Evaluation of treatment outcomes in a 3 years post-graduate orthodontic program using the peer assessment rating (par)

Objectives: To maintain high treatment quality it is important to evaluate orthodontic treatment results using objec - tive methods. Outcome assessments allow private practitioners and university students to evaluate their results and raise the level of treatment outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the orthodontic treatment outcome in a post-graduate orthodontics program in the University of Valencia (Spain) and to determine whether the treatment outcome is related to several factors as gender, age at start of the treatment, treatment duration, treatment method, extraction-non extraction treatment and cooperation needed. Material and Methods: A sample of 50 patients treated in the post-graduate clinic was randomly selected. Pre- treatment and post-treatment study casts have been assessed by the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR index). The in - fluence of various factors: gender, age at start of the treatment, treatment duration, treatment method, extraction-non extraction treatment, cooperation needed and number of students finishing each case, were statistically analyzed. Results: According to the PAR index, orthodontic treatment reduced the malocclusion in a mean point reduction of 21.4 (CI 95% 18.7-24.1) and a mean percentage reduction of 80.5% (CI 95% 75.9-85.1). The total of the cases improved, 44% of the patients were in greatly improved category. Conclusions: None of the variables studied influenced significantly the treatment outcomes regarding the PAR. Ba - sed on the general classification criteria of the index, the results showed that the patients received a high standard treatment

Hybrid Neural Network, An Efficient Low-Power Digital Hardware Implementation of Event-based Artificial Neural Network

Interest in event-based vision sensors has proliferated in recent years, with innovative technology becoming more accessible to new researchers and highlighting such sensors’ potential to enable low-latency sensing at low computational cost. These sensors can outperform frame-based vision sensors regarding data compression, dynamic range, temporal resolution and power efficiency. However, available mature framebased processing methods by using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) surpass Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) in terms of accuracy of recognition. In this paper, we introduce a Hybrid Neural Network which is an intermediate solution to exploit advantages of both event-based and frame-based processing.We have implemented this network in FPGA and benchmarked its performance by using different event-based versions of MNIST dataset. HDL codes for this project are available for academic purpose upon request

Les collections ferroviaires du Conservatoire des arts et métiers, support de l’enseignement technique

Les collections ferroviaires du Musée des arts et métiers se sont progressivement constituées depuis la fin des années 1830 et forment aujourd’hui un ensemble patrimonial exceptionnel. Ces collections présentent l’originalité de ne comporter aucun élément de matériel roulant (moteur ou tracté) préservé mais nombre pièces détachées et dessins probablement réunis dans une présentation complémentaire des cours de la chaire de Mécanique appliquée aux arts du Conservatoire des arts et métiers. Enrichies de plusieurs modèles réduits à caractère pédagogique (qui en forment la partie la plus remarquable), ces collections ont fait l’objet d’une réactualisation après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Cette étude se propose d’apporter des éléments de réponse quant à la constitution de ce patrimoine unique tout en s’intéressant aux modalités d’acquisition et aux typologies présentes dans cette collection.The railway collections of the Musée des arts et métiers have been gradually established since the late 1830s. They now form a unique heritage. These collections do not include any element of preserved engines or coaches but many parts and drawings probably used in a complementary presentation of the lessons of the chair of Applied Mechanics of the Conservatoire des arts et métiers. Enriched with educational models, these collections have been brought up to date after the World War II. This paper wants to provide some answers about the formation of this unique heritage while addressing methods of acquisition

Desarrollo modular de un modelo genérico para transmisión remota de señales analógicas por TCP/IP

