Modeling and Balancing of Spherical Pendulum using a Parallel Kinematic Manipulator

The balancing act of an inverted pendulum with a robotic manipulator is a classical benchmark for testing modern control strategies in conjunction with fast sensor-guided movements. From the control design perspective, it presents a challenging and difficult problem as the system is open-loop unstable and includes nonlinear effects in the actuators, such as friction, backlash, and elasticity. In addition, the necessity of a sensor system that can measure the inclination angles of the pendulum contributes to the complexity of the balancing problem. The pendulum is projected onto the xz and yz planes of the inertial coordinate system. These projections are controlled by a state-space controller. A specially developed sensor system allows the contactless measurement of the inclination angles of the pendulum. This system consists of a small magnet, placed at the bottom of the pendulum and Hall-effect sensors placed below the end effector

Characteristics and management of patients with SARS-CoV2 infection admitted to pediatric intensive care units: Data analysis of the Spanish national multicenter registry

SARS-COV-2; Mechanical ventilation; Pediatric intensive careSARS-COV-2; Ventilació mecànica; Cures intensives pediàtriquesSARS-COV-2; Ventilacion mecanica; Cuidados intensivos pediátricosIntroduction The purpose of this study is to describe the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) disease characteristics and management in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care units (PICU). Methods The present study was based on a national multicentric prospective registry including PICU patients with SARS-CoV2 infection or symptoms of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Results A total of 298 patients were admitted to 41 different Spanish PICUs. A total of 76% of them were previously healthy. The most frequent manifestation was MIS-C (69.8%). On admission, 59.4% of patients did not have respiratory distress, and only 17.4% needed conventional mechanical ventilation (MV). The need for MV was associated with age (incidence rate ratios [IRR] 1.21, p < .012), pediatric sequential organ failure assessment score (p-SOFA) Score (IRR 1.12, p = .001), and need for transfusion (IRR 4.5, p < .004) in MIS-C patients, and with vasoactive drug use (IRR 2.73, p = .022) and the diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (IRR 2.83, p = .018) in patients admitted for other reasons. During the first day of admission, 56% of patients met shock criteria and 50.7% needed vasoactive drugs. In MIS-C patients, their use was associated with higher p-SOFA score (IRR 1.06, p < .001) and with the diagnosis of shock (IRR 5.78, p < .001). In patients without MIS-C, it was associated with higher p-SOFA score (IRR 1.05, p = .022). The mortality rate was 3%, being lower in MIS-C patients compared to patients admitted for other reasons (0.5% vs. 9.4%, p < .001). It was also lower in previously healthy patients compared to patients with previous comorbidities (0.9% vs. 9.7%, p < .001). Conclusions Severe SARS-CoV2 infection is uncommon in the pediatric population. In our series, respiratory distress was rare, being MIS-C the most frequent cause of PICU admission related to SARS-CoV2. In most cases, the course of the disease was mild except in children with previous diseases.This study has been founded by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) through the COVID-19 found. Ref. COV20-00944. The founder had no role in study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation

Els materials de construcció: de l’aula a l’obra. Una experiència d’aprenentatge actiu en entorn virtual

El projecte consisteix en el disseny i desenvolupament d’eines i metodologia adequades per tal de facilitar a l’alumnat la visualització, comprensió i estudi de diferents aspectes relatius als materials de construcció. Així, per una banda s’han elaborat materials audiovisuals sota criteris d’adequació pedagògica en els quals es presenta un aspecte relacionat amb l’obtenció i aplicació de diversos materials de construcció. D’altra banda, a partir de l’experiència mostrada es desenvolupa una activitat que porta a l'alumne a reflexionar sobre els coneixements adquirits (a l'aula, al laboratori i a través del visionat dels vídeos) i a consolidar aquests coneixements, millorant així el seu aprenentatge. Les possibilitats que ofereix l’entorn virtual basat en la plataforma Moodle, a través del Campus Digital Atenea permeten gestionar les activitats proposades.Peer Reviewe

Complex links between natural tuberculosis and porcine circovirus type 2 infection in wild boar

Individuals in natural populations are exposed to a diversity of pathogens which results in coinfections. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between natural infection with tuberculosis (TB) due to infection by bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in free-ranging Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). Apparent prevalence for TB lesions and PCV2 infection was extremely high in all age classes, including piglets (51% for TB; 85.7% for PCV2). Modeling results revealed that the relative risk of young (less than 2 years old) wild boar to test positive to PCV2 PCR was negatively associated with TB lesion presence. Also, an interaction between TB, PCV2, and body condition was evidenced: in wild boar with TB lesions probability of being PCV2 PCR positive increased with body condition, whereas this relation was negative for wild boar without TB lesions. This study provides insight into the coinfections occurring in free-ranging host populations that are naturally exposed to several pathogens at an early age. Using TB and PCV2 as a case study, we showed that coinfection is a frequent event among natural populations that takes place early in life with complex effects on the infections and the hosts.This is a contribution to Plan Nacional I + D + i AGL2011-30041 from MINECO and ANTIGONE (Project no. 278976). Ph.D students (BBB, IDD, and JAB) were supported by predoctoral grants from JCCM and MINECO.Peer Reviewe

