Temporal video transcoding from H.264/AVC-to-SVC for digital TV broadcasting

Mobile digital TV environments demand flexible video compression like scalable video coding (SVC) because of varying bandwidths and devices. Since existing infrastructures highly rely on H.264/AVC video compression, network providers could adapt the current H.264/AVC encoded video to SVC. This adaptation needs to be done efficiently to reduce processing power and operational cost. This paper proposes two techniques to convert an H.264/AVC bitstream in Baseline (P-pictures based) and Main Profile (B-pictures based) without scalability to a scalable bitstream with temporal scalability as part of a framework for low-complexity video adaptation for digital TV broadcasting. Our approaches are based on accelerating the interprediction, focusing on reducing the coding complexity of mode decision and motion estimation tasks of the encoder stage by using information available after the H. 264/AVC decoding stage. The results show that when our techniques are applied, the complexity is reduced by 98 % while maintaining coding efficiency

Ecological characterization of wild grapevine habitats focused on arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

The European wild grapevine, Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi, is cited as a dioecious relative of cultivated vines, so it can play an important role as phytogenetic resource. There is a lack on the knowledge about the susceptibility of wild grapevine to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association. In consequence, the aim of the present work is to confirm the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM) in the wild grapevine rhizosphere spread in different kinds of soils from 18 wild populations from Spain and France. On the other hand, the accompanying flora, the edaphic characteristics and the presence of parasitic organisms on vines were also determined. The spore density of mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of the selected plants was relatively low. However, the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi was quite high. The taxonomic diversity of AM observed is 56 taxa, 15 of which were identified to species and 41 to genus. Some morphotypes do not correspond to any of the species described up to now. Results indicate the important quality and ecological value in the sites studied and, in consequence, the necessity of their preservation

"Echinospartum algibicum (Leguminosae)" regeneración de plantas mediante organogémesis adventicia

chinospartum algibicum (Leguminosae) regeneración de plantas mediante organogénesis adventicia. La germinación in vitro de semillas de E.algibicum, especie endémica de la Sierra de Grazalema, S de España, así como la inducción de yemas múltiples y el desarrollo posterior de brotes, se consiguió en el medio de cultivo de Murashige y Skoog a mitad de concentración, con 3% de sacarosa y citoquinina (BAP) a las concentraciones de 1 y 2 mg l -1 (ECH-1, ECH-2). La germinación de las semillas se incrementó significativamente de 38% a casi 100% tras la escarificación. El número medio de yemas formado después de 35-40 días fue de 8,6 y 6,9 en los medios ECH-1 y ECH-2 respectivamente. Los brotes fueron posteriormente enraizados en el mismo medio nutritivo pero sustituyendo la citoquinina por la auxina IBA (0.2 mg l -1 ). En este medio, se consiguió un porcentaje medio de enraizamiento de 35,49 después de 25-30 días, y en algunos casos la formación de masas de callo en las zonas de los brotes en contacto con el medio nutritivo. Finalmente, se ensayó la aclimatación de estas plantas a suelo mediante reducción progresiva de la humedad relativa y tras varios tratamientos que incluyeron el uso de CO 2 , la adición de inoculo de micorriza (Glomus deserticola) al substrato de cultivo, así como el uso de un medio de cultivo sin reguladores de crecimiento y mitad de sacarosa previo paso a suelo. Los porcentajes de supervivencia después de 60 días en suelo fueron mayores para la plantas sometidas a los tratamientos con CO 2 aunque los porcentajes medios fueron algo bajos

Wild grapevine populations in the Ossa-Morena mountain range (Portugal-Spain): Location, characterization and sanitary state

Research Note

Resilience and Personal Improvement of Students with Motor Disabilities

The condition of disability causes multiple changes in the life of a person, putting into play different mechanisms that allow him to adapt to the new situation and learn to live with important restrictions that require an effort to realize a normalized life, in a society where there is no shortage discriminatory and differentiating attitudes, which make the process of adaptation to society more difficult, all this influences the efforts to achieve the personal improvement of the disabled and the strengthening of their resilient posture. The objective of the research is to establish the resilience and personal improvement of students with disabilities in the Universidad Técnica de Manabí. The research shows an analysis of the functional and conceptual background of the phenomenon related to motor disability and the rights of people who suffer from it to develop their social skills to obtain a profession. It addresses the concept of resilience and what is related to the ability of people with disabilities to overcome. The results obtained in the application of the SV-RES test prepared by the researchers (Saavedra & Villalta, 2008a), to the students who suffer motor disability and who are enrolled in different careers of the technical university of Manabí, are offered. Offer in tables and an analysis related to the resilience and personal improvement of said students is presented

Rural film festivals: social functions, obstacles and challenges

This investigation is centred on film festivals within Spain that take the rural world as their reference. A panoramic approach to an emerging trend is presented in the study. The concept of the “social function” is of central importance to the analytical perspective that is adopted, to understand what added value these sorts of festivals specializing in rural topics can contribute, especially in relation to the current challenges of rural depopulation. Qualitative methods are mainly used, based on semi-structured interviews with the people who direct and manage these sorts of events, with the support of digital documents downloaded from web-pages and searches for the digital footprint of rural film festivals on websites and social media. Promoting and financing a rural film festival is, at the very least, both a social and an organizational challenge, but our study distances itself from an economic viewpoint that might measure the success of a festival in terms of marketing, to contemplate its “social profitability.” From this perspective, we ask ourselves through which channels and to what extent are rural film festivals linked into the community. The results showed that, despite the vulnerability of the sector, these festivals represent an opportunity for links with the local area, social cohesiveness, and the revitalization of socio-cultural activities.Esta investigación se centra en los festivales de cine que en España toman como referente el mundo rural. El estudio presenta una aproximación de conjunto a un fenómeno emergente. La perspectiva de análisis adoptada otorga centralidad al concepto de “función social”, para entender qué valores añadidos aportan este tipo de festivales especializados en temáticas rurales, especialmente en relación con los retos que hoy en día presenta la despoblación. Se recurre principalmente a la metodología cualitativa, basada en entrevistas semiestructuradas con las personas que los dirigen o gestionan, con el apoyo documental procedente de las propias páginas webs y el rastreo de la huella digital en las webs y las redes sociales. Promover y financiar un festival de cine rural supone, cuanto menos, un reto de carácter social y organizativo, pero este estudio se aleja de la visión economicista, que mediría el éxito de un festival en términos de mercadeo, para contemplar su “rentabilidad social”. Desde esta perspectiva nos preguntamos a través de qué canales se vinculan con la ciudadanía y hasta qué punto. Los resultados muestran que, a pesar de la vulnerabilidad del sector, representan una oportunidad para la vinculación con el territorio, la cohesión social y la revitalización del espacio sociocultural

La exploración de las categorizaciones de la tipología de los varones violentos en la pareja: un estudio metodológico

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators were categorized based on whether they were generally violent (GV) or family only violent (FO) using self-report or arrest records. Classification criteria to assess recidivism in perpetrators of IPV were evaluated herein to determine the incremental validity of using a perpetrator’s criminal history in addition to their self-report information for categorization purposes. The concordance rates for categorizing subtypes of male perpetrators were compared for two methods, namely, self-report versus criminal history data. Categorizations were made based on self-reported history of violence and federal criminal records separately. Between measures consistency was defined as whether or not the self-report categorizations matched federal criminal record categorizations. It was hypothesized that self-report would not be sufficient as the sole method of categorizing male perpetrators, and the use of criminal history data would add to the validity of the categorization system. Self-reports of aggression were higher than criminal records of aggression. Using data sources together may yield the best outcomes for offenders and society. Implications are discussed.Se clasificaron los varones que ejercen violencia en las relaciones de pareja (VP) en función de si eran violentos en general (VG) o solo en el entorno familiar (VF), empleando registros de autoinformes o de arrestos. Se analizaron los criterios de clasificación para evaluar la reincidencia de los infractores de VP con el fin de determinar la validez incremental del uso de los antecedentes penales del infractor, además de la información procedente de su autoinforme para la clasificación. Se compararon los índices de concordancia para categorizar los subtipos de infractores masculinos para dos métodos: los datos procedentes de autoinforme y los de antecedentes penales. La categorización se basó en la historia de violencia autoinformada y en los antecedentes penales por separado. La congruencia entre medidas se definió como la coincidencia o discrepancia de la categorización de autoinforme con la categorización de antecedentes penales. Se planteó la hipótesis de que el autoinforme no bastaba como único método para clasificar a los infractores masculinos y que el uso de datos procedentes de antecedentes penales aumentaba la validez del sistema de categorización. Hubo más autoinformes sobre agresión que antecedentes penales de agresión. El uso conjunto de ambos podría tener mejores resultados, tanto para los delincuentes como para la sociedad. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados.S

Exploring Typology Categorizations of Male Perpetrators: A Methodology Study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators were categorized based on whether they were generally violent (GV) or family only violent (FO) using self-report or arrest records. Classification criteria to assess recidivism in perpetrators of IPV were evaluated herein to determine the incremental validity of using a perpetrator’s criminal history in addition to their self-report information for categorization purposes. The concordance rates for categorizing subtypes of male perpetrators were compared for two methods, namely, self-report versus criminal history data. Categorizations were made based on self-reported history of violence and federal criminal records separately. Between measures consistency was defined as whether or not the self-report categorizations matched federal criminal record categorizations. It was hypothesized that self-report would not be sufficient as the sole method of categorizing male perpetrators, and the use of criminal history data would add to the validity of the categorization system. Self-reports of aggression were higher than criminal records of aggression. Using data sources together may yield the best outcomes for offenders and society. Implications are discussed

Nosocomial outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa endophthalmitis

We describe an outbreak of nosocomial endophthalmitis due to a common source, which was determined to be trypan blue solution prepared in the hospital's pharmacy service. We assume that viable bacteria probably gained access to the trypan blue stock solution during cooling after autoclaving. The temporal cluster of Pseudomonas aeruginosa endophthalmitis was readily perceived on the basis of clinical and microbiological findings, and an exogenous source of contamination was unequivocally identified by means of DNA fingerprinting. © 2006 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved