The influence of human factors on 360∘ mulsemedia QoE

Quality of Experience (QoE) is indelibly linked to the human side of the multimedia experience. Surprisingly, however, there is a paucity of research which explores the impact that human factors has in determining QoE. Whilst this is true of multimedia, it is even more starkly so as far as mulsemedia - applications that involve media engaging three or more of human senses - is concerned. Hence, in the study reported in this paper, we focus on an exciting subset of mulsemedia applications - 360∘ mulsemedia - particularly important given that the upcoming 5G technology is foreseen to be a key enabler for the proliferation of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) applications. Accordingly, we study the impact that human factors such as gender, age, prior computing experience, and smell sensitivity have on 360∘ mulsemedia QoE. Results showed insight into the potential of 360∘ mulsemedia to inspire and to enrich experiences for Generation Z - a generation empowered by rapidly advancing technology. Patterns of prior media usage and smell sensitivity play also an important role in influencing the QoE evaluation - users who have a preference for dynamic videos enjoy and find realistic the 360∘ mulsemedia experiences

360° Mulsemedia: a way to improve subjective QoE in 360° videos

Previous research has shown that adding multisensory media-mulsemedia-to traditional audiovisual content has a positive effect on user Quality of Experience (QoE). However, the QoE impact of employing mulsemedia in 360° videos has remained unexplored. Accordingly, in this paper, a QoE study for watching a 360° video-with and without multisensory effects-in a full free-viewpoint VR setting is presented. The parametric space we considered to influence the QoE consists of the encoding quality and the motion level of the transmitted media. To achieve our research aim, we propose a wearable VR system that provides multisensory enhancement of 360° videos. Then, we utilise its capabilities to systematically evaluate the effects of multisensory stimulation on perceived quality degradation for videos with different motion levels and encoding qualities. Our results make a strong case for the inclusion of multisensory effects in 360° videos, as they reveal that both user-perceived quality, as well as enjoyment, are significantly higher when mulsemedia (as opposed to traditional multimedia) is employed in this context. Moreover, these observations hold true independent of the underlying 360° video encoding quality-thus QoE can be significantly enhanced with a minimal impact on networking resources

Do I smell coffee? The tale of a 360º Mulsemedia experience

One of the main challenges in current multimedia networking environments is to find solutions to help accommodate the next generation of mobile application classes with stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements whilst enabling Quality of Experience (QoE) provisioning for users. One such application class, featured in this paper, is 360º mulsemedia—multiple sensorial media—which enriches 360º video by adding sensory effects that stimulate human senses beyond those of sight and hearing, such as the tactile and olfactory ones. In this paper, we present a conceptual framework for 360º mulsemedia delivery and a 360º mulsemedia-based prototype that enables users to experience 360º mulsemedia content. User evaluations revealed that higher video resolutions do not necessarily lead to the highest QoE levels in our experimental setup. Therefore, bandwidth savings can be leveraged with no detrimental impact on QoE

Multisensory 360 videos under varying resolution levels enhance presence

Omnidirectional videos have become a leading multimedia format for Virtual Reality applications. While live 360◦ videos offer a unique immersive experience, streaming of omnidirectional content at high resolutions is not always feasible in bandwidth-limited networks. While in the case of flat videos, scaling to lower resolutions works well, 360◦ video quality is seriously degraded because of the viewing distances involved in head-mounted displays. Hence, in this paper, we investigate first how quality degradation impacts the sense of presence in immersive Virtual Reality applications. Then, we are pushing the boundaries of 360◦ technology through the enhancement with multisensory stimuli. 48 participants experimented both 360◦ scenarios (with and without multisensory content), while they were divided randomly between four conditions characterised by different encoding qualities (HD, FullHD, 2.5K, 4K). The results showed that presence is not mediated by streaming at a higher bitrate. The trend we identified revealed however that presence is positively and significantly impacted by the enhancement with multisensory content. This shows that multisensory technology is crucial in creating more immersive experiences

Economic activity and congenital anomalies: An ecologic study in Argentina

In this study, we analyze the association between industrial activity and the occurrence of 34 congenital anomalies. We selected 21 counties in Argentina during 1982-1994 and examined a total of 614,796 births in these counties in consecutive series. We used the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities as an indicator of exposure to 80 specific industrial activities. Incidence rate ratios for each congenital anomaly were adjusted by the socioeconomic level of the county according to a census index of social deprivation. For a given exposure/anomaly association to be considered as significant and relevant, the exposure had to be a statistically significant risk for the occurrence of the anomaly and an increase in the birth prevalence rate of the congenital anomaly type involved had to be observed in those counties where the putative causal activity was being performed. Significant associations (p < 0.01) were identified between textile industry and anencephaly, and between the manufacture of engines and turbines and microcephaly. These observations are consistent with previous reports on occupational exposure, and their further investigation by means of case-control studies is recommended.Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celula

