Evaluating the use of robots to enlarge AAL services

We introduce robots as a tools to enhance Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) services. Robots are a unique opportunity to create new systems to cooperate in reaching better living conditions. Robots offer the possibility of richer interaction with humans, and can perform actions to actively change the environment. The current state-of-art includes skills in various areas, including advanced interaction (natural language, visual attention, object recognition, intention learning), navigation (map learning, obstacle avoidance), manipulation (grasping, use of tools), and cognitive architectures to handle highly unpredictable environments. From our experience in several robotics projects and principally in the RoboCup@Home competition, a new set of evaluation methods is proposed to assess the maturity of the required skills. Such comparison should ideally enable the abstraction from the particular robotic platform and concentrate on the easy comparison of skills. The validity of that low-level skills can be then scaled to more complex tasks, that are composed by several skills. Our conclusion is that effective evaluation methods can be designed with the objective of enabling robots to enlarge AAL services.This research was partly supported by the PATRICIA project (TIN2012-38416-C03-01), MANIPlus project (201350E102), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and European Found for Regional Development (FEDER).Peer Reviewe

Recombinant Proteins as Antigens in Serological Diagnosis of Brucellosis

Brucellosis is considered the major zoonosis in developing countries. In susceptible animal species, diagnosis of brucellosis remains a challenge due to the variety of clinical signs that it shares with a wide range of diseases. At present, isolation of Brucella is considered the gold standard for diagnosis of brucellosis; because of its low sensitivity and becoming potentially hazardous to laboratory technicians, serology is used for the detection of specific antibodies induced by infection. However, since traditional methods commonly show drawbacks and do not differentiate between vaccinated and naturally infected animals, it is necessary to search and test immunoreactive molecules for specific diagnosis of Brucella-infected cattle, thus significantly reducing the killing of suspected herds mainly due to vaccination. Advances in biotechnology have allowed exploring the use of recombinant proteins as antigens to avoid the risk involved in the use of viable Brucella strains. The benefit of using recombinant proteins, such as outer membrane proteins (OMP) and other non-lipopolysaccharide (non-LPS) molecules as antigens, for serological diagnosis is promising, but there are still many concerns about their application. The aim of the present work is to show advances in the use of recombinant antigens and discuss their advantages and potential use as markers for the serological diagnosis in brucellosis

Angular momentum–induced delays in solid-state photoemission enhanced by intra-atomic interactions

Attosecond time-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals that photoemission from solids is not yet fully understood. The relative emission delays between four photoemission channels measured for the van der Waals crystal tungsten diselenide (WSe) can only be explained by accounting for both propagation and intra-atomic delays. The intra-atomic delay depends on the angular momentum of the initial localized state and is determined by intra-atomic interactions. For the studied case of WSe, the photoemission events are time ordered with rising initial-state angular momentum. Including intra-atomic electron-electron interaction and angular momentum of the initial localized state yields excellent agreement between theory and experiment. This has required a revision of existing models for solid-state photoemission, and thus, attosecond time-resolved photoemission from solids provides important benchmarks for improved future photoemission models.This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 613 (F.S., P.B., W.P., and U.H.), the Priority Programs SPP 1931 (C.S., M.H., and W.P.), and SPP 1840 (St.F., S.N., and W.P.); the Basque Government (grant IT-756-13 UPV/EHU) (V.M.S., E.E.K., R.D.M., P.M.E., and A.K.K.); and the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grants FIS2016-76617-P and FIS2016-76471-P) (V.M.S., E.E.K., R.D.M., P.M.E., and A.K.K.) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (CTQ2016- 80375-P) (M.T.-S.). N.M.K. acknowledges hospitality and financial support from the theory group in cooperation with the small quantum systems (SQS) research group of European XFEL.Peer Reviewe

Computed Tomography-Derived 3D Modeling to Guide Sizing and Planning of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Interventions

A plethora of catheter-based strategies have been developed to treat mitral valve disease. Evolving 3-dimensional (3D) multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) technology can accurately reconstruct the mitral valve by means of 3-dimensional computational modeling (3DCM) to allow virtual implantation of catheter-based devices. 3D printing complements computational modeling and offers implanting physician teams the opportunity to evaluate devices in life-size replicas of patient-specific cardiac anatomy. MDCT-derived 3D computational and 3D-printed modeling provides unprecedented insights to facilitate hands-on procedural planning, device training, and retrospective procedural evaluation. This overview summarizes current concepts and provides insight into the application of MDCT-derived 3DCM and 3D printing for the planning of transcatheter mitral valve replacement and closure of paravalvular leaks. Additionally, future directions in the development of 3DCM will be discussed

Global Mental Health and Nutrition: Moving Toward a Convergent Research Agenda.

