Expert players accurately detect an opponent's movement intentions through sound alone

Sounds offer a rich source of information about events taking place in our physical and social environment. However, outside the domains of speech and music, little is known about whether humans can recognize and act upon the intentions of another agent's actions detected through auditory information alone. In this study we assessed whether intention can be inferred from the sound an action makes, and in turn, whether this information can be used to prospectively guide movement. In 2 experiments experienced and novice basketball players had to virtually intercept an attacker by listening to audio recordings of that player's movements. In the first experiment participants had to move a slider, while in the second one their body, to block the perceived passage of the attacker as they would in a real basketball game. Combinations of deceptive and nondeceptive movements were used to see if novice and/or experienced listeners could perceive the attacker's intentions through sound alone. We showed that basketball players were able to more accurately predict final running direction compared to nonplayers, particularly in the second experiment when the interceptive action was more basketball specific. We suggest that athletes present better action anticipation by being able to pick up and use the relevant kinematic features of deceptive movement from event-related sounds alone. This result suggests that action intention can be perceived through the sound a movement makes and that the ability to determine another person's action intention from the information conveyed through sound is honed through practice. (PsycINFO Database Recor

Um estudo de caso sobre a reflexividade ecológica de trabalhadores hospitalares

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Programa de Pós-graduação em EnfermagemO objetivo geral deste estudo é analisar as manifestações da reflexividade ecológica na relação dos sujeitos com seu trabalho em instituição hospitalar. Considera-se que a discussão sobre a problemática ecológica atinge vários setores da sociedade moderna e é mobilizada por evidências de que a vida do planeta está ameaçada por uma série de fatores decorrentes do processo de degradação ambiental. O setor da saúde é influenciado de várias maneiras por esta problemática, suscitando uma ampliação do debate, como forma de melhor compreender-se a interface saúde e meio ambiente, especialmente, no que tange ao seu papel na adoção de medidas de minimização dos danos causados pela mesma. Parte-se do pressuposto de que, contemporaneamente, somos impactados, de forma reflexiva, por estes problemas ambientais. Os trabalhadores da saúde, sujeitos deste tempo e desta sociedade, também apresentam manifestações desta reflexividade impactada pela questão ecológica. O referencial teórico da pesquisa está estruturado de forma a possibilitar uma discussão sobre a concepção da problemática ambiental, sob o ponto de vista epistemológico (Boaventura de Souza Santos e Enrique Leff); uma abordagem a respeito da inserção dessa questão no debate sociológico contemporâneo (Ulrich Beck e Anthony Giddens); assim como, se propõem a situar esta questão sob o ponto de vista ético (Hans Jonas). A investigação teve abordagem qualitativa e foi delineada como um estudo de caso. O campo de estudo foi constituído por um hospital universitário, participando, como sujeitos da pesquisa, os trabalhadores atuantes na instituição. Os dados foram coletados por meio de análise documental, observação de campo, entrevista individual semi-estruturada e entrevista coletiva. A análise dos dados, após constituição do corpus de análise, baseou-se em: pré-análise e categorização preliminar, recomposição de dados em categorias significativas, análise aprofundada com interpretação das categorias à luz do referencial teórico. A análise dos dados revelou que os trabalhadores hospitalares são reflexivamente afetados pela atual problemática ecológica e que diferentes manifestações podem ser apreendidas no seu contexto de trabalho, influenciadas por diversos fatores. Primeiramente, são apresentadas questões de interesse acerca da instituição em estudo e de como se deu a emergência do debate sobre a questão ambiental na mesma. Num segundo momento, são evidenciadas as diferentes posições dos sujeitos sobre a problemática ambiental, bem como que vários atores e circunstâncias mobilizam a reflexividade ecológica entre os mesmos, influenciando a sua visão sobre a interface saúde e meio ambiente e os sentimentos advindos deste processo. Numa terceira etapa, a análise é direcionada para o contexto do trabalho hospitalar, revelando que as manifestações são diversas e afetadas, principalmente: pela concepção sobre saúde e doença, pela influência dos paradigmas hegemônicos no setor da saúde, pela forma como a instituição aborda o tema e por processos de subjetivação típicos do trabalho na área da saúde. Finalizando a análise, um quarto momento discute a importância de a reflexividade ecológica ser potencializada por aporte de conhecimentos sobre o assunto e por reflexões éticas, como forma de buscar-se uma consciência ecológica, que resulte em ação responsável com o meio ambiente no contexto do trabalho hospitalar. The general aim of this study is to analyze the manifestations of ecologic reflexivity on the relationship among subjects working in hospitals and similar institutions. The discussion about the ecologic issue reaches several parts of the modern society and it is motivated by evidences that the life on the planet has been threatened by a series of factors caused by the process of environmental degradation. The health sector is influenced in many ways by this issue, what brings an increase in the debate, in a way to better understand the interface between health and environment, specially when it comes to the adoption of minimization postures of the damage caused by health itself. As a starting point, there#s the presupposition that nowadays we have been affected, in a reflexive way, by these environmental issues. The workers in health care, who are subjects of this time and space, also present manifestations of this reflexivity affected by the ecologic issue. The theoretical reference of the research is structured in a way to make possible a discussion about the conception of the environmental issue, in the light of epistemology (Boaventura de Souza Santos e Enrique Leff); an approach about the insertion of this question in the contemporary sociologic debate (Ulrich Beck e Anthony Giddens); as well as it tries to place this question in the point of view of ethics (Hans Jonas). The investigation had a qualitative approach and was organized as a case study. The fieldwork was a university hospital, where the subjects of this research work actively. The data were collected through document analysis, fieldwork observation, semi-structured individual interview and group interview. The data analysis, after the formation of the analysis corpus, was based on: pre-analysis and preliminary categorization, reorganization of data in significant categories, detailed analysis with the interpretation of the categories in the light of the theoretical reference. The data analysis revealed that the hospital workers are reflexively affected by the current ecologic issues and that different manifestations may be apprehended in their work context, influenced by many factors. Firstly, questions of the interest of the institution are presented, as well as how the need for a debate of the environmental issue emerged in that place. Second, the different opinions of the subjects about the environment issue are revealed, also the fact that many participants and circumstances cause the ecologic reflexivity among themselves, thus influencing their view about the interface health and environment and the feelings that come from this process. As a third step, the analysis is directed towards the hospital work context, revealing that the manifestations are diverse and mainly affected by: the concepts of health and disease, the influence of the hegemonic paradigms of the health sector, the way the institution approaches the topic and the subjecting processes typical of the work in health. Finalizing the analysis, as a fourth step it is discussed the importance of enhancing the ecologic reflexivity by gathering knowledge on the topic and also through ethical discussions, as a way to create ecologic awareness that results in responsible actions towards the environment in the context of hospital work

