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Abstract Background Patients with COVID-19 may experience a persistent increase in the blood urea nitrogen over creatinine ratio (PI-BUN/Cr). Its elevation could reflect multiple underlying pathophysiological processes beyond prerenal injury but also warrants nuanced interpretation due to its complex interplay with various factors, underscoring the importance of investigating its effects on mortality and acute kidney injury in this population. Methods We analized a retrospective and longitudinal cohort of patients admitted to a single center in Mexico City for patients with severe COVID-19. Between March 5, 2020 and August 25, 2021, we included patients with confirmed positive diagnosis for SARS-CoV-2, age > 18 years, disease severity was defined by clinical data of respiratory distress syndrome and a ratio of partial oxygen pressure to inspired oxygen fraction 30 in more than 60% of measurements in the hospital. The outcomes included: risk factors to mortality and AKI in-hospital. Results The cohort included 3,007 patients with a median age of 54.6 ± 14.5 years. 35% of patients died; 44.6% developed PI-BUN/Cr ratio and 71.4% AKI. Mortality was associated with older age > 60 years [Hazard ratio (HR)] = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.28–1.65; p

Automotive Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) applications are currently an intensive field of study and innovation. The development of an ADAS is a multidisciplinary task involving electronic hardware design, advanced software implementation, safety considerations and many more. Building an ADAS application implies some challenges that are addressed in this paper. Firstly, all ADAS applications run on highly specific hardware devices embedded in the car with limited computation resources. In this work a novel embedded platform, iADASys, is developed and tested. The platform integrates the elements required to implement an artificial vision based ADAS application such as high performance processor with Deep Learning (DL) computation co-processors or multi-channel high resolution video streaming hardware. Secondly, this work implements an artificial vision application for traffic light detection based on deep neural networks. The model selected in this work is SSD_Mobilenet_V1 and it was trained using Bosch Small Traffic Light (BSTL) dataset. To fulfill real time requirement, the model image input resolution was maintained low at $300\times 300$ pixel. However, the small object size in the dataset together with low resolution lead to poor detection performance. This situation was addressed by fine tuning the model training hyperparameters related to detection scales and aspect ratios. Lastly, the model is deployed in the hardware platform and its performance is measured. Model inference is executed on a specialized mathematical co-processor obtaining the required real time response. The object detection performance is also measured, obtaining promising results.

Abstract Background Colon cancer (CC) is a heterogeneous disease that is categorized into four Consensus Molecular Subtypes (CMS) according to gene expression. Patients with loco-regional CC (stages II/III) lack prognostic factors, making it essential to analyze new molecular markers that can delineate more aggressive tumors. Aberrant methylation of genes that are essential in crucial mechanisms such as epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to tumor progression in CC. We evaluate the presence of hyper- and hypomethylation in subrogate IHC markers used for CMS classification (CDX2, FRMD6, HTR2B, ZEB1) of 144 stage II/III patients and CC cell lines by pyrosequencing. ZEB1 expression was also studied in control and shRNA-silenced CC cell lines and in paired normal tissue/tumors by quantitative PCR. The pattern of ZEB1 staining was also analyzed in methylated/unmethylated tumors by immunohistochemistry. Results We describe for the first time the hypermethylation of ZEB1 gene and the hypomethylation of the FRMD6 gene in 32.6% and 50.9% of tumors, respectively. Additionally, we confirm the ZEB1 re-expression by epigenetic drugs in methylated cell lines. ZEB1 hypermethylation was more frequent in CMS1 patients and, more importantly, was a good prognostic factor related to disease-free survival (p = 0.015) and overall survival (p = 0.006) in our patient series, independently of other significant clinical parameters such as patient age, stage, lymph node involvement, and blood vessel and perineural invasion. Conclusions Aberrant methylation is present in the subrogate genes used for CMS classification. Our results are the first evidence that ZEB1 is hypermethylated in CC and that this alteration is an independent factor of good prognosis.

