Enseñanza introductoria de la programación de robots

El interés por la robótica entre alumnos de la carrera de Ingeniería en Informática y la ausencia de temas directamente relacionados con la misma en el currículum, junto con la disponibilidad cada vez mayor de robots a costos accesibles, ha motivado la formación de un grupo de trabajo de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Católica de Salta en la temática. El primer objetivo ha sido el diseño de un taller de introducción a la programación de robots. Dicho taller permite a los alumnos incursionar en la disciplina usando tanto un robot real como un simulador, e integrar algunas habilidades ya adquiridas a lo largo de la carrera, con la motivación añadida de ver resultados al aplicarlas al control del robot. El trabajo realizado abre también posibilidades para la investigación en robótica, en particular para los alumnos que quieran seguir investigando desde el ámbito de sus proyectos de grado.Eje: Innovación en Educación InformáticaRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Enseñanza introductoria de la programación de robots

El interés por la robótica entre alumnos de la carrera de Ingeniería en Informática y la ausencia de temas directamente relacionados con la misma en el currículum, junto con la disponibilidad cada vez mayor de robots a costos accesibles, ha motivado la formación de un grupo de trabajo de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Católica de Salta en la temática. El primer objetivo ha sido el diseño de un taller de introducción a la programación de robots. Dicho taller permite a los alumnos incursionar en la disciplina usando tanto un robot real como un simulador, e integrar algunas habilidades ya adquiridas a lo largo de la carrera, con la motivación añadida de ver resultados al aplicarlas al control del robot. El trabajo realizado abre también posibilidades para la investigación en robótica, en particular para los alumnos que quieran seguir investigando desde el ámbito de sus proyectos de grado.Eje: Innovación en Educación InformáticaRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Enseñanza introductoria de la programación de robots

El interés por la robótica entre alumnos de la carrera de Ingeniería en Informática y la ausencia de temas directamente relacionados con la misma en el currículum, junto con la disponibilidad cada vez mayor de robots a costos accesibles, ha motivado la formación de un grupo de trabajo de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Católica de Salta en la temática. El primer objetivo ha sido el diseño de un taller de introducción a la programación de robots. Dicho taller permite a los alumnos incursionar en la disciplina usando tanto un robot real como un simulador, e integrar algunas habilidades ya adquiridas a lo largo de la carrera, con la motivación añadida de ver resultados al aplicarlas al control del robot. El trabajo realizado abre también posibilidades para la investigación en robótica, en particular para los alumnos que quieran seguir investigando desde el ámbito de sus proyectos de grado.Eje: Innovación en Educación InformáticaRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Accelerated oxygen-induced retinopathy is a reliable model of ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization

Retinal ischemia and pathological angiogenesis cause severe impairment of sight. Oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) in young mice is widely used as a model to investigate the underlying pathological mechanisms and develop therapeutic interventions. We compared directly the conventional OIR model (exposure to 75% O-2 from postnatal day (P) 7 to P12) with an alternative, accelerated version (85% O-2 from P8 to P11). We found that accelerated OIR induces similar pre-retinal neovascularization but greater retinal vascular regression that recovers more rapidly. The extent of retinal gliosis is similar but neuroretinal function, as measured by electroretinography, is better maintained in the accelerated model. We found no systemic or maternal morbidity in either model. Accelerated OIR offers a safe, reliable and more rapid alternative model in which pre-retinal neovascularization is similar but retinal vascular regression is greater

Stabilization of myeloid-derived HIFs promotes vascular regeneration in retinal ischemia

