Autonomous Robotic System using Non-Destructive Evaluation methods for Bridge Deck Inspection

Bridge condition assessment is important to maintain the quality of highway roads for public transport. Bridge deterioration with time is inevitable due to aging material, environmental wear and in some cases, inadequate maintenance. Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods are preferred for condition assessment for bridges, concrete buildings, and other civil structures. Some examples of NDE methods are ground penetrating radar (GPR), acoustic emission, and electrical resistivity (ER). NDE methods provide the ability to inspect a structure without causing any damage to the structure in the process. In addition, NDE methods typically cost less than other methods, since they do not require inspection sites to be evacuated prior to inspection, which greatly reduces the cost of safety related issues during the inspection process. In this paper, an autonomous robotic system equipped with three different NDE sensors is presented. The system employs GPR, ER, and a camera for data collection. The system is capable of performing real-time, cost-effective bridge deck inspection, and is comprised of a mechanical robot design and machine learning and pattern recognition methods for automated steel rebar picking to provide realtime condition maps of the corrosive deck environments

State-of-the-art all-silicon sub-bandgap photodetectors at telecom and datacom wavelengths

Silicon-based technologies provide an ideal platform for the monolithic integration of photonics and microelectronics. In this context, a variety of passive and active silicon photonic devices have been developed to operate at telecom and datacom wavelengths, at which silicon has minimal optical absorption - due to its bandgap of 1.12 eV. Although in principle this transparency window limits the use of silicon for optical detection at wavelengths above 1.1 μm, in recent years tremendous advances have been made in the field of all-silicon sub-bandgap photodetectors at telecom and datacom wavelengths. By taking advantage of emerging materials and novel structures, these devices are becoming competitive with the more well-established technologies, and are opening new and intriguing perspectives. In this paper, a review of the state-of-the-art is presented. Devices based on defect-mediated absorption, two-photon absorption and the internal photoemission effect are reported, their working principles are elucidated and their performance discussed and compared

13. Integrating information on the role of mosquitoes for the transmission of pathogens of wildlife

Traditionally, mosquitoes have been studied given their relevance as vectors of pathogens that affect humans. However, in recent decades, their relevance as vectors of pathogens that affect wildlife has become evident. For this reason, multidisciplinary research disciplines have been developed focusing on the ecology, epidemiology and evolution of the interactions between pathogens and their hosts, including the transmission dynamics of diseases. However, there is a gap in the knowledge of mosquito-borne pathogens that affect wildlife, being necessary to study the taxa diversity, using genomic tools and, of course, their life cycles and their vectors. However, the information on the vector competence of mosquitoes for the transmission of pathogens that affect wild animals is certainly scarce. Interspecific and intraspecific differences have been evidenced. This would determine the capacity of mosquitoes to transmit parasites that infect wild animals. Different factors such as physiological and biochemical processes, or the mosquito microbiota could determine these differential capacities of mosquitoes to transmit pathogens.RGL was partially supported by a Margalida Comas contract from the Government of the Balearic Islands co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (REF: PD/038/2019) and a Juan de la Cierva Formación contract (REF: FJC2019-041291-I). JMP was financed by the project PID2020-118205GB-I00 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)

Use of a Hybrid Adeno-Associated Viral Vector Transposon System to Deliver the Insulin Gene to Diabetic NOD Mice.

Previously, we used a lentiviral vector to deliver furin-cleavable human insulin (INS-FUR) to the livers in several animal models of diabetes using intervallic infusion in full flow occlusion (FFO), with resultant reversal of diabetes, restoration of glucose tolerance and pancreatic transdifferentiation (PT), due to the expression of beta (β)-cell transcription factors (β-TFs). The present study aimed to determine whether we could similarly reverse diabetes in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse using an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) to deliver INS-FUR ± the β-TF Pdx1 to the livers of diabetic mice. The traditional AAV8, which provides episomal expression, and the hybrid AAV8/piggyBac that results in transgene integration were used. Diabetic mice that received AAV8-INS-FUR became hypoglycaemic with abnormal intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests (IPGTTs). Expression of β-TFs was not detected in the livers. Reversal of diabetes was not achieved in mice that received AAV8-INS-FUR and AAV8-Pdx1 and IPGTTs were abnormal. Normoglycaemia and glucose tolerance were achieved in mice that received AAV8/piggyBac-INS-FUR/FFO. Definitive evidence of PT was not observed. This is the first in vivo study using the hybrid AAV8/piggyBac system to treat Type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, further development is required before the system can be used for gene therapy of T1D

