ADAM: a robotic companion for enhanced quality of life in aging populations.

One of the major problems of today's society is the rapid aging of its population. Life expectancy is increasing, but the quality of life is not. Faced with the growing number of people who require cognitive or physical assistance, new technological tools are emerging to help them. In this article, we present the ADAM robot, a new robot designed for domestic physical assistance. It mainly consists of a mobile base, two arms with grippers and vision systems. All this allows the performance of physical tasks that require navigation and manipulation of the environment. Among ADAM's features are its modularity, its adaptability to indoor environments and its versatility to function as an experimental platform and for service applications. In addition, it is designed to work respecting the user's personal space and is collaborative, so it can learn from experiences taught by them. We present the design of the robot as well as examples of use in domestic environments both alone and in collaboration with other domestic platforms, demonstrating its potential.

Influence of luminal and basal subtype in prognosis of high-grade non muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that the classification of high-grade urothelial carcinoma non-muscle invasive (HGBCNMI) based on molecular subtypes might be a valuable strategy to identify patients with a worse clinical prognosis. OBJECTIVE: Determine the effect of the luminal and basal molecular subtype determined by immunistochemical on prognosis in patients with HGBC in Mexican population. METHODS: Phenotypes were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of luminal (GATA3, FOXA1) and basal (CK5/6, CK14) markers in paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 45 patients with a diagnosis of HGBCNMI treated at Instituto Nacional de Cancerología-México (INCan) between 2009 and 2019. The association with prognosis was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable-adjusted Cox models. RESULTS: HGBCNMI patients showed mean age of 58.77 years (SD: ±12.08 years). We identified expression of the luminal molecular subtype in 35 cases (77.78 %), and 10 cases (22.22 %) with "combined" expression of the molecular subtype (basal and luminal expression). The combined phenotype was statistically more frequent in metastatic cases (p-value = 0.028). In Kaplan-Meier curves, combined expression of luminal and basal molecular markers was associated with disease progression (p-value = 0.002, log-rank test). Cox regression models confirmed this association, which was not influenced by age (p-value = 0.007) or gender (p-value = 0.007). No association of phenotypes with overall survival (p-value = 0.860) or relapse (p-value = 0.5) was observed. CONCLUSION: The combined expression of immunohistochemical markers of the luminal and basal subtype might be considered as predictor for disease progression in patients with HGBCNMI in Mexican population.

Capillary refill time in sepsis: A useful and easily accessible tool for evaluating perfusion in children.

The international sepsis guidelines emphasize the importance of early identification along with the combined administration of fluids, antibiotics and vasopressors as essential steps in the treatment of septic shock in childhood. However, despite these recommendations, septic shock mortality continues to be very high, especially in countries with limited resources. Cardiovascular involvement is common and, in most cases, determines the outcomes. Early recognition of hemodynamic dysfunction, both in the macro and microcirculation, can help improve outcomes. Capillary refill time (CRT) is a useful, available and easily accessible tool at all levels of care. It is a clinical sign of capillary vasoconstriction due to an excessive sympathetic response which seeks to improve blood redistribution from the micro- to the macrocirculation. An important reason for functionally evaluating the microcirculation is that, in septic shock, the correction of macrocirculation variables is assumed to result in improved tissue perfusion. This has been termed "hemodynamic coherence." However, this coherence often does not occur in advanced stages of the disease. Capillary refill time is useful in guiding fluid resuscitation and identifying more seriously affected sepsis patients. Several factors can affect its measurement, which should preferably be standardized and performed on the upper extremities. In this review, we seek to clarify a few common questions regarding CRT and guide its correct use in patients with sepsis.

In Vitro Evaluation of Anti-Rotaviral Activity and Intestinal Toxicity of a Phytotherapeutic Prototype of Achyrocline bogotensis (Kunth) DC.

Viruses represent the primary etiologic agents (70-80%) of acute diarrheal disease (ADD), and rotavirus (RV) is the most relevant one. Currently, four rotavirus vaccines are available. However, these vaccines do not protect against emerging viral strains or are not available in low-income countries. To date, there are no approved drugs available against rotavirus infection. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro anti-rotaviral activity and intestinal toxicity of a phytotherapeutic prototype obtained from Achyrocline bogotensis (Kunth) DC. (PPAb); medicinal plant that contains compounds that inhibit the rotavirus replication cycle. Virucidal and viral yield reduction effects exerted by the PPAb were evaluated by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Furthermore, the toxic impact of the PPAb was evaluated in polarized human intestinal epithelial C2BBe1 cells in terms of cytotoxicity, loss of cytoplasmic membrane asymmetry, and DNA fragmentation by MTT and fluorometry. PPAb concentrations under 0.49 mg/mL exerted significant virucidal and viral yield reduction activities, and concentrations under 16 mg/mL neither reduced cell viability, produced DNA fragmentation, nor compromised the C2BBe1cell membrane stability after 24-h incubation. Based on these results, the evaluated phytotherapeutic prototype of Achyrocline bogotensis might be considered as a promising alternative to treat ADD caused by rotavirus.

