Thinger.io: An Open Source Platform for Deploying Data Fusion Applications in IoT Environments.

In the last two decades, data and information fusion has experienced significant development due mainly to advances in sensor technology. The sensors provide a continuous flow of data about the environment in which they are deployed, which is received and processed to build a dynamic estimation of the situation. With current technology, it is relatively simple to deploy a set of sensors in a specific geographic area, in order to have highly sensorized spaces. However, to be able to fusion and process the information coming from the data sources of a highly sensorized space, it is necessary to solve certain problems inherent to this type of technology. The challenge is analogous to what we can find in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT technology is characterized by providing the infrastructure capacity to capture, store, and process a huge amount of heterogeneous sensor data (in most cases, from different manufacturers), in the same way that it occurs in data fusion applications. This work is not simple, mainly due to the fact that there is no standardization of the technologies involved (especially within the communication protocols used by the connectable sensors). The solutions that we can find today are proprietary solutions that imply an important dependence and a high cost. The aim of this paper is to present a new open source platform with capabilities for the collection, management and analysis of a huge amount of heterogeneous sensor data. In addition, this platform allows the use of hardware-agnostic in a highly scalable and cost-effective manner. This platform is called Thinger.io. One of the main characteristics of Thinger.io is the ability to model sensorized environments through a high level language that allows a simple and easy implementation of data fusion applications, as we will show in this paper.

Knowledge Extraction and Improved Data Fusion for Sales Prediction in Local Agricultural Markets.

In this paper, a monitoring system of agricultural production is modeled as a Data Fusion System (data from local fairs and meteorological data). The proposal considers the particular information of sales in agricultural markets for knowledge extraction about the associations among them. This association knowledge is employed to improve predictions of sales using a spatial prediction technique, as shown with data collected from local markets of the Andean region of Ecuador. The commercial activity in these markets uses Alternative Marketing Circuits (CIALCO). This market platform establishes a direct relationship between producer and consumer prices and promotes direct commercial interaction among family groups. The problem is presented first as a general fusion problem with a network of spatially distributed heterogeneous data sources, and is then applied to the prediction of products sales based on association rules mined in available sales data. First, transactional data is used as the base to extract the best association rules between products sold in different local markets, knowledge that allows the system to gain a significant improvement in prediction accuracy in the spatial region considered.

Satisfaction with life and psychological well-being in people with gender dysphoria.

INTRODUCTION: Satisfaction with life and psychological well-being have been extensively studied as measures of mental health, which has led to the development of two major traditions, the hedonic and eudaimonic. A difference has been found between subjective emotional well-being, which is often called psychological well-being, and cognitive well-being, or satisfaction with life. The aim of this study was to explore satisfaction with life and psychological wellbeing in people diagnosed with gender dysphoria (GD), and compare their results to those of the general population. We also looked for gender-related differences. METHODS: The Fordyce Happiness Measures (or Fordyce Emotions Questionnaire) and the adaptation to Castilian Spanish of the Likert-type 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale were applied to a control sample of 40 students and a group of 61 people with GD. Descriptive statistics and the t test for independent samples were calculated. The data were analyzed with SPSS v. 15. RESULTS: The results indicated that the GD group had lower scores on the satisfaction with life and psychological well-being scales than the control group. No gender differences were found in satisfaction with life or psychological well-being.

Polynuclear Gold [Au(I) ]4 , [Au(I) ]8 , and Bimetallic [Au(I) 4 Ag(I) ] Complexes: C-H Functionalization of Carbonyl Compounds and Homogeneous Carbonylation of Amines.

The synthesis of tetranuclear gold complexes, a structurally unprecedented octanuclear complex with a planar [Au(I) 8 ] core, and pentanuclear [Au(I) 4 M(I) ] (M=Cu, Ag) complexes is presented. The linear [Au(I) 4 ] complex undergoes C-H functionalization of carbonyl compounds under mild reaction conditions. In addition, [Au(I) 4 Ag(I) ] catalyzes the carbonylation of primary amines to form ureas under homogeneous conditions with efficiencies higher than those achieved by gold nanoparticles.