Assessment of an oral Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine and an inactivated M. bovis preparation for wild boar in terms of adverse reactions, vaccine strain survival, and uptake by nontarget species

Wildlife vaccination is increasingly being considered as an option for tuberculosis control. We combined data from laboratory trials and an ongoing field trial to assess the risk of an oral Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine and a prototype heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis preparation for Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). We studied adverse reactions, BCG survival, BCG excretion, and bait uptake by nontarget species. No adverse reactions were observed after administration of BCG (n = 27) or inactivated M. bovis (n = 21). BCG was not found at necropsy (175 to 300 days postvaccination [n = 27]). No BCG excretion was detected in fecal samples (n = 162) or in urine or nasal, oral, or fecal swab samples at 258 days postvaccination (n = 29). In the field, we found no evidence of loss of BCG viability in baits collected after 36 h (temperature range, 11°C to 41°C). Camera trapping showed that wild boar (39%) and birds (56%) were the most frequent visitors to bait stations (selective feeders). Wild boar activity patterns were nocturnal, while diurnal activities were recorded for all bird species. We found large proportions of chewed capsules (29%) (likely ingestion of the vaccine) and lost baits (39%) (presumably consumed), and the proportion of chewed capsules showed a positive correlation with the presence of wild boar. Both results suggest proper bait consumption (68%). These results indicate that BCG vaccination in wild boar is safe and that, while bait consumption by other species is possible, this can be minimized by using selective cages and strict timing of bait deployment.This is a contribution to Plan Nacional I+D+i AGL2011-30041 from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), Spain, and FEDER and to EU FP7 grant WildTBvac. B.B.-B. and I.D.-D. were supported by MINECO grants BES-2009-017401 and BES-2012-052490, respectively. J.A.B. was supported by MICINN grant FPU12/00980.Peer Reviewe

Mindfulness y rehabilitación neurocognitiva

Resumen: Los últimos datos aportados por la Comisión Europea señalan que la demencia afecta actualmente a casi cincuenta millones de personas en todo el mundo y que cada año se detectan 7.7 millones de nuevos casos. A día de hoy, el Alzheimer es la demencia más padecida por la población mundial pudiendo constituir en términos relativos el 70% de las demencias. En la actualidad no existen tratamientos farmacológicos que den una respuesta definitiva a este tipo de patologías. Las utilizaciones de terapias no farmacológicas abren un amplio abanico de posibilidades desde el ámbito de la prevención, y de la mejora de la calidad de vida en cuidadores y familiares de enfermos con demencia, básicamente con sintomatología de “sobrecarga”. En este articulo hacemos una revisión sobre investigaciones relacionadas con la “atención plena” ( MF) y de su implementación como estrategias potenciales en el abordaje de este tipo de patologías. Los últimos trabajos aportados con técnicas morfométricas por neuroimagen constituyen un importante avance a la hora de intentar aportar evidencia científica en este campo.Abstract: Nowadays approximately fifty million persons are suffering from dementia throughout the world according to the latest statistics of the European Commission (2016). Moreover, every year new 7.7 million instances of this disease are detected. At this moment, Alzheimer’s disease would be the most common mental disorder in terms of world population health, in other words, this disease can signify 70% of all dementia. Even now pharmacological treatments are ineffective. Consequently, utilization of non pharmacological therapies is opening a wide range of possibilities aimed to increase prevention and, at the same time, improvement in living standards of careers and relatives of patients with dementia who are usually overburdened. This presentation contains a review about researches on mindfulness (MF) and its implementation like potentially strategies aimed to treat this disorder

Synthesis and biological properties of new 5-nitroindazole derivatives

A series of new 3-alkoxy- or 3-hydroxy-1-[ω-(dialkylamino)alkyl]-5- nitroindazoles have been synthesized and their trichomonacidal, antichagasic and antineoplastic properties studied. Five derivatives (5, 6, 8, 9 and 17) showed remarkable trichomonacidal activity against Trichomonas vaginalis at 10 μg/mL concentration. Three compounds (8, 10, 11) exhibited interesting antichagasic activity and these same compounds moderate antineoplastic activity against TK-10 and HT-29 cell lines. Unspecific cytotoxicity against macrophages has also been evaluated and only compounds 9, 10 and 11 resulted cytotoxic at the higher dose evaluated (100 μg/mL), loosing cytotoxicity at lower doses. QSAR studies have been carried out. X-ray crystallographic study of compound 8 has been performed. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer Reviewe

Zoonotic "Enterocytozoon bieneusi" genotypes in free-ranging and farmed wild ungulates in Spain

