Depth propagation and surface construction in 3-D vision

Motion discontinuities can signal object boundaries where few or no other cues, such as luminance, colour, or texture, are available. Hence, motion-defined contours are an ecologically important counterpart to luminance contours. We developed a novel motion-defined Gabor stimulus to investigate the nature of neural operators analysing visual motion fields in order to draw parallels with known luminance operators. Luminance-defined Gabors have been successfully used to discern the spatial-extent and spatial-frequency specificity of possible visual contour detectors. We now extend these studies into the motion domain. We define a stimulus using limited-lifetime moving dots whose velocity is described over 2-D space by a Gabor pattern surrounded by randomly moving dots. Participants were asked to determine whether the orientation of the Gabor pattern (and hence of the motion contours) was vertical or horizontal in a 2AFC task, and the proportion of correct responses was recorded. We found that with practice participants became highly proficient at this task, able in certain cases to reach 90% accuracy with only 12 limited-lifetime dots. However, for both practised and novice participants we found that the ability to detect a single boundary saturates with the size of the Gaussian envelope of the Gabor at approximately 5 deg full-width at half-height. At this optimal size we then varied spatial frequency and found the optimum was at the lowest measured spatial frequency (0.1 cycle deg-1 ) and then steadily decreased with higher spatial frequencies, suggesting that motion contour detectors may be specifically tuned to a single, isolated edge.

About Strictly Hyperbolic Operators with Non-Regular Coefficients

2002 Mathematics Subject Classification: 35L15, 35L80, 35S05, 35S30

Potapov-Ginsburg Transformation and Functional Models of Non-Dissipative Operators

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary 47A20, 47A45; Secondary 47A48.

Pico Cell Integration to Operator’s Incident Management Process

Mobile network coverage is traditionally provided by outdoor macro base stations, which have a long range and serve several of customers. Due to modern passive houses and tightening construction legislation, mobile network service is deteriorated in many indoor locations. Typically, solutions for indoor coverage problem are expensive and demand actions from the mobile operator. Due to these, superior solutions are constantly researched. The solution presented in this thesis is based on Small Cell technology. Small Cells are low power access nodes designed to provide voice and data services.. This thesis concentrates on a specific Small Cell solution, which is called a Pico Cell. The problem regarding Pico Cells and Small Cells in general is that they are a new technological solution for the mobile operator, and the possible problem sources and incidents are not properly mapped. The purpose of this thesis is to figure out the possible problems in the Pico Cell deployment and how they could be solved within the operator’s incident management process. The research in the thesis is carried out with a literature research and a case study. The possible problems are investigated through lab testing. Pico Cell automated deployment process was tested in the lab environment and its proper functionality is confirmed. The related network elements were also tested and examined, and the emerged problems are resolvable. Operators existing incident management process can be used for Pico Cell troubleshooting with minor updates. Certain pre-requirements have to be met before Pico Cell deployment can be considered. The main contribution of this thesis is the Pico Cell integrated incident management process. The presented solution works in theory and solves the problems found during the lab testing. The limitations in the customer service level were solved by adding the necessary tools and by designing a working question pattern. Process structures for automated network discovery and pico specific radio parameter planning were also added for the mobile network management layer..

Riesgo biomecánico y dolor lumbar en operarios y personal administrativo en una fábrica de jabón en Bogotá 2016

