Reorganization of functional connectivity as a correlate of cognitive recovery in acquired brain injury.

Cognitive processes require a functional interaction between specialized multiple, local and remote brain regions. Although these interactions can be strongly altered by an acquired brain injury, brain plasticity allows network reorganization to be principally responsible for recovery. The present work evaluates the impact of brain injury on functional connectivity patterns. Networks were calculated from resting-state magnetoencephalographic recordings from 15 brain injured patients and 14 healthy controls by means of wavelet coherence in standard frequency bands. We compared the parameters defining the network, such as number and strength of interactions as well as their topology, in controls and patients for two conditions: following a traumatic brain injury and after a rehabilitation treatment. A loss of delta- and theta-based connectivity and conversely an increase in alpha- and beta-band-based connectivity were found. Furthermore, connectivity parameters approached controls in all frequency bands, especially in slow-wave bands. A correlation between network reorganization and cognitive recovery was found: the reduction of delta-band-based connections and the increment of those based on alpha band correlated with Verbal Fluency scores, as well as Perceptual Organization and Working Memory Indexes, respectively. Additionally, changes in connectivity values based on theta and beta bands correlated with the Patient Competency Rating Scale. The current study provides new evidence of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity processes after brain injury, and suggests that these changes are related with observed changes at the behavioural level.

Stereoscopic system for inexpensive hazardous area three-dimensional robot localization applications based on incoherent optical fiber bundle calibrated for high-resolution image transmission.

Computer vision, despite all the recent progress, still cannot be employed technically in most hazardous and harsh industrial areas. Most of the alternative solutions to this modern issue are usually unavailable mainly due to the global visual inspection solution cost. The best suitable option is the use of an incoherent optical fiber bundle (IOFB) that obviously requires a calibration step before image transmission purpose. We already presented our contribution to this topic improving the calibration method of the IOFB for image transmission, with some additional and essential steps that considerably improve the reconstructed image quality while also drastically reducing the processing time needed. We also proposed and evaluated a new full-resolution calibration method in a very recent study. We present and discuss in this paper an application using the IOFB for robot guiding in hazardous areas, based on a stereoscopic vision system. Conclusions compare the low- and full-resolution IOFB calibration methods for the depicted application and introduce some advantages of a specially designed IOFB that could perfectly fit with some industrial applications.

Magic cards: a new augmented-reality approach.

Augmented reality (AR) commonly uses markers for detection and tracking. Such multimedia applications associate each marker with a virtual 3D model stored in the memory of the camera-equipped device running the application. Application users are limited in their interactions, which require knowing how to design and program 3D objects. This generally prevents them from developing their own entertainment AR applications. The Magic Cards application solves this problem by offering an easy way to create and manage an unlimited number of virtual objects that are encoded on special markers.