Real-time human action recognition using raw depth video-based recurrent neural networks

This work proposes and compare two different approaches for real-time human action recognition (HAR) from raw depth video sequences. Both proposals are based on the convolutional long short-term memory unit, namely ConvLSTM, with differences in the architecture and the long-term learning. The former uses a video-length adaptive input data generator (stateless) whereas the latter explores the stateful ability of general recurrent neural networks but is applied in the particular case of HAR. This stateful property allows the model to accumulate discriminative patterns from previous frames without compromising computer memory. Furthermore, since the proposal uses only depth information, HAR is carried out preserving the privacy of people in the scene, since their identities can not be recognized. Both neural networks have been trained and tested using the large-scale NTU RGB+D dataset. Experimental results show that the proposed models achieve competitive recognition accuracies with lower computational cost compared with state-of-the-art methods and prove that, in the particular case of videos, the rarely-used stateful mode of recurrent neural networks significantly improves the accuracy obtained with the standard mode. The recognition accuracies obtained are 75.26% (CS) and 75.45% (CV) for the stateless model, with an average time consumption per video of 0.21 s, and 80.43% (CS) and 79.91%(CV) with 0.89 s for the stateful one.Agencia Estatal de InvestigaciónUniversidad de Alcal

The professional identity of young university lecturers

En este artículo se presenta la experiencia de un equipo docente, ubicado en la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación de la Universidad de Sevilla, constituido por tres profesores noveles junto con una profesora mentora, en el marco del programa de Formación de Noveles de dicha universidad. El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) plantea la necesidad de invertir tiempo y esfuerzo en el diseño y puesta en marcha de programas formativos dirigidos a la formación inicial del profesorado universitario, puesto que en los primeros años de experiencia en el ejercicio profesional es donde empieza a gestarse su propia identidad docente. Este estudio plantea como objetivo general detectar qué aspectos marcan la construcción de la identidad profesional del profesorado novel participante. Como metodología se utiliza los ciclos de supervisión clínica o ciclos de mejora. Los resultados nos permiten identificar cuatro dimensiones (emocional, social, didáctico-pedagógica, e institucional-administrativas) que configuran la construcción de la identidad profesional del profesorado novel. La dimensión emocional se convierte en trasversal a todas las demás, ya que las emociones derivadas de las sensaciones y percepciones que presenta el profesorado novel ante los retos y dificultades que le rodean, parecen marcar profundamente su identidad docente. La metodología activa de los ciclos de supervisión clínica o ciclos de mejora, permite al profesorado novel tomar conciencia de las dimensiones y aspectos que configuran su desarrollo profesional. Esta toma de conciencia, es el primer paso para establecer propuestas o estrategias de mejora que ayuden a superar dificultades detectadas en el proceso de construcción y desarrollo de la identidad docente.This article presents the experience of a teaching team, which is located in the Faculty of Education at the University of Seville. This team consists of three novice teachers and a teacher mentor, as part of the Training Program for Novice Teachers at this university. The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) noted the need to invest time and effort in the design and implementation of training programs aimed at initial teacher training college, because in the first years of experience in teaching practices is where they began to develop their own teaching identity. The general aim of this study is to detect which aspects made the construction of the professional identity of teachers who participated in the Program. The methodology used is clinical supervision cycles. The results allow us to identify four dimensions (emotional, social, educational-pedagogical, and institutional-administrative) that make up the construction of the professional identity of novice teachers. The emotional dimension becomes transversal to all others, since the emotions derived from sensations and perceptions present themselves to young university lecturers before the challenges and difficulties that surround them, seem to mark deeply the teacher identity. The active methodology of clinical supervision cycles allows novice teachers to become aware of aspects and dimensions that shape their professional development. This awareness is the first step in establishing improvement proposals or strategies to help overcome difficulties encountered in the process of construction and development of university professional identit

Kahoot! as a Tool to Improve Student Academic Performance in Business Management Subjects

The new framework for learning requires the use of new technologies, such as m-learning or game-based learning programs. Gamification using this type of applications has been implemented in higher education contexts, enhancing students’ satisfaction, motivation, and class attendance. The present study refers to the introduction of new technologies and gamification through the use of the application Kahoot!, with the main objective being to analyze the relationship between the use of this gamification tool and the students’ learning results, which are measured by their academic marks. The results show a positive relationship between students’ results on the Kahoot! tests and the student’s final mark. Additionally, we demonstrate that students’ academic results improve when Kahoot! is used as an evaluation tool, taking into account improved student efficiency and a lower amount of failed grades.Proyecto de Innovación docente de la Universidad de Jaén “Una experiencia de gamificación en el aula: Evaluamos con Kahoot! (PID32_201819)

