Influence of the graphical layout of television news on the viewers: An eye tracking study

Television news has continuously experienced several changes, especially related to graphic overlays. The problem with watching TV news is the way viewers receive and process information broadcast by these programmes, given the variety of visual and audio stimuli with which they are confronted. This study focuses on the influence of the graphical layout on the viewers. Specifically, it examines message recall related to TV news. These goals were achieved by means of a case study using eye tracking, applied in two types of TV news broadcasts: one with graphical elements and another with a clean feed (only with the anchor). Finally, participants answered a questionnaire on the contents within the various graphical elements overlaid on the TV news viewed

A cartografia urbana na análise morfogenética de espaços urbanos: o caso do eixo da Boavista na cidade do Porto

Partindo de um estudo morfogenético do eixo da Boavista, na cidade do Porto, desenvolve-se uma análise comparativa das características dos documentos cartográficos urbanos utilizados (cerca de duas dezenas de levantamentos/projetos, datados de entre finais do século XVIII a princípios do século XX) e sublinha-se a utilização da cartografia urbana antiga enquanto instrumento incontornável de conhecimento e reconhecimento da morfogénese urbana, bem como para enquadramento da atuação urbanística atual.O eixo da Boavista está genericamente consubstanciado num notável segmento de reta (constituído por uma rua, uma avenida, uma praça retangular e duas rotundas) que se prolonga por cerca de 6,5 quilómetros, evidenciando uma rotunda intermédia e apresentando dois perfis transversais tipologicamente distintos.Sendo um dos elementos que mais se evidenciam na malha urbana portuense e que aparenta ser a resultante de um único rasgo de planeamento, o eixo da Boavista é tanto mais notável quanto a sua abertura decorreu, afinal, entre o século XVIII e o século XX, correspondendo à persistência política de diversas gerações do poder municipal. Contrariamente à respetiva forma, a sua história não é linear e embora considerando o percurso da Rua da Boavista como a génese condicionadora do traçado da Avenida da Boavista, cada uma (rua e avenida) evoca conceções urbanísticas distintas, assentes em diferentes estratégias territoriais eurbanas.Aformação do eixo da Boavista, entre 1784 e 1915/17, foi mais complexa, mas a cartografia urbana permite identificar cada um dos momentos da sua estruturação, quer pela identificação dos elementos físicos que identificam o faseamento, quer pelas características intrínsecas dos diversos documentos cartográficos.a comparative analysis of the characteristics of the urban cartographic documents used (about two dozen surveys/projects, dating from the late 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century) and emphasizes the use of ancient urban cartography as an important tool for knowledge and recognition of urban morphogenesis, such as a framework of current urban action.The Boavista axis corresponds to a notable straight segment (consisting of a street, an avenue, a rectangular square and two roundabouts) that extends for about 6.5 kilometers, evidencing an intermediate roundabout and presenting two typologically different cross profiles. Being one of the elements that are most evident in the urban network of Porto and which looks like the result of a single planning feature, the Boavista axis is also notable because it was built between the 18th and 20th centuries, corresponding to the political persistence of several generations of municipal power. Contrary to its form, its history is not linear and although considering the course of Rua da Boavista as the genesis conditioning the layout of the Avenida da Boavista, each (street and avenue) evokes distinct urban designs, based on different territorial and urban strategies.The formation of the Boavista axis between 1784 and 1915/17 was more complex, but urban cartography allows identifying each of its structuring periods, either by identifying the physical elements that identify the phasing process, or by the intrinsic characteristics of the various documents cartographic

Aspectos da actuação urbanística entre programas, planos e projectos. Programas, tempo e formas de projecto urbano. - A carta da Asprela