A novel biomarker for anti-androgenic activity in placenta reveals risks of urogenital malformations.

It has been hypothesized that the rise in male reproductive disorders over recent decades may at least be partially attributable to environmental factors, including chemical exposures, but observed associations with single chemicals were rather weak. The aim of this case-control study was to explore the relationship between exposure to mixtures of (anti-)androgenic chemicals during pregnancy and the risk of cryptorchidism and/or hypospadias in offspring, using the total effective xenobiotic burden of anti-androgens (TEXB-AA) as a biomarker. A subsample of 29 cases (16 of cryptorchidism, 12 of hypospadias, and one of both disorders) and 60 healthy controls was nested in a cohort of male newborns recruited between October 2000 and July 2002. The (anti-)androgenic activity of placenta samples collected at delivery was assessed using TEXB-AA biomarker, combined with a bioassay-directed fractionation protocol that separated endogenous hormones from most (anti-)androgenic chemicals by normal-phase HPLC. The bioassay measures the androgen-induced luciferase activity and the inhibition of this pathway by (anti-)androgens. First, we collected 27 HPLC fractions in each placenta extract, which were all tested in the bioassay. The multivariable statistical analyses indicated a statistically significant positive dose-response association between the potent anti-androgenic activity of the HPLC fraction collected during minutes 1-2 (F2) and the risk of malformations (odds ratio: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.04-5.23). This study represents a novel approach for the estimation of combined effects of the total anti-androgenic load and the associations suggest an effect of environmental pollutants on the development of fetal reproductive tract.Free Spanish abstract: A Spanish translation of this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/149/6/605/suppl/DC1.

Terson's syndrome after endoscopic removal of a colloid cyst.

An extremely rare complication of endoscopic colloid cyst removal is presented. Terson's syndrome related to endoscopic resection of a colloid cyst has been reported only twice before in the literature and it could be explained by intracranial hypertension related to rinsing during the procedure. The case is described and the complications in the neuroendoscopic removal of colloid cyst are reviewed from the literature.

Adipose tissue concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in adults from Southern Spain.

There is increasing evidence that environmental factors play an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Several persistent organic pollutants are suspected to contribute to the increasing prevalence and risk of type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the body burden of three organochlorine pesticides and three polychlorinated biphenyls and the overall estrogenic activity with the risk of type 2 diabetes in a sample of adults from Southern Spain. Samples of adipose tissue and serum were obtained from 386 subjects undergoing non-cancer-related surgery and were extracted using validated methodologies. Residues of persistent organic pollutants were analyzed by means of high-resolution gas chromatography with a mass spectrometry detector in tandem mode. The overall estrogenicity of the adipose tissue extracts was measured by using the total effective xenoestrogen burden (TEXB) biomarker. Data on lifestyle, dietary habits, and health status were gathered from face-to-face interviews and clinical records. Statistical analyses were performed with unconditional logistic regression and different adjustment levels. In the models adjusted for adipose tissue origin, sex, age, and body mass index, the 2nd and 3rd tertiles of adipose tissue concentrations of p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) were positively associated with the risk of diabetes [odds ratios (95% confidence interval)=3.6 (0.8-17.3) and 4.4 (1.0-21.0), respectively]. A positive association with ß-hexachlorocyclohexane was also found when body mass index and adipose tissue origin were removed from the models, with odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of 3.3 (1.0-10.4) and 5.5 (1.7-17.3), for the 2nd and 3rd tertiles of exposure, respectively. In addition, a statistically significant interaction was observed between p,p'-DDE and body mass index, such that the risk of diabetes increased with tertiles of exposure in a linear manner in non-obese subjects but not in the obese, in whom an inverted U-shape pattern was observed.

Control strategies using diclazuril against coccidiosis in goat kids.

