A multi-camera and multimodal dataset for posture and gait analysis

Monitoring gait and posture while using assisting robotic devices is relevant to attain effective assistance and assess the user’s progression throughout time. This work presents a multi-camera, multimodal, and detailed dataset involving 14 healthy participants walking with a wheeled robotic walker equipped with a pair of affordable cameras. Depth data were acquired at 30 fps and synchronized with inertial data from Xsens MTw Awinda sensors and kinematic data from the segments of the Xsens biomechanical model, acquired at 60 Hz. Participants walked with the robotic walker at 3 different gait speeds, across 3 different walking scenarios/paths at 3 different locations. In total, this dataset provides approximately 92 minutes of total recording time, which corresponds to nearly 166.000 samples of synchronized data. This dataset may contribute to the scientific research by allowing the development and evaluation of: (i) vision-based pose estimation algorithms, exploring classic or deep learning approaches; (ii) human detection and tracking algorithms; (iii) movement forecasting; and (iv) biomechanical analysis of gait/posture when using a rehabilitation device.This work has been supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) with the Reference Scholarship under Grant 2020.05708.BD and under the national support to R&D units grant, through the reference project UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDP/04436/2020

Markerless gait analysis vision system for real-time gait monitoring

On this paper a vision-based contact and markerless method for gait evaluation is proposed, and validated in different experimental setups against commercial motion capture systems (Vicon) and inertial gait analysis tools (GaitShoes). While the development goal is its integration on the ASBGo Smart Walker platform, only an inexpensive depth camera is required. It is shown to have reasonable results when computing gait metrics in real time, in different experimental setups, from different walker types, vision hardware and walking scenarios. Performance is evaluated through RMSD values for several gait metrics. Results illustrate that the proposed approach can be a valuable non-invasive, contactless and low cost alternative to gait analysis systems used in clinical rehabilitation environments.This work has been supported by the FEDER Funds through COMPETE 2020 — Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacão (POCI) and P2020 with the Reference Project EML under Grant POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033067; COMPETE 2020 — Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacão (POCI) with the Reference Project under Grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941

Comparative complete scheme and booster effectiveness of COVID‐19 vaccines in preventing SARS‐CoV‐2 infections with SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron (BA.1) and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants: A case–case study based on electronic health records

Background: Information on vaccine effectiveness in a context of novel variants of concern (VOC) emergence is of key importance to inform public health policies. This study aimed to estimate a measure of comparative vaccine effectiveness between Omicron (BA.1) and Delta (B.1.617.2 and sub-lineages) VOC according to vaccination exposure (primary or booster). Methods: We developed a case–case study using data on RT-PCR SARS-CoV2-positive cases notified in Portugal during Weeks 49–51, 2021. To obtain measure of comparative vaccine effectiveness, we compared the odds of vaccination in Omicron cases versus Delta using logistic regression adjusted for age group, sex, region, week of diagnosis, and laboratory of origin. Results: Higher odds of vaccination were observed in cases infected by Omicron VOC compared with Delta VOC cases for both complete primary vaccination (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8 to 2.4) and booster dose (OR = 5.2; 95% CI: 3.1 to 8.8), equivalent to reduction of vaccine effectiveness from 44.7% and 92.8%, observed against infection with Delta, to 6.0% (95% CI: 29.2% to 12.7%) and 62.7% (95% CI: 35.7% to 77.9%), observed against infection with Omicron, for complete primary vaccination and booster dose, respectively. Conclusion: Consistent reduction in vaccine-induced protection against infection with Omicron was observed. Complete primary vaccination may not be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection in regions where Omicron variant is dominant.Grant no. 2021/PHF/23776; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184; Project ALG-D2-2021-06info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

COOPEDU IV — Cooperação e Educação de Qualidade

O quarto Congresso Internacional de Cooperação e Educação-IV COOPEDU, organizado pelo Centro de Estudos Internacionais (CEI) do Instituto Universitário de Lisboa e pela Escola Superior de Educação e Ciências Sociais do Instituto Politécnico de Leiria decorreu nos dias 8 e 9 de novembro de 2018, subordinado à temática Cooperação e Educação de Qualidade. Este congresso insere-se numa linha de continuidade de intervenção por parte das duas instituições organizadoras e dos elementos coordenadores e este ano beneficiou do financiamento do Instituto Camões, obtido através de um procedimento concursal, que nos permitiu contar com a participação presencial de elementos dos Países Africanos de Língua Portuguesa, fortemente implicados nas problemáticas da Educação e da Formação. Contou também com a participação do Instituto Camões e da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, entidades que sistematizaram a sua intervenção nos domínios da cooperação na área da educação nos últimos anos. A opção pela temática da qualidade pareceu aos organizadores pertinente e actual. Com efeito os sistemas educativos dos países que constituem a Comunidade de países de língua portuguesa têm implementado várias reformas mas em vários domínios mantem-se a insatisfação de responsáveis políticos, pedagogos, técnicos sociais face aos resultados obtidos. Aliás o caminho de procura da Qualidade é interminável porque vai a par da aposta na exigência e na promoção da cidadania e responsabilidade social. As comunicações que agora se publicam estão organizadas em dois eixos: o das Políticas da Educação e Formação e o das dimensões em que se traduzem essas políticas. Neste último eixo encontramos fios condutores para agregarmos as comunicações apresentadas

