Procedural generation applied to a video game level design

[CATALÀ] L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és crear un vídeo joc de plataformes 2D de visió lateral donant molta importància a la creació dels nivells amb generació per procediments en lloc de fer-los a mà La creació dels nivells tindrà en compte: la seva viabilitat, la seva dificultat i les regles del joc.[ANGLÈS] The objective of this project is to create a 2D side-view platformer video game with a huge focus on creating the levels with procedural generation instead of making them by hand. The creation of the levels will take into account: their feasibility, their difficulty, and the game rules

Density

[ES] El proyecto consiste en densificar el barrio Alcosa de Alfafar (Valencia). Se centra en la densificación dotacional y poblacional, mejorando las viviendas existentes y generando esos equipamientos para recuperar la población que se ha perdido.Carrión Albert, A. (2014). Density. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/118144Archivo delegad

Social mapping as a tool for participatory research in the territory. Diagnosis of ancestral land‐ scapes in indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon

El análisis del paisaje y su caracterización se realiza habitualmente bajo miradas cuantitativas, es decir, su valor se establece en relación a sus características físicas y a la potencial explotación de sus recursos. Sin embargo, la realización de diagnosis y diagnósticos desacertados y la aplicación de estrategias de gestión poco eficaces, cuestionan estas metodologías y muestran la necesidad de generar nuevas epistemologías y métodos de investigación cualitativos sobre la relación sujeto -lugar. El objetivo es analizar el potencial de la cartografía social como herramienta de investigación -acción participativa (IAP) para representar y caracterizar paisajes ancestrales de la Amazonia ecuatoriana. Para ello se han considerado narrativas comunitarias que permiten registrar tanto elementos físicos del territorio como simbólicos y culturales. Se concluye que la cartografía social es una estrategia fundamental de soberanía e instrumento político para tomar conciencia de la realidad de las comunidades tanto desde su interior como desde el exterior.The analysis of the landscape and its characterization is usually carried out from quantitative perspectives, that is, its value as established in relation to its physical characteristics and the potential use of its resources. However, misguided diagnoses and the application of ineffective management strategies question these methodologies and reveal the need to generate new epistemologies and qualitative research methods for the subject -place relationship. The objective is to analyze the potential of social cartography as a participatory action research tool (IAP) to represent and characterize ancestral landscapes of the Ecua- dorian Amazon. To this effect, the community narratives with respect to place have been used to register elements in their symbolic and cultural values. It is concluded that social cartography is a fundamental strategy of sovereignty and a political instrument to offer a true perspective of the community sense of place from within and without

Nanomechanics of tip-link cadherins

Hearing and balance rely on the transduction of mechanical stimuli arising from sound waves or head movements into electrochemical signals. This archetypal mechanoelectrical transduction process occurs in the hair-cell stereocilia of the inner ear, which experience continuous oscillations driven by undulations in the endolymph in which they are immersed. The filamentous structures called tip links, formed by an intertwined thread composed of an heterotypic complex of cadherin 23 and protocadherin 15 ectodomain dimers, connect each stereocilium to the tip of the lower sterocilium, and must maintain their integrity against continuous stimulatory deflections. By using single molecule force spectroscopy, here we demonstrate that in contrast to the case of classical cadherins, tip-link cadherins are mechanoresilient structures even at the exceptionally low Ca2+ concentration of the endolymph. We also show that the D101G deafness point mutation in cadherin 23, which affects a Ca2+ coordination site, exhibits an altered mechanical phenotype at the physiological Ca2+ concentration. Our results show a remarkable case of functional adaptation of a protein’s nanomechanics to extremely low Ca2+ concentrations and pave the way to a full understanding of the mechanotransduction mechanism mediated by auditory cadherinsThis work was supported by the BIO2010-22275 grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) to M.C.-V

Cutaneous, genital and oral lichen planus : a descriptive study of 274 patients

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the oral mucosa as well as the skin, genital mucosa and other sites. Objective: to evaluate the correlation between oral, genital and cutaneous lichen planus, in a sample of LP patients. This descriptive study reviewed 274 clinical histories of patients, who all presented histological confirmation of lichen planus verified by a pathologist, attending research centers in Barcelona. A total of 40 LP patients (14.59%) presented genital lesions. Of 131 patients with cutaneous LP (47.8%), the most commonly affected zones were the body?s flexor surfaces, representing 60.1% of cases. 24% of patients (n=55) related the start of the lesions with previous stress events. Of the 131 subjects with cutaneous lesions, 19% (n=25) also presented oral lichen planus (OLP). Of the total sample, 53.6% (n=147) of patients presented oral lesions. The systemic diseases most commonly associated with this patient sample were psychological problems such as stress, anxiety and depression (48%), hypertension (27%), gastric problems (12%), and diabetes (9.7%). A family history of lichen planus was found in only 2 cases (0,72%) out of the total of 274. Any patient with OLP should undergo a thorough history and examination to investigate potential extraoral manifestations. The fact that 37 patients with OLP in this patient series were identified with simultaneous involvement at more than one site highlights the need for thorough evaluation and multidisciplinary approaches to this disease

The nanomechanics of neurotoxina proteins reveals common features at the start of the neurodegeneration cascade.

