Affective facial expressions recognition for human-robot interaction

Affective facial expression is a key feature of nonverbal behaviour and is considered as a symptom of an internal emotional state. Emotion recognition plays an important role in social communication: human-to-human and also for humanto-robot. Taking this as inspiration, this work aims at the development of a framework able to recognise human emotions through facial expression for human-robot interaction. Features based on facial landmarks distances and angles are extracted to feed a dynamic probabilistic classification framework. The public online dataset Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces (KDEF) [1] is used to learn seven different emotions (e.g. angry, fearful, disgusted, happy, sad, surprised, and neutral) performed by seventy subjects. A new dataset was created in order to record stimulated affect while participants watched video sessions to awaken their emotions, different of the KDEF dataset where participants are actors (i.e. performing expressions when asked to). Offline and on-the-fly tests were carried out: leave-one-out cross validation tests on datasets and on-the-fly tests with human-robot interactions. Results show that the proposed framework can correctly recognise human facial expressions with potential to be used in human-robot interaction scenario

Galactic ArchaeoLogIcaL ExcavatiOns (GALILEO) II. t-SNE Portrait of Local Fossil Relics and Structures

Based on high-quality APOGEE DR17 and Gaia DR3 data for 1,742 red giants stars within 5 kpc of the Sun and not rotating with the Galactic disc ($V_\phi <$ 100 km s$^{-1}$), we use the nonlinear technique of unsupervised analysis t-SNE to detect coherent structures in the space of ten chemical-abundance ratios: [Fe/H], [O/Fe], [Mg/Fe], [Si/Fe], [Ca/Fe], [C/Fe], [N/Fe], [Al/Fe], [Mn/Fe], and [Ni/Fe]. Additionally, we obtain orbital parameters for each star using the non-axisymmetric gravitational potential {\tt GravPot16}. Seven structures are detected, including the Splash, Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus (GSE), the high-$\alpha$ heated-disc population, N-C-O peculiar stars, and inner disk-like stars, plus two other groups that did not match anything previously reported in the literature, here named Galileo 5 and Galileo 6 (G5 and G6). These two groups overlap with Splash in [Fe/H], G5 being lower metallicity than G6, both between GSE and Splash in the [Mg/Mn] versus [Al/Fe] plane, G5 in the $\alpha$-rich in-situ locus, and G6 on the border of the $\alpha$-poor in-situ one; nonetheless their low [Ni/Fe] hints to a possible ex-situ origin. Their orbital energy distributions are between the Splash and GSE, with G5 being slightly more energetic than G6. We verified the robustness of all the obtained groups by exploring a large range of t-SNE parameters, applying it to various subsets of data, and also measuring the effect of abundance errors through Monte Carlo tests.Comment: Accepted by A&A. 19 pages, 15 figures, and 3 table

Inscrição votiva em língua lusitana (Arronches Portalegre)

Propõe-se leitura, interpretação e integração histórica da epígrafe redi- gida em língua lusitana, proveniente de uma herdade dos arredores de Arronches. Documenta o sacrifício de animais, designadamente de dez ovelhas, a divindades indígenas – Banda, Reva, Munis, Broeneia... – cujos nomes se fazem acompanhar de epítetos, um dos quais repetido com grafias diferentes (em dativo, Haracui, Aharacui, Harase), passí- vel de relacionar-se com o topónimo actual, Arronches. Na segunda parte, os três dedicantes, que poderão identificar-se como criadores de ovelhas, suplicam às divindades que lhes aceitem os sacrifícios. Considera-se muito viável a hipótese de relacionar esta e as outras epígrafes em língua lusitana – de Lamas de Moledo e Cabeço das Frá- guas – com as rotas da transumância logo nos primórdios da domina- ção romana

Aspectos odontolegais relacionados ao dano estético nos processos julgados pelo TJ/RS

Objetivo: analisar os valores pagos por danos estéticos, morais e materiais nos processos de responsabilidade civil contra o Cirurgião-dentista julgados no Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul nos anos de 2007 a 2010, identificar no teor dos julgamentos se foi utilizado pelo perito ou juiz o método descritivo na avaliação da alteração estética, bem como destacar a importância de equipará-lo a uma das categorias ou adjetivos referida em uma escala gradual qualificativa de gravidade crescente.Metodologia:Conclusão:Os processos relacionados à responsabilidade profissional do Cirurgião-dentista mostraram uma tendência dos magistrados deferirem mais indenizações por danos morais do que danos materiais, bem como de valorar num patamar quantitativo alto os pedidos por danos estéticos, sendo esses, na média, maior que os danos materiais e morais. De acordo com os julgamentos analisados, não se identificou na valoração dos danos estéticos uma análise objetiva e comparativa. Os parâmetros indicados no método descritivo sempre deverão ser utilizados para mostrar sua característica e importância nas avaliações das alterações estéticas, necessitando para tal atribuir pontos ou porcentagens com escalas numéricas. Foram analisados julgamentos de processos civis envolvendo Cirurgiões-dentistas, baixadas (download) e impressas, por meio de busca eletrônica no site do Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul do ano de 2007 até o ano de 2010. Utilizou-se na amostra apenas os textos produzidos pelos magistrados, fazendo a análise do inteiro teor somente nos casos em que foram deferidos danos estéticos. Nesses, verificou-se se fora utilizada algum parâmetro qualificativo ou numérico

