A novel polar-based human face recognition computational model

Motivated by a recently proposed biologically inspired face recognition approach, we investigated the relation between human behavior and a computational model based on Fourier-Bessel (FB) spatial patterns. We measured human recognition performance of FB filtered face images using an 8-alternative forced-choice method. Test stimuli were generated by converting the images from the spatial to the FB domain, filtering the resulting coefficients with a band-pass filter, and finally taking the inverse FB transformation of the filtered coefficients. The performance of the computational models was tested using a simulation of the psychophysical experiment. In the FB model, face images were first filtered by simulated V1- type neurons and later analyzed globally for their content of FB components. In general, there was a higher human contrast sensitivity to radially than to angularly filtered images, but both functions peaked at the 11.3-16 frequency interval. The FB-based model presented similar behavior with regard to peak position and relative sensitivity, but had a wider frequency band width and a narrower response range. The response pattern of two alternative models, based on local FB analysis and on raw luminance, strongly diverged from the human behavior patterns. These results suggest that human performance can be constrained by the type of information conveyed by polar patterns, and consequently that humans might use FB-like spatial patterns in face processing.

Rede de atenção à saúde mental de base comunitária: a experiência de Santo André

Os distúrbios psiquiátricos constituem um grave problema de saúde pública. Por muitos anos, a única terapêutica disponível ao portador de transtornos mentais era a internação em hospitais psiquiátricos. Hoje a Organização Mundial de Saúde recomenda os serviços de base comunitária como modelo de tratamento em saúde mental. Assim, o objetivo é descrever as características de uma rede de atenção à saúde mental de base comunitária no município de Santo André, SP. Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo do tipo descritivo, em dados secundários do período de 1987 a 2006. O estudo incidiu sobre o histórico, a infra-estrutura, os recursos humanos, a produção, as práticas e processos de trabalho dos serviços de saúde mental de Santo André. Foram analisados documentos do Programa Municipal de Saúde Mental, da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, da Prefeitura de Santo André, da Associação José Martins de Araújo Júnior-Organização Social De Volta Para Casa. A Secretaria Municipal de Saúde proveu meios para uma transformação dos serviços de saúde mental no período estudado, partindo de um atendimento exclusivamente manicomial para uma rede de serviços de saúde mental com modelo centrado na comunidade, focando a doença no aspecto psicossocial e com abordagem por equipe multiprofissional. Estas ações no município de Santo André foram corroborativas aos esforços da sociedade civil e o pleno desenvolvimento da mudança do modelo hospitalocêntrico

Contribution margin model applied to the marketing planning of a container liner carrier

The implementation of confidential contracts between a container liner carrier and its customers, because of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) 1998, demands a revision in the methodology applied in the carrier's planning of marketing and sales. The marketing and sales planning process should be more scientific and with a better use of operational research tools considering the selection of the customers under contracts, the duration of the contracts, the freight, and the container imbalances of these contracts are basic factors for the carrier's yield. This work aims to develop a decision support system based on a linear programming model to generate the business plan for a container liner carrier, maximizing the contribution margin of its freight.

Reciprocal Modulation of Cognitive and Emotional Aspects in Pianistic Performances

Background: High level piano performance requires complex integration of perceptual, motor, cognitive and emotive skills. Observations in psychology and neuroscience studies have suggested reciprocal inhibitory modulation of the cognition by emotion and emotion by cognition. However, it is still unclear how cognitive states may influence the pianistic performance. The aim of the present study is to verify the influence of cognitive and affective attention in the piano performances. Methods and Findings: Nine pianists were instructed to play the same piece of music, firstly focusing only on cognitive aspects of musical structure (cognitive performances), and secondly, paying attention solely on affective aspects (affective performances). Audio files from pianistic performances were examined using a computational model that retrieves nine specific musical features (descriptors) - loudness, articulation, brightness, harmonic complexity, event detection, key clarity, mode detection, pulse clarity and repetition. In addition, the number of volunteers' errors in the recording sessions was counted. Comments from pianists about their thoughts during performances were also evaluated. The analyses of audio files throughout musical descriptors indicated that the affective performances have more: agogics, legatos, pianos phrasing, and less perception of event density when compared to the cognitive ones. Error analysis demonstrated that volunteers misplayed more left hand notes in the cognitive performances than in the affective ones. Volunteers also played more wrong notes in affective than in cognitive performances. These results correspond to the volunteers' comments that in the affective performances, the cognitive aspects of piano execution are inhibited, whereas in the cognitive performances, the expressiveness is inhibited. Conclusions: Therefore, the present results indicate that attention to the emotional aspects of performance enhances expressiveness, but constrains cognitive and motor skills in the piano execution. In contrast, attention to the cognitive aspects may constrain the expressivity and automatism of piano performances.