Both malnutrition and poor mental health are leading sources of global mortality, disease, and disability. The fields of global food security and nutrition (FSN) and mental health have historically been seen as separate fields of research. Each have undergone substantial transformation, especially from clinical, primary care orientations to wider, sociopolitical approaches to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In recent years, the trajectories of research on mental health and FSN are further evolving into an intersection of evidence. FSN impacts mental health through various pathways such as food insecurity and nutrients important for neurotransmission. Mental health drives FSN outcomes, for example through loss of motivation and caregiving capacities. They are also linked through a complex and interrelated set of determinants. However, the heterogeneity of the evidence base limits inferences about these important dynamics. Furthermore, interdisciplinary projects and programmes are gaining ground in methodology and impact, but further guidance in integration is much needed. An evidence-driven conceptual framework should inform hypothesis testing and programme implementation. The intersection of mental health and FSN can be an opportunity to invest holistically in advancing thinking in both fields

Risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in dogs and cats: a case-control study

Risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in dogs and cats were investigated in an unmatched case-control study. A total of 197 animals from 150 veterinary practices across the United Kingdom was enrolled, including 105 MRSA cases and 92 controls with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) infection. The association of owners and veterinarian staff with the human healthcare sector (HCS) and animal-related characteristics such as signalment, antimicrobial and immunosuppressive therapy, and surgery were evaluated as putative risk factors using logistic regression. We found that significant risk factors for MRSA infection were the number of antimicrobial courses (p = 0.005), number of days admitted to veterinary clinics (p = 0.003) and having received surgical implants (p = 0.001). In addition, the odds of contact with humans which had been ill and admitted to hospital (p = 0.062) were higher in MRSA infected pets than in MSSA controls. The risk factors identified in this study highlight the need to increase vigilance towards identification of companion animal groups at risk and to advocate responsible and judicious use of antimicrobials in small animal practice

Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum

Systematic evidence and gap map of research linking food security and nutrition to mental health.

Connections between food security and nutrition (FSN) and mental health have been analytically investigated, but conclusions are difficult to draw given the breadth of literature. Furthermore, there is little guidance for continued research. We searched three databases for analytical studies linking FSN to mental health. Out of 30,896 records, we characterized and mapped 1945 studies onto an interactive Evidence and Gap Map (EGM). In these studies, anthropometry (especially BMI) and diets were most linked to mental health (predominantly depression). There were fewer studies on infant and young child feeding, birth outcomes, and nutrient biomarkers related to anxiety, stress, and mental well-being. Two-thirds of studies hypothesized FSN measures as the exposure influencing mental health outcomes. Most studies were observational, followed by systematic reviews as the next largest category of study. One-third of studies were carried out in low- and middle-income countries. This map visualizes the extent and nature of analytical studies relating FSN to mental health and may be useful in guiding future research

Da fotografia como arte à arte como fotografia: a experiência do Museu de Arte Contemporânea da USP na década de 1970

Este ensaio visa sistematizar os primeiros resultados de uma pesquisa, ainda em curso, sobre o processo de legitimação da fotografia pelo sistema de arte no Brasil, cujo foco principal é o museu. Os museus de arte da cidade de São Paulo foram escolhidos para dar início a essa investigação. Primeiramente, será abordada, em linhas gerais, a presença da fotografia no Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo e na Bienal de São Paulo, dada a vinculação de origem do Museu de Arte Contemporânea com essas duas instituições paulistanas. Na seqüência será analisada a formação do acervo fotográfico do Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo durante a década de 1970. Por fim, esse percurso permitirá observar que a atuação de Walter Zanini, o primeiro diretor do Museu, e as particularidades da posição do MAC-USP no sistema de arte no Brasil naquele período resultaram no entendimento da fotografia prioritariamente no âmbito da arte contemporânea de caráter experimental e não como obra de arte autônoma, segundo os princípios da chamada fotografia artística.This article presents the first findings of a research still under development about the process of legitimation of photography as a kind of art by the artistic scene in Brazil. The art museums of the city of São Paulo were chosen for starting that research. Initially, we will be investigating the presence of photography at the Contemporary Art Museum of São Paulo and at the Biennial of São Paulo, as the origin of the Contemporary Art Museum is tided to those two institutions. Following, the arrangement of the photographic technical reserve of the Contemporary Art Museum in the 1970s will be analyzed. This study will be focusing on the work of Walter Zanini, as the first director of the museum, and on the particularities of MAC-USP position in the art system in Brazil which resulted in the understanding of photography as belonging to the sphere of contemporary art in an experimental way and not as an autonomous work of art, according to the principals of the so called artistic photography