Sensor Fusion for Social Navigation on a Mobile Robot Based on Fast Marching Square and Gaussian Mixture Model.

Mobile robot navigation has been studied for a long time, and it is nowadays widely used in multiple applications. However, it is traditionally focused on two-dimensional geometric characteristics of the environments. There are situations in which robots need to share space with people, so additional aspects, such as social distancing, need to be considered. In this work, an approach for social navigation is presented. A multi-layer model of the environment containing geometric and topological characteristics is built based on the fusion of multiple sensor information. This is later used for navigating the environment considering social distancing from individuals and groups of people. The main novelty is combining fast marching square for path planning and navigation with Gaussian models to represent people. This combination allows to create a continuous representation of the environment from which smooth paths can be extracted and modified according to dynamically captured data. Results prove the practical application of the method on an assistive robot for navigating indoor scenarios, including a behavior for crossing narrow passages. People are efficiently detected and modeled to assure their comfort when robots are around.

A Multirobot System in an Assisted Home Environment to Support the Elderly in Their Daily Lives.

The increasing isolation of the elderly both in their own homes and in care homes has made the problem of caring for elderly people who live alone an urgent priority. This article presents a proposed design for a heterogeneous multirobot system consisting of (i) a small mobile robot to monitor the well-being of elderly people who live alone and suggest activities to keep them positive and active and (ii) a domestic mobile manipulating robot that helps to perform household tasks. The entire system is integrated in an automated home environment (AAL), which also includes a set of low-cost automation sensors, a medical monitoring bracelet and an Android application to propose emotional coaching activities to the person who lives alone. The heterogeneous system uses ROS, IoT technologies, such as Node-RED, and the Home Assistant Platform. Both platforms with the home automation system have been tested over a long period of time and integrated in a real test environment, with good results. The semantic segmentation of the navigation and planning environment in the mobile manipulator for navigation and movement in the manipulation area facilitated the tasks of the later planners. Results about the interactions of users with the applications are presented and the use of artificial intelligence to predict mood is discussed. The experiments support the conclusion that the assistance robot correctly proposes activities, such as calling a relative, exercising, etc., during the day, according to the user's detected emotional state, making this is an innovative proposal aimed at empowering the elderly so that they can be autonomous in their homes and have a good quality of life.

Multi-LiDAR Mapping for Scene Segmentation in Indoor Environments for Mobile Robots.

Nowadays, most mobile robot applications use two-dimensional LiDAR for indoor mapping, navigation, and low-level scene segmentation. However, single data type maps are not enough in a six degree of freedom world. Multi-LiDAR sensor fusion increments the capability of robots to map on different levels the surrounding environment. It exploits the benefits of several data types, counteracting the cons of each of the sensors. This research introduces several techniques to achieve mapping and navigation through indoor environments. First, a scan matching algorithm based on ICP with distance threshold association counter is used as a multi-objective-like fitness function. Then, with Harmony Search, results are optimized without any previous initial guess or odometry. A global map is then built during SLAM, reducing the accumulated error and demonstrating better results than solo odometry LiDAR matching. As a novelty, both algorithms are implemented in 2D and 3D mapping, overlapping the resulting maps to fuse geometrical information at different heights. Finally, a room segmentation procedure is proposed by analyzing this information, avoiding occlusions that appear in 2D maps, and proving the benefits by implementing a door recognition system. Experiments are conducted in both simulated and real scenarios, proving the performance of the proposed algorithms.

Improving the prediction of fertilizer phosphorus availability to plants with simple, but non-standardized extraction techniques.

In the framework of the circular economy, new P fertilizers produced from diverse secondary raw materials are being developed using various technologies. Standard extraction methods (neutral ammonium citrate (NAC) and H2O) provide limited information about the agronomic efficiency of these often heterogenous new products. Here, we compared these extractions with two alternative methods: 0.5 mol L-1 NaHCO3 and a sink extraction driven by phosphate adsorption onto ferrihydrite ("Iron Bag") on 79 recycled and mineral reference fertilizers. We compared their capacity to predict shoot biomass and P content of rye (S. cereale L.) grown in a greenhouse on three soils of contrasting pH with a subset of 42 fertilizers. The median extracted P (% of total P) was H2O (1%) < NaHCO3 (25%) < Iron Bag (67%) < NAC (85%). The NaHCO3 extraction stood out as a cost-effective and reliable method to predict plant shoot biomass and P content (R2 ranging between 0.65 and 0.86 in the slightly acidic and alkaline soil). Notwithstanding, the other methods provide complementary information for a more detailed characterization of how P solubility may be impacted by e.g. soil pH, granulation, or time. The implications of this work are therefore significant for fertilizer production, regulation, and use.