Deep-learning-based Early Fixing for Gas-lifted Oil Production Optimization: Supervised and Weakly-supervised Approaches

Maximizing oil production from gas-lifted oil wells entails solving Mixed-Integer Linear Programs (MILPs). As the parameters of the wells, such as the basic-sediment-to-water ratio and the gas-oil ratio, are updated, the problems must be repeatedly solved. Instead of relying on costly exact methods or the accuracy of general approximate methods, in this paper, we propose a tailor-made heuristic solution based on deep learning models trained to provide values to all integer variables given varying well parameters, early-fixing the integer variables and, thus, reducing the original problem to a linear program (LP). We propose two approaches for developing the learning-based heuristic: a supervised learning approach, which requires the optimal integer values for several instances of the original problem in the training set, and a weakly-supervised learning approach, which requires only solutions for the early-fixed linear problems with random assignments for the integer variables. Our results show a runtime reduction of 71.11% Furthermore, the weakly-supervised learning model provided significant values for early fixing, despite never seeing the optimal values during training.Comment: Paper accepted at SBAI 202

Feasible parallel-update distributed MPC for uncertain linear systems sharing convex constraints

A distributed MPC approach for linear uncertain systems sharing convex constraints is presented. The systems, which are dynamically decoupled but share constraints on state and/or inputs, optimize once, in parallel, at each time step and exchange plans with neighbours thereafter. Coupled constraint satisfaction is guaranteed, despite the simultaneous decision making, by extra constraint tightening in each local problem. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given on the margins for coupled constraint satisfaction, and a simple on-line scheme for selecting margins is proposed that satisfies the conditions. Robust feasibility and stability of the overall system are guaranteed by use of the tube MPC concept in conjunction with the extra coupled constraint tightening

