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Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a syndrome whose only difference compared to other children's conditions is the mother's alcohol consumption during pregnancy. An earlier diagnosis of FASD improving the quality of life of children and adolescents. For this reason, this study focus on evaluating the use of the artificial neural network (ANN) to classify children with FASD and explore how accurate it is. ANN has been used to diagnose cancer, diabetes, and other diseases in the medical area, being a tool that presents good results. The data used is from a battery of tests from children for 5-18 years old (include tests of psychometric, saccade eye movement, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)). We study the different configurations of ANN with dense layers. The first one predicts 75\% of the outcome correctly for psychometric data. The others models include a feature layer, and we used it to predict FASD using every test individually. The models accurately predict over 70\% of the cases, and psychometric and memory guides predict over 88\% accuracy. The results suggest that the ANN approach is a competitive and efficient methodology to detect FASD. However, we could be careful in used as a diagnostic technique.

This dissertation describes our efforts toward the total synthesis of complex natural products in the Lycopodium alkaloid and phomactin terpenoid families. The first chapter focuses on our strategy to construct fawcettimine-type Lycopodium alkaloids (such as palhinine A) that contain unique bridging ring systems. The synthesis of a model substrate to examine an atom- transfer radical cyclization is described, as well as the synthesis of a 6-5-9 tricycle that could serve as a common intermediate to access many fawcettimine-type natural products.After observing an unprecedented hydroamination while working toward the synthesis of Lycopodium alkaloids, we explored the possibility that trimethylsilyl iodide (TMSI) could be a novel effector of this transformation. The second chapter describes our optimization studies of this hydroamination reaction on simple sulfonamides. We show that catalytic amounts of TMSI and water are unique in their ability to effect hydroamination and hydroetherification of unactivated olefins at room temperature. We found that the iodide anion is crucial to obtain high reactivity at low temperatures.The third chapter of this dissertation provides background and initial strategies toward the synthesis of phomactin natural products. Biological activity and previous syntheses are described. Our general strategy for accessing the phomactin terpenoids by utilizing strategic C–C activation of a cyclobutanol-derived substrate is illustrated as well as initial strategies and model studies. These include investigating C(sp3)–H functionalization reactions with a ketone-derived directing group and assessing the ability to accomplish a hydrazine/aldehyde “traceless” bond construction.The fourth chapter describes the development of our synthetic route to access several phomactin-like compounds. This has been accomplished through exploiting the unique properties of cyclobutanol-containing compounds. Both π-allyl cross-coupling and aldehyde addition reactions are efficient means of appending the linear fragment to the [3.1.1]bicycle. Templated macrocyclization was achieved in excellent yield, aided by the scaffolding ability of the rigid [3.1.1]bicycle. The cyclobutanol was selectively cleaved open through the action of rhodium catalysis. We’ve shown mechanistically that the products of this process are dependent on subtle changes to the substrate as well as the solvent. Final functionalizations include a reductive sulfone removal in the presence of an enone moiety via the intermediacy of an in situ generated cyclopropanol “protecting group”.

Looking for a complete modular software development paradigm, this article presents Join Point Interface JPI Feature Models, in the context of a JPI and Feature-Oriented Programming FOP symbiosis paradigm. Therefore, this article describes pros and cons of JPI and FOP approaches for the modular software and software product line production, respective; and highlights the benefits of this mixing proposal; in particular, the JPI Feature Model benefits for a high-level software product line modeling. As an application example, this article applies JPI Features Models on a classic FOP example already modeled using a previous aspect-oriented feature model proposal. Main goals of this application are to visualize traditional feature models preserved components such alternative and optional feature sets and optional and mandatory features as well as special features associations (cross-tree constraints), and differences and advantages with respect to previous research works about extending feature model to support aspect-oriented modeling principles.

Feature-oriented programming FOP, and aspect-oriented programming AOP have been used to develop modular software product lines SPL. Both approaches focus on modularizing classes behavior and crosscutting concerns CC. Therefore, the symbiosis of FOP and AOP would permit reaching pros and cons of both software development approaches. Concretely, FOP permits a modular refinement of classes collaboration for software product lines SPL -an adequate structural representation of heterogeneous CC, but FOP does not well represent homogeneous CC. On the other hand, traditional AOP structurally well modularizes homogeneous CC, but aspects are not adequate to represent collaboration of classes for software evolution. In addition, AOP solutions present implicit dependencies and strong coupling between classes and aspects. Since Join Point Interface JPI solves mentioned AOP issues, this paper present JPI Feature Modules to represent and modularize the structure of FOP and JPI SPL instances, i.e., classes and join point interfaces for a transparent implementation in a FOP and JPI context. This paper, highlights benefits of a FOP and JPI symbiosis for the modular software conception using a case study to exemplify its use.