This work aims to provide the hardware (HW) design of the optoelectronics interfaces for a visible-light communication (VLC) system that can be employed for several use cases. Potential applications include the transmission of ultra-high-definition (UHD) streaming video through existing reading lamps installed in passenger vans. In this use case, visible light is employed for the downlink, while infrared light is used for the uplink channel, acting as a remote controller. Two primary components -a Light Fidelity (LiFi) router and a USB dongle—were designed and implemented. The ‘LiFi Router’, handling the downlink channel, comprises components such as a visible Light-Emitting Diode (LED) and an infrared receiver. Operating at a supply voltage of 12 V and consuming current at 920 mA, it is compatible with standard voltage buses found in transport vehicles. The ‘USB dongle’, responsible for the uplink, incorporates an infrared LED and a receiver optimized for visible light. The USB dongle works at a supply voltage of 5 V and shows a current consumption of 1.12 A, making it well suited for direct connection to a universal serial bus (USB) port. The bandwidth achieved for the downlink is 11.66 MHz, while the uplink’s bandwidth is 12.27 MHz. A system competent at streaming UHD video with the feature of being single-input multiple-output (SIMO) was successfully implemented via the custom hardware design of the optical transceivers and optoelectronics interfaces. To ensure the system’s correct performance at a distance of 110 cm, the minimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNRmin) for both optical links was maintained at 10.74 dB. We conducted a proof-of-concept test of the VLC system in a passenger van and verified its optimal operation, effectively illustrating its performance in a real operating environment. Exemplifying potential implementations possible with the hardware system designed in this work, a bit rate of 15.2 Mbps was reached with On–Off Keying (OOK), and 11.25 Mbps was obtained with Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) using Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) obtaining a bit-error rate (BER) of 3.3259 × 10−5 in a passenger van at a distance of 72.5 cm between the LiFi router and the USB dongle. As a final addition, a solar panel was installed on the passenger van’s roof to power the user’s laptop and the USB dongle via a power bank battery. It took 13.4 h to charge the battery, yielding a battery life of 22.3 h. This characteristic renders the user’s side of the system entirely self-powered.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in primary anterior cruciate ligament repair with the help of mechanical reinforcement techniques that employ synthetic grafting. The concept of ligament augmentation with reinforcement suture or internal bracing consists of stabilizing the repaired ligament and augmenting it with an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene suture or tape, which guarantees greater resistance, safety during healing, and a more accelerated rehabilitation. In this work, we propose a variant of anterior cruciate ligament augmentation with suture, replacing the suture tape with an adjustable-loop reinforcement system, which is connected to the adjustable suspension devices for the graft in the femur and the tibia, surrounding the graft as a seatbelt.

Abstract To successfully implement environmental DNA‐based (eDNA) diversity monitoring, the completeness and accuracy of reference databases used for taxonomic assignment of eDNA sequences are among the challenges to be tackled. Here, we have developed a workflow that evaluates the current status of GenBank for marine fishes. For a given combination of species and barcodes, a gap analysis is performed and potentially erroneous sequences are identified. Our gap analysis based on the four most used genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and cytochrome b) for fish eDNA metabarcoding found that COI, the universal choice for metazoans, is the gene covering the highest number of Northeast Atlantic marine fishes (70%), while 12S rRNA, the preferred region for fish‐targeting studies, only covers about 50% of the species. The presence of too close and too distant barcode sequences as expected by their taxonomic classification confirms the existence of erroneous sequences in GenBank that our workflow can detect and eliminate. Comparing taxonomic assignments of real marine eDNA samples with raw and clean reference databases for the most used 12S rRNA barcodes (teleo and MiFish), we confirmed that both barcodes perform differently and demonstrated that the application of the database cleaning workflow can result in drastic changes in community composition. Besides providing a tool for reference database curation, this study confirms the need to increase 12S rRNA reference sequences for European marine fishes and evidences the dangers of taxonomic assignments by directly querying GenBank. We have developed a workflow that evaluates the current status of GenBank for marine fishes. For a given combination of species and barcodes, a gap analysis is performed and potentially erroneous sequences are identified.

