Risks management and cobots. Identifying critical variables

Trabajo presentado en: 29th European Safety and Reliability Conference (ESREL), 22–26 September 2019, HannoverA collaborative robot or a "Cobot" is the name of a robot that can share a workspace with operators in the absence of a protective fence or with only partial protection. They represent a new and expanding sector of industrial robotics. This investigation draws from the latest international rules and safety parameters related to work with collaborative robots. Its detailed research is motivated by the design of a collaborative industrial robot system, hazard elimination, risk reduction, and different collaborative operations, such as power and force limiting, collaborative operation design, and end-effector safety requirements, among others. The purpose of our study is to analyze the most important variables that must be controlled in accordance with the desired use of the Cobot, according to ISO / TS 15066, ISO / TR 20218-1and some other generic safety regulations on machines and industrial robots. A series of observations and appreciations on the use of the Cobot will also be presented

Quaternary development of resilient reefs on the subsiding kimberley continental margin, Northwest Australia

The Kimberley region in remote northwest Australia has poorly known reef systems of two types; coastal fringing reefs and atoll-like shelf-edge reefs. As a major geomorphic feature (from 12ºS to 18ºS) situated along a subsiding continental margin, the shelf edge reefs are in a tropical realm with warm temperatures, relatively low salinity, clear low nutrient waters lacking sediment input, and Indo-West Pacific corals of moderate diversity. Seismic architecture of the Rowley Shoals reveals that differential pre-Holocene subsidence and relative elevation of the pre-Holocene substrate have controlled lagoon sediment infill and reef morphology, forming an evolutionary series reflecting differential accommodation in three otherwise similar reef systems.The Holocene core described for North Scott Reef confirms previous seismic interpretations, and provides a rare ocean-facing reef record. It demonstrates that the Indo-Pacific reef growth phase (RG111) developed during moderate rates of sea level rise of 10 mm/year from 11 to about 7-6.5 ka BP until sea level stabilization, filling the available 27 m of pre-Holocene accommodation. Despite the medium to high hydrodynamic energy imposed by the 4m tides, swell waves and cyclones the reef-building communities represent relatively low-wave energy settings due to their southeast facing and protection afforded by the proximity of the South Reef platform. This study demonstrates the resilience of reefs on the subsiding margin whilst linking Holocene reef morphology to the relative amount of pre-Holocene subsidence

Single-Proton Removal Reaction Study of 16B

The low-lying level structure of the unbound system $^{16}$B has been investigated via single-proton removal from a 35 MeV/nucleon $^{17}$C beam. The coincident detection of the beam velocity $^{15}$B fragment and neutron allowed the relative energy of the in-flight decay of $^{16}$B to be reconstructed. The resulting spectrum exhibited a narrow peak some 85 keV above threshold. It is argued that this feature corresponds to a very narrow ($\Gamma \ll$100 keV) resonance, or an unresolved multiplet, with a dominant $\pi (p_{3/2})^{-1} \otimes \nu (d_{5/2}^3)_{J=3/2^+}$ + $\pi (p_{3/2})^{-1} \otimes \nu (d_{5/2}^2,s_{1/2})_{J=3/2^+}$ configuration which decays by d-wave neutron emission.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, submitted to Phys. Lett.

Surgical Mask to Prevent Influenza Transmission in Households: A Cluster Randomized Trial

Facemasks and respirators have been stockpiled during pandemic preparedness. However, data on their effectiveness for limiting transmission are scarce. We evaluated the effectiveness of facemask use by index cases for limiting influenza transmission by large droplets produced during coughing in households.A cluster randomized intervention trial was conducted in France during the 2008-2009 influenza season. Households were recruited during a medical visit of a household member with a positive rapid influenza A test and symptoms lasting less than 48 hours. Households were randomized either to the mask or control group for 7 days. In the intervention arm, the index case had to wear a surgical mask from the medical visit and for a period of 5 days. The trial was initially intended to include 372 households but was prematurely interrupted after the inclusion of 105 households (306 contacts) following the advice of an independent steering committee. We used generalized estimating equations to test the association between the intervention and the proportion of household contacts who developed an influenza-like illness during the 7 days following the inclusion. Influenza-like illness was reported in 24/148 (16.2%) of the contacts in the intervention arm and in 25/158 (15.8%) of the contacts in the control arm and the difference between arms was 0.40% (95%CI: -10% to 11%, P = 1.00). We observed a good adherence to the intervention. In various sensitivity analyses, we did not identify any trend in the results suggesting effectiveness of facemasks.This study should be interpreted with caution since the lack of statistical power prevents us to draw formal conclusion regarding effectiveness of facemasks in the context of a seasonal epidemic.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00774774

Resolving the ancestry of Austronesian-speaking populations

There are two very different interpretations of the prehistory of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA), with genetic evidence invoked in support of both. The “out-of-Taiwan” model proposes a major Late Holocene expansion of Neolithic Austronesian speakers from Taiwan. An alternative, proposing that Late Glacial/postglacial sea-level rises triggered largely autochthonous dispersals, accounts for some otherwise enigmatic genetic patterns, but fails to explain the Austronesian language dispersal. Combining mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome and genome-wide data, we performed the most comprehensive analysis of the region to date, obtaining highly consistent results across all three systems and allowing us to reconcile the models. We infer a primarily common ancestry for Taiwan/ISEA populations established before the Neolithic, but also detected clear signals of two minor Late Holocene migrations, probably representing Neolithic input from both Mainland Southeast Asia and South China, via Taiwan. This latter may therefore have mediated the Austronesian language dispersal, implying small-scale migration and language shift rather than large-scale expansion

Regulation of DNA Methylation Patterns by CK2-Mediated Phosphorylation of Dnmt3a

DNA methylation is a central epigenetic modification that is established by de novo DNA methyltransferases. The mechanisms underlying the generation of genomic methylation patterns are still poorly understood. Using mass spectrometry and a phosphospecific Dnmt3a antibody, we demonstrate that CK2 phosphorylates endogenous Dnmt3a at two key residues located near its PWWP domain, thereby downregulating the ability of Dnmt3a to methylate DNA. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis shows that CK2 primarily modulates CpG methylation of several repeats, most notably of Alu SINEs. This modulation can be directly attributed to CK2-mediated phosphorylation of Dnmt3a. We also find that CK2-mediated phosphorylation is required for localization of Dnmt3a to heterochromatin. By revealing phosphorylation as a mode of regulation of de novo DNA methyltransferase function and by uncovering a mechanism for the regulation of methylation at repetitive elements, our results shed light on the origin of DNA methylation patterns

Caribbean-wide decline in carbonate production threatens coral reef growth

This a post-print, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Nature Communications. Copyright © 2013 Nature Publishing Group . The definitive version is available at http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v4/n1/full/ncomms2409.htmlGlobal-scale deteriorations in coral reef health have caused major shifts in species composition. One projected consequence is a lowering of reef carbonate production rates, potentially impairing reef growth, compromising ecosystem functionality and ultimately leading to net reef erosion. Here, using measures of gross and net carbonate production and erosion from 19 Caribbean reefs, we show that contemporary carbonate production rates are now substantially below historical (mid- to late-Holocene) values. On average, current production rates are reduced by at least 50%, and 37% of surveyed sites were net erosional. Calculated accretion rates (mm year(-1)) for shallow fore-reef habitats are also close to an order of magnitude lower than Holocene averages. A live coral cover threshold of ~10% appears critical to maintaining positive production states. Below this ecological threshold carbonate budgets typically become net negative and threaten reef accretion. Collectively, these data suggest that recent ecological declines are now suppressing Caribbean reef growth potential