El cumplimiento de la ley de Zipf es ampliamente reconocido en la literatura de economía urbana, al punto de utilizar su coeficiente como medida de concentración espacial de la población. Mientras el exceso de concentración presenta problemas al bienestar social debido a la existencia de disparidades regionales y congestión de algunas ciudades, la dispersión no aprovecha, por ejemplo, los beneficios en la disminución de los costos de producción producidos por las economías de escalas. Diversos trabajos se han realizado a fin de dar una explicación al cumplimiento a la ley de Zipf, donde los modelos top-down, que fuerzan el cumplimiento de la ley de Zipf, dominan la literaria. Pocos trabajos han intentado explicar el cumplimiento de Zipf usando autómatas celulares. Estas propuestas, llamadas bottom-up, generan de manera emergente la distribución y los tamaños de las ciudades. Sin embargo, estos modelos son poco flexibles y no pueden ser adaptados a distintos sectores geográficos. Este trabajo propone una implementación inicial de un modelo extensible basado en autómatas celulares, llamado CityCA, para intentar explicar el coeficiente de Zipf. Se evaluó y adaptó CityCA a un escenario real, Chile. Los resultados de la simulación son los esperados. Muestra que el coeficiente de Zipf se acerca más a la sobreconcentración que a la dispersión, igual que en la realidad. Con este modelo, los economistas urbanos no requieren conocimientos de programación avanzada, pues este modelo especializado ya contiene el conocimiento. Además, surgen nuevos requerimientos que se incorporarán en un trabajo futuro de CityCA. The fulfillment of the Zipfs law is widely recognized in urban economics literature. Indeed, its coefficient is used as a measure of spatial concentration of a population. Whereas the concentration excess has problems associated with social welfare due to the existence of regional disparities and the congestion in some cities, the dispersion does not take advantage of, for example, the benefits of reducing costs of production generated by economies of scale. Several studies have been performed in order to give an explanation to the fulfillment of Zipfs law, where the top-down models, that force the fulfillment of Zipfs law, have dominated the literature. Some proposals have attempted to explain the fulfillment of Zipf using cellular automata. These bottom-up proposals generate the distribution and sizes of cities in an emergent way. However, these models are not flexible and extensible, therefore, these proposals cannot be adapted to different geographical areas. This paper proposes an initial implementation of a flexible and extensible model based on cellular automata, called CityCA, which tries to explain the Zipf coefficient. CityCA was evaluated and adapted to a real scenario, Chile. The simulation results were as expected, since they show that the ratio is closer to Zipf over-concentration than the dispersion, as in reality. With this model and implementation, urban economists do not require advanced programming knowledge, since CityCA already integrates specific knowledge.

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es analizar cuantitativamente los contenidos de programas de Ingeniería en Sistemas de Información y Control de Gestión en Chile. El método utilizado se basa en la recolección y clasificación de los contenidos incorporados en las mallas de los programas. Los datos obtenidos se analizan con la técnica estadística Kruskal-Wallis. Los resultados indican que existen diferencias significativas entre estos nuevos programas y las ingenierías tradicionales. Además el estudio incorpora un análisis en relación a programas similares en el extranjero y discute otros aspectos sobre las instituciones que forman estos profesionales. Este estudio es el primero sobre este tipo de programas de formación superior en Chile. The main goal of this paper is to quantitatively analyze the contents of engineering in management information systems and management control programs in Chile. The methodology used is based on the collection and classification of the contents of these programs. The data obtained were analyzed with a statistical technique known as Kruskal-Wallis. The results show that there are significant differences between the new and the traditional engineering programs. In addition, this study involves an analysis that compares the similarity between Chilean and foreign programs and discusses other aspects of the institutions that form these professionals. This paper presents a pioneer study about these university programs in Chile.

