Effects of Force Modulation on Large Muscles during Human Cycling

Voluntary force modulation is defined as the ability to tune the application of force during motion. However, the mechanisms behind this modulation are not yet fully understood. In this study, we examine muscle activity under various resistance levels at a fixed cycling speed. The main goal of this research is to identify significant changes in muscle activation related to the real-time tuning of muscle force. This work revealed significant motor adaptations of the main muscles utilized in cycling as well as positive associations between the force level and the temporal and spatial inter-cycle stability in the distribution of sEMG activity. From these results, relevant biomarkers of motor adaptation could be extracted for application in clinical rehabilitation to increase the efficacy of physical therapy.This research was funded by Generalitat Valenciana (grant number GV/2019/025) and the Kakenhi National Japanese Grant for Early-Career Scientists (grant number 18K18431)

Estimation of Neuromuscular Primitives from EEG Slow Cortical Potentials in Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury Individuals for a New Class of Brain-Machine Interfaces

One of the current challenges in human motor rehabilitation is the robust application of Brain-Machine Interfaces to assistive technologies such as powered lower limb exoskeletons. Reliable decoding of motor intentions and accurate timing of the robotic device actuation is fundamental to optimally enhance the patient's functional improvement. Several studies show that it may be possible to extract motor intentions from electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. These findings, although notable, suggests that current techniques are still far from being systematically applied to an accurate real-time control of rehabilitation or assistive devices. Here we propose the estimation of spinal primitives of multi-muscle control from EEG, using electromyography (EMG) dimensionality reduction as a solution to increase the robustness of the method. We successfully apply this methodology, both to healthy and incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, to identify muscle contraction during periodical knee extension from the EEG. We then introduce a novel performance metric, which accurately evaluates muscle primitive activations.This research has been supported by Conselleria d'Educació, Cultura i Esport of Generalitat Valenciana of Spain through grant APOSTD/2015/104, by the European Research Council Advanced Grant DEMOVE (grant agreement 267888), by the European Commission as part of the project BioMot (FP7-ICT-2013-10, Grant Agreement 611695) and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) “A way to build Europe” as part of the project Associate–Decoding and stimulation of motor and sensory brain activity to support long term potentiation through Hebbian and paired associative stimulation during rehabilitation of gait (DPI2014-58431-C4-2-R)

Assistance Robotics and Biosensors 2019

This Special Issue is focused on breakthrough developments in the field of assistive and rehabilitation robotics. The selected contributions include current scientific progress from biomedical signal processing and cover applications to myoelectric prostheses, lower-limb and upper-limb exoskeletons and assistive robotics

Biosensors in Rehabilitation and Assistance Robotics

Robotic developments in the field of rehabilitation and assistance have seen a significant increase in the last few years [...

New distribution records, habitat description and comments on the natural history of the poorly known frog Atelognathus solitarius (Anura, Batrachylidae) from northwestern Patagonia, Río Negro Province, Argentina

Atelognathus solitarius is probably the least-known species of its genus. The species was described in 1970 based on a single specimen from the Las Bayas Creek, Río Negro Province, Argentina; later publications that reported new specimens did not provide new localities. Here, we present an update of its distribution, describe the habitats it occupies, detail features of its natural history, and discuss conservation aspects. For this purpose, all available records were compiled from herpetological collections, literature, and new data obtained during field trips to the type locality and surroundings. We confirmed the presence of the species near its type locality and extended the known distribution about 30 km WSW and 30 km NW. Furthermore, we discovered that in addition to using small streams, A. solitarius uses lagoons in volcanic tablelands. Future studies on the biological and ecological aspects of the species are essential to update the current conservation category of ‘Insufficiently Known’ for Argentinean categorization or ‘Data Deficient’ for IUCN.Fil: Barrasso, Diego Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Área Zoología; ArgentinaFil: Basso, Nestor Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Sage, Richard David. Sociedad Naturalista Andino Patagónica (SNAP); ArgentinaFil: Úbeda, Carmen. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentin

