Public entities driven robotic innovation in urban areas

Cities present new challenges and needs to satisfy and improve lifestyle for their citizens under the concept “Smart City”. In order to achieve this goal in a global manner, new technologies are required as the robotic one. But Public entities unknown the possibilities offered by this technology to get solutions to their needs. In this paper the development of the Innovative Public Procurement instruments is explained, specifically the process PDTI (Public end Users Driven Technological Innovation) as a driving force of robotic research and development and offering a list of robotic urban challenges proposed by European cities that have participated in such a process. In the next phases of the procedure, this fact will provide novel robotic solutions addressed to public demand that are an example to be followed by other Smart Cities.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Methodological proposals for the study of ancient rural landscapes in the central area of the Contestania

[EN]: In this paper we have two main objectives. The first is the presentation of fieldwork and geophysics assisted with GPS, GIS and other Spatial Technologies applied to archaeological research. The advantage of this approach is the scarce aggression to soils and environment and the request of smaller economic and temporary resources than other archaeological fieldwork. The second objective is to reflect on ancient land uses, the diachronic sequence and structure of a complex Iberian Iron Age and Roman site of long duration (3rd cent. BC to 7th cent. AD). The accurate mapping of dispersion of the archaeological record allows this kind of historical analysis.[ES]: Este trabajo tiene un doble propósito. Por una parte, se presentan métodos de prospección superficial, geofísica y sondeos que han estado asistidos con tecnologías geoespaciales aplicadas a la Arqueología. Este tipo de intervención destaca por su escasa agresión al subsuelo y al entorno y el requerimiento de recursos temporales y económicos menores a los de otras intervenciones arqueológicas. El segundo objetivo es reflexionar sobre los usos antiguos del suelo, la diacronía y la forma de ocupación de un complejo asentamiento que se data entre los siglos III a. C. y VII d. C., más allá del concepto puntual de yacimiento. Este análisis histórico-arqueológico se puede realizar gracias al registro en detalle de la dispersión de vestigios materiales.Peer Reviewe

Founding the House: Ritual Practices and Domestic Space in the Iberian Oppidum of El Puig d’Alcoi (Alacant)

En este trabajo presentamos las prácticas rituales identificadas en el oppidum ibérico de El Puig d’Alcoi, en el área central de la Contestania, al norte de la actual provincia de Alicante. Se trata de dos depósitos en la base de viviendas del poblado de los ss. v y iv a.C., en los que se enterraron restos de banquetes y sacrificios de animales, con la inhumación de un perinatal en uno de ellos. Los interpretamos como rituales de fundación de viviendas y se analizan en relación con la vida doméstica desarrollada en el transcurso de la ocupación del poblado, en concreto con los procesos de construcción-reconstrucción de las casas y con las relaciones sociales de la comunidad que habitó El Puig d’Alcoi.In this paper we present the ritual practices identified in the Iberian oppidum of El Puig d’Alcoi, in the central area of the ancient Contestania, in the northern part of the current province of Alicante. We present two separate deposits under the houses dated during the 5th and 4th centuries BC, in which were buried remains of banquets and animal sacrifices, with the burial of a newborn in one of them. We interpret them as foundation rituals of houses and are analysed in relation to domestic life developed in the course of the occupation of the oppidum, in particular with the processes of building-rebuilding the houses and the social relationships of the community that inhabited El Puig d’Alcoi.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto HAR2012-37003-C03-02 del MINECO y con una ayuda del Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación de la UA destinada a la formación de doctores

Sustainable robotics solutions in smart cities: The challenge of the ECHORD++ Project

The objective of this paper is to explain novel sustainable robotics solutions for cities. Those new proposals appear under the ECHORD++ project which is a good tool to meet academia and industry with the objective of providing innovative technological solutions. In this paper, authors explain the tool as well as the methodology to promote robotics research in urban environments, and the on-going experience will demonstrate that huge advances are made in this field.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

AGC1-malate aspartate shuttle activity is critical for dopaminehandling in the nigrostriatal pathway

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Llorente-Folch, I. et al. "AGC1-malate aspartate shuttle activity is critical for dopaminehandling in the nigrostriatal pathway". Journal of Neurochemistry 124.3 (2013): 347-362, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnc.12096This study was supported by grants from the Ministerio deEducacion y Ciencia BFU2008-04084/BMC (to JS), and Ciencia eInnovacion (SAF2010-16427 to MD), Comunidad de Madrid S-GEN-0269-2006 MITOLAB-CM (to JS), European Union GrantLSHM-CT-2006-518153 (to J.S.), and CureFXS E-Rare. EU/FISPS09102673, Spanish Ministry of Health (PI 082038 to MD),Marato TV3, Jerome Lejeune (JMLM/AC /08-044) to MD, Fundac-ion Medica Mutua Madrile~na (to BP), and by an institutional grantfrom the Fundacion Ramon Areces to the CBMSO. CIBERER is aninitiative of the ISCI

Epidermal growth factor secreted from submandibular salivary glands interferes with the lipolytic effect of adrenaline in mice

