A Machine learning approach for intestinal motility assessment with capsule endoscopy

Consultable des del TDXIntestinal motility assessment with video capsule endoscopy arises as a novel and challenging clinical fieldwork. This technique is based on the analysis of the patterns of intestinal contractions obtained by labelling all the motility events present in a video provided by a capsule with a wireless micro-camera, which is ingested by the patient. However, the visual analysis of these video sequences presents several important drawbacks, mainly related to both the large amount of time needed for the visualization process, and the low prevalence of intestinal contractions in video. In this work we propose a machine learning system to automatically detect the intestinal contractions in video capsule endoscopy, driving a very useful but not feasible clinical routine into a feasible clinical procedure. Our proposal is divided into two different parts: The first part tackles the problem of the automatic detection of phasic contractions in capsule endoscopy videos. Phasic contractions are dynamic events spanning about 4-5 seconds, which show visual patterns with a high variability. Our proposal is based on a sequential design which involves the analysis of textural, color and blob features with powerful classifiers such as SVM. This approach appears to cope with two basic aims: the reduction of the imbalance rate of the data set, and the modular construction of the system, which adds the capability of including domain knowledge as new stages in the cascade. The second part of the current work tackles the problem of the automatic detection of tonic contractions. Tonic contractions manifest in capsule endoscopy as a sustained pattern of the folds and wrinkles of the intestine, which may be prolonged for an undetermined span of time. Our proposal is based on the analysis of the wrinkle patterns, presenting a comparative study of diverse features and classification methods, and providing a set of appropriate descriptors for their characterization. We provide a detailed analysis of the performance achieved by our system both in a qualitative and a quantitative way

Public libraries engaging communities through technology and innovation : Insights from the Library Living Lab

Public libraries have proven for centuries to be infrastructures both stable enough as reference centers for access to knowledge yet plastic enough to respond to the social changes of the communities they serve. In these present times of transformation, during which digitalization and the intensive use of technologies are modifying the way in which knowledge is produced, public libraries are facing new and disruptive challenges. The emergence of certain innovation ecosystems within libraries, which place the community at the center of cocreation and codesign processes between different agents, has transformed some public libraries into encountering spaces. The Library Living Lab, in the Miquel Batllori Public Library of Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona, Spain), is an expression of this systemic change. The following paper is a case study based on that sociotechnical infrastructure and analyzes, through two singular examples, how digital technologies can be drivers of social transformation when citizen engagement is placed at the center of innovation processes. The case study also provides insights into how public libraries may become key agents in fostering and strengthening social cohesion through situated, collective, and technology-based innovation practice

Low Cost Eye Tracking: The Current Panorama

Despite the availability of accurate, commercial gaze tracker devices working with infrared (IR) technology, visible light gaze tracking constitutes an interesting alternative by allowing scalability and removing hardware requirements. Over the last years, this field has seen examples of research showing performance comparable to the IR alternatives. In this work, we survey the previous work on remote, visible light gaze trackers and analyze the explored techniques from various perspectives such as calibration strategies, head pose invariance, and gaze estimation techniques. We also provide information on related aspects of research such as public datasets to test against, open source projects to build upon, and gaze tracking services to directly use in applications. With all this information, we aim to provide the contemporary and future researchers with a map detailing previously explored ideas and the required tools

Aplicación de soporte para personal docente en dispositivo móvil : iPhone

Actualment és difícil no veure a gent de totes les edats amb algun tipus de Gadget electrònic. En forma de telèfons mòvils, GPS, agendes electròniques, reproductors de música, tablets o qualsevol altre dispositiu, el món digital ens aborda, la informació i les dades es digitalitzen i arriben fins a les nostres butxaques per ser accessibles en qualsevol moment. Es fa indispensable familiaritzar-se amb aquestes eines i per això s'introdueixen en els centres educatius de tot el món. En aquest projecte es combinen tots aquests fets per desenvolupar un herbari digital sobre un dispositiu mòbil, amb finalitat educativa i ús privat.Actualmente es difícil no ver a gente de todas las edades con algún tipo de Gadget electrónico. En forma de teléfono móvil, GPS, agendas electrónicas, reproductores de música, tablets o cualquier otro dispositivo, el mundo digital nos aborda, la informaciónn y los datos se digitalizan y llegan hasta nuestros bolsillos para ser accesibles en cualquier momento. Se hace indispensable familiarizarse con tales herramientas y por eso se introducen en los centros de educativos de todo el mundo. En este proyecto se combinan todos estos echos para desarrollar un herbario digital sobre un dispositivo móvil, con fines educativos y uso privado.Nowadays it's not difficult to see people of all ages with any type of electronic gadget such as mobile phones, GPS, PDAs, tablets and so on. The digital world surrounds us; information and data are digitalized and accessible at any time, anywhere. Therefore it is essential to familiarize ourselves with these tools. Already learners of young age have to be confronted with them in education centres so that they are prepared for the standards set in our society. This project takes all these facts into account to develop a digital herbarium on a mobile device, for educational and personal use.Nota: Aquest document conté originàriament altre material i/o programari només consultable a la Biblioteca de Ciència i Tecnologia