Proposal for climate change impact research in western Central Andes of Peru

In this paper an initiative of the Peruvian Geological Survey, INGEMMET, is shown to promote the research on geomorphology and climate change in Peru. The plan is to elaborate geomorphological maps of the Lima Metropolitan Area and it´s watershed headers (Chillon, Rimac and Lurin rivers), in order to generate analytical instruments to achieve the following objectives: (1) Decode the record of climatic changes in landforms. (2) Delimit water reserves stored as ice masses (cryosphere). (3) Recognize the relationship between the geomorphology and the geological hazards which may affect people and their economic activities. (4) Design a methodology that can be extrapolated to others Peruvian regions. To reach this objective, geomorphological mapping will be integrated into a GIS, so the morphoclimatic units and the related genetic processes will be identified. Also, their relative chronologies will be proposed. Then, the absolute dating of key units will be established, to confirm or correct the relative chronologies. The information will be compiled into databases, to be contrasted with other evidences and paleoclimatic proxies. This is intended to produce models of climate evolution, to contribute to the assessment of geological hazards, and the knowledge of current state of cryosphere, including recent trends and future forecasts

Past and Present for the Future of Research on Transcendence in Education and Value

As the world becomes more diverse, discussions surrounding religion and spiritual beliefs and their roles in educational systems have acquired significant relevance. There is an ongoing debate on whether the study of religion in education can serve as a means of transmitting common values within society and bridging different perspectives on reality. This topic stands to benefit from scientific analysis, particularly in exploring the relationship between religion, education, and values, and their impact on various aspects of well-being, including mental and physical health. Furthermore, it is essential to recognize the social and interpersonal dimensions of religion and spirituality. Moreover, identity, diversity, and culture play significant roles in this area of research. Therefore, future studies should aim for a comprehensive understanding of how religion and spiritual beliefs affect both individuals and society as a whole. This understanding is crucial to establish inclusive educational environments that promete a sense of belonging and foster respect for diverse beliefs and practices.Grupo de investigación UNES. Departamento de didáctica de las CCSS de la UG

Assistance Robotics and Biosensors

This Special Issue is focused on breakthrough developments in the field of biosensors and current scientific progress in biomedical signal processing. The papers address innovative solutions in assistance robotics based on bioelectrical signals, including: Affordable biosensor technology, affordable assistive-robotics devices, new techniques in myoelectric control and advances in brain–machine interfacing

Past And Present For The Future Of Research On Transcendence In Education And Values

As the world becomes more diverse, discussions surrounding religion and spiritual beliefs and their roles in educational systems have acquired significant relevance. There is an ongoing debate on whether the study of religion in education can serve as a means of transmitting common values within society and bridging different perspectives on reality. This topic stands to benefit from scientific analysis, particularly in exploring the relationship between religion, education, and values, and their impact on various aspects of well-being, including mental and physical health. Furthermore, it is essential to recognize the social and interpersonal dimensions of religion and spirituality. Moreover, identity, diversity, and culture play significant roles in this area of research. Therefore, future studies should aim for a comprehensive understanding of how religion and spiritual beliefs affect both individuals and society as a whole. This understanding is crucial to establish inclusive educational environments that promote a sense of belonging and foster respect for diverse beliefs and practices

Design of three-dimensional cartographical didactic materials for Physical Geography teaching

[EN] Three-dimensional cartographic resources are an important tool in the teaching of Physical Geography and other Earth Sciences. They are also able to help the students to reach a better understanding of the natural landscape. The objective of this work is to design appropriate 3D didactic resources to facilitate the teaching of the landforms in the Higher Education context. These didactic materials have been prepared by using Geographic Information Technologies (GIT). These graphical materials have been created with specific GIT tools, but they can be used by teachers and students with standardized sotfware (Google Earth, Adobe Acrobat Reader or image viewers). Specifically, files with topographical and geological information have been prepared to work with Google Earth. The digital elevation models (DEM) can be viewed in three-dimensional files in 3D PDF format. This work also proposes the creation of photo-realistic images with thematic information draped with the DEM in isometric perspective. Finally, 3D models have been made from the application of photogrammetric techniques so that can be seen in stereoscopic mode as an alternative to the traditional techniques. In conclusion, all these 3D didactic materials proposed in this work showed a great potential as complementary resources in the teaching and learning of Physical Geography and other Earth Sciences.This work is part of the GeoFieldTIG project (nº 87), founded by the Complutense University of Madrid.Tanarro, L.; Úbeda, J.; De Andrés, N.; Fernández-Fernández, J.; De Marcos, J.; Ovaco, D.; García, J.... (2020). Design of three-dimensional cartographical didactic materials for Physical Geography teaching. En 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'20). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. (30-05-2020):1055-1063. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.11195OCS1055106330-05-202