Nickel-based superalloys are widely employed to manufacture aero-engine turbines due to their high mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion and creep. Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) is a suitable manufacturing technology because of the reactive nature of the alloying elements; however, the melting process is time-consuming and energy-demanding. This research focuses on increasing the overall efficiency of the process in two ways. Initially, studying the influence of metal-containing crucible composition and thermal properties on the melting. In a semi-industrial VIM facility, 2 kg of Inconel 718 alloy was melted employing Al2O3, ZrO2, MgO, and Al6Si4O13-based crucibles. The Al6Si4O13 and ZrO2-based crucibles reduced energy consumption by 28% and 23%, respectively, compared to the reference crucible of Al2O3. Subsequently, an optimized melting procedure is proposed to reduce the process cycle time and energy demand, saving 10%–20% for all crucibles compared to the standard melting procedure. In addition, the ZrO2 and Al6Si4O13 crucibles reduced total cycle time by 13% and 21%, respectively. During melting, intense dross formation was detected for all crucibles, dissipating faster for Al6Si4O13 and MgO crucibles. Therefore, the metal-crucible interface product was analyzed to understand these mechanisms better, and the four crucibles' chemical reactivity was examined.

Introduction: Ultrasonography in patients with Obesity allows us to measure different layers of abdominal fat (Superficial subcutaneous, Deep subcutaneous, Preperitoneal, Omental and Perirenal), not assessable by DEXA or CT scan. Omental and Perirenal fat depots are considered predictors of metabolic complications. Liraglutide is particularly effective in reducing weight in patients with insulin-resistance, but its direct impact on each abdominal fat layer is unknown. Methods: We measured, at the L4 level, all 5 abdominal fat depots in 860 patients with obesity (72.8% women. Mean age 56.6±1.5 years. BMI 34.4±4.7 kg/m2. Body fat 47±2%. Abdominal circumference 105.8±3 cm), before and after 6 months of Liraglutide treatment. Laboratory tests for glucose, insulin and lipid profile were routinely done. T-student was used to compare intra-individual differences. Results: Weight loss was 7.5±2.8 Kg (7.96% from baseline), with no differences by sex/age/BMI. Greater loss was observed in patients with higher dosages and NAFLD. All US-measured fat layers showed a significant reduction (p

High-fat High-fructose diets have been associated with metabolic disorders and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Thus, the administration of probiotic or postbiotic from the strain Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG has been investigated as a protective strategy. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of L. rhamnosus GG administration in rodents fed a high-fat high-fructose diet. Male Wistar rats with oral supplementation of L. rhamnosus GG, viable or heat-inactivated, for 6 weeks were evaluated for somatic measurements, food and energy intake, biochemical markers, and gut microbiota. The daily administration of L. rhamnosus GG, as probiotic or postbiotic, was beneficial in attenuating weight gain, visceral fat deposition and visceral hypertriglyceridemic phenotype. Furthermore, the administration of heat-inactivated L. rhamnosus GG elicited an increase of species such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Blautia glucerasea, Sarcina maxima and L. rhamnosus, where the interaction between L. rhamnosus and Blautia glucerasea attenuated metabolic markers altered by the obesogenic diet.

Este trabajo pretende analizar la construcción de los paisajes medievales en el Sur del Duero. La imagen que se ha elaborado desde los estudios centrados en el registro escrito enfatizan un incremento de la actividad agraria a partir del siglo XII, como consecuencia de la repoblación. Sin embargo, el análisis del caso de Monleras, una población situada en la comarca de la Ramajería (Salamanca) revela una situación más compleja. Mediante el estudio combinado del registro escrito, de los datos arqueológicos y de dos análisis paleopalinológicos sobre sendos bonales, se ha podido reconstruir una evolución distinta. Estos espacios evidencian una ocupación antrópica desde finales del siglo IX y en el siglo X, cuando se había producido aparentemente un cambio en los patrones de asentamiento que habían definido a los siglos posromanos. Por otro lado, se produjo una transformación con una intensificación de la cerealicultura desde comienzos del siglo XII, aprovechando las favorables condiciones medioambientales que habían generado los humedales. En la Baja Edad Media y a comienzos del periodo moderno, los humedales se fueron progresivamente secando, dando lugar a un paisaje de dehesa, que ha caracterizado tradicionalmente a esta comarca. Estos cambios fueron efectuados por la población local, sin que hubiera una injerencia externa (señorial o del poder urbano) y posiblemente como parte de una acción colectiva. Se puede concluir el importante papel de la resiliencia de los habitantes ante los cambios sociales y medioambientales. Aunque estos datos se refieren a un caso de estudio específico, implican la necesidad de profundizar en la agencia local y en el dinamismo en los procesos de construcción de los paisajes medievales.

The present work introduces a multi-criteria approach focused on the evaluation of wine production, considering the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, economic and social. In this sense, the most relevant key performance indicators were selected within each dimension and disaggregated into sub-indicators to address the different sustainability aspects within the wine value chain. Furthermore, the analytic hierarchy process was applied as the method to weight the relevance of the three dimensions and corresponding key performance indicators, in order to allow the producers to understand which aspects need to be covered to improve their production sustainability. Results demonstrate how the approach proposed is able to identify, for both the vineyard and winery, the strengths and weaknesses regarding the sustainability performance of their production. Additionally, this study also contributes by shedding light on the most suitable and recommended actions to increase the company’s sustainability from a sustainable perspective. Additionally, it is important to highlight that, although the developed approach is specifically designed for the wine sector in the Navarrese region, it can be replicated by adjusting the key performance indicator selection to apply this methodology to the reality in other wine production regions.

In composite materials, two or more different components are combined to produce a new material with different characteristics from the individual components. In recent years, due to environmental concerns, the development of biocomposites based on natural fibers has attracted great interest of researchers. The mechanical properties of biocomposites are dependent, among other parameters, on matrix properties, fiber properties as well as fiber/matrix adhesion. There are different approaches to improve fiber/matrix adhesion, such as, the use of fiber surface treatments and the use of matrix modifiers, i.e.,: coupling agents. In this work, poly(lactic acid) matrix composites reinforced with two different lignocellulosic fibers (sisal and flax) were prepared and the mechanical properties of both types of composites were compared. On the other hand, poly(lactic acid) polymer was modified with maleic anhydride in the presence of dicumyl peroxide. The mechanical properties of PLA/lignocellulosic fiber composites modified with maleic anhydride-modified poly(lactic acid) were also studied.

Although a general healthy gut microbiota cannot be defined due to numerous internal and external individual factors, such as sex, age, ethnicity, genetics, environment, diet and drugs affect its composition, certain microbial species and gut microbiota compositions seem to be related to the progression of insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes, as well as the development of microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes. The present review aimed at gathering the reported information describing how resveratrol induced changes in microbiota composition can mediate the positive effects of this polyphenol on glucose homeostasis under type 2 diabetic conditions, both in animals and humans. Based on the fact that some changes observed in the gut microbiota of type 2 diabetic animals and patients are reversed by resveratrol treatment, and taking into account that some resveratrol mediated changes in gut microbiota composition are similar to those induced by anti-diabetic drugs such as metformin, it can be proposed that four genera, Alistipes, Allobaculum, Desulfovibrio and Blautia could be involved in the benefits of resveratrol on glycameic control. Nevertheless some limitations are observed in this research field: (a) the number of studies analyzing both the effects of resveratrol on glucose homeostasis and microbiota composition in the same cohort of animals, in order to know the potential involvement of microbiota in the anti-diabetic effects of this phenolic compound, are very scarce and practically inexistent in the case of humans., (b) the studies present inconsistencies concerning the effects of resveratrol on gut microbiota changes, (c) the experimental design used do not allow the researchers to establish a causal relationship between the changes in microbiota and the anti-diabetic effect, in the vast majority of the studies, (d) the knowledge about the role of each type of bacteria on glycaemic control is not sufficient so far.

Establishing the foundations for a sustainable use of deep‐sea resources relies on increasing knowledge on this inaccessible ecosystem, which is challenging with traditional methods. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) emerges as an alternative, but it has been scarcely applied to deep‐sea fish. Here, we have analyzed the fish eDNA contained in oceanic vertical profile samples (up to 2000 m depth) collected throughout the continental slope of the Bay of Biscay. We detected 52 different fish species, of which 25 were classified as deep‐sea fish. We found an increase of deep‐sea fish richness and abundance with depth, and that eDNA reflects day–night community patterns and species‐specific vertical distributions that are consistent with the known diel migratory behavior of many mesopelagic fishes. These findings highlight the potential of eDNA to improve knowledge on the fish species inhabiting the dark ocean before this still pristine ecosystem is further exploited.

This paper focuses on the study of shared use spaces between some local communities (mancomunales) through the written documentation of the 10th-12th centuries in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The kind of land-use, the management mechanisms, the role of the lords and the conflict around these areas will be identified. The aim is to analyze how this type of resources made up an essential element in local «micro-politics» and were part of a complex network of social and economic relations that brought them closer to the concept of «moral economy».

Abstract Understanding population connectivity within a species as well as potential interactions with its close relatives is crucial to define management units and to derive efficient management actions. However, although genetics can reveal mismatches between biological and management units and other relevant but hidden information such as species misidentification or hybridization, the uptake of genetic methods by the fisheries management process is far from having been consolidated. Here, we have assessed the power of genetics to better understand the population connectivity of white (Lophius piscatorius) and its interaction with its sister species, the black anglerfish (Lophius budegassa). Our analyses, based on thousands of genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, show three findings that are crucial for white anglerfish management. We found (i) that white anglerfish is likely composed of a single panmictic population throughout the Northeast Atlantic, challenging the three‐stock based management, (ii) that a fraction of specimens classified as white anglerfish using morphological characteristics are genetically identified as black anglerfish (L. budegassa), and iii) that the two Lophius species naturally hybridize leading to a population of hybrids of up to 20% in certain areas. Our results set the basics for a genetics‐informed white anglerfish assessment framework that accounts for stock connectivity, revises and establishes new diagnostic characters for Lophius species identification, and evaluates the effect of hybrids in the current and future assessments of the white anglerfish. Furthermore, our study contributes to provide additional evidence of the potentially negative consequences of ignoring genetic data for assessing fisheries resources.

Resumen: En este artículo se examina la última evidencia disponible sobre las actividades preventivas en la persona mayor, incluyendo los trastornos de sueño, el ejercicio físico, la deprescripción, los trastornos cognitivos y las demencias, la nutrición, el aislamiento social y la fragilidad. Abstract: This article examines the latest available evidence on preventive activities in the elderly, including sleep disorders, physical exercise, deprescription, cognitive disorders and dementias, nutrition, social isolation and frailty.

Background: There is little knowledge of the diagnostic accuracy of screening programmes for frailty in primary care settings. Aim: To assess a two-step strategy consisting of the administration of the FRAIL scale to those who are non-dependent and aged ≥75 years, followed-up by measurement of the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) or gait speed in those who are positive. Design & setting: Cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort study. Analysis of primary care data from the FRAILTOOLS project at five European cities. Method: All primary care patients consecutively attending were enrolled. They received the index tests, plus the Fried frailty phenotype (FP) and the frailty index to assess their frailty status. Mortality and worsening of dependency in basic and instrumental activities of daily living (BADL and IADL) over 1 year were ascertained. Results: Prevalence of frailty based on FP was 14.9% in the 362 participants. A FRAIL scale score ≥1 had a sensitivity of 83.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 73.1 to 93.6) to detect frailty. A positive result and an SPPB score

Resumen: El envejecimiento poblacional se asocia a un mayor uso de recursos sociales sanitarios, asociados a la mayor morbimortalidad y discapacidad de este grupo etario. La fragilidad es un síndrome geriátrico previo a la aparición de la dependencia funcional, que permite la identificación de individuos de mayor riesgo de dependencia, institucionalización, efectos adversos de fármacos, mortalidad y otros eventos negativos de salud. Este síndrome es potencialmente reversible con una intervención multicomponente. La atención primaria de salud es el lugar preferente para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de la fragilidad, a través de escalas como la FRAIL scale, el fenotipo de Fried o modelos de acumulación de déficits. Para el seguimiento se precisa la intervención multidimensional y coordinada de diferentes profesionales sanitarios y sociales, con la implicación del paciente y su familia. Se debe fomentar la investigación para determinar las intervenciones más eficaces y los cursos clínicos más frecuentes. Abstract: Population aging is associated with a greater use of social and health resources, associated with greater morbidity, mortality and disability in the elderly. Frailty is a geriatric syndrome prior to the onset of functional decline, which allows the identification of individuals at higher risk of dependency, institutionalization, adverse effects of drugs, mortality and other negative health events. This syndrome is potentially reversible with a multicomponent intervention. Primary health care is the preferred place for the diagnosis and follow-up of frailty, through scales such as the FRAIL scale, the Fried phenotype or deficit accumulation models. Follow-up requires the multidimensional and coordinated intervention of different health and social professionals, with the involvement of the patient and their family. Research should be encouraged to determine the most effective interventions and the most common clinical courses.

