Reconstruction approximating method by biquadratic splines of offset surfaces holes

Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA.Standard Offset surfaces are defined as locus of the points which are at constant distance along the unit normal direction from the generator surfaces. Offset are widely used in various practical applications, such as tolerance analysis, geometric optics and robot path-planning. In some of the engineering applications, we need to extend the concept of standard offset to the generalized offset where distance offset is not necessarily constant and offset direction are not necessarily along the normal direction. Normally, a generalized offset is functionally more complex than its progenitor because of the square root appears in the expression of the unit normal vector. For this, an approximation method of its construction is necessary. In many situation it is necessary to fill or reconstruct certain function defined in a domain in which there is a lack of information inside one or several sub-domains (holes). In some practical cases, we may have some specific geometrical constrains, of industrial or design type, for example, the case of a specified volume inside each one of these holes. The problem of filling holes or completing a 3D surface arises in all sorts of computational graphics areas, like CAGD, CAD-CAM, Earth Sciences, computer vision in robotics, image reconstruction from satellite and radar information, etc. In this work we present an approximation method of filling holes of the generalized offset of a surface when there is a lack information in a sub-domain of the function that define it. We prove the existence and uniqueness of solution of this problem, we show how to compute it and we establish a convergence result of this approximation method. Finally, we give some graphical and numerical examples.Universidad de Granada / CBU

O impacto das ferramentas de comunicação no Customer Engagement da indústria hoteleira

Atualmente, o mundo está cada vez mais digital e a forma como as pessoas vivem e interagem entre si está em constante transformação. Esta transformação também é sentida no contexto empresarial, na forma das organizações atingirem e comunicarem com o seu público. O aparecimento de novas ferramentas de comunicação criou, às empresas, a urgente necessidade de adaptação ao mercado e ao novo cenário vivido nos dias de hoje. O setor da hospitalidade não é exceção e as unidades hoteleiras têm como missão ajustar-se à nova realidade, aproveitando as novas ferramentas para comunicar com os seus consumidores. A presente dissertação tem, como objetivo principal, analisar as ferramentas de comunicação empresariais, o customer engagement (e respetivas vertentes) visando aferir que ferramentas é que têm um melhor impacto no mesmo. Assim, foi elaborado um questionário de forma a responder a esta questão, no qual um número de 382 respostas foi registado. Os resultados permitiram concluir que ferramentas como publicidade, redes sociais e promoção de vendas têm um impacto mais positivo no customer engagement do que ferramentas como a partilha de informação através de SMS, chamadas telefónicas ou contactos presenciais. Relativamente aos âmbitos do customer engagement, as vertentes mais manifestadas pelos consumidores são a intenção de compra do mesmo ou de um novo produto da unidade hoteleira e as referências e recomendações dos mesmos a amigos e familiares. A atualidade deste tema, numa fase caracterizada por uma constante transformação digital, é bastante pertinente enquanto objeto de estudo e literatura para os entusiastas do mesmo.Currently, the world is getting more digital, and the way people live and interact is constantly changing. This transformation is also felt in business because organizations can reach and communicate with their target. The appearance of new communication tools created an urgent need for companies to adapt to the market and the current scenario. The hospitality sector is not an exception, and the hospitality units have the mission to adapt to the new reality, taking advantage of new means and tools to communicate with their consumers. The main goal of the present dissertation is to analyse business communication tools, customer engagement and its aspects to understand which tools have the most significant impact on it. A survey was elaborated to answer this question, in which 382 responses were registered. The results allowed to conclude that communication tools such as advertising, social media and sales promotion have a much more positive impact on customer engagement than tools like sharing information via SMS, phone calls or face to face contacts. Regarding the customer engagement’s areas, the aspects most expressed by consumers are the intention to purchase the same or a new product from the same hospitality unit and their references and recommendations to friends and family. The moment of the proposed topic, in a phase that a constant digital transformation is being lived, is quite interesting and relevant as an object of study and literature for all of this topic’s enthusiasts

Fitting and filling of 3D datasets with volume constraints using radial basis functions under tension

Acknowledgments This work was supported by FEDER/Junta de Andalucía-Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades (Research Project A-FQM-76-UGR20, University of Granada) and by the Junta de Andalucía (Research Groups FQM-191 and TEP-190). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA.Given a dataset of 3D points in which there is a hole, i.e., a region with a lack of information, we develop a method providing a surface that fits the dataset and fills the hole. The filling patch is required to fulfill a prescribed volume condition. The fitting–filling function consists of a radial basis functions that minimizes an energy functional involving both, the fitting of the dataset and the volume constraint of the filling patch, as well as the fairness of the function. We give a convergence result and we present some graphical and numerical examples.FEDER/Junta de Andalucía-Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades (Research Project A-FQM-76-UGR20, University of Granada)Junta de Andalucía (Research Groups FQM-191 and TEP-190)Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBU

Optimal Centers’ Allocation in Smoothing or Interpolating with Radial Basis Functions

This work was supported by FEDER/Junta de Andalucía-Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades (Research Project A-FQM-76-UGR20, University of Granada) and by the Junta de Andalucía (Research Group FQM191).Function interpolation and approximation are classical problems of vital importance in many science/engineering areas and communities. In this paper, we propose a powerful methodology for the optimal placement of centers, when approximating or interpolating a curve or surface to a data set, using a base of functions of radial type. In fact, we chose a radial basis function under tension (RBFT), depending on a positive parameter, that also provides a convenient way to control the behavior of the corresponding interpolation or approximation method. We, therefore, propose a new technique, based on multi-objective genetic algorithms, to optimize both the number of centers of the base of radial functions and their optimal placement. To achieve this goal, we use a methodology based on an appropriate modification of a non-dominated genetic classification algorithm (of type NSGA-II). In our approach, the additional goal of maintaining the number of centers as small as possible was also taken into consideration. The good behavior and efficiency of the algorithm presented were tested using different experimental results, at least for functions of one independent variable.Junta de Andalucía-Consejería de Transformación Econímica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades A-FQM-76-UGR20Universidad de GranadaEuropean Regional Development FundJunta de Andalucía FQM19