Satisfacao dos profissionais e da comunidade com a estrategia da saude da familia

OBJETIVO: Analisar as limitações e os pontos positivos da Estratégia de Saúde da Família na perspectiva dos profissionais da saúde e da comunidade. MÉTODOS: Estudo realizado entre os meses de junho e agosto de 2009, na cidade de Vespasiano, MG, localizada na região Sudeste do Brasil. Para avaliar a Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF), foi aplicado questionário em 77 profissionais da saúde e 293 cuidadores de crianças menores de cinco anos. Variáveis como o treinamento das equipes de saúde, acesso da comunidade aos serviços prestados pelas equipes de ESF, comunicação com os pacientes, a atenção prestada à criança e as informações de saúde passadas aos cuidadores foram alguns dos pontos de interesse da investigação. Análises de regressão logística foram utilizadas para se avaliar a significância estatística das variáveis estudadas, bem como os valores de odds ratio e intervalo de confiança. RESULTADOS: A maioria dos profissionais relatou que seus treinamentos foram insuficientes em quantidade, conteúdo e metodologia utilizada. Os cuidadores e profissionais identificaram semelhantes limitações da Estratégia de Saúde da Família (os serviços inacessíveis à comunidade, falta de treinamento e número insuficiente de profissionais) e também pontos fortes semelhantes (a comunicação entre agentes comunitários e comunidade, fornecimento de informações educacionais e foco na atenção à criança). Como recomendações para a melhoria do programa foram apontados: a necessidade de mais médicos e especialistas, treinamentos em maior quantidade e qualidade e melhoria na marcação de consultas. A satisfação dos cuidadores foi relacionada aos benefícios ofertados, como as visitas dos profissionais às casas (OR 5,8; IC95% 2,8;12,1), boa relação entre comunidade e profissionais (OR 4,8; IC95% 2,5;9,3) e foco na saúde da família (OR 4,1; IC95% 1,6;10,2). Problemas como número insuficiente de profissionais (OR 0,3; IC95% 0,2;0,6), dificuldade de acesso aos serviços prestados pela ESF (OR 0,2; IC95% 0,1;0,4) e qualidade ruim dos serviços ofertados (OR 0,3; IC95% 0,1;0,6) foram relacionados à insatisfação da comunidade com a ESF. De uma maneira geral, a maioria dos cuidadores (62%) mostraram estar satisfeitos com os serviços prestados pela ESF. CONCLUSÕES: Identificar as limitações e os pontos positivos da ESF pode gerar uma valiosa informação, que auxiliará na melhoria dessa estratégia para a atenção primária no Brasil.OBJETIVO: Analizar las limitaciones y los puntos positivos de la Estrategia de Salud de la Familia en la perspectiva de los profesionales de la salud y de la comunidad. MÉTODOS: Estudio realizado entre los meses de Junio y Agosto de 2009, en la ciudad de Vespasiano, MG, localizada en el la región sureste de Brasil. Para evaluar la Estrategia de la Salud de la Familia (ESF), se aplicó cuestionario en 77 profesionales de la salud y 293 cuidadores de niños menores de cinco años. Las Variables, entrenamiento de los grupos de salud, acceso de la comunidad a los servicios suministrados por los grupos de ESF, comunicación con los pacientes, la atención suministrada al niño y las informaciones de salud entregadas a los cuidadores, fueron algunos de los puntos de interés de la investigación. Los análisis de regresión logística se utilizaron para evaluar la significancia estadística de las variables estudiadas, así como los valores de odds ratio (OR) e intervalo de confianza (IC). RESULTADOS: La mayoría de los profesionales mencionó que sus entrenamientos fueron insuficientes en cantidad, contenido y metodología utilizada. Los cuidadores y profesionales identificaron limitaciones semejantes de la ESF (los servicios inaccesibles a la comunidad, falta de entrenamiento e insuficiente número de profesionales) y también semejantes puntos fuertes (la comunicación entre agentes comunitarios y comunidad, suministro de informaciones educativas y énfasis en la atención del niño). Como recomendaciones para mejorar el programa fueron señalados: la necesidad de más médicos y especialistas, entrenamientos en mayor cantidad y calidad y mejoría al concertar cita con médicos. La satisfacción de los cuidadores fue relacionada con los beneficios ofertados, como las visitas de los profesionales a las casas (OR 5,8; IC95% 2,8;12,1), buena relación entre comunidad y profesionales (OR 4,8; IC95% 2,5;9,3) y, énfasis en la salud de la familia (OR 4,1; IC 95% 1,6; 10,2). Problemas como insuficiente número de profesionales (OR 0,3; IC95% 0,2;0,6), dificultad en el acceso a los servicios suministrados por la ESF (OR 0,2; IC95% 0,1;0,4) y mala calidad de los servicios ofertados (OR 0,3; IC95% 0,1;0,6) se relacionaron con la insatisfacción de la comunidad con la ESF. De una forma general, la mayoría de los cuidadores (62%) mostraron estar satisfechos con los servicios suministrados por la ESF. CONCLUSIONES: Identificar las limitaciones y los puntos positivos de la ESF puede generar una información valiosa que ayudará en la mejoría de ésta estrategia de atención primaria en Brasil.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the strengths and limitations of the Family Health Strategy from the perspective of health care professionals and the community. METHODS: Between June-August 2009, in the city of Vespasiano, Minas Gerais State, Southeastern Brazil, a questionnaire was used to evaluate the Family Health Strategy (ESF) with 77 healthcare professionals and 293 caregivers of children under five. Health care professional training, community access to health care, communication with patients and delivery of health education and pediatric care were the main points of interest in the evaluation. Logistic regression analysis was used to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals as well as to assess the statistical significance of the variables studied. RESULTS: The majority of health care professionals reported their program training was insufficient in quantity, content and method of delivery. Caregivers and professionals identified similar weaknesses (services not accessible to the community, lack of healthcare professionals, poor training for professionals) and strengths (community health worker-patient communications, provision of educational information, and pediatric care). Recommendations for improvement included: more doctors and specialists, more and better training, and scheduling improvements. Caregiver satisfaction with the ESF was found to be related to perceived benefits such as community health agent household visits (OR 5.8, 95%CI 2.8;12.1), good professional-patient relationships (OR 4.8, 95%CI 2.5;9.3), and family-focused health (OR 4.1, 95%CI 1.6;10.2); and perceived problems such as lack of personnel (OR 0.3, 95%CI 0.2;0.6), difficulty with access (OR 0.2, 95%CI 0.1;0.4), and poor quality of care (OR 0.3, 95%CI 0.1;0.6). Overall, 62% of caregivers reported being generally satisfied with the ESF services. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the limitations and strengths of the Family Health Strategy from the healthcare professional and caregiver perspective may serve to advance primary community healthcare in Brazil

