Exploring combinations of different color and facial expression stimuli for gaze-independent BCIs

Background: Some studies have proven that a conventional visual brain computer interface (BCI) based on overt attention cannot be used effectively when eye movement control is not possible. To solve this problem, a novel visual-based BCI system based on covert attention and feature attention has been proposed and was called the gaze-independent BCI. Color and shape difference between stimuli and backgrounds have generally been used in examples of gaze-independent BCIs. Recently, a new paradigm based on facial expression changes has been presented, and obtained high performance. However, some facial expressions were so similar that users couldn't tell them apart, especially when they were presented at the same position in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm. Consequently, the performance of the BCI is reduced. New Method: In this paper, we combined facial expressions and colors to optimize the stimuli presentation in the gaze-independent BCI. This optimized paradigm was called the colored dummy face pattern. It is suggested that different colors and facial expressions could help users to locate the target and evoke larger event-related potentials (ERPs). In order to evaluate the performance of this new paradigm, two other paradigms were presented, called the gray dummy face pattern and the colored ball pattern. Comparison with Existing Method(s): The key point that determined the value of the colored dummy faces stimuli in BCI systems was whether the dummy face stimuli could obtain higher performance than gray faces or colored balls stimuli. Ten healthy participants (seven male, aged 21–26 years, mean 24.5 ± 1.25) participated in our experiment. Online and offline results of four different paradigms were obtained and comparatively analyzed. Results: The results showed that the colored dummy face pattern could evoke higher P300 and N400 ERP amplitudes, compared with the gray dummy face pattern and the colored ball pattern. Online results showed that the colored dummy face pattern had a significant advantage in terms of classification accuracy (p < 0.05) and information transfer rate (p < 0.05) compared to the other two patterns. Conclusions: The stimuli used in the colored dummy face paradigm combined color and facial expressions. This had a significant advantage in terms of the evoked P300 and N400 amplitudes and resulted in high classification accuracies and information transfer rates. It was compared with colored ball and gray dummy face stimuli.

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on facial nerve regeneration

Conclusion. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) promoted an increase of the mean axonal diameter in the group evaluated 2 weeks after lesion induction, which suggests a more advanced regeneration process. However, the number of myelin nerve fibers of the facial nerve of the rabbits was similar when compared to the control and treatment groups, in both evaluation periods. Objective. To evaluate the effect of HBOT on the histological pattern of the facial nerve in rabbits exposed to a nerve crush injury. Materials and methods. Twenty rabbits were exposed to facial nerve crush injury. Ten rabbits received HBOT, 10 rabbits comprised the control group. The rabbits were sacrificed 2 and 4 weeks after the trauma. Qualitative morphological analysis, measurement of the external axonal diameters and myelin fiber count were carried out in an area of 185 000 mu m(2). Results. There was an increase in the area of the axons and thicker myelin in the 2 weeks treatment group in comparison with the control group. The mean diameter of the axons was of 2.34 mu m in the control group and of 2.81 mu m in the HBOT group, with statistically significant differences. The 2 week control group had a mean number of myelin fibers of 186 +/- 5.2664, and the HBOT group had a mean number of 2026.3 +/- 302; this was not statistically significant. The 4 week control group presented a mean of 2495.1 +/- 479 fibers and the HBOT group presented a mean of 2359.9 +/- 473; this was not statistically significant.

A newly recognized syndrome of marfanoid habitus; Long face; Hypotelorism; Long, thin nose; Long, thin hands and feet; and a specific pattern of language and learning disabilities

Here, we report on a newly recognized syndrome in a Brazilian family with three affected women, who had a Marfanoid habitus; long face; hypotelorism; long, thin nose; long, thin hands and feet; and language and learning disabilities. The disorder is compatible with autosomal dominant inheritance. (C) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Crescimento facial espontâneo Padrão II: estudo cefalométrico longitudinal

OBJETIVO: o presente estudo cefalométrico longitudinal investigou as alterações espontâneas ocorridas em crianças com má oclusão Classe II, divisão 1, Padrão II. MÉTODOS: foram selecionadas 40 crianças, 20 meninos e 20 meninas, distribuídas na faixa etária compreendida entre 6 e 14 anos de idade. Para avaliar o comportamento das bases apicais, dos incisivos e do tecido mole, as seguintes grandezas cefalométricas foram mensuradas: SN.Ba, SNA, SNB, SND, SN.Pog, ANB, NAP, SN.PP, SN.GoGn, SN.Gn, Ar.Go.Gn, 1.PP, 1.NA, 1.SN, IMPA e ANL. As seguintes grandezas alcançaram significância estatística com o crescimento: SNB, SND,SN.Pog,ANB,NAP,SN.GoGn,SN.Gn,Ar.Go.Gn e IMPA. RESULTADOS: os resultados demonstraram que as principais alterações quantitativas registradas estavam relacionadas com o crescimento mandibular,independentemente do gênero. A mandíbula deslocou-se para frente, com tendência de rotação no sentido anti-horário e com conseqüente redução nos ângulos de convexidade facial. No entanto, as oscilações quantitativas nas grandezas cefalométricas não foram suficientes para mudar a morfologia dentofacial ao longo do período de acompanhamento. CONCLUSÃO: conclui-se, portanto, que a morfologia facial é definida precocemente e é mantida, configurando o determinismo genético na determinação do arcabouço esquelético.

Tests of one Brazilian facial reconstruction method using three soft tissue depth sets and familiar assessors

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A influência da redução do espaço nasofaringeano na morfologia facial de pré-adolescentes

A redução do espaço nasofaringeano devido à hipertrofia adenoideana leva a adaptações posturais da cabeça, mandíbula, língua e lábios, podendo causar alterações no padrão esquelético facial. Foram coletadas 98 teleradiografias em norma lateral de pré-adolescentes na faixa etária de 7 a 10 anos na Clínica de Ortodontia da F.O. Araraquara, as quais foram selecionadas levando-se em consideração a dimensão da imagem do espaço nasofaringeano (ENF) (correspondente à menor distância do dorso do palato mole à parede faringeana posterior). As radiografias foram divididas em 3 grupos: Grupo I (estreito), ENF entre 1,7 e 5,1mm; Grupo II (médio), ENF entre 5,2 e 7,6mm; Grupo III (amplo), ENF entre 7,7 e 12,9mm. Utilizamos duas medidas angulares e seis medidas lineares para caracterizar a morfologia facial. As médias e o desvio padrão de cada medida efetuada foram obtidas, e por meio de teste de análise de variância (ANOVA), verificou-se diferença não significativa entre os grupos para as variáveis: ANperp, p=0,07; PgNperp, p=0,058, comprimento mandibular, p=0,15, comprimento maxilar, p=0,06, diferença maxilomandibular, p=0,98, eixo facial, p=0,96, altura facial inferior, p=0,84 e significativa na variável plano mandibular (p<0,01). Portanto, a redução do espaço nasofaringeano está associada a alterações no plano mandibular, que apresentou valores maiores com a diminuição do espaço nasofaringeano.

Changes in facial morphology after adenotonsillectomy in mouth-breathing children

Background. Morphological and dentofacial alterations have been attributed to impaired respiratory function. Objective. To examine the influence of mouth breathing (MB) on children facial morphology before and after adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy. Methods. Thirty-three MB children who restored nasal breathing (NB) after surgery and 22 NB children were evaluated. Both groups were submitted to lateral cephalometry, at time 1 (T1) before and at time 2 (T2) 28months on average postoperatively. Results. Comparison between the MB and NB groups at T1 showed that mouth breathers had higher inclination of the mandibular plane; more obtuse gonial angle; dolichofacial morphology; and a decrease in the total and inferior posterior facial heights. Twenty-eight months after the MB surgical intervention, they still presented a dolichofacial morphologic pattern. During this period, MB altered the face growth direction and decreased their mandible plane inclination, with reduction in the SN.GoGn, PP.MP, SNGn, and ArGo.GoMe parameters as well as an increase in BaN.PtGn. Conclusion. After the MB rehabilitation, children between 3 and 6years old presented significant normalization in the mandibular growth direction, a decrease in the mandible inclination, and an increase in the posterior facial height. Instead, they still persisted with a dolichofacial pattern when compared with nasal breathers. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry © 2011 BSPD, IAPD and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Is characterizing the digital forensic facial reconstruction with hair necessary? A familiar assessors' analysis