Esta dissertação propõe uma reflexão acerca de algumas temáticas fulcrais do debate disciplinar da urbanística contemporânea, respeitantes ao entendimento actual do projecto urbano, dos seus conteúdos técnicos e documentais, e acerca das condições operativas da acção urbanística numa realidade instável, em constante mutação, e marcada por novas expectativas de vida das populações. Procura-se uma percepção objectivada e consentânea dos fenómenos urbanos como resultantes e/ou determinantes da interacção entre programas, planos, projectos de espaços públicos e projectos de arquitectura, das suas formas de concreção e de gestão, e dos modos como o projecto urbano reconhece e representa as realidades que pretende modificar. As actuais condições do exercício disciplinar exigem novos enquadramentos metodológicos entre análises e propostas, que satisfaçam as recentes exigências de reestruturação urbanística, estruturação ambiental e gestão dos territórios urbanizados. O estudo recorreu à observação de uma série de exemplos da prática disciplinar do autor, desenvolvidos em períodos distintos, correspondentes a objectivos e programas diversificados, e com níveis de concatenação das suas abordagens a escalas igualmente diversificadas. Os exemplos seleccionados (universo referido) correspondem a áreas-contexto e a temáticas variadas, com expressão em centralidades, espaços-limite e periferias urbanas, permitindo um conjunto de lições que importam igualmente ao exercício de uma práxis pedagógica ligada à prática profissional sobre realidades concretas, partindo de um conjunto de pressupostos de enquadramento (universo de referência). O caso de estudo (do pólo universitário) da Asprela configura um verdadeiro laboratório urbanístico que permite observar as condições de urbanização e de reurbanização de um contexto-problema estabelecido no confronto das várias escalas da cidade alargada. À racionalidade dos programas e projectos observados, procura-se contribuir para uma outra racionalidade conduzida por uma epistemologia da complexidade, praticável face às novas circunstâncias do exercício disciplinar e, consequentemente, da sua aprendizagem. aspectos da actuação urbanística entre programas, planos e projectos programas, tempos e formas do projecto urbano - a carta da AsprelaThis dissertation proposes reflection on some of the key issues in the disciplinary debate on contemporary urbanistics relating to the current understanding of urban design, its technical and documental content, and on the operating conditions of urban action on unstable reality, one of constant change, and marked by the population's new expectations of life. It seeks an objective and consistent perception of urban phenomena resulting from and/or determining factors for interaction between programmes, plans, public space projects and architectural projects, their means of completion and management, and the ways in which urban design recognises and represents the realities it aims to modify. The current conditions of the disciplinary exercise require new methodological frameworks for analyses and proposals that meet the latest requirements of urban restructuring, environmental structuring and the management of urbanized territories. A series of examples of the author's disciplinary practice were used, which were developed during different periods, corresponding to a variety of objectives and programmes, and with equally varied levels of concatenation in their approaches to scale. The selected examples (refered universe) are from context-areas and varied topics, expressed in centralities, confined spaces and urban peripheries, making a series of lessons possible, which are equally important for the exercise of a pedagogical praxis linked to professional practice on concrete realities, based on a set of suitable assumptions (reference universe). The Asprela case study (the univeristy campus) is a true urban laboratory that allows us to observe the conditions of urbanization and redevelopment of a problem-context set in the confrontation of the various scales of the enlarged city. To the rationality of the programmes and projects observed, an attempt has been made to contribute towards another rationality driven by an epistemology of complexity, which is practicable given the new circumstances of the disciplinary exercise and consequently, of its learning. aspectos da actuação urbanística entre programas, planos e projectos programas, tempos e formas do projecto urbano - a carta da Asprel

Early identification of intensive care unit-acquired infections with daily monitoring of C-reactive protein: a prospective observational study

INTRODUCTION: Manifestations of sepsis are sensitive but are poorly specific of infection. Our aim was to assess the value of daily measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP), temperature and white cell count (WCC) in the early identification of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired infections. METHODS: We undertook a prospective observational cohort study (14 month). All patients admitted for ≥72 hours (n = 181) were divided into an infected (n = 35) and a noninfected group (n = 28). Infected patients had a documented ICU-acquired infection and were not receiving antibiotics for at least 5 days before diagnosis. Noninfected patients never received antibiotics and were discharged alive. The progression of CRP, temperature and WCC from day -5 to day 0 (day of infection diagnosis or of ICU discharge) was analyzed. Patients were divided into four patterns of CRP course according to a cutoff value for infection diagnosis of 8.7 mg/dl: pattern A, day 0 CRP >8.7 mg/dl and, in the previous days, at least once below the cutoff; pattern B, CRP always >8.7 mg/dl; pattern C, day 0 CRP ≤8.7 mg/dl and, in the previous days, at least once above the cutoff; and pattern D, CRP always ≤8.7 mg/dl. RESULTS: CRP and the temperature time-course showed a significant increase in infected patients, whereas in noninfected it remained almost unchanged (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). The area under the curve for the maximum daily CRP variation in infection prediction was 0.86 (95% confidence interval: 0.752–0.933). A maximum daily CRP variation >4.1 mg/dl was a good marker of infection prediction (sensitivity 92.1%, specificity 71.4%), and in combination with a CRP concentration >8.7 mg/dl the discriminative power increased even further (sensitivity 92.1%, specificity 82.1%). Infection was diagnosed in 92% and 90% of patients with patterns A and B, respectively, and in only two patients with patterns C and D (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Daily CRP monitoring and the recognition of the CRP pattern could be useful in the prediction of ICU-acquired infections. Patients presenting maximum daily CRP variation >4.1 mg/dl plus a CRP level >8.7 mg/dl had an 88% risk of infection

Implementação e avaliação de um instrumento de mediação e aprendizagem no âmbito de Aveiro Cidade Digital

Considerando os novos cenários em rede definidos por tecnologias e serviços da internet e da World Wide Web, propomos, utilizando media interactivo, mais concretamente, agentes multimedia on-line em rede com características multi-utilizador, desenvolver «módulos lúdicos» de aprendizagem, formação e consciencialização. O público-alvo são crianças dos 5 aos 10 anos e a actividade de comunicação e interacção deverá ser promovida no espaço «Actividade de Tempos Livres - ATL» dos jardins de infância inscritos nesta comunidade de trabalho, actualmente constituída por 15 instituições.Música, segurança rodoviária e ecologia serão os primeiros temas a ser trabalhados

