Respeto o vampirización. El arte como"almacén" inagotable de ideas creativas al alcance de la publicidad

Since the begínning ofAdvertising, art has been a source ofinexhaustible inspiration for the advertising creative, who have used or misused it with any limits. With more or less direct references to artists, pieces or art movements, to references to the act ofart creation itself and certain aesthetic categories. Taking into account the various semantic versions that art offers, with multiple connotative lectures, this use has not been much profitable in many occasions, not as much as it could have been. However, in other circumstances, thís use has been vampirizing, only preoccupied for the audience impact ofa well knowll reference, but despising it and reducing it to a mere reclaim. In the case ofGiocconda by Leonardo da Vinci or the Birth ofVenus by Bottícelli are significant examples ofthis use, maybe popular, ofthe art productíon. That is to say that the depository was used as a source ofreferences to enrich the lectures ofthe advertising pieces (for instance, the excellent Citroen Xsara Picasso advertisement with the fordism mass production chain) or ¡ust to allow a higher t1Otoriety (like the Chupa-Chups advertisement where the Mona Lisa heartily sucks one ofthe mythical sweets with a stick). Thanks to a selected advertising pieces, graphical and audiovisual, we will be able to go through this kind ofadvertising creation logistics, from the moment that this one decided to call out these art references that were sleeping dreamingly Oll the fair in a depository until this strictly cultural moment came.

Asphalt Rubber Cement Concrete Webster County, HR-555, Final Report, 2003

Discarded tires have become a major disposal problem in the U.S. Different techniques of recycling these discarded tires have been tried. The state of Iowa has evaluated the use of discarded tires ground into crumb rubber and blending it with asphalt to make asphalt rubber cement (ARC). This was the sixth project using this process. The project is located on US 169 from the east junction of IA 175 west and north to US 20. Only the binder course was placed during this research with the surface course to be let at a later date. There were four test sections, two sections with conventional mixtures and two with ARC mixtures. There were no significant differences in placement or performance between the two mix types. The cost of the ARC mixture was significantly higher.

Transrectal specimen extraction after laparoscopic left colectomy: a case-matched study.

Aim  Avoiding 'mini-laparotomy' to extract a colectomy specimen may decrease wound complications and further improve recovery after laparoscopic surgery. The aim of this study was to develop a new technique for transrectal specimen extraction (TRSE) and to compare it with conventional laparoscopy (CL) for left sided colectomy. Method  Eleven patients with benign disease requiring either sigmoid or left colon resection underwent TRSE. The unfired circular stapler was inserted transanally and used as a guide to suture-close the recto-sigmoid junction laparoscopically and as a handle to pull the sutured sigmoid through the opened rectum inside a laparoscopic camera bag. The anvil was inserted into the lumen of the intussuscepted sigmoid and pushed to the level of the anastomosis. The anastomosis was fashioned end-to-end in the first patients and side-to-end in the following patients to improve safety. Intra-operative and postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing TRSE were compared with those of a group of 20 patients undergoing CL, who were matched for type of resection, body mass index and age. Results  The procedure was successful in all but the first patient who was converted to conventional laparoscopic colectomy without any additional morbidity. Two patients in the end-to-end anastomosis group, but none in the side-to-end group, developed peri-anastomotic sepsis. Compared with CL, patients undergoing TRSE did not show any significant differences in operative time, recovery or morbidity. Conclusion  Transrectal specimen extraction after left colectomy using the circular stapler technique is feasible. A side-to-end anastomosis appears safer than an end-to-end anastomosis. Further studies are needed to explore the potential advantages of this procedure over CL.

Bayesian Networks and the Value of the Evidence for the Forensic Two-Trace Transfer Problem

Forensic scientists face increasingly complex inference problems for evaluating likelihood ratios (LRs) for an appropriate pair of propositions. Up to now, scientists and statisticians have derived LR formulae using an algebraic approach. However, this approach reaches its limits when addressing cases with an increasing number of variables and dependence relationships between these variables. In this study, we suggest using a graphical approach, based on the construction of Bayesian networks (BNs). We first construct a BN that captures the problem, and then deduce the expression for calculating the LR from this model to compare it with existing LR formulae. We illustrate this idea by applying it to the evaluation of an activity level LR in the context of the two-trace transfer problem. Our approach allows us to relax assumptions made in previous LR developments, produce a new LR formula for the two-trace transfer problem and generalize this scenario to n traces.

Evolutionary footprint of coevolving positions in genes.

