La utilidad de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TICs) para la prevención de la depresión

Setzenes Jornades de Foment de la Investigació (Any 2011)Los problemas de salud mental generan costes importantes, tanto desde un punto de vista personal como económico y social. La Organización Mundial de la Salud estima que los problemas de salud mental suponen entre el 3% y 4% del PNB de los estados miembros de la Unión Europea (Gabriel, 2000). Estas enfermedades se refieren, principalmente, a los trastornos del estado de ánimo y a los trastornos de ansiedad. Estos datos subrayan la importancia de desarrollar estrategias y procedimientos para ayudar a las personas que padecen depresión, y también diseñar mejores herramientas para identificar a las personas en riesgo, así como programas de prevención. Tomando todo esto en consideración, en el marco del proyecto OPTIMI (Online Predictive Tools for Intervention in Mental Illness), financiado por el VII Programa marco de la Unión Europea, hemos diseñado herramientas basadas en las nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TICs) para la detección temprana y la prevención de la depresión. La hipótesis central del proyecto OPTIMI es que existe una relación importante entre depresión, estrés, y la capacidad de afrontamiento de la persona. En OPTIMI hemos desarrollado estrategias para monitorizar el comportamiento de personas expuestas a altos niveles de estrés. Contamos con herramientas de monitorización cognitiva, fisiológica y del comportamiento (verbal y motor), utilizando sensores de tasa cardiaca, actividad, electroencefalografía, reconocimiento de la voz, etc. Se han llevado a cabo una serie de ensayos de calibración que han servido para poner a prueba estos sensores en personas de alto riesgo con el objetivo de detectar los cambios asociados al estrés, el estado de ánimo y la capacidad de afrontamiento. Estas mediciones proporcionadas por los sensores se han complementado con información proporcionada por los participantes y por el clínico. El propósito de esta comunicación es presentar el diseño seguido en los estudios de calibración y algunos datos preliminares

Received signal strength–based indoor localization using a robust interacting multiple model–extended Kalman filter algorithm

Due to the vast increase in location-based services, currently there exists an actual need of robust and reliable indoor localization solutions. Received signal strength localization is widely used due to its simplicity and availability in most mobile devices. The received signal strength channel model is defined by the propagation losses and the shadow fading. In real-life applications, these parameters might vary over time because of changes in the environment. Thus, to obtain a reliable localization solution, they have to be sequentially estimated. In this article, the problem of tracking a mobile node by received signal strength measurements is addressed, simultaneously estimating the model parameters. Particularly, a two-slope path loss model is assumed for the received signal strength observations, which provides a more realistic representation of the propagation channel. The proposed methodology considers a parallel interacting multiple model–based architecture for distance estimation, which is coupled with the on-line estimation of the model parameters and the final position determination via Kalman filtering. Numerical simulation results in realistic scenarios are provided to support the theoretical discussion and to show the enhanced performance of the new robust indoor localization approach. Additionally, experimental results using real data are reported to validate the technique

Filter Bank-based Transceiver Design for Ultrawideband

Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

D21.3 Analysis of initial results at EuWIN@CTTC

Deliverable D21.3 del projecte europeu NEWCOM#The nature of this Deliverable of WP2.1 (“Radio interfaces for next-generation wireless systems”) is mainly descriptive and its purpose is to provide a report on the status of the different Joint Research Activities (JRAs) currently ongoing, some of them being performed on the facilities that are available at EuWInPeer ReviewedPreprin

Modulation of the endocannabinoids N-Arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) on Executive Functions in Humans

Animal studies point to an implication of the endocannabinoid system on executive functions. In humans, several studies have suggested an association between acute or chronic use of exogenous cannabinoids (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and executive impairments. However, to date, no published reports establish the relationship between endocannabinoids, as biomarkers of the cannabinoid neurotransmission system, and executive functioning in humans. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between circulating levels of plasma endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and executive functions (decision making, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility) in healthy subjects. One hundred and fifty seven subjects were included and assessed with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; Stroop Color and Word Test; and Iowa Gambling Task. All participants were female, aged between 18 and 60 years and spoke Spanish as their first language. Results showed a negative correlation between 2-AG and cognitive flexibility performance (r = −.37; p<.05). A positive correlation was found between AEA concentrations and both cognitive flexibility (r = .59; p<.05) and decision making performance (r = .23; P<.05). There was no significant correlation between either 2-AG (r = −.17) or AEA (r = −.08) concentrations and inhibition response. These results show, in humans, a relevant modulation of the endocannabinoid system on prefrontal-dependent cognitive functioning. The present study might have significant implications for the underlying executive alterations described in some psychiatric disorders currently associated with endocannabinoids deregulation (namely drug abuse/dependence, depression, obesity and eating disorders). Understanding the neurobiology of their dysexecutive profile might certainly contribute to the development of new treatments and pharmacological approaches