Urban cartography in the morphogenetic analysis of urban spaces: the case of the Boavista axis in the city of Porto

Starting from a morphogenetic study of the Boavista axis, in the city of Oporto, a comparative analysis of thecharacteristics of the urban cartographic documents used (about two dozen surveys/projects, dating from the late 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century) and emphasizes the use of ancient urban cartography as an important tool for knowledge and recognition of urban morphogenesis, such as a framework of current urban action.Being one of the elements that are most evident in the urban network of Porto, the Boavista axis looks like the result of a single planning feature and he is also notable because it was built between the 18th and 20th centuries, corresponding to the political persistence of several generations of municipal power. Contrary to its form, its history is not linear and although considering the course of Rua da Boavista as the genesis conditioning the layout of the Avenida da Boavista,each (street and avenue) evokes distinct urban designs, based on different territorial and urban strategies.The formation of the Boavista axis between 1784 and 1915/17 was more complex, but urban cartography allowsidentifying each of its structuring periods, either by identifying the physical elements that identify the phasing process, or by the intrinsic characteristics of the various documents cartographic

A cartografia urbana na análise morfogenética de espaços urbanos : o caso do eixo da Boavista na cidade do Porto

Partindo de um estudo morfogene tico do eixo da Boavista, na cidade do Porto, desenvolve- se uma ana lise comparativa das caracterí sticas dos documentos cartogra - ficos urbanos utilizados (cerca de duas dezenas de levantamentos/projetos, datados de entre finais do se culo XVIII a princí pios do se culo XX) e sublinha-se a utilizaça o da cartografia urbana antiga enquanto instrumento incontorna vel de conhecimento e reconhecimento da morfoge nese urbana, bem como para enquadramento da atuaça o urbaní stica atual. O eixo da Boavista esta genericamente consubstanciado num nota vel segmento de reta (constituí do por uma rua, uma avenida, uma praça retangular e duas rotundas) que se prolonga por cerca de 6,5 quilo metros, evidenciando uma rotunda interme dia e apresentando dois perfis transversais tipologicamente distintos.Sendo um dos elementos que mais se evidenciam na malha urbana portuense e que aparenta ser a resultante de um u nico rasgo de planeamento, o eixo da Boavista e tanto mais nota vel quanto a sua abertura decorreu, afinal, entre o se culo XVIII e o se - culo XX, correspondendo a persiste ncia polí tica de diversas geraço es do poder municipal. Contrariamente a respetiva forma, a sua histo ria na o e linear e embora considerando o percurso da Rua da Boavista como a ge nese condicionadora do traçado da Avenida da Boavista, cada uma (rua e avenida) evoca conceço es urbaní sticas distintas, assentes em diferentes estrate gias territoriais eurbanas. A formaça o do eixo da Boavista, entre 1784 e 1915/17, foi mais complexa, mas a cartografia urbana permite identificar cada um dos momentos da sua estruturaça o, quer pela identificaça o dos elementos fí sicos que identificam o faseamento, quer pelas caracterí sticas intrí nsecas dos diversos documentos cartogra ficos.Starting from a morphogenetic study of the Boavista axis, in the city of Oporto, a comparative analysis of the characteristics of the urban cartographic documents used (about two dozen surveys/projects, dating from the late 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century) and emphasizes the use of ancient urban cartography as an important tool for knowledge and recognition of urban morphogenesis, such as a framework of current urban action. The Boavista axis corresponds to a notable straight segment (consisting of a street, an avenue, a rectangular square and two roundabouts) that extends for about 6.5 kilometers, evidencing an intermediate roundabout and presenting two typologically different cross profiles. Being one of the elements that are most evident in the urban network of Porto and which looks like the result of a single planning feature, the Boavista axis is also notable because it was built between the 18th and 20th centuries, corresponding to the political persistence of several generations of municipal power. Contrary to its form, its history is not linear and although considering the course of Rua da Boavista as the genesis conditioning the layout of the Avenida da Boavista, each (street and avenue) evokes distinct urban designs, based on different territorial and urban strategies. The formation of the Boavista axis between 1784 and 1915/17 was more complex, but urban cartography allows identifying each of its structuring periods, either by identifying the physical elements that identify the phasing process, or by the intrinsic characteristics of the various documents cartographic

A television news graphical layout analysis method using eye tracking

This paper presents an analysis method used to evaluate the graphical layout of Television (TV) News. With the data gathered from an eye tracker, it is possible to discern viewers' main focus of attention. However, in the case of video media, the visualisation tools of eye tracking software are insufficient for this discernment. This method uses eye tracking log files and combines them with algorithms developed using a spreadsheet application and visual data representation techniques. As a result of this combination, it is possible to identify the graphics which have greater visual attention, and subsequently, these representations supported the analysis of viewers' main focus of attention (areas of interest). A case study was also applied for the validation of this method