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

More than 18,000 effectors in the Legionella genus genome provide multiple, independent combinations for replication in human cells.

The genus Legionella comprises 65 species, among which Legionella pneumophila is a human pathogen causing severe pneumonia. To understand the evolution of an environmental to an accidental human pathogen, we have functionally analyzed 80 Legionella genomes spanning 58 species. Uniquely, an immense repository of 18,000 secreted proteins encoding 137 different eukaryotic-like domains and over 200 eukaryotic-like proteins is paired with a highly conserved type IV secretion system (T4SS). Specifically, we show that eukaryotic Rho- and Rab-GTPase domains are found nearly exclusively in eukaryotes and Legionella Translocation assays for selected Rab-GTPase proteins revealed that they are indeed T4SS secreted substrates. Furthermore, F-box, U-box, and SET domains were present in >70% of all species, suggesting that manipulation of host signal transduction, protein turnover, and chromatin modification pathways are fundamental intracellular replication strategies for legionellae. In contrast, the Sec-7 domain was restricted to L. pneumophila and seven other species, indicating effector repertoire tailoring within different amoebae. Functional screening of 47 species revealed 60% were competent for intracellular replication in THP-1 cells, but interestingly, this phenotype was associated with diverse effector assemblages. These data, combined with evolutionary analysis, indicate that the capacity to infect eukaryotic cells has been acquired independently many times within the genus and that a highly conserved yet versatile T4SS secretes an exceptional number of different proteins shaped by interdomain gene transfer. Furthermore, we revealed the surprising extent to which legionellae have coopted genes and thus cellular functions from their eukaryotic hosts, providing an understanding of how dynamic reshuffling and gene acquisition have led to the emergence of major human pathogens

Evolution of Quality of Life and Treatment Adherence after One Year of Intermittent Bladder Catheterisation in Functional Urology Unit Patients

Objective: To determine patient difficulties and concerns when performing IBC (Intermittent Bladder Catheterisation), as well as the evolution of adherence, quality of life, and emotional state of patients one year after starting IBC. Method: A prospective, observational, multicentre study conducted in 20 Spanish hospitals with a one-year follow-up. Data sources were patient records and the King's Health Questionnaire on quality of life, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Perceived adherence was measured using the ICAS (Intermittent Catheterization Adherence Scale) and perceived difficulties with IBC were assessed using the ICDQ (Intermittent Catheterization Difficulty Questionnaire). For data analysis, descriptive and bivariate statistics were performed for paired data at three points in time (T1: one month, T2: three months, T3: one year). Results: A total of 134 subjects initially participated in the study (T0), becoming 104 subjects at T1, 91 at T2, and 88 at T3, with a mean age of 39 years (standard deviation = 22.16 years). Actual IBC adherence ranged from 84.8% at T1 to 84.1% at T3. After one year of follow-up, a statistically significant improvement in quality of life (p <= 0.05) was observed in all dimensions with the exception of personal relationships. However, there were no changes in the levels of anxiety (p = 0.190) or depression (p = 0.682) at T3 compared to T0. Conclusions: Patients requiring IBC exhibit good treatment adherence, with a significant proportion of them performing self-catheterisation. After one year of IBC, a significant improvement in quality of life was noted, albeit with a significant impact on their daily lives and their personal and social relationships. Patient support programmes could be implemented to improve their ability to cope with difficulties and thus enhance both their quality of life and the maintenance of their adherence

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

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

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

Sleep Problems Are Related to a Worse Quality of Life and a Greater Non-Motor Symptoms Burden in Parkinson’s Disease

COPPADIS Study Group.[Introduction] The aim of the present study was to examine the frequency of self-reported sleep problems and their associated factors in a large cohort of PD patients.[Methods] PD patients and controls, recruited from 35 centers of Spain from the COPPADIS cohort were included in this cross-sectional study. Sleep problems were assessed by the Spanish version of the Parkinson’s disease Sleep Scale version 1 (PDSS-1). An overall score below 82 or a score below 5 on at least 1 item was defined as sleep problems.[Results] The frequency of sleep problems was nearly double in PD patients compared to controls: 65.8% (448/681) vs 33.5% (65/206) (p < 0.0001). Mean total PDSS score was lower in PD patients than controls: 114.9 ± 28.8 vs 132.8 ± 16.3 (p < 0.0001). Quality of life (QoL) was worse in PD patients with sleep problems compared to those without: PDQ-39SI, 19.3 ± 14 vs 13 ± 11.6 (p < 0.0001); EUROHIS-QoL8, 3.7 ± 0.5 vs 3.9 ± 0.5 (p < 0.0001). Non-motor symptoms burden (NMSS; OR = 1.029; 95%CI 1.015–1.043; p < 0.0001) and impulse control behaviors (QUIP-RS; OR = 1.054; 95%CI 1.009–1.101; p = 0.018) were associated with sleep problems after adjustment for age, gender, disease duration, daily equivalent levodopa dose, H&Y, UPDRS-III, UPDRS-IV, PD-CRS, BDI-II, NPI, VAS-Pain, VAFS, FOGQ, and total number of non-antiparkinsonian treatments.[Conclusion] Sleep problems were frequent in PD patients and were related to both a worse QoL and a greater non-motor symptoms burden in PD. These findings call for increased awareness of sleep problems in PD patients.Peer reviewe

Mendelian Randomisation Confirms the Role of Y-Chromosome Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease Aetiopathogenesis in Men

Mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY) is a common ageing-related somatic event and has been previously associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, mLOY estimation from genotype microarray data only reflects the mLOY degree of subjects at the moment of DNA sampling. Therefore, mLOY phenotype associations with AD can be severely age-confounded in the context of genome-wide association studies. Here, we applied Mendelian randomisation to construct an age-independent mLOY polygenic risk score (mloy-PRS) using 114 autosomal variants. The mloy-PRS instrument was associated with an 80% increase in mLOY risk per standard deviation unit (p = 4.22 × 10−20) and was orthogonal with age. We found that a higher genetic risk for mLOY was associated with faster progression to AD in men with mild cognitive impairment (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.23, p = 0.01). Importantly, mloy-PRS had no effect on AD conversion or risk in the female group, suggesting that these associations are caused by the inherent loss of the Y chromosome. Additionally, the blood mLOY phenotype in men was associated with increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau181 in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Our results strongly suggest that mLOY is involved in AD pathogenesis.P.G.-G. (Pablo García-González) is supported by CIBERNED employment plan CNV-304-PRF-866. CIBERNED is integrated into ISCIII (Instituto de Salud Carlos III). I.d.R is supported by a national grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III FI20/00215. A.C. (Amanda Cano) acknowledges the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities under the grant Juan de la Cierva (FJC2018-036012-I). M.B. (Mercé Boada) and A.R. (Agustín Ruiz) are also supported by national grants PI13/02434, PI16/01861, PI17/01474, PI19/01240, and PI19/01301. The Genome Research @ Fundació ACE project (GR@ACE) is supported by Grifols SA, Fundación bancaria “La Caixa”, Fundació ACE, and CIBERNED. Acción Estratégica en Salud is integrated into the Spanish National R + D + I Plan and funded by ISCIII (Instituto de Salud Carlos III)—Subdirección General de Evaluación—and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER—“Una manera de hacer Europa”). Genotyping of the ACE MCI-EADB samples was performed in the context of EADB (European Alzheimer DNA biobank) funded by the JPco-fuND FP-829-029 (ZonMW project number 733051061). This work was supported by a grant (European Alzheimer DNA BioBank, EADB) from the EU Joint Program—Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND). Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag