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In traditional semantic segmentation, knowing about all existing classes is essential to yield effective results with the majority of existing approaches. However, these methods trained in a Closed Set of classes fail when new classes are found in the test phase, not being able to recognize that an unseen class has been fed. This means that they are not suitable for Open Set scenarios, which are very common in real-world computer vision and remote sensing applications. In this paper, we discuss the limitations of Closed Set segmentation and propose two fully convolutional approaches to effectively address Open Set semantic segmentation: OpenFCN and OpenPCS. OpenFCN is based on the well-known OpenMax algorithm, configuring a new application of this approach in segmentation settings. OpenPCS is a fully novel approach based on feature-space from DNN activations that serve as features for computing PCA and multi-variate gaussian likelihood in a lower dimensional space. In addition to OpenPCS and aiming to reduce the RAM memory requirements of the methodology, we also propose a slight variation of the method (OpenIPCS) that uses an iteractive version of PCA able to be trained in small batches. Experiments were conducted on the well-known ISPRS Vaihingen/Potsdam and the 2018 IEEE GRSS Data Fusion Challenge datasets. OpenFCN showed little-to-no improvement when compared to the simpler and much more time efficient SoftMax thresholding, while being some orders of magnitude slower. OpenPCS achieved promising results in almost all experiments by overcoming both OpenFCN and SoftMax thresholding. OpenPCS is also a reasonable compromise between the runtime performances of the extremely fast SoftMax thresholding and the extremely slow OpenFCN, being able to run close to real-time. Experiments also indicate that OpenPCS is effective, robust and suitable for Open Set segmentation, being able to improve the recognition of unknown class pixels without reducing the accuracy on the known class pixels. We also tested the scenario of hiding multiple known classes to simulate multimodal unknowns, resulting in an even larger gap between OpenPCS/OpenIPCS and both SoftMax thresholding and OpenFCN, implying that gaussian modeling is more robust to settings with greater openness.

The concern over climate change and a transition away from fossil fuels has reinvigorated interest in using nuclear energy in producing electricity. Uranium is the principal fuel used in nuclear power plants, and mineral deposits containing this element are of strategic importance. The successful development of sandstone uranium deposits benefits from 3D geophysical characterization of sand bodies in uranium reservoirs. In view of this, we have evaluated a method based on 3D geostatistical resistivity inversion. First, we analyze the application of that method to the problem at hand and introduce a workflow for analyzing the data. Second, through petrophysical sensitivity analysis, we identify the logging parameters that can characterize sandstone in this context and geostatistical inversion to estimate those parameters. We then use 3D geostatistical resistivity inversion to map a sandstone uranium reservoir and find it to provide accurate results. Finally, the 3D data of inversion are applied to 3D spatial characterization of a sand body in the Sifangtai uranium reservoir inverting a field data set in the western of Songliao Basin in China. We believe this geostatistical inversion method to be useful in determining the location of drilling wells for exploration and development of sandstone uranium deposits.

Summary Accurately quantifying the social distancing (SD) practice of a population is essential for governments and health agencies to better plan and adapt restrictions during a pandemic crisis. In such a scenario, the reduction of social mobility also has a significant impact on electricity consumption, since people are encouraged to stay at home and many commercial and industrial activities are reduced or even halted. This paper proposes a methodology to qualify the SD of a medium‐sized city, located in the northwest of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, using data of electricity consumption measured by the municipality's energy utility. The methodology consists of combining a data set, and an average consumption profile of Sundays is obtained using data from 4‐months, it is then defined as a high SD profile due to the typical lower social activities on Sundays. An supervised and an unsupervised artificial neural network (ANN) are trained with this profile and used to analyze electricity consumption of this city during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Low, moderate, and high SD ranges are also created, and the daily population behavior is evaluated by the ANNs. The results are strongly correlated and discussed with government restrictions imposed during the analyzed period and indicate that the ANNs can correctly classify the intensity of SD practiced by people. The unsupervised ANN is used more easily and in different scenarios, so it can be indicated for use by public administration for purposes of assess the effectiveness of SD policies based on the guidelines established during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Introduction In the spring of 2017, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) Parenteral Nutrition Safety Committee and the Clinical Practice Committee convened an interprofessional task force to develop consensus recommendations for identifying patients with or at risk for refeeding syndrome (RS) and for avoiding and managing the condition. This report provides narrative review and consensus recommendations in hospitalized adult and pediatric populations. Methods Because of the variation in definitions and methods reported in the literature, a consensus process was developed. Subgroups of authors investigated specific issues through literature review. Summaries were presented to the entire group for discussion via email and teleconferences. Each section was then compiled into a master document, several revisions of which were reviewed by the committee. Findings/recommendations This group proposes a new clinical definition, and criteria for stratifying risk with treatment and screening strategies. The authors propose that RS diagnostic criteria be stratified as follows: a decrease in any 1, 2, or 3 of serum phosphorus, potassium, and/or magnesium levels by 10%-20% (mild), 20%-30% (moderate), or >30% and/or organ dysfunction resulting from a decrease in any of these and/or due to thiamin deficiency (severe), occurring within 5 days of reintroduction of calories. Conclusions These consensus recommendations are intended to provide guidance regarding recognizing risk and identifying, stratifying, avoiding and managing RS. This consensus definition is additionally intended to be used as a basis for further research into the incidence, consequences, pathophysiology, avoidance, and treatment of RS.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Approximately 1.13 billion people suffer from arterial hypertension (AH), a condition that stands out among all other CVD risk factors. One of the main non-pharmacological treatments for AH is the performance of physical activities. Studies have also demonstrated the possibility of blood pressure control through the application of breathing exercises. Such exercises can be performed even at home. Due to the limitations concerning physical exercise for patients with uncontrolled hypertension, clinicians often have their patients conduct breathing exercises before a physiotherapy session for blood pressure reduction purposes. However, more tools are needed to assist clinicians with this approach. Considering these circumstances, this paper introduces PhysioAR, an augmented reality system designed to assist in respiratory therapy treatments for hypertensive patients. Using three-dimensional virtual environments and specific hardware for vital sign measurements, PhysioAR enables the creation and application of respiratory therapy sessions by a physiotherapist professional. At the end of its development, a group of usability experts evaluated the system through a questionnaire based on Nielsen's heuristic evaluation of user interfaces. After evaluation, PhysioAR obtained an average performance of 4.3 by the Likert scale. All evaluators agreed that using the system was a pleasant experience, which suggests that PhysioAR has potential for physiotherapy clinics. The questionnaire application exposed some user experience problems. This demonstrated the effectiveness of a questionnaire-based evaluation to identify possible system problems.

