Developing a virtual reality and AI-based framework for advanced digital manufacturing and nearshoring opportunities in Mexico.

The growing expansion of the manufacturing sector, particularly in Mexico, has revealed a spectrum of nearshoring opportunities yet is paralleled by a discernible void in educational tools for various stakeholders, such as engineers, students, and decision-makers. This paper introduces a state-of-the-art framework, incorporating virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to metamorphose the pedagogy of advanced manufacturing systems. Through a case study focused on the design, production, and evaluation of a robotic platform, the framework endeavors to offer an exhaustive educational experience via an interactive VR environment, encapsulating (1) Robotic platform system design and modeling, enabling users to immerse themselves in the design and simulation of robotic platforms under varied conditions; (2) Virtual manufacturing company, presenting a detailed virtual manufacturing setup to enhance users' comprehension of manufacturing processes and systems, and problem-solving in realistic settings; and (3) Product evaluation, wherein users employ VR to meticulously assess the robotic platform, ensuring optimal functionality and customer satisfaction. This innovative framework melds theoretical acumen with practical application in advanced manufacturing, preparing entities to navigate Mexico's manufacturing sector's vibrant and competitive nearshoring landscape. It creates an immersive environment for understanding modern manufacturing challenges, fostering Mexico's manufacturing sector growth, and maximizing nearshoring opportunities for stakeholders.

Path Generator with Unpaired Samples Employing Generative Adversarial Networks.

Interactive technologies such as augmented reality have grown in popularity, but specialized sensors and high computer power must be used to perceive and analyze the environment in order to obtain an immersive experience in real time. However, these kinds of implementations have high costs. On the other hand, machine learning has helped create alternative solutions for reducing costs, but it is limited to particular solutions because the creation of datasets is complicated. Due to this problem, this work suggests an alternate strategy for dealing with limited information: unpaired samples from known and unknown surroundings are used to generate a path on embedded devices, such as smartphones, in real time. This strategy creates a path that avoids virtual elements through physical objects. The authors suggest an architecture for creating a path using imperfect knowledge. Additionally, an augmented reality experience is used to describe the generated path, and some users tested the proposal to evaluate the performance. Finally, the primary contribution is the approximation of a path produced from a known environment by using an unpaired dataset.

Path Planning Generator with Metadata through a Domain Change by GAN between Physical and Virtual Environments.

Increasingly, robotic systems require a level of perception of the scenario to interact in real-time, but they also require specialized equipment such as sensors to reach high performance standards adequately. Therefore, it is essential to explore alternatives to reduce the costs for these systems. For example, a common problem attempted by intelligent robotic systems is path planning. This problem contains different subsystems such as perception, location, control, and planning, and demands a quick response time. Consequently, the design of the solutions is limited and requires specialized elements, increasing the cost and time development. Secondly, virtual reality is employed to train and evaluate algorithms, generating virtual data. For this reason, the virtual dataset can be connected with the authentic world through Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), reducing time development and employing limited samples of the physical world. To describe the performance, metadata information details the properties of the agents in an environment. The metadata approach is tested with an augmented reality system and a micro aerial vehicle (MAV), where both systems are executed in an authentic environment and implemented in embedded devices. This development helps to guide alternatives to reduce resources and costs, but external factors limit these implementations, such as the illumination variation, because the system depends on only a conventional camera.

Plantas medicinales y aromáticas como hospederas de enemigos naturales de Saissetia oleaeen arreglos espacio-temporales para el cultivo agroecológico de Olea europea / Medicinal and aromatic plants as hosts of natural enemies of Saissetia oleaein spatio-temporal arrangements for the agroecological cultivation of Olea europea

Medicinal and aromatic plants can be considered as "multifunctional plants" due to the diverse properties and ecosystem services they provide in agroecosystems. Among the latter, they regulate the populations of insect pests in crops, harboring their natural enemies. In order to determine the plant species with the greatest presence of natural enemies of Saissetia oleae in an agro-ecological crop of Olea europea, biological corridors with species of medicinal and aromatic plants were established in three sectors of the farm. The plants were collected together with the farmers of the Maipo Province and sticky pheromone traps, vacuum cleaner and entomological umbrella were used to collect the arthropods. The results indicate that Calendula officinalis, Borago officinalis, Aquilea millefolium, Linun usitatissimun, Chamaemulum nobile, Origanum vulgare, Artemisia agrotanum and Symphytum officinale are the species with the highest presence of S. oleae natural enemies identified as Coccophagussp., Metaphycus helvolus, Metaphycus lounsbury, Metaphycussp., Rhyzobius lophanthae, Scutellista caerulea.

Las plantas medicinales y aromáticas pueden ser consideradas como "plantas multifuncionales" por las diversas propiedades y servicios ecosistémicos que prestan en los agroecosistemas. entre estos últimos, regulan las poblaciones de insectos plagas en los cultivos albergando enemigos naturales de éstas con el objetivo de determinar las especies vegetales con mayor presencia de enemigos naturales de Saissetia oleae en un cultivo agroecológico de Olea europea se establecieron corredores biológicos con especies de plantas medicinales y aromáticas en tres sectores de la finca. Las plantas se colectaron junto con los agricultores de la Provincia del Maipo y para la recolección de los artrópodos se utilizaron trampas pegajosas de feromonas, aspirador y paraguas entomológico los resultados indican que Calendula officinalis, Borago officinalis, Aquilea millefolium, Linun usitatissimun, Chamaemulum nobile, Origanum vulgare, Artemisia agrotanum y Symphytum officinale son las especies con mayor presencia de enemigos naturales de S. oleae identificados como Coccophagus sp., Metaphycus helvolus, Metaphycus lounsbury, Metaphycus sp., Rhyzobius lophanthae, Scutellista caerulea.

