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1 Pág. Correción errata., In the version of this Article originally published, the surname of author Tina Parkhurst was incorrectly written as Schroeder. This has now been corrected.

This paper presents a 3D path planning solution for UAS to obtain a safe and smooth path. The safety plays an important role in the missions with UAS surrounding or entering the buildings. The heuristic search algorithms are good candidates to address this problem. The Lazy Theta* algorithm has been modified to foster safety and smoothness maintaining a distance from obstacles of the environment. Modifications to consider a new cost component related to the distance to the obstacles are performed. Tests in a realistic environment are shown to evaluate how the modified algorithm computes safer and smoother paths. Moreover, a comparison with the A* algorithm, the A* algorithm considering the new cost component and the original Lazy Theta* is presented.

Bendamustine is a drug widely used in the treatment of follicular lymphoma. Although it was initially approved as monotherapy in patients refractory to rituximab [1], better results were obtained w...

In this paper we deal with the problem of extending Zadeh's operators on fuzzy sets (FSs) to interval-valued (IVFSs), set-valued (SVFSs) and type-2 (T2FSs) fuzzy sets. Namely, it is known that seeing FSs as SVFSs, or T2FSs, whose membership degrees are singletons is not order-preserving. We then describe a family of lattice embeddings from FSs to SVFSs. Alternatively, if the former singleton viewpoint is required, we reformulate the intersection on hesitant fuzzy sets and introduce what we have called closed-valued fuzzy sets. This new type of fuzzy sets extends standard union and intersection on FSs. In addition, it allows handling together membership degrees of different nature as, for instance, closed intervals and finite sets. Finally, all these constructions are viewed as T2FSs forming a chain of lattices.

This paper describes the development of a reactive behavioral response framework for the tabletop robot Haru. The framework enables the robot to react to external stimuli through a repertoire of expressive routines. The behavioral response framework is inspired by the simple reactive behaviors of organisms (e.g. reflexes) based on a bottom-up attention model. First, a participatory study for behavior elicitation was conducted. We explored the possible expressive behaviors of the robot and the possible stimuli trigger. These stimuli-response (S-R) pairs are designed befitting the robot’s characteristics. Then, we developed a perception and a reactive behavior module that automatically translates any perceived stimulus into expressive behavioral responses. We evaluated the proposed S-R framework using Haru in an interaction setting and our results show an increase in human attention activity indicative of its positive impact to conveying the robot’s sense of agency.

International audience; We, the co‐authors of this letter, are an international group of soil scientists at early career stages, from PhD students to postdoctoral researchers, lecturers, and research fellows with permanent positions. Here, we present our collective musings on soil research challenges and opportunities and, in particular, the points raised by Philippe Baveye (Baveye, 2020a, 2020b) and Johan Bouma (Bouma, 2020) on bypass and hyperbole in soil science. Raising awareness about these issues is a first and necessary step. To this end, we would like to thank Philippe Baveye and Johan Bouma for initiating this debate........

The experimental tabletop robot Haru, used for affective telepresence research, enables a teleoperator to communicate a variety of information to a remote user through the robotic medium from a distance. However, the robot’s rich communicative modality poses some problems to the teleoperator. Based on their experience of controlling the robot, teleoperators feel the need to be constantly attentive to and engaged with the stream of data from the remote user in order to achieve a seamless and affective interaction. Consequently, teleoperators report feeling fatigued, resulting in a decrease in time using the teleoperation system. In addition, the bulk of the data stream containing information about the remote user poses data privacy concerns. In this paper, we describe the design and development of an improved affective teleoperation system that focuses on privacy, controllability, and mental fatigue. The proposed system enables a teleoperator to maintain the same degree of robot control with a minimal amount of data from the remote user. Moreover, our studies show that the proposed system drastically reduces teleoperation fatigue as shown by the increase in time the system is in use.

This work proposes an equipment oriented to measuring the alcoholic level and simultaneously applying face recognition for people who enter risk places where their physical integrity can be affected due to their drunkenness state. In the state of the art, it is verified that several methods of measuring breathalyzer do not integrate the simultaneous facial recognition for the purposes of proper personnel access control and registration. It is also verified that subjective methods are applied such as the emitted smell perception, gait, the way of speaking or behavioral aspects. The proposed equipment consists of electronic devices that allow the detection of air flow and the measurement of the alcoholic level through a reduced board computer. Biometric face recognition is carried out through image processing algorithms, convolutional neural networks and support vector machines SVM, which run on a computer which is synchronized with the measurement equipment. The computer registers the recognized person in a database with the associated detected alcoholic level. For the validation of the proposed equipment, several samples of alcoholic level, delay times in the acquisition of images and the face recognition rate were evaluated. Alcohol level measurements were compared with those obtained through a certified digital breathalyzer. In this validation, Pearson's correlation coefficient was used, obtaining a value of 0.937. The maximum time delay in capturing the image during the emission of the airflow by the person was 0.067 s, while the percentage of true face recognition was higher than 95%.

