bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retractor Lysis as Prophylaxis for Lower Lid Retraction Following Inferior Rectus Recession
Authors: Kim DooHo B , Meyer Dale R , Simon John W
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Background: Lower lid retraction is a frequent complication of inferior rectus recession, especially of larger amounts.

Methods: With an incision through the palpebral conjunctiva, the lower lid retractors were lysed at the same anesthesia as inferior rectus recessions in a total of 20 patients (24 eyes). Included are 10 patients (12 eyes) described earlier and presented here with extended follow-up. Inferior rectus recessions ranged from 2 to 10 mm (mean, 4.2 mm).

Results: No patient had clinically apparent lid retraction or subjective complaints of lid deformity. Results were stable for 1 to 89 months (mean, 24.8 months) of followup. Three patients developed symblepharon, but surgical repair was required in only 1 case.

Conclusion: Lower lid retractor lysis is a simple, safe, and effective procedure to prevent the lower lid retraction associated with inferior rectus recession.

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2002;39:198-202.
Study of the Psychosocial Aspects of Strabismus
Authors: Menon Vimla , Saha Jayati , Tandon Radhika , Mehta Manju , Khokhar Sudarshan
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To systematically evaluate the perception of psychosocial difficulties due to strabismus and the impact of corrective surgery in adolescents and young adults in India.

Methods: Patients 1 5 to 25 years of age with childhood onset (≤ 5 years of age) of constant concomitant squint (≥ 30 prism diopters of deviation for distance) were included in the study. After a detailed orthoptic evaluation, demographic data of the patients and their parents were recorded. Postgraduate Institute Health Questionnaire N-2 (standardized in India) was administered to rule out neuroticism in the patients. Psychosocial problems faced by the patients were evaluated with a semistructured interview schedule. Patients were evaluated 3 months after surgery using a similar interview schedule to assess the psychological impact of surgery.

Results: Eighty percent of both male and female patients had problems in their social life; 85% of the males and 75% of the females had personal problems due to squint. After surgery, a positive change in appearance was noticed by 97.5% and 95% noticed a change in self-esteem and selfconfidence.

Conclusion: These patients had difficulties with self-image and interpersonal relationships, faced ridicule at school and work, and generally avoided activities that brought attention to their defect. Substantial changes were noticed in them after corrective surgery, and the differences in their scores before and after surgery were statistically significant.

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2002;39:203-208.
Echobiometric Study of Ocular Growth in Patients With Amblyopia
Authors: Burtolo Carmen , Ciurlo Chiara , Polizzi Anna , Lantieri Pasquale Bruno , Calabria Giovanni
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Background: The natural evolution toward emmetropia is governed by genetic factors, but experiments with animals have demonstrated that a feedback mechanism that depends on visual function may regulate ocular growth. We attempted to verify this hypothesis in school-age patients with amblyopia by observing the ocular growth and the refractive state in the fixating and nonfixating eye in myopia and hypermetropia. This situation simulates the animal model.

Methods: In 30 consecutive school-age patients with amblyopia, we prospectively evaluated axial length with echobiometry and the refractive state during cycloplegia induced by atropine.

Results: We found a statistically significant increase in axial length in the fixating eye of patients with hypermetropia compared with the amblyopic eye (P = .0008). In patients with myopia, we found less of an increase in axial length in the fixating eye compared with the amblyopic eye (P = .0048).

Conclusion: Good vision seems to influence the evolution of ocular growth toward emmetropization.

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2002;39:209-214.
Evaluation of the Functions of the Parvocellular and Magnocellular Pathways in Strabismic Amblyopia
Authors: Demirci Hakan , Gezer Acun , Sezen Fazil , Ovali Tunc , Demiralp Tamer , Isoglu-Alkoc Ummuhan
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the functions of the magnocellular and parvocellular pathways in strabismic amblyopia.

Methods: Visual evoked potentials produced by achromatic and chromatic stimuli in 14 children with strabismic amblyopia were compared with those in 14 age-matched control subjects. The achromatic sine-wave grating with low spatial frequency was used to stimulate the magnocellular pathway, whereas the parvocellular pathway was stimulated by the chromatic sine-wave grating (isoluminant red-green) with low and high spatial frequencies.

Results: When the achromatic stimuli with low spatial frequency were used, the latencies of the N1 and P1 components and the amplitude of the N1-P1 complex were similar in the children with strabismic amblyopia and the control subjects. There also were no differences between the amblyopic and non-amblyopic eyes of the children with strabismic amblyopia. When chromatic stimuli with low and high spatial frequencies were used, the latencies of the N1 and P1 components were significantly longer and the amplitude of the N1-P1 complex was significantly smaller in the children with strabismic amblyopia than in the control group. When the amblyopic and non-amblyopic eyes of the children with strabismic amblyopia were compared, the latencies of the N1 and P1 components were longer and the amplitude of the N1-P1 complex was smaller in the amblyopic eyes.

Conclusion: In strabismic amblyopia, the cells in the parvocellular pathway may be more involved, whereas the magnocellular pathway may be relatively spared.

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2002;39:215-221.
Congenital Ptosis and Amblyopia: A Retrospective Study of 130 Cases
Authors: Dray Jean-Paul , Leibovitch Igal
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To provide supplementary data on the association between congenital ptosis and amblyopia.

Methods: In a retrospective chart study of 130 patients whose congenital ptosis was surgically corrected between 1987 and 1999, 27 (20.8%) had strabismus and 30 (23%) had amblyopia. In 9 patients (6.3%), it was not attributable to any cause except ptosis.

Results: There was a high incidence (6.9%) of amblyopia in patients with congenital ptosis.

Conclusion: We recommend early examination and follow-up of patients with congenital ptosis to diagnose and treat any subsequent amblyopia. Surgery may be indicated should stimulus deprivation amblyopia develop.

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2002;39:222-225.
Binocularity in Refractive Accommodative Esotropia
Authors: Tomaç Sühan
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To investigate whether restoration of normal stereo acuity is possible in refractive accommodative esotropia.

Methods: Twenty patients with refractive accommodative esotropia were included in the study. The cycloplegic refraction and the best corrected visual acuity of each patient were recorded. The patients were evaluated by the 4-prism-diopter test, Bagolini striated glasses, the Worth 4-dot test, the TNO stereo test, and the stereo fly plate of the Titmus test.

Results: Eight patients had orthotropia with normal retinal correspondence and 12 patients had a small deviation with abnormal retinal correspondence. Nine patients (8 patients with orthotropia and 1 patient with microtropia) demonstrated a gross level of stereo acuity, whereas the others demonstrated no stereopsis.

Conclusion: In patients with refractive accommodative esotropia, the prognosis is not favorable for restoration of normal stereopsis, even if orthotropia is achieved.

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2002;39:226-230.
Botulinum Toxin Injection Without Electromyographic Assistance
Authors: Benabent Enrique Chipont , Hermosa Pedro García , Arrazola María T , Sanz Jorge L Alió y
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To ascertain whether electromyographic control of the muscles when injecting botulinum toxin in the medial rectus muscles of children under sedation is necessary to obtain good results in terms of ocular alignment and postoperative complications.

Methods: Forty neurologically normal children 6 to 48 months of age were entered consecutively into the study once the initial diagnosis of essential infantile esotropia had been made. The children were sedated with sevoflurane and both medial rectus muscles were injected with 7 IU of botulinum toxin using an insulin syringe with a 27-gauge needle. Postoperative controls were performed at 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after the injection. The effectiveness of the injection was noted in terms of tropia, paralysis, and associated complications.

Results: The mean tropia at 6 months postoperatively was 8.47 prism diopters of esotropia, ranging from 25 prism diopters of esotropia to 10 prism diopters of exotropia. Fifty-three percent of the patients had an esotropia between 0 and 10 prism diopters. The most common complications were ptosis and vertical deviation, affecting 23% and 21% of the patients, respectively, followed by conjunctival hemorrhage, which was recorded in 7% of the patients. There were no retrobulbar hemorrhages, ocular perforations, or anesthetic complications.