COOP/WONCA Charts as a Screen for Mental Disorders in Primary Care

PURPOSE most people with mental disorders receive treatment in primary care. The charts developed by the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Research Network (COOP) and the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies, and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (WONCA) have not yet been evaluated as a screen for these disorders, using a structured psychiatric interview by an expert or considering diagnoses other than depression. We evaluated the validity and feasibility of the COOP/WONCA Charts as a mental disorders screen by comparing them both with other questionnaires previously validated and with the assessment of a mental health specialist using a structured diagnostic interview. METHODS We trained community health workers and nurse assistants working in a collaborative mental health care model to administer the COOP/WONCA Charts, the 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), and the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) to 120 primary care patients. A psychiatrist blinded to the patients' results on these questionnaires administered the SCID, or Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition). RESULTS The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was at least 0.80 for single items, a 3-item combination, and the total score of the COOP/WONCA Charts, as well as for the SRQ-20 and the WHO-5, for screening both for all mental disorders and for depressive disorders. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of these measures ranged between 0.77 and 0.92. Community health workers and nurse assistants rated the understandability, ease of use, and clinical relevance of all 3 questionnaires as satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS One-time assessment of patients with the COOP/WONCA Charts is a valid and feasible option for screening for mental disorders by primary care teams.

Assessment of Preclinical Learning on Oral Surgery Using Three Instructional Strategies

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate three learning methods for teaching basic oral surgical skills Thirty predoctoral dental students without any surgical knowledge or previous surgical experience were divided Into three groups (n=10 each) according to instructional strategy Group 1, active learning Group 2, text reading only, and Group 3, text reading and video demonstration After instruction, the apprentices were allowed to practice incision dissection and suture maneuvers in a bench learning model During the students' performance, a structured practice evaluation test to account for correct or incorrect maneuvers was applied by trained observers Evaluation tests were repeated after thirty and sixty days Data from resulting scores between groups and periods were considered for statistical analysis (ANOVA and Tukey Kramer) with a significant level of a=0 05 Results showed that the active learning group presented the significantly best learning outcomes related to immediate assimilation of surgical procedures compared to other groups All groups results were similar after sixty days of the first practice Assessment tests were fundamental to evaluate teaching strategies and allowed theoretical and proficiency learning feedbacks Repetition and interactive practice promoted retention of knowledge on basic oral surgical skills

E-Learning Used in a Training Course on Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) for Brazilian Dentists

The purpose of this study was to assess the benefits of using e-learning resources in a dental training course on Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART). This e-course was given in a DVD format, which presented the ART technique and philosophy. The participants were twenty-four dentists from the Brazilian public health system. Prior to receiving the DVD, the dentists answered a questionnaire regarding their personal data, previous knowledge about ART, and general interest in training courses. The dentists also participated in an assessment process consisting of a test applied before and after the course. A single researcher corrected the tests, and intraexaminer reproducibility was calculated (kappa=0.89). Paired t-tests were carried out to compare the means between the assessments, showing a significant improvement in the performance of the subjects on the test taken after the course (p<0.05). A linear regression model was used with the difference between the means as the outcome. A greater improvement on the test results was observed among female dentists (p=0.034), dentists working for a shorter period of time in the public health system (p=0.042), and dentists who used the ART technique only for urgent and/or temporary treatment (p=0.010). In conclusion, e-learning has the potential of improving the knowledge that dentists working in the public health system have about ART, especially those with less clinical experience and less knowledge about the subject.

Impact of Manaus City on the Amazon Green Ocean atmosphere: ozone production, precursor sensitivity and aerosol load

