An intelligent strategy for tactical movements of UAVs in disaster scenarios

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are envisioned as flexible and fast-deploying communication network for disaster scenarios, where the typical communication infrastructure is likely to be malfunctioning. A few works propose UAVs for building communication links autonomously between rescue team’s members in disaster scenarios. The techniques used are usually based on navigation, positioning, and signal strength processing. However, these techniques may not be enough if the objective is to provide communication services to the maximum number of victims and rescuers and not only to a few rescuers. In this situation, dissimilarity metrics, like the Jaccard distance, can provide information about whether the communication service provided to victims is efficient or not (e.g., providing a better distribution of the victims assigned to each UAV acting as service provider). We propose an intelligent strategy that allows UAVs to perform tactical movements in a disaster scenario, combining the Jaccard distance and artificial intelligence algorithms like hill climbing and simulated annealing. Our strategy maximizes the number of victims that are serviced by the UAVs while avoiding network disconnections. Also, a mobility model specifically developed for modelling the victims’ movements within the incident site of a disaster scenario is propose

On-siteDriverID: A secure authentication scheme based on Spanish eID cards for vehicular ad hoc networks

Security in Vehicle Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) has been a topic of interest since the origins of vehicular communications. Different approaches have been followed as new security threats have emerged in the last few years. The approach of conditional privacy has been widely used as it guarantees authentication among vehicles but not revealing their real identities. Although the real identity of the vehicle can be traced by the authorities, the process to do that is time consuming and typically involves several entities (for instance road authorities that request the identification, license plate records bodies, a judge to allow revealing the identity associated to a license plate…). Moreover, this process is always subsequent to the detection of a road situation that requires knowing the real vehicle identities. However, in vehicular scenarios, authorities would beneficiate from knowing the real drivers’ identity in advance. We propose in this paper On-SiteDriverID, a secure protocol and its application which allows authorities’ vehicles to obtain drivers’ real identities rapidly and on demand on VANET scenarios. Thus, authorities would be able to gather information about drivers and vehicles, allowing them to act in a safer and better manner in situations such as traffic control duties or emergencies. The obtained simulation results in real VANET scenarios based on real maps guarantee that in the 60–70% of cases the proposed On-SiteDriverID successfully obtains the identity of the driver

An evaluation methodology for reliable simulation based studies of routing protocols in VANETs

Vehicular Ad hoc networks (VANETs) have attracted much attention in the last decade. Many routing protocols have been proposed for VANETs and their performance is usually evaluated and compared using simulation-based studies. However, conducting reliable simulation studies is not a trivial task since many simulation parameters must be configured correctly. The selected parameters configuration can considerably affect the simulation results. This paper presents a methodology for conducting reliable simulations of routing protocols in VANETs urban scenarios. The proposed methodology includes relevant simulation aspects such as measurement period, selection of source-destination pairs for the communication traffic flows, number of simulations, mobility models based on road city maps, performance metrics and different analyses to evaluate routing protocols under different conditions. The proposed methodology is validated by comparing the simulation results obtained for Ad Hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol with and without using the proposed methodology. The obtained results confirm that by using the proposed methodology, we can achieve more reliable simulations of VANETs routing protocols.Universidad de Sevilla. V Plan Propio de InvestigaciónMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad DPI2013-44278-

An in vitro experimental investigation of oscillatory flow in the cerebral aqueduct

This in vitro study aims at clarifying the relation between the oscillatory flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the cerebral aqueduct, a narrow conduit connecting the third and fourth ventricles, and the corresponding interventricular pressure difference. Dimensional analysis is used in designing an anatomically correct scaled model of the aqueduct flow, with physical similarity maintained by adjusting the flow frequency and the properties of the working fluid. The time-varying pressure difference across the aqueduct corresponding to a given oscillatory flow rate is measured in parametric ranges covering the range of flow conditions commonly encountered in healthy subjects. Parametric dependences are delineated for the time-averaged pressure fluctuations and for the phase lag between the transaqueductal pressure difference and the flow rate, both having clinical relevance. The results are validated through comparisons with predictions obtained with a previously derived computational model. The parametric quantification in this study enables the derivation of a simple formula for the relation between the transaqueductal pressure and the stroke volume. This relationship can be useful in the quantification of transmantle pressure differences based on non-invasive magnetic-resonance-velocimetry measurements of aqueduct flow for investigation of CSF-related disorders.National Institutes of Health/ National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke through contract # 1R01NS120343-0

First report of Solanum sisymbriifolium and S. americanum as Natural weed hosts of Tomato chlorosis virus (Genus Crinivirus) in South America.