Conclusions: If anesthetic risks are higher and the results are similar when using electromyographic control, we advocate not using it in congenital esotropia when injecting botulinum toxin in children.

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2002;39:231-234.
Evaluation of the Potential Acuity Meter in Predicting Visual Acuity After Photodynamic Therapy for Choroidal Neovascularization
Authors: Smith Bradley T , Vander James F , Regillo Carl D , Ho Allen C
Published: January 2019

* BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential acuity meter in predicting visual acuity after photodynamic therapy of choroidal neovascular membranes caused by age-related macular degeneration.

* PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 55 eyes in 51 patients with subfoveal predominantly classic choroidal neovascularization due to age-related macular degeneration. Pre-photodynamic therapy Snellen visual acuity minus the visual acuity with the potential acuity meter was compared with the actual improvement in visual acuity. Significant improvement in visual acuity after photodynamic therapy was defined as a gain of more than 2 lines in Snellen visual acuity (0.2 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution units).

* RESULTS: Eighteen (51.4%) of 35 eyes with a potential for improvement experienced an actual improvement in their Snellen visual acuity after photodynamic therapy (P < .001). All eyes lacking a potential for improvement failed to experience an actual improvement in visual acuity after photodynamic therapy.

* CONCLUSION: The eyes that demonstrated better visual acuity with the potential acuity meter in this study seemed more likely to experience an improvement in visual acuity after photodynamic therapy.

[Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:6-11.]
Clinical Manifestations of Orbital Mass Lesions at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, 1999-2003
Authors: Simon Guy J Ben , Yoon Michael K , Jane Atul , Nakra Tanuj , McCann John D , Goldberg Robert A
Published: January 2019

* BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical manifestations, diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes of orbital mass lesions at a tertiary care referral center.

* PATIENTS AND METHODS: All cases of newly diagnosed or referred orbital tumors at the Jules Stein Eye Institute from 1999 to 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from the electronic oculoplastics registry of the Division of Orbital and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery.

* RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-nine cases of orbital mass lesions were evaluated (167 males and 202 females; mean age = 48 years). The most common presenting symptoms were mass/proptosis, pain, swelling, inflammation, and diplopia. The most common categories of diagnosis were cystic or structural lesions, benign tumors, inflammatory processes, neuronal processes, and fibrous processes. Increasing age was associated with an increased incidence of primary and metastatic malignant tumors. Half of all cases required surgical intervention consisting of excision, debulking, or exenteration; 20% to 30% of cases were managed conservatively.

* CONCLUSIONS: The differential diagnosis of orbital mass lesions differs across age groups. No clinical sign or symptom is specific for the underlying diagnosis and the biological behavior of the abnormal process may be misleading. Therefore, a careful diagnostic approach that considers the benefit of imaging studies must be undertaken. Almost 50% of these mass lesions can be managed with nonsurgical intervention.

[Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:25-32.]
Vitrectomy for Stage 1 Macular Holes Identified by Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Subramanian Manju L , Truong Steven N , Rogers Adam H , Duker Jay S , Reichel Elias , Baumal Caroline R
Published: January 2019

* BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To describe a series of patients with decreased vision secondary to stage 1 macular hole confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) that failed to spontaneously resolve with observation. To determine whether current surgical techniques can prevent progression to a full-thickness macular hole and lead to improved visual acuity.

* PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective, comparative case series presenting patient demographics, duration of symptoms, timing of surgery, preoperative and postoperative vision, and clinical outcome based on examination and OCT.

* RESULTS: Five eyes of five patients with stage 1 macular holes identified on OCT required surgical repair. All eyes showed anatomic closure and lack of progression to a full-thickness hole confirmed by OCT after one procedure. Mean preoperative visual acuity was 20/102 (range, 20/50 to 20/200) and mean post-operative visual acuity was 20/52 (range, 20/25 to 20/200). Average improvement for all five eyes was 3 Snellen lines, with four of the five (80%) improving 5 lines each.

