35 research outputs found
Use of Biological Motion based Cues and Ecological Sounds in the Neurorehabilitation of Apraxia
Technological progress in the area of informatics and human interface platforms create a window of opportunities for the neurorehablitation of patients with motor impairments. The CogWatch project (www.cogwatch.eu) aims to create an intelligent assistance system to improve motor planning and execution in patients with apraxia during their daily activities. Due to the brain damage caused by cardiovascular incident these patients suffer from impairments in the ability to use tools, and to sequence actions during daily tasks (such as making breakfast). Based on the common coding theory (Hommel et al., 2001) and mirror neuron primate research (Rizzolatti et al., 2001) we aim to explore use of cues, which incorporate aspects of biological motion from healthy adults performing everyday tasks requiring tool use and ecological sounds linked to the action goal. We hypothesize that patients with apraxia will benefit from supplementary sensory information relevant to the task, which will reinforce the selection of the appropriate motor plan. Findings from this study determine the type of sensory guidance in the CogWatch interface. Rationale for the experimental design is presented and the relevant literature is discussed
Design and evaluation of an educational platform for implementing and testing bilateral control algorithms
This paper describes the design and evaluation of a
new platform created in order to improve the learning experience of bilateral control algorithms in teleoperation. This experimental platform, developed at Universidad PolitĂ©cnica de Madrid, is used by the students of the Master on Automation and Robotics in the practices of the subject called âTelerobotics and Teleoperationâ. The main objective is to easily implement different control architectures in the developed platform and evaluate them under different conditions to better understand the main advantages and drawbacks of each control scheme. So, the studentâs tasks are focused on adjusting the control parameters of the predefined controllers and designing new ones to analyze the changes in the behavior of the whole system. A description of the subject, main topics and the platform constructed are
detailed in the paper. Furthermore, the methodology followed in the practices and the bilateral control algorithms are presented. Finally, the results obtained in the experiments with students are also shown
Analysis of a thermal system through remote laboratories
This paper describes the experiences using remote
laboratories for thorough analysis of a thermal system, including disturbances. Remote laboratories for education in subjects of control, is a common resorted method, used by universities. This method is applied to offer a flexible service in schedules so as to obtain greater and better results of available resources. Remote laboratories have been used for controlling physical devices remotely.
Furthermore, remote labs have been used for transfer function identification of real equipment. Nevertheless, remote analyses of disturbances have not been done. The aim of this contribution is thereby to apply the experience of remote laboratories in the study of disturbances. Some experiments are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness in using remote laboratories for complete analysis of a
thermal system. Considering the remote access to thermal system, âSistema de Laboratorios a Distanciaâ (SLD) was used
Design and Development of a Multimodal Vest for Virtual Immersion and Guidance
This paper is focused on the development of a haptic vest to enhance immersion and realism in virtual environments, through vibrotactile feedback. The first steps to achieve touch-based communication are presented in order to set an actuation method based on vibration motors. Resulting vibrotactile patterns helping users to move inside virtual reality (VR). The research investigates human torso resolution and perception of vibration patterns, evaluating different kind of actuators at different locations on the vest. Finally, determining an appropriate distribution of vibration patterns allowed the generation of sensations that, for instance, help to guide in a mixed or virtual reality environment
Knockout of myoc Provides Evidence for the Role of Myocilin in Zebrafish Sex Determination Associated with Wnt Signalling Downregulation
Myocilin is a secreted glycoprotein with a poorly understood biological function and
it is mainly known as the first glaucoma gene. To explore the normal role of this protein in vivo
we developed a myoc knockout (KO) zebrafish line using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. This line
carries a homozygous variant (c.236_239delinsAAAGGGGAAGGGGA) that is predicted to result in a
loss-of-function of the protein because of a premature termination codon p.(V75EfsX60) that resulted
in a significant reduction of myoc mRNA levels. Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of
myocilin in wild-type embryonic (96 h post-fertilization) anterior segment eye structures and caudal
muscles. The protein was also detected in different adult ocular and non-ocular tissues. No gross
macroscopic or microscopic alterations were identified in the KO zebrafish, but, remarkably, we
observed absence of females among the adult KO animals and apoptosis in the immature juvenile
gonad (28 dpf) of these animals, which is characteristic of male development. Transcriptomic analysis
showed that adult KO males overexpressed key genes involved in male sex determination and
presented differentially expressed Wnt signalling genes. These results show that myocilin is required
for ovary differentiation in zebrafish and provides in vivo support for the role of myocilin as a Wnt
signalling pathway modulator. In summary, this myoc KO zebrafish line can be useful to investigate
the elusive function of this protein, and it provides evidence for the unexpected function of myocilin
as a key factor in zebrafish sex determination
2D-Tasks for Cognitive Rehabilitation
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation is a complex clinic process which tries to restore or compensate cognitive and behavioral disorders in people suffering from a central nervous system injury. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Biomedical Engineering play an essential role in this field, allowing improvement and expansion of present rehabilitation programs.