Economic activity and congenital anomalies: An ecologic study in Argentina

In this study, we analyze the association between industrial activity and the occurrence of 34 congenital anomalies. We selected 21 counties in Argentina during 1982-1994 and examined a total of 614,796 births in these counties in consecutive series. We used the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities as an indicator of exposure to 80 specific industrial activities. Incidence rate ratios for each congenital anomaly were adjusted by the socioeconomic level of the county according to a census index of social deprivation. For a given exposure/anomaly association to be considered as significant and relevant, the exposure had to be a statistically significant risk for the occurrence of the anomaly and an increase in the birth prevalence rate of the congenital anomaly type involved had to be observed in those counties where the putative causal activity was being performed. Significant associations (p < 0.01) were identified between textile industry and anencephaly, and between the manufacture of engines and turbines and microcephaly. These observations are consistent with previous reports on occupational exposure, and their further investigation by means of case-control studies is recommended.Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celula

Distribución y conservación de Cactaceae en Bosques Tropicales Estacionalmente Secos: apreciaciones a partir de estudios florísticos y fitosociológicos

Species lists available from floristic and phytosociological studies contain important information about species distributions that are useful for making biogeographical inferences and even to evaluate conservation status of species and ecosystems. In the case of the Caatinga, this information may contribute to challenging the pre-established idea that it is a homogeneous vegetation unit. The strong relation between the substrate and the plant assemblages of the Caatinga may characterise different types of vegetation. In this way, the objective of the present study is to evaluate whether differences in the distribution of Cactaceae relate to distinctive types of substrate (sedimentary and crystalline) as much in terms of floristic richness as species density. Concomitantly, we evaluated the conservation status of the Caatinga areas studied. To obtain the data, we undertook a bibliographic revision of floristic and phytosociological studies in the Caatinga and constructed a similarity matrix using the selected floristic studies in order to evaluate the relation among different areas of Caatinga. We found that 48 areas included Cactaceae species; 33 species distributed in 14 genera were recorded. Among these taxa, Cereus jamacaru was the species that presented the largest number of occurrences, appearing in 17 areas, followed by Pilosocereus gounellei (=Xiquexique gounellei), found in 11 studies, and Tacinga inamoena in 10. The grouping analysis resulted in the formation of 10 groups, with a remarkable relationship between species and soil type. There were differences in both the diversity and density of species related with the degree of conservation of the Caatinga, noticeable from the direct relationship between conservation and richness and, indirectly, between density and number of species.Las listas de especies presentadas en trabajos florísticos o fitosociológicos proporcionan importante información sobre distribución, útil para realizar inferencias biogeográficas y evaluar el estado de conservación de especies o incluso de ecosistemas. En el caso de los bosques secos del nordeste de Brasil, conocidos como Caatinga, el análisis de esas listas puede contribuir para confrontar ideas previamente establecidas sobre la homogeneidad de esa unidad de vegetación. La fuerte relación entre el sustrato y los ensambles de plantas de la Caatinga pueden caracterizar distintos tipos de vegetación. Es así como, el objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar sí la distribución de Cactaceae está relacionada con los tipos de sustrato (sedimentar y cristalino), sea con la riqueza florística o la densidad de las especies. Al mismo tiempo, evaluamos el estado de conservación de las áreas estudiadas de la Caatinga. Los datos fueron obtenidos a partir de revisiones bibliográficas, de estudios de florística y fitosociología en la Caatinga. Para evaluar las distintas áreas, con los estudios florísticos seleccionados se preparó una matriz de similaridad. Se encontró que, 48 áreas tenían especies de Cactaceae; 33 especies distribuidas en 14 géneros fueron listadas. Cereus jamacaru fue la especie con el mayor número de puntos en 17 áreas, seguido por Pilosocereus gounellei (=Xiquexique gounellei), encontrado en 11 estudios y Tacinga inamoena, en 10. El análisis resultó en la formación de 10 grupos con fuertes relaciones entre especies y tipos de sustratos. También, encontramos diferencias en diversidad de especies en relación con el estado de conservación de la Caatinga, notable por las relaciones directas entre conservación y riqueza de especies, e indirectas entre densidad y número de especies

Association of candidate gene polymorphisms with clinical subtypes of preterm birth in a Latin American population

Background. Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. PTB is often classified according to clinical presentation: Idiopathic (PTB-I), preterm premature rupture of membranes (PTB-PPROM), and medically induced (PTBM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between specific candidate genes and clinical subtypes of PTB. Methods. 24 SNPs were genotyped in 18 candidate genes in 709 infant triads. Of them, 243 were PTB-I, 256 PTB-PPROM, and 210 PTB-M. These data were analyzed with a Family-Based Association. Results. PTB was nominally associated with rs2272365 in PON1, rs883319 in KCNN3, rs4458044 in CRHR1, and rs610277 in F3. Regarding clinical subtypes analysis, 3 SNPs were associated with PTB-I (rs2272365 in PON1, rs10178458 in COL4A3, and rs4458044 in CRHR1), rs610277 in F3 was associated with PTBPPROM, and rs883319 in KCNN3 and rs610277 in F3 were associated with PTB-M. Conclusions. Our study identified polymorphisms potentially associated with specific clinical subtypes of PTB in this Latin American population. These results could suggest a specific role of such genes in the mechanisms involved in each clinical subtype. Further studies are required to confirm our results and to determine the role of these genes in the pathophysiology of clinical subtypes

Economic activity and congenital anomalies: An ecologic study in Argentina

In this study, we analyze the association between industrial activity and the occurrence of 34 congenital anomalies. We selected 21 counties in Argentina during 1982-1994 and examined a total of 614,796 births in these counties in consecutive series. We used the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities as an indicator of exposure to 80 specific industrial activities. Incidence rate ratios for each congenital anomaly were adjusted by the socioeconomic level of the county according to a census index of social deprivation. For a given exposure/anomaly association to be considered as significant and relevant, the exposure had to be a statistically significant risk for the occurrence of the anomaly and an increase in the birth prevalence rate of the congenital anomaly type involved had to be observed in those counties where the putative causal activity was being performed. Significant associations (p < 0.01) were identified between textile industry and anencephaly, and between the manufacture of engines and turbines and microcephaly. These observations are consistent with previous reports on occupational exposure, and their further investigation by means of case-control studies is recommended.Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celula