Knowledge of the periods when the meteorological conditions are favorable for agricultural spraying is important in agricultural planning, particularly in fleet dimensioning. This study aimed to determine, on a temporal scale, favorable weather conditions for agricultural spraying in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. In addition, the times and months of the year that have the most and least suitable conditions for agricultural spraying were investigated, as well as the meteorological conditions that are frequently limiting and their relationships with the geographic coordinates and altitude of the location. Hourly data from automatic weather stations in 12 locations were collected, totaling 56,500 days and 1,356,009 hourly observations. Wind speeds greater than 3 km h-1 and less than 10 km h-1, air temperatures up to 30 °C, and relative air humidity above 55% were considered favorable. The data were released after descriptive analysis considering the registered frequency and mean. Altitude showed a moderate negative correlation with wind speed favorability. Air temperature was the meteorological element with the greatest favorability for agricultural spraying in the Rio Grande do Sul State, whereas wind speed was the most limiting meteorological element. There were no differences in favorability between the months of the year. The most favorable times were from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 a.m. and the most unfavorable from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Considering the condition in which air temperature, wind speed, and relative air humidity were adequate for agricultural spraying simultaneously in the Rio Grande do Sul State, 43.2% of the periods were favorable. RESUMO O conhecimento dos momentos em que as condições meteorológicas são favoráveis à pulverização agrícola é importante no planejamento agrícola, principalmente para o dimensionamento da frota. Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar, em escala temporal, as condições climáticas favoráveis à pulverização agrícola no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, assim como as épocas e meses do ano com melhores e piores condições, o elemento meteorológico mais limitante e suas relações com as coordenadas geográficas e a altitude do local. Foram utilizados dados horários de estações meteorológicas automáticas de 12 locais, perfazendo um total de 56.500 dias e 1.356.009 observações horárias. Foram considerados favoráveis os valores de velocidade do vento acima de 3 km h-1 e abaixo de 10 km h-1, temperatura do ar ≤ 30 °C e umidade relativa do ar maior que 55%. Os dados foram expostos após à análise descritiva considerando a frequência e a média registrada. A altitude apresentou correlação negativa moderada com a velocidade do vento. A temperatura do ar é o elemento meteorológico com maior favorabilidade para pulverizações agrícolas no Rio Grande do Sul. A velocidade do vento é o elemento meteorológico mais limitante. Não houve diferença de favorabilidade entre os meses do ano. Os horários mais favoráveis ocorreram das 18:00 às 11:00 h e os mais desfavoráveis das 12:00 às 17:00 h. Considerando a condição em que a temperatura do ar, velocidade do vento e umidade relativa do ar foram simultaneamente adequadas para a pulverização agrícola no Rio Grande do Sul, 43,2% dos momentos foram favoráveis.