This paper presents a set of cognitive rehabilitation 2D-Tasks for patients with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). These tasks allow a high degree of personalization and individualization in therapies, based on the opportunities offered by new technologies
An innovative solution based on human-computer interaction to support cognitive rehabilitation
This contribution focuses its objective in describing the design
and implementation of an innovative system to provide cognitive
rehabilitation. People who will take advantage of this platform suffer from a
post-stroke disease called Apraxia and Action Disorganisation Syndrome
(AADS). The platform has been integrated at Universidad Politécnica de
Madrid and tries to reduce the stay in hospital or rehabilitation center by
supporting self-rehabilitation at home. So, the system acts as an intelligent
machine that guides patients while executing Activities of Daily Living (ADL),
Journal of Accessibility and Design for All
(CC) JACCES, 2014 - 4(3): 238-254. ISSN: 2013-7087
J. M. Cogollor, M. Pastorino, J. Rojo, A. Fioravanti, A. Wing, M. T. Arredondo, M. Ferre, J.
Breñosa, J. Hermsdörfer, J. De Teresa, C. Walton, A. Worthington, C. Giachritsis 239
such as preparing a simple tea, by informing them about the errors
committed and possible actions to correct them. A short introduction to
other works related to stroke, patients to work with, how the system works
and how it is implemented are provided in the document. Finally, some
relevant information from experiment made with healthy people for
technical validation is also shown.Peer Reviewe
The European Butterfly Indicator for grassland species: 1990-2013
This report presents the fifth version of the European Grassland Butterfly Indicator, one of the EU biodiversity indicators of the European Environment Agency
Olive oil intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in the PREDIMED Study
Background: It is unknown whether individuals at high cardiovascular risk sustain a benefit in cardiovascular
disease from increased olive oil consumption. The aim was to assess the association between total olive oil intake,
its varieties (extra virgin and common olive oil) and the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in a
Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.
Methods: We included 7,216 men and women at high cardiovascular risk, aged 55 to 80 years, from the
PREvenciĂłn con DIeta MEDiterrĂĄnea (PREDIMED) study, a multicenter, randomized, controlled, clinical trial.
Participants were randomized to one of three interventions: Mediterranean Diets supplemented with nuts or
extra-virgin olive oil, or a control low-fat diet. The present analysis was conducted as an observational prospective
cohort study. The median follow-up was 4.8 years. Cardiovascular disease (stroke, myocardial infarction and
cardiovascular death) and mortality were ascertained by medical records and National Death Index. Olive oil
consumption was evaluated with validated food frequency questionnaires. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards
and generalized estimating equations were used to assess the association between baseline and yearly repeated
measurements of olive oil intake, cardiovascular disease and mortality.
Results: During follow-up, 277 cardiovascular events and 323 deaths occurred. Participants in the highest
energy-adjusted tertile of baseline total olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil consumption had 35% (HR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47
to 0.89) and 39% (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.44 to 0.85) cardiovascular disease risk reduction, respectively, compared to the
reference. Higher baseline total olive oil consumption was associated with 48% (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.93) reduced
risk of cardiovascular mortality. For each 10 g/d increase in extra-virgin olive oil consumption, cardiovascular disease
and mortality risk decreased by 10% and 7%, respectively. No significant associations were found for cancer and
all-cause mortality. The associations between cardiovascular events and extra virgin olive oil intake were significant
in the Mediterranean diet intervention groups and not in the control group.
Conclusions: Olive oil consumption, specifically the extra-virgin variety, is associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular
disease and mortality in individuals at high cardiovascular risk
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Report on computational assessment of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes from the International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group
Funder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI)Funder: National Center for Research Resources under award number 1 C06 RR12463-01, VA Merit Review Award IBX004121A from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development Service, the DOD Prostate Cancer Idea Development Award (W81XWH-15-1-0558), the DOD Lung Cancer Investigator-Initiated Translational Research Award (W81XWH-18-1-0440), the DOD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (W81XWH-16-1-0329), the Ohio Third Frontier Technology Validation Fund, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Program in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program (CTSA) at Case Western Reserve University.Funder: Susan G Komen Foundation (CCR CCR18547966) and a Young Investigator Grant from the Breast Cancer Alliance.Funder: The Canadian Cancer SocietyFunder: Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), Grant No. 17-194Abstract: Assessment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is increasingly recognized as an integral part of the prognostic workflow in triple-negative (TNBC) and HER2-positive breast cancer, as well as many other solid tumors. This recognition has come about thanks to standardized visual reporting guidelines, which helped to reduce inter-reader variability. Now, there are ripe opportunities to employ computational methods that extract spatio-morphologic predictive features, enabling computer-aided diagnostics. We detail the benefits of computational TILs assessment, the readiness of TILs scoring for computational assessment, and outline considerations for overcoming key barriers to clinical translation in this arena. Specifically, we discuss: 1. ensuring computational workflows closely capture visual guidelines and standards; 2. challenges and thoughts standards for assessment of algorithms including training, preanalytical, analytical, and clinical validation; 3. perspectives on how to realize the potential of machine learning models and to overcome the perceptual and practical limits of visual scoring