Crossmodal perception in virtual reality

With the proliferation of low-cost, consumer level, head-mounted displays (HMDs) we are witnessing a reappearance of virtual reality. However, there are still important stumbling blocks that hinder the achievable visual quality of the results. Knowledge of human perception in virtual environments can help overcome these limitations. In this work, within the much-studied area of perception in virtual environments, we look into the less explored area of crossmodal perception, that is, the interaction of different senses when perceiving the environment. In particular, we look at the influence of sound on visual perception in a virtual reality scenario. First, we assert the existence of a crossmodal visuo-auditory effect in a VR scenario through two experiments, and find that, similar to what has been reported in conventional displays, our visual perception is affected by auditory stimuli in a VR setup. The crossmodal effect in VR is, however, lower than that present in a conventional display counterpart. Having asserted the effect, a third experiment looks at visuo-auditory crossmodality in the context of material appearance perception. We test different rendering qualities, together with the presence of sound, for a series of materials. The goal of the third experiment is twofold: testing whether known interactions in traditional displays hold in VR, and finding insights that can have practical applications in VR content generation (e.g., by reducing rendering costs)

Cuándo y cómo tratar los quistes hepáticos gigantes sintomáticos

Los quistes hepáticos conforman un grupo heterogéneo de enfermedades con distinta etiología e incidencia, pero con manifestaciones clínicas similares. Presentamos 4 casos de quistes hepáticos gigantes sintomáticos tratados mediante destechamiento laparoscópico con excelente resultado. Caso 1. Mujer de 53 años que acude a Urgencias por dolor en hipocondrio derecho de una semana de evolución, filiado inicialmente como cólico nefrítico. Se realiza ecografía y resonancia magnética que demuestran un quiste simple de 20 cm en segmento vi, hipointenso en T1 y que no presenta realce de pared tras la administración de contraste. Caso 2. Varón de 77 años que consulta por vómitos biliosos y dolor en hipocondrio derecho de meses de evolución. En la TAC abdominal se aprecia un quiste de 14 cm entre los segmentos vii y viii que, por la densidad de su contenido, plantea diagnóstico diferencial entre quiste simple, cistoadenoma y/o biloma. Se decide realizar laparoscopia exploradora y tras aspirar el contenido del quiste y comprobar que este no era biliar, se practica el destechamiento. Caso 3. Varón de 75 años que acude a Urgencias por sensación de masa en epigastrio. En la TAC abdominal se objetiva un quiste de 18 cm que parece depender del lóbulo hepático izquierdo, ocupando su totalidad, y que contiene tabicaciones en la porción superior que hacen sospechar un posible quiste hidatídico. Estudios serológicos descartaron esta opción y durante la intervención se observó que el quiste contenía sangre transformada..

Caracterización fitoclimática de procedencias de encinar (Quercus ilex L. subsp. ballota (Desf.) Samp. y Quercus ilex L. subsp. ilex) en el centro-norte peninsular

This paper presents some contributions to the phytoclimatic characterization of stands of holm-oak (Quercus ilex. L.) in the centre-north of the Iberian Peninsula and the testing of a method of phytoclimatic homologation applicable to the characterization of provenances of the species. For the phytoclimatic characterization, 432 sampling points in the Province of Burgos were considered, corresponding to the centres of cartographic tessellae of actual vegetation in which holm-oak was the principle species of the forest (18,965 ha). The phytoclimatic diagnosis followed the phytoclimatic models of Allué-Andrade. Phytoclimatic territorial models were constructed in digital format on the basis of preliminary territorial factorial estimations, which were used to determine phytoclimatic terns. Based on the establishment of phytoclimatic ambits for the existence of holm-oak stands in Burgos and stratification in accordance with the five phytoclimatic subtypes (VI(IV)1, VI(IV)2, VI(VII), VI(V) and VI), phytoclimatic homologation was performed in three phases of increasing strictness, all based on a comparison of phytoclimatic terns derived from the general and specific phytoclimatic systems. In the strictest homologation, an adequate and territorially compact degree of discrimination was achieved for 2.622.500 ha (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) and 116.00 ha (Quercus ilex subsp. ilex) in the centre-north of the Iberian Peninsula. The marked edaphic azonality of the species was an important factor in the interpretation of the results.En el presente trabajo se efectúan aportaciones a la caracterización fitoclimática de encinares de Quercus ilex L. en el centro-norte peninsular y se ensaya un método de homologación fitoclimática aplicable a la caracterización de procedencias de la especie, diferenciando en el estudio la subespecie ilex de la subespecie ballota. Para la caracterización fitoclimática se consideraron 432 puntos de muestreo en la provincia de Burgos, correspondientes a los centros de las teselas cartográficas de vegetación real en las que la encina es la especie principal del vuelo (18.965 has). La diagnosis fitoclimática se realizó conforme a los modelos fitoclimáticos de Allué-Andrade (1990), mediante la confección de bases territoriales fitoclimáticas en formato digital basadas en estimaciones factoriales previas que permitiesen la determinación de ternas de diagnosis fitoclimática. Los puntos centrales de las teselas de encina en la provincia de Burgos se corresponden con 5 subtipos fitoclimáticos: VI(IV)1, VI(IV)2, VI(VII), VI(V) y VI, de los que casi la mitad (205) se encuentran en el subtipo VI(IV)1. La homologación fitoclimática se realizó en tres fases de exigencia creciente, basadas en la comparación de ternas fitoclimáticas. En la homologación más exigente, consistente en igualdad de terna y exigencia adicional de escalares genuinos y valores factoriales interiores a los respectivos ámbitos escalares y factoriales de los puntos origen, se obtuvo una superficie de homologación de 2.622.500 has para la subespecie ballota y 116.100 has para la subespecie ilex. Los resultados de este estudio sugieren la marcada azonalidad edáfica de buena parte de los encinares de Burgos como condicionante en la interpretación y aplicación práctica de los resultados

