BIVSEE — A Biologically Inspired Vision System for Enclosed Environments

Non

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Multi-agent system for fast deployment of a guide robot in unknown environments

Nowadays, deploying service robots and adapting their services to a new environment is a task which might require several days. This is an important problem of robotics in general, but specially when the goal is to bring robots to our everyday life. In this paper we present a multi-agent intelligent space, which consists on intelligent cameras and autonomous guide robots. The deployment of the system does not require expertise and can be done in a short period of time. The cameras detect situations requiring the robots’ guiding services, inform the robots accordingly, and support the robots navigation towards the goal areas, without the need of a map of the environment. An example of these situations requiring the robot guide service could be a group of persons entering a museum. In this sense, we also present an adaptive person follower behaviour intended to be the basis of a route learning process, necessary to offer the guide service.This work was supported by the research projects TIN2009-07737, INCITE08PXIB262202PR, and the grant BES-2010-040813 FPI-MICINN

Serum DJ-1/PARK 7 Is a Potential Biomarker of Choroidal Nevi Transformation

PURPOSE. There is substantial evidence that intraocular melanomas arise from benign nevi in the uveal tract. Previous studies performed by the authors revealed that uveal melanoma cells secrete the oncoprotein DJ-1/PARK7 into the extracellular environment and circulation. The aim of this study was to determine whether circulating DJ-1 serum levels correlate with known clinical risk factors of nevi growth. METHODS. Standardized ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography, and eye fundus examinations were used to evaluate the clinical risk factors of nevi growth. These clinical risk factors (including nevi size, distance of margins to the optic disc, detection of acoustic hollowness, presence of ocular symptoms, orange pigment, subretinal fluid, and absence of drusen) were examined in 53 consecutive patients from January 2009 to February 2011. Serum levels of DJ-1/PARK7 in these patients and in healthy age-and sex-matched controls (n ϭ 32) were analyzed using ELISA. RESULTS. Within the choroidal nevi group, DJ-1 serum levels were higher in those with symptoms (P Ͻ 0.033), with a nevus thickness greater than 1.5 mm (P Ͻ 0.001), a large basal diameter greater than 8 mm (P Ͻ 0.001), and the presence of acoustic hollowness (P Ͻ 0.001), compared to those patients without these risk factors. Similar significant differences were found when these at risk nevi subgroups were compared to healthy persons. CONCLUSIONS. Elevated serum levels of DJ-1 are associated with choroidal nevi transformation risk factors. Therefore, DJ-1 appears to be a promising factor for predicting the growth of choroidal nevi and may be a potential biomarker of malignancy. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53:62-67