People re-identification using depth and intensity information from an overhead sensor

This work presents a new people re-identification method, using depth and intensity images, both of them captured with a single static camera, located in an overhead position. The proposed solution arises from the need that exists in many areas of application to carry out identification and re-identification processes to determine, for example, the time that people remain in a certain space, while fulfilling the requirement of preserving people's privacy. This work is a novelty compared to other previous solutions, since the use of top-view images of depth and intensity allows obtaining information to perform the functions of identification and re-identification of people, maintaining their privacy and reducing occlusions. In the procedure of people identification and re-identification, only three frames of intensity and depth are used, so that the first one is obtained when the person enters the scene (frontal view), the second when it is in the central area of the scene (overhead view) and the third one when it leaves the scene (back view). In the implemented method only information from the head and shoulders of people with these three different perspectives is used. From these views three feature vectors are obtained in a simple way, two of them related to depth information and the other one related to intensity data. This increases the robustness of the method against lighting changes. The proposal has been evaluated in two different datasets and compared to other state-of-the-art proposal. The obtained results show a 96,7% success rate in re-identification, with sensors that use different operating principles, all of them obtaining depth and intensity information. Furthermore, the implemented method can work in real time on a PC, without using a GPU.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadAgencia Estatal de InvestigaciónUniversidad de Alcal

Fast heuristic method to detect people in frontal depth images

This paper presents a new method for detecting people using only depth images captured by a camera in a frontal position. The approach is based on first detecting all the objects present in the scene and determining their average depth (distance to the camera). Next, for each object, a 3D Region of Interest (ROI) is processed around it in order to determine if the characteristics of the object correspond to the biometric characteristics of a human head. The results obtained using three public datasets captured by three depth sensors with different spatial resolutions and different operation principle (structured light, active stereo vision and Time of Flight) are presented. These results demonstrate that our method can run in realtime using a low-cost CPU platform with a high accuracy, being the processing times smaller than 1 ms per frame for a 512 × 424 image resolution with a precision of 99.26% and smaller than 4 ms per frame for a 1280 × 720 image resolution with a precision of 99.77%

Estudio descriptivo de los recursos espeleológicos, de la comunidad Pasohurco del cantón Loreto, provincia de Orellana, para la propuesta de un producto turístico

En el trabajo de investigación planteado, se considera que los resultados obtenidos es el fruto de una labor minuciosa y práctica, mediante la cual se logró obtener resultados claros y relacionados con los objetivos específicos citados para determinar las conclusiones y recomendaciones respectivas.El presente trabajo tiene como finalidad, diseñar una Ruta Eco Turística Espeleológica, para la conservación y manejo de los Recursos Naturales especialmente “espeleológicos” de la Comunidad Pasohurco, Cantón Loreto, Provincia de Orellana, para lo cual fue necesario cumplir los siguientes objetivos: Caracterizar los componentes de los recursos espeleológicos y demás potenciales turísticos de la Comunidad Pasohurco; Determinar el perfil del visitante y la situación económica actual de la comunidad; Diseñar la “Ruta eco turística espeleológica, como un producto turístico que permita el incremento de la demanda nacional e internacional. Este trabajo requirió de la metodología de campo, de carácter descriptiva y documental con la utilización de matrices de actores, entrevistas, encuestas, guías de observación, lo que permitió cumplir con este proyecto y obtener como resultados de la investigación: el diseño de la Ruta Eco Turística Espeleológica, fomentar nueva fuentes de empleo, concienciación ambiental y turística de la población beneficiaria, de tal manera que se promuevan nuevas actitudes de comportamiento ambiental, hacia la obtención de una mejor calidad de vida, reduciendo los impactos ambientales, segmentación de la demanda y tipo de oferta turística, socialización del proyecto a la comunidad, de igual manera disponer de un nuevo producto turístico sustentable, para el disfrute de visitantes nacionales y extranjeros

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Testing of the International Sedentary Assessment Tool for the Spanish Population

