883 research outputs found
Toward emotional interactive videogames for children with autism spectrum disorder
Technology and videogames have been proven as motivating tools for working attention and complex communication skills, especially in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this work, we present two experiences that used interactive games for promoting communication and attention. The first game considers emotions in order to measure children’s attention, concentration and satisfaction, while the second uses tangible tabletops for fostering cognitive planning. The analysis of the results obtained allows to propose a new study integrating both, in which the tangible interactive game is complemented with the emotional trainer in a way that allows identifying and classifying children’s emotion with ASD when they collaborate to solve cognitively significant and contextualized challenges. The first application proposed is an emotional trainer application in which the child can work out the seven basic emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, surprise and neutral). Further, a serious videogame is proposed: a 3D maze where the emotions can be captured. The second case study was carried out in a Special Education Center, where a set of activities for working cognitive planning was proposed. In this case, a tangible interactive tabletop was used to analyze, in students with ASD, how the communication processes with these interfaces affect to the attention, memory, successive and simultaneous processing that compose cognitive planning from the PASS model. The results of the first study, suggest that the autistic children did not act with previous planning, but they used their perception to adjust their actions a posteriori (that explains the higher number of collisions). On the second case study, the successive processing was not explored. The inclusion of the mazes of case study 1 to a semantic rich scenario could allow us to measure the prior planning and the emotions involved in the maze game. The new physiological sensors will also help to validate the emotions felt by the children. The first study has as objective the capability to imitate emotions and resolve a maze without semantic context. The second study organized all the actions from a semantic context close to users. The attention results presented by the second study are coherent with the first study and complement it showing that attention can be receptive or selective. In the first study case, the receptive attention was the focus of analysis. In the second case, both contributed to explain and understand how it can be developed from a videogame
Abundant Z-cyanomethanimine in the interstellar medium: paving the way to the synthesis of adenine
We report the first detection in the interstellar medium of the Z-isomer of
cyanomethanimine (HNCHCN), an HCN dimer proposed as precursor of adenine. We
identified six transitions of Z-cyanomethanimine, along with five transitions
of E-cyanomethanimine, using IRAM 30m observations towards the Galactic Center
quiescent molecular cloud G+0.693. The Z-isomer has a column density of
(2.00.6)10 cm and an abundance of
1.510. The relative abundance ratio between the isomers is
[Z/E]6. This value cannot be explained by the two chemical formation
routes previously proposed (gas-phase and grain surface), which predicts
abundances ratios between 0.9 and 1.5. The observed [Z/E] ratio is in good
agreement with thermodynamic equilibrium at the gas kinetic temperature
(130210 K). Since isomerization is not possible in the ISM, the two species
may be formed at high temperature. New chemical models, including surface
chemistry on dust grains and gas-phase reactions, should be explored to explain
our findings. Whatever the formation mechanism, the high abundance of Z-HNCHCN
shows that precursors of adenine are efficiently formed in the ISM.Comment: Accepted in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letter
Complex organic molecules in the Galactic Centre: the N-bearing family
We present an unbiased spectral line survey toward the Galactic Centre (GC)
quiescent giant molecular cloud (QGMC), G+0.693 using the GBT and IRAM 30
telescopes. Our study highlights an extremely rich organic inventory of
abundant amounts of nitrogen (N)-bearing species in a source without signatures
of star formation. We report the detection of 17 N-bearing species in this
source, of which 8 are complex organic molecules (COMs). A comparison of the
derived abundances relative to H is made across various galactic and
extragalactic environments. We conclude that the unique chemistry in this
source is likely to be dominated by low-velocity shocks with X-rays/cosmic rays
also playing an important role in the chemistry. Like previous findings
obtained for O-bearing molecules, our results for N-bearing species suggest a
more efficient hydrogenation of these species on dust grains in G+0.693 than in
hot cores in the Galactic disk, as a consequence of the low dust temperatures
coupled with energetic processing by X-ray/cosmic ray radiation in the GC.Comment: 24 pages, 23 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
Chemical Features in the Circumnuclear Disk of the Galactic Center
The circumnuclear disk (CND) of the Galactic Center is exposed to many
energetic phenomena coming from the supermassive black hole Sgr A* and stellar
activities. These energetic activities can affect the chemical composition in
the CND by the interaction with UV-photons, cosmic-rays, X-rays, and shock
waves. We aim to constrain the physical conditions present in the CND by
chemical modeling of observed molecular species detected towards it. We
analyzed a selected set of molecular line data taken toward a position in the
southwest lobe of the CND with the IRAM 30m and APEX 12-meter telescopes and
derived the column density of each molecule using a large velocity gradient
(LVG) analysis. The determined chemical composition is compared with a
time-dependent gas-grain chemical model based on the UCL\_CHEM code that
includes the effects of shock waves with varying physical parameters. Molecules
such as CO, HCN, HCO, HNC, CS, SO, SiO, NO, CN, HCO, HCN,
NH and HO are detected and their column densities are obtained.
