Risk of Collapse in Water Quality in the Guandu River (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

The Guandu River, one of the main rivers in the state of Rio de Janeiro, provides water for more than nine million people in the metropolitan region. However, the Guandu has suffered from massive domestic and industrial pollution for more than two decades, leading to high levels of dissolved total phosphorus, cyanobacteria, and enteric bacteria observed during the summers of 2020 and 2021. The use of Phoslock, a palliative compound, was not effective in mitigating the levels of phosphorus in the Guandu River. Furthermore, potable water driven from the river had levels of 2-MIB/geosmin and a mud smell/taste. With all these problems, several solutions are proposed for improving the Guandu River water quality, including establishment of (i) sewage treatment plants (STPs), (ii) strict water quality monitoring, (iii) environmental recovery (e.g., reforestation), and (iv) permanent protected areas. The objective of this paper is to verify the poor water quality in the Guandu and the ineffectiveness and undesired effects of Phoslock.

Radiological Scouting, Monitoring and Inspection Using Drones.

Human populations and natural ecosystems are bound to be exposed to ionizing radiation from the deposition of artificial radionuclides resulting from nuclear accidents, nuclear devices or radiological dispersive devices ("dirty bombs"). On the other hand, Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material industries such as phosphate production or uranium mining, contribute to the on site storage of residuals with enhanced concentrations of natural radionuclides. Therefore, in the context of the European agreements concerning nuclear energy, namely the European Atomic Energy Community Treaty, monitoring is an essential feature of the environmental radiological surveillance. In this work, we obtain 3D maps from outdoor scenarios, and complete such maps with measured radiation levels and with its radionuclide signature. In such scenarios, we face challenges such as unknown and rough terrain, limited number of sampled locations and the need for different sensors and therefore different tasks. We propose a radiological solution for scouting, monitoring and inspecting an area of interest, using a fleet of drones and a controlling ground station. First, we scout an area with a Light Detection and Ranging sensor onboard a drone to accurately 3D-map the area. Then, we monitor that area with a Geiger-Müller Counter at a low-vertical distance from the ground to produce a radiological (heat)map that is overlaid on the 3D map of the scenario. Next, we identify the hotspots of radiation, and inspect them in detail using a drone by landing on them, to reveal its radionuclide signature using a Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride detector. We present the algorithms used to implement such tasks both at the ground station and on the drones. The three mission phases were validated using actual experiments in three different outdoor scenarios. We conclude that drones can not only perform the mission efficiently, but in general they are faster and as reliable as personnel on the ground.

Break the Ice: a Survey on Socially Aware Engagement for Human-Robot First Encounters.

Society is starting to come up with exciting applications for social robots like butlers, coaches, and waiters. However, these robots face a challenging task: to meet people during a first encounter. This survey explores the literature that contributes to this task. We define a taxonomy based on psychology and sociology models: Kendon's greeting model and Greenspan's model of social competence. We use Kendon's model as a framework to compare and analyze works that describe robotic systems that engage with people. To categorize individual skills, we use three components of Social Awareness that belong to Greenspan's model: Social Sensitivity, Social Insight, and Communication. Under each section, we highlight some research gaps and propose research directions to address them. Through our analysis, we suggest significant research directions for enhanced first encounters. First, social scripts need to be evaluated under equal conditions. Second, interaction management and tracking for first encounters should consider state and observation uncertainties. Third, perception methods need lighter and robust integration in mobile platforms. Fourth, methods to explicitly define social norms are still scarce. Finally, research on social feedback and interaction recovery may fill the gaps of imperfect first encounters.

Performance Analysis of Geiger-Müller and Cadmium Zinc Telluride Sensors Envisaging Airborne Radiological Monitoring in NORM Sites.

