Demographic and clinical profile of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients in Spain: the SEPAR National Registry

BackgroundLittle is known on the characteristics of patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in Spain. We aimed to characterize the demographic and clinical profile of IPF patients included in the IPF National Registry of the Spanish Respiratory Society (SEPAR).MethodsThis is a prospective, observational, multicentre and nationwide study that involved 608 IPF patients included in the SEPAR IPF Registry up to June 27th, 2017, and who received any treatment for their disease. IPF patients were predominantly males, ex-smokers, and aged in their 70s, similar to other registries.ResultsUpon inclusion, meanSD predicted forced vital capacity was 77.6%+/- 19.4, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide was 48.5%+/- 17.7, and the 6-min walk distance was 423.5m +/- 110.4. The diagnosis was mainly established on results from the high-resolution computed tomography in the proper clinical context (55.0% of patients), while 21.2% of patients required invasive procedures (surgical lung biopsy) for definitive diagnosis. Anti-fibrotic treatment was prescribed in 69.4% of cases, 51.5% pirfenidone and 17.9% nintedanib, overall with a good safety profile.Conclusions The SEPAR IPF Registry should help to further characterize current characteristics and future trends of IPF patients in Spain and compare/pool them with other registries and cohorts

Pour un banc dynamique de caractérisation des buses de pulvérisation

The Cemagref has designed, built and equipped a laboratory for the study of the behavior of droplets and spraying jets. This laboratory is coherent with others European laboratories. The objectives are presented and the equipments are described in this paper. / Le Cemagref a conçu, construit et équipé un laboratoire d'étude du comportement des gouttelettes et des jets de pulvérisation, cette installation est cohérente avec celles existantes dans d'autres laboratoires européens. Les objectifs sont présentés et les installations sont décrites

Modelling of the interaction between anchorage and soil for the optimization of the erecting of tunnel greenhouses

Tunnel greenhouses are flexible structures whose global stability depends on their anchoring behaviour. The anchoring behaviour depends on the anchorage itself and soil's characteristics and physical state. A model taking both (anchorage and soil) into account has been developed and applied. As a result, using adapted soil strength improvement techniques, a method for the erecting of tunnel greenhouses has been proposed and tested. Abstract of the paper 96B-035. / Les serres tunnels sont des structures flexibles dont la stabilité globale dépend du comportement de leur ancrages. Le comportement de l'ancrage dépend de l'ancrage lui-même et des caractéristiques et de l'état physique du sol. Un modèle prenant en compte les deux (sols et ancrages) a été établi et utilisé. En conclusion, l'utilisation d'une technique de préparation du sol adaptée pour la construction des serres tunnels est proposée et testée. Résumé de la communication 96B-035

Fuzzy reasoning for long cane pruning : a relaxation algorithm for complex vine configurations

Long cane pruning cannot be performed at present with machines which do not allow the selection and the saving of the desired wood. Research is being conducted to design a system enabling such an automatic selection. The system consists of an image processor which individualises and tracks the different woods in the image. A decision device simulates the pruner's reasoning by choosing the most appropriate long wood to save according to wood features measured on the images. This decision device is based on a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (FMCDM), the preference defined by th expert on the criteria values are represented by fuzzy sets. Results show that the decision system fitted with the pruner's decisions in the vineyard. The decision system which was developed is able to work an standard vine pruning cases. Sometimes, however, the vine configuration is not good (problems of frost, hail storm or mechanised operations can damage woods). In such cases, the proposed decision system is not able to choose the most appropriate long wood because it is not accurate enough to make a distinction among very bad woods. Nevertheless, the pruner always takes a decision. In such cases, the pruner's reasoning is not the same, the pruner becomes more laxist and makes a relaxation of his preferences. This paper presents the relaxation algorithm which was used to simulate the pruner's reasoning when the system faces non standard pruning cases. / Le travail a pour but de développer un système pour choisir automatiquement le long bois à préserver. Le système comprend un processeur d'images qui individualise les sarments. Le système de décision simule le raisonnement du tailleur en fonction des paramètres mesurés sur l'image : il est basé sur un système de logique floue multi-critères. Le système de décision fonctionne pour les cas de vigne standard. Dans le cas de vignes complexes, tous les sarments sont trop mauvais. Dans ce cas le raisonnement n'est plus le même. Le papier présente l'algorithme de relaxation utilisé pour simuler le raisonnement du tailleur dans ces cas

Performance comparisons of various control strategies for a mobile manipulator

This paper concerns the performance comparisons of different control structures based on various sensors for an agricultural mobile manipulator. The robot 's mobile platform is continuously advancing, pulled by a tractor, while the manipulator executes local tasks. Therefore, an existing prototype has been entirely modelled which allowed us to test each control structure using a dynamic simulator. The simulation results permits to identify the best control structure for the given constraints. / Ce papier concerne la comparaison de différentes structures de commande basées sur différents capteurs pour un manipulateur mobile. La plate-forme mobile du robot avance continuement, tirée par un tracteur, pendant que le bras manipulateur effectue des tâches locales. Un prototype existant a été entièrement modélisé ce qui a permis de tester chaque commande en utilisant un logiciel de simulation dynamique. Les résultats de simulation ont permis d'identifier la meilleure commande pour les contraintes données

Simulation de trajectoires de gouttes sous des buses à jet plat

Knowledge of physical properties of sprays used in pesticide applications is an important scope because it will allow to improve design and set-up of the machines. Then, better biological efficiency and less bad impact on the environment could be attend. This paper describes two representations of droplet trajectories and velocities under a fan flat nozzle using, the first, a lagrangian approach and, the second, an eulerian approach

Design and control of a mobile manipulator for weed control

This paper concerns the design of a non-chemical weed controller for vegetable cropping. Electrical weed control seems to be the most appropriate method. Local application, short treatment time and easy armature make it possible to use it as tool for a robotized arm, fixed on a tracked mobile platform. Such a combination of a mobile and a robotized arm is known as a mobile manipulator. An adapted mechanical structure is chosen and the different constraints impose an intelligent control structure which permits to eliminate the weeds while advancing at tractor speed. / Ce papier concerne la conception d'un robot pour le désherbage non chimique des cultures en ligne. Le désherbage électrique semble être la méthode la plus appropriée. La possibilité d'application localisée, un court temps de traitement et une mise en oeuvre facilitent son utilisation comme outil d'un bras robotisé fixé sur une plate forme mobile tractée. Une telle combinaison d'un mobile avec un bras manipulateur est connue sous le nom de manipulateur mobile. Une structure mécanique adaptée et choisie et les différentes contraintes imposent une structure de commande intelligente qui permet d'éliminer les mauvaises herbes pendant l'avancement à vitesse tracteur

Non destructive fruit control : sugar content by near-infrared reflectance

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