Introducción: El dolor lumbar y los desórdenes músculo esqueléticos comprometen la salud y la calidad de vida de los trabajadores, pueden poner en riesgo el futuro laboral de las personas. bjetivo: Estimar la prevalencia de dolor lumbar y los posibles factores biomecánicos asociados en el personal operativo y administrativo en una empresa manufacturera de jabón en Bogotá, en el año 2016 Metodología: Estudio de corte transversal donde se evaluó el riesgo biomecánico y la prevalencia del dolor lumbar en personal administrativo (138) y operativo (165); se utilizó como instrumento el ERGOPAR validado en España. Se revisó la asociación utilizando la prueba Chi Cuadrado de Pearson, con un nivel de significación α 0.05 Resultados: 303 trabajadores de una empresa manufacturera de jabón en Bogotá, donde predominó el género masculino (51,82%) y la población adulta media entre 30-39 años (57,42%). La prevalencia del dolor lumbar en la población fue de 61,39% (186). La edad no se asoció estadísticamente al dolor lumbar. Se encontró asociación estadística entre el síntoma dolor lumbar y extensión de cuello (p=0,05 OR1.95 IC 1.33-2.88), así como con agarrar o sujetar objetos (p= 0,036. OR 2.3 IC 1.59-3.51) y con las exigencias físicas laborales (p= 0.001 OR 1.99 IC 1.31-3.02). Conclusiones: La población estudiada presentó una alta prevalencia de dolor lumbar, con predominio en personal que realiza labores operativas, y del género femenino. La adopción de posturas de extensión del cuello y la sujeción o agarre de objetos son factores asociados directamente con la aparición de lumbalgia.

[theoretical Construction In The Sociology Of Health: A Reflection On Its Trajectory].

The scope of this paper is to reflect on the theoretical construction in the constitution of the sociology of health, still called medical sociology in some countries. Two main ideas constitute the basis for this: interdisciplinarity and the degree of articulation in the fields of medicine and sociology. We sought to establish a dialogue with some dimensions - macro/micro, structure/action - that constitute the basis for understanding medicine/health in relation to the social/sociological dimension. The main aspects of these dimensions are initially presented. Straus' two medical sociologies and the theory/application impasses are then addressed, as well as the dilemmas of the sociology of medicine in the 1960s and 1970s. From these analyses the theoretical production before 1970 is placed as a counterpoint. Lastly, the sociology of health is seen in the general context of sociology, which underwent a fragmentation process from 1970 with effects in all subfields of the social sciences. This process involves a rethinking of the theoretical issues in a broadened spectrum of possibilities. The 1980s are highlighted when theoretical issues in the sociology of health are reinvigorated and the issue of interdisciplinarity is once again addressed.

Construction Of A Manual Of Work Processes And Techniques From Centro De Dispensação De Medicamentos De Alto Custo (cedmac), Hospital De Clínicas, Unicamp.

The Centers for High Cost Medication (Centros de Medicação de Alto Custo, CEDMAC), Health Department, São Paulo were instituted by project in partnership with the Clinical Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, USP, sponsored by the Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, FAPESP) aimed at the formation of a statewide network for comprehensive care of patients referred for use of immunobiological agents in rheumatological diseases. The CEDMAC of Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (HC-Unicamp), implemented by the Division of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, identified the need for standardization of the multidisciplinary team conducts, in face of the specificity of care conducts, verifying the importance of describing, in manual format, their operational and technical processes. The aim of this study is to present the methodology applied to the elaboration of the CEDMAC/HC-Unicamp Manual as an institutional tool, with the aim of offering the best assistance and administrative quality. In the methodology for preparing the manuals at HC-Unicamp since 2008, the premise was to obtain a document that is participatory, multidisciplinary, focused on work processes integrated with institutional rules, with objective and didactic descriptions, in a standardized format and with electronic dissemination. The CEDMAC/HC-Unicamp Manual was elaborated in 10 months, with involvement of the entire multidisciplinary team, with 19 chapters on work processes and techniques, in addition to those concerning the organizational structure and its annexes. Published in the electronic portal of HC Manuals in July 2012 as an e-Book (ISBN 978-85-63274-17-5), the manual has been a valuable instrument in guiding professionals in healthcare, teaching and research activities.

Matrix Support And Institutional Support: Analyzing Their Construction.

This is an analysis of the theoretical and practical construction of the methodology of Matrix Support by means of studies on Paideia Support (Institutional and Matrix Support), which is an inter-professional work of joint care in recent literature and official documents of the Unified Health System (SUS). An attempt was made to describe methodological concepts and strategies. A comparative analysis of Institutional Support and Matrix Support was also conducted using the epistemological framework of Field and Core Knowledge and Practices.