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Neuropsychological Test Barcelona-2: Theoretical and Practical Aspects

The Barcelona test (TB) is an instrument of neuropsychological assessment, developed under the influence of Luria’s ideas, and published in 1990 [1]. It explores the main cognitive functions and allows the design of graphic profiles similar to those of the Boston Test for the diagnosis of aphasia. Objective: To present the theoretical and practical characteristics of a new version of the test, the Test Barcelona-2. The new and computerized versions of test structure is described here with six modules established: (1) Language-attention-orientation; (2) Reading and writing; (3) Motorpraxis; (4) Perception-gnosis; (5) Memory; (6) Abstraction-execution. As a novelty, test allows the selection for specific profiles: alpha, beta, abbreviated, aphasia, andecological-forensic approach. The types of variables condition a different statistical approach and a differentiated form of graphic expression. The new test presents a modular structure, which allows determining intra- and inter-module dissociations. Computerization greatly facilitates the work of the clinician. In the case of aphasia the test allows to differentiate easily all its clinical forms. Keywords: Test Barceona-2, neuropsychological test; computerized workstation, modular structur

Clinical factors associated with discontinuation of ts/bDMARDs in rheumatic patients from the BIOBADASER III registry

Altres ajuts: Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS); Biogen; Bristol Myers-Squibb (BMS); Celltrion Healthcare; Lilly; Merck; Novartis; Pfizer; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals; Samsung Bioepis.Biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (ts/bDMARDs) play a pivotal role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Persistence of therapy provides an index of a drug's overall effectiveness. The objective of the study was to identify factors associated with discontinuation of ts/bDMARDs in a real-world dataset. The study population comprised patients diagnosed with RA, PsA, and AS included in the BIOBADASER registry for whom follow-up data were available until November 2019. Patient features and treatment data were included in the analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to study survival of the different drugs according to the reason for discontinuation. Factors associated with discontinuation were studied using Cox regression models and bivariate and multivariate analyses. P values of less than 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant. The study population comprised 4,752 patients who received a total of 8,377 drugs, of which 4,411 (52.65%) were discontinued. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that survival for first-line treatment was greater in all 3 groups (p < 0.001). Patients with RA had a greater risk of discontinuation if they were younger (HR, 0.99; 95% CI 0.99-1.00), if they were receiving anti-TNFα agents (HR, 0.61; 95% CI 0.54-0.70), and if they had more comorbid conditions (HR, 1.09; 95% CI 1.00-1.17). Patients with PsA had a higher risk if they were women (HR, 1.36; 95% CI 1.15-1.62) and if they were receiving other ts/bDMARDs (HR, 1.29; 95% CI 1.05-1.59). In patients with AS, risk increased with age (HR, 1.01; 95% CI 1.00-1.02), as did the number of comorbid conditions (HR, 1.27; 95% CI 1.12-1.45). The factors that most affected discontinuation of ts/bDMARDs were line of treatment, age, type of drug, sex, comorbidity and the year of initiation of treatment. The association with these factors differed with each disease, except for first-line treatment, which was associated with a lower risk of discontinuation in all 3 diseases

NOA36 Protein Contains a Highly Conserved Nucleolar Localization Signal Capable of Directing Functional Proteins to the Nucleolus, in Mammalian Cells

NOA36/ZNF330 is an evolutionarily well-preserved protein present in the nucleolus and mitochondria of mammalian cells. We have previously reported that the pro-apoptotic activity of this protein is mediated by a characteristic cysteine-rich domain. We now demonstrate that the nucleolar localization of NOA36 is due to a highly-conserved nucleolar localization signal (NoLS) present in residues 1–33. This NoLS is a sequence containing three clusters of two or three basic amino acids. We fused the amino terminal of NOA36 to eGFP in order to characterize this putative NoLS. We show that a cluster of three lysine residues at positions 3 to 5 within this sequence is critical for the nucleolar localization. We also demonstrate that the sequence as found in human is capable of directing eGFP to the nucleolus in several mammal, fish and insect cells. Moreover, this NoLS is capable of specifically directing the cytosolic yeast enzyme polyphosphatase to the target of the nucleolus of HeLa cells, wherein its enzymatic activity was detected. This NoLS could therefore serve as a very useful tool as a nucleolar marker and for directing particular proteins to the nucleolus in distant animal species

Capability assessment of the SEVIRI/MSG GPP product for the detection of areas affected by water stress