Introduction Observational studies differ on the impact of performing tricuspid repair on surgical mortality. Some studies demonstrate increased surgical mortality related to right ventricular failure and circulatory shock, while there are other studies that evidence improvement in quality of life and signs of right heart failure in the long time. Objective To evaluate the impact on surgical mortality of concomitant tricuspid annuloplasty in patients undergoing cardiac surgery for rheumatic mitral valve disease, who have moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation. Methods This is a prospective cohort from January 1, 2017 to December 30, 2020. All patients over 18 years of age who underwent cardiac surgery to correct rheumatic mitral valve disease with moderate to significant tricuspid regurgitation were included. The primary outcome was 30-days mortality. Results 165 patients were included, 98 (59.4%) underwent tricuspid valve annuloplasty. The mean age was 46, 5 (±12) years, the median of Euroscore II was 2,33%. The 30-days mortality was 17 (10.3%) and there was no difference between the groups submitted or not to tricuspid repair: 12 (12.2%) versus 5 (7.5%); p=0.44, respectively. In the multivariate analysis involving seven variables with a potential prediction of death in 30 days, tricuspid repair had no association with death, RR 2,4 (0,5 – 8,3); p=0.27. Conclusion In patients with rheumatic heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery for rheumatic mitral valve disease, perform tricuspid annuloplasty in individuals who had moderate to severe tricuspid insufficiency was not associated with increased surgical mortality. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Background Viral infection into lung, muscular, and endothelial cells results in inflammatory response, including edema, degeneration, and necrotic alterations. The involvement of the major arteries in adolescent with COVID-19 has been infrequently reported in the literature. The aim of the present study is to report thrombosis of the right iliac, femoral and tibial arteries and stenosis of left iliac artery in an adolescent with COVID-19 and to discuss the pathophysiological hypotheses. Case presentation We report the case of a 17-year-old female patient with COVID-19 infection. She was seen at the physician specialized general medicine in her hometown, was diagnosed with COVID-19 but did not require hospitalization. After 15 days, she had sudden pain in the left leg that has limited her ability to walk more than 10 met, associated with extremity cyanosis and coldness. Angiotomography revealed thrombosis of a portion of the iliac and popliteal arteries. Na emergency embolectomy was successfully performed, followed by full-dose heparinization with unfractionated heparin. Conclusion Arterial thrombosis of large arteries may be associated with chronic inflammatory syndrome secondary to COVID-19 infection and the treatment with a late embolectomy was successful, even in a thrombotic event.

Chagas cardiomyopathy is the most prevalent non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy in Latin America, with high morbidity and mortality even today. Treatment of these patients is based on the use of medications for heart failure. This study evaluated a case series of patients with Chagas heart disease who used sacubitril/valsartan at a referral hospital for this disease in Brazil. After 6 months, there was a symptomatic improvement in these individuals assessed by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, with a 44.3% reduction in the absolute number of patients classified as III-IV in the period (P = 0.035), but without changes in the parameters on the echocardiogram for reverse ventricular remodelling. There was a high mortality rate and number of hospitalizations. These results emphasize the importance of studying the use of sacubitril/valsartan in Chagas heart disease to better describe its effectiveness considering the particularities of these individuals.

Spatial and temporal variability characterization in Precision Agriculture (PA) practices is often accomplished by proximity data gathering devices, which acquire data from a wide variety of sensors installed within the vicinity of crops. Proximity data acquisition usually depends on a hardware solution to which some sensors can be coupled, managed by a software that may (or may not) store, process and send acquired data to a back-end using some communication protocol. The sheer number of both proprietary and open hardware solutions, together with the diversity and characteristics of available sensors, is enough to deem the task of designing a data acquisition device complex. Factoring in the harsh operational context, the multiple DIY solutions presented by an active online community, available in-field power approaches and the different communication protocols, each proximity monitoring solution can be regarded as singular. Data acquisition devices should be increasingly flexible, not only by supporting a large number of heterogeneous sensors, but also by being able to resort to different communication protocols, depending on both the operational and functional contexts in which they are deployed. Furthermore, these small and unattended devices need to be sufficiently robust and cost-effective to allow greater in-field measurement granularity 365 days/year. This paper presents a low-cost, flexible and robust data acquisition device that can be deployed in different operational contexts, as it also supports three different communication technologies: IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee, LoRa/LoRaWAN and GRPS. Software and hardware features, suitable for using heat pulse methods to measure sap flow, leaf wetness sensors and others are embedded. Its power consumption is of only 83 μA during sleep mode and the cost of the basic unit was kept below the EUR 100 limit. In-field continuous evaluation over the past three years prove that the proposed solution—SPWAS’21—is not only reliable but also represents a robust and low-cost data acquisition device capable of gathering different parameters of interest in PA practices.

Conventional methods employed to teach chemistry imply a lot of memorization and very little contextualization, i.e., they fail to connect chemistry concepts to students’ everyday lives, which causes them to lose motivation and interest in learning the subject. In order to change this scenario, new methods have been proposed for the teaching of chemistry, such as playful experimentation, to foster contextualization of content and integration with content from other subjects. This study has aimed to evaluate student learning of chemistry concepts by means of experimentation associated to forensic science. To this end, first, students’ previous knowledge of the content was assessed by means of a questionnaire prior to the intervention. Then, they were given a problem-situation, a fictitious crime, which they had to solve. The results indicate that the teaching method under investigation is an effective teaching-learning strategy capable of contextualizing and adapting chemistry concepts to students’ cultural background, since TV crime series have become hugely popular among teenagers.

Research in heat transfer using suspensions of nanometer-sized solid particles in liquids as the base fluids have started in the last two decades. The nanofluid is a colloidal mixture composed of a base fluid and nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may be metallic, nonmetallic, ceramic, oxide and of several other categories, being the nanocomposites one of the areas of greater growth in the engineering of materials. Nanofluids are part of a new generation of high potential fluids in heat transfer applications due to their higher thermal conductivity. Most recent studies on nanofluids indicate that suspended nanoparticles markedly alter the properties and heat transfer characteristics of the suspension. This article summarizes some of the recent advances in the study of nanofluids and nanoparticles, such as their preparation methods, their thermophysical properties and finally presents various fields of applications such as solar thermal, mechanical, automotive, electronic, medical, biomedical etc.