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diretriz da Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia sobre Diagnóstico e Tratamento de Pacientes com Cardiomiopatia da Doença de Chagas

This guideline aimed to update the concepts and formulate the standards of conduct and scientific evidence that support them, regarding the diagnosis and treatment of the Cardiomyopathy of Chagas disease, with special emphasis on the rationality base that supported it.  Chagas disease in the 21st century maintains an epidemiological pattern of endemicity in 21 Latin American countries. Researchers and managers from endemic and non-endemic countries point to the need to adopt comprehensive public health policies to effectively control the interhuman transmission of T. cruzi infection, and to obtain an optimized level of care for already infected individuals, focusing on diagnostic and therapeutic opportunistic opportunities.   Pathogenic and pathophysiological mechanisms of the Cardiomyopathy of Chagas disease were revisited after in-depth updating and the notion that necrosis and fibrosis are stimulated by tissue parasitic persistence and adverse immune reaction, as fundamental mechanisms, assisted by autonomic and microvascular disorders, was well established. Some of them have recently formed potential targets of therapies.  The natural history of the acute and chronic phases was reviewed, with enhancement for oral transmission, indeterminate form and chronic syndromes. Recent meta-analyses of observational studies have estimated the risk of evolution from acute and indeterminate forms and mortality after chronic cardiomyopathy. Therapeutic approaches applicable to individuals with Indeterminate form of Chagas disease were specifically addressed. All methods to detect structural and/or functional alterations with various cardiac imaging techniques were also reviewed, with recommendations for use in various clinical scenarios. Mortality risk stratification based on the Rassi score, with recent studies of its application, was complemented by methods that detect myocardial fibrosis.  The current methodology for etiological diagnosis and the consequent implications of trypanonomic treatment deserved a comprehensive and in-depth approach. Also the treatment of patients at risk or with heart failure, arrhythmias and thromboembolic events, based on pharmacological and complementary resources, received special attention. Additional chapters supported the conducts applicable to several special contexts, including t. cruzi/HIV co-infection, risk during surgeries, in pregnant women, in the reactivation of infection after heart transplantation, and others.     Finally, two chapters of great social significance, addressing the structuring of specialized services to care for individuals with the Cardiomyopathy of Chagas disease, and reviewing the concepts of severe heart disease and its medical-labor implications completed this guideline.Esta diretriz teve como objetivo principal atualizar os conceitos e formular as normas de conduta e evidências científicas que as suportam, quanto ao diagnóstico e tratamento da CDC, com especial ênfase na base de racionalidade que a embasou. A DC no século XXI mantém padrão epidemiológico de endemicidade em 21 países da América Latina. Investigadores e gestores de países endêmicos e não endêmicos indigitam a necessidade de se adotarem políticas abrangentes, de saúde pública, para controle eficaz da transmissão inter-humanos da infecção pelo T. cruzi, e obter-se nível otimizado de atendimento aos indivíduos já infectados, com foco em oportunização diagnóstica e terapêutica. Mecanismos patogênicos e fisiopatológicos da CDC foram revisitados após atualização aprofundada e ficou bem consolidada a noção de que necrose e fibrose sejam estimuladas pela persistência parasitária tissular e reação imune adversa, como mecanismos fundamentais, coadjuvados por distúrbios autonômicos e microvasculares. Alguns deles recentemente constituíram alvos potenciais de terapêuticas. A história natural das fases aguda e crônica foi revista, com realce para a transmissão oral, a forma indeterminada e as síndromes crônicas. Metanálises recentes de estudos observacionais estimaram o risco de evolução a partir das formas aguda e indeterminada e de mortalidade após instalação da cardiomiopatia crônica. Condutas terapêuticas aplicáveis aos indivíduos com a FIDC foram abordadas especificamente. Todos os métodos para detectar alterações estruturais e/ou funcionais com variadas técnicas de imageamento cardíaco também foram revisados, com recomendações de uso nos vários cenários clínicos. Estratificação de risco de mortalidade fundamentada no escore de Rassi, com estudos recentes de sua aplicação, foi complementada por métodos que detectam fibrose miocárdica. A metodologia atual para diagnóstico etiológico e as consequentes implicações do tratamento tripanossomicida mereceram enfoque abrangente e aprofundado. Também o tratamento de pacientes em risco ou com insuficiência cardíaca, arritmias e eventos tromboembólicos, baseado em recursos farmacológicos e complementares, recebeu especial atenção. Capítulos suplementares subsidiaram as condutas aplicáveis a diversos contextos especiais, entre eles o da co-infecção por T. cruzi/HIV, risco durante cirurgias, em grávidas, na reativação da infecção após transplante cardíacos, e outros.    Por fim, dois capítulos de grande significado social, abordando a estruturação de serviços especializados para atendimento aos indivíduos com a CDC, e revisando os conceitos de cardiopatia grave e suas implicações médico-trabalhistas completaram esta diretriz.&nbsp