[ES] Se presenta el nuevo producto de producción primaria bruta (GPP) de EUMETSAT derivado a partir de datos del satélite geoestacionario SEVIRI/MSG (MGPP LSA-411) y se evalúa su potencial para detectar zonas afectadas por estrés hídrico (hot spots). El producto GPP se basa en la aproximación de Monteith, que modela la GPP de la vegetación como el producto de la radiación fotosintéticamente activa (PAR) incidente, la fracción de PAR absorbida (fAPAR) y un factor de eficiencia de uso de la radiación (ε). El potencial del producto MGPP para detectar hot spots se evalúa, utilizando un periodo corto de tres años, a escala local y regional, comparando con datos in situ derivados de medidas en torres eddy covariance (EC) y con datos GPP derivados de satélite (producto de 8 días MOD17A2H.v6 a 500 m y producto de 10 días GDMP a 1 km). Los resultados preliminares sobre el uso del producto MGPP en la evaluación de la respuesta del ecosistema a posibles eventos de déficit de agua ponen de manifiesto que este producto, calculado íntegramente a partir de datos MSG (EUMETSAT), ofrece una alternativa prometedora para detectar y caracterizar zonas afectadas por sequía a través de la incorporación de un coeficiente de estrés hídrico.[EN] This study aims to introduce a completely new and recently launched 10-day GPP product based on data from the geostationary MSG satellite (MGPP LSA-411) and to assess its capability to detect areas affected by water stress (hot spots). The GPP product is based on Monteith’s concept, which models GPP as the product of the incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), the fractional absorption of that flux (fAPAR) and a lightuse efficiency factor (ε). Preliminary results on the use of the MGPP product in the assessment of ecosystem response to rainfall deficit events are presented in this work for a short period of three years. The robustness of this product is evaluated at both site and regional scales across the MSG disk using eddy covariance (EC) GPP measurements and Earth Observing (EO)-based GPP products, respectively. The EO-based products belong to the 8-day MOD17A2H v6 at 500 m and the 10-day GDMP at 1 km. The results reveal the MGPP product, derived entirely from MSG (EUMETSAT) products, as an efficient alternative to detect and characterize areas under water scarcity by means of a coefficient of water stress.Trabajo financiado por los proyectos LSA SAF (EUMETSAT) y ESCENARIOS (CGL2012–35831). Agradecemos a los responsables de las torres EC la cesión de los datos de GPP.Martínez, B.; Sánchez-Ruiz, S.; Campos-Taberner, M.; García-Haro, FJ.; Gilabert, MA. (2020). Potencial del producto SEVIRI/MSG GPP en la detección de zonas afectadas por estrés hídrico. Revista de Teledetección. 0(55):17-29. https://doi.org/10.4995/raet.2020.13285OJS1729055Anyamba, A., Glennie, E., Small, J. 2018. Teleconnections and Interannual Transitions as Observed in African Vegetation: 2015-2017. Remote Sensing, 10, 1038. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10071038Bahta, Y.T., Jordaan, A., Muyambo, F. 2016. Communal Farmers' perception of drought in South Africa: policy implication for drought risk reduction. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 20, 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2016.10.007Bartholome, E. Belward, A.S. 2005. GLC2000: a new approach to global land cover mapping from Earth observation data. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 26(9), 1959-1977. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431160412331291297Bojinski, S., Verstraete, M., Peterson, T.C., Richter, C., Simmons, A., Zemp, M. 2014. The concept of essential climate variables in support of climate research, applications, and policy. American Meteorologial Society, 95(9), 1431-1443. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00047.1CGLOPS1. 2018. Copernicus Global Land Operations 'Vegetation and Energy' Product User Manual for Dry Matter Productivity (DMP) and Gross Dry Matter Productivity (GDMP). Collection 1 km, version 2- CGLOPS1_PUM_DMP1km-V2, February 2018, 47 pp.Chamaillé-Jammes, S. Fritz, H. 2009. Precipitation-NDVI relationships in eastern and southern African savannas vary along a precipitation gradient. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 30(13), 3409-3422. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431160802562206Flaming, G.M. 2004. Measurement of global precipitation. In: International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. 9, Anchorage, AK, EUA.Fuster, B., Sánchez-Zapero, J., Camacho, F., García- Haro, F.J., Campos-Taberner, M. 2017. Validation of the Climate Data Record of EUMETSAT LSA SAF SEVIRI/MSG LAI, FAPAR and FVC products. Proceedings of the V RAQRS conference, Torrent, September 2017. pp. 191-196.Garbulsky, M.F., Peñuelas, J., Papale, D., Ardo, J., Goulden, M.L., Kiely, G., et al. 2010. Patterns and controls of the variability of radiation use efficiency and primary productivity across terrestrial ecosystems. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 19, 253-267. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00504.xGarcía-Haro, F.J., Campos-Taberner, M., Sabater, N., Belda, F., Moreno, A., Gilabert, M.A., Martínez, B., Pérez-Hoyos, A., Meliá, J. 2014. Vulnerabilidad de la vegetación a la sequía en España. Revista de Teledetección, 42, 29-37. https://doi.org/10.4995/raet.2014.2283García-Haro, F.J., Campos-Taberner, M., Muñoz- Mari, J., Laparra, V., Camacho, F., Sánchez- Zapero, J., Camps-Valls, G. 2018. Derivation of global vegetation biophysical parameters from EUMETSAT polar system. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 139, 57-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2018.03.005García-Haro, F.J., Camacho, F., Martínez, B., Campos- Taberner, M., Fuster, B., Sánchez-Zapero, J., Gilabert, M.A. 2019. Climate Data Records of Vegetation Variables from Geostationary SEVIRI/MSG Data: Products, Algorithms and Applications. Remote Sensing, 11, 2103. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11182103Gilabert, M.A., Moreno, A., Maselli, F., Martínez, B., Chiesi, M., Sánchez-Ruíz, S., et al. 2015. Daily GPP estimates in Mediterranean ecosystems by combining remote sensing and meteorological data. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 102, 184- 197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2015.01.017Jones, L.A., Kimball, J.S., Reichle, R.H., Madani, N., Glassy, J., Ardizzone, J.V., et al. 2017. The SMAP level 4 carbon product for monitoring ecosystem land-atmosphere CO2 exchange. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 55(11), 6517- 6532. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2017.2729343Kummerowa, C., Simpson, J., Thielea, O., Barnesa, W., Changa, A.T.C., Stockera, E., 2000. The Status of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) after Two Years in Orbit. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 39, 1965-1982.Liu, Z., Ostrenga, D., Teng, W., Kempler, S. 2012. Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Data and Services for Research and Applications. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93, 1317-1325. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00152.1Liu, N., Harper, R. J., Dell, B., Liu, S., Yu, Z. 2017. Vegetation dynamics and rainfall sensitivity for different vegetation types of the Australian continent in the dry period 2002-2010. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 17, 2761-2782. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1811Malo, A.R Nicholson, S.E. 1990. A study of rainfall and vegetation dynamics in the African Sahel using normalized difference vegetation index. Journal of Arid Environments, 19, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-1963(18)30825-5Martínez, B., Sánchez-Ruiz, S., Gilabert, M.A., Moreno, A., Taberner, M.C., García-Haro, F.J., et al. 2018. Retrieval of daily gross primary production over Europe and Africa from an ensemble of SEVIRI/MSG products. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 65, 124-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2017.10.011Martínez, B., Gilabert, M.A., Sánchez-Ruiz, S., Taberner, M.C., García-Haro, F.J. 2020. Evaluation of the LSA-SAF gross primary production product derived from SEVIRI/MSG data (MGPP). ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 159, 220-236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2019.11.010McKee, T.B., Doesken, N.J., Kleist, K. 1993. The relationship of drought frequency and duration to time scale. 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Transcriptomic profiles and diagnostic biomarkers in the Mediterranean seagrasses Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa reveal mechanistic insights of adaptative strategies upon desalination brine stress