The retinal vasculature is tightly organized in a structure that provides for the high metabolic demand of neurons while minimizing interference with incident light. The adverse impact of retinal vascular insufficiency is mitigated by adaptive vascular regeneration but exacerbated by pathological neovascularization. Aberrant growth of neovessels in the retina is responsible for impairment of sight in common blinding disorders including retinopathy of prematurity, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration. Myeloid cells are key players in this process, with diverse roles that can either promote or protect against ocular neovascularization. We have previously demonstrated that myeloid-derived VEGF, HIF1, and HIF2 are not essential for pathological retinal neovascularization. Here, however, we show by cell-specific depletion of Vhl in a mouse model of retinal ischemia (oxygen-induced retinopathy, OIR) that myeloid-derived HIFs promote VEGF and bFGF expression and enhance vascular regeneration in association with improved density and organization of the astrocytic network

Development of an optimized AAV2/5 gene therapy vector for Leber congenital amaurosis owing to defects in RPE65

Leber congenital amaurosis is a group of inherited retinal dystrophies that cause severe sight impairment in childhood; RPE65-deficiency causes impaired rod photoreceptor function from birth and progressive impairment of cone photoreceptor function associated with retinal degeneration. In animal models of RPE65 deficiency, subretinal injection of recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) 2/2 vectors carrying RPE65 cDNA improves rod photoreceptor function, and intervention at an early stage of disease provides sustained benefit by protecting cone photoreceptors against retinal degeneration. In affected humans, administration of these vectors has resulted to date in relatively modest improvements in photoreceptor function, even when retinal degeneration is comparatively mild, and the duration of benefit is limited by progressive retinal degeneration. We conclude that the demand for RPE65 in humans is not fully met by current vectors, and predict that a more powerful vector will provide more durable benefit. With this aim we have modified the original AAV2/2 vector to generate AAV2/5-OPTIRPE65. The new configuration consists of an AAV vector serotype 5 carrying an optimized hRPE65 promoter and a codon-optimized hRPE65 gene. In mice, AAV2/5-OPTIRPE65 is at least 300-fold more potent than our original AAV2/2 vector

A Large Hadron Electron Collider at CERN

This document provides a brief overview of the recently published report on the design of the Large Hadron Electron Collider (LHeC), which comprises its physics programme, accelerator physics, technology and main detector concepts. The LHeC exploits and develops challenging, though principally existing, accelerator and detector technologies. This summary is complemented by brief illustrations of some of the highlights of the physics programme, which relies on a vastly extended kinematic range, luminosity and unprecedented precision in deep inelastic scattering. Illustrations are provided regarding high precision QCD, new physics (Higgs, SUSY) and electron-ion physics. The LHeC is designed to run synchronously with the LHC in the twenties and to achieve an integrated luminosity of O(100) fb$^{-1}$. It will become the cleanest high resolution microscope of mankind and will substantially extend as well as complement the investigation of the physics of the TeV energy scale, which has been enabled by the LHC

Light interception principally drives the understory response to boxelder invasion in riparian forests

Since several decades, American boxelder (Acer negundo) is replacing white willow (Salix alba) riparian forests along southern European rivers. This study aims to evaluate the consequences of boxelder invasion on understory community in riparian areas. We determined the understory species richness, composition and biomass in boxelder and white willow stands located in three riparian forests, representative of three rivers with distinct hydrological regimes. We investigated correlation of these variables to soil moisture and particle size, main soil nutrient stocks, potential nitrification and denitrification, tree canopy cover and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) at the ground level. A greenhouse experiment was then conducted to identify the causal factors responsible for changes in the understory. The effect of soil type, PAR level and water level on the growth and the biomass production of Urtica dioica were examined. A lower plant species richness and biomass, and a modification of community composition were observed for boxelder understory in all sites, regardless of their environmental characteristics. The strongest modification that follows boxelder invasion was the decline in U. dioica, the dominant species of the white willow forest understory. These differences were mainly correlated with a lower incident PAR under boxelder canopy. The greenhouse experiment identified PAR level as the main factor responsible for the changes in U. dioica stem number and biomass. Our results indicate that adult boxelder acts as an ecosystem engineer that decreases light availability. The opportunistic invasion by boxelder leads to important understory changes, which could alter riparian ecosystem functioning