En este artículo se presenta el desarrollo y los resultados parciales de un proyecto de investigación aplicada, vigente en el Depto. de Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica del Instituto Tecnológico de Oaxaca. El proyecto consiste en integrar componentes de hardware y software para crear un sistema que gestione señales f1(t), f2(t),… fn(t); de diferente naturaleza en el que se utilicen distintas herramientas tecnológicas para su adquisición, acondicionamiento, digitalización, cuantificación, codificación (Stremler, 1998:403), y transmisión por medios alámbricos e inalámbricos; hasta llevar esos datos a un servidor que tenga la capacidad de proporcionar información clasificada a usuarios autorizados.El modelo de arquitectura del proyecto corresponde a una arquitectura cliente/servidor (Olifer, N., y Olifer, V., 2009:28-29), donde un cliente_máquina es un sistema electrónico que está leyendo o controlando una variable física, y un cliente_humano es un usuario autorizado que está observando, analizando y controla el comportamiento del sistema o la planta desde un dispositivo remoto.Tanto el cliente_máquina, como el cliente_humano requieren de una interfase computadora establecer la comunicación con el servidor.En el cliente_máquina, cualquier dato que se obtiene requiere acondicionamiento, para que esa señal se convierta de su naturaleza física original a un nivel de voltaje que puedan leer los circuitos electrónicos; que puedan introducirse de manera alámbrica a una computadora en forma serial, USB, o inalámbrica utilizando distintas técnicas como RF, XBee, WiFi, Bluetooth o incluso sea necesario utilizar técnicas por microondas (Tanenbaum, 2004:100); para finalmente poner esos datos en la nube de Internet y así puedan llegar hasta una base de datos en un servidor especializado.El cliente_humano, también nombrado usuario; puede consultar los datos de forma clasificada, numérica o gráfica mediante una conexión al servidor utilizando su computadora, tableta o algún dispositivo inteligente.Un ejemplo muy ilustrativo es el caso del monitoreo de tres variables: la temperatura, el voltaje y humedad de un recinto; en el que se instalan los sensores correspondientes para que con una etapa de conversión A/D, en una tarjeta especializada que por medio de una conexión USB ponga los datos en una computadora conectada a la red y por medio de esta se envíen los datos al servidor.Y así las señales se concentren en una base de datos administrada por un servidor de aplicaciones y pueda ser vista, analizada y tener toma de decisiones por los usuarios autorizados mediante su acceso a través de una página Web.Palabras Clave: Adquisición, cliente, decisiones, señales, servidor

Propriedades físicas de solo sob pastagem de capim-tanzânia adubada com nitrogênio mineral ou consorciada com estilosantes

The objective of this work was to evaluate the physical properties of a soil with a 'Tanzânia' grass (Megathyrsus maximus) pasture fertilized with mineral nitrogen or intercropped with the legume 'Campo Grande' (Stylosanthes spp.), and subjected to continuous grazing and variable stocking rate, in a three-year chronosequence. The treatments were: 'Tanzânia' grass and Stylosanthes; and 'Tanzânia' grass fertilized with 75, 150, and 225 kg ha-1 N per year. The experiment was carried out in an Oxisol, in a randomized complete block design with three replicates, in split plots divided according to time (first, second, and third experimental years). The following soil properties were assessed annually: soil bulk density, porosity in the soil macropore domain, soil water and air storage capacity, and soil penetration resistance. After three years, the highest animal stocking rate due to increased forage yield did not affect the soil physical conditions. The intercrop of 'Tanzânia' grass with the legume shows values of soil water and air storage capacity close to the ideal ones (0.66 and 0.34, respectively). After the second experimental year, there is a decrease in the penetration resistance values, which are inferior to the critical limit of 2,500 kPa. The intercropping of 'Tanzânia' grass with stylosanthes 'Campo Grande' can be a remarkable alternative for the maintenance and improvement of soil physical conditions.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as propriedades físicas de um solo com pastagem de capim-tanzânia (Megathyrsus maximus) fertilizado com nitrogênio mineral ou consorciado com a leguminosa estilosantes 'Campo Grande' (Stylosanthes spp.), submetido a pastejo contínuo e à taxa de lotação variável, em uma cronossequência de três anos. Os tratamentos foram: capim-tanzânia e estilosantes; e capim-tanzânia adubado com 75, 150 e 225 kg ha-1 de N por ano. O experimento foi realizado em Latossolo Vermelho distrófico, em blocos ao acaso com três repetições, com parcelas subdivididas no tempo (primeiro, segundo e terceiro anos experimentais). Foram avaliadas, anualmente, as seguintes propriedades do solo: densidade do solo, porosidade no domínio dos macroporos, capacidade de armazenamento de água e ar do solo e resistência do solo à penetração. Após três anos, a maior taxa de lotação animal, em razão do aumento da produção de forragem, não afetou as condições físicas do solo. O consórcio de pastagem de capim-tanzânia com a leguminosa apresenta valores de capacidade de armazenamento de água e ar do solo próximos aos ideais (0,66 e 0,34, respectivamente). Após o segundo ano experimental, ocorre decréscimo dos valores de resistência do solo à penetração, que ficam abaixo do limite crítico de 2.500 kPa. O consórcio de capim-tanzânia com o estilosantes 'Campo Grande' pode ser uma alternativa interessante para a manutenção e o melhoramento das condições físicas do solo

