Nestinþ cells direct inflammatory cell migration in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a leading death cause. Endothelial and smooth muscle cells participate in atherogenesis, but it is unclear whether other mesenchymal cells contribute to this process. Bone marrow (BM) nestinþ cells cooperate with endothelial cells in directing monocyte egress to bloodstream in response to infections. However, it remains unknown whether nestinþ cells regulate inflammatory cells in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis. Here, we show that nestinþ cells direct inflammatory cell migration during chronic inflammation. In Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mice fed with high-fat diet, BM nestinþ cells regulate the egress of inflammatory monocytes and neutrophils. In the aorta, nestinþ stromal cells increase B30 times and contribute to the atheroma plaque. Mcp1 deletion in nestinþ cells—but not in endothelial cells only— increases circulating inflammatory cells, but decreases their aortic infiltration, delaying atheroma plaque formation and aortic valve calcification. Therefore, nestin expression marks cells that regulate inflammatory cell migration during atherosclerosis.Pro-CNIC FoundationSevero Ochoa Center of Excellence award SEV-2015-0505 to CNICWellcome Trust and MRC to the Cambridge Stem Cell InstituteMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad (RETIC Grant RD12/0042/0028 to V.A.; SAF2012-40127 to J.M-G.; Plan Nacional Grant SAF-2011-30308, Ramón y Cajal Program Grant RYC-2009-04703 and Spanish Cell Therapy Network TerCel to S.M-F.)Marie Curie Career Integration Program Grant (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-294096)ConSEPOC-Comunidad de Madrid Grant (S2010/BMD-2542)National Health Institute Blood and Transplant (United Kingdom)Horizon2020 (ERC-2014-CoG-64765)Horizon2020 (ERC-2014-CoG-64765

Holistic Vehicle Instrumentation for Assessing Driver Driving Styles

Nowadays, autonomous vehicles are increasing, and the driving scenario that includes both autonomous and human-driven vehicles is a fact. Knowing the driving styles of drivers in the process of automating vehicles is interest in order to make driving as natural as possible. To this end, this article presents a first approach to the design of a controller for the braking system capable of imitating the different manoeuvres that any driver performs while driving. With this aim, different experimental tests have been carried out with a vehicle instrumented with sensors capable of providing real-time information related to the braking system. The experimental tests consist of reproducing a series of braking manoeuvres at different speeds on a flat floor track following a straight path. The tests distinguish between three types of braking manoeuvre: maintained, progressive and emergency braking, which cover all the driving circumstances in which the braking system may intervene. This article presents an innovative approach to characterise braking types thanks to the methodology of analysing the data obtained by sensors during experimental tests. The characterisation of braking types makes it possible to dynamically classify three driving styles: cautious, normal and aggressive. The proposed classifications allow it possible to identify the driving styles on the basis of the pressure in the hydraulic brake circuit, the force exerted by the driver on the brake pedal, the longitudinal deceleration and the braking power, knowing in all cases the speed of the vehicle. The experiments are limited by the fact that there are no other vehicles, obstacles, etc. in the vehicle's environment, but in this article the focus is exclusively on characterising a driver with methods that use the vehicle's dynamic responses measured by on-board sensors. The results of this study can be used to define the driving style of an autonomous vehicle

Communication range dynamics using an energy saving self-adaptive transmission power controller in a wireless sensor network

The deployment of the nodes in a Wireless Sensors and Actuators Network (WSAN) is typically restricted by the sensing and acting coverage. This implies that the locations of the nodes may be, and usually are, not optimal from the point of view of the radio communication. And also when the transmission power is tuned for those locations, there are other unpredictable factors that can cause connectivity failures, like interferences, signal fading due to passing objects, and of course, radio irregularities. A control based self-adaptive system is a typical solution to improve the energy consumption while keeping a good connectivity. In this paper, we explore how the communication range for each node evolves along the iterations of an energy saving self-adaptive transmission power controller when using different parameter sets in an outdoor scenario, providing a WSAN that automatically adapts to surrounding changes keeping a good connectivity. The results obtained in this paper show how the parameters with the best performance keep a k-connected network, where k is in the range of the desired node degree plus or minus a specified tolerance value. In addition, the worst performance shows how a bad parameters choice can create isolated islands, groups of nodes disconnected from the rest of the network

Self-adaptive strategy based on fuzzy control systems for improving performance in wireless sensors networks

The solutions to cope with new challenges that societies have to face nowadays involve providing smarter daily systems. To achieve this, technology has to evolve and leverage physical systems automatic interactions, with less human intervention. Technological paradigms like Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are providing reference models, architectures, approaches and tools that are to support cross-domain solutions. Thus, CPS based solutions will be applied in different application domains like e-Health, Smart Grid, Smart Transportation and so on, to assure the expected response from a complex system that relies on the smooth interaction and cooperation of diverse networked physical systems. The Wireless Sensors Networks (WSN) are a well-known wireless technology that are part of large CPS. The WSN aims at monitoring a physical system, object, (e.g., the environmental condition of a cargo container), and relaying data to the targeted processing element. The WSN communication reliability, as well as a restrained energy consumption, are expected features in a WSN. This paper shows the results obtained in a real WSN deployment, based on SunSPOT nodes, which carries out a fuzzy based control strategy to improve energy consumption while keeping communication reliability and computational resources usage among boundaries