Las sernas constituyen uno de los principales espacios comunales altomedievales, pero su definición resulta esquiva. Dada la diversidad de cultivos, la clave debe encontrarse en las formas de organización y gestión. El artículo analiza cuatro casos de estudio situados en diferentes localidades del valle del Duero (Viñayo, Valdesaz de los Oteros y Villasinta de Torío) y en el actual norte de Portugal (Arouca). La evidencia prueba la existencia de un modelo basado en dos niveles de propiedad. Por un lado y en un nivel superior, una autoridad encargada de velar por la salvaguarda y el correcto uso de las sernas, actuando como árbitro en caso de conflicto o como defensor en caso de amenaza. Por otro lado, y en un nivel inferior, se encontrarían los derechos de acceso de las comunidades, los cuales permitían el aprovechamiento familiar de las diferentes unidades de explotación en las que podían estar divididas las sernas, probablemente a cambio de algún tipo de censo. Finalmente se vincula las sernas y su control con la noción de «economía moral» y las formas de legitimación del dominio social.

Oxidative stress and inflammation are well-known triggers of NAFLD onset and progression. The aim of this study is to compare the potential benefits of a viable probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) and its parabiotic (heat-inactivated) on oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage and cell death pathways in the liver of rats featuring diet-induced NAFLD. The consumption of the steatotic diet led to increased final body and liver weights, higher hepatic triacylglycerol content, altered serum transaminase levels and enhanced oxidative and inflammatory status. Administration of the probiotic and the parabiotic partially prevented the body weight increase induced by the steatotic diet, whereas the probiotic caused more effective decreasing hepatic triglyceride content. Sharp but nonstatistically significant decreases in serum transaminase levels were also observed for both treatments. The reduction in antioxidant enzyme activities found in the nontreated animals fed the steatotic diet was partially prevented by both treatments (GPx activity). Similarly, the reductions in nonenzymatic antioxidant protection (GSH content) and total antioxidant capacity (ORAC) found in the nontreated rats were restored by the administration of both treatments. These results show that both viable and heat-inactivated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG administration partially prevent steatotic diet-induced liver oxidative stress and inflammation induced in rats.

Abstract Any computer vision application development starts off by acquiring images and data, then preprocessing and pattern recognition steps to perform a task. When the acquired images are highly imbalanced and not adequate, the desired task may not be achievable. Unfortunately, the occurrence of imbalance problems in acquired image datasets in certain complex real-world problems such as anomaly detection, emotion recognition, medical image analysis, fraud detection, metallic surface defect detection, disaster prediction, etc., are inevitable. The performance of computer vision algorithms can significantly deteriorate when the training dataset is imbalanced. In recent years, Generative Adversarial Neural Networks (GANs) have gained immense attention by researchers across a variety of application domains due to their capability to model complex real-world image data. It is particularly important that GANs can not only be used to generate synthetic images, but also its fascinating adversarial learning idea showed good potential in restoring balance in imbalanced datasets. In this paper, we examine the most recent developments of GANs based techniques for addressing imbalance problems in image data. The real-world challenges and implementations of synthetic image generation based on GANs are extensively covered in this survey. Our survey first introduces various imbalance problems in computer vision tasks and its existing solutions, and then examines key concepts such as deep generative image models and GANs. After that, we propose a taxonomy to summarize GANs based techniques for addressing imbalance problems in computer vision tasks into three major categories: 1. Image level imbalances in classification, 2. object level imbalances in object detection and 3. pixel level imbalances in segmentation tasks. We elaborate the imbalance problems of each group, and provide GANs based solutions in each group. Readers will understand how GANs based techniques can handle the problem of imbalances and boost performance of the computer vision algorithms.

