Multimodal automatic user disposition recognition in human-machine interaction

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik, Diss., 2013

Efeitos da adubação nítrica e amoniacal no transporte de nitrato em solo cultivado com Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp

Estudou-se, em condições de campo, o transporte de ions NO-3 e NH+4 em uma Terra Roxa Estruturada (TE) cultivada com Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp., quando se forneceu diferentes doses de adubo nítrico e amoniacal. O solo foi amostrado em 4 profundidades (0-20, 20-40, 40-60 e 60-80 cm), no final do ciclo vegetativo da cultura, determinando-se os teores de nitrato e amônio em cada profundidade estudada. Os teores de NO-3 aumentaram com o aumento da profundidade e das doses de N-NO-3/ha, principalmente nas doses mais altas (100, 200 e 400 kg/ha de N-N0-3). Os teores mais altos foram encontrados na profundidade de 60-80 cm sendo: 2,46; 3,72; 7,25 e 10,22 ppm de NO3, para as doses de 50, 100, 200 e 400 kg/ha de N-NO3, respectivamente. Os teores mais altos de NH+4 foram encontrados na profundidade de 0-20cm, sendo: 5,42; 7,75; 7,43 e 9,26 ppm de NH+4, para as doses de 50 , 100, 200 e 400 kg/ha de N-NH+4, respectivaimente. Observou-se menor transporte de (NH+4) em relação ao (NO-3), mesmo quando o solo recebeu as mais altas doses (kg/ha) de N-NH+4.

Efectos redistributivos de las subvenciones al transporte público en áreas urbanas

El objetivo de este artículo es evaluar los efectos redistributivos derivados de las subvenciones al transporte público tomando como unidad de análisis a las familias. La fuente de datos es la Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares 1990-91. Dado que la subvención consiste en una cantidad fija por billete comprado, cabe postular que la subvención recibida es proporcional al gasto efectuado en transporte público. Por ello, se estima una relación entre gasto en transporte público y nivel de renta que permite calcular los efectos redistributivos. No obstante, para solventar el problema de falta de representatividad muestral de la EPF para determinados colectivos, el análisis utiliza una aproximación indirecta a través de la estimación de una función de gasto que discurre en dos fases. La primera es la decisión de gastar o no gastar, que se cuantifica a través de un modelo de elección discreta y, la segunda, evalúa la cantidad gastada por medio de una ecuación de regresión continua. Estas modelizaciones parciales se integran en un modelo cuasi recursivo que se simula conjuntamente y permite evaluar distintas situaciones hipotéticas para una familia tipo. La conclusión global es que las subvenciones al transporte –en ausencia de efectos adversos sobre la eficiencia- tienen efectos progresivos, dado que representan una mayor proporción de la renta para las decilas inferiores. Este efecto es más acentuado en las grandes ciudades de Madrid y Barcelona.

La Accesibilidad del transporte en autobús: diagnóstico y soluciones

Esta guía pretende colaborar a la mejora de la accesibilidad en el transporte público regular de viajeros en autobús; para ello es necesario un mayor grado de entendimiento por parte de las direcciones de las empresas, los trabajadores del sector y los propios usuarios respecto a las necesidades que los colectivos más afectados, sobre todo las personas con discapacidad, puedan tener a la hora de utilizar un autobús. En general, hace falta un mayor conocimiento de las discapacidades y de las soluciones que están en la mano de cada uno de los agentes que interviene en la cadena de transporte.

