Light field geometry of a standard plenoptic camera

The Standard Plenoptic Camera (SPC) is an innovation in photography, allowing for acquiring two-dimensional images focused at different depths, from a single exposure. Contrary to conventional cameras, the SPC consists of a micro lens array and a main lens projecting virtual lenses into object space. For the first time, the present research provides an approach to estimate the distance and depth of refocused images extracted from captures obtained by an SPC. Furthermore, estimates for the position and baseline of virtual lenses which correspond to an equivalent camera array are derived. On the basis of paraxial approximation, a ray tracing model employing linear equations has been developed and implemented using Matlab. The optics simulation tool Zemax is utilized for validation purposes. By designing a realistic SPC, experiments demonstrate that a predicted image refocusing distance at 3.5 m deviates by less than 11% from the simulation in Zemax, whereas baseline estimations indicate no significant difference. Applying the proposed methodology will enable an alternative to the traditional depth map acquisition by disparity analysis.European commisio

Estructuraci?n econ?mica y financiera de un instrumento de participaci?n en negocios forestales : el caso de la teca en la regi?n San Mart?n

El Per? tiene unas condiciones naturales que le otorgan una gran biodiversidad e importante riqueza biol?gica, hecho que genera ventajas comparativas en sectores como el forestal. Este libro analiza el caso espec?fico del ?rbol de teca, cuya siembra es favorecida por el clima propicio de nuestro pa?s y cuya madera, clasificada como frondosa tropical, se caracteriza por su solidez, resistencia, trabajabilidad y calidades est?ticas. Considerando que, seg?n la FAO (Organizaci?n de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentaci?n y la Agricultura), existe un aumento de la demanda mundial de madera y una disminuci?n de la oferta, el consiguiente incremento del precio hace que un proyecto de reforestaci?n sobre la base de la teca sea econ?micamente rentable en el largo plazo. De manera que, en la presente investigaci?n realizada para llevar a cabo un proyecto de negocio forestal, se ha seleccionado la teca como la m?s adecuada debido a su considerable horizonte de recuperaci?n de la inversi?n y su alto valor en el mercado. Adem?s, muchos inversionistas est?n buscando oportunidades de negocios m?s rentables que una cuenta de ahorros o alg?n otro producto financiero a largo plazo --como los bonos ajustados por riesgo-- en el mercado de capitales peruano. Por ello, este estudio tiene como objetivo principal estructurar un modelo de financiamiento para plantaciones de teca, empleando un certificado de participaci?n fiduciario dirigido a personas naturales que busquen una rentabilidad de largo plazo para su inversi?n. Con este trabajo se espera verificar la viabilidad t?cnica, econ?mica y financiera del proyecto en un horizonte de 24 a?os

Plan de negocios para la comercializaci?n de huevos empacados abastecidos por Pymes productoras de la provincia Trujillo

La investigaci?n tiene por objetivo ?Evaluar la viabilidad financiera y comercial de una empresa especializada en el servicio y comercializaci?n de huevos empacados, producidos por productoras PYMES?. El estudio se bas? en una investigaci?n de tipo mixto y su objetivo principal es analizar las caracter?sticas de la oferta y el comportamiento de las decisoras de compra del hogar en la provincia de Trujillo (demanda). Luego de investigar el mercado y las tendencias actuales y de compararlas con los resultados obtenidos en la investigaci?n, se observa la dificultad que tienen los empresarios PYMES para alcanzar mercados m?s atractivos o hacer del negocio del huevo uno m?s estable y con un mayor poder de negociaci?n. Tomando como caso de estudio a la empresa Majjari, se desarrollaron diversas estrategias para poder alcanzar el ?xito, las m?s importantes fueron: buscar el apoyo de los intermediarios, tratando de generar un cambio de h?bitos en el consumidor, para ello se decidi? brindar el servicio de empacado gratis los tres primeros meses a nuestros clientes e instalar un sistema virtual de pedidos, programas de visitas y servicio post venta. Seg?n el estudio y luego de analizar los datos, se determin? que la demanda insatisfecha es de 54.68%. Con esta informaci?n y la que anteriormente se present?, podemos realizar un an?lisis financiero del proyecto, llegando a determinar que la inversi?n inicial es de 114,715 soles y que se obtendr?a un VAN de 131,312 soles y un TIRF de 45.74%, indicadores que muestran el alto potencial que tiene el proyecto

Plan de negocio para la exportaci?n de conserva de aguaymanto en alm?bar para el mercado alem?n