[construction Of Measurement Instruments In The Area Of Health].

Measurement instruments are an integral part of clinical practice, health evaluation and research. These instruments are only useful and able to present scientifically robust results when they are developed properly and have appropriate psychometric properties. Despite the significant increase of rating scales, the literature suggests that many of them have not been adequately developed and validated. The scope of this study was to conduct a narrative review on the process of developing new measurement instruments and to present some tools which can be used in some stages of the development process. The steps described were: I-The establishment of a conceptual framework, and the definition of the objectives of the instrument and the population involved; II-Development of the items and of the response scales; III-Selection and organization of the items and structuring of the instrument; IV-Content validity, V-Pre-test. This study also included a brief discussion on the evaluation of the psychometric properties due to their importance for the instruments to be accepted and acknowledged in both scientific and clinical environments.

Design, construction and evaluation of a simple pressurized solvent extraction system

This work describes the construction and testing of a simple pressurized solvent extraction (PSE) system. A mixture of acetone:water (80:20), 80 ºC and 103.5 bar, was used to extract two herbicides (Diuron and Bromacil) from a sample of polluted soil, followed by identification and quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The system was also used to extract soybean oil (70 ºC and 69 bar) using pentane. The extracted oil was weighed and characterized through the fatty acid methyl ester analysis (myristic (< 0.3%), palmitic (16.3%), stearic (2.8%), oleic (24.5%), linoleic (46.3%), linolenic (9.6%), araquidic (0.3%), gadoleic (< 0.3%), and behenic (0.3%) acids) using high-resolution gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (HRGC-FID). PSE results were compared with those obtained using classical procedures: Soxhlet extraction for the soybean oil and solid-liquid extraction followed by solid-phase extraction (SLE-SPE) for the herbicides. The results showed: 21.25 ± 0.36% (m/m) of oil in the soybeans using the PSE system and 21.55 ± 0.65% (m/m) using the soxhlet extraction system; extraction efficiency (recovery) of herbicides Diuron and Bromacil of 88.7 ± 4.5% and 106.6 ± 8.1%, respectively, using the PSE system, and 96.8 ± 1.0% and 94.2 ± 3.9%, respectively, with the SLP-SPE system; limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for Diuron of 0.012 mg kg-1 and 0.040 mg kg-1, respectively; LOD and LOQ for Bromacil of 0.025 mg kg-1 and 0.083 mg kg-1, respectively. The linearity used ranged from 0.04 to 1.50 mg L-1 for Diuron and from 0.08 to 1.50 mg L-1 for Bromacil. In conclusion, using the PSE system, due to high pressure and temperature, it is possible to make efficient, fast extractions with reduced solvent consumption in an inert atmosphere, which prevents sample and analyte decomposition.

A novel disposable electrochemical microcell: construction and characterization

An alternative technique for the fabrication of disposable electrochemical microcells containing working, reference and auxiliary electrodes on a single device is reported. The procedure is based on thermal-transfer of toner masks onto CD-R (recordable compact discs) gold surfaces to define the layout of the electrodes (contour). In a subsequent step, the layout is manually painted with a permanent marker pen. The unprotected gold surface is conveniently etched (chemical corrosion) and the ink is then easily removed with ethanol, generating gold surfaces without contamination. The final and reproducible area of the electrodes is defined by heat transference of a second toner mask. Silver epoxy is deposited on one of the gold bands which is the satisfactorily used as reference electrode. These microcells were electrochemically characterized by cyclic, linear, and square wave voltammetry, and several electroactive species were used as model systems. The area reproducibility of the electrodes for different microcells was studied and a relative standard deviation better than 1,0% (n = 10) was obtained. Disposable electrochemical microcells were successfully used in analysis of liquid samples with volumes lower than 200 µL and good stability and reproducibility (RSD less than 2.0%) were achieved. These microcells were also evaluated for quantification of paracetamol and dipyrone in pharmaceutical formulations.