Comunicació presentada a 2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2021), celebrat del 30 de maig al 5 de juny a Xi'an, Xina. Human collaboration is more likely to lead to cognitive growth when all group-members are actively involved in the collaborative process. However, there are cases that intragroup relationships need support. In this paper, we present an autonomous robotic system designed to interact with a pair of children in a problem-solving setting, aiming to understand how the robot behaviour impacts the group-members’ social dynamics. We developed an autonomous system with the Haru robot which we evaluated with an experimental study with 5-8yo children (N =84) to test the impact of the robot’s cognitive reliability and social positioning on human-to-human social dynamics, task performance and help-seeking behaviour. All participants took part in a baseline session (without the robot), an intervention (with the robot in a turn-taking setting) and an evaluation session (with a robot in a voluntary interaction setting). Results indicate that children who interacted with the reliable robot had a better task performance but children who interacted with the unreliable robot exhibited more task-related social interactions. Based on the results, we propose an interaction design concept which combines the set of the evaluated robot behaviours for an adaptive targeted support of child-robot teaming.

International audience; Aims: Understanding limitations to plant recruitment is a key element in devising effective restoration of semi-arid ecosystems: only when these limitations are identified can management interventions be effectively targeted. This study investigated demographic, seed and microsite limitations to establishing native plant species in a semi-arid, post-mining restoration context.Methods: We assessed ex situ and in situ germination and in situ emergence for eight key tree, shrub and annual herb species. We sowed non-treated seeds and seeds that were pre-treated to overcome dormancy, at differing densities and across diverse microsites to assess the roles of dormancy, seed density and microsite type as limiting factors for seedling recruitment.Results: We found that dormancy loss, in situ germination and in situ emergence limited one or more species, and we were able to improve emergence of one species by seed addition and targeted manipulation of microsites.Conclusions: The study has resulted in management implications including the importance of understanding methods to overcome dormancy to maximise germination; identifying key and species-specific demographic transitions; the importance of species-specific testing of seed sowing density; and the potential for increasing emergence by sowing seeds in furrows rather than broadcasting across rises and furrows, or on flat, unripped soil.

Defining a robot's expressivity is a difficult task that requires thoughtful consideration of the potential of various robot modalities and a model of communication that humans understand. Humanoid and zoomorphic-designed robots can easily take cues from human and animals, respectively when designing their expressivity. However, a robot design that is neither human nor animal-like does not have a clear model to follow in terms of designing expressivity. Animation presents a potential model in these circumstances as animated characters in movies take various forms, sizes, shapes and styles, and are successful in defining expressivity that is widely accepted across different languages and cultures. In this paper, we discuss the development and design of the expressivity of Haru, a table top robot that is neither human nor animal-like and the application of animation expertise to the holistic treatment of the different modalities. The method maximizes animation techniques and expertise normally applied to movies to generate expressivity that is then transferred to the robot hardware. Experimental results show that the robot's expressivity generated using our method is easily understood and are preferred to the conventional approach of generating expressions.

Social robotics has been productive in recent years, generating a variety of product concepts in conjunction with IoTs and smart house technologies. There are even social robots that made it to the market, a viable alternative to disembodied smart speakers. This itself is a good development considering that social robots remained a laboratory fixture in the past decade. Despite the positive outlook of social robotics, questions regarding its long-term adoption and commercial prospects still linger. The main challenge for social robotics is to find avenues in expanding current use-case applications to maximize the communication and interaction potential of the social robot, which is currently limited by copying smart speaker's functionalities. This workshop will gather roboticists, designers, engineers and stakeholders to discuss how to address these challenges to the broader consumer development of social robots by finding meaningful ways to use the rich modalities unique to social robots in creative content creation. Content in the form of apps has been the driving force in the success of smartphones. Similarly, in the gaming world, content dictates the adoption of a gaming platform. In this workshop, we will focus on creative content generation and its extension to the social robot arena, with the hope of replicating its success in other technology domains through the development of social robot apps not just for enhanced functionality but for more engaging and entertaining interactive applications.