* CONCLUSION: In symptomatic eyes with stage 1 macular holes that fail to spontaneously resolve with observation, vitrectomy with intraocular gas tamponade may prevent progression to a full-thickness hole and lead to improved visual acuity.

[Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:42-46.]
Transpupillary Thermotherapy Alone and Enhanced by Standard Doses of Indocyanine Green in Pigmented Rabbits
Authors: Mattos Reginaldo M , Nehemy Márcio B , Magalhães Érika P , Pedrosa Moisés
Published: January 2019

* BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the chorioretinal effects of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) and TTT enhanced by standard doses of indocyanine green (ICG) in pigmented rabbits.

* MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 25 eyes, two retinal areas were irradiated using identical subthreshold diode laser irradiation. The subthreshold diode laser irradiation level was first determined using the other eye. ICG (0.5 mg/kg) was injected before irradiation of the second area. Red-free photographs, fluorescein angiography, and ICG videoangiography were performed after TTT. Specimens were prepared for light microscopy.

* RESULTS: In 35% of the cases, ICG videoangiography revealed a hypofluorescent spot in the area irradiated after injection of ICG that disappeared after ICG re-injection. None of the areas irradiated before ICG injection were hypofluorescent. Red-free photographs and fluorescein angiography were normal in most cases. Light microscopy demonstrated patent choriocapillaris and choroid in most areas.

* CONCLUSIONS: Subthreshold TTT, whether enhanced by ICG or not, did not cause significant choroidal or choriocapillaris vascular occlusion. Standard doses of ICG had no significant effect on TTT.

[Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:47-53.]
Intraoperative Management of Nonfunctioning Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implant
Authors: Setabutr Pete , Bell Nicholas P , Feldman Robert M
Published: January 2019

Abstract. A 62-year-old woman with neovascular glaucoma underwent filtering surgery with the Ahmed glaucoma valve (New World Medical, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, CA). Intraoperative hypotony secondary to a defective valve was noted and managed by excising the valve mechanism. The implant was then treated as if it was non-valved by placement of an obturator suture. The postoperative course was unremarkable for a non-valved implant. This case demonstrates how intraoperative hypotony secondary to overfiltration of an Ahmed glaucoma valve implant can be successfully managed by converting to a non-valved implant.

[Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:62-64.]
Management of a Displaced Angle-Supported Anterior Chamber Intraocular Lens
Authors: Esquenazi Salomon
Published: January 2019

Abstract. A 49-year-old patient had a displacement of an anterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) producing a cyclodialysis cleft and persistent hypotony with maculopathy. The patient underwent intraocular lens extraction, repair of the cyclodialysis cleft, and iris-fixation of an acrylic posterior chamber IOL with resolution of the hypotony and improvement of the maculopathy and best-corrected visual acuity. Many surgeons consider the implantation of an anterior chamber IOL as their first choice in the treatment of inadequate capsule support associated with cataract surgery, probably because it is a relatively easy procedure to perform. However, insufficient preoperative knowledge of the anterior segment biometry can lead to inadequate lens size and postoperative complications. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:65-67.]
Management of Bilateral Ectopia Lentis et Pupillae Syndrome
Authors: Omulecki Wojciech , Wilczynski Michal , Gerkowicz Marek
Published: January 2019

Abstract. A 52-year-old patient presented with signs clinically consistent with ectopia lentis et pupillae syndrome. The patient was treated successfully with vitrectomy, dislocated lens removal using perfluorocarbon liquid and phacofragmentation in the vitreous cavity, pupil reconstruction, and scleral-fixated intraocular lens implantation in both eyes. Despite the fact that the surgery was successful in technical terms, the final visual outcome was not as good as expected. This was caused by the optic nerve atrophy resulting from long-lasting glaucoma. Nevertheless, the described surgical techniques may be considered an effective method of treatment in cases of ectopia lentis et pupillae syndrome. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:68-71.]
Neodymium:YAG Laser Anterior Capsulotomy for Capsular Contraction Syndrome
Authors: Deokule Sumil P , Mukherjee Subhanjan S , Chew Chris K S
Published: January 2019

* BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study presents the outcome of neodymium:YAG laser anterior capsulotomy for capsular contraction syndrome, the safety profile and effectiveness of which are unclear.