Total hydrogen densities obtained from LVG analysis range between and cm and most species indicate values around
several cm, which are lower than values corresponding to
the Roche limit, which shows that the CND is tidally unstable. The chemical
models show good agreement with the observations in cases where the density is
cm, the cosmic-ray ionization rate is high, s, or shocks with velocities km s have occurred.
Comparison of models and observations favors a scenario where the cosmic-ray
ionization rate in the CND is high, but precise effects of other factors such
as shocks, density structures, UV-photons and X-rays from the Sgr A* must be
examined with higher spatial resolution data.Comment: 17 Pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Disseny d'un cronòmetre i d'un freqüencÃmetre integrats en un NIOS controlats sobre μClinux
Aquest document conté originà riament altre material i/o programari només consultable a la Biblioteca de Ciència i Tecnologia.El projecte que es presenta permet analitzar els avantatges i inconvenients d'una programació orientada a hardware i d'una programació orientada a software a partir del desenvolupament de dos dissenys, un cronòmetre i un freqüencÃmetre en cadascun dels modes de programació. Donat que en les dues aplicacions es requereix alta precisió de temps (μs) i flexibilitat en el control, la solució final que es proposa és un disseny "mixt" amb dos mòduls hardware especÃfics (cronòmetre i freqüencÃmetre) integrats en un NIOS/CPU sobre una FPGA. Els dos mòduls es controlen per software sobre un sistema Linux empotrat (μCLinux).El proyecto que se presenta permite analizar las ventajas e inconvenientes de una programación orientada a hardware y de una programación orientada a software a partir del desarrollo de dos diseños, un cronómetro y un frecuencÃmetro en cada uno de los modos de programación. Dado que en las dos aplicaciones se requiere alta precisión de tiempo (μs) y flexibilidad en el control, la solución final que se propone es un diseño "mixto" con dos módulos hardware especÃficos (cronómetro y frecuencÃmetro) integrados en un NIOS/CPU sobre una FPGA. Los dos módulos se controlan por software sobre un sistema Linux embebido (μCLinux).The project presented analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of a hardware-oriented programming and a software-oriented programming from the development of two designs, a chronometer and a frequencymeter in each of the programming modes. Because the two applications require high-precision time (μs) and control flexibility, the proposed final solution is a design "mixed" with two specific hardware modules (chronometer and frequencymeter) integrated in a NIOS/CPU on a FPGA. The two modules are controlled by software on a Linux embedded system (μClinux)
On the phenomenological classification of continuum radio spectra variability patterns of Fermi blazars
The F-GAMMA program is a coordinated effort to investigate the physics of
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) via multi-frequency monitoring of {\em Fermi}
blazars. The current study is concerned with the broad-band radio spectra
composed of measurement at ten frequencies between 2.64 and 142 GHz. It is
shown that any of the 78 sources studied can be classified in terms of their
variability characteristics in merely 5 types of variability. The first four
types are dominated by spectral evolution and can be reproduced by a simple
two-component system made of the quiescent spectrum of a large scale jet
populated with a flaring event evolving according to Marscher & Gear (1985).
The last type is characterized by an achromatic change of the broad-band
spectrum which must be attributed to a completely different mechanism. Here are
presented, the classification, the assumed physical system and the results of
simulations that have been conducted.Comment: 2011 Fermi Symposium proceedings - eConf C11050
A customisable pipeline for continuously harvesting socially-minded Twitter users
On social media platforms and Twitter in particular, specific classes of
users such as influencers have been given satisfactory operational definitions
in terms of network and content metrics.
Others, for instance online activists, are not less important but their
characterisation still requires experimenting.
We make the hypothesis that such interesting users can be found within
temporally and spatially localised contexts, i.e., small but topical fragments
of the network containing interactions about social events or campaigns with a
significant footprint on Twitter.
To explore this hypothesis, we have designed a continuous user profile
discovery pipeline that produces an ever-growing dataset of user profiles by
harvesting and analysing contexts from the Twitter stream.