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Performance assessment of a radio-frequency system for non-invasive physiological parameters measurement

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia BiomédicaAplicações de Rádio-frequência (RF) são extremamente comuns nos dias de hoje. Como consequência, a extensão do seu uso à medicina é uma área em desenvolvimento constante. Vários métodos foram já propostos para a medição dos mais variados parâmetros clínicos, entre os quais os destaque vai para o ritmo cardíaco, respiratório, e uma nova modalidade tomográfica através da atenuação de ondas de RF. No entanto, estes sistemas baseiam-se maioritariamente no efeito de Doppler, a partir da radiação reflectida no tórax humano. Além disso, existe ainda pouca divulgação acerca deste tipo de sistemas de monitorização. Neste trabalho um sistema de RF foi implementado utilizando duas topologias distintas de colocação de antenas RF, axial e não axial, com o objectivo de tentar quantificar o ritmo cardíaco e respiratório, assim como tentar perceber que alterações seriam necessárias para a implementação de um sistema tomográfico. Paralelamente, simulações foram realizadas em software utilizando o Método dos Elementos Finitos (MEF), de modo a poder prever qual o o efeito dos tecidos biológicos na propagação da radiação e melhor dimensionar o hardware. O aparelho desenvolvido demonstrou ser capaz de medir o ritmo respiratório de forma precisa, contínua e totalmente não invasiva, com um erro entre 0.41 to 1.06 respirações por minuto, e a presença do sinal cardíaco foi observada nos resultados obtidos. A quantificação dos sinais biológicos foi efectuada através da análise espectral do valor da potência das ondas RF recebidas, e os resultados foram validados através da detecção da frequência de oscilação de um pêndulo. Foi concluído que este tipo de montagem é uma alternativa válida aos métodos actuais de deteção de parâmetros fisiológicos, no entanto melhorias ao nível da instrumentação seriam necessárias para a construção de um sistema de tomografia por RF.Radio-frequency (RF) applications are extremely common in current days. Because of that, the extension of its uses to the medical area is constantly in development. Several methods were already proposed with the aim of measuring a number of health parameters, with a special emphasis in respiratory and cardiac rate, as well as an emerging tomographic modality making use of the attenuation of RF waves. However, all of these methods are based on the Doppler’s effect and the reflection of the waves in the human chest. Furthermore, there is still very little disclosure about this type of monitoring devices. In this work a RF system was implemented using two distinct topologies of antenna placement, axial and non-axial, with the objective of quantification of heart and breath rate, as well as inferring what changes would be necessary for the potential implementation of a tomography system. At the same time, software simulations were conducted using the Finite Element Method (FEM) to predict the effect of biological tissues in RF propagation and to better choose hardware characteristics. The developed device proved to be able to precisely, continuously and totally non-invasively measure breath rate with errors from 0.41 to 1.06 breaths per minute, and the cardiac component of the measured signal was observed in the results. The quantification of breath rate was performed trough a spectral analysis of the power of the received wave in both antenna configurations, and results were validated with the detection of the frequency of a pendulum’s motion. It was concluded that this type of setup is a valid and promising alternative to current methods of physiological parameters measurement, however instrumentation should be improved in the development of a tomography system

A DMPs-based approach for human-like robotic movements

Industry 5.0 requires flexible and agile robots, capable to be adapted to different tasks. Tasks that demand from human workers complex movements, with large amplitudes and considerable loads, and whose layout alteration to allow good ergonomics would imply a very significant economic expenditure. In these cases, where the ergonomic safety of the workers is not guaranteed, the introduction of a robot in a production line is preferable. Human-robot collaboration pose as a solution for this problematic. However, human-likeness motion reproduction is still missing from robots. This paper explores a Learning from Demonstration strategy, a subfield of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) focused on teaching robots how to master a skill based on human demonstrations. Specifically, 12 human movements were recorded using MTw Awinda Motion Capture system to be further modelled by non-linear dynamical system, specifically, Dynamic Movement primitives (DMP), whose weights are learned using Covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (CMAES). This was used to learn how to perform human movements and transfer these skills to a collaborative Robot UR10e.This work was supported in part by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) under the national support to RD units grant, through the reference project UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDP/04436/2020 and by Project FAIR under grant 2022.05844.PTDC. Sara Cerqueira was supported by the doctoral Grant SFRH/BD/151382/2021, financed by FCT, under MIT Portugal Progra