The role of pain-related anxiety in adolescents' disability and social impairment: ALSPAC data

Background  Anxiety, in particular pain-related anxiety, plays an important role in explaining the severity of pain complaints and pain-related disability in both adults and children with chronic pain. The fear-avoidance model (FAM) describes how pain-related anxiety plays a critical role in the maintenance of pain-avoidance behaviour, which in turn influences pain-related disability. However, the FAM does not take into account broader aspects of adolescence, such as social functioning, which could be negatively impacted by anxiety. In addition, most studies examining the role of anxiety in pain have used small convenience or clinical samples. By using a large UK epidemiological database, this study investigated the associations between pain-related anxiety, disability and judgements of social impairment.  Methods  Participants (n = 856) with recurrent pain were selected from a larger epidemiological study (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) of adolescents attending a research clinic at the age of 17 (n = 5170). Adolescents completed a self-report questionnaire on pain-related anxiety, disability and perceived social impairment.  Results  High levels of pain-related anxiety were associated with more disability. In girls, higher levels of pain-related anxiety were also related to the self-perception of greater impairment in social functioning compared with their peers.  Conclusions  Pain-related anxiety was associated with greater pain-related disability and impaired social functioning. Social functioning should be explored as an integral part of fear-avoidance models of adolescent chronic pain. © 2014 European Pain Federation-EFIC®

Aproximació del fenomen de l'illa de calor en dos entorns universitaris. Els casos de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona i la Universitat de Barcelona

La teledetecció és una disciplina per a l'adquisició de dades de la superfície de la Terra utilitzada en molts estudis climàtics, com en el seguiment de fenòmens. L'illa de calor urbana (UHI) és un d'aquests fenòmens ambientals on la seva captació és definida també com a objectiu principal del treball. Mitjançant imatges proporcionades pel satèl·lit Landsat-8, es va fer una aproximació dels dos indicadors claus de la UHI, la temperatura de la superfície i de la vegetació activa, de dos entorns universitaris. Els resultats van indicar diverses diferències entre els dos espais, on la morfologia de l'àrea i la distribució de les zones verdes, van semblar influenciar considerablement a les conclusions que van destacar positivament l'abundant presència de vegetació com a element moderador tèrmic de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Desenvolupar planificacions urbanes a consciència de la preservació el medi ambient, pot proporcionar respostes d'èxit davant la mitigació de la UHI.Remote sensing is known to be a discipline to acquire data from the Earth's surface, which is used in many climate studies, such as tracking phenomena. Urban heat island (UHI) is one of these environmental phenomena whose detection is also defined as the main objective of this study. By using Landsat-8's images, an approximation of the two key indicators of the UHI, surface temperature and active vegetation, was made in two university environments. The results indicated several differences between the two spaces, where the morphology of the area and the distribution of the green areas, seemed to considerably influence the conclusions that positively highlighted the abundant presence of vegetation as a thermal moderating element of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Developing urban planning with an awareness of environmental preservation, may provide successful answers to UHI mitigation

