A physical model suggests that hip-localized balance sense in birds improves state estimation in perching: implications for bipedal robots

In addition to a vestibular system, birds uniquely have a balance-sensing organ within the pelvis, called the lumbosacral organ (LSO). The LSO is well developed in terrestrial birds, possibly to facilitate balance control in perching and terrestrial locomotion. No previous studies have quantified the functional benefits of the LSO for balance. We suggest two main benefits of hip-localized balance sense: reduced sensorimotor delay and improved estimation of foot-ground acceleration. We used system identification to test the hypothesis that hip-localized balance sense improves estimates of foot acceleration compared to a head-localized sense, due to closer proximity to the feet. We built a physical model of a standing guinea fowl perched on a platform, and used 3D accelerometers at the hip and head to replicate balance sense by the LSO and vestibular systems. The horizontal platform was attached to the end effector of a 6 DOF robotic arm, allowing us to apply perturbations to the platform analogous to motions of a compliant branch. We also compared state estimation between models with low and high neck stiffness. Cross-correlations revealed that foot-to-hip sensing delays were shorter than foot-to-head, as expected. We used multi-variable output error state-space (MOESP) system identification to estimate foot-ground acceleration as a function of hip- and head-localized sensing, individually and combined. Hip-localized sensors alone provided the best state estimates, which were not improved when fused with head-localized sensors. However, estimates from head-localized sensors improved with higher neck stiffness. Our findings support the hypothesis that hip-localized balance sense improves the speed and accuracy of foot state estimation compared to head-localized sense. The findings also suggest a role of neck muscles for active sensing for balance control: increased neck stiffness through muscle co-contraction can improve the utility of vestibular signals. Our engineering approach provides, to our knowledge, the first quantitative evidence for functional benefits of the LSO balance sense in birds. The findings support notions of control modularity in birds, with preferential vestibular sense for head stability and gaze, and LSO for body balance control,respectively. The findings also suggest advantages for distributed and active sensing for agile locomotion in compliant bipedal robots

La imagen y la narrativa como herramientas para el abordaje psicosocial en escenarios de violencia. Municipios de Bogotá y Zipaquirá.

Con este trabajo se pretende hacer una recopilación de las diferentes estrategias, herramientas y propuestas usadas para un adecuado acompañamiento psicosocial en escenarios de violencia, resaltando algunas de estas herramientas como son las narrativas las cuales permiten conocer las percepciones, sentimientos, emociones y recuerdos de las víctimas del conflicto, en donde esa persona o comunidad que cuenta su historia se reconozca a sí mismo, posibilitando integrar o reconfigurar esa identidad perdida o fragmentada y de esta manera logre hacer un proceso de reajuste emocional, empoderamiento y afrontamiento positivo. Igualmente se destaca la entrevista con sus diferentes tipos de preguntas entre las que se cuentan las preguntas estratégicas, circulares y reflexivas, como una de las principales herramientas que tiene el psicólogo para abordar estas problemáticas psicosociales y que permite tener una mejor aproximación a la experiencia inmediata de los sujetos. Finalmente se resalta la herramienta conocida como foto intervención o foto voz la cual es una importante estrategia de pedagogía social con múltiples posibilidades dentro de la acción psicosocial, que favorecen la lectura de realidades en los diferentes contextos, así como la participación, movilización y empoderamiento de los sujetos y comunidades, propiciando la sensibilización y acercamiento desde la comprensión de las subjetividades como fuentes de memoria y acción transformadora y valorar eventos psicosociales traumáticos, intervención en crisis y potenciación de recursos de afrontamiento colectivo.This work aims to make a compilation of the different strategies, tools and proposals used for adequate psychosocial support in scenarios of violence, highlighting some of these tools such as narratives which allow to know the perceptions, feelings, emotions and memories of victims of the conflict, where that person or community that tells its story recognizes itself, making it possible to integrate or reconfigure that lost or fragmented identity and achieve a process of emotional readjustment, empowerment and positive coping. We also highlight the interview with its different types of questions, including strategic, circular and reflective questions, as one of the main tools that the psychologist has to address these psychosocial problems and that allows a better approach to the immediate experience of the subjects Finally, we highlight the tool known as photo intervention or photo voice which is an important social pedagogy strategy with multiple possibilities within psychosocial action, which favor the reading of realities in different contexts, as well as the participation, mobilization and empowerment of subjects and communities, promoting awareness and approach from the understanding of subjectivities as sources of memory and transformative action and assessing traumatic psychosocial events, crisis intervention and empowerment of collective coping resources