International audience; Aims: Understanding how soil aggregate stability (MWD) is influenced by microbial diversity and abundance can be crucial for ecological restoration in severely disturbed areas. We investigated the relationships between plant and soil microbial diversity and MWD of an ultramafic Ferralsol along a vegetational succession gradient in New Caledonia, where wildfires and extensive nickel mining have degraded the landscape. Methods: Five plant communities were studied. For each one, MWD, soil physicochemical parameters (e.g. soil organic carbon (SOC)), plant root traits and fungal abundance were measured. The diversity and structure of plant and microbial communities were respectively assessed via botanical inventories and a metagenomic approach. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to assess the influence of diversity indexes on MWD. Constrained ordinations (CCA) were performed to assess the influence of communities' structures on MWD. Results GLM highlighted the linkage between SOC and MWD but did not identify any significant influence of diversity indexes on MWD. CCA revealed a significant influence of communities' structures, especially the abundance of saprotrophic fungi, on MWD. Conclusions: We showed that the structure, but not species richness and diversity of plants, soil fungi and bacteria influence aggregate stability on Ferralsols.

Runoff and soil erosion in Mediterranean landscapes are affected by multiple factors that interact at a variety of spatial scales with variable degrees of connection. In these systems, connectivity has emerged as a useful concept for exploring the movement of runoff and sediments between landscape locations and across spatial scales. In this study, we examine the structural and functional controls of surface-patch to hillslope-scale runoff and sediment connectivity in three Mediterranean-dry reclaimed mining slope systems that have different long-term development levels of vegetation and rill networks. Structural connectivity, or the extent to which surface patches that facilitate the production of runoff/sediments are physically linked to one another, was assessed using a flowpath analysis of coupled vegetation distribution and surface topography. Functional connectivity, determined as the spatial continuity of surface fluxes across scales, was further explored using the ratio of surface-patch to hillslope-scale observations of runoff and sediment yield for 21 monitored hydrologically active rainfall events. Event-based (functional) runoff connectivity was found to be dynamically controlled by antecedent precipitation conditions and rainfall intensity and, at the same time, was strongly modulated by the structural connectivity of the slopes. In the absence of rill networks, both runoff and sediments for all events were largely redistributed within the analysed systems, resulting in low functional connectivity. Sediment connectivity increased with rainfall intensity, particularly in the presence of rill networks where active incision under high intensity storm conditions led to large non-linear increases in sediment yield from the surface-patch to the hillslope scales. Overall, our results demonstrate the usefulness of applying structural and functional connectivity metrics for practical applications, and for assessing the complex links and controlling factors that regulate the transference of both runoff and sediment yield across different landscape scales.

This paper presents a non-linear optimization method for trajectory planning of tethered aerial robots. Particularly, the paper addresses the planning problem of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) linked to an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) by means of a tether. The result is a collision-free trajectory for UAV and tether, assuming the UGV position is static. The optimizer takes into account constraints related to the UAV, UGV and tether positions, obstacles and temporal aspects of the motion such as limited robot velocities and accelerations, and finally the tether state, which is not required to be tense. The problem is formulated in a weighted multi-objective optimization framework. Results from simulated scenarios demonstrate that the approach is able to generate obstacle-free and smooth trajectories for the UAV and tether., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, accepted ICRA'21

In this paper, we present a method of communicating affects from a remote user through the telepresence robot Haru. In this preliminary work, we transform the traditional mode of communicating text messages with emojis in the smartphone domain to the robot domain through robomojis- a hardware rendition of emojis. First we analyze human affects and expressions and synthesized these through the design of robomojis. Based on the telepresence robot Haru platform, we built a communication module that enables a remote user with a smartphone to send text and emoji messages to the robot. The robot then communicates these affectively through the rendition of robomojis. By exploiting the robot’s rich modality and through design, our preliminary results show that robomojis deliver better rendition than emojis. Although participants prefer the use of smartphones over telepresence robot due to convenience, our findings also show that they are willing to use the robomoji features in a telepresence robot such as Haru. This could enhance further the role of social robots as telepresence robots and open the possibility of integrating them to the traditional communication ecosystem.

International audience; Aims: Mineral-associated organic matter, mainly derived from microbial by-products, persists longer in soil compared to particulate organic matter (POM). POM is highly recalcitrant and originates largely from decomposing root and shoot litter. Theory suggests that root traits and growth dynamics should affect carbon (C) accumulation into these different pools, but the specific traits driving this accumulation are not clearly identified.Methods: Twelve herbaceous species were grown for 37 weeks in monocultures. Root elongation rate (RER) was measured throughout the experiment. At the end of the experiment, we determined morphological and chemical root traits, as well as substrate induced respiration (SIR) as a proxy for microbial activity. Carbon was measured in four different soil fractions, following particle-size and density fractionation.Results: Root biomass, RER, root diameter, hemicellulose content and SIR (characteristic of N2-fixing Fabaceae species), were all positively correlated with increased C in the coarse silt fraction. Root diameter and hemicellulose content were negatively correlated with C in the POM fraction, that was greater under non N2-fixing Poaceae species, characterized by lignin-rich roots with a high carbon:nitrogen ratio that grew slowly. The accumulation of C in different soil pools was mediated by microbial activity.Conclusions: Our results show that root traits determine C input into different soil pools, mediated primarily by microbial activity, thus determining the fate of soil organic C. We also highlight that C in different soil pools, and not only total soil organic C, should be reported in future studies to better understand its origin, fate and dynamics.