Exposição ocupacional à sílica no Brasil no ano de 2001

OBJETIVO: Estimar o número de trabalhadores brasileiros expostos à sílica no ano de 2001. MÉTODO: Informações sobre ocupações e setores econômicos foram reunidas em uma matriz de exposição ocupacional (MEO) com 347 categorias ocupacionais por 25 subsetores econômicos. Informações sobre o número de trabalhadores por ocupação foram extraídas da base de dados Relatório Anual de Informações Sociais (RAIS) do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego. A exposição à sílica foi avaliada e classificada por dois peritos em quatro categorias, de acordo com a freqüência semanal de exposição no ambiente de trabalho. RESULTADOS: Foram considerados não expostos 31.451.594 trabalhadores (85,7%), possivelmente expostos 976.939 (2,65%), provavelmente expostos 2.404.955 (6,52%) e definitivamente expostos à sílica 2.065.929 (5,6%). Os setores com a maior prevalência de exposição foram: construção civil 65%, extração de pedras 59%, indústria de mineral não metálico 55% e indústria metalúrgica 24%. No setor de serviços de terceiros, a prevalência foi de 2%. CONCLUSÃO: A prevalência de trabalhadores brasileiros definitivamente expostos à sílica é mais alta do que aquela observada em países europeus, onde estudos semelhantes foram conduzidos.

Students' collective knowledge construction in the virtual learning environment ""ToLigado - your school interactive newspaper""

Introduction. The ToLigado Project - Your School Interactive Newspaper is an interactive virtual learning environment conceived, developed, implemented and supported by researchers at the School of the Future Research Laboratory of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Method. This virtual learning environment aims to motivate trans-disciplinary research among public school students and teachers in 2,931 schools equipped with Internet-access computer rooms. Within this virtual community, students produce collective multimedia research documents that are immediately published in the portal. The project also aims to increase students' autonomy for research, collaborative work and Web authorship. Main sections of the portal are presented and described. Results. Partial results of the first two years' implementation are presented and indicate a strong motivation among students to produce knowledge despite the fragile hardware and software infrastructure at the time. Discussion. In this new environment, students should be seen as 'knowledge architects' and teachers as facilitators, or 'curiosity managers'. The ToLigado portal may constitute a repository for future studies regarding student attitudes in virtual learning environments, students' behaviour as 'authors', Web authorship involving collective knowledge production, teachers' behaviour as facilitators, and virtual learning environments as digital repositories of students' knowledge construction and social capital in virtual learning communities.

Position-dependent noncommutativity in quantum mechanics

The model of the position-dependent noncommutativity in quantum mechanics is proposed. We start with given commutation relations between the operators of coordinates [(x) over cap (i), (x) over cap (j)] = omega(ij) ((x) over cap), and construct the complete algebra of commutation relations, including the operators of momenta. The constructed algebra is a deformation of a standard Heisenberg algebra and obeys the Jacobi identity. The key point of our construction is a proposed first-order Lagrangian, which after quantization reproduces the desired commutation relations. Also we study the possibility to localize the noncommutativity.

On quantum integrability of the Landau-Lifshitz model

We investigate the quantum integrability of the Landau-Lifshitz (LL) model and solve the long-standing problem of finding the local quantum Hamiltonian for the arbitrary n-particle sector. The particular difficulty of the LL model quantization, which arises due to the ill-defined operator product, is dealt with by simultaneously regularizing the operator product and constructing the self-adjoint extensions of a very particular structure. The diagonalizibility difficulties of the Hamiltonian of the LL model, due to the highly singular nature of the quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian, are also resolved in our method for the arbitrary n-particle sector. We explicitly demonstrate the consistency of our construction with the quantum inverse scattering method due to Sklyanin [Lett. Math. Phys. 15, 357 (1988)] and give a prescription to systematically construct the general solution, which explains and generalizes the puzzling results of Sklyanin for the particular two-particle sector case. Moreover, we demonstrate the S-matrix factorization and show that it is a consequence of the discontinuity conditions on the functions involved in the construction of the self-adjoint extensions.