* PATIENTS AND METHODS: Records of 32 patients with a minimum of 3 months of follow-up were reviewed retrospectively. The procedure was considered successful if all of the following criteria were met: centered intraocular lens (IOL) or no obvious change in IOL centration post-capsulotomy; no evidence of re-phimosis in the follow-up period; and no further requirement for surgical intervention due to capsular contraction syndrome in the follow-up period or complications were recorded.

* RESULTS: The procedure was successful in 25 cases (78%). Failed cases (n = 7, 22.0%) included 5 cases of re-phimosis and 2 cases with progressive IOL decentration. The failure rate was higher in cases with preoperative IOL decentration (P < .01).

* CONCLUSION: Neodymium:YAG laser anterior capsulotomy was successful in the majority of cases. The failure rate was higher with preoperative IOL decentration.

[Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:99105.]
Intracameral 2.3% Sodium Hyaluronate to Treat Postoperative Hypotony in Patients With Glaucoma
Authors: Altangerel Undraa , Rai Sushma , Fontanarosa Joann , Master Marlene R
Published: January 2019

m BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the intracameral use of Healon5 (2.3% sodium hyaluronate) (Advanced Medical Optics, Santa Ana, CA) in patients with hypotony.

* PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen consecutive patients with glaucoma who had hypotony for at least 7 days were prospectively recruited. Indications for the intracameral injection of Healon5 were an intraocular pressure (IOP) of less than 6 mm Hg with negative results on Seidel test.

* RESULTS: The mean IOP readings at baseline, 1 to 2 weeks post-injection, and 4 to 6 weeks post-injection were 3.8 ± 1.58, 6.58 ± 2.62, and 6.50 ± 2.24 mm Hg, respectively. The increase in IOP at both follow-up points was significant (P < .01). The visual acuity improvement was small but significant at the 4 to 6 week point (P = .05).

In the early-onset cases, IOP increased significantly from baseline at both follow-up points (P < .05), but visual acuity did not. No significant change from baseline IOP or visual acuity occurred among the late-onset cases. The existing hypotony-related conditions consistently improved by the 4 to 6 week point.

* CONCLUSIONS: Intracameral injection of Healon5 raised IOP more in early-onset hypotony cases than in late-onset cases. Although the improvements in IOP and visual acuity were statistically significant, the overall clinical picture did not change because the endpoint IOP was still hypotonus. Twenty percent of the patients had IOP spikes that required medical treatment.

[Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:106111.]
Tear Meniscus Evaluation by Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Savini Giacomo , Barboni Piero , Zanini Maurizio
Published: January 2019

m BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of optical coherence tomography to visualize the inferior tear meniscus and measure its height.

* PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven eyes (27 patients) with aqueous tear deficiency were compared with 20 eyes (20 patients) with normal tear secretion (control group). After the instrument was focused on the ocular surface, a 4-mm long vertical scan, centered on the lower tear meniscus at corneal 6 o'clock hours, was obtained using optical coherence tomography. Tear meniscus height was measured by means of an external application.

* RESULTS: Mean tear meniscus height was significandy lower (P < .0001) in patients with aqueous tear deficiency (mean ± standard deviation: 0.13 ± 0.07 mm) than in the control group (mean ± standard deviation: 0.25 ± 0.08 mm).

* CONCLUSION: Optical coherence tomography can be used to noninvasively visualize the inferior tear meniscus. This method seems able to discriminate between patients with normal and dry eyes when measuring tear meniscus height.

[Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:1 12-1 18.]
Needle Bleb Revision of Encapsulated Filtering Bleb With Bevacizumab
Authors: Kahook Malik Y , Schuman Joel S , Noecker Robert J
Published: January 2019

Abstract. The utility of needle bleb revision with bevacizumab in a patient with a failing bleb following trabeculectomy is explored. The patient had previously failed needle bleb revision with mitomycin C. After needling and injection of 1 mg of bevacizumab, the bleb was noted to be more diffuse with a decrease in surface neovascularization. Bevacizumab may be an effective medication for rescuing failing filtering blebs that exhibit neovascularization. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:148-150.]
Anterior Scleral Buckling Procedure for Cyclodialysis Cleft With Chronic Hypotony
Authors: Mandava Naresh , Kahook Malik Y , Mackenzie Douglas L , Olson Jeffrey L
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Cyclodialysis clefts occur when the attachment of the ciliary body to the scleral spur is disrupted. The mechanism is usually traumatic or iatrogenic after phacoemulsification or other intraocular manipulation. Treatment becomes necessary when hypotony occurs, with maculopathy being the most visually significant sequela. A patient who failed conventional treatment for hypotony and eventually benefited from a novel surgery to correct his cyclodialysis cleft is described. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:151153.]
Manual Enucleation of Both Eyes During Assault
Authors: Taneja Nishant , Dhaliwal Upreet
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Manual enucleation of the eyeball from the orbit during physical assault is rare. Management includes removal of such sighdess eyeballs when the optic nerve and extraocular muscles are avulsed. However, other authors recommend replacement of these eyeballs even though visual prognosis is nil and phthisis bulbi is expected. A patient who had bilateral enucleation after assault is described. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006;37:158-160.]
Spatial Models of Consumer Choice for Retail Outlets: Theory and Practice in Physics of Marketing
Authors: Alhabeeb M. J.
Published: January 2019

A theoretical review and an assessment of applications of the spatial models of consumer choice for retail outlets are presented here. As they are also called gravitational models in marketing, they remain relevant in today’s retail world despite the explosion of e-commerce. The major objective here is to emphasize the theoretical significance of these models, analyze their practicality in the market, and refer to their validity today. The focus would be on the original Reilly’s model of the early thirties of the last century, and the two most significant improvements over it, Converse’s model of the late forties, and Huff’s model of the early sixties. After a detailed exposition of these models and their applications, a critical analysis is introduced to address the retail site selection, radius of the trading area, limitations of the models, and some criticism.
Segmentation of Young Adult Consumers in China: A Global-local Cultural Identity Perspective
Authors: Yu Chunling , Dong Lily C.
Published: January 2019

This study explores the segmentation of young adult consumers in the growing market of China by adopting the cultural identity theory about global-local identity beliefs (global citizenship through global brands, nationalism, and consumer ethnocentrism). We use cluster analysis to outline individuals on their integration of three cultural beliefs. Then we examine each cluster for their attitude toward advertisements of global brands with global consumer cultural positioning (GCCP) and local consumer cultural positioning (LCCP). We identified four segments: the glocal citizen (37%), the explorer (26%), the extremely nationalist (19%) and the global-viewed adaptor (18%). All four segments demonstrate different attitudes to GCCP and LCCP advertisements and different purchasing intentions on global brands using GCCP and LCCP strategies.
Study on the Influencing Factors and Consumer Behaviors of Bicycle Sharing in Beijing
Authors: Wang Lijuan , Liu Songbai
Published: January 2019

This paper aims to explore the factors that affect consumer behavior in Beijing bicycle sharing. According to the questionnaire survey, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have positive impacts on consumer intentions. However, owing to the relatively high income of the sample population, the economic cost is also positively related to the intentions of consumers, and consumers’ intentions are negatively related to actual behavior. This study provides a new contribution to the literature and a business opportunity. This study also provides a reference for market segmentation and the target population of the sharing economy.
Processamento de Linguagem Natural Controlada utilizando uma Máquina de Moore
Authors: Frutuoso Hortevan M. , Bedregal Benjamin R. C.
Published: January 2019