Rationale: Airway colonization by Potentially Pathogenic Microorganisms ( PPM) in bronchiectasis is associated with worse clinical outcomes. The electronic nose is a non-invasive technology capable of distinguishing volatile organic compounds ( VOC) in exhaled breath. We aim to explore if an electronic nose can reliably discriminate airway bacterial colonization in patients with bronchiectasis. Methods: Seventy-three clinically stable bronchiectasis patients were included. PPM presence was determined using sputum culture. Exhaled breath was collected in Tedlar bags and VOC breath-prints were detected by the electronic nose Cyranose 320(R). Raw data was reduced to three factors with principal component analysis. Univariate ANOVA followed by post-hoc least significant difference test was performed with these factors. Patients were then classified using linear canonical discriminant analysis. Cross-validation accuracy values were defined by the percentage of correctly classified patients. Results: Forty-one (56%) patients were colonized with PPM. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( n=27, 66%) and Haemophilus influenzae ( n=7, 17%) were the most common PPM. VOC breath-prints from colonized and non-colonized patients were significantly different ( accuracy of 72%, AUROC 0.75, p < 0.001). VOC breath-prints from Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonized patients were significantly different from those of patients colonized with other PPM ( accuracy of 89%, AUROC 0.97, p < 0.001) and non-colonized patients ( accuracy 73%, AUROC 0.83, p=0.007). Conclusions: An electronic nose can accurately identify VOC breath-prints of clinically stable bronchiectasis patients with airway bacterial colonization, especially in those with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Urban sprawl and energy consumption issues suggest to consider how to design energy efficient dense cities. Solar radiation is a significant heat input in well insulated buildings in temperate climates. However, the solar masks generated by the surrounding buildings in dense urban areas can reduce significantly this energy gain. This paper proposes a definition of a district as a periodic urban fabric, where a given configuration of buildings, called urban cell, is repeated to represent the urban outline. It allows us to evaluate the relationship between cumulative solar potential on facades and urban shape, with solar masks that are consistent with the considered area. In this study, an evolutionary algorithm is used to explore the set of urban cells composed of a square grid of blocks of varying height. Four conditions for solar radiation are taken into account: clear sky direct radiation at the latitude of 50° North for three particular days (winter solstice, summer solstice and equinox), and annual direct and diffuse radiation based on the meteorological data of Paris, France. For each condition of solar radiation, the influence on the optimization results of the size of the area of interest and its built density is assessed. The results provide information on what are the urban shapes maximizing solar potential and give some quantitative indications on the amount of solar radiation that can be captured.

In order to contribute to a minimum impact on soil biocenosis during the application of in-situ bioremediation techniques, this work assessed the efficiency of a scarcely used combination of biochar and a bioaugmentation based on an autochthonous bacterial consortium. Bioaugmentation-biochar combination was assessed by using soil samples from a polluted site with two pollution scenarios: a) soil with aged diesel, and b) clean soil to which fresh diesel was later added simulating a recent pollution event. The autochthonous consortium, isolated from the aged-diesel soil, was genetically, taxonomically and functionally characterized by these authors in a previous work. The biochar used was obtained from tree pruning residues. In both scenarios, four treatments were carried out under short-term test conditions: i) natural attenuation, ii) biochar, iii) bioaugmentation, and iv) biochar-bioaugmentation combination. Our results show that the bioaugmentation-biochar combination was significantly more effective than the simple treatments. This combination produced more than 20% diesel degradation in both scenarios over twelve weeks. Simultaneously, an increase in bacterial diversity was observed in that period. Therefore, using biochar combined with bioaugmentation suggests synergies that lead to a highly efficient and environmentally friendly bioremediation processes.

This paper presents a human–robot co-working system to be applied to industrial tasks such as the production line of a paint factory. The aim is to optimize the picking task with respect to manual operation in a paint factory. The use of an agile autonomous robot co-worker reduces the time in the picking process of materials, and the reduction of the exposure time to raw materials of the worker improves the human safety. Moreover, the process supervision is also improved thanks to a better traceability of the whole process. The whole system consists of a manufacturing process management system, an autonomous navigation system, and a people detection and tracking system. The localization module does not require the installation of reflectors or visual markers for robot operation, significantly simplifying the system deployment in a factory. The robot is able to respond to changing environmental conditions such as people, moving forklifts or unmapped static obstacles like pallets or boxes. The system is not tied to specific manufacturing orders. It is fully integrated with the manufacturing process management system and it can process all possible orders as long as their components are placed into the warehouse. Real experiments to validate the system have been performed in a paint factory by a real holonomic platform and a worker. The results are promising from the evaluation of performance indicators such as exposure time of the worker to raw materials, automation of the process, robust and safe navigation, and the assessment of the end-user.