Coccidiosis is probably the main parasitic disease affecting goat kids around the weaning period, leading to high economic losses in goat production due to deaths and delayed growth rates of infected animals. A total of 101 kids of 2-4 weeks of age, naturally infected with Eimeria spp., were divided into five groups and studies were conducted to analyse the effects of metaphylactic administration of diclazuril (Vecoxan®) on parasitological and productive parameters. Two different doses of diclazuril (1 and 2 mg/kg BW, p.o.) were given either at 3 weeks (single treatment) or at 3 and 5 weeks of life (double treatment). The faecal oocyst shedding and the body weights of the animals were monitored at 2-weeks intervals for 6 consecutive weeks. Treatments of goat kids with diclazuril were effective against the three most predominant Eimeria species recorded in this study (E. arloingi, E. ninakohlyakimovae and E. christenseni) and also against other minor species found in faecal examinations, including E. alijevi, E. caprina, E. jolchijevi, E. caprovina, E. hirci and E. aspheronica). In consequence, OPG values lower than 1 × 10(3) were detected in 90 to 100% of the animals up to 15-20 days post-treatment depending on the treatment regimen. Even a single dose of 1 mg/kg BW p.o. resulted in an increase of growth rates in treated animals and therefore should be considered as a control strategy in farms precluding coccidian infections, whilst double and multiple dose treatments could be the recommendation for environments heavily contaminated with Eimeria oocysts. In relation to the OPG reduction and increased growth rates, the severity of the clinical signs (i.e., diarrhoea) was ameliorated in treated animals during the course of infection compared to that of non-treated or control kids. The precise timing of treatment appears crucial in order to prevent severe clinical coccidiosis and thereby enabling the adequate development of protective immune response against Eimeria challenge infections.

Worldviews on Evidence-Based Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Using a Novel Method.

The evaluation of scientific content by researchers, as well as the knowledge networks and working groups of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, can help to improve and expand new scientific evidence in this field. The aim of this study was to identify the global scientific publications on cardiopulmonary resuscitation research using a novel method. The method used was based on obtaining bibliographic data automatically from scientific publications through the use of the Scopus Database API Interface. A total of 17,917 results were obtained, with a total of 60,226 reports and 53,634 authors. Six categories were detected with 38.56% corresponding to cardiac arrest, 21.8% to cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 17.16% to life-support training and education, 12.45% to ethics and decision-making in cardiac arrest, 4.77% to therapeutic treatment, and 3.72% to life-support techniques. Analyzing and identifying the main scientific contributions to this field of study can make it possible to establish collaboration networks and propose new lines of research, as well as to unify criteria for action. Future research should delve into the analyses of the other elements involved in this area.

Anticoccidial efficacy of Canary rue (Ruta pinnata) extracts against the caprine apicomplexan Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae.

Continuous use of anticoccidial treatments against Eimeria infections has resulted in the development of drug resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of a methanolic extract derived from the endemic Canary rue (Ruta pinnata) plant of the Canary Islands, Spain, against Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae using in vitro assays. Freshly unsporulated oocysts were exposed to different concentrations of R. pinnata extract and thereafter evaluated for sporulation inhibition. Additionally, anticoccidial activity was examined by testing the viability of the E. ninakohlyakimovae sporozoites and their ability to infect bovine colonic epithelial cells after incubation with different concentrations of R. pinnata plant extract. The inhibition of oocyst sporulation by the extract was both time and concentration dependent, with certain combinations affording the same levels of sporulation inhibition as formaldehyde used as positive control (P < 0.001). Moreover, concentrations >0.1 mg/mL also affected not only the viability of the sporozoites but also their cell invasion capacity (P < 0.001). Altogether, these results show that methanolic fruit extracts from R. pinnata have important anticoccidial activity against oocysts and sporozoites of Eimeria. The potential efficacy of the extracts against other animal/human parasites remains to be elucidated, and further studies are needed to better understand its mode of action against coccidian parasites.

Bisphenol A and cognitive function in school-age boys: Is BPA predominantly related to behavior?