Ajax has allowed JavaScript programmers to create interactive, collaborative, and user-centered Web applications, known as Web 2.0 Applications. These Web applications behave as distributed systems because processors are user machines that are used to send and receive messages between one another. Unsurprisingly, these applications have to address the same causality issues present in distributed systems like the need a) to control the causality between messages sent and responses received and b) to react to distributed causal relations. JavaScript programmers overcome these issues using rudimentary and alternative techniques that largely ignore the distributed computing theory. In addition, these techniques are not very flexible and need to intrusively modify these Web applications. In this paper, we study how causality issues affect these applications and present WeCa, a practical library that allows for modular and flexible control over these causality issues in Web applications. In contrast to current proposals, WeCa is based on (stateful) aspects, message ordering strategies, and vector clocks. We illustrate WeCa in action with several practical examples from the realm of Web applications. For instance, we analyze the flow of information in Web applications like Twitter using WeCa.

Diarrhea in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may cause malabsorption of medications and failure of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We prospectively evaluated human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1)-infected patients with and without chronic diarrhea initiating ART in Haiti. We report mean plasma antiretroviral concentrations at 2 and 4 weeks. We measured plasma HIV-1 RNA levels at four points. Fifty-two HIV-1-infected patients (26 matched pairs) were enrolled. No differences in antiretroviral concentrations were detected. At week 24, 18/25 (72%) cases and 16/24 (68%) controls had undetectable plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (P = 0.69). Patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels > 50 copies/mL at week 24 had lower early efavirenz concentrations than patients with undetectable HIV-1 RNA (2,621 ng/mL versus 5,278 ng/mL; P = 0.02). Diarrhea at ART initiation does not influence plasma concentrations of the medications evaluated. Virologic outcome at Week 24 does correlate with efavirenz concentrations early in therapy but not with the presence of chronic diarrhea.

Something Between Us is a comi-tragedy, a novel that deals with the relationships between a group of adolescent friends. Set in a small South African mining town in the 1980s, against a general backdrop of political upheaval and border conflict, it aims to explore the nature and consequences of these relationships within the context of a central incident, in which the novel's narration reveals some of the wider fracture lines in the South Africa that was, and the South Africa that is today. Something Between Us is also a satire, in the manner in which it treats the behaviours, attitudes and idiomatic turns of speech that would characterize a certain sector of white youth from this particular era. The intention of the novel is to reveal, albeit with a comic-serio touch, the ways in which South Africa's past, as refracted through young lives, continues to reach into the present.

Polymorphisms in CYP2B6 are known to predict increased steady-state plasma concentrations of efavirenz. We characterized relationships between genetic polymorphisms and plasma efavirenz concentrations among 45 Haitians who initiated antiretroviral therapy in Port-au-Prince.

Objectives. To investigate to what extent local children exposed to community violence develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whether the symptom profile is typical or atypical, and how detection can be improved.Design. A cross-sectional study of two samples of children with a high risk of past exposure to violence.Setting and subjects. Sixty Xhosa-speaking children aged 10 - 16 years; 30 from the Children's Home which serves Khayelitsha, and 30 from a school in a violent area of KhayelitshaOutcome measures. A shortened version of the Survey of Exposure to Community Violence (SECV) was administered to determine exposure to violence. Structured questionnaires and a clinical assessment were used to elicit symptoms and make psychiatric diagnoses.Results. All 60 children reported exposure to indirect violence, 57 (95%) had witnessed violence, and 34 (56%) had experienced violence themselves. Twenty-four (40%) met the criteria for one or more DSM-III-R diagnoses and 13 (21.7%) met the criteria lor PTSD.Conclusions. Community violence places children at a high risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders and many children develop PTSD. None of the children in the school sample had received intervention prior to the study, pointing towards an urgent need for increased community and professional awareness of children at risk.

Stavudine (d4T) was, until recently, one of the most widely prescribed antiretroviral drugs worldwide. While there has been a major shift away from d4T use in resource-limited countries, a large number of patients have previously received (or continue to receive) d4T, and many have developed peripheral neuropathy. The identification of genetic predictors of increased risk might suggest novel therapeutic targets for such patients. In AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol 384, antiretroviral-naive patients were randomized to d4T/didanosine (ddI)-or zidovudine/lamivudine-containing regimens. Data from d4T/ddI recipients were analyzed for genome-wide associations (approximately 1 million genetic loci) with new onset distal sensory peripheral neuropathy. Analyses involved 254 patients (49 % White, 34 % Black, 17 % Hispanic), comprising 90 peripheral neuropathy cases (32 grade 1, 35 grade 2, 23 grade 3) and 164 controls. After correcting for multiple comparisons, no polymorphism was consistently associated with neuropathy among all patients, among White, Black, and Hispanic patients analyzed separately, both in genome-wide analyses (threshold, P