Scientific production about night shift work in nursing: a review of literature

Objective: recognizing the scientific productions that approach night shift work carried out by the nursing staff in hospitals. Method: this is a bibliographic, narrative, exploratory and descriptive research. The search was developed in the Virtual Health Library, from July to August 2012. Results: studies point to the fact that most workers are married women with spouses and/or children, who have to do housework and deal with their profession, in one or two jobs. Despite of the negative repercussion of the night shift work upon the health of the workers, they often do this shift because of their choice/personal need or professional and not by imposition of the institution. Conclusion: there is a growing interest in this topic, mainly in terms of repercussions of this work shift for the health of nursing professionals. It should be highlighted that it is fundamental to reduce these repercussions, as well as to diminish the hospitalization rates in a way to contribute for the promotion of health and satisfaction at work

Desenvolvimento de formulações farmacêuticas contendo raloxifeno empregando os métodos de deposição interfacial de polímero pré-formado ou secagem por atomização vibracional

Partículas nanométricas e submicrométricas são desenvolvidas para controlar a liberação do fármaco, aumentar o efeito antiproliferativo e evitar o metabolismo pré-sistêmico de fármacos. Neste trabalho foram preparadas nanocápsulas através da deposição interfacial de polímeros pré-formados com os polímeros catiônico e aniônico, contendo cloridrato de raloxifeno, que apresentaram adequadas características nanotecnológicas. Dependendo do perfil de liberação in vitro do fármaco pôde-se obter um efeito antiproliferativo diferenciado em células de carcinoma mamário. A secagem por atomização vibracional é uma técnica recentemente utilizada na produção de partículas submicrométricas esféricas a partir de soluções aquosas ou orgânicas. A aplicação desta secagem no desenvolvimento de partículas poliméricas submicrométricas pulverulentas foi estudada. Inicialmente foram produzidos pós contendo dexametasona para administração pulmonar, apresentando diâmetro aerodinâmico adequado para esta via de administração (< 5 μm). A poli(ε-caprolactona) foi fundamental para modular a liberação in vitro do fármaco a partir do pó. A formulação contendo a menor proporção polimérica possibilitou uma distribuição granulométrica simétrica e adequada desaglomeração. Na sequência, partículas submicrométricas sólidas contendo cloridrato de raloxifeno no estado amorfo foram produzidas através da atomização vibracional. A presença do polímero na estrutura destas partículas também levou a uma liberação do fármaco sustentada. As formulações foram avaliadas em relação à deposição nas diferentes porções do trato respiratório in vitro, demonstrando uma adequada deposição pulmonar e atingindo as porções mais inferiores do trato respiratório. Além disso, um implante subcutâneo e biodegradável contendo cloridrato de raloxifeno foi produzido a partir da compressão manual de um pó preparado por secagem por atomização vibracional. O polímero [poli(ε-caprolactona)] e o óleo (mistura de triglicerídeos dos ácidos cáprico/caprílico) presentes na formulação foram fundamentais para a liberação do fármaco in vitro por 24 dias. O pó para administração pela via pulmonar e o implante subcutâneo contendo cloridrato de raloxifeno possibilitam a escolha de outras vias de administração para este fármaco, que apresenta um grande metabolismo de primeira passagem após administração oral. Para avaliar a biodisponibilidade do cloridrato de raloxifeno, foi validado um método analítico por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência, com baixo limite de quantificação, para a análise deste fármaco no plasma de ratos. Este método está sendo aplicado em estudos farmacocinéticos após administração pulmonar e subcutânea das formulações desenvolvidos nesta tese. Assim, a nanoencapsulação do cloridrato de raloxifeno possibilitou um aumento no efeito antiproliferativo sobre as células de carcinoma mamário e formulações inovadoras foram produzidas a partir da secagem por atomização vibracional.Nano and submicron particles are produced to drug control release, improve the antiproliferative effect and prevent the presystemic metabolism of drugs. In this work cationic and anionic polymeric nanocapsules were prepared by interfacial deposition of preformed polymers containing raloxifene hydrochloride, showing adequate nanotechnological properties. Prolonged antiproliferative effect on breast carcinoma cells was depending on the in vitro drug release profile from the different formulations. The vibrational atomization spray-drying is a technique recently used for the production of submicrometer spherical particles from aqueous or organic solutions. The use of this drying in the development of polymeric submicrometer powders was studied. Dry powders containing dexamethasone were developed for the pulmonary administration, showing mass median aerodynamic diameter suitable for this route of administration (< 5 μm). Poly(ε-caprolactone) was essential to modulate the in vitro drug release from powder. The lowest drug:polymer ratio led to the symmetric primary particle size distribution and efficient deagglomeration behavior. Spray-drying submicrometric particles containing amorphous raloxifene hydrochloride were also produced by vibrational atomization. Controlled drug release profile was obtained for formulation containing polymer. Formulations were evaluated according to their in vitro lung deposition. They presented adequate pulmonary deposition, reaching the deepest stages of respiratory tract. Furthermore, a biodegradable subcutaneous implant containing raloxifene hydrochloride was developed by the manual compression of the powder produced by vibrational atomization spray-drying. The presence of the polymer [poly(ε-caprolactone)] and the oil (caprylic/capric triglyceride mixture) were essential to promote the in vitro drug release for 24 days. The powder for pulmonary route and the subcutaneous implant containing raloxifene hydrochloride enable to choose other routes of administration for this drug, which has a large first pass metabolism after oral administration. To evaluate the bioavailability of raloxifene hydrochloride, an analytical method was validated by high performance liquid chromatography, with low limit of quantification for the analysis of this drug in rat plasma. This method is applied in pharmacokinetic studies after pulmonary and subcutaneous administration of formulations developed in this work. Thus, the nanoencapsulation of raloxifene hydrochloride enabled a improved the antiproliferative effect on breast carcinoma cells and innovative formulations were produced from the vibrational atomization spray-drying

