Making Bipedal Robot Experiments Reproducible and Comparable: The Eurobench Software Approach.

This study describes the software methodology designed for systematic benchmarking of bipedal systems through the computation of performance indicators from data collected during an experimentation stage. Under the umbrella of the European project Eurobench, we collected approximately 30 protocols with related testbeds and scoring algorithms, aiming at characterizing the performances of humanoids, exoskeletons, and/or prosthesis under different conditions. The main challenge addressed in this study concerns the standardization of the scoring process to permit a systematic benchmark of the experiments.

Modelling sustainable salt water management under deficit irrigation conditions for melon in Spain and Brazil.

Background: In water scarcity areas the use of saline water for irrigation is a common practice. In this study, experimental data from two two-year melon tests were collected for the calibration (2004 'Yellow Melon' (YeMe) type) and validation (2002 YeMe, 2005 and 2006 'Piel de Sapo' (PiSa) type) processes in melon crop simulation under deficit irrigation conditions using salt water. The simulations were carried out for Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) and Ceará (Brazil) using the MOPECO model, which includes optimized regulated deficit irrigation (ORDI) methodology.

[Recommendations for antibiotic monitoring in ICU patients].

Monitoring plasma concentrations of antimicrobial agents used to treat infection in critically ill patients is one of the recommended strategies for improving clinical outcome. Drug monitoring has a double aim: to limit adverse events and to increase the effectiveness of the drugs. In clinical practice, however, this approach is mainly limited to monitoring plasma concentrations of vancomycin and aminoglycosides, although future extension to other antimicrobial agents would be desirable.

[Recommendations for antibiotic monitoring in ICU patients].

Unlabelled: Monitoring plasma concentrations of antimicrobial agents used to treat infection in critically ill patients is one of the recommended strategies for improving clinical outcome. Drug monitoring has a double

Aim: to limit adverse events and to increase the effectiveness of the drugs. In clinical practice, however, this approach is mainly limited to monitoring plasma concentrations of vancomycin and aminoglycosides, although future extension to other antimicrobial agents would be desirable.