The development of computational vision approaches that exploit satellite imagery is relatively recent, mainly due to the limited availability of this type of image. In the area of remote sensing, applications that employ computational vision techniques are modeled for classification in closed set scenarios. However, the world is not purely closed set, many scenarios present classes that are not previously known by the algorithm, an open set scenario. Thus, the main objective of this paper is the study and development of semantic segmentation techniques considering the open set scenario applied to remote sensing images. Focusing on this problem, this is the first work to study and develop semantic segmentation techniques for open set scenarios applied to remote sensing images. The main contributions of this paper are: 1) a discussion of related works in open set semantic segmentation, showing evidence that these techniques can be adapted for open set remote sensing tasks; 2) the development and evaluation of four novel approaches for open set semantic segmentation. Our methods yielded competitive results when compared to closed set methods for the same dataset

BackgroundThe uncontrolled inflammatory response plays a critical role in the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is thought to be intricate to inflammatory signal amplification. This study aims to investigate the association between soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1) and COVID-19 as a prognostic biomarker to predict the disease severity, lethality and clinical management.MethodsWe enrolled 91 patients with COVID-19 in domiciliary care (44 patients) or in hospital care (47 patients), who were classified after admission into mild, moderate, severe and critical groups according to their clinical scores. As non-COVID-19 control, 30 healthy volunteers were included. Data on demographic, comorbidities and baseline clinical characteristics were obtained from their medical and nurse records. Peripheral blood samples were collected at admission and after hospitalization outcome to assess cytokine profile and sTREM-1 level by specific immunoassays.ResultsWithin COVID-19 patients, the highest severity was associated with the most significant elevated plasma levels sTREM-1. Using receiver operating curve analysis (ROC), sTREM-1 was found to be predictive of disease severity (AUC= 0.988) and the best cut-off value for predicting in-hospital severity was ≥ 116.5 pg/mL with the sensitivity for 93.3% and specificity for 95.8%. We also described the clinical characteristics of these patients and explored the correlation with markers of the disease aggravation. The levels of sTREM-1 were positively correlated with IL-6, IL-10, blood neutrophils counts, and critical disease scoring (r= 0.68, ppConclusionOur results indicated that sTREM-1 in COVID-19 is associated with severe disease development and a prognostic marker for mortality. The use of severity biomarkers such as sTREM-1 together with patients clinical scores could improve the early recognition and monitoring of COVID-19 cases with higher risk of disease worsening.

AIM There is strong interest in sleep disorders in the elderly, but there are gaps in identifying how multiple factors affect sleep quality in this population. We aimed to assess sleep quality and its relationship to mood, general cognition, and sociodemographic factors in a sample of cognitively active older adults. METHODS We assessed 105 non-clinical older adults (mean age ± SD: 69.64 ± 0.66 years) based on a sociodemographic profile questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory II, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Separate analyses were conducted, controlled by sleep quality and daytime sleepiness, to understand how variables were associated. RESULTS About 46.7% of individuals had significantly poor sleep quality. Univariate analysis showed that non-workers had a lower risk of impaired sleep quality (prevalence ratio (PR) = 0.67; P = 0.044). However, there was an increased risk of poor sleep quality in those experiencing depressive symptoms (PR = 1.78; P

Classical and more recently deep computer vision methods are optimized for visible spectrum images, commonly encoded in grayscale or RGB colorspaces acquired from smartphones or cameras. A more uncommon source of images exploited in the remote sensing field are satellite and aerial images. However, the development of pattern recognition approaches for these data is relatively recent, mainly due to the limited availability of this type of images, as until recently they were used exclusively for military purposes. Access to aerial imagery, including spectral information, has been increasing mainly due to the low cost of drones, cheapening of imaging satellite launch costs, and novel public datasets. Usually remote sensing applications employ computer vision techniques strictly modeled for classification tasks in closed set scenarios. However, real-world tasks rarely fit into closed set contexts, frequently presenting previously unknown classes, characterizing them as open set scenarios. Focusing on this problem, this is the first paper to study and develop semantic segmentation techniques for open set scenarios applied to remote sensing images. The main contributions of this paper are: 1) a discussion of related works in open set semantic segmentation, showing evidence that these techniques can be adapted for open set remote sensing tasks; 2) the development and evaluation of a novel approach for open set semantic segmentation. Our method yielded competitive results when compared to closed set methods for the same dataset.