MOTIVATION: The analysis of molecular coevolution provides information on the potential functional and structural implication of positions along DNA sequences, and several methods are available to identify coevolving positions using probabilistic or combinatorial approaches. The specific nucleotide or amino acid profile associated with the coevolution process is, however, not estimated, but only known profiles, such as the Watson-Crick constraint, are usually considered a priori in current measures of coevolution. RESULTS: Here, we propose a new probabilistic model, Coev, to identify coevolving positions and their associated profile in DNA sequences while incorporating the underlying phylogenetic relationships. The process of coevolution is modeled by a 16 × 16 instantaneous rate matrix that includes rates of transition as well as a profile of coevolution. We used simulated, empirical and illustrative data to evaluate our model and to compare it with a model of 'independent' evolution using Akaike Information Criterion. We showed that the Coev model is able to discriminate between coevolving and non-coevolving positions and provides better specificity and specificity than other available approaches. We further demonstrate that the identification of the profile of coevolution can shed new light on the process of dependent substitution during lineage evolution.

Partial correlation : Network analysis

The final year project came to us as an opportunity to get involved in a topic which has appeared to be attractive during the learning process of majoring in economics: statistics and its application to the analysis of economic data, i.e. econometrics.Moreover, the combination of econometrics and computer science is a very hot topic nowadays, given the Information Technologies boom in the last decades and the consequent exponential increase in the amount of data collected and stored day by day. Data analysts able to deal with Big Data and to find useful results from it are verydemanded in these days and, according to our understanding, the work they do, although sometimes controversial in terms of ethics, is a clear source of value added both for private corporations and the public sector. For these reasons, the essence of this project is the study of a statistical instrument valid for the analysis of large datasets which is directly related to computer science: Partial Correlation Networks.The structure of the project has been determined by our objectives through the development of it. At first, the characteristics of the studied instrument are explained, from the basic ideas up to the features of the model behind it, with the final goal of presenting SPACE model as a tool for estimating interconnections in between elements in large data sets. Afterwards, an illustrated simulation is performed in order to show the power and efficiency of the model presented. And at last, the model is put into practice by analyzing a relatively large data set of real world data, with the objective of assessing whether the proposed statistical instrument is valid and useful when applied to a real multivariate time series. In short, our main goals are to present the model and evaluate if Partial Correlation Network Analysis is an effective, useful instrument and allows finding valuable results from Big Data.As a result, the findings all along this project suggest the Partial Correlation Estimation by Joint Sparse Regression Models approach presented by Peng et al. (2009) to work well under the assumption of sparsity of data. Moreover, partial correlation networks are shown to be a very valid tool to represent cross-sectional interconnections in between elements in large data sets.The scope of this project is however limited, as there are some sections in which deeper analysis would have been appropriate. Considering intertemporal connections in between elements, the choice of the tuning parameter lambda, or a deeper analysis of the results in the real data application are examples of aspects in which this project could be completed.To sum up, the analyzed statistical tool has been proved to be a very useful instrument to find relationships that connect the elements present in a large data set. And after all, partial correlation networks allow the owner of this set to observe and analyze the existing linkages that could have been omitted otherwise.

Genetic analysis of sudden cardiac death victims: a survey of current forensic autopsy practices.

Autopsy-negative sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) seen in forensic practice are most often thought to be the result of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome. Postmortem genetic analysis is recommended in such cases, but is currently performed in only a few academic centers. In order to determine actual current practice, an on-line questionnaire was sent by e-mail to members of various forensic medical associations. The questions addressed routine procedures employed in cases of sudden cardiac death (autopsy ordering, macroscopic and microscopic cardiac examination, conduction tissue examination, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, biochemical markers, sampling and storage of material for genetic analyses, toxicological analyses, and molecular autopsy). Some questions concerned the legal and ethical aspects of genetic analyses in postmortem examinations, as well as any existing multidisciplinary collaborations in SCD cases. There were 97 respondents, mostly from European countries. Genetic testing in cases of sudden cardiac death is rarely practiced in routine forensic investigation. Approximately 60% of respondents reported not having the means to perform genetic postmortem testing and 40% do not collect adequate material to perform these investigations at a later date, despite working at university hospitals. The survey demonstrated that many of the problems involved in the adequate investigation of SCD cases are often financial in origin, due to the fact that activities in forensic medicine are often paid by and dependent on the judicial authorities. Problems also exist concerning the contact with family members and/or the family doctor, as well as the often-nonexistent collaboration with others clinicians with special expertise beneficial in the investigation of SCD cases, such as cardiologists and geneticists. This study highlights the importance in establishing guidelines for molecular autopsies in forensic medicine.