La conserva de aguaymanto en alm?bar surge de la idea de dar a conocer a nivel internacional una de las frutas nacionales de mayor contenido nutricional y con poco reconocimiento de su origen real. La elecci?n de Alemania se dio a trav?s del estudio de mercado con fuentes secundarias, partiendo desde un an?lisis general de consumos mundiales de fruta y conserva de frutas, adem?s de tomar en cuenta el ?ndice de desempe?o log?stico y el nivel de saturaci?n del mercado. El consumo per c?pita alem?n de conserva de frutas es de 2.35 Kilogramos, si lo llevamos a 400ml (nuestra presentaci?n) podemos obtener un mercado bastante atractivo de quinientos millones de conservas al a?o. La estrategia de posicionamiento de Peruvian Golden Berry ser? en funci?n de los atributos, y las actividades de marketing, impulsar?n la difusi?n de los beneficios del producto. Nuestros clientes est?n definidos por el canal habitual para productos alimenticios en Alemania, por ello el importador mayorista es con quien se tratar? directamente, este a su vez tendr? una demanda de parte de sus clientes, entre ellos las principales cadenas de supermercados, quienes manejan el 75% de ingresos por venta de alimentos en todo Alemania

Cyclophilins in Ischemic Heart Disease: Differences Between Acute and Chronic Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Background: Cyclophilins (Cyps) are a family of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases consistently involved in cardiovascular diseases through the inflammation pathway. This study aims to investigate the serum levels of Cyps (CypA, CypB, CypC and CypD) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and the correlation with clinical characteristics and inflammation parameters. Methods: We developed an observational prospective study with a total of 125 subjects: 40 patients with acute CAD, 40 patients with chronic CAD and 45 control volunteers, in whom serum levels of Cyps (CypA, CypB, CypC and CypD), interleukins and metalloproteinases were measured. Results: CypA levels increased significantly in CAD patients compared with control subjects, but no differences were noted between acute CAD (7.80 +/- 1.30 ng/mL) and chronic CAD (5.52 +/- 0.76 ng/mL) patients (P = 0.13). No differences in CypB and CypD levels were showed between CAD patients and controls and between acute CAD and chronic CAD patients. In relation with CypC, the levels in CAD patients were significantly higher compared to controls (32.42 +/- 3.71 pg/mL vs. 9.38 +/- 1.51 pg/mL, P 17.5 pg/mL cut-off point, and it was significantly associated with older age, hypertension, dyslipidemia and more extensive CAD in acute and chronic CAD groups. Conclusions: CypA and CypC levels are increased in CAD patients. High CypC serum levels could be a novel biomarker in CAD patients correlating with a more severe disease

Increased urinary markers of kidney damage in the institutionalized frail elderly due to recurrent urinary tract infections.

Objective: To characterize the impact on kidney injury of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI) in the frail elderly. Methods: Prospective observational study in 200 frail elderly subjects for 1 year. Groups: GA (n = 100): subjects without RUTI, GB (n = 100): subjects with RUTI. Variables: age, concomitant diseases, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) at the beginning (NGAL-1) and end (NGAL-2) of the study, urine N-acetyl glucosaminidase (NAG) at the beginning (NAG-1) and the end (NAG-2) of the study, urine transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFbeta-1). Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney test, Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, and multivariate analysis were used. Results: Mean age was 84.33 (65-99) years old, with no difference between GA and GB. Mean NGAL-1 was 1.29 ng/ml (0.04-8). There was lower in GA than in GB. Mean NGAL-2 was 1.41 ng/ml (0.02-9.22). NGAL-2 was lower in GA than in GB. Mean NAG-1 was 0.38 UU.II/ml (0.01-2.63. NAG-1 in GA was lower than in GB. Mean NAG-2 was 0.44 UU.II/ml (0-3.41). NAG-2 was lower in GA compared with GB. Mean TGFbeta-1 was 23.43 pg/ml (0.02-103.76). TGFbeta-1 was lower in GA than GB. There were no differences in the presence of secondary diagnoses between GA and GB. NAG-2 and NGAL-1 were the most determining factors of renal function; in GA it was NGAL-2, followed by NAG-1; in GB it was NGAL-1, followed by NAG-2. Conclusion: Frail elderly with RUTI have higher urinary levels of renal injury markers, specifically NGAL, NAG, and TGFbeta-1, chronically in periods between urinary tract infection (UTI). Urinary markers of renal injury, specifically NGAL, NAG, and TGFbeta-1, identify early deterioration of renal function, compared with serum creatinine, or albuminuria, in frail elderly with recurrent urinary infections

Correlation of RECIST, Computed Tomography Morphological Response, and Pathological Regression in Hepatic Metastasis Secondary to Colorectal Cancer: The AVAMET Study.