Microsporidia comprises a diverse group of obligate, intracellular, and spore-forming parasites that infect a wide range of animals. Among them, Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most frequently reported species in humans and other mammals and birds. Data on the epidemiology of E. bieneusi in wildlife are limited. Hence, E. bieneusi was investigated in eight wild ungulate species present in Spain (genera Ammotragus, Capra, Capreolus, Cervus, Dama, Ovis, Rupicapra, and Sus) by molecular methods. Faecal samples were collected from free-ranging (n = 1058) and farmed (n = 324) wild ungulates from five Spanish bioregions. The parasite was detected only in red deer (10.4%, 68/653) and wild boar (0.8%, 3/359). Enterocytozoon bieneusi infections were more common in farmed (19.4%, 63/324) than in wild (1.5%, 5/329) red deer. A total of 11 genotypes were identified in red deer, eight known (BEB6, BEB17, EbCar2, HLJD-V, MWC_d1, S5, Type IV, and Wildboar3) and three novel (DeerSpEb1, DeerSpEb2, and DeerSpEb3) genotypes. Mixed genotype infections were detected in 15.9% of farmed red deer. Two genotypes were identified in wild boar, a known (Wildboar3) and a novel (WildboarSpEb1) genotypes. All genotypes identified belonged to E. bieneusi zoonotic Groups 1 and 2. This study provides the most comprehensive epidemiological study of E. bieneusi in Spanish ungulates to date, representing the first evidence of the parasite in wild red deer populations worldwide. Spanish wild boars and red deer are reservoir of zoonotic genotypes of E. bieneusi and might play an underestimated role in the transmission of this microsporidian species to humans and other animal

Role of MUC1 rs4072037 polymorphism and serum KL-6 levels in patients with antisynthetase syndrome

Mucin 1/Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) is proposed as a serum biomarker of several interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), including connective tissue disorders associated with ILD. However, it has not been studied in a large cohort of Caucasian antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD) patients. Consequently, we assessed the role of MUC1 rs4072037 and serum KL-6 levels as a potential biomarker of ASSD susceptibility and for the differential diagnosis between patients with ILD associated with ASSD (ASSD-ILD +) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). 168 ASSD patients (149 ASSD-ILD +), 174 IPF patients and 523 healthy controls were genotyped for MUC1 rs4072037 T > C. Serum KL-6 levels were determined in a subgroup of individuals. A significant increase of MUC1 rs4072037 CC genotype and C allele frequencies was observed in ASSD patients compared to healthy controls. Likewise, MUC1 rs4072037 TC and CC genotypes and C allele frequencies were significantly different between ASSD-ILD+ and IPF patients. Additionally, serum KL-6 levels were significantly higher in ASSD patients compared to healthy controls. Nevertheless, no differences in serum KL-6 levels were found between ASSD-ILD+ and IPF patients. Our results suggest that the presence of MUC1 rs4072037 C allele increases the risk of ASSD and it could be a useful genetic biomarker for the differential diagnosis between ASSD-ILD+ and IPF patients

Survey of Culicoides-borne bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses at the wildlife-livestock interface in Doñana National Park (Spain)

A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the circulation of bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV) within the wild and domestic ungulate host community in Doñana National Park (southwestern Spain). A total of 440 animals, including 138 cattle, 102 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 101 fallow deer (Dama dama) and 99 wild boar (Sus scrofa), were sampled in 2015 during the seasonal peak of Culicoides spp. (summer–autumn). Serum and spleen samples were analysed to detect exposure (using commercial blocking ELISAs) and infection (by RT-PCR), respectively, to BTV and SBV. Cattle were not tested by BTV-bELISA because all were previously vaccinated against BTV serotypes 1 and 4. High BTV seroprevalences were found in red deer (97.0%) and fallow deer (64.7%). Antibodies against SBV were detected in 37.0% of cattle, 16.8% of red deer, 23.5% of fallow deer and 2.0% of wild boar. Thirty-eight of the 203 deer (18.7%; 17 red deer and 21 fallow deer) were co-exposed to both viral agents. BTV-4 RNA was confirmed in four red deer and two fallow deer. SBV RNA was found in two fallow deer. Co-infections were not detected. Our results indicate high exposure, widespread distribution and active circulation of BTV and SBV in the ruminant community in the study area. We provide additional evidence for the potential role of wild cervids as reservoirs of these Culicoides-borne viruses in two different epidemiological scenarios: with vaccination (BTV) and without vaccination (SBV) of sympatric livestock. This study highlights the importance of wildlife surveillance, particularly of cervid species, for the proper execution of control programmes of Culicoides-borne diseases in extensively reared livestock.This study has benefited from the financial aid of research grants funded by MINECO (AGL2016-76358-R and PID2019-111699RB-I00). S. Jiménez-Ruiz holds a PhD contract from the UCLM co-supported by the European Social Fund (2018/12504). D. González-Barrio was funded by MCI through Juan de la Cierva (FJCI-2016-27875) and ‘Sara Borrell’ (CD19CIII/00011) postdoctoral fellowships. This research was also supported by CIBER (CB2021) - NextGenerationEU.Peer reviewe