Kinematic Synthesis for 3D Signatures

© 2022 IEEE.  Personal use of this material is permitted.  Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.This paper proposes a method to generate the synthetic kinematic of signatures in 3D. The analysis of 3D signatures is becoming a hot topic due to the irruption of commercial off-the-shelf devices for easy acquisition of 3D movements. However, the novelty of this technology reveals the scarce publicly available signatures in 3D, which hinder their development. A solution is the synthesis of Signatures in 3D. As a first step, this paper synthesizes the kinematics of 3D signatures based on the Kinematic Theory of Rapid Movements and its associated Sigma-Lognormal model in 3D. To evaluate the method, we regenerate signature databases with synthetic speed profiles in all genuine and forgeries found in two 3D signature databases. Then, we analyze the similarities in the performance of a signature verifier when real and synthetic signatures are used in random and skilled forgeries experiments.This study was funded by the Spanish government’s MIMECO PID2019-109099RB-C41 research project and European Union FEDER program/funds, the CajaCanaria and la Caixa bank grant 2019SP19, and NSERC grant RGPIN-2015-06409

¿Puede el principio de lateralidades múltiples mejorar el porcentaje de acierto en el tiro a canasta?

El propósito del presente estudio es determinar si una mecánica de tiro alternativa basada en la lateralidad óculo-manual del sujeto podría incrementar significativamente el porcentaje de acierto en el tiro a canasta en jugadores homogéneos – aquellos cuya lateralidad ocular y manual están en el mismo hemicuerpo lateral –. Para esto, 34 jugadores de baloncesto (24chicos y 10 chicas) en categoría infantil, inscritos todos ellos en categoría Preferente masculino y femenino Federado, realizaron un total de 4600 lanzamientos a canasta desde cinco posiciones diferentes de corta y media distancia - 2300 con cada una de las dos mecánicas propuestas (mecánica tradicional y tiro con rotación de 45º) -. Tras el análisis de datos se hallaron porcentajes de acierto significativamente mayores desde el tiro libre (t(23) =2,917; p = 0,008), los lanzamientos desde el lado izquierdo de la zona (t(23) = 3,621; p = 0,001) y el global de los lanzamientos a canasta (t(23) = 3,980; p = 0,001) con la mecánica de tiro teóricamente idónea. Los resultados obtenidos sustentan que una mecánica de tiro alternativa basada en la lateralidad óculo manual del jugador podría ayudar a los jugadores de baloncesto homogéneos a obtener porcentajes de acierto significativamente superiores

Evaluation of Natural Technological Interfaces for Children with Psychomotor Disabilities

population with disabilities, there is a group that has intellectual, sensory, motor disabilities, or a combination of them. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) defines disability as an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. It is estimated that over 15 % of the world´s population is afflicted by disability in some form. In Argentina this prevalence reaches 7.1%. When these people want to use any technological device, usually find that its physical interfaces are not accessible. Often they need adaptations, raising costs but accessibility is not totally guaranteed. Current technologies allow "more natural" interfaces, where the feedback is immediate. The application of appropriate technology with natural or intuitive interfaces, allow greater accessibility than adaptations commonly used for the overall development of students with psychomotor disorders. The objective of this work is to facilitate the comprehensive development of students with senso psychomotor disorders attending the Special School Beatriz Martinez A. Allio, through the incorporation and implementation of natural interfaces for working with computers in education, offering teaching a complementary tool for the development of their daily activities. The interfaces of hardware and software implementation are proposed to achieve the overall goal. It is intended to make at least a touch screen and at least one interface with the Kinect camera game console Xbox 360.Fil: Beltramone, D. A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Ingeniería Biomédica; Argentina.Fil: Tula, S. M. Ministerio de Educación de la Provincia de Córdoba. Escuela Especial B. A. Martínez Allio; Argentina.Fil: Rivarola, M. F. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Escuela Kinesiología y Fisioterapia; Argentina.Fil: Hidalgo, M. B. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Ingeniería Biomédica; Argentina.Fil: Tancredi, P. D. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Ingeniería Biomédica; Argentina.Fil: Quinteros Quintana, M. L. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Ingeniería Biomédica; Argentina.Fil: Diaz, J. M. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Ingeniería Biomédica; Argentina.Fil: Marcotti, A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Ingeniería Biomédica; Argentina.Fil: Atea, J. J. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Electrónica; Argentina.Ingeniería Médic

Rotated balance in humans due to repetitive rotational movement

We show how asymmetries in the movement patterns during the process of regaining balance after perturbation from quiet stance can be modeled by a set of coupled vector fields for the derivative with respect to time of the angles between the resultant ground reaction forces and the vertical in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions. In our model, which is an adaption of the model of Stirling and Zakynthinaki (2004), the critical curve, defining the set of maximum angles one can lean to and still correct to regain balance, can be rotated and skewed so as to model the effects of a repetitive training of a rotational movement pattern. For the purposes of our study a rotation and a skew matrix is applied to the critical curve of the model. We present here a linear stability analysis of the modified model, as well as a fit of the model to experimental data of two characteristic “asymmetric” elite athletes and to a “symmetric” elite athlete for comparison. The new adapted model has many uses not just in sport but also in rehabilitation, as many work place injuries are caused by excessive repetition of unaligned and rotational movement patterns

