Optical Indoor Positioning of Vehicles

Indoor positioning is the backbone of many advanced intra-logistic applications. As opposed to unified outdoor satellite positioning systems, there are many different technical approaches to indoor positioning. Depending on the application, there are different trade-offs between accuracy, range, and costs. In this paper we present a new concept for a 4-degree-of-freedom (4-DOF) positioning system to be used for vehicle tracing in a logistic facility. The system employs optical data transmission between active infrastructure and receiver devices. Compared to existing systems, these optical technologies promise to achieve better accuracy at lower costs. We will introduce the positioning algorithm and an experimental setup of the system.

Cellular Photo Digital Breathalyzer for Monitoring Alcohol Use: A Pilot Study

Background: Monitoring alcohol use is important in numerous situations. Direct ethanol metabolites, such as ethyl glucuronide (EtG), have been shown to be useful tools in detecting alcohol use and documenting abstinence. For very frequent or continuous control of abstinence, they lack practicability. Therefore, devices measuring ethanol itself might be of interest. This pilot study aims at elucidating the usability and accuracy of the cellular photo digital breathalyzer (CPDB) compared to self-reports in a naturalistic setting. Method: 12 social drinkers were included. Subjects used a CPDB 4 times daily, kept diaries of alcohol use and submitted urine for EtG testing over a period of 5 weeks. Results: In total, the 12 subjects reported 84 drinking episodes. 1,609 breath tests were performed and 55 urine EtG tests were collected. Of 84 drinking episodes, CPDB detected 98.8%. The compliance rate for breath testing was 96%. Of the 55 EtG tests submitted, 1 (1.8%) was positive. Conclusions: The data suggest that the CPDB device holds promise in detecting high, moderate, and low alcohol intake. It seems to have advantages compared to biomarkers and other Monitoring devices. The preference for CPDB by the participants might explain the high compliance. Further studies including comparison with biomarkers and transdermal devices are needed.

Does fog chemistry in Switzerland change with altitude?

During two extended summer seasons in 2006 and 2007 we operated two battery driven versions of the Caltech active strand cloud water collector (MiniCASCC) at the Niesen mountain (2362 m a.s.l.) in the northern part of the Swiss Alps, and two devices at the Lägeren research tower (690 m a.s.l.) at the northern boundary of the Swiss Plateau. During these two field operation phases we gained weekly samples of fog water, where we analyzed the major anions and cations, and the isotope ratios of fog water (in form of δ2H and δ18O). Dominant ions in fog water at all sites were NH4+, NO3−, and SO42 −. Compared to precipitation, the enrichment factors in fog water were in the range 5–9 at the highest site, Niesen Kulm. We found considerably lower summertime ion loadings in fog water at the two Alpine sites than at lower elevations above the Swiss Plateau. The lowest ion concentrations were found at the Niesen Kulm site at 2300 m a.s.l., whereas the highest concentrations (a factor 7 compared to Niesen Kulm) were found in fog water at the Lägeren site. Occult nitrogen deposition was estimated from fog frequency and typical fog water flux rates. This pathway contributes 0.3–3.9 kg N ha− 1 yr− 1 to the total N deposition at the highest site on Niesen mountain, and 0.1–2.2 kg N ha− 1 yr− 1 at the lower site. These inputs are the reverse of ion concentrations measured in fog due to the 2.5 times higher frequency of fog occurrence at the mountain top (overall fog occurrence was 25% of the time) as compared to the lower Niesen Schwandegg site. Although fog water concentrations were on the lower range reported in earlier studies, fog water is likely to be an important N source for Northern Alpine ecosystems and might reach values up to 16% of the total N deposition and up to 75% of wet N deposition by precipitation.

High-flow venous pouch aneurysm in the rabbit carotid artery: A model for large aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently one of the most widely used models for the development of endovascular techniques and coiling devices for treatment of aneurysm is the elastase-induced aneurysm model in the rabbit carotid artery. Microsurgical techniques for creating an aneurysm with a venous pouch have also been established, although both techniques usually result in aneurysms less than 1 cm in diameter. We investigated whether an increase in blood flow toward the neck would produce larger aneurysms in a microsurgical venous pouch model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Microsurgical operations were performed on 11 New Zealand white rabbits. Both carotid arteries and the right jugular vein were dissected, and the right carotid artery was temporarily clipped followed by an arteriotomy. The left carotid artery was also clipped proximally, ligated distally, and sutured onto the proximal half of the arteriotomy in the right carotid artery. The venous graft was sutured onto the distal half of the arteriotomy. Digital subtraction angiography was also performed. RESULTS Angiography showed patent anastomosed vessels and aneurysms in the seven surviving rabbits. Mean aneurysm measurements among surviving rabbits with patent vessels were: 13.9 mm length, 9.3 mm width, and neck diameter 4.7 mm. The resulting mean aspect ratio was 3.35 and the mean bottleneck ratio was 3.05. CONCLUSION A large venous graft and increased blood flow toward the base of the aneurysm seem to be key factors in the creation of large venous pouch aneurysms. These large aneurysms allow testing of endovascular devices designed for large and giant aneurysms.

