Segmentação Distribuída de Imagem de Sensoriamento Remoto a partir de Banco de Dados PostgreSQL/InterIMAGE.

A abordagem de classificação baseada em objetos representa um novo paradigma no processamento de imagens de altas resoluções espaciais, espectrais e temporais, e a construção de objetos baseia-se na segmentação das imagens. A análise de imagens baseada em objetos (GEOBIA - Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis) apresenta métodos capazes de explorar, além de atributos espectrais, elementos como textura, forma ou contexto. Existem aplicações que buscam melhorar o desempenho computacional com soluções sequenciais e distribuídas, ou programas como TerraView que abordam o uso de sistemas gerenciadores de banco de dados. Este trabalho propõe explorar especificações de aplicações para integrar o Sistema Gerenciador de Banco de Dados (SGBD) PostgreSQL/PostGIS e o classificador Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) do InterIMAGE Desktop para processamento de grandes imagens orbitais. O método apresentado é expansível no uso da biblioteca TerraLib 5, com linguagem de programação C++. Os experimentos realizados com as representações matriciais (raster) indicaram a viabilidade das aplicações e podem se consolidar sob a forma de processos de armazenamento e processamento da segmentação no SGBD

Percepção de estudantes de psicologia sobre a informática em sua formação profissional

Neste artigo analisa-se uma pesquisa de natureza qualitativa, cujo objetivo era explorar a percepção de 45 alunos de psicologia de diferentes universidades da cidade de Santiago do Chile, sobre a incorporação da informática como apoio para a aprendizagem em sua formação profissional. A informação foi coletada através de entrevistas semiestruturadas e analisou-se mediante o processo de codificação da Teoría Fundamentada. Os resultados mostram como categorias principais, o conhecimento da informática, a valoração da informática, e os fatores que obstaculizam o uso desta. Da codificação seletiva se desprende uma alta valoração da informática como ferramenta econômica e cômoda, mas também se observa uma alta reticência dos alunos diante de sua utilização no trabalho profissional tradicional do psicólogo. Encontraram-se fatores pessoais e institucionais nos que se baseia a valoração, a motivação e o nível de conhecimento dos estudantes diante do uso de ferramentas informáticas.This paper analyses a qualitative research aimed to exploring the perception of 45 psychology students from different universities in Santiago de Chile, about incorporating information systems to support learning in their professional training. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and their analysis was based on Grounded Theory's coding process. Results show that the major categories are computer knowledge, appreciation of computers and factors that hinder their use. From the selective coding a positive evaluation emerges of information systems as an economic and useful tool. However, there is also a high reluctance on the part of the students regarding the use of such tools in the psychologist' traditional professional work. Personal and organizational factors were found as bases for students' assessment, motivation and level of knowledge facing the use of these tools.En este artículo se analiza una investigación de naturaleza cualitativa, cuyo objetivo era explorar la percepción de 45 alumnos de psicología de diferentes universidades de la ciudad de Santiago de Chile, sobre la incorporación de la informática como apoyo para el aprendizaje en su formación profesional. La información se recolectó a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas y se analizó mediante el proceso de codificación de la Teoría Fundamentada. Los resultados muestran como categorías principales, el conocimiento de la informática, la valoración de la informática, y los factores que obstaculizan el uso de ésta. De la codificación selectiva se desprende una alta valoración de la informática como herramienta económica y cómoda, pero también se observa una alta reticencia de los alumnos frente a su utilización en el trabajo profesional tradicional del psicólogo. Se encontraron factores personales e institucionales en los cuales se fundamenta la valoración, la motivación y el nivel de conocimiento de los estudiantes frente al uso de herramientas informáticas

A Comprehensive Analysis of Shared Loci between Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Sixteen Autoimmune Diseases Reveals Limited Genetic Overlap

In spite of the well-known clustering of multiple autoimmune disorders in families, analyses of specific shared genes and polymorphisms between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases (ADs) have been limited. Therefore, we comprehensively tested autoimmune variants for association with SLE, aiming to identify pleiotropic genetic associations between these diseases. We compiled a list of 446 non–Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) variants identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of populations of European ancestry across 17 ADs. We then tested these variants in our combined Caucasian SLE cohorts of 1,500 cases and 5,706 controls. We tested a subset of these polymorphisms in an independent Caucasian replication cohort of 2,085 SLE cases and 2,854 controls, allowing the computation of a meta-analysis between all cohorts. We have uncovered novel shared SLE loci that passed multiple comparisons adjustment, including the VTCN1 (rs12046117, P = 2.02×10−06) region. We observed that the loci shared among the most ADs include IL23R, OLIG3/TNFAIP3, and IL2RA. Given the lack of a universal autoimmune risk locus outside of the MHC and variable specificities for different diseases, our data suggests partial pleiotropy among ADs. Hierarchical clustering of ADs suggested that the most genetically related ADs appear to be type 1 diabetes with rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease with ulcerative colitis. These findings support a relatively distinct genetic susceptibility for SLE. For many of the shared GWAS autoimmune loci, we found no evidence for association with SLE, including IL23R. Also, several established SLE loci are apparently not associated with other ADs, including the ITGAM-ITGAX and TNFSF4 regions. This study represents the most comprehensive evaluation of shared autoimmune loci to date, supports a relatively distinct non–MHC genetic susceptibility for SLE, provides further evidence for previously and newly identified shared genes in SLE, and highlights the value of studies of potentially pleiotropic genes in autoimmune diseases

Effect of sitagliptin on cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND: Data are lacking on the long-term effect on cardiovascular events of adding sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor, to usual care in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind study, we assigned 14,671 patients to add either sitagliptin or placebo to their existing therapy. Open-label use of antihyperglycemic therapy was encouraged as required, aimed at reaching individually appropriate glycemic targets in all patients. To determine whether sitagliptin was noninferior to placebo, we used a relative risk of 1.3 as the marginal upper boundary. The primary cardiovascular outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for unstable angina. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 3.0 years, there was a small difference in glycated hemoglobin levels (least-squares mean difference for sitagliptin vs. placebo, -0.29 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.32 to -0.27). Overall, the primary outcome occurred in 839 patients in the sitagliptin group (11.4%; 4.06 per 100 person-years) and 851 patients in the placebo group (11.6%; 4.17 per 100 person-years). Sitagliptin was noninferior to placebo for the primary composite cardiovascular outcome (hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.09; P<0.001). Rates of hospitalization for heart failure did not differ between the two groups (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.20; P = 0.98). There were no significant between-group differences in rates of acute pancreatitis (P = 0.07) or pancreatic cancer (P = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, adding sitagliptin to usual care did not appear to increase the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, hospitalization for heart failure, or other adverse events

Phase 1 safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic study of single ascending doses of XM17 (recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone) in downregulated healthy women

Andreas Lammerich, Peter Bias, Beate Gertz Merckle GmbH, Ulm, Germany Background: XM17 is a recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (follitropin alfa) for stimulation of multifollicular development in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation during assisted reproductive therapy and for treatment of anovulation. Manufactured using Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with the human follicle-stimulating hormone gene, XM17 has an identical amino acid sequence to that of the human protein as well as to those of the other approved recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone products. Glycosylation patterns may differ slightly between products. The objectives of this first-in-human study were to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and dose-proportionality of single ascending subcutaneous doses of XM17 in healthy young female volunteers.Methods: Endogenous follicle-stimulating hormone was downregulated by implanting a 1-month depot of goserelin acetate 3.6 mg on day 0 in eligible subjects. On day 14 of the experimental period, subjects received one of four ascending doses of XM17. Blood sampling to obtain the pharmacokinetic profile of XM17 was done at frequent intervals until 168 hours post-dose.Results: Following downregulation of endogenous follicle-stimulating hormone to &lt;4 IU/L, 40 subjects (of mean age 29&plusmn;5.4 years) received single subcutaneous doses of 37.5 (n=4, pilot group), 75, 150, or 300 IU (n=12 each) of XM17. The mean serum concentration-time profiles of XM17 revealed dose-related increases in maximum concentration (Cmax) within 24 hours followed by monoexponential decay for the three higher dose levels. Slopes estimated by linear regression for Cmax and AUC0&ndash;168h were ~1.0 (0.9052 IU/L and 1.0964 IU&middot;h/L, respectively). For each IU of XM17 administered, Cmax and AUC0&ndash;168h rose by 0.032 IU/L and 2.60 IU&middot;h/L, respectively. Geometric mean elimination half-life ranged from 54 to 90 hours. No antibodies to XM17 were detected. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were headache (12 events in eleven [27.5%] subjects) and dizziness (four events in four [10%] subjects); two subjects (5%) reported mild pain on touch at the injection site.Conclusion: Single subcutaneous doses of XM17 up to 300 IU in healthy young women exhibited dose-proportional pharmacokinetics with good safety and tolerability. Keywords: follitropin alfa, biosimilar, assisted reproductive technology, anovulatio