Deterministic and stochastic methods for gaze tracking in real-time

Psychological evidence demonstrates how eye gaze analysis is requested for human computer interaction endowed with emotion recognition capabilities. The existing proposals analyse eyelid and iris motion by using colour information and edge detectors, but eye movements are quite fast and difficult for precise and robust tracking. Instead, we propose to reduce the dimensionality of the image-data by using multi-Gaussian modelling and transition estimations by applying partial differences. The tracking system can handle illumination changes, low-image resolution and occlusions while estimating eyelid and iris movements as continuous variables. Therefore, this is an accurate and robust tracking system for eyelids and irises in 3D for standard image quality.Peer Reviewe

Un Nuevo modelo de estilos de aprendizaje: el aprendizaje preferencial complementario

El aprendizaje preferencial complementario es un nuevo modelo de estilos necesario para conocer la forma de aprender del alumno, proporcionar una atención individualizada por perfil y, en general, mejorar el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Todos los estilos que lo componen están presentes en la naturaleza de cada individuo, pero sólo uno de ellos es preferencial y describe el rol desarrollado por éste cuando aprende. Cuando un grupo de personas, cada una experta en un rol, cooperan para lograr un conocimiento lo hacen de forma complementaria, cada una siguiendo un ciclo análogo al del grupo, aunque con un resultado parcial diferente. Se ha desarrollado un proyecto de Innovación Educativa para estudiantes de Informática aplicando el modelo propuesto a dos grupos reducidos con resultados altamente satisfactorios, no sólo académicos sino también colaborativos y de sinergia entre los miembros del equipo. Seguiremos investigando y profundizando en este modelo ya que día a día descubrimos algo nuevo de cada estilo.Peer Reviewe

Hierarchical eyelid and face tracking

Most applications on Human Computer Interaction (HCI) require to extract the movements of user faces, while avoiding high memory and time expenses. Moreover, HCI systems usually use low-cost cameras, while current face tracking techniques strongly depend on the image resolution. In this paper, we tackle the problem of eyelid tracking by using Appearance-Based Models, thus achieving accurate estimations of the movements of the eyelids, while avoiding cues, which require high-resolution faces, such as edge detectors or colour information. Consequently, we can track the fast and spontaneous movements of the eyelids, a very hard task due to the small resolution of the eye regions. Subsequently, we combine the results of eyelid tracking with the estimations of other facial features, such as the eyebrows and the lips. As a result, a hierarchical tracking framework is obtained: we demonstrate that combining two appearance-based trackers allows to get accurate estimates for the eyelid, eyebrows, lips and also the 3D head pose by using low-cost video cameras and in real-time. Therefore, our approach is shown suitable to be used for further facial-expression analysis.Peer Reviewe

TNF Induces Pathogenic Programmed Macrophage Necrosis in Tuberculosis through a Mitochondrial-Lysosomal-Endoplasmic Reticulum Circuit.

Necrosis of infected macrophages constitutes a critical pathogenetic event in tuberculosis by releasing mycobacteria into the growth-permissive extracellular environment. In zebrafish infected with Mycobacterium marinum or Mycobacterium tuberculosis, excess tumor necrosis factor triggers programmed necrosis of infected macrophages through the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the participation of cyclophilin D, a component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Here, we show that this necrosis pathway is not mitochondrion-intrinsic but results from an inter-organellar circuit initiating and culminating in the mitochondrion. Mitochondrial ROS induce production of lysosomal ceramide that ultimately activates the cytosolic protein BAX. BAX promotes calcium flow from the endoplasmic reticulum into the mitochondrion through ryanodine receptors, and the resultant mitochondrial calcium overload triggers cyclophilin-D-mediated necrosis. We identify ryanodine receptors and plasma membrane L-type calcium channels as druggable targets to intercept mitochondrial calcium overload and necrosis of mycobacterium-infected zebrafish and human macrophages

"Isogloss" : a new journal for linguistic variation in Romance and Iberian languages

These pages introduce Isogloss, a journal devoted to the study of the variation of Romance and Iberian languages

Effect of a Weight Loss and Lifestyle Intervention on Dietary Behavior in Men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The INTERAPNEA Trial

This study investigated the effects of an eight-week interdisciplinary weight loss and lifestyle intervention on dietary behavior in men who were overweight/had obesity and moderateto- severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It was based on data from INTERAPNEA (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03851653); a randomized clinical trial conducted from April 2019 to April 2020. Men aged 18–65 years with moderate-to-severe OSA and a body mass index 25 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to a usual-care group or an eight-week interdisciplinary weight loss and lifestyle intervention combined with usual-care. Dietary behavior was assessed through the Food Behavior Checklist (FBC) and the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Of the 89 participants who underwent randomization, 75 completed the intervention endpoint assessment, 89 participants being therefore included in the intention-to-treat analyses, and 75 in the per-protocol approach. As compared with usual-care, the intervention group had greater improvements at intervention endpoint in dietary behavior, as measured by the FBC total score (20% increase in FBC total score, mean between-group difference, 8.7; 95% confidence interval, 5.7 to 11.7), and MEDAS total score (33% increase in MEDAS total score, mean between-group difference, 2.1; 95% CI 1.3 to 2.9). At 6 months after intervention, the intervention group also had greater improvements in both the FBC total score (15% increase) and MEDAS total score (25% increase), with mean between-group differences of 7.7 (CI 95%, 4.4 to 10.9) and 1.7 (CI 95%, 0.9 to 2.6), respectively. An eight-week interdisciplinary weight loss and lifestyle intervention resulted in meaningful and sustainable improvements in dietary behavior, including adherence to the Mediterranean diet in men who were overweight/ had obesity and CPAP-treated moderate-to-severe OSA.Spanish Government FPU16/01093 FPU14/04172 FPU19/01609University of Granada-LoMonaco S.L. Sleep Research Cathedra University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigacion 2016-Excellence actions: Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES)Regional Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Enterprise, and Universities (CECEU) of Andalusia (European Regional Development Funds) SOMM17/6107/UG

An automated design methodology of RF circuits by using Pareto-optimal fronts of EMsimulated inductors

A new design methodology for radiofrequency circuits is presented that includes electromagnetic (EM) simulation of the inductors into the optimization flow. This is achieved by previously generating the Pareto-optimal front (POF) of the inductors using EM simulation. Inductors are selected from the Pareto front and their S-parameter matrix is included in the circuit netlist that is simulated using an RF simulator. Generating the EM-simulated POF of inductors is computationally expensive, but once generated, it can be used for any circuit design. The methodology is illustrated both for a singleobjective and a multiobjective optimization of a low noise amplifierMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad TEC2013-45638-C3-3-R, TEC2013-40430-RJunta de Andalucía PIC12-TIC-1481Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 201350E05

Un nuevo modelo de estilos de aprendizaje: el aprendizaje preferencial complementario

El aprendizaje preferencial complementario es un nuevo modelo de estilos necesario para conocer la forma de aprender del alumno, proporcionar una atención individualizada por perfil y, en general, mejorar el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Todos los estilos que lo componen están presentes en la naturaleza de cada individuo, pero sólo uno de ellos es preferencial y describe el rol desarrollado por éste cuando aprende. Cuando un grupo de personas, cada una experta en un rol, cooperan para lograr un conocimiento lo hacen de forma complementaria, cada una siguiendo un ciclo análogo al del grupo, aunque con un resultado parcial diferente. Se ha desarrollado un proyecto de Innovación Educativa para estudiantes de Informática aplicando el modelo propuesto a dos grupos reducidos con resultados altamente satisfactorios, no sólo académicos sino también colaborativos y de sinergia entre los miembros del equipo. Seguiremos investigando y profundizando en este modelo ya que día a día descubrimos algo nuevo de cada estilo

Ultrafiltration of municipal wastewater: study on fouling models and fouling mechanisms

Ultrafiltration (UF) with hollow fiber membranes is a proven membrane technique that can achieve high water quality standards as a tertiary treatment in municipal wastewater treatment plants. However, UF has a major drawback, membrane fouling, which causes losses of productivity and increases operation costs. Thus, the aim of this work is to model membrane fouling in the UF of a secondary treatment effluent. The tests were carried out with a model wastewater solution that consisted of bovine serum albumin and dextran. Three different transmembrane pressures and three different crossflow velocities were tested. Several fouling models available in the literature, and new models proposed, were fitted to permeate flux decline experimental data. The models studied by other authors and considered in this study were: Hermia s models (complete, intermediate, standard pore blocking and gel layer) and Belfort s model. The new models proposed in this work were: modified Belfort s model, quadratic exponential model, logarithmic inversed model, double exponential model and tangent inversed model. The fitting accuracy of the models was determined in terms of the R-squared and standard deviation. The results showed that the model that had the higher fitting accuracy was the logarithmic inversed model. Among the Hermia s models, the model that had the higher fitting accuracy was the intermediate pore blocking model. Therefore, the predominant fouling mechanism was determined and it was the intermediate pore blocking modelThe authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Generalitat Valenciana through the project "Ayudas para la realizacion de proyectos I+D para grupos de investigacion emergentes GV/2013".Soler Cabezas, JL.; Tora Grau, M.; Vincent Vela, MC.; Mendoza Roca, JA.; Martínez Francisco, FJ. (2014). 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Journal of Food Engineering, 142, 190-200. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2014.06.005Mah, S.-K., Chuah, C.-K., Cathie Lee, W. P., & Chai, S.-P. (2012). Ultrafiltration of palm oil–oleic acid–glycerin solutions: Fouling mechanism identification, fouling mechanism analysis and membrane characterizations. Separation and Purification Technology, 98, 419-431. doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2012.07.020Said, M., Ahmad, A., Mohammad, A. W., Nor, M. T. M., & Sheikh Abdullah, S. R. (2015). Blocking mechanism of PES membrane during ultrafiltration of POME. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 21, 182-188. doi:10.1016/j.jiec.2014.02.023Amin, I. N. H. M., Mohammad, A. W., Markom, M., Peng, L. C., & Hilal, N. (2010). Analysis of deposition mechanism during ultrafiltration of glycerin-rich solutions. Desalination, 261(3), 313-320. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2010.04.01