Classification of Paintings by Artist, Movement, and Indoor Setting Using MPEG-7 Descriptor Features

ACM Computing Classification System (1998): I.4.9, I.4.10.

The Multiple Hierarchical Legislatures in a Representative Democracy: Districting for Policy Implementation

We build a multiple hierarchical model of a representative democracy in which, for instance, voters elect county representatives, county representatives elect district representatives, district representatives elect state representatives, and state representatives elect a prime minister. We use our model to show that the policy determined by the final representative can become more extreme as the number of hierarchical levels increases because of increased opportunities for gerrymandering. Thus, a sufficiently large number of voters gives a district maker an advantage, enabling her to implement her favorite policy. We also show that the range of implementable policies increases with the depth of the hierarchical system. Consequently, districting by a candidate in a hierarchical legislative system can be viewed as a type of policy implementation device.

Combining Taxonomies using Word2vec

Taxonomies have gained a broad usage in a variety of fields due to their extensibility, as well as their use for classification and knowledge organization. Of particular interest is the digital document management domain in which their hierarchical structure can be effectively employed in order to organize documents into content-specific categories. Common or standard taxonomies (e.g., the ACM Computing Classification System) contain concepts that are too general for conceptualizing specific knowledge domains. In this paper we introduce a novel automated approach that combines sub-trees from general taxonomies with specialized seed taxonomies by using specific Natural Language Processing techniques. We provide an extensible and generalizable model for combining taxonomies in the practical context of two very large European research projects. Because the manual combination of taxonomies by domain experts is a highly time consuming task, our model measures the semantic relatedness between concept labels in CBOW or skip-gram Word2vec vector spaces. A preliminary quantitative evaluation of the resulting taxonomies is performed after applying a greedy algorithm with incremental thresholds used for matching and combining topic labels.

Adapting the social-ecological system framework for urban stormwater management: the case of green infrastructure adoption

Stormwater management has long been a critical societal and environmental challenge for communities. An increasing number of municipalities are turning to novel approaches such as green infrastructure to develop more sustainable stormwater management systems. However, there is a need to better understand the technological decision-making processes that lead to specific outcomes within urban stormwater governance systems. We used the social-ecological system (SES) framework to build a classification system for identifying significant variables that influence urban stormwater governance decisions related to green infrastructure adoption. To adapt the framework, we relied on findings from observations at national stormwater meetings in combination with a systematic literature review on influential factors related to green infrastructure adoption. We discuss our revisions to the framework that helped us understand the decision by municipal governments to adopt green infrastructure. Remaining research needs and challenges are discussed regarding the development of an urban stormwater SES framework as a classification tool for knowledge accumulation and synthesis.

A Phylogenetic Classification of the Video-Game Industry’s Business Model Ecosystem

Part 8: Business Strategies Alignment

Atlantic Area Eunis Habitats. Adding new habitat types from European Atlantic coast to the EUNIS Habitat Classification

Marine protection has been emphasized through global and European conventions which highlighted the need for the establishment of special areas of conservation. Classification and habitat mapping have been developed to enhance the assessment of marine environment and improve spatial and strategic planning of human activities and to help on the implementation of ecosystem based management. European Nature information System (EUNIS) is a comprehensive habitat classification system to facilitate the harmonised description and collection of habitat and biotopes that has been developed by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in collaboration with experts from institutions throughout Europe.

EUNIS habitat's thresholds for the Western coast of the Iberian Peninsula — A Portuguese case study

The European Nature Information System (EUNIS) has been implemented for the establishment of a marine European habitats inventory. Its hierarchical classification is defined and relies on environmental variables which primarily constrain biological communities (e.g. substrate types, sea energy level, depth and light penetration). The EUNIS habitat classification scheme relies on thresholds (e.g. fraction of light and energy) which are based on expert judgment or on the empirical analysis of the above environmental data. The present paper proposes to establish and validate an appropriate threshold for energy classes (high, moderate and low) and for subtidal biological zonation (infralittoral and circalittoral) suitable for EUNIS habitat classification of the Western Iberian coast. Kineticwave-induced energy and the fraction of photosynthetically available light exerted on the marine bottom were respectively assigned to the presence of kelp (Saccorhiza polyschides, Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria ochroleuca) and seaweed species in general. Both data were statistically described, ordered fromthe largest to the smallest and percentile analyseswere independently performed. The threshold between infralittoral and circalittoral was based on the first quartile while the ‘moderate energy’ class was established between the 12.5 and 87.5 percentiles. To avoid data dependence on sampling locations and assess the confidence interval a bootstrap technique was applied. According to this analysis,more than 75% of seaweeds are present at locations where more than 3.65% of the surface light reaches the sea bottom. The range of energy levels estimated using S. polyschides data, indicate that on the IberianWest coast the ‘moderate energy’ areas are between 0.00303 and 0.04385 N/m2 of wave-induced energy. The lack of agreement between different studies in different regions of Europe suggests the need for more standardization in the future. However, the obtained thresholds in the present study will be very useful in the near future to implement and establish the Iberian EUNIS habitats inventory.