HTLV-1 Tax Specific CD8+ T Cells Express Low Levels of Tim-3 in HTLV-1 Infection: Implications for Progression to Neurological Complications

The T cell immunoglobulin mucin 3 (Tim-3) receptor is highly expressed on HIV-1-specific T cells, rendering them partially “exhausted” and unable to contribute to the effective immune mediated control of viral replication. To elucidate novel mechanisms contributing to the HTLV-1 neurological complex and its classic neurological presentation called HAM/TSP (HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis), we investigated the expression of the Tim-3 receptor on CD8+ T cells from a cohort of HTLV-1 seropositive asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Patients diagnosed with HAM/TSP down-regulated Tim-3 expression on both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells compared to asymptomatic patients and HTLV-1 seronegative controls. HTLV-1 Tax-specific, HLA-A*02 restricted CD8+ T cells among HAM/TSP individuals expressed markedly lower levels of Tim-3. We observed Tax expressing cells in both Tim-3+ and Tim-3− fractions. Taken together, these data indicate that there is a systematic downregulation of Tim-3 levels on T cells in HTLV-1 infection, sustaining a profoundly highly active population of potentially pathogenic T cells that may allow for the development of HTLV-1 complications

Municipal solid waste management under Covid-19: Challenges and recommendations

Covid-19 is proving to be an unprecedented disaster for human health, social contacts and the economy worldwide. It is evident that SARS-CoV-2 may spread through municipal solid waste (MSW), if collected, bagged, handled, transported or disposed of inappropriately. Under the stress placed by the current pandemic on the sanitary performance across all MSW management (MSWM) chains, this industry needs to re-examine its infrastructure resilience with respect to all processes, from waste identification, classification, collection, separation, storage, transportation, recycling, treatment and disposal. The current paper provides an overview of the severe challenges placed by Covid-19 onto MSW systems, highlighting the essential role of waste management in public health protection during the ongoing pandemic. It also discusses the measures issued by various international organisations and countries for the protection of MSWM employees (MSWEs), identifying gaps, especially for developing countries, where personal protection equipment and clear guidelines to MSWEs may not have been provided, and the general public may not be well informed. In countries with high recycling rates of MSW, the need to protect MSWEs' health has affected the supply stream of the recycling industry. The article concludes with recommendations for the MSW industry operating under public health crisis conditions

Feeding difficulties in children with food allergies: An EAACI Task Force Report

The term “feeding difficulties” refers to a spectrum of phenotypes characterized by suboptimal intake of food and/or lack of age‐appropriate eating habits. While it is evident that feeding difficulties are prevalent within healthy children, no consensus has been reached for those with food allergies. The aim of this study was to systematically review all the available literature reporting the prevalence of feeding difficulties within food allergic children. We searched eight international electronic databases for all published studies until June 2022. International experts in the field were also contacted for unpublished and ongoing studies. All publications were screened against pre‐defined eligibility criteria and critically appraised by established instruments. The substantial heterogeneity of included studies precluded meta‐analyses, so narrative synthesis of quantitative data was performed. A total of 2059 abstracts were assessed, out of which 21 underwent full‐text screening and 10 studies met the study criteria. In these, 12 different terms to define feeding difficulties and 11 diagnostic tools were used. Five papers included data of feeding difficulty prevalence in children with food allergies, ranging from 13.6% to 40%. Higher prevalence was associated with multiple food allergies. The current literature suggests that feeding difficulties are prevalent within food allergic children, particularly those with multiple food allergies. However, the heterogeneity of terminologies and diagnostic tools makes drawing conclusions challenging. Consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and management of feeding difficulties within food allergic children and further research on the development and perpetuation of feeding difficulties are needed to appropriately manage such patients

Influence of Primary Care Physician Availability and Socioeconomic Deprivation on Breast Cancer from 1988 to 2008: A Spatio-Temporal Analysis

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. It is unclear how county-level primary care physician (PCP) availability and socioeconomic deprivation affect the spatial and temporal variation of breast cancer incidence and mortality.We used the 1988-2008 public-use county-based data from nine Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) programs to analyze the temporal and spatial disparity of PCP availability and socioeconomic deprivation on early-stage incidence, advanced-stage incidence and breast cancer mortality. The spatio-temporal analysis was implemented by a novel structural additive modeling approach.Greater PCP availability was significantly associated with higher early-stage incidence, advanced-stage incidence and mortality during the entire study period while socioeconomic deprivation was significantly negatively associated with early-stage incidence, advanced-stage incidence, and mortality up to 1992. However, the observed influence of PCP availability and socioeconomic deprivation varied by county.We showed important associations of PCP availability and socioeconomic deprivation with the three breast cancer indicators. However, the effect of these associations varied over time and across counties. The association of PCP availability and socioeconomic deprivation was stronger in selected counties