140 ans d'aménagement forestier en Espagne.

Cite les principaux faits historiques qui sont à l'origine de la mise en place et des premiers pas de l'aménagement forestier en Espagne pendant la deuxième moitié du XIXè siècle, ainsi que l'évolution au cours du XXè siècle et son état actuel. Si le bilan de ces 140 ans de pratique d'aménagement est globalement très positif, il reste cependant à combler d'importantes lacunes notamment en ce qui concerne les forêts issues de reboisements, ainsi qu'en ce qui concerne les méthodes de conversion fortement conditionnées par des facteurs sociaux et saisonniers surtout dans les forêts feuillues méditerranéennes souvent dégradées

Magnetic Properties and Applications of Glass-coated Ferromagnetic Microwires

A remarkable magnetic softness and giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect at GHz frequency range havebeen observed in glass-coated microwires subjected to appropriate postprocessing. Co-based microwires present higher GMI effect. Insulating and flexible glass-coating allows use of magnetically soft amorphous glass-coated microwires for stresses or temperature monitoring insmartcomposites using free space facility. Such composites with magnetic microwire inclusions can present tunable magnetic permittivity. We report on in-situ the evolution of the transmission and reflection parameters of the polymer containing magnetic microwire inclusions during the polymerization process. A remarkable change of the reflection and transmission in the range of 4-7 GHz upon the matrix polymerization is observed. Observed dependencies are discussed in terms of the effect of the temperature and stresses variation on magnetic properties of glass-coated microwires during the thermoset matrix polymerization. Obtained results are considered as a base for novel sensing technique allowing non-destructive and non-contact monitoring of the composites utilizing ferromagnetic glass-coated microwire inclusions with magnetic properties sensitive to tensile stress and temperature

New suture materials for midline laparotomy closure: an experimental study

BACKGROUND: Midline laparotomy closure carries a significant risk of incisional hernia. This study examines the behavior of two new suture materials, an elastic material, polyurethane (PUe), and a barbed polydioxanone (PDXb) suture thread in a rabbit model of midline incision closure. METHODS: Three 2-cm midline incisions were made in 68 New Zealand White rabbits. The incisions were closed by running suture using four 3/0 threads: polypropylene (PP) (Surgipro®, Covidien), PUe (Assuplus®, Assut Europe), PDX (Assufil®, Assut Europe) or PDXb (Filbloc®, Assut Europe). Animals in each suture group were euthanized 3 weeks and 6 months after surgery. Histological sections of the tissue-embedded sutures were subjected to morphological, collagen expression, macrophage response and uniaxial tensiometry studies. RESULTS: No signs of wound dehiscence or complications were observed. At 3 weeks, all sutures were surrounded by connective tissue composed mainly of collagen III. PUe showed greater collagen I expression than the other sutures. All sutures elicited a macrophage response that diminished from 3 weeks to 6 months (p < 0.001). This response was similar for the non-reabsorbable sutures (PP and PUe) yet PDXb showed a significantly greater response than the other reabsorbable suture (PDX) at 3 weeks (p < 0.01). At this early time point, the tensile strength of PUe was similar to that of control intact tissue (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Three weeks after surgery, PUe revealed more collagen I deposition than the remaining materials and this translated to a similar biomechanical behavior to linea alba, that could avoid the appearance of short term dehiscences and thus reduce the incidence of incisional hernia. PDXb provides no additional advantages in their behavior regarding PDX suture

