Study of reconstruction ICA for feature extraction in images and signals

Treballs Finals de Grau d'Enginyeria Informàtica, Facultat de Matemàtiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Any: 2017, Director: Laura Igual Muñoz[en] During the last years, neural networks have become a vehicular discipline in the field of machine learning. At the same time, classical machine learning methods have become easier to use due to the availability of higher computational power. The goal of this project is to reconstruct a classical machine learning algorithm used for feature and source extraction (ICA) using neural networks. This reconstruction could bypass some of the drawbacks presents when using ICA. We have studied how the reconstruction operates under different conditions and performed a comparison with the classical algorithm that we reconstructed

Using deep learning and Open Street Maps to find features in aerial images

Treballs finals del Màster de Fonaments de Ciència de Dades, Facultat de matemàtiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Any: 2018, Tutor: Santi Seguí Mesquida i Jordi Vitrià i Marca[en] A great amount of the interesting information captured by aerial imagery is still not being used given how labour intensive the processing and annotation of these images is. Despite this, improvements in technology and advancements in the computer vision field have made available tools and techniques that can help make this process semi-automatized. In this project we focus on the use case of extracting roads from aerial imagery. For this purpose, we will study and compare models based on image segmentation using deep learning and RoadTracer, a revolutionary model proposed recently

Disseny i programació d'un mòdul de IoT per al grau superior de desenvolupament d'aplicacions web (DAW)

Aquesta proposta de fi de màster té l'objectiu principal de dissenyar i programar un mòdul específic d'internet de les coses (IoT) pels alumnes del cicle de Desenvolupament d'aplicacions Web. Parteix d'una motivació pròpia per la matèria i recolzada en diversos estudis que assenyalen que els dispositius intel·ligents connectats a la xarxa aniran en augment de manera gens negligible en els anys vinents. S'estima una xifra total d'uns 25000 aparells per l'any 2025, tot i que d'altres estudis estimen un creixement molt més pronunciat. Per tant, la manca de professionals capacitats per aquestes tasques serà notable i anirà en augment significativament. Fins al moment, cap mòdul del grau superior de desenvolupament d'aplicacions web ho contempla i és evident, que això causarà una mancança d'especialistes en un futur pròxim

Sulphite-free lamb burger meat: antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of green tea and carvacrol

BACKGROUND Sulfite is commonly used to preserve lamb burger meat in the EU. Nevertheless, its consumption has been related to certain health problems, which has increased consumer demand for sulfite-free products. Natural compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties may be a feasible alternative to preserve lamb burger meat. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of carvacrol, green tea and their combination in preserving lamb burger meat. Their effect was also compared with that of 400¿ppm sulfite. RESULTS Lamb burger meat was mixed with different concentrations of the extracts, packaged aerobically and displayed for 8 days at 4 °C. Total polyphenols, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, colour, and microbial and sensory analyses were performed. Both green tea and carvacrol avoided lipid oxidation even at 300¿ppm, while only carvacrol, which showed a concentration-dependent action, delayed discolouration and microbial growth. Carvacrol and green tea also limited the development of oxidation odour and flavour, but the former brought about herbal odours and flavours to the meat. On the other hand, sulfite provided a higher colour stability and lower microbial counts than both natural compounds but presented a higher lipid oxidation. CONCLUSION Carvacrol seems to be a promising alternative to replace sulfite in lamb burger meat, whereas green tea should be combined with an antimicrobial agent. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industr

Targeting Neuroinflammation with Abscisic Acid Reduces Pain Sensitivity in Females and Hyperactivity in Males of An ADHD Mice Model

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by dopaminergic dysfunction. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate that there is a link between dopaminergic deficit and neuroinflammation that underlies ADHD symptoms. We used a validated ADHD mice model involving perinatal 6-OHDA lesions. The animals received abscisic acid (ABA), an anti-inflammatory phytohormone, at a concentration of 20 mg/L (drinking water) for one month. We tested a battery of behavior tests, learning and memory, anxiety, social interactions, and pain thresholds in female and male mice (control and lesioned, with or without ABA treatment). Postmortem, we analyzed microglia morphology and Ape1 expression in specific brain areas related to the descending pain inhibitory pathway. In females, the dopaminergic deficit increased pain sensitivity but not hyperactivity. In contrast, males displayed hyperactivity but showed no increased pain sensitivity. In females, pain sensitivity was associated with inflammatory microglia and lower Ape1 levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and posterior insula cortex (IC). In addition, ABA treatment alleviated pain sensitivity concomitant with reduced inflammation and normalized APE1. In males, ABA reduced hyperactivity but had no significant effect on inflammation in these areas. This is the first study proving a sex-dependent association between dopamine dysfunction and inflammation in specific brain areas, hence leading to different behavioral outcomes in a mouse model of ADHD. These findings provide new clues for potential treatments for ADHD