Jatropha mahafalensis for rural energy supply in south-western Madagascar?

In many parts of the eastern African region wood-based fuels will remain dominant sources of energy in coming decades. Pressure on forests, especially in semi-arid areas will therefore continue increasing. In this context, the role of liquid biofuels as substitutes for firewood and charcoal, to help reducing pressure on woody biomass and contributing to a better energy security of rural communities, has remained controversial among researchers and practitioners. At household level, the economic and technical feasibility of straight vegetable oil (SVO) was assessed mainly on Jatropha curcas, with unpersuasive results. So far nothing is known about the suitability as an energy carrier of Jatropha mahafalensis Jum. & H. Perrier, the only endemic representative of the Jatropha genus in Madagascar. This paper explores the potential of this plant as a biofuel feedstock in the agro-pastoral area of Soalara, in the semi-arid south-western part of Madagascar. Only hedge-based production was considered to rule out competition over land with food crops. Yield data, the length of currently existing hedges and energy consumption patterns of households were used to assess the quantitative potential and economic viability of J. mahafalensis SVO for lighting and cooking. Tests were conducted with cooking and lighting devices to assess their technical suitability at household level. The paper concludes that J. mahafalensis hedges have some potential to replace paraffin for lighting (though without much economic benefit for the concerned households), but not to replace charcoal or firewood for cooking. The paper recommends that rural energy strategies in similar contexts do not focus only on substituting current fuels with SVO, but should also take into consideration other alternatives. In the case of cooking, there seems to be substantially more potential in increasing the efficiency of current fuel production and consumption technologies (kilns and stoves); and in the case of lighting, solutions based on SVO need to be compared against other options such as portable solar devices.

The future of transcatheter mitral valve interventions: competitive or complementary role of repair vs. replacement?

Transcatheter mitral interventions has been developed to address an unmet clinical need and may be an alternative therapeutic option to surgery with the intent to provide symptomatic and prognostic benefit. Beyond MitraClip therapy, alternative repair technologies are being developed to expand the transcatheter intervention armamentarium. Recently, the feasibility of transcatheter mitral valve implantation in native non-calcified valves has been reported in very high-risk patients. Acknowledging the lack of scientific evidence to date, it is difficult to predict what the ultimate future role of transcatheter mitral valve interventions will be. The purpose of the present report is to review the current state-of-the-art of mitral valve intervention, and to identify the potential future scenarios, which might benefit most from the transcatheter repair and replacement devices under development.

Treatment of optic neuritis with erythropoietin (TONE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial-study protocol.

INTRODUCTION Optic neuritis leads to degeneration of retinal ganglion cells whose axons form the optic nerve. The standard treatment is a methylprednisolone pulse therapy. This treatment slightly shortens the time of recovery but does not prevent neurodegeneration and persistent visual impairment. In a phase II trial performed in preparation of this study, we have shown that erythropoietin protects global retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT-G) in acute optic neuritis; however, the preparatory trial was not powered to show effects on visual function. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Treatment of Optic Neuritis with Erythropoietin (TONE) is a national, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial with two parallel arms. The primary objective is to determine the efficacy of erythropoietin compared to placebo given add-on to methylprednisolone as assessed by measurements of RNFLT-G and low-contrast visual acuity in the affected eye 6 months after randomisation. Inclusion criteria are a first episode of optic neuritis with decreased visual acuity to ≤0.5 (decimal system) and an onset of symptoms within 10 days prior to inclusion. The most important exclusion criteria are history of optic neuritis or multiple sclerosis or any ocular disease (affected or non-affected eye), significant hyperopia, myopia or astigmatism, elevated blood pressure, thrombotic events or malignancy. After randomisation, patients either receive 33 000 international units human recombinant erythropoietin intravenously for 3 consecutive days or placebo (0.9% saline) administered intravenously. With an estimated power of 80%, the calculated sample size is 100 patients. The trial started in September 2014 with a planned recruitment period of 30 months. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION TONE has been approved by the Central Ethics Commission in Freiburg (194/14) and the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (61-3910-4039831). It complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, local laws and ICH-GCP. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT01962571.

Trends in Human-Centric Multimedia Networking Scenarios

The evolution of wireless access technologies and mobile devices, together with the constant demand for video services, has created new Human-Centric Multimedia Networking (HCMN) scenarios. However, HCMN poses several challenges for content creators and network providers to deliver multimedia data with an acceptable quality level based on the user experience. Moreover, human experience and context, as well as network information play an important role in adapting and optimizing video dissemination. In this paper, we discuss trends to provide video dissemination with Quality of Experience (QoE) support by integrating HCMN with cloud computing approaches. We identified five trends coming from such integration, namely Participatory Sensor Networks, Mobile Cloud Computing formation, QoE assessment, QoE management, and video or network adaptation.

AN EVALUATION OF THE CONSISTENCY OF IMRT PATIENT-SPECIFIC QA TECHNIQUES

To ensure the integrity of an intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment, each plan must be validated through a measurement-based quality assurance (QA) procedure, known as patient specific IMRT QA. Many methods of measurement and analysis have evolved for this QA. There is not a standard among clinical institutions, and many devices and action levels are used. Since the acceptance criteria determines if the dosimetric tools’ output passes the patient plan, it is important to see how these parameters influence the performance of the QA device. While analyzing the results of IMRT QA, it is important to understand the variability in the measurements. Due to the different form factors of the many QA methods, this reproducibility can be device dependent. These questions of patient-specific IMRT QA reproducibility and performance were investigated across five dosimeter systems: a helical diode array, radiographic film, ion chamber, diode array (AP field-by-field, AP composite, and rotational composite), and an in-house designed multiple ion chamber phantom. The reproducibility was gauged for each device by comparing the coefficients of variation (CV) across six patient plans. The performance of each device was determined by comparing each one’s ability to accurately label a plan as acceptable or unacceptable compared to a gold standard. All methods demonstrated a CV of less than 4%. Film proved to have the highest variability in QA measurement, likely due to the high level of user involvement in the readout and analysis. This is further shown by how the setup contributed more variation than the readout and analysis for all of the methods, except film. When evaluated for ability to correctly label acceptable and unacceptable plans, two distinct performance groups emerged with the helical diode array, AP composite diode array, film, and ion chamber in the better group; and the rotational composite and AP field-by-field diode array in the poorer group. Additionally, optimal threshold cutoffs were determined for each of the dosimetry systems. These findings, combined with practical considerations for factors such as labor and cost, can aid a clinic in its choice of an effective and safe patient-specific IMRT QA implementation.

La construcción interactiva de la identidad en la entrevista periodística de humor : Categorías, ejecución y marcos

La identidad en la interacción ha sido objeto de numerosos estudios dentro de la Etnometodología. Esta investigación busca combinar los métodos de investigación del MCA (Membership Categorization Analysis) con la teoría de la ejecución y el concepto de alternancia de marcos para explicar el despliegue dinámico de la identidad de los participantes en entrevistas transcriptas. Utilizando los recursos retóricos, lingüísticos y discursivos que tienen a su disposición, los participantes construyen colaborativamente diferentes identidades para sí mismos y para el otro en el curso de la interacción, que están disponibles para la audiencia en la versión escrita. Los resultados muestran que el entrevistador construye su identidad posicionándose como performer o ejecutante (en el sentido de Bauman) frente a la audiencia (los futuros lectores de la entrevista) y a su entrevistado del momento, y alternando estratégicamente entre el marco humorístico y el marco serio. El entrevistador emplea una serie de recursos retóricos, discursivos y lingüísticos para producir el efecto cómico que ayudan a constituir su identidad como transgresor e ingenioso. Por otra parte, la identidad de los entrevistados se construye a través de procesos de auto y heterocategorización.

Políticas correctivas del comportamiento social indígena y formas de resistencia en las reducciones de Baradero, Tubichaminí y del Bagual (primeras décadas del siglo XVII)

Este trabajo se ocupa de las relaciones inter étnicas entre "blancos" e "indios", a partir del estudio de las reducciones creadas en la región pampeana como parte de los dispositivos de poder y dominación implementados por la sociedad colonial, y desde donde se pusieron en práctica políticas de corrección del comportamiento social indígena. A su vez, considerando a las sociedades indígenas como sujetos activos en dichos procesos, se indagan las múltiples respuestas o estrategias de resistencia generadas frente a las imposiciones de la vida en las reducciones.

Bicentenario, identidad y cambio lingüístico : El sistema verbal de referencia temporal futura en San Juan, Argentina, durante el siglo XIX

En este trabajo enmarcado en la teoría funcional variacionista que relaciona forma, motivación y cultura, pretendemos mostrar cómo el hablante del siglo XIX en San Juan, Argentina, alterna en sus cartas familiares formas lingüísticas sintéticas y perifrásticas para referenciar el futuro, según sus propósitos comunicativos. El corpus, constituido por cartas escritas entre 1837 y 1889, se inserta en el 'siglo de las independencias políticas y las creaciones de los nuevos estados, en que comienza a gestarse la lucha por la identidad en América Latina' (Majfud, 2002). Consideramos que las construcciones alternantes no equivalen entre sí sintáctica, semántica ni pragmáticamente, siendo favorecidas por ciertos parámetros, de los cuales analizamos aquel por el cual creemos entró la innovación de la perífrasis 'ir a + infinitivo'. Adherimos al hecho de que 'las explicaciones funcionales de los cambios lingüísticos no excluyen, sino que implican, las explicaciones culturales' (Coseriu, 1977). Esta aproximación pragmática al uso lingüístico exige un análisis cualitativo y cuantitativo a la vez. 'Importará no sólo qué estructuras contiene la lengua, sino también, cuándo se recurre a ellas y, sobre todo, cuánto se recurre cuándo a qué estructura' (García, 1995)

Almanaques sí, relojes no : La prolongación de la jornada laboral en la agricultura pampeana, de la última dictadura al "boom" sojero

Este artículo analiza los mecanismos económicos y dispositivos discursivos utilizados por las patronales para imponer la prolongación e intensificación de la jornada laboral en la agricultura pampeana, y sus consecuencias sobre las condiciones de trabajo de los obreros rurales luego de la década de 1970. La metodología incluyó la consulta de material bibliográfico especializado; fuentes documentales patronales (archivos de FACMA); sindicales (archivos de la CGT y UATRE); legislación laboral; libros de actas de negociaciones obrero-patronales (CNTA y CAR); material periodístico; y fundamentalmente un acervo testimonial recabado sobre una muestra de 50 obreros rurales y 20 empleadores en una serie de partidos arquetípicos del "boom" sojero de los últimos años en las provincias de Buenos Aires, Santa Fe y Córdoba. El resultado de nuestro análisis invita a incorporar como una de las condiciones de posibilidad para la expansión agrícola reciente al aumento de la explotación del trabajo asalariado

Conocimientos y conflictos : Excavando los legados coloniales de las ecologías políticas del extractivismo

Es evidente que el fantasma de los conflictos ambientales recorre Latinoamérica. En este ensayo abordamos los conflictos como problemas epistemológicos, exponiendo reflexiones teóricas con referencias empíricas a partir de la expansión del agronegocio y la megaminería en Argentina. Analizamos los dispositivos políticos dominantes y subalternos que se (re)producen en los conflictos como momentos, dentro de conflictividades más amplias, en las que entran en suspensión, cuestionamiento y-o reacomodamiento las relaciones sociedad-naturaleza. Así, en primer lugar damos cuenta del marco histórico y geográfico que hace posible la emergencia de los actuales conflictos por extractivismo. A continuación, a partir del análisis de dos casos empíricos, analizamos la generación-transformación de algunos conocimientos en el devenir de estos conflictos. Finalmente, argumentamos en torno a las posibilidades de consolidar una epistemología espacial otra que parta de los conflictos actuales pero que al mismo tiempo los trascienda

La construcción interactiva de la identidad en la entrevista periodística de humor : Categorías, ejecución y marcos

La identidad en la interacción ha sido objeto de numerosos estudios dentro de la Etnometodología. Esta investigación busca combinar los métodos de investigación del MCA (Membership Categorization Analysis) con la teoría de la ejecución y el concepto de alternancia de marcos para explicar el despliegue dinámico de la identidad de los participantes en entrevistas transcriptas. Utilizando los recursos retóricos, lingüísticos y discursivos que tienen a su disposición, los participantes construyen colaborativamente diferentes identidades para sí mismos y para el otro en el curso de la interacción, que están disponibles para la audiencia en la versión escrita. Los resultados muestran que el entrevistador construye su identidad posicionándose como performer o ejecutante (en el sentido de Bauman) frente a la audiencia (los futuros lectores de la entrevista) y a su entrevistado del momento, y alternando estratégicamente entre el marco humorístico y el marco serio. El entrevistador emplea una serie de recursos retóricos, discursivos y lingüísticos para producir el efecto cómico que ayudan a constituir su identidad como transgresor e ingenioso. Por otra parte, la identidad de los entrevistados se construye a través de procesos de auto y heterocategorización.