with colorectal cancer. Recently, body size subtypes categorised by the prevalence of hyperinsulinaemia have been defined, and metabolically healthy overweight/obese individuals (without hyperinsulinaemia) have been suggested to be at lower risk of cardiovascular disease than their metabolically unhealthy (hyperinsulinaemic) overweight/obese counterparts. Whether similarly variable relationships exist for metabolically defined body size phenotypes and colorectal cancer risk is unknown. METHODS AND FINDINGS The association of metabolically defined body size phenotypes with colorectal cancer was investigated in a case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Metabolic health/body size phenotypes were defined according to hyperinsulinaemia status using serum concentrations of C-peptide, a marker of insulin secretion. A total of 737 incident colorectal cancer cases and 737 matched controls were divided into tertiles based on the distribution of C-peptide concentration amongst the control population, and participants were classified as metabolically healthy if below the first tertile of C-peptide and metabolically unhealthy if above the first tertile. These metabolic health definitions were then combined with body mass index (BMI) measurements to create four metabolic health/body size phenotype categories: (1) metabolically healthy/normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2), (2) metabolically healthy/overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2), (3) metabolically unhealthy/normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2), and (4) metabolically unhealthy/overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). Additionally, in separate models, waist circumference measurements (using the International Diabetes Federation cut-points [≥80 cm for women and ≥94 cm for men]) were used (instead of BMI) to create the four metabolic health/body size phenotype categories. Statistical tests used in the analysis were all two-sided, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. In multivariable-adjusted conditional logistic regression models with BMI used to define adiposity, compared with metabolically healthy/normal weight individuals, we observed a higher colorectal cancer risk among metabolically unhealthy/normal weight (odds ratio [OR] = 1.59, 95% CI 1.10-2.28) and metabolically unhealthy/overweight (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.01-1.94) participants, but not among metabolically healthy/overweight individuals (OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.65-1.42). Among the overweight individuals, lower colorectal cancer risk was observed for metabolically healthy/overweight individuals compared with metabolically unhealthy/overweight individuals (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.96). These associations were generally consistent when waist circumference was used as the measure of adiposity. To our knowledge, there is no universally accepted clinical definition for using C-peptide level as an indication of hyperinsulinaemia. Therefore, a possible limitation of our analysis was that the classification of individuals as being hyperinsulinaemic-based on their C-peptide level-was arbitrary. However, when we used quartiles or the median of C-peptide, instead of tertiles, as the cut-point of hyperinsulinaemia, a similar pattern of associations was observed. CONCLUSIONS These results support the idea that individuals with the metabolically healthy/overweight phenotype (with normal insulin levels) are at lower colorectal cancer risk than those with hyperinsulinaemia. The combination of anthropometric measures with metabolic parameters, such as C-peptide, may be useful for defining strata of the population at greater risk of colorectal cancer.

Migración a software libre del Excmo. Ayto. de Alicante

Este proyecto aborda la migración de los sistemas de información de una administración pública de tamaño medio con las simulaciones más importantes propuestas.

A relação entre a satisfação dos funcionários e a satisfação dos clientes: estudo nas empresas de software do município de Belo Horizonte

A indústria de software tem apresentado crescimento vigoroso nos últimos anos, não só em termos mundiais, como também no Brasil. O segmento é composto basicamente por empresas de pequeno porte, com utilização intensiva de mão de obra especializada. No entanto, estudos indicam que o setor pouco se preocupa com a qualificação de funcionários, talvez porque, normalmente, a demanda supere a oferta, o que relega a um plano secundário as preocupações com a gestão de pessoas, ficando as atenções voltadas para o desenvolvimento e a formatação do serviço propriamente dito. Segundo os modelos teóricos, a participação dos funcionários é de vital importância para o fornecimento de um serviço de qualidade, podendo acarretar a satisfação dos clientes, sua lealdade e, consequentemente, incrementar a rentabilidade da organização. A satisfação dos funcionários pode ser alcançada pela introdução de práticas adequadas de gerenciamento de recursos humanos, incluindo boa comunicação, treinamento e desenvolvimento, trabalho em equipe, incentivo à participação e poder de decisão. Diversos modelos foram propostos para avaliar a satisfação dos clientes, a qual é fruto da qualidade percebida do serviço, de suas expectativas e do valor percebido, de acordo com um dos modelos em questão. Alguns estudos relatam a existência de relação positiva e significativa entre satisfação de clientes e de funcionários. Nesse contexto, procurou-se avaliar qual o impacto da satisfação dos funcionários diretamente sobre a satisfação dos clientes, com base em um modelo teórico que integrasse práticas de Recursos Humanos e antecedentes da satisfação dos clientes. Por meio de pesquisa quantitativa, foram entrevistados clientes e funcionários de 50 empresas da indústria de software de Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brasil), totalizando uma amostra válida de 147 respondentes para cada grupo. Os dados foram avaliados com o recurso da modelagem de equações estruturais, pelo método dos mínimos quadrados parciais. Com base nos resultados obtidos, infere-se que as melhores práticas de Recursos Humanos realmente influenciam a satisfação dos funcionários e que a qualidade percebida do serviço influencia positivamente a satisfação dos clientes. Contudo, não se constatou relação significativa entre a satisfação dos funcionários e a satisfação dos clientes.