Seawater desalination by reverse osmosis is growing exponentially due to water scarcity. Byproducts of this process (e.g. brines), are generally discharged directly into the coastal ecosystem, causing detrimental effects, on benthic organisms. Understanding the cellular stress response of these organisms (biomarkers), could be crucial for establishing appropriate salinity thresholds for discharged brines. Early stress biomarkers can serve as valuable tools for monitoring the health status of brine-impacted organisms, enabling the prediction of long-term irreversible damage caused by the desalination industry. In this study, we conducted laboratory-controlled experiments to assess cellular and molecular biomarkers against brine exposure in two salinity-sensitive Mediterranean seagrasses: Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa. Treatments involved exposure to 39, 41, and 43 psu, for 6 h and 7 days. Results indicated that photosynthetic performance remained unaffected across all treatments. However, under 43 psu, P. oceanica and C. nodosa exhibited lipid oxidative damage, which occurred earlier in P. oceanica. Additionally, P. oceanica displayed an antioxidant response at higher salinities by accumulating phenolic compounds within 6 h and ascorbate within 7 d; whereas for C. nodosa the predominant antioxidant mechanisms were phenolic compounds accumulation and total radical scavenging activity, which was evident after 7 d of brines exposure. Finally, transcriptomic analyses in P. oceanica exposed to 43 psu for 7 days revealed a poor up-regulation of genes associated with brassinosteroid response and abiotic stress response, while a high down-regulation of genes related to primary metabolism was detected. In C. nodosa, up-regulated genes were involved in DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, and reproduction, while down-regulated genes were mainly associated with photosynthesis and ribosome assembly. Overall, these findings suggest that 43 psu is a critical salinity-damage threshold for both seagrasses; and despite the moderate overexpression of several transcripts that could confer salt tolerance, genes involved in essential biological processes were severely downregulated.FRR was financed by Fondecyt #11220425 grant from ANID, Chile. CAS was financed by project ANID InES I + D 2021 (INID210013) and by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (888415). FBM was supported by a grant from Universidad de Alicante (Grant ID: FPUUA98)