Plan de responsabilidad social empresarial industria de Licores de Boyacá S.A. – C.I.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELKQ_y_Jcpw&rel=0Este proyecto tuvo como objetivo central la elaboración del plan de responsabilidad social empresarial, a partir de la identificación de los impactos sociales, económicos y ambientales creados por la empresa Industria de Licores de Boyacá S.A. – C.I. que incluye diferentes estrategias de solución y mitigación de estos, que al ser aplicadas aportarán valor agregado a la organización y la industria licorera. Dicha empresa se encuentra ubicada en Avenida Licorera 1ª- 05, Tunja, Boyacá.; pertenece al sector secundario. Es una empresa industrial especializada en la producción y comercialización de licores y alcoholes. Utiliza en la actualidad tecnologías de avanzada que garantizan la más alta calidad sumada a un equipo de trabajo caracterizado por el compromiso diario y permanente con el departamento de Boyacá. Se realizó el análisis del desempeño económico, social y ambiental de la organización (interno y/o externo) que permitió justificar la elaboración de un plan de responsabilidad social empresarial, haciendo énfasis en la dimensión más crítica. Además se consideró la dinámica empresarial y global de la industria licorera con el fin de visionarla como una organización socialmente responsable, creciente y competitiva en el tiempo.This Project main objective was to elaborate a corporate social responsibility plan starting from the identification of the economic, social and environmental impacts generated by the company Industria de Licores de Boyacá S.A. – C.I. that includes different strategies to fix or mitigate those impacts. Once the strategies are applied will contribute to add value to the organization and the liquor industry. This company is located at 1ª-05 Licorera Avenue, Tunja Boyacá which belongs to the secondary sector. It is an industrial company specialized in the production and commercialization of liquors and spirits. Currently, it uses state-of-the-art technologies that guarantee the highest quality. In addition to team work, the company´s quality is a daily and permanent commitment to Boyacá department. A performance analysis was made on the organization (internal or external) economic, social and environmental aspects that justifies the preparation of a corporate social responsibility plan which focuses on the most critical area. In addition, the business and global dynamics of the liquor industry were considered in order to view it as a socially responsible, growing and competitive organization over time

Biochemical diversity of carboxyl Esterases and Lipases from Lake Arreo (Spain) : a metagenomic approach

The esterases and lipases from the / hydrolase superfamily exhibit an enormous sequence diversity, fold plasticity, and activities. Here, we present the comprehensive sequence and biochemical analyses of seven distinct esterases and lipases from the metagenome of Lake Arreo, an evaporite karstic lake in Spain (42°46=N, 2°59=W; altitude, 655 m). Together with oligonucleotide usage patterns and BLASTP analysis, our study of esterases/lipases mined from Lake Arreo suggests that its sediment contains moderately halophilic and cold-adapted proteobacteria containing DNA fragments of distantly related plasmids or chromosomal genomic islands of plasmid and phage origins. This metagenome encodes esterases/lipases with broad substrate profiles (tested over a set of 101 structurally diverse esters) and habitat-specific characteristics, as they exhibit maximal activity at alkaline pH (8.0 to 8.5) and temperature of 16 to 40°C, and they are stimulated (1.5 to 2.2 times) by chloride ions (0.1 to 1.2 M), reflecting an adaptation to environmental conditions. Our work provides further insights into the potential significance of the Lake Arreo esterases/lipases for biotechnology processes (i.e., production of enantiomers and sugar esters), because these enzymes are salt tolerant and are active at low temperatures and against a broad range of substrates. As an example, the ability of a single protein to hydrolyze triacylglycerols, (non)halogenated alkyl and aryl esters, cinnamoyl and carbohydrate esters, lactones, and chiral epoxides to a similar extent was demonstrated.The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project CSD2007-00005), the European Community project MAGICPAH (FP7-KBBE-2009-245226), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and the Government of Canada through Genome Canada, Ontario Genomics Institute, and Ontario Research Fund (2009-OGI-ABC-1405 and ORF-GL2-01-004). M.-E.G. thanks the CSIC for a JAE fellowship.http://aem.asm.org/am201

Proyecto para una educación física de calidad en España. Argumentación científica

Este manuscrito recoge la argumentación científica de las siete medidas presentadas al Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes, en el Posicionamiento del colectivo del Área de Educación Física sobre las mejoras para una Educación Física de Calidad en España.This manuscript includes the scientific arguments of the seven measures submitted to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, in positioning of collective of physical education area on improvements for a physical education of quality in Spain

Posicionamiento del colectivo del área de educación física sobre las mejoras para una educación física de calidad en España