Background: BO-112 is a double stranded synthetic RNA formulated with polyethyleneimine (PEI), that acts as an agonist to toll-like receptor 3 and targets the cytosolic helicase melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 and retinoic acid-inducible gene I. By mimicking the effect of a viral infection, it mobilizes the immune system, including activation of dendritic cells, CD8 T-cell infiltration, induction of interferons (IFNs), induction of apoptosis and enhancement of immunogenic cell death. Clinical data are available from the first-in-human study (NCT02828098) which evaluated single intratumoral (IT) BO-112 (Part 1; N = 16) and the combination of IT BO-112 with pembrolizumab or nivolumab (Part 2; N = 28). Part 2 showed an ORR of 11% and DCR of 46% in patients with multiple tumor types. Of them, 2 out of 10 (20%) patients with melanoma resistant to anti PD-1 achieved a partial response. Safety profile of BO-112, both as single agent and in combination with anti-PD-1, is manageable and currently characterized by Grade 1 fever and other flu-like symptoms. A phase 2 clinical study of IT BO-112 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with liver metastases from colorectal or gastric/gastro-esophageal junction cancer patients is currently ongoing. Methods: Phase 2, single arm, open label study of IT BO-112 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced and/or metastatic melanoma that have progressed on anti-PD-1-containing treatment (NCT04570332). BO-112 will be administered once weekly (QW) in 1 to 8 tumor lesions, total dose 1-2 mg (depending on the number of injected lesions), for the first 7 weeks and then once every three weeks (Q3W); pembrolizumab 200 mg will be administered Q3W. Key eligibility criteria include histologically confirmed, unresectable cutaneous or mucosal melanoma with known BRAF status. Patients must have progressed on or after treatment with an anti-PD-1/L1 mAb. At least one lesion RECIST 1.1 measurable and amenable for weekly IT injection is needed. Primary efficacy variable is ORR by RECIST 1.1, assessed by independent central radiologist (by QUIBIM Precision platform). Secondary efficacy variables include clinical activity in terms of DCR, DOR, PFS, OS, iRECIST, safety and PKs. Exploratory objectives include itRECIST and evaluation of tumor microenvironment (by Pangaea laboratory). A 1-sided alpha of 4.19% and power of 81.8% are used. A total of 40 patients will be enrolled. If less than 8 patients out of 40 have ORR, the study will not meet the statistical bar. Study was approved on 14 December in Spain; enrollment is open; two sites are active as of 18 December 2020. Nineteen sites (12 in Spain and 7 in France) are planned to be activated. Citation Format: Iván Márquez-Rodas, Miguel Fernández de Sanmamed Gutiérrez, María González Cao, Ana M. Arance, Alfonso Berrocal, Eduardo Castañon, Sofía España, Pablo Cerezuela-Fuentes, Juan F. Rodríguez-Moreno, Pilar López Criado, Juana Oramas, Luis de la Cruz Merino, Stéphane Dalle, Caroline Dutriaux, Julie Charles, Caroline Robert, Brigitte Dréno, Henri Montaudié, Philippe Saiag, Javier Sánchez-López, María Rojas, Helena Escuin-Ordinas, Vanesa Pons Sanz, Sonia Maciá, Marisol Quintero. Phase 2 clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intratumoral BO-112 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma that have progressive disease on anti-PD-1-based therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT233.

This work presents an approach for learning navigation behaviors for robots using Optimal Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRT $$^{*}$$ ) as the main planner. A new learning algorithm combining both Inverse Reinforcement Learning and RRT $$^{*}$$ is developed to learn the RRT $$^{*}$$ ’s cost function from demonstrations. A comparison with other state-of-the-art algorithms shows how the method can recover the behavior from the demonstrations. Finally, a learned cost function for social navigation is tested in real experiments with a robot in the laboratory.

espanolLas infecciones respiratorias representan la primera causa de morbilidad infecciosa tanto en adultos y ninos en atencion primaria en Espana. Se tratan generalmente de infecciones autolimitadas, causadas principalmente por virus. Sin embargo, esta documentado un alto porcentaje de prescripcion antibiotica innecesaria. Las tecnicas de diagnostico rapido son pruebas biomedicas que puede ser utilizadas en la misma consulta con el paciente sin la necesidad de disponer de un laboratorio. El uso de estas pruebas, muchas de las cuales se han desarrollado recientemente, esta aumentando rapidamente en atencion primaria. No obstante, debemos reflexionar sobre si su uso contribuye siempre a que se realice un diagnostico apropiado y de alta calidad por parte de los medicos de atencion primaria. Presentamos un conjunto de criterios que pueden ser utilizados por los clinicos y se discuten las ventajas e inconvenientes de los instrumentos disponibles para el abordaje de las infecciones respiratorias y como utilizarlos adecuadamente. EnglishRespiratory tract infections rank first as causes of adult and paediatric infectious morbidity in primary care in Spain. These infections are usually self-limiting and are mainly caused by viruses. However, a high percentage of unnecessary antibiotic prescription is reported. Point-of-care tests are biomedical tests, which can be used near the patient, without interference of a laboratory. The use of these tests, many of which have been recently developed, is rapidly increasing in general practice. Notwithstanding, we must mull over whether they always contribute to an effective and high-quality diagnostic process by primary care clinicians. We present a set of criteria that can be used by clinicians and discuss the pros and cons of the instruments available for the management of respiratory tract infections and how to use them appropriately.