Preclinical evaluation of the immunogenicity of C-type HIV-1-based DNA and NYVAC vaccines in the Balb/C mouse model.

As part of a European initiative (EuroVacc), we report the design, construction, and immunogenicity of two HIV-1 vaccine candidates based on a clade C virus strain (CN54) representing the current major epidemic in Asia and parts of Africa. Open reading frames encoding an artificial 160-kDa GagPolNef (GPN) polyprotein and the external glycoprotein gp120 were fully RNA and codon optimized. A DNA vaccine (DNA-GPN and DNA-gp120, referred to as DNA-C), and a replication-deficient vaccinia virus encoding both reading frames (NYVAC-C), were assessed regarding immunogenicity in Balb/C mice. The intramuscular administration of both plasmid DNA constructs, followed by two booster DNA immunizations, induced substantial T-cell responses against both antigens as well as Env-specific antibodies. Whereas low doses of NYVAC-C failed to induce specific CTL or antibodies, high doses generated cellular as well as humoral immune responses, but these did not reach the levels seen following DNA vaccination. The most potent immune responses were detectable using prime:boost protocols, regardless of whether DNA-C or NYVAC-C was used as the priming or boosting agent. These preclinical findings revealed the immunogenic response triggered by DNA-C and its enhancement by combining it with NYVAC-C, thus complementing the macaque preclinical and human phase I clinical studies of EuroVacc.

Predictors of substance use reduction in an epidemiological first-episode psychosis cohort.

AIM: To assess the predictors of a significant decrease or cessation of substance use (SU) in a treated epidemiological cohort of first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients. METHOD: Participants were FEP patients of the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre in Australia. Patients' medical files were reviewed using a standardized file audit. Data on 432 patients with FEP and baseline co-morbid substance use disorder (SUD) were available for analysis. Predictors of reduction/cessation of SU at follow up were examined using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: In univariate analyses, a reduction/cessation of SU was predicted by baseline measures reflecting higher education, employment, accommodation with others, cannabis use disorder (CUD) only (rather than poly-SUDs), better global functioning and better premorbid social and occupational functioning, later age at onset of psychosis, and a diagnosis of non-affective psychosis. In multivariate analysis, CUD alone and better premorbid social and occupational functioning remained significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing SUDs and social and occupational goals in people with FEP may offer opportunities to prevent SUDs becoming more severe or entrenched. Further longitudinal research on recovery from SU and FEP is needed to disentangle directions of influence and identify key targets for intervention.

The short-rooted phenotype of the brevis radix mutant partly reflects root abscisic acid hypersensitivity.

To gain further insight into abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and its role in growth regulation, we have screened for Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants hypersensitive to ABA-mediated root growth inhibition. As a result, we have identified a loss-of-function allele of BREVIS RADIX (BRX) in the Columbia background, named brx-2, which shows enhanced response to ABA-mediated inhibition of root growth. BRX encodes a key regulator of cell proliferation and elongation in the root, which has been implicated in the brassinosteroid (BR) pathway as well as in the regulation of auxin-responsive gene expression. Mutants affected in BR signaling that are not impaired in root growth, such as bes1-D, bzr1-D, and bsu1-D, also showed enhanced sensitivity to ABA-mediated inhibition of root growth. Triple loss-of-function mutants affected in PP2Cs, which act as negative regulators of ABA signaling, showed impaired root growth in the absence of exogenous ABA, indicating that disturbed regulation of ABA sensitivity impairs root growth. In agreement with this result, diminishing ABA sensitivity of brx-2 by crossing it with a 35S:HAB1 ABA-insensitive line allowed significantly higher recovery of root growth after brassinolide treatment. Finally, transcriptomic analysis revealed that ABA treatment negatively affects auxin signaling in wild-type and brx-2 roots and that ABA response is globally altered in brx-2. Taken together, our results reveal an interaction between BRs, auxin, and ABA in the control of root growth and indicate that altered sensitivity to ABA is partly responsible for the brx short-root phenotype.