Introduction The association between the intensity of obstructive sleep apnea and skeletal alterations in the face and hyoid bone is still scarcely addressed in the literature. Objective To evaluate whether the intensity of obstructive sleep apnea is associated with craniofacial alterations and the position of the hyoid bone in children with mixed dentition. Methods 76 children aged 7 to 10 years old were examined by otorhinolaryngological evaluation, polysomnography, and orthodontic assessment, including cephalometry. The participants were divided in 3 groups: primary snoring, mild obstructive sleep apnea and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. Cephalometric measures of the face and hyoid bone were assessed. These measures were compared among the different groups by unpaired Student's t test. Moreover, these measures were correlated with the patient's obstructive apnea and hypopnea index variable using Pearson's correlation test. Results Of the 76 children, 14 belonged to group 1, with primary snoring; 46 to group 2, with mild obstructive sleep apnea; and 16 to group 3, with moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnea. There was no difference between the groups regarding the craniofacial variables. Children with obstructive sleep apnea showed a longer distance from the hyoid bone to the mandibular plane when compared to the primary snoring group (p < 0.05). Between the two obstructive sleep apnea subgroups, patients with moderate or severe disease showed significantly shorter horizontal distance between the hyoid bone and the posterior pharyngeal wall (p < 0.05), when compared to the groups with mild obstructive sleep apnea. We also observed a significant positive correlation between obstructive apnea and hypopnea index and the distance from the hyoid to the mandibular plane (p < 0.05) as well as a significant negative association between obstructive apnea and hypopnea index and the horizontal distance from the hyoid to the posterior pharyngeal wall (p < 0.01). Conclusion We did not observe any association between obstructive sleep apnea and linear lateral alterations of the face. In contrast, there is a direct association between obstructive sleep apnea severity and the inferior and posterior position of the hyoid bone in children aged 7 to 10 years old. Resumo Introdução A relação entre a intensidade da apneia obstrutiva do sono e alterações esqueléticas da face e do hioide em crianças é pouco explorada na literatura. Objetivo Avaliar se a intensidade da apneia obstrutiva do sono correlaciona-se às alterações craniofaciais e ao posicionamento do osso hioide em crianças em fase de dentição mista. Método Foram submetidas 76 crianças entre 7 e 10 anos à avaliação otorrinolaringológica, polissonografia e avaliação ortodôntica, inclusive cefalometria. Os participantes foram divididos em 3 grupos: grupo 1 com ronco primário, grupo 2 com apneia obstrutiva do sono leve e grupo 3 com apneia obstrutiva do sono moderada/grave. Foram analisadas medidas cefalométricas da face e do osso hioide. Essas medidas foram comparadas entre si dentro dos diferentes grupos por teste t de Student não pareado. Além disso, essas medidas foram correlacionadas com a variável índice de apneias obstrutivas e hipopneias do paciente através do teste de correlação de Pearson. Resultados Das 76 crianças, 14 constituíram o grupo 1, ronco primário; 46 o grupo 2, apneia obstrutiva do sono leve; e 16 o grupo 3, apneia obstrutiva do sono moderada/grave. Não se observou diferença significante entre os grupos para as variáveis craniofaciais. Observou-se maior distância do osso hioide ao plano mandibular nos dois grupos com apneia obstrutiva do sono quando comparado ao ronco primário (p < 0,05). Entre os dois subgrupos da apneia obstrutiva do sono, os pacientes com doença moderada ou grave apresentaram distância horizontal entre o hioide e a parede posterior da faringe significantemente menor (p < 0,05), quando comparados aos grupos com apneia obstrutiva do sono leve. Observamos ainda correlação significantemente positiva entre índice de apneias obstrutivas e hipopneias e a distância do hioide ao plano mandibular (p < 0,05) e significantemente negativa entre índice de apneias obstrutivas e hipopneias e distância horizontal do hioide com a parede posterior da faringe (p < 0,01). Conclusão Não observamos relação da apneia obstrutiva do sono com alterações lineares laterais da face. Em contraste, existe relação direta entre a gravidade da apneia obstrutiva do sono e a posição inferior e posterior do osso hioide em crianças entre 7 e 10 anos.

This paper presents a study on the use of intelligent algorithms in the identification of nonlinear plant systems. The method of applied is an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) called Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), its choice for this work was because of its simplicity and high computational power. The nonlinear plant used is a bench of two coupled tanks. Several types of ELM ANN architectures have been tested. The architectures are all compared to each other using the adjusted R2 metric, it will faithfully evaluate the model approach including the number of neurons used in each ELM ANN architecture.

Aim This study aimed to investigate the associations between breastfeeding, nonnutritive sucking habits (NNSHs), and malocclusion in deciduous, mixed, and permanent dentition. Materials and methods A sample of 50 children between 3 and 12 years, enrolled in a pediatric dentistry dental care program, underwent orthodontic examination for detection of occlusal patterns and malocclusion. In addition, data regarding breastfeeding duration and NNSH acquisition were obtained from standardized questionnaires responded by the children's parents or legal guardians. Results Regardless of a long period of breastfeeding, a high incidence of NNSH in the evaluated sample was observed. Nevertheless, the presence of NNSHs was not significantly associated with malocclusion. Conclusion The findings could not indicate a statistically significant association between breastfeeding duration, acquisition of NNSHs, and malocclusion. Longitudinal studies with larger samples are still needed to better support clinical decisions.How to cite this article: Roscoe MG, da Silva Bonifacio SV, da Silva TB, Pingueiro JMS, Lemos MM, Feres MFN. Association of Breastfeeding Duration, Nonnutritive Sucking Habits, and Malocclusion. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2018;11(1):18-22.

Anthropometric data are essential for the design of military equipment including sizing of aircraft cockpits and personal gear. Currently, there are no anthropometric databases specific to Brazilian military personnel. The aim of this study was to create a Brazilian anthropometric database of Air Force pilots. The methods, protocols, descriptions, definitions, landmarks, tools and measurements procedures followed the instructions outlined in Measurer's Handbook: US Army and Marine Corps Anthropometric Surveys, 2010-2011 - NATICK/TR-11/017. The participants were measured countrywide, in all five Brazilian Geographical Regions. Thirty-nine anthropometric measurements related to cockpit design were selected. The results of 2133 males and 206 females aged 16-52 years constitute a set of basic data for cockpit design, space arrangement issues and adjustments, protective gear and equipment design, as well as for digital human modelling. Another important implication is that this study can be considered a starting point for reducing gender bias in women's career as pilots. Practitioner Summary: This paper describes the first large-scale anthropometric survey of the Brazilian Air Force pilots and the development of the related database. This study provides critical data for improving aircraft cockpit design for ergonomics and comprehensive pilot accommodation, protective gear and uniform design, as well as digital human modelling.