Demonstration of a partially integrated silicon photonics ONU in a self-coherent reflective FDMA PON

We report about the final results of the FABULOUS European project, demonstrating the feasibility of real-time Ethernet transmission on a self-coherent reflective passive optical network, using an optical network unit (ONU) whose main optical functions are performed by a silicon-photonics device; 500 Mbps per user with a power budget of 24 dB in offline processing and 21 dB in real time is shown. We also report details about the packaging process and the special technique developed for the flip-chipping of a CMOS electrical driver, used for driving the ONU with low voltage, onto a silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator

Formato de cápsula e modo de instalação influenciando determinações do potencial mátrico por tensiômetros

The objective of this work was to determine the measurement accuracy of the soil water matric potential (ψm) by puncture tensiometers with either rounded or pointed porous cups, installed with or without “soil mud”, and to compare the performance of these tensiometers with that of tensiometers equipped with mercury manometers. The experiment was conducted in a Ultisol, in a randomized complete block design, in a factorial arrangement with five replicates. Puncture tensiometers with rounded porous cups, installed with “soil mud”, present more elevated accuracy for ψm determination in a wider measurement range, resembling tensiometers equipped with mercury manometers in drying soil.O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a acurácia em medidas do potencial mátrico da água no solo (ψm) por tensiômetros de punção com cápsulas arredondadas ou pontiagudas, instalados com ou sem “lama de solo”, e comparar o desempenho destes tensiômetros com o de tensiômetros com manômetros de mercúrio. O experimento foi conduzido em Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico, em delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial, com cinco repetições. Tensiômetros de punção com cápsulas arredondadas, instalados com “lama de solo”, apresentam maior acurácia nas determinações do ψm em uma faixa mais ampla de medidas, assemelhando-se aos tensiômetros com manômetros de mercúrio com o secamento do solo

Digital Transformation

The amount of literature on Digital Transformation is staggering—and it keeps growing. Why, then, come out with yet another such document? Moreover, any text aiming at explaining the Digital Transformation by presenting a snapshot is going to become obsolete in a blink of an eye, most likely to be already obsolete at the time it is first published. The FDC Initiative on Digital Reality felt there is a need to look at the Digital Transformation from the point of view of a profound change that is pervading the entire society—a change made possible by technology and that keeps changing due to technology evolution opening new possibilities but is also a change happening because it has strong economic reasons. The direction of this change is not easy to predict because it is steered by a cultural evolution of society, an evolution that is happening in niches and that may expand rapidly to larger constituencies and as rapidly may fade away. This creation, selection by experimentation, adoption, and sudden disappearance, is what makes the whole scenario so unpredictable and continuously changing.The amount of literature on Digital Transformation is staggering—and it keeps growing. Why, then, come out with yet another such document? Moreover, any text aiming at explaining the Digital Transformation by presenting a snapshot is going to become obsolete in a blink of an eye, most likely to be already obsolete at the time it is first published. The FDC Initiative on Digital Reality felt there is a need to look at the Digital Transformation from the point of view of a profound change that is pervading the entire society—a change made possible by technology and that keeps changing due to technology evolution opening new possibilities but is also a change happening because it has strong economic reasons. The direction of this change is not easy to predict because it is steered by a cultural evolution of society, an evolution that is happening in niches and that may expand rapidly to larger constituencies and as rapidly may fade away. This creation, selection by experimentation, adoption, and sudden disappearance, is what makes the whole scenario so unpredictable and continuously changing