Guia de recursos per al personal de control oficial

Control oficial; Recursos humans; Gestió del coneixementControl oficial; Recursos humanos; Gestión del conocimientoOfficial control; Human resources; Knowledge managementAquesta guia dona resposta tant al personal que s’incorpora de nou a l’Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya, com als que ja estan treballant i necessiten un document de consulta on es recullen diferents aspectes com ara l'explicació de conceptes clau relacionats amb la seva tasca i relació de recursos informàtics (intranet..) i altres (programes, guies pràctiques...) que necessita per fer el control oficial; els relacionats amb la formació (formació específica, Comunitat de Pràctica...) i els aspectes relacionats amb recursos humans (jornada i horari, règim retributiu...).Esta guía da respuesta tanto al personal que se incorpora de nuevo a la Agencia de Salud Pública de Cataluña, como a los que ya están trabajando y necesitan un documento de consulta en el que se recojan diferentes aspectos como la explicación de conceptos clave relacionados con su labor y relación de recursos informáticos (intranet..) y otros (programas, guías prácticas...) que necesita para realizar el control oficial; los relacionados con la formación (formación específica, Comunidad de Práctica...) y los aspectos relacionados con recursos humanos (jornada y horario, régimen retributivo...).This guide responds both to personnel who are joining the Public Health Agency of Catalonia again, and to those who are already working and need a consultation document that includes different aspects such as the explanation of key concepts related to their work and list of computer resources (intranet...) and others (programs, practical guides...) that you need to carry out the official control; those related to training (specific training, Community of Practice...) and aspects related to human resources (day and schedule, remuneration regime...

Temporal changes in the epidemiology, management, and outcome from acute respiratory distress syndrome in European intensive care units: a comparison of two large cohorts

Background: Mortality rates for patients with ARDS remain high. We assessed temporal changes in the epidemiology and management of ARDS patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation in European ICUs. We also investigated the association between ventilatory settings and outcome in these patients. Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of two cohorts of adult ICU patients admitted between May 1–15, 2002 (SOAP study, n = 3147), and May 8–18, 2012 (ICON audit, n = 4601 admitted to ICUs in the same 24 countries as the SOAP study). ARDS was defined retrospectively using the Berlin definitions. Values of tidal volume, PEEP, plateau pressure, and FiO2 corresponding to the most abnormal value of arterial PO2 were recorded prospectively every 24&nbsp;h. In both studies, patients were followed for outcome until death, hospital discharge or for 60&nbsp;days. Results: The frequency of ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation during the ICU stay was similar in SOAP and ICON (327[10.4%] vs. 494[10.7%], p = 0.793). The diagnosis of ARDS was established at a median of 3 (IQ: 1–7) days after admission in SOAP and 2 (1–6) days in ICON. Within 24&nbsp;h of diagnosis, ARDS was mild in 244 (29.7%), moderate in 388 (47.3%), and severe in 189 (23.0%) patients. In patients with ARDS, tidal volumes were lower in the later (ICON) than in the earlier (SOAP) cohort. Plateau and driving pressures were also lower in ICON than in SOAP. ICU (134[41.1%] vs 179[36.9%]) and hospital (151[46.2%] vs 212[44.4%]) mortality rates in patients with ARDS were similar in SOAP and ICON. High plateau pressure (&gt; 29 cmH2O) and driving pressure (&gt; 14 cmH2O) on the first day of mechanical ventilation but not tidal volume (&gt; 8&nbsp;ml/kg predicted body weight [PBW]) were independently associated with a higher risk of in-hospital death. Conclusion: The frequency of and outcome from ARDS remained relatively stable between 2002 and 2012. Plateau pressure &gt; 29 cmH2O and driving pressure &gt; 14 cmH2O on the first day of mechanical ventilation but not tidal volume &gt; 8&nbsp;ml/kg PBW were independently associated with a higher risk of death. These data highlight the continued burden of ARDS and provide hypothesis-generating data for the design of future studies

The clinical relevance of oliguria in the critically ill patient : Analysis of a large observational database

Funding Information: Marc Leone reports receiving consulting fees from Amomed and Aguettant; lecture fees from MSD, Pfizer, Octapharma, 3 M, Aspen, Orion; travel support from LFB; and grant support from PHRC IR and his institution. JLV is the Editor-in-Chief of Critical Care. The other authors declare that they have no relevant financial interests. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Background: Urine output is widely used as one of the criteria for the diagnosis and staging of acute renal failure, but few studies have specifically assessed the role of oliguria as a marker of acute renal failure or outcomes in general intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Using a large multinational database, we therefore evaluated the occurrence of oliguria (defined as a urine output 16 years) patients in the ICON audit who had a urine output measurement on the day of admission were included. To investigate the association between oliguria and mortality, we used a multilevel analysis. Results: Of the 8292 patients included, 2050 (24.7%) were oliguric during the first 24 h of admission. Patients with oliguria on admission who had at least one additional 24-h urine output recorded during their ICU stay (n = 1349) were divided into three groups: transient - oliguria resolved within 48 h after the admission day (n = 390 [28.9%]), prolonged - oliguria resolved > 48 h after the admission day (n = 141 [10.5%]), and permanent - oliguria persisting for the whole ICU stay or again present at the end of the ICU stay (n = 818 [60.6%]). ICU and hospital mortality rates were higher in patients with oliguria than in those without, except for patients with transient oliguria who had significantly lower mortality rates than non-oliguric patients. In multilevel analysis, the need for RRT was associated with a significantly higher risk of death (OR = 1.51 [95% CI 1.19-1.91], p = 0.001), but the presence of oliguria on admission was not (OR = 1.14 [95% CI 0.97-1.34], p = 0.103). Conclusions: Oliguria is common in ICU patients and may have a relatively benign nature if only transient. The duration of oliguria and need for RRT are associated with worse outcome.publishersversionPeer reviewe