Emergent and established paradigms, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud and fog/edge computing, together with increasingly cheaper computing technologies – with very low power requirements, available to exchange data with increased efficiency – and intelligent systems, have evolved to a level where it is virtually possible to create and deploy monitoring solutions, even in Precision Agriculture (PA) practices. In this work, LoRa®(Long Range) technology and LoRaWAN™protocol, are tested in a Precision Viticulture (PV) scenario, using low-power data acquisition devices deployed in a vineyard in the UTAD University Campus, distanced 400 m away from the nearest gateway. The main goal of this work is to evaluate sensor data integration in the mySense environment, a framework aimed to systematize data acquisition procedures to address common PA/PV issues, using LoRa®technology. mySense builds over a 4-layer technological structure: sensor and sensor nodes, crop field and sensor networks, cloud services and front-end applications. It makes available a set of free tools based on the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) concept and enables the use of low-cost platforms to quickly prototype a complete PA/PV monitoring application.

Objective: To evaluate the adherence to antihypertensive treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated variables. Design and method: Cross-sectional study was performed with outpatient, from a Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Inclusion criteria were: age >18 years old, telephone number, in treatment for at least six months. Pregnant women were excluded. The period defined to characterize the assessment of social distance due to the COVID-19 pandemic was from March, 24 until August, 31. Hypertensive patients were interviewed by telephone. The adherence to treatment was assessed by Morisky and Green scale and the BP control was systolic BP

In radiation process, a variety of models can be used to represent the spectral radiative properties of combustion gases. In coal combustion, the high level of soot concentration brings higher complexity to the formulation. Several pieces of research are found, comparing different radiation models usually applied to idealized laboratory situations. Only a few works explore the behavior of such models in real scale applications, such as coal-fired furnaces. Comparisons among different arrangements of the SGG and WSGG models were carried out by means of CFD simulations, applied to a boiler of a real 160 MW coal-fired power plant. Five different cases were simulated. The most simple case was set with a fixed absorption coefficient SGG model, while the most detailed case was achieved by employing a WSGG model with gas and soot absorption coefficients overlay. Temperature fields were well represented by all cases, with maximum deviations of 6%. Predictions on radiative heat flux for the SGG models were significantly lower than the WSGG simulations, with relative deviations up to 16.46%. Even though deviations on radiative heat flux are significant, results suggest the suitability of simple gray gas models in fast assessments of industrial applications such as coal-fired furnaces.

El Streptococcus agalactiae (SGB) es el principal agente etiológico de infecciones neonatales severas y de muerte materna en todo el mundo. Esta bacteria forma parte de la microbiota normal del tracto gastrointestinal, puede trasladarse a la vagina para colonizarla de forma transitoria cobrando especial importancia durante el embarazo. SGB, es una bacteria coco grampositivo, que crece en medios simples, aunque los medios suplementados con sangre o suero favorecen su crecimiento. Tras 18-24 h de incubación en agar sangre, las colonias son de unos 2 mm de diámetro, lisas y rodeadas por un halo de ß-hemólisis, existen algunas cepas no hemolíticas. Causa infecciones frecuentemente durante el puerperio, principalmente bacteriemia, infecciones urinarias, endometritis puerperal, neumonía. Además, la colonización por SGB en las gestantes puede transmitirse al recién nacido y ocasionar meningitis o bacteriemia. Entre el 40 y el 72 % de los recién nacidos de madres portadoras de SGB, se colonizan durante el parto y de ellos alrededor del 1 al 2 % de los niños nacidos de madres colonizadas desarrollan la enfermedad, manifestándose en un 89 % como sepsis y 10 % como meningitis .Estas infecciones pueden prevenirse con un diagnóstico simple que debe ser realizado a mujeres embarazadas con edad gestacional entre 35 a 37 semanas mediante cultivo selectivo de muestras vaginales perianales para investigar Streptococcus agalactiae y la posterior instauración de la profilaxis intraparto (PIP) en mujeres colonizadas y/o con factores de riesgo. Una detección temprana del SGB posibilita tomar todos los recaudos necesarios para reducir la posibilidad de una contaminación vertical de la madre al hijo.

This paper presents a strategy for demand side management to residential consumers, using Simulated Annealing and a battery. This paper evaluates the application of the new time-of-use tariff, called White Tariff (WT), which is being implemented in Brazil. This tariff is applied to low voltage consumers that can choose to migrate to the new tariff. The results show a positive impact on consumer's energy bill that implies is savings when demand management is applied with the proposed method. However, the results show a negative impact to consumers bill when they decide to adopt the White Tariff and does not management its consumption.