Determination of salivary glucose in healthy adults

Objectives: Our aim in this study was to determine the concentration of salivary glucose in healthy individuals and to compare it with the capillary glycemia. Study design: Samples of unstimulated whole saliva were collected from 63 non-diabetic patients. The concentration of salivary glucose and capillary blood was measured in all of the patients. The salivary glucose was determined by enzymatic method and spectrophotometry. The data was then analyzed using the Spearman correlation test, considering values of p<0.05 to be significant. Results: The whole sample consisted of 47.6% males and 52.4% women, with an average age of 37.5±15.7 years old. The average rates of unstimulated salivary flow were 0.41±0.21 ml/min among males and 0.31±0.15 ml/min among females. No significant difference was found based on these results (p=0.078). The average blood glucose among the males studied was 100.05±13.51 mg/dL, and among females, it was 99.5±13.9 mg/dL. The average salivary glucose for the whole sample was 5.97±1.87 mg/dL, with 5.91±2.19 mg/dL among males and 5.97±1.56 mg/dL among females, respectively, without presenting any significant differences (p=0.908). The concentration of salivary glucose did not present any statistically significant correlation with the capillary glycemia (p=0.732). Conclusions: The results suggest that the concentration of salivary glucose is not dependent on capillary glycemia and that the concentration of salivary glucose does not present significant differences between the measurements for males and females.

Bayesian classification of forest ecological type from satellite data

The main objective of this study was todo a statistical analysis of ecological type from optical satellite data, using Tipping's sparse Bayesian algorithm. This thesis uses "the Relevence Vector Machine" algorithm in ecological classification betweenforestland and wetland. Further this bi-classification technique was used to do classification of many other different species of trees and produces hierarchical classification of entire subclasses given as a target class. Also, we carried out an attempt to use airborne image of same forest area. Combining it with image analysis, using different image processing operation, we tried to extract good features and later used them to perform classification of forestland and wetland.

Análisis y creación de un sistema informático de soporte a entidades sanitarias para la detección precoz de brotes de gripe en épocas de máximo riesgo.

Hoy en día, las posibilidades del Big Data son incontables. Existe gran cantidad de información generada por la población general y disponible de forma pública.El reto consiste en poder trabajar con esta información y extraer conclusiones útiles y que generen valor.En este proyecto, queremos analizar en el tiempo el interés general de la población respecto a una enfermedad común como la gripe, y poder relacionarlos con brotes de gripe existentes en el pasado, para de esta manera, poder extrapolar y predecir futuros brotes.Esta información, en manos de las autoridades sanitarias, puede ser de gran ayuda para poder prevenir picos de solicitudes en los servicios de urgencias, anticipándose para gestionar de manera más eficaz los recursos disponibles, consiguiendo, de esta manera, un mejor servicio a la población en general.De esta manera, son los propios usuarios los que, sin saberlo, posibilitan una mayor y mejor respuesta en los servicios sanitarios mediante la información que ellos mismos distribuyen libremente, consiguiéndose de esta manera valiosos beneficios para la población general.

Análisis y creación de un sistema informático de soporte a entidades sanitarias para la detección precoz de brotes de gripe en épocas de máximo riesgo

En este proyecto queremos analizar en el tiempo el interés general de la población respecto a una enfermedad común como la gripe, y poder relacionarlos con brotes de gripe existentes en el pasado, para de esta manera, poder extrapolar y predecir futuros brotes. Esta información, en manos de las autoridades sanitarias, puede ser de gran ayuda para poder prevenir picos de solicitudes en los servicios de urgencias, anticipándose para gestionar de manera más eficaz los recursos disponibles, consiguiendo, de esta manera, un mejor servicio a la población en general.

Induction motor versus permanent magnet synchronous motor in motion control applications: a comparative study

High dynamic performance of an electric motor is a fundamental prerequisite in motion control applications, also known as servo drives. Recent developments in the field of microprocessors and power electronics have enabled faster and faster movements with an electric motor. In such a dynamically demanding application, the dimensioning of the motor differs substantially from the industrial motor design, where feasible characteristics of the motor are for example high efficiency, a high power factor, and a low price. In motion control instead, such characteristics as high overloading capability, high-speed operation, high torque density and low inertia are required. The thesis investigates how the dimensioning of a high-performance servomotor differs from the dimensioning of industrial motors. The two most common servomotor types are examined; an induction motor and apermanent magnet synchronous motor. The suitability of these two motor types indynamically demanding servo applications is assessed, and the design aspects that optimize the servo characteristics of the motors are analyzed. Operating characteristics of a high performance motor are studied, and some methods for improvements are suggested. The main focus is on the induction machine, which is frequently compared to the permanent magnet synchronous motor. A 4 kW prototype induction motor was designed and manufactured for the verification of the simulation results in the laboratory conditions. Also a dynamic simulation model for estimating the thermal behaviour of the induction motor in servo applications was constructed. The accuracy of the model was improved by coupling it with the electromagnetic motor model in order to take into account the variations in the motor electromagnetic characteristics due to the temperature rise.