GesRetail : software de gestión integral

El proyecto surge con el fin de crear una aplicación que responda a las necesidades de gestión y control de las actividades que se desarrollan en empresas minoristas dedicadas al sector de la electrónica de consumo. Este tipo de establecimientos aunque están muy especializados y proporcionan un trato excelente al público, suelen tener deficiencias técnicas a la hora de gestionar y controlar su negocio. Muchos de ellos carecen de programas informáticos adaptados a sus necesidades, e incluso en algún caso no disponen de ninguno por el alto coste que les supone. Dicho software tiene dos objetivos: por un lado atender las necesidades de este sector y por otro que el desembolso de la adquisición e implantación del mismo sea asequible. Para conseguir este último objetivo se utilizará software libre.

Software de adquisición de imágenes y reconocimiento óptico de caracteres para Android

El presente proyecto parte de la propuesta realizada por la empresa Tempos21 donde se recoge la necesidad de crear una librería de reconocimiento óptico de caracteres para la plataforma Android. Esta librería podrá ser utilizada por diferentes aplicaciones ejecutadas en terminales móviles que cuenten con este sistema operativo.

Reverse immunology approach for the identification of CD8 T-cell-defined antigens: advantages and hurdles.

One of the challenges of tumour immunology remains the identification of strongly immunogenic tumour antigens for vaccination. Reverse immunology, that is, the procedure to predict and identify immunogenic peptides from the sequence of a gene product of interest, has been postulated to be a particularly efficient, high-throughput approach for tumour antigen discovery. Over one decade after this concept was born, we discuss the reverse immunology approach in terms of costs and efficacy: data mining with bioinformatic algorithms, molecular methods to identify tumour-specific transcripts, prediction and determination of proteasomal cleavage sites, peptide-binding prediction to HLA molecules and experimental validation, assessment of the in vitro and in vivo immunogenic potential of selected peptide antigens, isolation of specific cytolytic T lymphocyte clones and final validation in functional assays of tumour cell recognition. We conclude that the overall low sensitivity and yield of every prediction step often requires a compensatory up-scaling of the initial number of candidate sequences to be screened, rendering reverse immunology an unexpectedly complex approach.

A New Imaging Software To Evaluate The Centration Of Capsulorhexis And Intraocular Lens (IOL) After Cataract Surgery

Purpose: IOL centration and stability after cataract surgery is of high interest for cataract surgeons and IOL-producing companies. We present a new imaging software to evaluate the centration of the rhexis and the centration of the IOL after cataract surgery.Methods: We developed, in collaboration with the Biomedical Imaging Group (BIG), EPFL, Lausanne, a new working tool in order to assess precisely outcomes after IOL-implantation, such as ideal capsulorhexis and IOL-centration. The software is a plug-in of ImageJ, a general-purpose image processing and image-analysis package. The specifications of this software are: evaluation of the rhexis-centration and evaluation the position of the IOL in the posterior chamber. The end points are to analyze the quality of the centration of a rhexis after cataract surgery, the deformation of the rhexis with capsular bag retraction and the centration of the IOL after implantation.Results: This software delivers tools to interactively measure the distances between limbus, IOL and capsulorhexis and its changes over time. The user is invited to adjust nodes of three radial curves for the limbus, rhexis and the optic of the IOL. The radial distances of the curves are computed to evaluate the IOL implantation. The user is also able to define patterns for ideal capsulorhexis and optimal IOL-centration. We are going to present examples of calculations after cataract surgery.Conclusions: Evaluation of the centration of the rhexis and of the IOL after cataract surgery is an important end point for optimal IOL implantation after cataract surgery. Especially multifocal or accommodative lenses need a precise position in the bag with a good stability over time. This software is able to evaluate these parameters just after the surgery but also its changes over time. The results of these evaluations can lead to an optimizing of surgical procedures and materials.

Migración de servicios críticos: de plataformas propietarias a software libre

El objetivo principal del presente trabajo pretende demostrar el potencial del software libre frente al software propietario que actualmente utiliza la empresa Systemum.

Software para la representación gráfica a la solución de ruteo y carga de vehículos en algoritmo de tipo 2L-CVRP

El siguiente artículo presenta el trabajo realizado en la creación de una aplicación de software libre que representa gráficamente las rutas generadas y la distribución de los elementos transportados en el interior de un vehículo de carga.