In accordance with the regulations in force with respect to individualization of production (unitization), the Brazilian Government does not make any disbursement to bear its share of the investments and operating costs related to the production development of a shared reservoir. Accordingly, the amount must be paid by the other parties and discounted from the volume to which the Brazilian Government will be entitled according to its working interest determined on Production Individualization Agreement (AIP). Therefore, the Brazilian Government isn't has any business risk. Representatives of private companies operating in Brazil refer to this situation as "the fourth regime", in reference to the three different exploration and production contracts in the country: Concession Contract, Onerous Assignment Contract and Production Sharing Contract. In this sense, the objective of this study is to compare the devices contained in the Brazilian legislation of the petroleum industry, regarding the individualization of the production of deposits, with the characteristics of the most common models of risk service contracts, according of the literature, and with production sharing contracts. As a result, it is hoped to contribute to the academic understanding of the subject by legislators, regulators and negotiators, representatives of the Brazilian Government and the private sector, considering that the estimated oil production from deposits that are or will be involved in significant unitization processes with the Brazilian Government.

This paper presents a new magnetic coupler design that interconnects the plug-in isolated topologies with the Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) technology for onboard Electric Vehicles (EVs) batteries charging systems. The proposed design acts as an isolation transformer during the charge in plug-in mode, and as a conventional magnetic coupler in IPT charging mode. In this way, the system requires only one receiver controller. A mathematical analysis is carried out for a series-series (SS) and an LCL-series configuration with an intermediate coupler (IC). The SS with an IC offers a higher efficiency during horizontal displacements than the LCL-S with an IC. Also, the voltage ratings of the power supply in a SS with an IC are compatible with domestic applications. The coupler was modeled in a 3D Finite Element Method (FEM) software to evaluate and optimize coupling parameters by adjusting the core and coils dimensions and formats. A 5 kW design is proposed and the electric and magnetic properties are validated through experimental results.

This paper proposes a new Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) transmitter configuration tolerant to displacements in the magnetic coupler and in the resonant capacitors. The new configuration uses a variable inductor in the transmitter side to regulate the power supply impedance and achieve zero voltage switch (ZVS) for different vertical and horizontal displacements in the magnetic coupler. The proposed configuration is also tolerant to variations in the resonant components. A theoretical analysis is made for the series and parallel resonant configurations with the variable inductor. A 3D finite Element Method (FEM) software is used to optimize the magnetic design of both the circular magnetic coupler and variable inductor. An experimental prototype is built to validate the proposed configuration.

We propose a passive optical sensor for online magnetic field monitoring in large hydrogenerators, based on FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) technology and a magnestostrictive material (Terfenol-D). The objective of this sensor is to detect faults in the rotor windings due to inter turn short-circuits. This device is packaged in a novel rod-shaped enclosure, allowing it to be easily installed on the ventilation ducts of the stator of the machine. This sensor was developed and tested in laboratory and it has been evaluated in a field test on a 200 MVA, 60 poles hydrogenerator.

Influenza viruses are common agents of flu outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics that have occurred through the centuries. Prevention and control of flu are of great clinical importance, since they cause serious damage to health, with a consequent impact on quality of life and economy of a country. Resistance against the current drugs justifies the development of new anti-influenza molecules. Flavonoids exhibit significant activity against flu through their anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. The profile of these molecules makes them particularly promising as therapeutic agents against flu.This review focus on the activity of flavonoids on different influenza virus targets as well as their use in patented pharmaceutical formulations. Twenty-one patents of these compounds for prophylaxis and treatment of influenza infection are discussed.The H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 resulted in a significant increase in the number of patents claiming pharmaceutical formulations for prophylaxis and treatment of flu. The research advances on flavonoids showing anti-influenza activity and the efforts made by researchers and industries consolidate the interest on new alternatives for the therapy of an infectious disease that represents a serious public health problem throughout the world.

The treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease may be clinical or surgical. The clinical consists basically of the use of drugs; however, there are new techniques to complement this treatment, osteopathic intervention in the diaphragmatic muscle is one these. The objective of the study is to compare pressure values in the examination of esophageal manometry of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) before and immediately after osteopathic intervention in the diaphragm muscle. Thirty-eight patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease - 16 submitted to sham technique and 22 submitted osteopathic technique - were randomly selected. The average respiratory pressure (ARP) and the maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) of the LES were measured by manometry before and after osteopathic technique at the point of highest pressure. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney, and magnitude of the technique proposed was measured using the Cohen's index. Statistically significant difference in the osteopathic technique was found in three out of four in relation to the group of patients who performed the sham technique for the following measures of LES pressure: ARP with P= 0.027. The MEP had no statistical difference (P= 0.146). The values of Cohen d for the same measures were: ARP with d= 0.80 and MEP d= 0.52. Osteopathic manipulative technique produces a positive increment in the LES region soon after its performance.

Achilles tendinopathy is the third most common disease in the musculoskeletal system. Histopathological evidence indicates that tendinopathies are typically degenerative lesions, presenting collage...

