Effective high resolution 3D geometric reconstruction of heritage and archaeological sites from images

Motivated by the need for a fast, accurate, and high-resolution approach to documenting heritage and archaeological objects before they are removed or destroyed, the goal of this paper is to develop and demonstrate advanced image-based techniques to capture the fine 3D geometric details of such objects. The size of the object may be large and of any arbitrary shape which presents a challenge to all existing 3D techniques. Although range sensors can directly acquire high resolution 3D points, they can be costly and impractical to set up and move around archaeological sites. Alternatively, image-based techniques acquire data from inexpensive portable digital cameras. We present a sequential multi-stage procedure for 3D data capture from images designed to model fine geometric details. Test results demonstrate the utility and flexibility of the technique and prove that it creates highly detailed models in a reliable manner for many different types of surface detail

Assessing clinical and psychological features: who are patients showing a nocebo re-action during the drug challenge test?

The nocebo reaction, namely the undesirable effect of an inert substance (placebo), is a phenomenon rarely investigated in literature. A better knowledge of this reaction may help clinicians in the management of these patients in clinical practice. Patients with drug adverse reactions (ADR) undergoing the drug challenge test are an ideal model for studying the nocebo effect, and the study aims to investigate their clinical and psychological features. One hundred and twenty patients (Mage = 46.59, SD = 15.5; 82% female), of which 90 non responders and 30 with nocebo reactions (25%) were recruited, and completed a battery of psychological measures: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory X1-X2, Beck Depression Inventory II, Symptoms Checklist-90-R, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Clinical features (individual characteristics and ADR clinical history) were collected by clinicians. The results show that older age (p = 0.002), low level of education (p = 0.039) and a depressive tendency (p = 0.030) appear to be potential risk factors for nocebo effects. Although none of the features related to the previous clinical history appear to represent a risk factor for the nocebo reactions (p minor 0.05), significant correlations between some of the clinical and psychological characteristics considered (p values from 0.005 to 0.042) help to better delineate the profile of these reactive patients. A specific training of the sanitary team about psychological aspects is recommendable

Effectiveness of high dose sublingual immunotherapy to induce a stepdown of seasonal asthma: a pilot study

There is ample evidence to support the efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) on allergic rhinitis, while there is less solid data regarding asthma. We evaluated the effects of a high dose birch SLIT on birch-induced rhinitis and asthma in a controlled study

Germinação de sementes de capim-bufel submetidas a diferentes temperaturas do ar e concentrações de CO2.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as características de germinação de sementes de três cultivares de capim-bufel (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) mantidas em diferentes temperaturas médias do ar e concentrações de CO2. As cultivares avaliadas foram Aridus, Biloela e West Australian, nas combinações de temperaturas médias do ar (diurna/ noturna): 29°C /23°C e 32°C/26°C associadas às concentrações de CO2 (370 ppm e 550 ppm). O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado em arranjo fatorial 3 x 2 x 2 com três repetições por tratamento. A cultivar West Australian apresentou maior taxa de germinação a 29°C/370ppm. Os maiores índices de velocidade de germinação foram observados para a Aridus a 29°C/550ppm e para West Australian a 29°C/370ppm. A Biloela foi a cultivar que levou mais tempo para germinar na condição climática de 32°C/550ppm. Elevadas temperaturas prejudicam a germinação das cultivares de capim-bufel, diminuindo a porcentagem de sementes germinadas, o índice de velocidade de germinação e aumentando o tempo médio de germinação. A interação temperatura x CO2 afeta a qualidade germinativa de sementes de capim-bufel