Implementation of a 2D/3D multimedia content adaptation decision engine

Multimedia content consumption has become very popular due to several factors, among which the amount of content available online and the ubiquity of network connectivity. In fact nowadays everyone can be a content producer and be almost permanently connected to the Internet, thus having the possibility to consume content anywhere, anytime. However, content may present itself in a multitude of formats and networks and terminals may offer very dissimilar transport and consumption capabilities, both along time and space. Accordingly, it often happens that the delivery and/or consumption environments do not offer sufficient or adequate resources to allow the remote access to and consumption of original high quality content. Content adaptation techniques establish means to surpass those impossibilities, allowing content delivery to the user regardless of existing constraints. Since there are several ways to adapt multimedia content, to which different users may react differently, the adaptation engine in charge of deciding the type of adaptation to perform, should ideally be driven with the aim of providing the best Quality of Experience (QoE) to the user [1]. To achieve the best possible outcome, the engine should take into consideration the characteristics of every entity and person involved in the content consumption process, which includes, (1) the multimedia content itself, (2) the transport/access network characteristics, (3) the terminal device characteristics and the (4) user preferences. To take into consideration the multimedia content it is necessary to characterise it and eventually to classify it into a set of limited but meaningful classes. Different metrics were implemented to tackle the content characteristics identification/classification. These were mainly focused on the spatial and temporal complexity classification of the content. The networks characteristics establish the restrictions the adaptation decision algorithm has to obey. This is also true for the device capabilities/characteristics. The user preferences are the subjective element that may establish, for one consumption scenario, different QoE, with the use of the same adaptations, for different users. To investigate this parameter, a subjective quality evaluation was performed. Different contents were generated and classified using the metrics devised to perform that task [2] and, based on this classification, four contents with different characteristics were chosen to be presented to the users. Several bitrates were used to simulate different network conditions, three different types of terminals were used (display, tablet and smartphone) and three adaptations were executed over the original contents, namely, spatial, temporal and quality alterations of the content. The users were asked to classify each presented version on a qualitative scale [3]. The obtained results indicate, as expected, the existence of different users profiles and that the (4) users preferences are dependent of the other three factors: (1), (2) and (3). Results from this subjective experiment are now under analysis to generate these user profiles using an approach that complements Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Identification. All these characteristics are to be used by a learning algorithm to define the cost of executing a certain adaptation, whenever a certain content is being consumed under specific conditions by a certain user. These costs are then fed to the adaptation decision engine, already implemented through a Markov Decision Process (MDP) to define the final adaptation decision. References: [1] “Definition of quality of experience,” TD109rev2 (PLEN/12), International Telecommunications Union, ITU-T Study Group 12, 2007. [2] J. Korhonen, U. Reiter, and A Ukhanova, “Frame rate versus spatial quality: Which video characteristics do matter?,” in Visual Communications and Image Processing (VCIP), 2013, Nov 2013, pp. 1–6. [3] ITU-R Recommendation BT.500-13, “Methodology for the subjective assessment of the quality of television pictures,” Tech. Rep. BT.500-13, International Telecommunications Union, January 2012

Matlab algorithm to simulate the dynamic behavior of an NiTi alloy through Ansys® APDL models

In recent years, technological advances related with the so-called intelligent materials have been exploited for problem solving in many engineering fields. In this regard, shape memory alloys (SMA) seem suitable for medical and engineering applications and many others. These alloys have the ability to return the original form after an apparently plastic deformation by applying heat and the also ability to perform phase changes with voltage variations under a specific temperature. These properties allow the development of a hysteretic loop with energy dissipation, which can be used as a damping element in a vibratory system. In this paper, a MATLAB® algorithm was developed to create an interface with the Ansys® APDL™ software that simulate the dynamic behavior of a SMA. The software is capable to obtain the cyclical behavior of a vibratory mechanical system based on the energy dissipation properties of the SMA. The results shown that the free vibration of a mass-damper (alloy) system presents the energy dissipation related in magnitude with the area of the hysteresis loop until the deformation caused by the motion which does not correspond to a voltage required to initiate the (direct) phase transformation of the material, thus reducing the displacement to a constant level.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Context representation for context-aware mobile multimedia content recommendation

Very few of the current solutions for content recommendation take into consideration the context of usage when analyzing the preferences of the user and issuing recommendations. Nonetheless, context can be extremely useful to help identify appropriate content for the specific situation or activity the user is in, while consuming the content. In this paper, we present a solution to allow content-based recommendation systems to take full potential of contextual data, by defining a standards-based representation model which accounts for possible relationships among low-level contexts. The MPEG-7 and MPEG-21 standards are used for content description and low-level context representation. OWL/RDF ontologies are used to capture contextual concepts and, together with SWRL to establish relationships and perform reasoning to derive high-level concepts the way humans do. This knowledge is then used to drive the recommendation and content adaptation processes. As a side achievement, an extension to the MPEG-21 specification was developed to accommodate the description of user activities, which we believe have a great impact on the type of content to be recommended

Mcl-1 and bax in the fetal ovary: studies of the undernourished pregnant ewe

Mcl-1 and bax in the fetal ovary: studies of the undernourished pregnant ewe

Prevalence Of Diastasis Of The Rectus Abdominis Muscles Immediately Postpartum: Comparison Between Primiparae And Multiparae [prevalência De Diástase Dos Músculos Retoabdominais No Puerpério Imediato: Comparação Entre Primíparas E Multíparas]

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles (DRAM) among primiparae and multiparae immediately after vaginal delivery, and to compare DRAM above and below the umbilicus and correlate these with the mother's age, body mass index, gestational age and duration of labor. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. Personal information, obstetric history and DRAM measurements 4.5 cm above and below the umbilicus were recorded. DRAM was graded by the number of fingerbreadths (approximately 1.5 cm each) between the medial edges of this muscle. DRAM was considered present and relevant if the separation was > 2 cm at any measurement point. Results: Data from 467 women were analyzed. Above the umbilicus, the prevalence of DRAM >2 cm was 68%. Below the umbilicus, the prevalence of DRAM > 2 cm was 32%. The prevalence of DRAM above the umbilicus among primiparae and multiparae was identical (68%), and the prevalence below the umbilicus was greater among multiparae (19.8% and 29.2%). The mean DRAM above the umbilicus was 2.8 cm (±1.2) and the mean DRAM below the umbilicus was 1.5 cm (±1.1), representing a significant difference (p=0.0001) and a weak correlation (r=0.461). The mean DRAM below the umbilicus was significantly greater among the multiparae (p<0.018) and there was no correlation with the mother's age, body mass index, gestational age or duration of labor. Conclusions: The prevalence of DRAM and mean DRAM were greater above the umbilicus both among multiparae and primiparae. Below the umbilicus, the mean DRAM was significantly greater among multiparae. DRAM below the umbilicus presented a weak correlation with DRAM above the umbilicus.134275280Corrêa, M.C., Corrêa, M.D., Puerpério (1999) Noções práticas de obstetrícia. 12 a ed., pp. 95-104. , Corrêa MD, editor. Rio de Janeiro: MedisiMoore, K.L., O abdome (1994) Anatomia Orientada Para a Clínica. 3 a ed., pp. 117-123. , Moore KL, editor. Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara KooganWhiteford, B., Polden, M., Seu Corpo antes e depois do parto (1992) Exercícios pós-natais: Um Programa de Seis Meses Para a Boa Forma da mãe e do Bebê, pp. 10-23. , Whiteford B, Polden M, editores. São Paulo: Maltese-NormaSpitznagle, T.M., Leong, F.C., Van Dillen, L.R., Prevalence of diastasis recti abdominis in a urogynecological patient population (2007) Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct, 18 (3), pp. 321-328Gilleard, W.L., Brown, J.M., Structure and function of the abdominal muscles in primigravid subjects during pregnancy and the immediate postbirth period (1996) Phys Ther., 76 (7), pp. 750-762Artal, R., O'Toole, M., White, S., Guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period (2003) Br J Sports Med., 37 (1), pp. 6-12Bursch, S.G., Interrater reliability of diastasis recti abdominis measurement (1987) Phys Ther., 67 (7), pp. 1077-1079Mesquita, L.A., Machado, A.V., Andrade, A.V., Fisioterapia para redução da diástase dos músculos retos abdominais no pós-parto (1999) Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet., 21 (5), pp. 267-272Boxer, S., Jones, S., Intra-rater reliability of rectus abdominis diastasis measurement using dial calipers (1997) Aust J Physiother., 43 (2), pp. 109-114Chiarello, C.M., Falzone, L.A., McCaslin, K.E., Patel, M.N., Ulery, K.R., The effects of as exercise program on diastasis recti abdominis in pregnant women (2005) Journal of Women's Health Physical Therapy, 29 (1), pp. 11-16Boissonnault, J.S., Blaschak, M.J., Incidence of diastasis recti abdominis during the childbearing year (1988) Phys Ther., 68 (7), pp. 1082-1086Sapsford, R., Rehabilitation of pelvic floor muscles utilizing trunk stabilization (2004) Man Ther., 9 (1), pp. 3-12Toranto, I.R., The relief of low back pain with the WARP abdominoplasty: A preliminary report (1990) Plas Reconstr Surg., 85 (4), pp. 545-555Hodges, P.W., Is there a role for tranversus abdominis in lumbo-pelvic stability? (1999) Man Ther., 4 (2), pp. 74-86Norris, C.M., Functional load abdominal training: Part 1 (2001) Phys Ther Sport., 2 (1), pp. 29-39Mendes, D.A., Nahas, F.X., Veiga, D.F., Mendes, F.V., Figueiras, R.G., Gomes, M.C., Ultrasonography for measuring rectus abdominis muscles diastasis (2007) Acta Cir Brás., 22 (3), pp. 182-18

Stem cell factor (SCF) and c-kit in the ovine fetal testis in normal and nutrition perturbed pregnancies

Stem cell factor (SCF) and c-kit in the ovine fetal testis in normal and nutrition perturbed pregnancie