Radiological monitoring is fundamental for compliance with radiological protection policies in the aftermath of radiological events, such as nuclear accidents, terrorism, and out-of-commission uranium mines. An effective strategy for radiation monitoring is to use radiation detectors coupled with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), enabling for quicker surveillance of large areas without involving the need of human presence in the target area. The main aim of this study was to formulate the parameters for a UAV flight strategy in preparation for future field measurements using Geiger-Muller Counters (GMC) and Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) spectrometers. As a proof of concept, the prepared flight strategy will be used to survey out-of-commission uranium mines in northern Portugal. Procedures to assure the calibration of the CZT and verification of the GMCs were conducted, as well as a sensitivity analysis of the sensors considering different acquisition times, distance to source, and detector response time. This article reports specific parameters, such as UAV distance to ground, time of exposition, speed, and the methodology to perform the identification and calculate the activity of possible radioactive sources. An effective flight strategy is also presented, aiming to use radiation detectors coupled with UAVs to undertake extensive monitoring of areas with enhanced levels of environmental radiation, which is of prime importance due to the lasting hazardous effects of enhanced environmental radiation in the nearby ecosystem and population.

Project INSIDE: towards autonomous semi-unstructured human-robot social interaction in autism therapy.

This paper describes the INSIDE system, a networked robot system designed to allow the use of mobile robots as active players in the therapy of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). While a significant volume of work has explored the impact of robots in ASD therapy, most such work comprises remotely operated robots and/or well-structured interaction dynamics. In contrast, the INSIDE system allows for complex, semi-unstructured interaction in ASD therapy while featuring a fully autonomous robot. In this paper we describe the hardware and software infrastructure that supports such rich form of interaction, as well as the design methodology that guided the development of the INSIDE system. We also present some results on the use of our system both in pilot and in a long-term study comprising multiple therapy sessions with children at Hospital Garcia de Orta, in Portugal, highlighting the robustness and autonomy of the system as a whole.

Evolución clínica de pacientes con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1 del consultorio de especialidades, Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social. Enero a diciembre 2017 / Clinical evolution of patients with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus from the specialty clinic, "Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social". January to December 2017

La diabetes mellitus tipo 1 es una enfermedad que corresponde al cinco por ciento de todos los casos de diabetes en el mundo. En el consultorio de especialidades del Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social existen alrededor de 70 pacientes con Diabetes Mellitus tipo I vistos por la subespecialidad de endocrinología. No existe un registro actualizado de estos casos en el Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social, solo se cuenta con expediente clínico con sus respectivos controles médicos cada 3 meses, por lo que es imperante determinar la evolución clínica de estos pacientes. Se realizó una investigación a partir de expedientes clínicos de pacientes de la consulta externa de endocrinología, donde se obtendrán datos como hemoglobina glicosilada, glicemia en ayunas, glicemia postprandial, presión arterial, filtrado glomerular, triglicéridos, lipoproteínas de alta densidad, actividad física y tabaquismo. La importancia del estudio radica en caracterizar a la población con Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1 del consultorio de especialidades del ISSS, verificar si se cumplen los objetivos metabólicos ya establecidos por guías internacionales como el Diabetes Care y Asociación Americana de Diabetes que son: hemoglobina glicosilada <7%, glicemia en ayunas< 130 mg/dl, glicemia postprandial <180 mg/dl, presión arterial <140/90, triglicéridos <150 mg/dl. En base a esas metas se pudo sugerir medidas en las que se pueda mejorar el tratamiento y calidad de vida de estos pacientes; el ISSS a su vez seguirá promoviendo una atención de calidad y a la vez puede ahorrarse costos en complicaciones a largo plazo producidos por esta patología

A noção de trabalho na experiência psicanalítica / La notion de travail dans l'expérience psychanalytique / El concepto de trabajo basado en la experiencia psicoanalítica / The concept of work in the psychoanalytic experience

Resumo: A partir da pesquisa das diversas maneiras como a noção de trabalho aparece ao longo da obra freudiana, tomando como ponto de partida os termos psicanalíticos compostos com o sufixo "arbeit", que apontam principalmente para o esforço do psiquismo em lidar com o excesso pulsional, este artigo enfatiza a importância dessa noção para se pensar a experiência psicanalítica como um trabalho erótico em busca da mobilidade pulsional, da transformação subjetiva e de outros modos de ser e acontecer na vida.(AU)