From the North-Iberian Margin to the Alboran Basin: A lithosphere geo-transect across the Iberian Plate

A ~ 1000-km-long lithospheric transect running from the North-Iberian Margin to the Alboran Basin (W-Mediterranean) is investigated. The main goal is to image the changes in the crustal and upper mantle structure occurring in: i) the North-Iberian margin, whose deformation in Alpine times gave rise to the uplift of the Cantabrian Mountains related to Iberia-Eurasia incipient subduction; ii) the Spanish Meseta, characterized by the presence of Cenozoic basins on top of a Variscan basement with weak Alpine deformation in the Central System, and localized Neogene-Quaternary deep volcanism; and iii) the Betic-Alboran system related to Africa-Iberia collision and the roll-back of the Ligurian-Tethyan domain. The modeling approach, combines potential fields, elevation, thermal, seismic, and petrological data under a self-consistent scheme. The crustal structure is mainly constrained by seismic data whereas the upper mantle is constrained by tomographic models. The results highlight the lateral variations in the topography of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB), suggesting a strong lithospheric mantle strain below the Cantabrian and Betic mountain belts. The LAB depth ranges from 180 km beneath the Cantabrian Mountains to 135-110. km beneath Iberia Meseta deepening again to values of 160. km beneath the Betic Cordillera. The Central System, with a mean elevation of 1300. m, has a negligible signature on the LAB depth. We have considered four lithospheric mantle compositions: a predominantly average Phanerozoic in the continental mainland, two more fertile compositions in the Alboran Sea and in the Calatrava Volcanic Province, and a hydrated uppermost mantle in the North-Iberian Margin. These compositional differences allowed us to reproduce the main trends of the geophysical observables as well as the inferred P- and S-wave seismic velocities from tomography models and seismic experiments available in the study transect. The high mean topography of Iberia can be partly consistent with a low-velocity/high-temperature/low-density layer in the sublithospheric mantle.The presented work has been supported by Topo-Iberia Consolider-IngenioCSD2006-0004, GASAM/TopoMed (CGL2008-03474-E/BTE/07-TOPO-EUROPE-FP-006), TECLA (CGL2011-26670) funded by the Spanish Government, and PYRTEC-IP2 (SV-PA-10-03, funded by the Government of Asturias/ESF TOPO-EUROPE Programme) projects. AC benefitted from a JAE-PreCP grant from CSIC. JCA acknowledges the support from ARC GrantDP120102372.Peer Reviewe

The interactions of cyanobacterial cytochrome c(6) and cytochrome f, characterized by NMR

Metallo-eiwitte

Obstacles to compassion-giving among nursing and midwifery managers: an international study

Aim: To explore nursing and midwifery managers’ views regarding obstacles to compassion-giving across country cultures. Background: The benefit of compassionate leadership is being advocated, but despite the fact that healthcare is invariably conducted within culturally diverse workplaces, the interconnection of culture, compassion and leadership is rarely addressed. Furthermore, evidence on how cultural factors hinder the expression of compassion among nursing and midwifery managers is lacking. Methods: Cross-sectional, exploratory, international online survey involving 1 217 participants from 17 countries. Managers’ responses on open-ended questions related to barriers for providing compassion were entered and thematically analysed through NVivo. Results: Three key themes related to compassion-giving obstacles emerged across countries: 1. related to the managers’ personal characteristics and experiences; 2. system-related; 3. staff-related. Conclusions: Obstacles to compassion-giving among managers vary across countries. An understanding of the variations across countries and cultures of what impedes compassion to flourish in healthcare is important. Implications for nursing practice and policy: Nursing mangers should wisely use their power by adopting leadership styles that promote culturally competent and compassionate workplaces with respect for human rights. Policymakers should identify training and mentoring needs to enable the development of managers’ practical wisdom. Appropriate national and international policies should facilitate the establishment of standards and guidelines for compassionate leadership, in the face of distorted organisational cultures and system-related obstacles to compassion-giving

The importance of being a compassionate leader: the views of nursing and midwifery managers from around the world

Introduction: Despite the importance of compassionate leadership in health care, many of the existing publications do not account for the effect of culture. The aim of this study is to explore the views of nursing and midwifery managers from different countries in relation to the definition, advantages, and importance of compassion. Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory online survey was conducted across 17 countries, containing both closed and open-ended questions. Data from N = 1,217 respondents were analyzed using a directed hybrid approach focusing only on qualitative questions related to compassion-giving. Results: Four overarching themes capture the study’s results: (1) definition of compassion, (2) advantages and importance of compassion for managers, (3) advantages and importance of compassion for staff and the workplace, and (4) culturally competent and compassionate leadership. Discussion: Innovative research agendas should pursue further local qualitative empirical research to inform models of culturally competent and compassionate leadership helping mangers navigate multiple pressures and be able to transculturally resonate with their staff and patients