The Library Living Lab: A Collaborative Innovation Model for Public Libraries

New models of governance advance towards participatory schemes in which citizens not only play an active role in decision-making processes but also the processes by which new products and services are defined and introduced. In parallel, technological innovations, and the new horizons of creativity that they allow, open a huge range of options to innovation in all areas of society, particularly in the cultural field. Under these two premises – participation and innovation – the Library Living Lab initiative was born at the Public Library of Miquel Batllori Volpelleres in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona. The Library Living Lab is a space that gathers all stakeholders around the public library with the aim of exploring new methods and tools that allow us to enjoy culture both individually and collectively. This article describes how technology can be an enabling factor in a citizen-initiated grassroots project. The project implements a complete model of inter-institutional collaboration with all relevant actors around the living lab working group. The specific challenges of developing an open, flexible, and inter-connected space are identified, and the interaction dynamics based on a challenge–action–return methodology definition are described through practical examples. Our conclusions tackle the challenges of a horizon for the implementation of innovation initiatives – such as living labs – in public spaces

Factores sociales de riesgo para la falta de cumplimiento terapéutico en pacientes con tuberculosis en Pontevedra

ResumenObjetivoConocer la prevalencia y caracteristicas de los factores sociales de riesgo (FSR) para la falta de cumplimiento terapeutico entre los enfermos de tuberculosis de Pontevedra.MetodosAnalisis descriptivo de los enfermos de tuberculosis con FSR diagnosticados entre 1996 y 2002. Se considero FSR la presencia de aislamiento social (alcoholismo, uso de drogas por via parenteral, presidiario, sin domicilio fijo-sin techo, inadaptacion social) o la inmigracion. Se calculo la prevalencia y la tendencia anual de los FSR, la situacion final de los pacientes y la influencia de la administracion directamente observada del tratamiento en la situacion final.ResultadosDe los 775 casos de TB, 156 pacientes (20,1%) tenian algun FSR, 86 pacientes presentaban alcoholismo, 41 eran usuarios de drogas por via parenteral, 24 eran inmigrantes, 14 no tenian domicilio fijo, 11 se consideraron con inadaptacion social y 10 eran presidiarios. La presencia de FSR entre los enfermos de tuberculosis no mostro una tendencia a aumentar o disminuir durante el periodo de estudio, excepto por el incremento de inmigrantes (χ2 para la tendencia lineal = 12,24; p = 0,005). La proporcion de pacientes con situacion final satisfactoria (curacion bacteriologica o tratamiento finalizado) fue significativamente mayor en el grupo de pacientes sin FSR (el 90,4 frente al 70,8%; p < 0,001). La administracion directamente observada del tratamiento a los pacientes con FSR no mejoro de manera significativa el porcentaje de enfermos con situacion final satisfactoria.ConclusionesLos pacientes con FSR tienen una mayor probabilidad de presentar una situacion final no satisfactoria. La presencia de FSR entre los enfermos con tuberculosis es baja en nuestro medio. Existe una incipiente tendencia al aumento de enfermos inmigrantes procedentes de paises con mayor prevalencia de tuberculosis, hecho que debe considerarse de cara a un mejor control de la enfermedad.AbstractObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and characteristics of social risk factors (SRF) for noncompliance with treatment in patients with tuberculosis (TB) in Pontevedra.MethodsWe performed a descriptive analysis of patients with TB and SRF diagnosed between 1996 and 2002. A patient was considered as having SRF if he or she was socially isolated (alcoholism, intravenous drug use, prison inmate, homelessness or social maladjustment) or was an immigrant. The prevalence, annual trend of SRF and patient outcomes were calculated. The influence of direct observation of treatment administration on the outcome of patients with SRF was also analyzed.ResultsOf 775 patients with TB, 156 (20.1%) had at least one SRF. Eighty-six patients were alcoholic, 41 were intravenous drug users, 24 were immigrants, 11 were homeless, 11 showed social maladjustment and 10 were prison inmates. The presence of SRF among TB patients showed no tendency to increase or decrease during the study period, except for the increasing number of immigrants (χ2 for lineal tendency = 12.24; p = 0.005). Final outcomes were significantly better in patients without SRF (90.4 vs 70.8% of satisfactory final outcomes; p < 0.001). Direct observation of treatment did not increase satisfactory outcomes in patients with SRF.ConclusionsPatients with TB and SRF have a significantly higher proportion of unsatisfactory final outcomes. The presence of SRF is relatively low in our environment. The number of immigrants from countries with a high prevalence of TB shows an incipient tendency to increase. This finding should be taken into account to achieve better control of the disease