Résumé: À partir de la recherche des différentes manières dont la notion de travail apparaît dans l'œuvre de Freud, à partir des termes psychanalytiques composés par le suffixe arbeit, lesquels remarquent principalement les efforts du psychisme pour traiter l'excès pulsionnel, cet article souligne l'importance de cette notion pour penser l'expérience psychanalytique comme un travail érotique en recherche de la mobilité pulsionnelle, de la transformation subjective et d'autres modes d'être et de se placer dans la vie.(AU)

Resumen: De la investigación de las varias maneras en las que aparece la noción de trabajo a lo largo de la obra de Freud y tomando como punto de partida los términos psicoanalíticos compuestos con el sufijo "arbeit" que apuntan, sobre todo, al esfuerzo de la psique/psiquismo para lidiar con el exceso pulsional, este artículo subrayó la importancia del concepto de trabajo para pensar en la experiencia psicoanalítica como un trabajo erótico en búsqueda de la movilidad pulsional, la transformación subjetiva y otras formas de ser y suceder en la vida.(AU)

Abstract: Based on the research of several ways in which the concept of work appears throughout Freud's work, beginning with the psychoanalytic terms composed with the suffix arbeit, which indicate the psyche's effort in dealing with the instinctual excess, this article emphasizes the importance of this concept, reflecting on the psychoanalytic experience as an erotic work searching for the instinctual trend, for the subjective transformation, and for other ways of experiencing life.(AU)

A noção de trabalho na experiência psicanalítica / La notion de travail dans l'expérience psychanalytique / El concepto de trabajo basado en la experiencia psicoanalítica / The concept of work in the psychoanalytic experience

Resumo: A partir da pesquisa das diversas maneiras como a noção de trabalho aparece ao longo da obra freudiana, tomando como ponto de partida os termos psicanalíticos compostos com o sufixo "arbeit", que apontam principalmente para o esforço do psiquismo em lidar com o excesso pulsional, este artigo enfatiza a importância dessa noção para se pensar a experiência psicanalítica como um trabalho erótico em busca da mobilidade pulsional, da transformação subjetiva e de outros modos de ser e acontecer na vida.

À partir de la recherche des différentes manières dont la notion de travail apparaît dans l'œuvre de Freud, à partir des termes psychanalytiques composés par le suffixe arbeit, lesquels remarquent principalement les efforts du psychisme pour traiter l'excès pulsionnel, cet article souligne l'importance de cette notion pour penser l'expérience psychanalytique comme un travail érotique en recherche de la mobilité pulsionnelle, de la transformation subjective et d'autres modes d'être et de se placer dans la vie.

Resumen: De la investigación de las varias maneras en las que aparece la noción de trabajo a lo largo de la obra de Freud y tomando como punto de partida los términos psicoanalíticos compuestos con el sufijo "arbeit" que apuntan, sobre todo, al esfuerzo de la psique/psiquismo para lidiar con el exceso pulsional, este artículo subrayó la importancia del concepto de trabajo para pensar en la experiencia psicoanalítica como un trabajo erótico en búsqueda de la movilidad pulsional, la transformación subjetiva y otras formas de ser y suceder en la vida.

Abstract: Based on the research of several ways in which the concept of work appears throughout Freud's work, beginning with the psychoanalytic terms composed with the suffix arbeit, which indicate the psyche's effort in dealing with the instinctual excess, this article emphasizes the importance of this concept, reflecting on the psychoanalytic experience as an erotic work searching for the instinctual trend, for the subjective transformation, and for other ways of experiencing life.

As relações de poder na experiência psicanalítica: entre a sujeição e a liberdade / Power relations in psychoanalytic experience:between the subject and the freedom

Em sua genealogia do poder, o filósofo francês MichelFoucault afirma que os efeitos de sujeição às relações depoder que normalizam as subjetividades também estãopresentes na experiência psicanalítica. É justamentepara encontrar saídas frente às questões colocadas porFoucault que o objetivo deste artigo é refletir acerca datensão presente na prática psicanalítica entre a sujeiçãoe a liberdade das subjetividades.