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) has been associated with impairments in children's behavior, but few studies have investigated its relationship with cognitive function. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of urinary BPA concentrations with cognitive domains and intelligence quotient (IQ) in Spanish boys. METHODS: BPA levels were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) in one spot urine sample from 269 boys of the INMA-Granada cohort, in their follow-up at 9-11 years of age. Cognitive function was evaluated by a trained psychologist using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery (including general intelligence, language skills, working memory, attention, impulsivity, visual-motor coordination, processing speed and executive function, among others). Cross-sectional associations between BPA levels and neuropsychological standardized scores were analyzed by adjusted linear and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Median (P25, P75) BPA concentrations were 4.76 (2.77, 9.03) µg/L and 4.75 (2.75, 10.2) µg/g of creatinine (Cr). Boys in the third and fourth quartile of volume-based BPA concentrations showed better processing speed scores than boys in the first quartile (ß = 5.47; 95%CI: 1.4, 9.4 and ß = 3.57; 95%CI: -0.4, 7.5, respectively); and boys in the third quartile showed better inhibitory control (ß = 1.6; 95%CI: -0.3, 3.5) and impulsivity (ß= -4.2; 95%CI: -9.0, 0.0). In contrast, boys in the fourth quartile showed poorer working memory scores than those in the first quartile (ß= -1.0; 95%CI: -2.1, -0.1). All these associations were attenuated when Cr-standardized BPA concentrations were considered. Cr-based BPA concentrations were also associated with a higher risk of being below the 20th percentile of working memory scores [ORa = 1.51; 95%CI: 1.01, 2.25]. DISCUSSION: Our findings do not support an association between urinary BPA concentrations and cognitive function or IQ among boys, except for working memory. BPA was previously found to be associated with behavior problems in the same study population, suggesting that BPA may predominantly affect the behavior of children rather than their cognitive function, in line with previous epidemiologic studies.

Presence of Bisphenol A and Parabens in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Exploratory Study of Potential Sources of Exposure.

BACKGROUND: Newborns in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are in contact with a variety of medical products whose production might include synthetic chemicals with hormonal activity. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to assess the content of bisphenol A (BPA) and parabens (PBs) and the hormone-like activities of a subset of medical products commonly used in NICUs in prolonged intimate contact with NICU newborns. METHODS: Fifty-two NICU items were analyzed, determining the concentrations of BPA and PBs [methyl- (MeP), ethyl- (EtP), propyl- (PrP), and butylparaben (BuP)] and using the E-Screen and PALM-luciferase assays to measure the in vitro (anti-)estrogenic and (anti-)androgenic activity, respectively, of the extracts. Items found to have elevated BPA/PB content or hormone-like activities were further extracted using leaching methodologies. RESULTS: BPA was found in three-fifths and PBs in four-fifths of tested NICU items, and ∼25% and ∼10% of extracts evidenced estrogenic and anti-androgenic activity, respectively. The highest BPA content was found in the three-way stopcock (>7.000 ng/g), followed by patterned transparent film dressing, gastro-duodenal feeding tubes, sterile gloves, single-lumen umbilical catheters, and intravenous (IV) infusion extension sets (concentrations ranged from 100 to 700 ng/g BPA). A total PB concentration (∑PBs) >100 ng/g was observed in several items, including light therapy protection glasses, patterned transparent film dressing, winged IV catheters, IV infusion extension sets, and textile tape. The highest estrogenic activity [>450 pM estradiol equivalent (E2eq)] was found in small dummy nipples, three-way stopcocks, and patterned transparent film dressing and the highest anti-androgenic activity [>5 mM procymidone equivalent units per gram (Proceq/g)] in small dummy nipples and three-way stopcocks. DISCUSSION: According to these findings, neonates might be exposed to multiple sources of BPA and PBs in NICUs via inhalation, dermal, oral, and IV/parenteral routes. There is a need to address the future health implications for these extremely vulnerable patients and to adopt precautionary preventive measures as a matter of urgency. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5564.

Comparative experimental Haemonchus contortus infection of two sheep breeds native to the Canary Islands.