A Data-Driven Factor Graph Model for Anchor-Based Positioning

This work presents a data-driven factor graph (FG) model designed to perform anchor-based positioning. The system makes use of the FG to compute the target position, given the distance measurements to the anchor node that know its own position.The aim was to design a hybrid structure (that involves data and modeling approaches) to address positioning models from a Bayesian point of view, customizing them for each technology and scenario. The weighted geometric dilution of precision (WGDOP) metric, which measures the effect on the positioning solution of distance error to the corresponding anchor node and network geometry of the anchor nodes, was taken into account. The presented algorithms were tested with simulated data and also with real-life data collected from IEEE 802.15.4-compliant sensor network nodes with a physical layer based on ultra-wide band (UWB) technology, in scenarios with one target node, three and four anchor nodes, and a time-of-arrival-based range technique. The results showed that the presented algorithm based on the FG technique provided better positioning results than the least squares-based algorithms and even UWB-based commercial systems in various scenarios, with different setups in terms of geometries and propagation conditions

Assessment of RSS model calibration with real WLAN devices

Received Signal Strength (RSS) for indoor localization is widely used due to its simplicity and availability in most mobile devices. The RSS channel model is defined by the propagation losses and the shadow fading. This paper studies two-slope RSS channel model and compares its validity to classical one-slope path loss model. Particularly, the work presents real-data results of a Bayesian calibration method. Validation of the model fitting is then performed in a dynamic scenario where the distance to a reference node is tracked by a Kalman Filter. Results show the superiority of two-slope model, specially at large distances.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Design, Implementation, and Performance in the Urban Canyon of a Low-cost GNSS/INS/Odometric Sensor Fusion Platform for Ground Intelligent Transportation Systems

For many applications in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), the position and heading information of vehicles and Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) cannot generally rely on the performance of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) as a standalone technology. Even with the use of precise positioning techniques and augmentation systems for GNSS, such as Space-based Augmentation System (SBAS) or Differential-GNSS, its performance and its availability still depends on the signal propagation conditions (e.g. multipath, unintentional or intentional (jamming) interferences, or visibility of satellites). The urban canyon represents one of the most challenging scenarios for GNSS standalone positioning, being an scenario where ITS users usually require the highest performance. This paper discusses the design, implementation and performance validation of multisensor positioning based on GNSS, Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), and Odometric information for ground ITS applications. Bayesian sensor fusion algorithms are discussed and loose and tight GNSS/INS coupling compared. Additionally, these algorithms are enhanced by exploring the application of dynamic noise covariance matrices, including non-holonomic constraints to the vehicle's movement, and by adding a zero velocity update IMU calibration algorithm using the vehicle's speedometer measurements. The algorithms performance was extensively evaluated in both simulation and in real-life experiments. The algorithms are validated in a low-cost prototype implementation. The prototype receiver, operating in real-time, is based on the popular Raspberry PI3 platform, a dual-IMU MEMS peripheral and a consumer-grade GNSS receiver. The paper includes a discussion of the implementation trade-offs, challenges, and adopted solutions. A measurement campaign where the developed prototype was mounted on a vehicle is discussed, showing the potential of this approach

Assessment of RSS model calibration with real WLAN devices

Received Signal Strength (RSS) for indoor localization is widely used due to its simplicity and availability in most mobile devices. The RSS channel model is defined by the propagation losses and the shadow fading. This paper studies two-slope RSS channel model and compares its validity to classical one-slope path loss model. Particularly, the work presents real-data results of a Bayesian calibration method. Validation of the model fitting is then performed in a dynamic scenario where the distance to a reference node is tracked by a Kalman Filter. Results show the superiority of two-slope model, specially at large distances.Peer Reviewe

Down-Regulation of the Longevity-Associated Protein SIRT1 in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Treated HIV Patients

The activity of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a class III histone deacetylase with a critical role in several biological functions, decreases with age and its deficiency is associated with many inflammatory and age-related diseases. It also regulates the chronic immune activation and viral latency during an HIV infection. The life-span and particularly the health span of HIV patients are substantially shortened; however, the participation of SIRT1 in these effects is not clear. We performed a prospective cross-sectional monocentric study that included 70 HIV-infected patients and 43 BMI-, age- and sex-matched uninfected individuals. We found that in the PBMCs of the HIV patients, SIRT1 mRNA levels were significantly lower (p SIRT3 were not altered. Moreover, the strong correlations of SIRT1 with the leukocyte markers CD8A and CD19 present in the uninfected individuals were absent in the HIV patients. In conclusion, this study showed that the PBMCs of the HIV patients displayed diminished SIRT1 levels and altered correlations of SIRT1 with markers of CD8+ T cells and B cells, findings which may be relevant for understanding the complex pathogenic milieu in HIV patients