Sedentary behavior (SB) is currently considered a public health problem with a high cost of care. Evaluating SB is essential for prevention and early management of physical inactivity. The International Sedentary Assessment Tool (ISAT) is an instrument that has been developed to assess SB. The aim of this study was to carry out a cross-cultural adaptation and a psychometric analysis of the Spanish version of the ISAT. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 432 participants were included in this study. A double forward method and a backward method were used to translate the ISAT. A psychometric analysis of internal consistency and concurrent criterion validity was performed according to the most up-to-date Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN). No language difficulties were found in the translation process. The Spanish version of ISAT was readable and acceptable. Internal consistency was satisfactory (α = 0.80). Criterion validity was demonstrated (rho=0.63). The Spanish version of the ISAT is a valid and reliable measure that can be used clinically to assess SB. Further studies assessing other psychometric properties are needed.The APC was funded by Cátedra de Fisioterapia at Universidad de Málaga

Mechanical resistance of zirconium implant abutments : a review of the literature

The increase of aesthetic demands, together with the successful outcome of current implants, has renewed interest in the search for new materials with enough mechanical properties and better aesthetic qualities than the materials customarily used in implanto-prosthetic rehabilitation. Among these materials, zirconium has been used in different types of implants, including prosthetic abutments. The aim of the present review is to analyse current scientific evidence supporting the use of this material for the above mentioned purposes. We carried out the review of the literature published in the last ten years (2000 through 2010) of in vitro trials of dynamic and static loading of zirconium abutments found in the databases of Medline and Cochrane using the key words zirconium abutment, fracture resistance, fracture strength, cyclic loading. Although we have found a wide variability of values among the different studies, abutments show favourable clinical behaviour for the rehabilitation of single implants in the anterior area. Such variability may be explained by the difficulty to simulate daily mastication under in vitro conditions. The clinical evidence, as found in our study, does not recommend the use of implanto-prosthetic zirconium abutments in the molar area. © Medicina Oral S. L

Estudio bibliométrico de la investigación educativa en las universidades de Andalucía en el SSCI (2002-2010)

The ten Andalusian public universities have a total figure of 1312 professors linked to departments related to educational research. According to this, it could be said that there are enough research staff to make educational scientific production visible. Despite the fact that there are previous studies on Spanish educational production, these are not focused in Andalusia as a whole. The goal is to analyse the educational production, indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index database (SSCI), carried out by researchers affiliated to some of the Andalusian universities. In particular, we analyse co-authorship patterns, diachronic production, language of the publication and the production per university. We utilize usual bibliometrical techniques for collecting and analysing data. We make the search in the SSCI from which we filter the information and download it. We used a local relational database made for this purpose. A standardization process of the author name and institution was made. An exponential rise of the production analysed is observed, partially due to the increment of educational journals that are indexed by the SSCI along the period studied. Spanish journals have the highest production rate. Likewise, a collaboration networks between Andalusian universities and others was revealed. The research articles are the 89.7% of the whole production analysed. The resulting collaboration index is slightly higher than others found in previous studies in the fields of Social Sciences and Education. In addition, it is shown that the collaboration among the Andalusian universities is lowLas diez universidades públicas de Andalucía cuentan con 1312 profesores en departamentos directamente relacionados con la investigación educativa por lo que existe un número de personal docente e investigador (PDI) suficiente para hacer visible la producción científica asociada al sector educativo. Existen estudios sobre la producción educativa española, pero no centrados en la Comunidad Autónoma Andaluza. Por ello consideramos pertinente y de interés abordar un estudio en tal sentido. El objetivo es analizar la producción sobre Educación en el campo de las Ciencias Sociales de los investigadores vinculados a las universidades andaluzas en la base de datos Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). Analizaremos patrones de coautoría, la producción diacrónica, el idioma y la producción por universidades. Se utilizaron técnicas bibliométricas usuales para la toma y análisis de los datos. Se descargó la información utilizando varios filtros y se volcó en una base de datos relacional y ad hoc. Se tomaron los nombres de todo el profesorado universitario andaluz para estandarizar su firma y su institución. Se observó un crecimiento exponencial de la producción generada por el reciente incremento de revistas de Educación en SCCI. El mayor porcentaje de producción está en revistas españolas. Se evidenció la colaboración existente entre universidades de Andalucía y el resto de universidades españolas y norteamericanas. El 89,7% de la producción corresponde a artículos de investigación. La colaboración en estos documentos es ligeramente mayor a otras establecidas en estudios previos sobre Ciencias Sociales o Educación. Asimismo hay la poca colaboración institucional entre las propias universidades andaluzas

Towards Deep People Detection using CNNs Trained on Synthetic Images

Para solicitar sexeni