Epilepsies Associated With Hippocampal Sclerosis.

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is considered the most frequent neuropathological finding in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Hippocampal specimens of pharmacoresistant MTLE patients that underwent epilepsy surgery for seizure control reveal the characteristic pattern of segmental neuronal cell loss and concomitant astrogliosis. However, classification issues of hippocampal lesion patterns have been a matter of intense debate. International consensus classification has only recently provided significant progress for comparisons of neurosurgical and clinic-pathological series between different centers. The respective four-tiered classification system of the International League Against Epilepsy subdivides HS into three types and includes a term of gliosis only, no-HS. Future studies will be necessary to investigate whether each of these subtypes of HS may be related to different etiological factors or with postoperative memory and seizure outcome. Molecular studies have provided potential deeper insights into the pathogenesis of HS and MTLE on the basis of epilepsy-surgical hippocampal specimens and corresponding animal models. These include channelopathies, activation of NMDA receptors, and other conditions related to Ca(2+) influx into neurons, the imbalance of Ca(2+)-binding proteins, acquired channelopathies that increase neuronal excitability, paraneoplastic and non-paraneoplastic inflammatory events, and epigenetic regulation promoting or facilitating hippocampal epileptogenesis. Genetic predisposition for HS is clearly suggested by the high incidence of family history in patients with HS, and by familial MTLE with HS. So far, it is clear that HS is multifactorial and there is no individual pathogenic factor either necessary or sufficient to generate this intriguing histopathological condition. The obvious variety of pathogenetic combinations underlying HS may explain the multitude of clinical presentations, different responses to clinical and surgical treatment. We believe that the stratification of neuropathological patterns can help to characterize specific clinic-pathological entities and predict the postsurgical seizure control in an improved fashion.

Consenso brasileiro para a abordagem clínica e tratamento do hipotireoidismo subclínico em adultos: recomendações do Departamento de Tireoide da Sociedade Brasileira de Endocrinologia e Metabologia

INTRODUCTION: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH), defined as elevated concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) despite normal levels of thyroid hormones, is highly prevalent in Brazil, especially among women and the elderly. Although an increasing number of studies have related SCH to an increased risk of coronary artery disease and mortality, there have been no randomized clinical trials verifying the benefit of levothyroxine treatment in reducing these risks, and the treatment remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: This consensus, sponsored by the Thyroid Department of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism and developed by Brazilian experts with extensive clinical experience with thyroid diseases, presents these recommendations based on evidence for the clinical management of SCH patients in Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After structuring the clinical questions, the search for evidence in the literature was initially performed in the MedLine-PubMed database and later in the Embase and SciELO - Lilacs databases. The strength of evidence was evaluated according to the Oxford classification system and established based on the experimental design used, considering the best available evidence for each question and the Brazilian experience. RESULTS: The topics covered included SCH definition and diagnosis, natural history, clinical significance, treatment and pregnancy, and the consensus issued 29 recommendations for the clinical management of adult patients with SCH. CONCLUSION: Treatment with levothyroxine was recommended for all patients with persistent SCH with serum TSH values > 10 mU/L and for certain patient subgroups.

Handebol em cadeira de rodas : diretrizes para a classificação

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

A integração do esporte adaptado com o esporte convencional a partir da inserção de provas adaptadas : um estudo de caso

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Fatores contribuintes aos acidentes aeronáuticos

O objetivo do estudo foi comparar os resultados de investigações de acidentes aeronáuticos brasileiros do Centro de Investigação e Prevenção de Acidentes Aeronáuticos (Cenipa) com os do sistema de análise e classificação de fatores humanos (Human Factors Analysis and Classification System - HFACS). Foram analisados e comparados os relatórios finais de 36 investigações de acidentes aeronáuticos ocorridos entre 2000 e 2005, no estado de São Paulo. Foram mencionados 163 fatores contribuintes dos acidentes aeronáuticos nos relatórios do Cenipa, enquanto 370 foram identificados por meio do HFACS. Conclui-se que as análises do Cenipa não contemplaram fatores organizacionais associados aos acidentes aéreos.