Tras un largo proceso de reflexión y consenso, se presenta al Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes, en nombre de los profesionales de la Educación Física de todos los niveles educativos de España, un posicionamiento único con el fin de trasmitir aquellas pautas y modificaciones que se cree deben acometerse para asegurar a todos los escolares de España, una Educación Física de Calidad. El posicionamiento propuesto consta de siete medidas.After a long process of reflection and consensus, it is submitted to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, on behalf of professionals of physical education of all levels of education in Spain, a unique positioning with the purpose of transmitting those guidelines and modifications that it is believed that they must undertake to ensure a physical education of quality for all Spanish schoolchildren. The proposed positioning consists of seven measures

Predictors of Global Non-Motor Symptoms Burden Progression in Parkinson’s Disease. Results from the COPPADIS Cohort at 2-Year Follow-Up

Background and Objective: Non-motor symptoms (NMS) progress in different ways between Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The aim of the present study was to (1) analyze the change in global NMS burden in a PD cohort after a 2-year follow-up, (2) to compare the changes with a control group, and (3) to identify predictors of global NMS burden progression in the PD group. Material and Methods: PD patients and controls, recruited from 35 centers of Spain from the COPPADIS cohort from January 2016 to November 2017, were followed-up with after 2 years. The Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) was administered at baseline (V0) and at 24 months ± 1 month (V2). Linear regression models were used for determining predictive factors of global NMS burden progression (NMSS total score change from V0 to V2 as dependent variable). Results: After the 2-year follow-up, the mean NMS burden (NMSS total score) significantly increased in PD patients by 18.8% (from 45.08 ± 37.62 to 53.55 ± 42.28; p < 0.0001; N = 501; 60.2% males, mean age 62.59 ± 8.91) compared to no change observed in controls (from 14.74 ± 18.72 to 14.65 ± 21.82; p = 0.428; N = 122; 49.5% males, mean age 60.99 ± 8.32) (p < 0.0001). NMSS total score at baseline (β = -0.52), change from V0 to V2 in PDSS (Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale) (β = -0.34), and change from V0 to V2 in NPI (Neuropsychiatric Inventory) (β = 0.25) provided the highest contributions to the model (adjusted R-squared 0.41; Durbin-Watson test = 1.865). Conclusions: Global NMS burden demonstrates short-term progression in PD patients but not in controls and identifies worsening sleep problems and neuropsychiatric symptoms as significant independent predictors of this NMS progression

Predictors of Loss of Functional Independence in Parkinson’s Disease: Results from the COPPADIS Cohort at 2-Year Follow-Up and Comparison with a Control Group

COPPADIS Study Group.[Background and objective] The aim of this study was to compare the progression of independence in activities of daily living (ADL) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients versus a control group, as well as to identify predictors of disability progression and functional dependency (FD).[Patients and Methods] PD patients and control subjects, who were recruited from 35 centers of Spain from the COPPADIS cohort between January 2016 and November 2017 (V0), were included. Patients and subjects were then evaluated again at the 2-year follow-up (V2). Disability was assessed with the Schwab & England Activities of Daily Living Scale (S&E-ADLS) at V0 and V2. FD was defined as an S&E-ADLS score less than 80%.[Results] In the PD group, a significant decrease in the S&E-ADLS score from V0 to V2 (N = 507; from 88.58 ± 10.19 to 84.26 ± 13.38; p < 0.0001; Cohen’s effect size = −0.519) was observed but not in controls (N = 124; from 98.87 ± 6.52 to 99.52 ± 2.15; p = 0.238). When only patients considered functional independent at baseline were included, 55 out of 463 (11.9%) converted to functional dependent at V2. To be a female (OR = 2.908; p = 0.009), have longer disease duration (OR = 1.152; p = 0.002), have a non-tremoric motor phenotype at baseline (OR = 3.574; p = 0.004), have a higher score at baseline in FOGQ (OR = 1.244; p < 0.0001) and BDI-II (OR = 1.080; p = 0.008), have a lower score at baseline in PD-CRS (OR = 0.963; p = 0.008), and have a greater increase in the score from V0 to V2 in UPDRS-IV (OR = 1.168; p = 0.0.29), FOGQ (OR = 1.348; p < 0.0001) and VAFS-Mental (OR = 1.177; p = 0.013) (adjusted R-squared 0.52; Hosmer and Lemeshow test = 0.94) were all found to be independent predictors of FD at V2.[Conclusions] In conclusion, autonomy for ADL worsens in PD patients compared to controls. Cognitive impairment, gait problems, fatigue, depressive symptoms, more advanced disease, and a non-tremor phenotype are independent predictors of FD in the short-term.Fundación Curemos el Parkinson (www.curemoselparkinson.org).Peer reviewe