Prospectiva de la llengua a Catalunya: simulació amb autòmats cel·lulars

L'artilce aborda l'aplicació d'eines informàtiques de simulació en l'àmbit psicosocial a la situació de la llengua a Catalunya per extreure'n escenaris de futur. En primer lloc, aborda el context metodològic de la simulació social amb autòmats cel·lulars. En segon lloc, s'aplica el mètode i el sistema als resultats de l''Enquesta d'Usos Lingüístics de Població 2008' i se n'extreuen resultats. Finalment, s'apunten algunes conclusions

Forecasting a language shift based on cellular automata

Language extinction as a consequence of language shifts is a widespread social phenomenon that affects several million people all over the world today. An important task for social sciences research should therefore be to gain an understanding of language shifts, especially as a way of forecasting the extinction or survival of threatened languages, i.e., determining whether or not the subordinate language will survive in communities with a dominant and a subordinate language. In general, modeling is usually a very difficult task in the social sciences, particularly when it comes to forecasting the values of variables. However, the cellular automata theory can help us overcome this traditional difficulty. The purpose of this article is to investigate language shifts in the speech behavior of individuals using the methodology of the cellular automata theory. The findings on the dynamics of social impacts in the field of social psychology and the empirical data from language surveys on the use of Catalan in Valencia allowed us to define a cellular automaton and carry out a set of simulations using that automaton. The simulation results highlighted the key factors in the progression or reversal of a language shift and the use of these factors allowed us to forecast the future of a threatened language in a bilingual community

Occurrence and potential transfer of mycotoxins in gilthead sea bream and Atlantic salmon by use of novel alternative feed ingredients

Plant ingredients and processed animal proteins (PAP) are suitable alternative feedstuffs for fish feeds in aquaculture practice, although their use can introduce contaminants that are not previously associated with marine salmon and gilthead sea bream farming. Mycotoxins are well known natural contaminants in plant feed material, although they also could be present on PAPs after fungi growth during storage. The present study surveyed commercially available plant ingredients (19) and PAP (19) for a wide range of mycotoxins (18) according to the EU regulations. PAP showed only minor levels of ochratoxin A and fumonisin B1 and the mycotoxin carry-over from feeds to fillets of farmed Atlantic salmon and gilthead sea bream (two main species of European aquaculture) was performed with plant ingredient based diets. Deoxynivalenol was the most prevalent mycotoxin in wheat, wheat gluten and corn gluten cereals with levels ranging from 17 to 814 and μgkg-1, followed by fumonisins in corn products (range 11.1-4901μgkg-1 for fumonisin B1+B2+B3). Overall mycotoxin levels in fish feeds reflected the feed ingredient composition and the level of contaminant in each feed ingredient. In all cases the studied ingredients and feeds showed levels of mycotoxins below maximum residue limits established by the Commission Recommendation 2006/576/EC. Following these guidelines no mycotoxin carry-over was found from feeds to edible fillets of salmonids and a typically marine fish, such as gilthead sea bream. As far we know, this is the first report of mycotoxin surveillance in farmed fish species. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.This work has been (partly) funded under the EU Seventh Framework Programme by ARRAINA Project 288925: Advanced Research Initiatives for Nutrition and Aquaculture. The views expressed in this work are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission. The authors also acknowledge the financial support (partly) of the project SAFE-PAP, Research Council Research and Development Project (227387) National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES, Norway). The authors acknowledge the financial support of Generalitat Valenciana, as research group of excellence (PROMETEO II/2014/023, PROMETEO II/2014/085, and Collaborative Research on Environment and Food-Safety, ISIC/2012/016).Peer Reviewe

Sobre substitució lingüística i autòmats cel.lulars (SLAC): decurs de la investigació

Hem optat per focalitzar la nostra investigació, tot i l'ampla aplicabilitat de la recerca, en la detecció del futur de la nostra llengua a partir dels pressupòsits de la Psicologia Social Computacional. I això mitjançant la utilització de la simulació informàtica, basada en els autòmats cel·lulars, que ha donat els primers resultats que presentem i explicitem en la nostra aportació a l'ANUARI. Així, hi abordem el futur de la llengua pròpia a partir de la conducta referida als parlants del País Valencià i amb la intenció d'esbrinar la reversió de la substitució lingüística