Is the relationship between major depressive disorder and self-reported alcohol use disorder an artificial one ?

AIMS: Many studies have suggested a close relationship between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to test whether the relationship between self-reported AUD and MDD was artificially strengthened by the diagnosis of MDD. This association was tested comparing relationships between alcohol use and AUD for depressive people and non-depressive people. METHODS: As part of the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors, 4352 male Swiss alcohol users in their early twenties answered questions concerning their alcohol use, AUD and MDD at two time points. Generalized linear models for cross-sectional and longitudinal associations were calculated. RESULTS: For cross-sectional associations, depressive participants reported a higher number of AUD symptoms (&#946; = 0.743, P < 0.001) than non-depressive participants. Moreover, there was an interaction (&#946; = -0.204, P = 0.001): the relationship between alcohol use and AUD was weaker for depressive participants rather than non-depressive participants. For longitudinal associations, there were almost no significant relationships between MDD at baseline and AUD at follow-up, but the interaction was still significant (&#946; = -0.249, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: MDD thus appeared to be a confounding variable in the relationship between alcohol use and AUD, and self-reported measures of AUD seemed to be overestimated by depressive people. This result brings into question the accuracy of self-reported measures of substance use disorders. Furthermore, it adds to the emerging debate about the usefulness of substance use disorder as a concept, when heavy substance use itself appears to be a sensitive and reliable indicator.

Caracteriza����o f��sico-qu��mica de frutos de maracujazeiro-amarelo submetidos �� ilumina����o artificial, irriga����o e sombreamento

O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar alguns par��metros f��sicoqu��micos de frutos de maracujazeiro-amarelo (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg) submetidos a diferentes sistemas de produ����o. Avaliaram-se o peso, o comprimento, o di��metro, o teor de s��lidos sol��veis (SS) e a acidez titul��vel (AT) dos frutos, a rela����o SS/AT, o peso e o rendimento da polpa, a espessura da casca e o rendimento de suco. Compararam-se quatro sistemas de produ����o (ilumina����o artificial/irriga����o/sombreamento, ilumina����o artificial/irriga����o, ilumina����o artificial/sombreamento, ilumina����o artificial) e um tratamento-testemunha, em condi����es naturais. Os tratamentos foram submetidos a tr��s diferentes ��pocas de ilumina����o (12 de abril, 27 de abril e 12 de maio). O experimento foi conduzido na ��rea da Escola T��cnica Agr��cola de Adamantina - SP, na regi��o da Alta Paulista, no per��odo de abril a dezembro de 1997. Observou-se que, no per��odo de junho a novembro, os diferentes sistemas de produ����o e as ��pocas de ilumina����o n��o alteraram o peso, o comprimento e o di��metro m��dio dos frutos de maracujazeiro. A ilumina����o artificial, a irriga����o e o sombreamento n��o influenciaram no teor de s��lidos sol��veis e na acidez dos frutos. Os frutos colhidos em agosto apresentaram teores de brix e de acidez maiores que os colhidos em dezembro. No m��s de dezembro, no ambiente iluminado, irrigado e sombreado, verificou-se aumento do peso m��dio dos frutos, do peso da polpa e da espessura da casca, apesar de apresentarem menor produ����o. Em condi����es naturais, observou-se menor peso de frutos e de polpa, mas aumento no rendimento da polpa e do suco. O sombreamento artificial, na aus��ncia de irriga����o, promoveu a redu����o no peso e no rendimento de polpa e de suco.

La intel��lig��ncia artificial i la seva aplicaci�� a l'ensenyament

L'objectiu fonamental d'aquest article ��s mostrar com les t��cniques desenvolupades en intel'lig��ncia artificial (lA) s��n d'una gran utilitat per tal de millorar el software destinat a I'ambit educatiu. Per a aix��, en primer Iloc, s'hi fa un breu resum de les finalitats i els objectius generals de les investigacions en lA realitzades fins al moment. Posteriorment, es descriuen les diferents aplicacions de la lA en I'educaci�� dirigides als alumnes en tasques formatives i instructives, i als professors en tasques de disseny i planificaci�� de les activitats docents. L'article acaba amb una reflexi�� sobre les tend��ncies futures de la lA aplicada a I'educaci��.

HETEROTIC GROUP FORMATION IN PSIDIUM GUAJAVA L. BY ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK AND DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT The present study aimed at evaluating the heterotic group formation in guava based on quantitative descriptors and using artificial neural network (ANN). For such, we evaluated eight quantitative descriptors. Large genetic variability was found for the eight quantitative traits in the 138 genotypes of guava. The artificial neural network technique determined that the optimal number of groups was three. The grouping consistency was determined by linear discriminant analysis, which obtained classification percentage of the groups, with a value of 86 %. It was concluded that the artificial neural network method is effective to detect genetic divergence and heterotic group formation.

Bio-inspired Mechanisms for Artificial Self-organised Systems

Self-organization is a growing interdisciplinary field of research about a phenomenon that can be observed in the Universe, in Nature and in social contexts. Research on self-organization tries to describe and explain forms, complex patterns and behaviours that arise from a collection of entities without an external organizer. As researchers in artificial systems, our aim is not to mimic self-organizing phenomena arising in Nature, but to understand and to control underlying mechanisms allowing desired emergence of forms, complex patterns and behaviours. Rather than attempting to eliminate such self-organization in artificial systems, we think that this might be deliberately harnessed in order to reach desirable global properties. In this paper we analyze three forms of self-organization: stigmergy, reinforcement mechanisms and cooperation. The amplification phenomena founded in stigmergic process or in reinforcement process are different forms of positive feedbacks that play a major role in building group activity or social organization. Cooperation is a functional form for self-organization because of its ability to guide local behaviours in order to obtain a relevant collective one. For each forms of self-organisation, we present a case study to show how we transposed it to some artificial systems and then analyse the strengths and weaknesses of such an approach

Manipulador rob��tico con visi��n artificial

En los tiempos que corren la rob��tica forma uno de los pilares m��s importantes en la industria y una gran noticia para los ingenieros es la referente a las ventas de estos, ya que en 2013, unos 179.000 robots industriales se vendieron en todo el mundo, de nuevo un m��ximo hist��rico y un 12% m��s que en 2012 seg��n datos de la IFR (International Federation of Robotics). Junto a esta noticia, la rob��tica colaborativa entra en juego en el momento que los robots y los seres humanos deben compartir el lugar de trabajo sin que nos veamos excluidos por las maquinas, por lo tanto lo que se intenta es que los robots mejoren la calidad del trabajo al hacerse cargo de los trabajos peligrosos, tediosos y sucios que no son posibles o seguros para los seres humanos. Otro concepto muy importante y directamente relacionado con lo anterior que est�� muy en boga y se escucha desde hace relativamente poco tiempo es el de la fabrica del futuro o ���Factory Of The Future��� la cual intenta que los operarios y los robots encuentren la sinton��a en el entorno laboral y que los robots se consideren como maquinaria colaborativa y no como sustitutiva, consider��ndose como uno de los grandes nichos productivos en plena expansi��n. Dejando a un lado estos conceptos t��cnicos que nunca debemos olvidar si nuestra carrera profesional va enfocada en este ��mbito industrial, el tema central de este proyecto est�� basado, como no pod��a ser de otro modo, en la rob��tica, que junto con la visi��n artificial, el resultado de esta fusi��n, ha dado un manipulador rob��tico al que se le ha dotado de cierta ���inteligencia���. Se ha planteado un sencillo pero posible proceso de producci��n el cual es capaz de almacenar piezas de diferente forma y color de una forma aut��noma solamente guiado por la imagen capturada con una webcam integrada en el equipo. El sistema consiste en una estructura soporte delimitada por una zona de trabajo en la cual se superponen unas piezas dise��adas al efecto las cuales deben ser almacenadas en su lugar correspondiente por el manipulador rob��tico. Dicho manipulador de cinem��tica paralela est�� basado en la tecnolog��a de cables, comandado por cuatro motores que le dan tres grados de libertad (��X, ��Y, ��Z) donde el efector se encuentra suspendido sobre la zona de trabajo movi��ndose de forma que es capaz de identificar las caracter��sticas de las piezas en situaci��n, color y forma para ser almacenadas de una forma ordenada seg��n unas premisas in��ciales.

Fish colonization of artificial reefs in a large Neotropical reservoir: material type and successional changes

Artificial reefs have barely been used in Neotropical reservoirs (about five studies in three reservoirs), despite their potential as a fishery management tool to create new habitats and also to understand fish ecology. We experimentally assessed how reef material (ceramic, concrete, and PVC) and time modulated fish colonization of artificial reefs deployed in Itaipu Reservoir, a large reservoir of the mainstem Parana�� River, Brazil. Fish richness, abundance, and biomass were significantly greater in the reef treatments than at control sites. Among the experimental reefs, ceramic followed by the concrete treatments were the materials most effectively colonized, harboring the majority of the 13 fish species recorded. Although dependent on material type, many of the regularities of ecological successions were also observed in the artificial reefs, including decelerating increases in species richness, abundance, mean individual size, and species loss rates with time and decelerating decreases of species gain and turnover rates. Species composition also varied with material type and time, together with suites of life history traits: more equilibrium species (i.e., fishes of intermediate size that often exhibit parental care and produce fewer but larger offspring) of the Winemiller-Rose model of fish life histories prevailed in later successional stages. Overall, our study suggests that experimental reefs are a promising tool to understand ecological succession of fish assemblages, particularly in tropical ecosystems given their high species richness and low seasonality

Inteligencia artificial para la detecci��n y el diagn��stico de fallos

L' ��s de t��cniques de la intel��lig��ncia artificial per a la detecci��, la diagn��si i control d' errors

Avalia����o da fotodegrada����o de poliolefinas atrav��s de exposi����o natural e artificial

Samples of polypropylene (PP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were submitted to ultraviolet radiation, in the natural environment and also in the laboratory. Chemical modifications were quantified by the carbonyl index (CI), mechanical properties and melt flow index. The degradation in the laboratory was comparatively faster than in the environment for both types of polymers. The accelerating factor was determined for the various properties investigated. This parameter, however, showed a large variation with the degradation criteria and the type of polymer. The existence of a "universal accelerating factor", therefore, was not observed in the current study.

Aplica����o de radia����o UV artificial e solar no tratamento fotocatal��tico de efluentes de curtume

Tannery effluents are very dangerous for the environment since they contain large amounts of dangerous and biorecalcitrant contaminants (organic matter and Cr(VI)). This paper reports the efficiency of heterogeneous photocatalysis, based on the application of solar and artificial radiation, furnished by UV lamps, using TiO2 fixed on a flat plate, in the treatment of synthetic effluents. The results of COD and Cr(VI) demonstrate that the use of solar radiation is the most efficient way to perform the photocatalytic treatment of these effluents since a minimum removal of 62 and 61% was observed for Cr(VI) and organic matter, respectively.

Degrada����o do pesticida Padron�� por processos fotoqu��micos utilizando luz artificial e solar

Destruction of Padron�� (dye and picloram) was evaluated using a photoreactor and a solar reactor. Photolysis was observed using only a germicide lamp (GL). Black light (BL) and H2O2 (172 mmol L-1) promoted a conversion of 49% and 6% of dye and picloram, respectively. Photocatalytic processes were more efficient using TiO2/GL (96%-dye; 60%-picloram) than TiO2/BL (44%-dye; 40%-picloram). Photolysis using sunlight was not observed during Padron�� recirculation in the reactor constructed with four borosilicate tubes. Meanwhile, adding H2O2 resulted in 12% conversion of dissolved organic compounds. Finally, the most efficient mineralization (60%) was obtained using the Fenton reaction ( H2O2-176 mmol L-1; FeSO4x6H2O-90 mmol L-1) and sunlight.

Efeito do intemperismo artificial em quatro madeiras tropicais monitorado por espectroscopia de infravermelho (DRIFT)

Four tropical woods, were investigated to compare their performance and natural resistances to artificial weathering using the diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). The species were garapeira (Apuleia leiocarpa), ita��ba (Mezilaurus itauba) and tauari (Couratari sp.), woods traditionally indicated for exterior uses, and marup�� (Simarouba amara), that served as reference. The samples were submitted to cycles of UV radiation (350 nm) and water until 2,000 h. The photodegradation processes of woods surfaces were accomplished monitoring the changes in the intensities associated to lignin (1508 cm-1) and carbonyl group (1736 cm-1) absorptions. The results have shown that lignin was the first component to be photodegradated, resulting in surfaces mainly composed by cellulose, after 2,000 h of UV irradiation. The processes of formation and lixiviation of carbonyl compounds were different for each species. The experimental conditions used in this work were too severe to evaluate the wood density and extractives content influences during the treatment.

Projecte constructiu de llac artificial situat a la Bonaigua a l���estaci�� d���esqu�� de Baqueira-Beret (Vall d���Aran)

El document t�� per objecte la definici�� a nivell constructiu de les obres de implantaci�� d���una nova captaci��, un nou llac artificial, i la canonada de connexi�� per a la producci�� de neu artificial a l���estaci�� d���esqu�� de Baqueira-Beret (Vall d���Aran), concretament a la zona de Bonaigua.

Estudio gr��fico b��sico de lago artificial situado en Argulls. Estaci��n de esqu�� de Baqueira-Beret. Vall d���Aran.

Propuesta gr��fica de nuevo lago artificial en Argulls. Estaci��n de esqu�� de Baqueria-Beret