Ventilación con liberación de presión en la vía aérea, en neonatos con insuficiencia respiratoria aguda / Airway pressure release ventilation in newborns

La ventilación con liberación de presión en la vía aérea (APRV) es una modalidad ventilatoria que utiliza presión positiva controlada en la vía aérea, con el fin de maximizar el reclutamiento alveolar, con tiempos inspiratorios prolongados, permitiendo la respiración espontánea durante ambas fases del ciclo respiratorio. Los autores describen su experiencia en una serie de 12 casos con pacientes neonatales con insuficiencia respiratoria aguda, que fueron tratados con la APRV ventilación con liberación de presión en la vía aérea, cuando la oxigenación no mejoró con la ventilación de control de presión. La edad media de los pacientes fue de 13+16,5 días. La fracción inspirada de oxígeno disminuyó de 62,9 +23,6+ cm H2O para la ventilación de control de presión a 44+14,0 cm H2O para la APRV. El promedio de presión de oxígeno aumentó de 54,6+11,9mmHg a 92+32mmH; el promedio de presión parcial de CO2 disminuyó de 53,2+15,6 mmHg a 43,1+10mmHg, y la presión pico de la vía aérea se redujo de 16,8+5,9 cm H2O a 16,6+5,3 cm de H2O, respectivamente. La ventilación con liberación de presión en la vía  aérea, puede mejorar la oxigenación en pacientes pediátricos con insuficiencia respiratoria aguda, cuando la ventilación mecánica convencional falla...

Evaluacion de la tolerancia y velocidad del crecimiento del recien nacido de pretermino alimentado con diferentes tipos de leche / Evaluation of tolerance and speed of growth in preterm newborns fed with different types of milk

Se evaluo la velocidad de crecimiento y tolerancia del recien nacido de pretermino alimentado con tres tipos de leche : leche de madre de niños (LMT), leche producida por madres de niños de pretermino (LMP), y una formula lactea artificial elaborada con productos nacionales, con una composicion de 2.1 g proteina/100 ml (80% caseina), 4.3 g/100 ml de grasa (44% trigliceridos de cadena media) y 80 kcal/100 ml (FLAAP). Se incluyo a 10 pacientes en cada grupo. El volumen de leche ingerido fue similar en los tres grupos, pero el aporte de calorias y proteinas que proporciono la forma artificial fue significativamente mayor que el que brindo la LMT Y LMP. La cantidad de proteinas que consumieron los niños alimentados con LMP fue significativamente superior a la que recibieron los pacientes de grupo LMT. Los niños alimentados con LMP obtuvieron una ganancia de peso similar a la reportada por USHER para el crecimiento ultrauterino de la semana 25 a la 40 (USHER=25 g/día,LMP=24.1+-2.75g/día) y superior en la observada en los niños que recibieron LMT, (18,9+-4 g/día) y FLAAP (17.6+-4.7 g/día), no encontrandose diferentes significativas al comparar el grupo de LMT con el de FLAAP. La ganancia de talla y circunferencia cefalica fue similar en los 3 grupos. No se observo manifestaciones de intolerancia en ninguno de los pacientes. Tampoco se encontro diferencias entre los grupos en los valores de hematocrito y minerales al ingreso y al final del estudio, sin embargo, uno de los niños alimentados con FLAAP presento hiponatremia e hipocalcemia asintomaticas. El promedio de fosforo fue significativamente mayor en el grupo de FLAAP (F(2,27)=5,9,p<0.01). No se presentaron alteraciones en las pruebas de funcion renal. Es importante estimular la practica de la lactancia natural en las madres de niños de pretermino pues con este tipo de leche el prematuro alcanza una velocidad de crecimiento similar a la del feto "in útero" sin generar alteraciones en su sistema metabolico y excretor.

Parasitosis del sistema nervioso central: análisis de 11 casos / Central nervous system parasitosis: analysis of 11 cases

Se realizó un estudio de todos los expedientes de pacientes internados en el Hospital Nacional de Niños, durante el período de 1970-1980, que correspondieron a los diagnósticos de Parasitosis del Sistema Nervioso Central y se encontró un total de 11 casos: el 45.5% (5 casos) correspondieron a Paragonimiasis, 27.2% (3 casos) a Filariasis, 18.8% (2 casos) a Cistecercosis y 9% (1 caso) a Larva Migrans Visceral, dando todos un cuadro clínico meníngeo. El agente causal se demostró quirúrgicamente solo en 3 casos (27.3%): 1 de Paragonimiasis y 2 de Cisticercosis y el resto por métodos indirectos. Ocho pacientes recibieron tratamiento médico, dos de ellos quirúrgico y uno médico-quirúrgico. No se encontró relación entre la edad y raza, sin embargo hubo predominio del sexo masculino (9 casos), sobre el sexo femenino (2 casos. Se muestran las alteraciones serológicas periféricas y en líquido cefalorraquídeo. Se hace revisión de la literatura