We had described that epidermal growth factor (EGF) interfered with the lipolytic effect of catecholamines in isolated adipocytes. Since catecholamines stimulate the release of EGF from submandibular salivary glands to blood plasma in male mice, we studied whether EGF affected also the lipolytic response to adrenaline in whole animals. We studied the effect of adrenaline in sialoadenectomized and sham-operated mice receiving or not a high dose of EGF following adrenaline injection. There was no difference in plasma EGF concentration between sham-operated and sialoadenectomized animals receiving saline. After adrenaline administration plasma EGF increased by 20-fold in sham-operated but did not increase in sialoadenectomized mice. Indeed, the increase was much higher (more than 100-fold) in mice receiving exogenous EGF. The effect of adrenaline on plasma concentration of both glycerol and nonesterified fatty acids was higher as lower was plasma EGF concentration. Isolated adipocytes obtained from sham-operated or sialoadenectomized mice had identical lipolytic response to adrenaline. The lipolytic response of adipocytes to isoproterenol was decreased by addition of EGF. To study whether the interference with the in vivo lipolytic effect of adrenaline had further metabolic consequences, we measured plasma b-hydroxybutyrate concentration in plasma. There was no difference in the response to adrenaline between sham-operated and sialoadenectomized mice in spite of the difference in plasma nonsterified fatty acid concentration. Studies in isolated hepatocytes indicated that ketogenesis run at near maximal rate in this range of substrate concentration. These results suggest that EGF in the physiological range decreases the lipolytic effect of adrenaline but does not compromise further metabolic events like the enhancement of ketogenesis

L’assentament de la Torre Redona (Alcoi) i la formació del paisatge romà a les comarques de l’Alcoià-el Comtat

Es presenten les recerques realitzades en el lloc romà de la Torre Redona (Alcoi, Alacant). S’ha emprat la combinació de tècniques de prospecció superficial, geofísica i sondejos arqueològics assistits amb tecnologies geoespacials. Els resultats mostren una ocupació ibèrica dels s. II-I aC, que va ser reorganitzada a mitjan s. I dC amb la construcció d’un assentament romà, possiblement una vil·la. Una reordenació del poblament similar es reconeix en altres territoris del sud valencià

Gastrointestinal Involvement in Dermatomyositis

Dermatomyositis is a systemic vasculopathy mainly affecting skin, muscle and lung, but may affect the gastrointestinal tract. We aim to describe clinical characteristics of patients with severe gastrointestinal involvement related to dermatomyositis in our center and medical literature. We retrospectively analysed these patients in our center, including cases of erosions/ulcers, perforation or digestive bleeding. Reported cases from April 1990 to April 2021 were reviewed through PubMed and Cochrane. From our cohort (n = 188), only 3 presented gastrointestinal compromise. All were women (10, 46 and 68 years). The initial symptom was abdominal pain and all had ≥2 episodes of digestive bleeding. All died due to complications of gastrointestinal involvement. Available pathological samples showed vascular ectasia. From the literature review (n = 50), 77% were women with a mean age of 49 years and the main symptom was abdominal pain (65%). All presented active muscular and cutaneous involvement at complication diagnosis. Mortality was 41.7%. The underlying lesion was perforation or ulcer (n = 22), intestinal wall thickening (n = 2), macroscopic inflammation (n = 2) or intestinal pneumatosis (n = 15). In 13 cases, vasculitis was described. Gastrointestinal involvement in dermatomyositis denotes severity, so an early intensive treatment is recommended. Pathological findings suggest that the underlying pathophysiological mechanism is a vasculopathy and not a true vasculitis

Video Conference vs Face‐to‐Face Group Psychotherapy for Distressed Cancer Survivors : A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective This study assesses the effectiveness of face‐to‐face group positive psychotherapy for cancer survivors (PPC) compared to its online adaptation, online group positive psychotherapy for cancer survivors (OPPC), which is held via videoconference. A two‐arm, pragmatic RCT was conducted to examine the effects of both interventions on emotional distress, posttraumatic stress (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among cancer survivors and analyze attrition to treatment. Methods Adult women with a range of cancer diagnoses were invited to participate if they experienced emotional distress at the end of their primary oncological treatment. Emotional distress, PTSS and PTG were assessed at baseline, immediately after treatment and three months after treatment. Intention‐to‐treat analyses were carried out using general linear mixed models to test the effect of the interventions overtime. Logistic regressions were performed to test differential adherence to treatment and retention to follow‐up. Results A total of 269 individuals participated. The observed treatment effect was significant in both modalities, PPC and OPPC. Emotional distress (b = − 2.24, 95%CI = ‐3.15‐ −1.33) and PTSS (b = − 3.25, 95%CI = ‐4.97‐ −1.53) decreased significantly over time, and PTG (b = 3.08, 95%CI = 0.38‐5.78) increased significantly. Treatment gains were sustained across outcomes and over time. Analyses revealed no significant differences between modalities of treatment, after adjusting for baseline differences, finding that OPPC is as effective and engaging as PPC. Conclusions The OPPC treatment was found to be effective and engaging for female cancer early survivors. These results open the door for psycho‐oncology interventions via videoconference, which are likely to lead to greater accessibility and availability of psychotherapy