Bienestar durante el transporte

El transporte y sacrificio son las dos fases de la producción porcina más críticas desde el punto de vista del bienestar animal (Moss, 1992). Durante estas fases los animales son sometidos en un periodo de tiempo relativamente corto a un elevado número de factores estresantes. Estos factores incluyen la falta de agua y alimento, el proceso de carga y descarga, la mezcla con animales desconocidos, los movimientos del vehículo, los cambios de temperatura y humedad relativa, y la interacción con personal desconocido asociado a un manejo diferente, y a veces más brusco, que el recibido previamente (SCAHAW, 2002). Si bien cada uno de estos factores por separado tendría poco o ningún efecto negativo sobre el bienestar del animal, la combinación de varios de ellos tiene efectos aditivos, potenciando la respuesta de estrés del animal. La respuesta de estrés no solo tiene efectos sobre el bienestar animal, también puede tener efectos negativos sobre la calidad de la canal y de la carne, de forma que, en general, cuanto más intensa o duradera es dicha respuesta –y, por lo tanto, cuanto peor es el bienestar de los animales-, mayores son las repercusiones negativas sobre la calidad de la canal y de la carne. Por lo tanto, mejorar el bienestar de los animales durante su transporte y sacrificio permite responder simultáneamente a dos requisitos de mercado cada vez más importantes.

Primary localized rectal/pararectal gastrointestinal stromal tumors: results of surgical and multimodal therapy from the French Sarcoma group.

BACKGROUND: Rectal and pararectal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare. The optimal management strategy for primary localized GISTs remains poorly defined. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 41 patients with localized rectal or pararectal GISTs treated between 1991 and 2011 in 13 French Sarcoma Group centers. RESULTS: Of 12 patients who received preoperative imatinib therapy for a median duration of 7 (2-12) months, 8 experienced a partial response, 3 had stable disease, and 1 had a complete response. Thirty and 11 patients underwent function-sparing conservative surgery and abdominoperineal resection, respectively. Tumor resections were mostly R0 and R1 in 35 patients. Tumor rupture occurred in 12 patients. Eleven patients received postoperative imatinib with a median follow-up of 59 (2.4-186) months. The median time to disease relapse was 36 (9.8-62) months. The 5-year overall survival rate was 86.5%. Twenty patients developed local recurrence after surgery alone, two developed recurrence after resection combined with preoperative and/or postoperative imatinib, and eight developed metastases. In univariate analysis, the mitotic index (≤5) and tumor size (≤5 cm) were associated with a significantly decreased risk of local relapse. Perioperative imatinib was associated with a significantly reduced risk of overall relapse and local relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative imatinib therapy was associated with improved disease-free survival. Preoperative imatinib was effective. Tumor shrinkage has a clear benefit for local excision in terms of feasibility and function preservation. Given the complexity of rectal GISTs, referral of patients with this rare disease to expert centers to undergo a multidisciplinary approach is recommended.

Accuracy of Brain Multimodal Monitoring to Detect Cerebral Hypoperfusion After Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE:: To examine the accuracy of brain multimodal monitoring-consisting of intracranial pressure, brain tissue PO2, and cerebral microdialysis-in detecting cerebral hypoperfusion in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. DESIGN:: Prospective single-center study. PATIENTS:: Patients with severe traumatic brain injury. SETTING:: Medico-surgical ICU, university hospital. INTERVENTION:: Intracranial pressure, brain tissue PO2, and cerebral microdialysis monitoring (right frontal lobe, apparently normal tissue) combined with cerebral blood flow measurements using perfusion CT. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:: Cerebral blood flow was measured using perfusion CT in tissue area around intracranial monitoring (regional cerebral blood flow) and in bilateral supra-ventricular brain areas (global cerebral blood flow) and was matched to cerebral physiologic variables. The accuracy of intracranial monitoring to predict cerebral hypoperfusion (defined as an oligemic regional cerebral blood flow < 35 mL/100 g/min) was examined using area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves. Thirty perfusion CT scans (median, 27 hr [interquartile range, 20-45] after traumatic brain injury) were performed on 27 patients (age, 39 yr [24-54 yr]; Glasgow Coma Scale, 7 [6-8]; 24/27 [89%] with diffuse injury). Regional cerebral blood flow correlated significantly with global cerebral blood flow (Pearson r = 0.70, p < 0.01). Compared with normal regional cerebral blood flow (n = 16), low regional cerebral blood flow (n = 14) measurements had a higher proportion of samples with intracranial pressure more than 20 mm Hg (13% vs 30%), brain tissue PO2 less than 20 mm Hg (9% vs 20%), cerebral microdialysis glucose less than 1 mmol/L (22% vs 57%), and lactate/pyruvate ratio more than 40 (4% vs 14%; all p < 0.05). Compared with intracranial pressure monitoring alone (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.61-0.87]), monitoring intracranial pressure + brain tissue PO2 (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, 0.84 [0.74-0.93]) or intracranial pressure + brain tissue PO2+ cerebral microdialysis (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, 0.88 [0.79-0.96]) was significantly more accurate in predicting low regional cerebral blood flow (both p < 0.05). CONCLUSION:: Brain multimodal monitoring-including intracranial pressure, brain tissue PO2, and cerebral microdialysis-is more accurate than intracranial pressure monitoring alone in detecting cerebral hypoperfusion at the bedside in patients with severe traumatic brain injury and predominantly diffuse injury.