This piece of work presents a simple and compact overview of the design problem of tensegrity structures in two and three dimensions. The main aim of this study is to present the design and calculation of tensegrity structures in their simplest form, avoiding unnecessary simplifications that can rule out solutions, as has happened up until now. As a result of the simplicity of the procedure, two types of tensegrity structures are obtained for the same initial topology: full and folded forms. Several examples are shown.

Demand for restoration of resilient, self‐sustaining, and biodiverse natural ecosystems as a conservation measure is increasing globally; however, restoration efforts frequently fail to meet standards appropriate for this objective. Achieving these standards requires management underpinned by input from diverse scientific disciplines including ecology, biotechnology, engineering, soil science, ecophysiology, and genetics. Despite increasing restoration research activity, a gap between the immediate needs of restoration practitioners and the outputs of restoration science often limits the effectiveness of restoration programs. Regrettably, studies often fail to identify the practical issues most critical for restoration success. We propose that part of this oversight may result from the absence of a considered statement of the necessary practical restoration science questions. Here we develop a comprehensive framework of the research required to bridge this gap and guide effective restoration. We structure questions in five themes: (1) setting targets and planning for success, (2) sourcing biological material, (3) optimizing establishment, (4) facilitating growth and survival, and (5) restoring resilience, sustainability, and landscape integration. This framework will assist restoration practitioners and scientists to identify knowledge gaps and develop strategic research focused on applied outcomes. The breadth of questions highlights the importance of cross‐discipline collaboration among restoration scientists, and while the program is broad, successful restoration projects have typically invested in many or most of these themes. Achieving restoration ecology's goal of averting biodiversity losses is a vast challenge: investment in appropriate science is urgently needed for ecological restoration to fulfill its potential and meet demand as a conservation tool. published

Sewers represent a very important infrastructure of cities whose state should be monitored periodically. However, the length of such infrastructure prevents sensor networks from being applicable. In this paper, we present a mobile platform (SIAR) designed to inspect the sewer network. It is capable of sensing gas concentrations and detecting failures in the network such as cracks and holes in the floor and walls or zones were the water is not flowing. These alarms should be precisely geo-localized to allow the operators performing the required correcting measures. To this end, this paper presents a robust localization system for global pose estimation on sewers. It makes use of prior information of the sewer network, including its topology, the different cross sections traversed and the position of some elements such as manholes. The system is based on a Monte Carlo Localization system that fuses wheel and RGB-D odometry for the prediction stage. The update step takes into account the sewer network topology for discarding wrong hypotheses. Additionally, the localization is further refined with novel updating steps proposed in this paper which are activated whenever a discrete element in the sewer network is detected or the relative orientation of the robot over the sewer gallery could be estimated. Each part of the system has been validated with real data obtained from the sewers of Barcelona. The whole system is able to obtain median localization errors in the order of one meter in all cases. Finally, the paper also includes comparisons with state-of-the-art Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) systems that demonstrate the convenience of the approach. Unión Europea ECHORD ++ 601116 Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de España RTI2018-100847-B-C22

The emergence and development of cognitive strategies for the transition from exploratory actions towards intentional problem-solving in children is a key question for the understanding of the development of human cognition. Researchers in developmental psychology have studied cognitive strategies and have highlighted the catalytic role of the social environment. However, it is not yet adequately understood how this capacity emerges and develops in biological systems when they perform a problem-solving task in collaboration with a robotic social agent. This paper presents an empirical study in a human-robot interaction (HRI) setting which investigates children's problem-solving from a developmental perspective. In order to theoretically conceptualize children's developmental process of problem-solving in HRI context, we use principles based on the intuitive theory and we take into consideration existing research on executive functions with a focus on inhibitory control. We considered the paradigm of the Tower of Hanoi and we conducted an HRI behavioral experiment to evaluate task performance. We designed two types of robot interventions, “voluntary” and “turn-taking”—manipulating exclusively the timing of the intervention. Our results indicate that the children who participated in the voluntary interaction setting showed a better performance in the problem solving activity during the evaluation session despite their large variability in the frequency of self-initiated interactions with the robot. Additionally, we present a detailed description of the problem-solving trajectory for a representative single case-study, which reveals specific developmental patterns in the context of the specific task. Implications and future work are discussed regarding the development of intelligent robotic systems that allow child-initiated interaction as well as targeted and not constant robot interventions.