As a contribution to the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia - Cooperative LBA Airborne Regional Experiment (LBA-CLAIRE-2001) field campaign in the heart of the Amazon Basin, we analyzed the temporal and spatial dynamics of the urban plume of Manaus City during the wet-to-dry season transition period in July 2001. During the flights, we performed vertical stacks of crosswind transects in the urban outflow downwind of Manaus City, measuring a comprehensive set of trace constituents including O(3), NO, NO(2), CO, VOC, CO(2), and H(2)O. Aerosol loads were characterized by concentrations of total aerosol number (CN) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and by light scattering properties. Measurements over pristine rainforest areas during the campaign showed low levels of pollution from biomass burning or industrial emissions, representative of wet season background conditions. The urban plume of Manaus City was found to be joined by plumes from power plants south of the city, all showing evidence of very strong photochemical ozone formation. One episode is discussed in detail, where a threefold increase in ozone mixing ratios within the atmospheric boundary layer occurred within a 100 km travel distance downwind of Manaus. Observation-based estimates of the ozone production rates in the plume reached 15 ppb h(-1). Within the plume core, aerosol concentrations were strongly enhanced, with Delta CN/Delta CO ratios about one order of magnitude higher than observed in Amazon biomass burning plumes. Delta CN/Delta CO ratios tended to decrease with increasing transport time, indicative of a significant reduction in particle number by coagulation, and without substantial new particle nucleation occurring within the time/space observed. While in the background atmosphere a large fraction of the total particle number served as CCN (about 60-80% at 0.6% supersaturation), the CCN/CN ratios within the plume indicated that only a small fraction (16 +/- 12 %) of the plume particles were CCN. The fresh plume aerosols showed relatively weak light scattering efficiency. The CO-normalized CCN concentrations and light scattering coefficients increased with plume age in most cases, suggesting particle growth by condensation of soluble organic or inorganic species. We used a Single Column Chemistry and Transport Model (SCM) to infer the urban pollution emission fluxes of Manaus City, implying observed mixing ratios of CO, NO(x) and VOC. The model can reproduce the temporal/spatial distribution of ozone enhancements in the Manaus plume, both with and without accounting for the distinct (high NO(x)) contribution by the power plants; this way examining the sensitivity of ozone production to changes in the emission rates of NO(x). The VOC reactivity in the Manaus region was dominated by a high burden of biogenic isoprene from the background rainforest atmosphere, and therefore NO(x) control is assumed to be the most effective ozone abatement strategy. Both observations and models show that the agglomeration of NO(x) emission sources, like power plants, in a well-arranged area can decrease the ozone production efficiency in the near field of the urban populated cores. But on the other hand remote areas downwind of the city then bear the brunt, being exposed to increased ozone production and N-deposition. The simulated maximum stomatal ozone uptake fluxes were 4 nmol m(-2) s(-1) close to Manaus, and decreased only to about 2 nmol m(-2) s(-1) within a travel distance >1500 km downwind from Manaus, clearly exceeding the critical threshold level for broadleaf trees. Likewise, the simulated N deposition close to Manaus was similar to 70 kg N ha(-1) a(-1) decreasing only to about 30 kg N ha(-1) a(-1) after three days of simulation.

LEARNING A COMPLEX MOTOR SKILL FROM VIDEO AND POINT-LIGHT DEMONSTRATIONS

The aim of this Study was to compare the learning process of a highly complex ballet skill following demonstrations of point light and video models 16 participants divided into point light and video groups (ns = 8) performed 160 trials of a pirouette equally distributed in blocks of 20 trials alternating periods of demonstration and practice with a retention test a day later Measures of head and trunk oscillation coordination d1 parity from the model and movement time difference showed similarities between video and point light groups ballet experts evaluations indicated superiority of performance in the video over the point light group Results are discussed in terms of the task requirements of dissociation between head and trunk rotations focusing on the hypothesis of sufficiency and higher relevance of information contained in biological motion models applied to learning of complex motor skills

Elderly online: Effects of a digital inclusion program in cognitive performance

There is little empirical data about the impact of digital inclusion on cognition among older adults. This paper aimed at investigating the effects of a digital inclusion program in the cognitive performance of older individuals who participated in a computer learning workshop named ""Idosos On-Line`` (Elderly Online). Forty-two aged individuals participated in the research study: 22 completed the computer training workshop and 20 constituted the control group. All subjects answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and completed the Addenbrooke`s cognitive examination, revised (ACE-R), which examines five cognitive domains: orientation and attention, memory, verbal fluency, language, and visuo-spatial skills. It was noted that the experimental group`s cognitive performance significantly improved after the program, particularly in the language and memory domains, when compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the acquisition of new knowledge and the use of a new tool, that makes it possible to access the Internet, may bring gains to cognition. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive impairment in cancer pain patients receiving opioids

This study aimed to compare cognitive function of cancer pain patients being given opioids during their cancer treatment (n = 14) with that of patients receiving treatment without opioids (n = 12). Correlations between cognitive function, pain intensity, and opioid dose were analyzed. Patients were assessed 3 times in a I-month period, using the Trail-Making Test, Mini-Mental State Examination, Digit Span, and Brief Cognitive Screening Battery. Opioid use was not associated with clear cognitive impairment. Patients being treated without opioids did perform better in the Digit Span Test reverse-order test (P = .029) and the clock drawing test (P = .023), but the differences arose in just I assessment in each case. Pain intensity correlated negatively with scores in the Mini-Mental State Examination (P = .001) and some Brief Cognitive Screening Battery tests (incidental recall, immediate recall, and late recall; P <= .042) in the group receiving opioids. Opioid dose did not correlate with any of the measures of cognitive performance. However, the patients with the worst performance scores were those with more severe pain. Further studies are needed to clearly distinguish between the effects of opioids versus the effects of pain.

Relationship Between Cortisol Levels and Memory Performance may be Modulated by the Presence or Absence of Cognitive Impairment: Evidence from Healthy Elderly, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer`s Disease Subjects

An inverted U-shape function between cortisol levels and memory performance has been reported in studies on both young animals and humans. Yet little is known about this relationship in normal aging or in older subjects with cognitive impairment. This issue is particularly significant since increased levels of cortisol have been reported in Alzheimer`s disease (AD). The present study examined the association between cortisol levels and visual memory performance in healthy subjects as well as in individuals presenting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD. Salivary cortisol was measured in 40 healthy elderly subjects, 31 individuals with amnestic MCI, and 40 subjects with mild probable AD. Memory performance was evaluated using the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery. Higher cortisol levels were associated with better memory performance in healthy elderly (p = 0.005), while higher cortisol levels were correlated with poorer memory performance in MCI subjects (p = 0.011). No correlation between cortisol and memory was found in the AD group (p > 0.05). These results suggest that the relationship between cortisol levels and memory performance in the aging process could vary according to the presence or absence of cognitive impairment.

Assessment of Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Impairment in Elders From Rural Areas of the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul

The main objective of this study was to examine the relationships among demographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, and cognitive impairment in oldest-old elders from rural areas of the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was used to conduct the study. 137 Brazilian elders age 80 years or over. A target population data form, a county data form, a demographic questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Depressive Cognition Scale were used to collect the data. A significant difference was found between males and females in regard to cognitive impairment. In addition, educational level and depressive symptoms were correlated with cognitive impairment. Depressive symptoms were a weak but significant predictor of cognitive impairment after controlling for the effect of age, gender, and educational level of the oldest-old elders. The findings need to be interpreted cautiously since the sample scored above the cutoff points for cognitive impairment, and had low scores on depressive symptoms. Despite several limitations, findings from this study can be a foundation for further studies, and well-designed correlational or experimental approaches, are warranted.

AnSBBR Applied to the Treatment of Metalworking Fluid Wastewater: Effect of Organic and Shock Load

An investigation was performed regarding the application of a mechanically stirred anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor containing immobilized biomass on inert polyurethane foam (AnSBBR) to the treatment of soluble metalworking fluids to remove organic matter and produce methane. The effect of increasing organic matter and reactor fill time, as well as shock load, on reactor stability and efficiency have been analyzed. The 5-L AnSBBR was operated at 30 A degrees C in 8-h cycles, agitation of 400 rpm, and treated 2.0 L effluent per cycle. Organic matter was increased by increasing the influent concentration (500, 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L). Fill times investigated were in the batch mode (fill time 10 min) and fed-batch followed by batch (fill time 4 h). In the batch mode, organic matter removal efficiencies were 87%, 86%, and 80% for influent concentrations of 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mgCOD/L (1.50, 3.12, and 6.08 gCOD/L.d), respectively. At 3,000 mgCOD/L (9.38 gCOD/L.d), operational stability could not be achieved. The reactor managed to maintain stability when a shock load twice as high the feed concentration was applied, evidencing the robustness of the reactor to potential concentration variations in the wastewater being treated. Increasing the fill time to 4 h did not improve removal efficiency, which was 72% for 2,000 mgCOD/L. Thus, gradual feeding did not improve organic matter removal. The concentration of methane formed at 6.08 gCOD/L was 5.20 mmolCH(4), which corresponded to 78% of the biogas composition. The behavior of the reactor during batch and fed-batch feeding could be explained by a kinetic model that considers organic matter consumption, production, and consumption of total volatile acids and methane production.

Collaborative e-learning and Learning Objects

The Learning Object (OA) is any digital resource that can be reused to support learning with specific functions and objectives. The OA specifications are commonly offered in SCORM model without considering activities in groups. This deficiency was overcome by the solution presented in this paper. This work specified OA for e-learning activities in groups based on SCORM model. This solution allows the creation of dynamic objects which include content and software resources for the collaborative learning processes. That results in a generalization of the OA definition, and in a contribution with e-learning specifications.