Sex biased spatial strategies relying on the integration of multimodal cues in a rat model of schizophrenia: impairment in predicting future context?

Male and female Wistar rats were treated postnatally (PND 5-16) with BSO (l-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine) to provide a rat model of schizophrenia based on transient glutathione deficit. In the watermaze, BSO-treated male rats perform very efficiently in conditions where a diversity of visual information is continuously available during orientation trajectories [1]. Our hypothesis is that the treatment impairs proactive strategies anticipating future sensory information, while supporting a tight visual adjustment on memorized snapshots, i.e. compensatory reactive strategies. To test this hypothesis, BSO rats' performance was assessed in two conditions using an 8-arm radial maze task: a semi-transparent maze with no available view on the environment from maze centre [2], and a modified 2-parallel maze known to induce a neglect of the parallel pair in normal rats [3-5]. Male rats, but not females, were affected by the BSO treatment. In the semi-transparent maze, BSO males expressed a higher error rate, especially in completing the maze after an interruption. In the 2-parallel maze shape, BSO males, unlike controls, expressed no neglect of the parallel arms. This second result was in accord with a reactive strategy using accurate memory images of the contextual environment instead of a representation based on integrating relative directions. These results are coherent with a treatment-induced deficit in proactive decision strategy based on multimodal cognitive maps, compensated by accurate reactive adaptations based on the memory of local configurations. Control females did not express an efficient proactive capacity in the semi-transparent maze, neither did they show the significant neglect of the parallel arms, which might have masked the BSO induced effect. Their reduced sensitivity to BSO treatment is discussed with regard to a sex biased basal cognitive style.

Characterizing aging in the human brainstem using quantitative multimodal MRI analysis.

Aging is ubiquitous to the human condition. The MRI correlates of healthy aging have been extensively investigated using a range of modalities, including volumetric MRI, quantitative MRI (qMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging. Despite this, the reported brainstem related changes remain sparse. This is, in part, due to the technical and methodological limitations in quantitatively assessing and statistically analyzing this region. By utilizing a new method of brainstem segmentation, a large cohort of 100 healthy adults were assessed in this study for the effects of aging within the human brainstem in vivo. Using qMRI, tensor-based morphometry (TBM), and voxel-based quantification (VBQ), the volumetric and quantitative changes across healthy adults between 19 and 75 years were characterized. In addition to the increased R2* in substantia nigra corresponding to increasing iron deposition with age, several novel findings were reported in the current study. These include selective volumetric loss of the brachium conjunctivum, with a corresponding decrease in magnetization transfer and increase in proton density (PD), accounting for the previously described "midbrain shrinkage." Additionally, we found increases in R1 and PD in several pontine and medullary structures. We consider these changes in the context of well-characterized, functional age-related changes, and propose potential biophysical mechanisms. This study provides detailed quantitative analysis of the internal architecture of the brainstem and provides a baseline for further studies of neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by early, pre-clinical involvement of the brainstem, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Rehabilitación multimodal en cirugía electiva colorrectal: análisis de resultados, impacto en los costes hospitalarios y curva de aprendizaje