Intestinal content detection in capsule endoscopy using robust features

This work covers two aspects. First, it generally compares and summarizes the similarities and differences of state of the art feature detector and descriptor and second it presents a novel approach of detecting intestinal content (in particular bubbles) in capsule endoscopy images. Feature detectors and descriptors providing invariance to change of perspective, scale, signal-noise-ratio and lighting conditions are important and interesting topics in current research and the number of possible applications seems to be numberless. After analysing a selection of in the literature presented approaches, this work investigates in their suitability for applications information extraction in capsule endoscopy images. Eventually, a very good performing detector of intestinal content in capsule endoscopy images is presented. A accurate detection of intestinal content is crucial for all kinds of machine learning approaches and other analysis on capsule endoscopy studies because they occlude the field of view of the capsule camera and therefore those frames need to be excluded from analysis. As a so called "byproduct" of this investigation a graphical user interface supported Feature Analysis Tool is presented to execute and compare the discussed feature detectors and descriptor on arbitrary images, with configurable parameters and visualized their output. As well the presented bubble classifier is part of this tool and if a ground truth is available (or can also be generated using this tool) a detailed visualization of the validation result will be performed.Nota: Aquest document conté originàriament altre material i/o programari només consultable a la Biblioteca de Ciència i Tecnologia

Motion analysis in terms of wireless video capsule endoscopy

El treball presentat suposa una visió general de l'"Endoscopia amb Càpsula de Vídeo Wireless" i la inspecció de sequències de contraccions intestinals amb les últimes tecnologies de visió per computador. Després de la observació preliminar dels fonaments mèdics requerits, la aplicació de visió per computador es presenta en aquestos termes. En essència, aquest treball proveïx una exhaustiva selecció, descripció i avaluació de cert conjunt de mètodes de processament d'imatges respecte a l'anàlisi de moviment, en el entorn de seqüències d'imatges preses amb una càpsula endoscòpica. Finalment, es presenta una aplicació de software per configurar i emprar de forma ràpida i fàcil un entorn experimental.El trabajo presentado supone una visión general de la "Endoscopia con Cápsula de Video Wireless" y la inspección de secuencias de contracciones intestinales con las últimas tecnologías en visión por computador. Tras la observación preliminar de los fundamentos médicos requeridos, la aplicación de visión por computador se presenta en éstos términos. En sustancia, este trabajo provee una exhaustiva selección, descripción y evaluación de cierto conjunto de métodos de procesamiento de imágenes con respecto al análisis de movimiento, en el entorno de secuencias de imágenes tomadas con una cápsula endoscópica. Finalmente, se presenta una aplicación de software para configurar y usar de forma rápida y fácil un entorno experimental.The presented work yields a survey of Wireless Video Capsule Endoscopy and the examination of intestinal contraction sequences by the use of state-of-the-art computer vision technologies. After an introductory observation of required medical foundations, the application of computer vision within these terms is pointed out. In essence, this paper provides a comprehensive selection, description and evaluation of a certain set of image processing methods and algorithms with respect to the analysis of motion in an environment of capsule endoscopy image sequences. Finally, a software application for setting up a fast and easy to use experimental environment is presented