To meet the demands of a rising population greenhouses must face the challenge of producing more in a more efficient and sustainable way. Innovative mobile robotic solutions with flexible navigation and manipulation strategies can help monitor the field in real-time. Guided by Integrated Pest Management strategies, robots can perform early pest detection and selective treatment tasks autonomously. However, combining the different robotic skills is an error prone work that requires experience in many robotic fields, usually deriving on ad-hoc solutions that are not reusable in other contexts. This work presents Robotframework, a generic ROS-based architecture which can easily integrate different navigation, manipulation, perception, and high-decision modules leading to a faster and simplified development of new robotic applications. The architecture includes generic real-time data collection tools, diagnosis and error handling modules, and user-friendly interfaces. To demonstrate the benefits of combining and easily integrating different robotic skills using the architecture, two flexible manipulation strategies have been developed to enhance the pest detection in its early state and to perform targeted spraying in simulated and field commercial greenhouses. Besides, an additional use-case has been included to demonstrate the applicability of the architecture in other industrial contexts.

Abstract High-precision metal cutting is increasingly relevant in advanced applications. Such precision normally requires a cutting feed in the micron or even sub-micron dimension scale, which raises questions about applicability of concepts developed in industrial scale machining. To address this challenge, we have developed a device to perform linear cutting with force measurement in the vacuum chamber of an electron microscope, which has been utilised to study the cutting process down to 200 nm of the feed and the tool tip radius. The machining experiments carried out in-operando in SEM have shown that the main classical deformation zones of metal cutting: primary, secondary and tertiary shear zones—were preserved even at sub-micron feeds. In-operando observations and subsequent structural analysis in FIB/SEM revealed a number of microstructural peculiarities, such as: a substantial increase of the cutting force related to the development of the primary shear zone; dependence of the ternary shear zone thickness on the underlaying grain crystal orientation. Measurement of the cutting forces at deep submicron feeds and cutting tool apex radii has been exploited to discriminate different sources for the size effect on the cutting energy (dependence of the energy on the feed and tool radius). It was observed that typical industrial values of feed and tool radius imposes a size effect determined primarily by geometrical factors, while in a sub-micrometre feed range the contribution of the strain hardening in the primary share zone becomes relevant.

Objetivo: Identificar una eventual relación entre la actividad económica del trabajo y el riesgo de enfermar para así poder habilitar políticas para colectivos laborales más vulnerables. Métodos: Presentamos los índices de incidencia de COVID-19, confirmada por Prueba Diagnóstica de Infección Activa, por división del Código Nacional de Actividad Económica de todos los trabajadores y trabajadoras de Navarra afiliados a la Seguridad Social para las divisiones con incidencia y número de expuestos superiores a sus Percentiles75. Resultados: Las mujeres y actividades de servicios, industria alimentaria y construcción, caracterizadas por la precariedad de contratación, gran presencia de personas inmigrantes y probablemente peores condiciones de vida, presentan mayor riesgo de enfermar. Conclusiones: La desigualdad socio laboral de la Covid-19 requiere una aproximación integrada desde salud pública y salud laboral.

Resumen: En la presente actualización se han introducido nuevos temas que creemos que son de vital importancia en el mayor, como son la revisión de las ayudas para caminar, recomendaciones en nutrición y aislamiento social.Se han revisado las recomendaciones sobre deprescripción, fragilidad, deterioro cognitivo leve y demencia ya presentadas en actualizaciones anteriores. Abstract: In this update, we have introduced new topics that we believe are of vital importance in the major areas, such as the revision of walking aids, as well as recommendations on nutrition and social isolation.Recommendations on deprescribing, fragility, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia have already been presented in previous updates.

Abstract Current methods for monitoring marine fish (including bony fishes and elasmobranchs) diversity mostly rely on trawling surveys, which are invasive, costly, and time‐consuming. Moreover, these methods are selective, targeting a subset of species at the time, and can be inaccessible to certain areas. Here, we used environmental DNA (eDNA), the DNA present in the water column as part of shed cells, tissues, or mucus, to provide comprehensive information about fish diversity in a large marine area. Further, eDNA results were compared to the fish diversity obtained in pelagic trawls. A total of 44 5 L‐water samples were collected onboard a wide‐scale oceanographic survey covering about 120,000 square kilometers in Northeast Atlantic Ocean. A short region of the 12S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced through metabarcoding generating almost 3.5 million quality‐filtered reads. Trawl and eDNA samples resulted in the same most abundant species (European anchovy, European pilchard, Atlantic mackerel, and blue whiting), but eDNA metabarcoding resulted in more detected bony fish and elasmobranch species (116) than trawling (16). Although an overall correlation between fishes biomass and number of reads was observed, some species deviated from the common trend, which could be explained by inherent biases of each of the methods. Species distribution patterns inferred from eDNA metabarcoding data coincided with current ecological knowledge of the species, suggesting that eDNA has the potential to draw sound ecological conclusions that can contribute to fish surveillance programs. Our results support eDNA metabarcoding for broad‐scale marine fish diversity monitoring in the context of Directives such as the Common Fisheries Policy or the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Consumption of high-energy-yielding diets, rich in fructose and lipids, is a factor contributing to the current increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence. Gut microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production alterations derived from unhealthy diets are considered putative underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to determine relationships between changes in gut microbiota composition and SCFA levels by comparing rats featuring diet-induced steatohepatitis with control counterparts fed a standard diet. A high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) feeding induced higher body, liver and mesenteric adipose tissue weights, increased liver triglyceride content and serum transaminase, glucose, non-HDL-c and MCP-1 levels. Greater liver malondialdehyde levels and glutathione peroxidase activity were also observed after feeding the hypercaloric diet. Regarding gut microbiota composition, a lowered diversity and increased abundances of bacteria from the Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Blautia, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group, Flavonifractor, and UBA1819 genera were found in rats featuring diet-induced steatohepatitis, as well as higher isobutyric, valeric and isovaleric acids concentrations. These results suggest that hepatic alterations produced by a hypercaloric HFHF diet may be related to changes in overall gut microbiota composition and abundance of specific bacteria. The shift in SCFA levels produced by this unbalanced diet cannot be discarded as potential mediators of the reported hepatic and metabolic alterations.

Surface defect identification based on computer vision algorithms often leads to inadequate generalization ability due to large intraclass variation. Diversity in lighting conditions, noise components, defect size, shape, and position make the problem challenging. To solve the problem, this paper develops a pixel-level image augmentation method that is based on image-to-image translation with generative adversarial neural networks (GANs) conditioned on fine-grained labels. The GAN model proposed in this work, referred to as Magna-Defect-GAN, is capable of taking control of the image generation process and producing image samples that are highly realistic in terms of variations. Firstly, the surface defect dataset based on the magnetic particle inspection (MPI) method is acquired in a controlled environment. Then, the Magna-Defect-GAN model is trained, and new synthetic image samples with large intraclass variations are generated. These synthetic image samples artificially inflate the training dataset size in terms of intraclass diversity. Finally, the enlarged dataset is used to train a defect identification model. Experimental results demonstrate that the Magna-Defect-GAN model can generate realistic and high-resolution surface defect images up to the resolution of 512 × 512 in a controlled manner. We also show that this augmentation method can boost accuracy and be easily adapted to any other surface defect identification models.

During the last years, visible light communications (VLC) have been proposed for providing connectivity while ensuring satisfactory illumination in both indoor environments and also specific outdoor scenarios without the need of deploying complex infrastructures for that purpose. Transmission for VLC is carried out through light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which correspond to semiconductors based on PN-junction materials with a direct gap. In this sense, the current flow plays a major role in the behavior and performance of these devices for VLC. Therefore, characterizing the electrical response of high-power white LED results mandatory for the successful implementation of VLC. At this point, it is worth noting that the electrical characterization is usually not available for high-power LEDs since, in fact, determining these characterization results challenging. In this sense, there exist some measurement instruments such as LCRs or impedance analyzers typically employed for characterizing materials and passive electrical components. However, these kinds of instruments are subject to a limited input impedance and a maximum value of forwarding current. In this work, the electrical characterization of the LED LXHL-BW02 of Luxeon is analyzed to show that typically commercial instrumentation for characterizing these devices is limited for high-power LEDs, which may provide polluted results when these limitations are not considered. After that, the characterization of the LXHL-BW02 based on a lock-in amplifier is proposed.