Clutch Pedal Sensorization and Evaluation of the Main Parameters Related to Driver Posture

An improper decision for the design, selection and adjustment of the components needed to control a vehicle could generate negative effects and discomfort to the driver, where pedals play a very important role. The aim of the study is to provide a first approach to develop an embedded monitoring device in order to evaluate the posture of the driver, the influence of the clutch pedal and to advise about the possible risk. With that purpose in mind, a testbed was designed and two different sets of tests were carried out. The first test collected information about the volunteers who were part of the experiment, like the applied force on the clutch pedal or the body measurements. The second test was carried out to provide new insight into this matter. One of the more significant findings to emerge from this study is that the force applied on the clutch pedal provides enough information to determine correct driver posture. For this reason, a system composed of a pedal force sensor and an acquisition/processing system can fulfil the requirements to create a healthcare system focused on driver posture

Use of Silica Based Materials as Modulators of the Lipase Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Fats under Simulated Duodenal Conditions

The effect of silica materials and their functionalization in the lipase catalyzed fat hydrolysis has been scarcely studied. Fifteen silica materials were prepared and their effect on the fat hydrolysis was measured, under simulated duodenal conditions, using the pH-stat method. The materials are composed of the combination of three supports (Stöber massive silica nanoparticles, Stöber mesoporous nanoparticles and UVM-7) and four surface functionalizations (methyl, trimethyl, propyl and octyl). In addition, the non-functionalized materials were tested. The functional groups were selected to offer a hydrophobic character to the material improving the interaction with the fat globules and the lipase. The materials are able to modulate the lipase activity and their effect depending on the support topology and the organic covering, being able to increase or reduce the fat hydrolysis. Depending of the material, relative fat hydrolysis rates of 75 to 140% in comparison with absence of the material were obtained. The results were analyzed by Partial Least Square Regression and suggest that the alkyl modified mesopores are able to improve the fat hydrolysis, by contrast the non-porous nanoparticles and the textural pores tend to induce inhibition. The effects are more pronounced for materials containing long alkyl chains and/or in absence of taurodeoxycholate

Refuerzo de pilares con tejidos de F.C.

Los pilares son los elementos estructurales más sensibles de una estructura, por lo que resulta muy frecuente su refuerzo. En el presente trabajo se realiza una campaña de ensayos de pilares en modelo reducido, para este fin. Se construyeron 30 pilares en modelo reducido, 15 de ellos de sección cuadrada y 15 de sección circular. En cada caso se formaron 3 lotes, 5 pilares sin refuerzo (pilares testigo), 5 pilares con una capa de refuerzo y 5 pilares con dos capas de refuerzo. Los ensayos se realizaron en las instalaciones de GEOCISA. El trabajo comprende un estudio teórico-experimental del comportamiento mecánico de pilares de hormigón armado reforzados por confinamiento mediante la técnica de adhesión de tejidos de fibra de carbono, sometidos a una carga axial. Se describen los modos de fallo de forma comparativa entre los distintos lotes, para plantear finalmente una serie de conclusiones y recomendaciones

Validation of a low-cost Electromyography (EMG) system via a commercial and accurate EMG device : pilot study

Electromyography (EMG) devices are well-suited for measuring the behaviour of muscles during an exercise or a task, and are widely used in many different research areas. Their disadvantage is that commercial systems are expensive. We designed a low-cost EMG system with enough accuracy and reliability to be used in a wide range of possible ways. The present article focuses on the validation of the low-cost system we designed, which is compared with a commercially available, accurate device. The evaluation was done by means of a set of experiments, in which volunteers performed isometric and dynamic exercises while EMG signals from the rectus femoris muscle were registered by both the proposed low-cost system and a commercial system simultaneously. Analysis and assessment of three indicators to estimate the similarity between both signals were developed. These indicated a very good result, with spearman’s correlation averaging above 0.60, the energy ratio close to the 80% and the linear correlation coefficient approximating 100%. The agreement between both systems (custom and commercial) is excellent, although there are also some limitations, such as the delay of the signal (1 s) and noise due to the hardware and assembly in the proposed system

IAA : Información y actualidad astronómica (15)

Sumario : INVESTIGACIÓN. Aerosoles atmosféricos: sus efectos en el clima de las atmósferas del sistema solar.-- El gas molecular en las galaxias.-- VENTANA ABIERTA. Todo un privilegio.-- CHARLAS CON...Vicent Martínez.-- ACTUALIDAD CIENTÍFICA. Un sistema planetario joven en torno a Beta Pictores.-- Una nueva visita a Canis Major .-- ACTIVIDADES IAA.-- AGENDA.Esta revista se publica con la ayuda de la Accion Especial DIF 2001-4284-E del Programa Nacional de Difusión de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología.N