In his genealogy of power, the French philosopherMichel Foucault claims that the effects of the subjectionto the power relations that normalize subjectivities arealso present in the psychoanalytical experience. In orderto find a way out of the dilemmas posed by Foucault,the present paper intends to reflect upon the tensionbetween the subjection and the freedom experiencedby subjectivities within the psychoanalytical practice.

Geometric correction of deformed chromosomes for automatic Karyotyping.

Automatic Karyotyping is the process of classifying chromosomes from an unordered karyogram into their respective classes to create an ordered karyogram. Automatic karyotyping algorithms typically perform geometrical correction of deformed chromosomes for feature extraction; these features are used by classifier algorithms for classifying the chromosomes. Karyograms of bone marrow cells are known to have poor image quality. An example of such karyograms is the Lisbon-K(1) (LK(1)) dataset that is used in our work. Thus, to correct the geometrical deformation of chromosomes from LK(1), a robust method to obtain the medial axis of the chromosome was necessary. To address this problem, we developed an algorithm that uses the seed points to make a primary prediction. Subsequently, the algorithm computes the distance of boundary from the predicted point, and the gradients at algorithm-specified points on the boundary to compute two auxiliary predictions. Primary prediction is then corrected using auxiliary predictions, and a final prediction is obtained to be included in the seed region. A medial axis is obtained this way, which is further used for geometrical correction of the chromosomes. This algorithm was found capable of correcting geometrical deformations in even highly distorted chromosomes with forked ends.

Classifier-assisted metric for chromosome pairing.

Cytogenetics plays a central role in the detection of chromosomal abnormalities and in the diagnosis of genetic diseases. A karyogram is an image representation of human chromosomes arranged in order of decreasing size and paired in 23 classes. In this paper we propose an approach to automatically pair the chromosomes into a karyogram, using the information obtained in a rough SVM-based classification step, to help the pairing process mainly based on similarity metrics between the chromosomes. Using a set of geometric and band pattern features extracted from the chromosome images, the algorithm is formulated on a Bayesian framework, combining the similarity metric with the results from the classifier. The solution is obtained solving a mixed integer program. Two datasets with contrasting quality levels and 836 chromosomes each were used to test and validate the algorithm. Relevant improvements with respect to the algorithm described by the authors in [1] were obtained with average paring rates above 92%, close to the rates obtained by human operators.

Robust band profile extraction using constrained nonparametric machine-learning technique.

A typical characteristic of images of bone marrow cells taken during mitosis is poor quality. This renders the task of extraction of accurate band profile, representative of intensity distribution over each chromosome, more challenging. A robust method is hence required to tackle this problem. An algorithm was thus developed, which estimates a single-line medial axis, the basis for computation of band profile. Medial axis was generated by computing a final prediction, using primary and secondary predictions obtained by a nonparametric machine learning algorithm trained with data from chromosome's skeleton, and geometrical properties of medial axis, respectively. Experiments were performed using the LK(1) dataset. The algorithm was found capable of estimating a satisfactory single-line medial axis. Band profile obtained was found to be a good representation of intensity levels in different regions of chromosomes. Additionally, this algorithm is robust in terms of growing a very small seed region into desired medial axis and also handling highly irregular chromosomes.

A novel metric for bone marrow cells chromosome pairing.