COMPARISON OF THE NUMERICAL SOLUTION OBTAINED BY DIFFERENT CONSTITUTIVE EQUATIONS FOR SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS

A utilização de materiais inteligentes vêm se tornando essencial para o aperfeiçoamento de aplicações existentes e o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias. As ligas com memória de forma fazem parte desta classe de materiais, onde as suas características ímpares possibilitam a aplicação como por exemplo: amortecedores, sensores e atuadores. Tendo como objetivo a aplicação destas ligas, será necessário a possibilidade de simular fielmente o comportamento destas, de forma a diminuir custos relacionados com produção de protótipos e o respectivo tempo necessário para produzi-los. O presente trabalho vem comparar as soluções apresentada por dois modelos constitutivos para a mesma liga de Níquel-Titânio, utilizando um algoritmo implementado em Matlab® e o software comercial Ansys® Workbench™. Os resultados apresentam as diferenças quantitativas nos modelos e a respectiva análise mostra os fenômenos que foram levados em conta durante a simulação. Pelo que são necessários ensaios experimentais para a validação dos fenômenos mencionados, calibração dos modelos e comparação para assim identificar o modelo mais representativo na representação do comportamento real da liga.The use of smart materials has become essential for the improvement of existing applications and the development of new technologies. Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) are part of this class of materials, where their unique characteristics allow their application as shock absorbers, sensors and actuators, for example. To apply these alloys, it is necessary simulate reliably their behavior, in order to reduce costs related to the prototype production and time to build them. The present research seeks the comparison between two solutions by different constitutive models for the same Nickel-Titanium alloy. One is using an algorithm implemented in Matlab® and the other with the result available in the literature obtained by commercial software Ansys® Workbench™. The results show the quantitative differences in the models and the phenomena that were taken into account during the simulation. Therefore, experimental tests are required for the validation of the mentioned phenomena, calibration and comparison of the models to identify the most representative model in the representation of the actual behavior of the alloy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudo numérico e experimental de uma liga com memória de forma

O trabalho desenvolvido no âmbito do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança engloba a caracterização do comportamento superelástico de uma liga com memória de forma (LMF) tendo maioritariamente em sua composição Níquel e Titânio. Através de estudos experimentais e calibração de modelos numéricos pretendemos simular o comportamento ímpar das ligas, com o intuito de possibilitar o desenvolvimento de dispositivos capazes de atenuar vibrações indesejadas de altas amplitudes, como em fenômenos de flutter ou sismos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Motivational Approach by phone for family member of drug user: A case study

A entrevista motivacional, intervenção colaborativa que estimula as razões à mudança, pode ser utilizada para ajudar os familiares de usuários de drogas a conduzir transformações na sua interação com o usuário. Os familiares podem desenvolver estratégias mal-adaptativas para manejarem esse problema, conhecido como codependência. Assim, os familiares necessitam receber intervenção, pois podem adoecer diante dos conflitos decorrentes dessa interação. Objetivou-se apresentar um modelo de intervenção breve motivacional por telefone para familiar de usuário. Realizou-se um estudo de caso em um serviço de telemedicina. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: protocolo de atendimento ao familiar, escalas Contemplation Ladder e Holyoake Codependency Index. Betânia, 46 anos, ligou para buscar ajuda para o seu marido usuário de álcool e crack. Após 6 meses, Betânia conseguiu perceber suas necessidades pessoais e as consequências de sua mudança na dinâmica da dependência química. A esposa do usuário reduziu a codependência e modificou comportamentos permissivos. Os serviços de telemedicina e as intervenções breves motivacionais podem promover mudanças comportamentais em familiares que necessitam de atenção e cuidados de saúde de uma forma acessível e abrangente.Palavras-chave: codependência, entrevista motivacional, telefone.Motivational interviewing, a collaborative intervention that stimulates the reasons to change, can be used to help family members of drug users to drive transformation in their interaction with the user. Families of drug users may develop maladaptive strategies for managing this problem, which is known as codependency. Thus, family members need to receive intervention, as they may get sick due to the conflicts arising from this interaction. The goal was to present a model of brief motivational intervention by telephone to the user’s family. We conducted a case study of a telemedicine service. The instruments used were: family attendance protocol, Contemplation Ladder and Holyoake Codependency Index. Bethany, 46 years, called to get help for her husband, an alcohol and crack user. After 6 months, Bethany was able to realize her personal needs and the consequences of her change in the dynamics of addiction. The user’s wife reduced codependency and modified permissive behavior. Telemedicine services and brief motivational interventions can promote behavioral changes in families that need attention and care in an accessible and comprehensive way.Key words: codependency, motivational interviewing, telephone

The COVID-19 pandemic, emergency aid and social work in Brazil.

This essay reflects on the implementation of federal government emergency aid in Brazil in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting elements from the work of Social Workers in the context of growing demand for the supply of material provisions. Economic and social conditions in Brazil have particularities that impact the operationalisation of this benefit, which is aimed at the poor, that add complexity and impose limits. When considering the structural limits set, this context imposes challenges on the work of Social Workers. The need to reconnect and enhance the struggle for social rights is emphasised through the different strategies of the working class