Background: In the international scientific literature, there are few studies that emphasize the presence or absence of hair in forensic facial reconstructions. There are neither Brazilian studies concerning digital facial reconstructions without hair, nor research comparing recognition tests between digital facial reconstructions with hair and without hair. The miscegenation of Brazilian people is considerable. Brazilian people, and, in particular, Brazilian women, even if considered as Caucasoid, may present the hair in very different ways: curly, wavy or straight, blonde, red, brown or black, long or short, etc. For this reason, it is difficult to find a correct type of hair for facial reconstruction (unless, in real cases, some hair is recovered with the skeletal remains). Aims and methods: This study focuses on the performance of three different digital forensic facial reconstructions, without hair, of a Brazilian female subject (based on one international database and two Brazilian databases for soft facial-tissue thickness) and evaluates the digital forensic facial reconstructions comparing them to photographs of the target individual and nine other subjects, employing the recognition method. A total of 22 assessors participated in the recognition process; all of them were familiar with the 10 individuals who composed the face pool. Results and conclusions: The target subject was correctly recognized by 41% of the 22 examiners in the International Pattern, by 32% in the Brazilian Magnetic Resonance Pattern and by 32% in the Brazilian Fresh Cadavers Pattern. The facial reconstructions without hair were correctly recognized using the three databases of facial soft-tissue thickness. The observed results were higher than the results obtained using facial reconstructions with hair, from the same skull, which can indicate that it is better to not use hair, at least when there is no information concerning its characteristics. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crescimento facial espontâneo Padrão II: estudo cefalométrico longitudinal

Pós-graduação em Odontologia - FOA

Avaliação do complexo crânio-facial em indivíduos portadores de síndrome de down: um estudo radiográfico cefalométrico

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Interpretação e conceituação dos tipos de perfis faciais por meio de paquímetro do perfil facial e de comitê de avaliadores utilizando fotografias faciais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Bonding of facial silicon with nanoparticles to an acrylic resin substrate

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Aplicação de sistemas imunológicos artificiais para biometria facial: Reconhecimento de identidade baseado nas características de padrões binários

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Avaliação da agradabilidade facial de pacientes portadores de padrão facial II e III por ortodontistas e leigos

Aim: compare the evaluation of orthodontics and lay people on facial attractiveness of pattern II and III subjects. Methodology: thirty orthodontists and 30 laymen judged a profile facial photos of 64 subjects standard II and III (34 standard II e 30 standard III), making as visual analogical scale (VAS) with 10 cm. Results: after evaluation, the results were submitted to a statistics analysis (Mann- Whitney test) showed that the groups of evaluators orthodontists and lay people differed in their assessments, and these differences are statistically significant. Conclusions: the laymen was more rigorous than orthodontics, and both considered the female pattern III more agradable.

Tests of one Brazilian facial reconstruction method using three soft tissue depth sets and familiar assessors

Facial reconstruction is a method that seeks to recreate a person's facial appearance from his/her skull. This technique can be the last resource used in a forensic investigation, when identification techniques such as DNA analysis, dental records, fingerprints and radiographic comparison cannot be used to identify a body or skeletal remains. To perform facial reconstruction, the data of facial soft tissue thickness are necessary. Scientific literature has described differences in the thickness of facial soft tissue between ethnic groups. There are different databases of soft tissue thickness published in the scientific literature. There are no literature records of facial reconstruction works carried out with data of soft tissues obtained from samples of Brazilian subjects. There are also no reports of digital forensic facial reconstruction performed in Brazil. There are two databases of soft tissue thickness published for the Brazilian population: one obtained from measurements performed in fresh cadavers (fresh cadavers' pattern), and another from measurements using magnetic resonance imaging (Magnetic Resonance pattern). This study aims to perform three different characterized digital forensic facial reconstructions (with hair, eyelashes and eyebrows) of a Brazilian subject (based on an international pattern and two Brazilian patterns for soft facial tissue thickness), and evaluate the digital forensic facial reconstructions comparing them to photos of the individual and other nine subjects. The DICOM data of the Computed Tomography (CT) donated by a volunteer were converted into stereolitography (STL) files and used for the creation of the digital facial reconstructions. Once the three reconstructions were performed, they were compared to photographs of the subject who had the face reconstructed and nine other subjects. Thirty examiners participated in this recognition process. The target subject was recognized by 26.67% of the examiners in the reconstruction performed with the Brazilian Magnetic Resonance Pattern, 23.33% in the reconstruction performed with the Brazilian Fresh Cadavers Pattern and 20.00% in the reconstruction performed with the International Pattern, in which the target-subject was the most recognized subject in the first two patterns. The rate of correct recognitions of the target subject indicate that the digital forensic facial reconstruction, conducted with parameters used in this study, may be a useful tool. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.