Background: The prospective phase IV AVAMET study was undertaken to correlate response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST)-defined response rates with computed tomography-based morphological criteria (CTMC) and pathological response after liver resection of colorectal cancer metastases. Methods: Eligible patients were aged >/=18 years, with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0/1 and histologically-confirmed colon or rectal adenocarcinoma with measurable liver metastases. Preoperative treatment was bevacizumab (7.5 mg on day 1) + XELOX (oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2), capecitabine 1000 mg/m(2) bid on days 1-14 q3w). After three cycles, response was evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. Patients who were progression-free and metastasectomy candidates received one cycle of XELOX before undergoing surgery 3-5 weeks later, followed by four cycles of bevacizumab + XELOX. Results: A total of 83 patients entered the study; 68 were eligible for RECIST, 67 for CTMC, and 51 for pathological response evaluation. Of these patients, 49% had a complete or partial RECIST response, 91% had an optimal or incomplete CTMC response, and 81% had a complete or major pathological response. CTMC response predicted 37 of 41 pathological responses versus 23 of 41 responses predicted using RECIST (p = 0.008). Kappa coefficients indicated a lack of correlation between the results of RECIST and morphological responses and between morphological and pathological response rates. Conclusion: CTMC may represent a better marker of pathological response to bevacizumab + XELOX than RECIST in patients with potentially-resectable CRC liver metastases

Propuesta de un plan de negocio, basado en tecnolog?a, para atenci?n de consultas e incidentes relacionados a dispositivos electr?nicos

El servicio de soporte t?cnico se ha venido prestando de manera tradicional a lo largo del tiempo. Sin embargo, no se ha evidenciado la existencia de alg?n proveedor, que brinde este servicio de manera integral, siendo independiente del dispositivo, marca y plataforma. En ese sentido, la presente tesis, propone un modelo de negocio que, fundament?ndose en tecnolog?a como elemento diferenciador, busca atender las consultas e incidentes de los usuarios de manera integral, eliminando la complejidad de buscar al proveedor que compete un determinado incidente. Asimismo, el uso de tecnolog?a, permitir? brindar un primer nivel de servicio totalmente gratuito, y otro pagado, que ser? el que generar?a ingresos a la empresa. En ambos casos, se buscar? maximizar la eficiencia en cuanto a operaciones y calidad del servicio. Finalmente, se ha contemplado tambi?n el uso de tecnolog?a anal?tica, que permita mejorar las operaciones de la empresa a lo largo del tiempo. Por ejemplo, mediante la consulta a bases de datos de conocimiento, lo cual permitir? una mayor eficiencia en la soluci?n de incidentes

Plasma?-III tubulin, neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein are associated with neurodegeneration and progression in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a progressive disorder characterized by multiple psychotic relapses. After every relapse, patients may not fully recover, and this may lead to a progressive loss of functionality. Pharmacological treatment represents a key factor to minimize the biological, psychological and psychosocial impact of the disorder. The number of relapses and the duration of psychotic episodes induce a potential neuronal damage and subsequently, neurodegenerative processes. Thus, a comparative study was performed, including forty healthy controls and forty-two SZ patients divided into first-episode psychosis (FEP) and chronic SZ (CSZ) subgroups, where the CSZ sub group was subdivided by antipsychotic treatment. In order to measure the potential neuronal damage, plasma levels of beta-III tubulin, neurofilament light chain (Nf-L), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were performed. The results revealed that the levels of these proteins were increased in the SZ group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, multiple comparison analysis showed highly significant levels of beta-III tubulin (P = 0.0002), Nf-L (P = 0.0403) and GFAP (P < 0.015) in the subgroup of CSZ clozapine-treated. In conclusion, beta-III tubulin, Nf-L and GFAP proteins may be potential biomarkers of neurodegeneration and progression in SZ

Impact of cardiovascular risk factors on the clinical presentation and survival of pulmonary embolism without identifiable risk factor

Background: The nature of pulmonary embolism (PE) without identifiable risk factor (IRF) remains unclear. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and PE without IRF (unprovoked) and assess their role as markers of disease severity and prognosis. Methods: A case-control study was performed of patients with PE admitted to our hospital [2010-2019]. Subjects with PE without IRF were included in the cohort of cases, whereas patients with PE with IRF were allocated to the control group. Variables of interest included age, active smoking, obesity, and diagnosis of arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia or diabetes mellitus. Results: A total of 1,166 patients were included in the study, of whom 64.2% had PE without IRF. The risk for PE without IRF increased with age [odds ratio (OR): 2.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.95-3.68], arterial hypertension (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.27-2.07), and dyslipidemia (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.24-2.15). The risk for PE without IRF was higher as the number of CVRF increased, being 3.99 (95% CI: 2.02-7.90) for subjects with >/=3 CVRF. The percentage of high-risk unprovoked PE increased significantly as the number of CVRF rose [0.6% for no CVRF; 23.8% for a CRF, P/=3, P<0.001 (OR: 14.1; 95% CI: 4.06-49.4)]. No significant differences were observed in 1-month survival between cases and controls, whereas differences in 24-month survival reached significance. Conclusions: A relationship was observed between CVRF and PE without IRF, as the risk for unprovoked PE increased with the number of CVRF. In addition, the number of CVRF was associated with PE without IRF severity, but not with prognosis