High performance of rapid influenza diagnostic test and variable effectiveness of influenza vaccines in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDT) and influenza vaccines' effectiveness (VE) during an outbreak setting. METHODS: We compared the performance of a RIDT with RT-PCR for influenza virus detection in influenza-like illness (ILI) patients enrolled during the 2016/17 season in Mexico City. Using the test-negative design, we estimated influenza VE in all participants and stratified by age, virus subtype, and vaccine type (trivalent vs quadrivalent inactivated vaccines). The protective value of some clinical variables was evaluated by regression analyses. RESULTS: We enrolled 592 patients. RT-PCR detected 93 cases of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, 55 of AH3N2, 141 of B, and 13 A/B virus infections. RIDT showed 90.7% sensitivity and 95.7% specificity for influenza A virus detection, and 91.5% sensitivity and 95.3% specificity for influenza B virus detection. Overall VE was 33.2% (95% CI: 3.0-54.0; p = 0.02) against any laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. VE estimates against influenza B were higher for the quadrivalent vaccine. Immunization and occupational exposure were protective factors against influenza. CONCLUSIONS: The RIDT was useful to detect influenza cases during an outbreak setting. Effectiveness of 2016/17 influenza vaccines administered in Mexico was low but significant. Our data should be considered for future local epidemiological policies.

Inflammatory profiles in severe pneumonia associated with the pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus isolated in Mexico City.

The immune mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of severe pneumonia associated with the A/H1N1 virus are not well known. The objective of this study was to determine whether severe A/H1N1-associated pneumonia can be explained by the emergence of particular T-cell subsets and the cytokines/chemokines they produced, as well as distinct responses to infection. T-cell subset distribution and cytokine/chemokine levels in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were determined in patients with severe A/H1N1 infection, asymptomatic household contacts, and healthy controls. Cytokine and chemokine production was also evaluated after in vitro infection with seasonal H1N1 and pandemic A/H1N1 strains. We found an increase in the frequency of peripheral Th2 and Tc2 cells in A/H1N1 patients. A trend toward increased Tc1 cells was observed in household contacts. Elevated serum levels of IL-6, CXCL8, and CCL2 were found in patients and a similar cytokine/chemokine profile was observed in BAL, in which CCL5 was also increased. Infection assays revealed that both strains induce the production of several cytokines/chemokines at 24 and 72 h, however, IL-6, CCL3, and CXCL8 were strongly up-regulated in 72-h cultures in presence of the A/H1N1 virus. Several inflammatory mediators are up-regulated in peripheral and lung samples from A/H1N1-infected patients who developed severe pneumonia. In addition, the A/H1N1 strain induces higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines than the seasonal H1N1 strain. These findings suggest that it is possible to identify biomarkers of severe pneumonia and also suggest the therapeutic use of immunomodulatory drugs in patients with severe pneumonia associated with A/H1N1 infection.

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and tributyltin (TBT) in Barcelona harbour sediments and their impact on benthic communities.

Sediments have long been recognised as a sink for many contaminants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and tributyltin (TBT), which by virtue of their nature can strongly adsorb onto sediments affecting the benthic community inhabiting them. Using geographical information systems, this study reports and combines the results of several already existing studies along Barcelona harbour in order to assess the potential ecological impacts of these contaminants on the benthos of the harbour ecosystem. Chemical analysis indicated low to moderate contents of PAHs and high contents of TBT in sediments in Barcelona harbour. Comparison against existing sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) indicated that acutely toxic effects would not be expected for PAHs but for TBT, which represents a serious environmental threat for the benthic community. Benthos surveys revealed a deterioration of the benthic community throughout the harbour, especially in the inner port.

Lupus eritematoso generalizado: estudio hormonal en pacientes con amenorrea secundaria / Systemic lupus erythematosus: hormonal studies in patients with secondary amenorrhea

La presencia de amenorrea secundaria se ha descrito como una manifestación frecuente en el lupus eritematoso generalizado (LEG), que puede ocurrir en pacientes sin tratamiento o puede estar relacionada a la administración de esteroides o inmunosupresores. Estudiamos el perfil hormonal de 5 pacientes con LEG sin tratamiento, quienes desarrollaron amenorrea secundaria durante el curso del padecimiento. Las determinaciones basales de gonadotrofinas (LH y FSH), prolactina (PRL) y estradiol (E2) se realizaron por radioinmunoanálisis. En todos los casos se encontraron niveles bajos de LH, FSH y E2 con PRL normal. La prueba de estimulación con LH-RH (100 micron g) sugirió una alteración hipotalámica o suprahipotalámica. Las manifestaciones clínicas del LEG incluyeron artritis, serisitis, fenómeno de Raynaud, úlceras orales, y eritema facial con fotosensibilidad. No hubo compromiso en sistema nervioso central una paciente desarrolló nefropatía que fue corroborada histopatológicamente como una glomerulonefritis mesangial. Los hallazgos serológicos fueron anticuerpos anti-RNPn y anti-Sm positivos y anticuerpos anti-DNA negativos. Las hormonas sexuales modulan la expresión de la autoinmunidad en el LEG y está demostrado que mientras los andrógenos ejercen un papel protector, los estrógenos acentúan este proceso. Las características clínicas y serológicas de nuestras pacientes sugieren un padecimiento de curso benigno, por lo que es posible que el hipoestrogenismo pueda resultar en una menor gravedad del LEG