A new paradigm based on agents applied to free-hand sketch recognition

Important advances in natural calligraphic interfaces for CAD (Computer Aided Design) applications are being achieved, enabling the development of CAS (Computer Aided Sketching) devices that allow facing up to the conceptual design phase of a product. Recognizers play an important role in this field, allowing the interpretation of the user’s intention, but they still present some important lacks. This paper proposes a new recognition paradigm using an agent-based architecture that does not depend on the drawing sequence and takes context information into account to help decisions. Another improvement is the absence of operation modes, that is, no button is needed to distinguish geometry from symbols or gestures, and also “interspersing” and “overtracing” are accomplishedThe Spanish Ministry of Science and Education and the FEDER Funds, through the CUESKETCH project (Ref. DPI2007-66755-C02-01), partially supported this work.Fernández Pacheco, D.; Albert Gil, FE.; Aleixos Borrás, MN.; Conesa Pastor, J. (2012). A new paradigm based on agents applied to free-hand sketch recognition. Expert Systems with Applications. 39(8):7181-7195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2012.01.063S7181719539

Z. M. Bacq et les transmissions chimiques de l'influx nerveux

Lecomte Jean, Juchmes J. Z. M. Bacq et les transmissions chimiques de l'influx nerveux. In: Bulletin de la Classe des sciences, tome 70, 1984. pp. 214-224

Sur les facteurs élémentaires déterminant la performance myocardique

peer reviewe

Effects of a hypocaloric protein diet on changes in arterial pressure produced by adrenaline infusion

In 9 obese patients, epinephrine infusion (10 microgram/min) did not significantly modify the mean arterial blood pressure (MBP) in basal conditions. This infusion reduced MBP (-7 mm Hg, p less than 0.05) after 13 days of protein-supplemented fasting. This difference in the cardio-vascular reactivity to circulatory epinephrine could contribute to the decrease in the arterial blood pressure observed during protein-supplemented fasting

Image of the month. Immediate vasovagal syncope

peer reviewe

Reduction of exercise inudced hyperventilation by blocking beta adrenergic receptors

In normal subjects, beta-adrenergic blockage by propranolol or pindolol reduces exercise hyperventilation (40 to 60% VO2 max)

Some advice for migrating to IFC

Nowadays, the BIM (Building Information Modelling) paradigm is a central topic in the CAAD community. Next to the commercial solutions, the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) have emerged as the best open standard candidate for BIM interoperability. Despite the efforts of the community for promoting IFC over the last 15 years, it seems that its practical adoption in real-life projects has been very limited. The goal of this article is to explore how useful IFC can be today and to provide the reader with some advice for an effective adoption of IFC. Over the last year, we have conducted a project aiming at acquiring a sound understanding of IFC. It was made of two complementary investigations. On one hand, we have focused on the commercial modelling tools and the IFC support they were offering. On the other hand, we have focused on the IFC-based software developments. We have developed a tool converting IFC files into a dedicated thermal assessment based model. We will summarise the experience we have acquired in this project into some advice for users migrating to IFC. Our goal is to confront the practical aspects of the IFC developments, with both the theoretical ambitions and the commercial support currently available

Critical analysis of the "anaerobic threshold" during exercise at constant workloads.

The method described by Wasserman for anaerobic threshold (AT) determination, based on the recording of ventilatory parameters, was supported by the simultaneous appearance of hyperlactacidemia and hyperventilation during a standardized incremental work test. Our study aimed at testing the AT in another profile of exercise, viz., during exercises at constant workloads. A homogenous population of 66 healthy subjects performed on a treadmill a total of 100 exercises of 20 min duration at constant workloads (43, 48, 52, 57, 63, and 71% VO2 max). The VO2, V, and venous plasma lactic acid (LA) were determined every minute. LA showed an initial transient increase at 43% VO2 max and a steady-state elevated level above 48% VO2 max. In contrast, the hyperventilation threshold (HVT) was only observed above 57% VO2 max, simultaneously with a delayed steady-state VO2 and with a sustained increase of lactate until the end of exercise. The meaning of the simultaneity of these three events must still be studied. However, the dissociation between both early and steady-state lactate thresholds and HVT is not in keeping with the concept of AT. In these conditions, there is no evidence that HVT necessarily represents an AT, viz., a critical intensity of exercise inducing an insufficient oxygen delivery to the muscles. This conclusion does not imply that the measurement of HVT should be rejected as an empirical test of physical fitness

Intravenous perfusion of adrenaline and adaptation to muscular exercise in man

Eleven normal subjects underwent epinephrine perfusions (1.9; 6.1; 11.8 ng/min) during a short (20 min) and mild (50% VO2 max) exercise. VO2 was not modified by epinephrine perfusion, while heart rate ventrilation and plasmatic lactate were increased proportionally to epinephrine doses