Less-tight versus tight control of hypertension in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The effects of less-tight versus tight control of hypertension on pregnancy complications are unclear. METHODS: We performed an open, international, multicenter trial involving women at 14 weeks 0 days to 33 weeks 6 days of gestation who had nonproteinuric preexisting or gestational hypertension, office diastolic blood pressure of 90 to 105 mm Hg (or 85 to 105 mm Hg if the woman was taking antihypertensive medications), and a live fetus. Women were randomly assigned to less-tight control (target diastolic blood pressure, 100 mm Hg) or tight control (target diastolic blood pressure, 85 mm Hg). The composite primary outcome was pregnancy loss or high-level neonatal care for more than 48 hours during the first 28 postnatal days. The secondary outcome was serious maternal complications occurring up to 6 weeks post partum or until hospital discharge, whichever was later. RESULTS: Included in the analysis were 987 women; 74.6% had preexisting hypertension. The primary-outcome rates were similar among 493 women assigned to less-tight control and 488 women assigned to tight control (31.4% and 30.7%, respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77 to 1.35), as were the rates of serious maternal complications (3.7% and 2.0%, respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 0.79 to 3.84), despite a mean diastolic blood pressure that was higher in the less-tight-control group by 4.6 mm Hg (95% CI, 3.7 to 5.4). Severe hypertension (≥160/110 mm Hg) developed in 40.6% of the women in the less-tight-control group and 27.5% of the women in the tight-control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant between-group differences in the risk of pregnancy loss, high-level neonatal care, or overall maternal complications, although less-tight control was associated with a significantly higher frequency of severe maternal hypertension. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; CHIPS Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN71416914; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01192412.)

GPCR-styrene maleic acid lipid particles (GPCR-SMALPs):their nature and potential

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) form the largest class of membrane proteins and are an important target for therapeutic drugs. These receptors are highly dynamic proteins sampling a range of conformational states in order to fulfil their complex signalling roles. In order to fully understand GPCR signalling mechanisms it is necessary to extract the receptor protein out of the plasma membrane. Historically this has universally required detergents which inadvertently strip away the annulus of lipid in close association with the receptor and disrupt lateral pressure exerted by the bilayer. Detergent-solubilized GPCRs are very unstable which presents a serious hurdle to characterization by biophysical methods. A range of strategies have been developed to ameliorate the detrimental effect of removing the receptor from the membrane including amphipols and reconstitution into nanodics stabilized by membrane scaffolding proteins (MSPs) but they all require exposure to detergent. Poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) (SMA) incorporates into membranes and spontaneously forms nanoscale poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) lipid particles (SMALPs), effectively acting like a 'molecular pastry cutter' to 'solubilize' GPCRs in the complete absence of detergent at any stage and with preservation of the native annular lipid throughout the process. GPCR-SMALPs have similar pharmacological properties to membrane-bound receptor, exhibit enhanced stability compared with detergent-solubilized receptors and being non-proteinaceous in nature, are fully compatible with downstream biophysical analysis of the encapsulated GPCR

Caspase-2 is upregulated after sciatic nerve transection and its inhibition protects dorsal root ganglion neurons from Apoptosis after serum withdrawal

Sciatic nerve (SN) transection-induced apoptosis of dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGN) is one factor determining the efficacy of peripheral axonal regeneration and the return of sensation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that caspase-2(CASP2) orchestrates apoptosis of axotomised DRGN both in vivo and in vitro by disrupting the local neurotrophic supply to DRGN. We observed significantly elevated levels of cleaved CASP2 (C-CASP2), compared to cleaved caspase-3 (C-CASP3), within TUNEL+DRGN and DRG glia (satellite and Schwann cells) after SN transection. A serum withdrawal cell culture model, which induced 40% apoptotic death in DRGN and 60% in glia, was used to model DRGN loss after neurotrophic factor withdrawal. Elevated C-CASP2 and TUNEL were observed in both DRGN and DRG glia, with C-CASP2 localisation shifting from the cytosol to the nucleus, a required step for induction of direct CASP2-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, siRNAmediated downregulation of CASP2 protected 50% of DRGN from apoptosis after serum withdrawal, while downregulation of CASP3 had no effect on DRGN or DRG glia survival. We conclude that CASP2 orchestrates the death of SN-axotomised DRGN directly and also indirectly through loss of DRG glia and their local neurotrophic factor support. Accordingly, inhibiting CASP2 expression is a potential therapy for improving both the SN regeneration response and peripheral sensory recovery