O presente escrito discute as seguintes questes e idias: 1) H uma linguagem que seja caracterstica da world wide web?; 2) Existe uma esttica prpria na world wide web? 3) A dicotomia, divergncia ou ambigidade nos signos da world wide web; 4) O carter simblico e literal dessas imagens. Apesar de a internet ser uma mdia recente, as questes envolvendo a imagem no so to novas assim, remontando litografia (des-re-construo da imagem) e semitica (carter simblico da informao). A prpria internet enquanto nova mdia posta em questo, enquanto se estende o alcance da discusso da imagem a todas as mdias existentes (incluindo a internet). [ Download ]

In Northeastern Brazil, the sweet potato is cultivated in small farms, in a family farming systems, constituting themselves an alternative way for the generation of food, employment and income. This study aimed to assess the effect of cattle manure levels and biofertilizer concentrations on the sweet potato cultivar White Queen productivity. The experiment was carried out from March to September 2007 at the EMEPA Experimental Station in Lagoa Seca, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in split split plot 6 x 4 x 2 + 1 scheme, with four replications. The plots consisted of cattle manure levels (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 t ha-1), the subplot of biofertilizer concentrations (0, 15, 30 and 45%) and the sub subplots consisted of methods of biofertilizer application, to the soil or leaves. Also, there was an additional control treatment using N, P and K mineral fertilizer. Commercial and total root productivity was evaluated. The levels of 30.8 and 31.2 t ha-1 of cattle manure were responsible for the highest commercial and total sweet potato root productivity (17.4 and 13.1 t ha-1, respectively). Biofertilizer concentrations of 29 and 28%, applied to soil and to leaves provided, respectively, the greatest productivities of total roots (15.4 and 13.1 t ha-1), whereas concentrations of 30 and 27%, also applied to soil and leaves were responsible, respectively, for the highest commercial root productivity (11 and 9.7 t ha-1).

We present the characterization of an analog optical link employing external modulation and optical carrier in the C-band using a fiber Raman amplifier (FRA). The figures of merit gain and noise figure were characterized from 1 to 9 GHz, whereas the spurious-free dynamic range was measured and compared for both setups for frequencies from 2 to 9 GHz, all with and without the Raman amplifier. Experimental results demonstrate that FRA can simultaneously increase the spurious-free dynamic range, the analog gain and decrease the analog noise figure when compared to the same configuration without optical amplifier.

To compare Brazilian and international criteria for assessing the nutritional status of schoolchildren.This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 160 schoolchildren from a public school in the city of Rio de Janeiro, 91 boys and 69 girls, aged 7 to 9 full years. Body mass index (BMI) for sex and age was used to diagnose underweight, healthy weight and overweight, according to Cole et al., CondeMonteiro and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Student's t test, the chi-square test, the Kendall concordance test and the chi-square test for tendencies were used to analyze the data; graphs were plotted demonstrating BMI by age, according to the nutritional diagnosis at each set of criteria.Mean BMI did not differ by sex (t = 0.2845, p = 0.7789). According to the first two sets of criteria, none of the children were underweight, whereas, according to the WHO criteria, one of the boys was underweight. The Kendall test did not demonstrate any significant difference between the three sets of criteria (coefficient of concordance for boys was W0.0004 and for girls it was W0.0008, with p = 1.00). There was a greater proportion of assessments that did not agree among the boys, at 15.13%, while for the girls this figure was 13.04%. A significant tendency was observed for the difference between the criteria to increase with age among the boys (chi-square for tendencies = 6.552, p = 0.0105), which was evident on the graph and was independent of nutritional status.The criteria used here converged on the same result, without discrepancies between them or advantages for either. Nevertheless, among the boys there was a significant tendency for the diagnoses to differentiate and BMI to increase with age, which is a warning to take care when choosing among criteria.

A high-speed FBG interrogation method for magnetic field sensing is proposed. A FBG attached to a magnetostrictive material (Terfenol-D) was used to show the output invariance when increasing the attenuation on the optical link. This was achieved by computing the ratio between the sensing and the reference signals, both generated using different DFB lasers properly tuned. The output remained invariant to attenuations up to 12 dB. Also, the system’s interrogation speed was tested and compared to a commercial solution. While the commercial model was limited by its 6 kHz sampling frequency, this method provided responses up to 60 kHz.

This chapter briefly focuses on the drying of wet bioproducts with particular reference to fruits, vegetables and grains. Different related topics in terms of drying foundations, dryer selection, product quality, energy savings, energy sources, energy efficiency, energy recovery, operating safety, environmental impact, and advanced drying techniques are presented and discussed. The study confirm drying as a highly energy-consuming process, one of the major source of pollutant emissions, and one dehydration technique that strongly affect product quality under different aspects such as color, flavor, appearance, aroma, losses of nutrients and vitamins, and many others physical, chemical, structural, and nutritional quality parameters.

The new Brazilian free energy market and the possibilities afforded by the carbon credits motivated a reassessment of Top Recovery Turbines (TRT), to be installed on blast furnaces 2 and 3 of CST. These turbines could recover about 16 MW electric energy. Several options have been considered, including energy selling, internal consumption and through Arcelor Brazil consumption, taking also carbon credits into account.

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of psychiatric comorbidity (PC) on length of hospital stay (LOS) of medical inpatients. A prospective cohort study was conducted. A series of 317 medical inpatients consecutively admitted to the general medical wards of a University Hospital composed the sample, after excluding those who refused or who could not be evaluated due to their physical illnesses or treatments (n=78). Data on demographic and medical variables were collected. A psychiatrist categorized subjects into two cohorts (with and without PC), according to DSM-IV, using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, except in patients cognitively impaired who were diagnosed by clinical interview. Mortality and length of stay during the index hospitalization were recorded. At admission, 156 (49%) inpatients had a current psychiatric comorbidity. After controlling for confounders (age and physical severity), in the multivariate analysis of covariance, the patients with cognitive impairment had a significantly prolonged LOS (F=17.8; P