Expectations of patients submitted to myocardial revascularization surgery at the time of hospital discharge

Objective: recognizing the expectations of patients submitted to myocardium revascularization surgery at the time of hospital discharge. Method: a descriptive-exploratory study of aqualitative approach carried out with ten patients in post-operative myocardium revascularization surgery of a university hospital in the south of Brazil. The data were collected from July to August, 2012, through a semi-structured interview and were analyzed based on content analysis. Results: the results were grouped into a category that focuses on patients' expectations facing the recovery process and returning to daily activities. It was found out that this phase is challenging for the subjects, in special with feelings of anxiety and worry about the future, besides having weaknesses in relation to the knowledge about changes of habits imposed by the process of illness. Conclusions: surgery causes a significant impact on the patients' lives, thus being necessary the effective intervention by the nursing staff, in order to optimizing the recovery process

An exploration on whole-body and foot-based vibrotactile sensitivity to melodic consonance

Consonance is a distinctive attribute of musical sounds, for which a psychophysical explanation has been found leading to the critical band perceptual model. Recently this model has been hypothesized to play a role also during tactile perception. In this paper the sensitivity to vibrotactile consonance was subjectively tested in musicians and non-musicians. Before the test, both such groups listened to twelve melodic intervals played with a bass guitar. After being acoustically isolated, participants were exposed to the same intervals in the form of either a whole-body or foot-based vibrotactile stimulus. On each trial they had to identify whether an interval was ascending, descending or unison. Musicians were additionally asked to label every interval using standard musical nomenclature. The intervals identification as well as their labeling was above chance, but became progressively more uncertain for decreasing consonance and when the stimuli were presented underfoot. Musicians\u2019 labeling of the stimuli was incorrect when dissonant vibrotactile intervals were presented underfoot. Compared to existing literature on auditory, tactile and multisensory perception, our results reinforce the idea that vibrotactile musical consonance plays a perceptual role in both musicians and non-musicians. Might this role be the result of a process occurring at central and/or peripheral level, involving or not activation of the auditory cortex, concurrent reception from selective somatosensory channels, correlation with residual auditory information reaching the basilar membrane through bone conduction, is a question our preliminary exploration leaves open to further research work