Karyotyping is a set of procedures, in the scope of the cytogenetics, that produces a visual representation of the 46 chromosomes observed during the metaphase step of the cellular division, called mitosis, paired and arranged in decreasing order of size. Automatic pairing of bone marrow cells is a difficult task because these chromosomes appear distorted, overlapped, and their images are usually blurred with undefined edges and low level of detail. In this paper, a new metric is proposed to compare this type of chromosome images toward the design of an automatic pairing algorithm for leukemia diagnostic purposes. Besides the features used in the traditional karyotyping procedures, a new feature, based on mutual information , is proposed to increase the discriminate power of the G-banding pattern dissimilarity between chromosomes and improve the performance of the classifier. The pairing algorithm is formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem where the distances between homologous chromosomes are minimized and the distances between nonhomologous ones are maximized. The optimization task is solved by using an integer programming approach. A new bone marrow chromosome dataset--Lisbon-K1 (LK1) chromosome dataset with 9200 chromosomes---was build for this study. These chromosomes have much lower quality than the classic Copenhagen, Edinburgh, and Philadelphia datasets, and its classification and pairing is therefore more difficult. Experiments using real images from the LK(1) and Grisan et al. datasets based on a leave-one-out cross-validation strategy are performed to test and validate the pairing algorithm.

Os paradoxos do conceito de resistência: do mesmo à diferença / The paradoxes of the concept of resistance: from the same to the difference

O presente artigo tem como principal objetivo problematizar o conceito de resistência no discurso de Freud. Mediante a articulação com a obra filosófica de Michel Foucault, a hipótese deste artigo aponta para a possibilidade de pensar a resistência em si implicada na mudança subjetiva, ou seja, na produção do novo e da diferença no processo de subjetivação.(AU)

The main objective of the present article is to question the resistance concept in Freud's speech. By the articulation with Michel Foucault's philosophical work, the hypothesis of this article points to the possibility of thinking the resistance in itself implicated in the subjective change, in other words, in the production of the new and the difference.(AU)

Automatic chromosome pairing using mutual information.

Cytogenetics is a key tool in the detection of acquired chromosomal abnormalities and in the diagnosis of genetic diseases such as leukemia. The karyotyping is a set of procedures, in the scope of the cytogenetics, that produces a visual representation of the 46 chromosomes (called karyogram), paired and arranged in decreasing order of size. The pairing procedure aims to identify all pairs of homologous chromosomes.The pairing criterion is based on dimensional, morphological,and textural features similarity. This process is time consuming when performed manually, and demanding from a technical point of view. An automatic pairing algorithm would thus bring benefits, but it remains an open problem to date.In this paper a new strategy for automatic pairing of homologous chromosomes is proposed. Besides the traditional features described in the literature, the Mutual Information (MI) is used to discriminate chromosome textural differences. A supervised non-linear classifier is trained by using manual classifications provided by expert technicians, combining the different features computed from each pair.Simulations using 836 real chromosome images, obtained with a Leica Optical Microscope DM 2500, in a leave-one-out cross validation fashion, were performed for training and testing the algorithm.Promising and relevant results were found, despite the poor quality of the original chromosome images, contrasting with state-of the-art algorithms and datasets found in the literature.

A estética da existência: Foucault e psicanálise

Na produção tardia de Michel Foucault, a partir da década de 80, ou como alguns gostam de chamar: no último Foucault, este se dedicou ao projeto de escrever a história da sexualidade. No terceiro volume deste projeto: História da Sexualidade III - O Cuidado de Si (1985), Foucault trabalha, a partir da antiguidade greco-romana, dois importantes conceitos: as técnicas de si e a estética da existência, que apontam para a possibilidade de criação de um estilo próprio, visando a produção de si mesmo como o artesão da beleza de sua vida, fazendo desta uma obra de arte. Apesar do diálogo entre a obra filosófica de Foucault e a psicanálise ter sido pautado por críticas e questionamentos, este trabalho versa sobre a possibilidade de pensarmos, a partir do estabelecimento de uma articulação entre estes dois campos de saber, a experiência psicanalítica no sentido de "possibilitar ao sujeito a produção de um estilo para a sua existência" (Birman,1997. p. 43). O que pretendemos com este trabalho é apenas levantar algumas hipóteses iniciais de pesquisa, enfatizando a clínica psicanalítica enquanto possibilidade de criação inventiva de novos modos de existência e estilos de vida, ou seja, de formas de subjetividade(AU)