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid population pharmacokinetics of temozolomide in malignant glioma patients

RESUME : Objectif: Le glioblastome multiforme (GBM) est la tumeur cérébrale maligne la plus agressive qui conduit au décès de la majorité des patients moins d'une année après le diagnostic. La plupart des agents chimiothérapeutiques actuellement disponibles ne traversent pas la barrière hémato¬encéphalique et ne peuvent par conséquent pas être utilisés pour ce type de tumeur. Le Temozolomide (TMZ) est un nouvel agent alkylant récemment développé pour le traitement des gliomes malins. A ce jour, très peu d'informations sont disponibles sur la pénétration intra-cérébrale de cet agent. Au cours d'une étude pilote de phase II menée auprès de 64 patients atteints de GBM, l'administration précoce de TMZ combinée à une radiothérapie standard (RT) afin d'intervenir au plus tôt dans l'évolution de la maladie, a permis de prolonger la survie de ces patients, résultat qui pu être confirmé par la suite lors de l'étude randomisée de phase III. L'objectif de cette étude a été de déterminer les paramètres pharmacocinétique du TMZ dans le plasma et le liquide céphalo-rachidien (LCR), d'évaluer l'influence de certains facteurs individuels (âge, sexe, surface corporelle, fonction rénale/hépatique, co-médications, RT concomitante) sur ces différents paramètres, et enfin d'explorer la relation existant entre l'exposition au TMZ et certains marqueurs cliniques d'efficacité et de toxicité. Matériel et Méthode: Les concentrations de TMZ ont été mesurées par chromatographie liquide à haute performance (HPLC) dans le plasma et le LCR de 35 patients atteints de GBM nouvellement diagnostiqués (étude pilote) ou de gliomes malins en récidive (étude récidive). L'analyse pharmacocinétique de population a été réalisée à l'aide du programme NONMEM. L'exposition systémique et cérébrale, définie par les AUC (Area Under the time-concentration Curve) dans le plasma et le LCR, a été estimée pour chaque patient et corrélée à la toxicité, la survie ainsi que la survie sans progression tumorale. Résultats: Un modèle à 1 compartiment avec une cinétique d'absorption et de transfert Kplasma -> LCR de ordre a été retenu afin de décrire le profil pharmacocinétique du TMZ. Les valeurs moyennes de population ont été de 10 L/h pour la clairance, de 30.3 L pour le volume de distribution, de 2.1 h pour la 1/2 vie d'élimination, de 5.78 hE-1 pour la constante d'absorption, de 7.2 10E4 hE-1 pour Kplasma->LCR et de 0.76 hE-1 pour KLCR plasma. La surface corporelle a montré une influence significative sur la clairance et le volume de distribution, alors que le sexe influence la clairance uniquement. L'AUC mesurée dans le LCR représente ~20% de celle du plasma et une augmentation de 15% de Kplasma->LCR a été observée lors du traitement concomitant de radiochimiothérapie. Conclusions: Cette étude est la première analyse pharmacocinétique effectuée chez l'homme permettant de quantifier la pénétration intra-cérébrale du TMZ. Le rapport AUC LCR/AUC Plasma a été de 20%. Le degré d'exposition systémique et cérébral au TMZ ne semble pas être un meilleur facteur prédictif de la survie ou de la tolérance au produit que ne l'est la dose cumulée seule. ABSTRACT Purpose: Scarce information is available on the brain penetration of temozolomide (TMZ), although this novel methylating agent is mainly used for the treatment of ma¬lignant brain tumors. The purpose was to assess TNIZ phar¬macokinetics in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) along with its inter-individual variability, to characterize covari¬ates and to explore relationships between systemic or cere¬bral drug exposure and clinical outcomes. Experimental Design: TMZ levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in plasma and CSF samples from 35 patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent malignant gliomas. The population pharmacoki¬netic analysis was performed with nonlinear mixed-effect modeling software. Drug exposure, defined by the area un¬der the concentration-time curve (AUC) in plasma and CSF, was estimated for each patient and correlated with toxicity, survival, and progression-free survival. Results: A three-compartment model with first-order absorption and transfer rates between plasma and CSF described the data appropriately. Oral clearance was 10 liter/h; volume of distribution (VD), 30.3 liters; absorption constant rate, 5.8 hE-1; elimination half-time, 2.1 h; transfer rate from plasma to CSF (Kplasma->CSF), 7.2 x 10E-4hE-1 and the backwards rate, 0.76hE-1. Body surface area signifi¬cantly influenced both clearance and VD, and clearance was sex dependent. The AU CSF corresponded to 20% of the AUCplasma. A trend toward an increased K plasma->CSF of 15% was observed in case of concomitant radiochemo-therapy. No significant correlations between AUC in plasma or CSF and toxicity, survival, or progression-free survival were apparent after deduction of dose-effect. Conclusions: This is the first human pharmacokinetic study on TMZ to quantify CSF penetration. The AUC CSF/ AUC plasma ratio was 20%. Systemic or cerebral exposures are not better predictors than the cumulative dose alone for both efficacy and safety.