Els objectius són avaluar la seguretat, resultats i l’impacte en els costs d’un programa de rehabilitació multimodal en cirurgia colorrectal, així com estudiar la influència de la experiència de l’equip en el seu compliment i resultats. Estudi prospectiu de cohorts consecutives. La rehabilitació multimodal no augmenta la morbilitat ni la mortalitat. A més a més disminueix l’estada a l’hospital en 3 dies sense incrementar els reingressos. També s’associa a una disminució dels costs totals de 912 euros per pacient. El compliment del protocol millora amb l’experiència de l’equip multidisciplinari, accelerant la recuperació dels pacients i conseqüentment l’alta precoç.

Multimodal evaluation for medical image segmentation

This paper is a joint effort between five institutionsthat introduces several novel similarity measures andcombines them to carry out a multimodal segmentationevaluation. The new similarity measures proposed arebased on the location and the intensity values of themisclassified voxels as well as on the connectivity andthe boundaries of the segmented data. We showexperimentally that the combination of these measuresimprove the quality of the evaluation. The study that weshow here has been carried out using four differentsegmentation methods from four different labs applied toa MRI simulated dataset of the brain. We claim that ournew measures improve the robustness of the evaluation andprovides better understanding about the differencebetween segmentation methods.

El incivismo en el ámbito del transporte ferroviario

La deriva de las normas de convivencia fundamentalmente se explica por la falta de reacción ciudadana y, de forma especial, por la de sus elementos socializadores. Entre éstos, prioritariamente, los responsables políticos y las administraciones públicas. La preocupación del sector ferroviario se manifiesta de dos formas: haciendo un esfuerzo superior al que considera le corresponde para mantener cuantitativamente y cualitativamente las conductas incívicas en niveles aceptables o asumidos socialmente, y denunciando que los que tienen que dar soluciones globales y son competentes para ello no lo hacen. Los cambios de tendencia son preocupantes y el operador ferroviario se encuentra demasiado solo para una respuesta que considera no solo le compete a él. Actúa por la obligación que tiene con el cliente usuario de su sistema de transporte y porque considera que la limitación y, si fuese posible, la erradicación de las conductas incívicas, le permitiría tender al equilibrio financiero del sistema e incluso incrementos de tarifa menores. Las tipologías de respuesta no son solo de carácter operativo aplicando técnicas preventivas, de protección y de control. Las denominadas acciones transversales (sensibilización, acciones de convivencia social, formación y compromiso, comunicación, diseño, estudio de equipamientos y materiales, agente cívico (voluntario o no), adecuaciones legislativas, etc., requieren la participación o implicación de todas las áreas del operador ferroviario.

Relação entre a gravidade do trauma e padrões de analgesia utilizados em acidentados de transporte

Trata-se de um estudo inédito realizado no país, que identificou relações entre o padrão analgésico e a gravidade do trauma. Para tal, analisou-se uma população de 200 acidentados de transporte admitidos para tratamento na unidade de emergência de um hospital referência para o atendimento ao trauma no Município de São Paulo. A gravidade das lesões e do trauma foi caracterizada por índices de gravidade anatômicos. A partir da análise da terapia analgésica encontrada, construíram-se padrões de analgesia, tendo como base a escala analgésica da Organização Mundial de Saúde. Os resultados permitiram identificar associação estatística entre a gravidade do trauma e padrões distintos de analgesia. Espera-se que a divulgação desses achados possa servir de base para a criação de protocolos de analgesia em trauma e melhoria da qualidade da assistência, além de servir de estímulo para o desenvolvimento de estudos em uma área com tantas lacunas de conhecimento em nosso meio.

Agrupador de imágenes multimodal no supervisado

Trabajo Fin de Máster donde se implementa un método multimodal para la clasificación de imágenes sin etiquetar y sin intervención humana.