Mentorización y formación del profesorado

El ingreso de profesionales en el ámbito laboral universitario supone un reto fundamental, tanto para el profesorado novel como para los distintos Departamentos y Centros que asumen la docencia universitaria. En este contexto la mentorización del profesorado universitario de nuevo ingreso por el profesorado veterano se convierte en una tarea de primera fila en las competencias que debe ejercer la Universidad; institución que debido a su misión bicefalia, docencia e investigación, debe tener en cuenta ambos aspectos. Desde el curso 2007-2008 hasta la actualidad la Universidad de Granada ha seguido un proceso institucional de formación de los docentes noveles mediante el acompañamiento de profesoras y profesores con un mínimo de diez años de experiencia y con formación previa actualizada en temas de mentorización, la cual era proporcionada por expertos de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. El proceso, que se ha diversificado para perseguir una formación continua del personal docente e investigador, se puede definir como clave en la adquisición de buenas prácticas didácticas, así como en la generación de recursos para la participación en acciones formativas y en reuniones orientadas a la formación docente universitaria

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Multiple Sclerosis

To understand COVID-19 characteristics in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and identify high-risk individuals due to their immunocompromised state resulting from the use of disease-modifying treatments. Retrospective and multicenter registry in patients with MS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and available disease course (mild = ambulatory; severe = hospitalization; and critical = intensive care unit/death). Cases were analyzed for associations between MS characteristics and COVID-19 course and for identifying risk factors for a fatal outcome. Of the 326 patients analyzed, 120 were cases confirmed by real-time PCR, 34 by a serologic test, and 205 were suspected. Sixty-nine patients (21.3%) developed severe infection, 10 (3%) critical, and 7 (2.1%) died. Ambulatory patients were higher in relapsing MS forms, treated with injectables and oral first-line agents, whereas more severe cases were observed in patients on pulsed immunosuppressors and critical cases among patients with no therapy. Severe and critical infections were more likely to affect older males with comorbidities, with progressive MS forms, a longer disease course, and higher disability. Fifteen of 33 patients treated with rituximab were hospitalized. Four deceased patients have progressive MS, 5 were not receiving MS therapy, and 2 were treated (natalizumab and rituximab). Multivariate analysis showed age (OR 1.09, 95% CI, 1.04-1.17) as the only independent risk factor for a fatal outcome. This study has not demonstrated the presumed critical role of MS therapy in the course of COVID-19 but evidenced that people with MS with advanced age and disease, in progressive course, and those who are more disabled have a higher probability of severe and even fatal diseas

Approximation of explicit surfaces by fairness bicubic variational splines

In this paper we present an approximation method of surfaces by a new type of splines, which we call fairness bicubic splines, from a given Lagrangian data set. An approximating problem of explicit surfaces is obtained by minimizing a quadratic functional in a parametric space of bicubic splines. The existence and uniqueness of this problem are shown as long as a convergence result of the method is established. We analyze some numerical and graphical examples in order to show the validity of our method

Blending surfaces by smoothing PDE splines

This work is concerned with how we can mix conditions of both interpolation and approximation in order to find a blending surface joining two or more surfaces when approximating a given data point set, and modelled from a certain partial differential equation. We establish a variational characterization for the solution of this problem and we establish some convergence result. Finally, we discretize this problem in a finite element space

A Shape-Preserving Variational Spline Approximation Problem for Hole Filling in Generalized Offset Surfaces

In the study of some real cases, it is possible to encounter well-defined geometric conditions, of an industrial or design type—for example, the case of a specific volume within each of several holes. In most of these cases, it is recommended to fulfil a function defined in a domain in which information is missing in one or more sub-domains (holes) of the global set, where the function data are not known. The problem of filling holes or completing a surface in three dimensions appears in many fields of computing, such as computer-aided geometric design (CAGD). A method to solve the shape-preserving variational spline approximation problem for hole filling in generalized offset surfaces is presented. The existence and uniqueness of the solution of the studied method are established, as well as the computation, and certain convergence results are analyzed. A graphic and numerical example complete this study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented method. This manuscript presents the resolution of a complicated problem due to the study of some criteria that can be traduced via an approximation problem related to generalized offset surfaces with holes and also the preservation of the shape of such surfaces

Approximation of 3D trapezoidal fuzzy data using radial basis functions

We present a new methodology to approximate a trapezoidal fuzzy numbers set by using smoothing radial basis functions (RBFs). The methodology uses different error and similarity indices to determine and compare the accuracy of the approximation of the given trapezoidal fuzzy data. For the proposed approximation method a fuzzy radial basis functions type are defined, called fuzzy smoothing radial basis functions under tension. The computation of one of these approximation functions from a given trape-zoidal fuzzy data set is described and some convergence results are proved. Finally, some examples in two-dimensions are given to compare the behavior of the presented method by using the proposed error and similarity indices for different configurations of the fuzzy smoothing radial basis functions under tension.FEDER/Junta de Andalucia-Consejeria de Transformacion Economica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades A-FQM-76-UGR20Junta de Andalucia FQM19