1 pags. -- 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, FEB 25-29, 2012, San Diego, CAAmyloidogenic neurodegenerative diseases are incurable conditions caused by specific largely disordered proteins. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. A favored hypothesis postulates that a critical conformational change in the monomer (an ideal therapeutic target) in these ‘‘neurotoxic proteins’’ triggers the pathogenic cascade. Using force spectroscopy with unequivocal singlemolecule identification we demonstrate a rich conformational polymorphism at their monomer level. This polymorphism strongly correlates with amyloidogenesis and neurotoxicity: it is absent in a fibrillization-incompetent mutant, favored by familial-disease mutations and diminished by a surprisingly promiscuous inhibitor of the monomeric b-conformational change and neurodegeneration. The demonstrated ability to inhibit the conformational heterogeneity of these proteins by a single pharmacological agent reveals common features in the monomer and suggests a common pathway to diagnose, prevent, halt or reverse multiple neurodegenerative disease

Las sombras de Lady Macbeth. Análisis tematológico sobre la influencia de Lady Macbeth en la ficción televisiva estadounidense reciente

El presente estudio busca exponer, desde una perspectiva tematológica, cómo se da en la ficción televisiva estadounidense de los últimos años la representación de un personaje mítico como es Lady Macbeth. Para ello, estudiaremos en primer lugar el arquetipo al cual Shakespeare se remontó para crear a su personaje, el de la femme fatale. Posteriormente, analizaremos a Lady Macbeth, fijándonos especialmente en sus características psicológicas, al tema inherente a su personaje y a los motivos utilizados por Shakespeare para representarla, y veremos si encaja en el arquetipo de la femme fatale. En tercer lugar, analizaremos cinco personajes femeninos, de series tan importantes como Game of Thrones o The Sopranos, prestando especial detalle a la labor comparativa que nos ocupa. Por último, llegaremos a la conclusión de si la influencia que intuimos pueda existir se da realmente, y cómo se da efectivamente.El present article busca exposar, des d'una perspectiva tematològica, com es dóna a la ficció televisiva nord-americana dels últims anys la representació d'un personatge mític com Lady Macbeth. Per fer-ho, estudiarem primer l'arquetip al qual Shakespeare es va remuntar per crear el seu personatge, el de la femme fatale. Després, analitzarem Lady Macbeth, fixant-nos especialment en les seves característiques psicològiques, el seu tema inherent i els motius emprats per Shakespeare per representar-la, i veurem si encaixa dins de l'arquetip de la femme fatale. En tercer lloc, analitzarem cinc personatges femenins, de sèries tan importants com Game of Thrones o The Sopranos, prestant una especial atenció a la nostra feina comparativa. Finalment, arribarem a la conclusió de si l'influencia que intuïm pot existir es dóna realment, i com esThis study seeks to explain, from a thematological perspective, how a mythical character as Lady Macbeth is reproduced in the American television drama in recent years. In order to do this, we will study firstly the archetype in which Shakespeare soared to create his character, the femme fatale. Then, we will analyze Lady Macbeth, pointing out especially her psychological characteristics, the main theme inherent to herself and the motives that Shakespeare used to represent her. We will see if she fits in femme fatale archetype. After that, we will analyze five female characters, from important awarded TV dramas as Game of Thrones or The Sopranos, paying special attention to our comparative task. Finally, we will conclude if the influence we deduce actually exists, and how is it given

High frequency of acute decompensation and cancer in patients with compensated cirrhosis due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease : A retrospective cohort study

The natural history of compensated cirrhosis due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has not been completely characterized. The aim of the present study was to assess the incidence and risk factors of acute decompensation of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and extrahepatic cancers. This was a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study including 449 patients with compensated cirrhosis due to NAFLD. We calculated cumulative incidences and used competitive risk analysis to determine the risk factors associated with decompensation and cancer development. Over a median of 39 months of follow-up, 124 patients (28%) presented acute decompensation. The most frequent decompensation was ascites (21%) followed by hepatic encephalopathy (15%), variceal bleeding (9%), and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (3%). Acute-on-chronic liver failure was diagnosed in 6% of patients during follow-up. Liver function parameters and specifically an albumin level below 40 g/L were independently associated with an increased risk of decompensation. The presence of ischemic heart disease was independently associated with acute decompensation. Seventy-eight patients (18%) developed hepatocellular carcinoma or extrahepatic cancers during follow-up (51 and 27, respectively). Conclusion : Patients with compensated cirrhosis due to NAFLD are at high risk of severe liver complications, such as the development of acute decompensation, in a relative short follow-up time. This population is at high risk of hepatic and extrahepatic cancers. The analysis of a large contemporary cohort of 449 patients with compensated cirrhosis due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease shows a high frequency of acute decompensations (AD) and development of cancer during 39 months of follow-up. Almost 28% of the cohort developed acute decompensation and 18% developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or extrahepatic cancer. Predictors of decompensation are mainly related to liver function and portal hypertension

Common Features at the Start of the Neurodegeneration Cascade

A single-molecule study reveals that neurotoxic proteins share common structural features that may trigger neurodegeneration, thus identifying new targets for therapy and diagnosis

Dead wood gathering among Neanderthal groups: Charcoal evidence from Abric del Pastor and El Salt (Eastern Iberia)

We present here a new approach combining the microscopic characterization of fungal decay features and the fragmentation degree of the charcoal remains from Middle Palaeolithic combustion structures: features H4 and H11 from Abric del Pastor, unit IV (>75 ka BP) and features H50 and H57 from El Salt, unit Xb (ca. 52 ka BP), Eastern Iberia. The observation of wood degradation patterns that occurred prior to charring followed by their quantitative analysis according to previous experimental studies revealed differences between the alteration degrees of the firewood used in the hearths, highlighting the existence of firewood acquisition criteria based on dead wood gathering and also suggesting smoke-related functions. Coupled with fragmentation analyses, this method highlighted possible post-depositional processes affecting the higher degraded charcoals. These results lead us to propose a quantitative analysis of the fungal decay patterns on Middle Palaeolithic charcoal reinforcing the previous hypotheses about dead wood gathering among Neanderthal groups as an accessible and available resource in the surroundings. These data have significant implications for the interpretation of firewood use and management by Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers which was traditionally defined as an opportunistic activity according to the absence of selection criteria based on specific taxa