The profiles dataset includes key network and content-based users metrics,
enabling experimentation with user-defined score functions that characterise
specific classes of online users.
The paper describes the design and implementation of the pipeline and its
empirical evaluation on a case study consisting of healthcare-related campaigns
in the UK, showing how it supports the operational definitions of online
activism, by comparing three experimental ranking functions. The code is
publicly available.Comment: Procs. ICWE 2019, June 2019, Kore
Experiencia de transferencia tecnológica de la ConsejerÃa Telefónica para Cuidados Crónicos de Salud, a equipos de Atención Primaria.
The technology transfer process requires training future users in specific knowledge and skills, as well as performing administrative adjustments for an effective incorporation of innovation into the structure of the system and into the professional care. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile's School of Nursing developed a model of Technological Support for Health Self-Care, which includes the use of telephone counseling to help people who suffer from chronic diseases manage their condition and look after themselves by teaching them techniques which alleviate their disease. Here, we present an experience that was carried out to transfer this technology to professionals related to the Cardiovascular Health Program in Chilean Public Primary Healthcare Centers located in a low-income district of Chile's capital city, Santiago, so that the technology could be applied to patients with type 2 diabetes who had joined such program. This process was conducted in two stages: 1. Making of a theoretical-practical workshop to support health decision-making and motivational strategies for health behavior change (workshops and demonstrations); and 2. Field demonstration, and monitoring with supervision and meetings at local level. The professionals who participated in the technology transfer program succeeded in developing the skills expected in the Telephone Counseling Tool to Support Self-Management of People suffering from DM2. Finally, to enable telephone counseling in clinical practice, healthcare centers restructured their system of service provisions, incorporating such counseling into their professional duties.El proceso de transferencia tecnológica exige capacitar en conocimientos y habilidades especÃficas a los futuros usuarios, asà como también, la realización de adecuaciones administrativas para la incorporación efectiva de la innovación en la estructura del sistema y en la atención profesional.La Escuela de EnfermerÃa a la que pertenecen los autores, desarrolló un modelo de Apoyo Tecnológico para el Autocuidado en Salud, que incluye el uso de consejerÃas telefónicas para apoyar a personas con enfermedades crónicas en el automanejo,  y autocuidado de su condición. Se presenta a continuación la experiencia llevada a cabo para transferir esta tecnologÃa a profesionales del Programa de Salud Cardiovascular en Centros de Atención Primaria públicos de una comuna de bajos recursos en Chile, para su incorporación en la atención de pacientes con diabetes tipo 2 adscritos a dicho programa.Este proceso se realizó en dos etapas: 1. Realización de un taller teórico práctico en apoyo a la toma de decisiones en salud y estrategias motivacionales para el cambio de conducta en salud (talleres y demostraciones) y 2. Demostración en terreno, y  seguimiento con supervisión y reuniones a nivel local.Los profesionales que participaron del programa de transferencia tecnológica, lograron desarrollar las destrezas esperadas en la herramienta de ConsejerÃa Telefónica de Apoyo al Auto-Manejo de Personas con DM2. Finalmente, para  incorporar las consejerÃas telefónicas en la práctica clÃnica, los centros de salud reestructuraron el sistema de prestación de servicios, integrando asà dichas  consejerÃas a su quehacer profesional
F-GAMMA: On the phenomenological classification of continuum radio spectra variability patterns of Fermi blazars
The F-GAMMA program is a coordinated effort to investigate the physics of
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) via multi-frequency monitoring of Fermi blazars.
In the current study we show and discuss the evolution of broad-band radio
spectra, which are measured at ten frequencies between 2.64 and 142 GHz using
the Effelsberg 100-m and the IRAM 30-m telescopes. It is shown that any of the
78 sources studied can be classified in terms of their variability
characteristics in merely 5 types of variability. It is argued that these can
be attributed to only two classes of variability mechanisms. The first four
types are dominated by spectral evolution and can be described by a simple
two-component system composed of: (a) a steep quiescent spectral component from
a large scale jet and (b) a time evolving flare component following the
"Shock-in-Jet" evolutionary path. The fifth type is characterised by an
achromatic change of the broad band spectrum, which could be attributed to a
different mechanism, likely involving differential Doppler boosting caused by
geometrical effects. Here we present the classification, the assumed physical
scenario and the results of calculations that have been performed for the
spectral evolution of flares.Comment: Proceedings of the conference: "The Central Kiloparsec in Galactic
Nucleic: Astronomy at High Angular Resolution 2011", August 29 - September 2,
2011, Bad Honnef, German
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