Ultrasound is an essential tool in the management of the nephrological patient allowing the diagnosis, monitoring and performance of kidney intervention. However, the usefulness of ultrasound in the hands of the nephrologist is not limited exclusively to the ultrasound study of the kidney. By ultrasound, the nephrologist can also optimize the management of arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis, measure cardiovascular risk (mean intimate thickness), implant central catheters for ultrasound-guided HD, as well as the patient's volemia using basic cardiac ultrasound, ultrasound of the cava inferior vein and lungs. From the Working Group on Interventional Nephrology (GNDI) of the Spanish Society of Nephrology (SEN) we have prepared this consensus document that summarizes the main applications of ultrasound to Nephrology, including the necessary basic technical requirements, the framework normative and the level of training of nephrologists in this area. The objective of this work is to promote the inclusion of ultrasound, both diagnostic and interventional, in the usual clinical practice of the nephrologist and in the Nephrology Services portfolio with the final objective of offering diligent, efficient and comprehensive management to the nephrological patient.

Motion is an important modality for human-robot interaction. Besides a fundamental component to carry out tasks, through motion a robot can express intentions and expressions as well. In this paper, we focus on a tabletop robot in which motion, among other modalities, is used to convey expressions. The robot incorporates a set of pre-programmed motion animations that show different expressions with various intensities. These have been created by designers with expertise in animation. The objective in the paper is to analyze if these examples can be used as demonstrations, and combined by the robot to generate additional richer expressions. Challenges are the representation space used, and the scarce number of examples. The paper compares three different learning from demonstration approaches for the task at hand. A user study is presented to evaluate the resultant new expressive motions automatically generated by combining previous demonstrations.

Introduction: Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) constitute a heterogeneous group of entities with significant impact on survival. Early diagnosis is fundamental, however it is difficult in clinical practice. The electronic nose is a non-invasive technology capable to distinguishing volatile organic compound (VOC) breath-prints in exhaled breath. Objective: To determine if electronic nose was able to discriminate ILD patients from healthy controls and other prevalent lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Prospective observational study. Fifty-nine ILD patients, 31 healthy controls and 40 COPD patients were included. In each case, exhaled air was collected in Tedlar bags and VOCs breath-prints were detected by the commercially available electronic nose Cyranose320®. Cross-validatin accuracy was assessed using principal component reduction analysis, as our group previously described and validated. Results: Median age of ILD patients, healthy controls and COPD patients were (65±13 years; 37±22 years; 68±5 years) and median FEV1 of these groups were (82±20% ref; 102±9%; 41±10% ref). Patients under study of ILD showed a different VOCs breath-print from healthy controls (accuracy 90%, AUROC 0.92, p Conclusions: The electronic nose is able to identify ILD patients from healthy controls as well as COPD patients. More studies are needed to determine if an electronic nose could play a role as a non-invasive diagnostic method in the screening of ILD.

The SIAR platform is a six-wheeled ground robot with differential kinematic configuration and automatic width adjustment developed for the ECHORD++ Challenge on Urban Robotics: “Robots For The Inspection And The Clearance Of The Sewer Network In Cities”. This challenge proposes the development of a wireless robotic platform for long range inspection of large city sewers, which are currently not addressed by commercial solutions. SIAR leverages RGBD data for affordable and high-resolution 3D perception of its surroundings. This information is internally used for robot localization and safe navigation. Moreover, this information is also employed in high-level functionalities such as automatic defect inspection, the detection of serviceability losses and the generation of global 3D reconstructions of the environment. This chapter describes the main software and hardware architecture of the system. It also details the advances made over state-of-the-art techniques in order to take into account the particularities of this environment, i.e., localization in a GPS-denied area, navigation or communications, to name a few. Finally, the chapter presents experimental results on real sewers of Barcelona to demonstrate the reliability and suitability of the proposed solution.

Glomalin‐related soil protein (GRSP), an operationally defined fraction of soil organic matter containing protein and various other components, is usually quantified using the colorimetric nonspecific Bradford method. This method is limited by a short working range, a nonlinear response and interference from co‐extracted compounds. These limitations hinder the exact quantification of the protein component. The aim of this study was to investigate the source of interference in the Bradford quantification of GRSP and propose several methodological improvements based on identified interferences. The easily extractable and total GRSP in five topsoils with contrasting texture, organic carbon content and land use were compared. Results showed that: (a) the extent of interference varied between different soils, (b) the standard addition method overestimated the extent of inhibition, (c) absorbance should be corrected for colour, (d) use of the ratio of absorbances at 595 and 465 nm, A₅₉₅/A₄₆₅, is not recommended because it is sensitive to pH and dilution‐dependent absorbance at 465 nm, (e) although a quadratic fit to the protein calibration curve was better than the linear fit, it was not possible for the dilution method, and (f) estimation of protein content from the dilution curve of the soil extract appeared to be suitable as it integrates the often observed, and hitherto unexplained, effect of dilution on the calculated protein content of soil extracts and avoids artefacts because of the choice of protein spike and dilution. HIGHLIGHTS: Soil protein colorimetric quantification is hampered by co‐extracted compounds. Variants of Bradford assay of glomalin‐related soil protein are tested for five contrasting soils. Direct assay underestimates soil protein, but standard addition may overestimate. Controlled sample dilution with colour correction might give the best estimate of soil protein.

BackgroundThe efficacy of intravenous (IV) ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) has been demonstrated in haemodialysis and non-dialysis studies, but evidence is lacking in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD).MethodsThis multicentre, retrospective study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of FCM in patients on PD over 12 months. We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of PD patients who initiated FCM treatment between 2014 and 2017 across seven Spanish centres.ResultsNinety-one patients were included in the safety population (mean ± SD age 57.7 ± 15.0 years) and 70 in the efficacy population (mean age 50.9 ± 14.5 years). No hypersensitivity reaction, FCM discontinuation or dose adjustment due to a serious adverse event (SAE) was registered in the safety population. The most common non-SAEs reported were headache (four events), mild hypotension (three events) and hypertension (two events), among others. In the efficacy population (n = 70), 68.6% of patients achieved ferritin levels of 200–800 ng/mL, 78.4% achieved transferrin saturation (TSAT) >20%, and 62.8% achieved TSAT >20% and ferritin >200 ng/mL after 12 months of FCM initiation (P 11 g/dL with a lower dose of darbepoetin throughout the follow-up. The sub-analysis of patients naïve to IV iron and with absolute or relative iron deficiency (n = 51) showed that 76.5% reached ferritin >200 ng/mL, 80.4% TSAT >20% and Hb increased (1.2 g/dL) after 4 months of FCM treatment (P ConclusionIn this multicentre, retrospective, real-world study conducted in the PD population, FCM was effective, safe and easy to administer during routine clinical visits.

In this work we present a bioinspired visual system sensor to estimate angular rates in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) using Neural Networks. We have conceived a hardware setup to emulate Drosophila’s ocellar system, three simple eyes related to stabilization. This device is composed of three low resolution cameras with a similar spatial configuration as the ocelli. There have been previous approaches based on this ocellar system, most of them considering assumptions such as known light source direction or a punctual light source. In contrast, here we present a learning approach using Artificial Neural Networks in order to recover the system’s angular rates indoors and outdoors without previous knowledge. A classical computer vision based method is also derived to be used as a benchmark for the learning approach. The method is validated with a large dataset of images (more than half a million samples) including synthetic and real data. The source code of the algorithms and the datasets used in this paper have been released in an open repository.

International audience; Biodiversity of ecosystems is an important driver for the supply of ecosystem services to people. Soils often have a larger biodiversity per unit surface area than what can be observed aboveground. Here, we present what is to our knowledge, the most extensive literature-based key-word assessment of the existing information about the relationships between belowground biodiversity and ecosystem services in European forests. The belowground diversity of plant roots, fungi, prokaryota, soil fauna, and protists was evaluated in relation to the supply of Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, and Supporting Services. The soil biota were divided into 14 subgroups and the ecosystem services into 37 separate services. Out of the 518 possible combinations of biotic groups and ecosystem services, no published study was found for 374 combinations (72%). Of the remaining 144 combinations (28%) where relationships were found, the large majority (87%) showed a positive relationship between biodiversity of a belowground biotic group and an associated ecosystem service. However, for the majority of the combinations (102) there were only three or fewer studies. The percentage of cases for which a relationship was detected varied strongly between ecosystem service categories with 23% for Provisioning, 8% for Regulating, 40% for Cultural, and 48% for Supporting Services. We conclude that (1) soil biodiversity is generally positively related to ecosystem services in European forests; (2) the links between soil biodiversity and Cultural or Supporting services are better documented than those relating to Provisioning and Regulating services; (3) there is a huge knowledge gap for most possible combinations of soil biota and ecosystem services regarding how a more biodiverse soil biota is associated with a given ecosystem service. Given the drastically increasing societal demand for knowledge of the role of biodiversity in the functioning of ecosystems and the supply of ecosystem services, we strongly encourage the scientific community to conduct well-designed studies incorporating the belowground diversity and the functions and services associated with this diversity.