This study compares the susceptibility to Haemonchus contortus infection in two breeds of sheep endemic to the Canary Islands, the Canaria Hair Breed sheep and the Canaria sheep. Sheep were experimentally infected with 20,000 larvae of H. contortus and animals killed on days 7 and 28 post-infection. No difference between sheep breeds were detected in immature worm counts at days 7 or 28 post-infection. However, in comparison to the Canaria sheep breed, the Canaria Hair Breed sheep showed lower mean faecal egg counts, lower adult worm counts, lower number of eggs in utero and female worm stunting. Overall, these data suggest that the Canaria Hair Breed sheep has a greater resistance to H. contortus infection than Canaria sheep, and that this resistance may act at the level of the adult parasite.

Occurrence and genotype characterization of Giardia duodenalis in goat kids from the Canary Islands, Spain.

Giardia duodenalis (syn. Giardia lamblia, Giardia intestinalis) is a wide-spread intestinal protozoa of both humans and animals. Although giardiosis in goat is commonly asymptomatic, young kids may bear an enteric disease associated with persistent diarrhoea and delayed weight gain. In the present study we have analysed the occurrence of Giardia in 315 young goat kids (2-6 months old) from Gran Canaria Island (Spain) through visualization of faecal cysts. The identification of genotypes of G. duodenalis among the farms was attained by nested PCR of the triophosphate isomerase (TPI) and single PCR of beta-giardin genes and subsequent sequencing. Positive samples were found in 42.2% of the animals and 95.5% of the farms. Goat faecal specimens were positive for only livestock-associated G. duodenalis assemblage E genotype for both TPI and beta-giardin genes. The genetic analysis of these two loci revealed the presence of different haplotypes among the farms included in the survey and high homology with homologous genes from cattle and sheep. Altogether, the data presented here provide additional information to the prevalence and genetic characterization of Giardia isolates. The absence of assemblages A and B in this study suggests that zoonotic transmission of Giardia from goats could be of low epidemiological significance, although these findings should be validated in studies including other geographical areas, age groups and larger number of samples.

Retinal vascular speed <0.5 disc diameter per week as an early sign of retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment.

PURPOSE: To analyse the speed of temporal retinal vascularisation in preterm infants included in the screening programme for retinopathy of prematurity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 185 premature infants were studied retrospectively between 2000 and 2017 in San Cecilio University Hospital of Granada, Spain. The method of binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy with indentation was used for the examination. The horizontal disc diameter was used as a unit of length. Speed of temporal retinal vascularisation (disc diameter/week) was calculated as the ratio between the extent of temporal retinal vascularisation (disc diameter) and the time in weeks. RESULTS: The weekly temporal retinal vascularisation (0-1.25 disc diameter/week, confidence interval) was significantly higher in no retinopathy of prematurity (0.73 ± 0.22 disc diameter/week) than in stage 1 retinopathy of prematurity (0.58 ± 0.22 disc diameter/week). It was also higher in stage 1 than in stages 2 (0.46 ± 0.14 disc diameter/week) and 3 of retinopathy of prematurity (0.36 ± 0.18 disc diameter/week). The rate of temporal retinal vascularisation (disc diameter/week) decreases when retinopathy of prematurity stage increases. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.85 (95% confidence interval: 0.79-0.91) for retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment versus not requiring treatment. The best discriminative cut-off point was a speed of retinal vascularisation <0.5 disc diameter/week, with a sensitivity and a specificity of 84.8% and 77%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The rate of temporal retinal vascularisation is a quantifiable observation that can help to alert a clinician that treatment of retinopathy of prematurity may be required. However, before becoming a new standard of care for treatment, it requires careful documentation, with agreement between several ophthalmologists.

Biomonitoring of environmental estrogens in human tissues.

Two examples are presented for the application of the total effective xenoestrogen burden as biomarker of chemical exposure measured in tissue samples from patients recruited for two case-control studies. The first study focused on environmental chemicals with hormone mimicking activity, the so-called environmental estrogens, and their participation in the etiology of breast cancer. The second study investigated mother-child exposure to persistent organochlorine chemicals and assessed their combined effect on the risk of male urogenital malformations in the newborn.