Harmonização e classificação toxicológica de agrotóxicos em 1992 no Brasil e a necessidade de prever os impactos da futura implantação do GHS

Em 1992, o Brasil modificou seus critérios de classificação toxicológica de agrotóxicos adequando-os à recomendação de classificação de periculosidade da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Em 2002, o Sistema Globalmente Harmonizado de Classificação e Rotulagem de Produtos Químicos (GHS) foi adotado pela Organização das Nações Unidas. Em decorrência, a OMS está adequando ao GHS sua recomendação de classificação de agrotóxicos, o que também deverá ser feito pelo Brasil. Considerou-se oportuno estimar o impacto da alteração de critérios, ocorrida em 1992, na reclassificação toxicológica dos produtos comerciais que se encontravam registrados na ocasião. Encontrou-se que 58,6% do total dos agrotóxicos então registrados (74,9% das formulações líquidas e 31,0% das sólidas) podem ter sofrido reclassificação para classes toxicológicas consideradas de me-nor periculosidade, sofrendo mudanças na comunicação de riscos expressa na rotulagem. Isto pode ter ocasionado conseqüências negativas devido a confusões de interpretação pelos agricultores. Nos países que já dispõem de sistemas de classificação de periculosidade de agrotóxicos, como o Brasil, recomenda-se estimar, antes da implantação, os impactos das mudanças que poderão decorrer da adoção do GHS.

Harmonização e classificação de periculosidade de agrotóxicos: impactos na classificação toxicológica, Brasil, 1992

Em 1992 o Brasil modificou seus critérios de classificação toxicológica de agrotóxicos adequando-os à recomendação de classificação de periculosidade da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Em 2002, o Sistema Globalmente Harmonizado de Classificação e Rotulagem de Produtos Químicos (GHS) foi adotado pela Organização das Nações Unidas. Em decorrência, a OMS está adequando ao GHS sua recomendação de classificação de agrotóxicos, o que também deverá ser feito pelo Brasil. Considerou-se oportuno estimar o impacto da alteração de critérios, ocorrida em 1992, na reclassificação toxicológica dos produtos comerciais que se encontravam registrados na ocasião. Encontrou-se que 58,6% do total dos agrotóxicos então registrados (74,9% das formulações líquidas e 31,0% das sólidas) podem ter sofrido reclassificação para Classes Toxicológicas consideradas de menor periculosidade, sofrendo mudanças na comunicação de riscos expressa na rotulagem. Isto pode ter ocasionado conseqüências negativas devido à confusões de interpretação pelos agricultores. Nos países que já dispõem de sistemas de classificação de periculosidade de agrotóxicos, como o Brasil, recomenda-se estimar, antes da implantação, os impactos das mudanças que poderão decorrer da adoção do GHS

Inspeção sanitária em creches: uma proposta de roteiro de inspeção

O trabalho apresenta um projeto de intervenção na realidade concreta das ações de Vigilância Sanitária, através da proposição de um roteiro para inspeção destinado a creches. Os objetivos específicos foram identificar os fundamentos jurídicos, técnico-científicos e sanitários que possam nortear a prática de inspeções sanitárias em creches; elaborar uma proposta de roteiro que permita um processo de análise mais explícito, objetivo e homogêneo e discutir a contribuição do instrumento proposto para a atividade de Vigilância Sanitária, com base na literatura científica pesquisada. Para a realização do trabalho foi feita uma revisão fundamentada em textos didáticos e normativos das áreas de educação e saúde, legislação sobre Vigilância Sanitária e Educação Infantil, outros roteiros já existentes e artigos da literatura científica sobre agravos à saúde em crianças que frequentam creches. O trabalho focaliza o conteúdo da legislação específica vigente e sua aplicabilidade na prática da inspeção sanitária em creches e baseia-se na Portaria - MS n. 321 de 26.05.1988. Este estudo apresenta um instrumento para avaliar a qualidade do atendimento nas creches sob o aspecto da promoção da saúde e sugere estudos posteriores de validação para o contexto, com a possível inclusão de um sistema de classificação para os padrões de conformidade, por meio de uma metodologia estatística