Este artigo propõe um algoritmo para processamento de linguagem natural controlada usando uma Máquina de Moore. Inicialmente será apresentada uma breve descrição dos conceitos envolvidos, tais como chatterbot, autômatos e ontologia. Em seguida será apresentado um algoritmo para processamento de linguagem natural controlada e expansível. O algoritmo funciona como um tradutor que transforma a sentença em linguagem natural informada em código executável para uma máquina virtual baseada em pilha, executando o processamento tal qual o conhecimento armazenado no autômato.
Analysis of Keypoint Detection Algorithms for Mass Candidates Selection in Mammography Images
Authors: Oliveira Felipe Victor de Sá , Alencar Gersica Agripino , Cordeiro Filipe Rolim
Published: January 2019

Breast cancer has been a growing problem for women around the world. The correct interpretation of mammographic images is important for the diagnosis of breast cancer. However, this is a difficult task even for a specialist. Image processing is used to make the diagnosis less susceptible to errors. Thus, the present work proposes a new method for the search of lesion candidates in mammographic images. To verify the efficiency of the approach, the behavior of the SURF, SIFT, BRISK and ORB algorithms were analyzed, as well as the Selective Search algorithm for candidate selection. A total of 1210 mammography images were used, from the CBIS-DDSM database. Results show that the SURF algorithm presented better performance, generating on average, for each image, 4.11 candidates considered in the internal area of the lesion, reducing exploratory space by 72%, whereas the ORB generated on average 1.6 candidates with a reduction rate of 96.30%.
Detecting the presence of meteors in images: new collection and results
Authors: Silva Renato Moraes , Lorena Ana Carolina , Almeida Tiago A.
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we present a new public and real dataset of labeled images of meteors and non-meteors that we recently used in a machine learning competition. We also present a comprehensive performance evaluation of several established machine learning methods and compare the results with a stacking approach – one of the winning solutions of the competition. We compared the performance obtained by the methods in the traditional repeated five-fold cross-validation with the ones obtained using the training and test partitions used in the competition. A careful analysis of the results indicates that, in general, the stacking based approach obtained the best performances compared to the baselines. Moreover, we found evidence that the validation strategy used by the platform that hosted the competition can lead to results that do not sustain in a cross-validation setup, which is recommendable in real-world scenarios.
Artificial Intelligence in Automated Sorting in Trash Recycling
Authors: Costa Bernardo S. , Bernardes Aiko C. S. , Pereira Julia V. A. , Zampa Vitoria H. , Pereira Vitoria A. , Matos Guilherme F. , Soares Eduardo A. , Soares Claiton L. , Silva Alexandre F.
Published: January 2019

A computer vision approach to classify garbage into recycling categories could be an efficient way to process waste. This project aims to take garbage waste images and classify them into four classes: glass, paper, metal and, plastic. We use a garbage image database that contains around 400 images for each class. The models used in the experiments are Pre-trained VGG-16 (VGG16), AlexNet, Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and, Random Forest (RF). Experiments showed that our models reached accuracy around 93%.
Analysis And Recognition Of Pain In 2d Face Images Of Full Term And Healthy Newborns
Authors: Teruel Gilberto F. , Heiderich Tatiany M. , Guinsburg Ruth , Thomaz Carlos E.
Published: January 2019

This paper proposes a sequence of computational procedures for detecting, interpreting and classifying patterns in frontal two-dimensional images of faces for automatic recognition of pain in newborns. Using data transformation and extraction of statistical characteristics from a real-life, healthy-term newborn image database, it was possible to interpret and model the subjectivity of trained health professionals, quantifying human knowledge in the task of recognizing pain enabling automatic identification. These results were compared with NFCS based classifications by the same professionals of the same images.
A Multi-Gaussian Fuzzy Membership Function to the Algorithm Fuzzy GrowCut Applied to Segment Lesions in Mammography Images
Authors: Cordeiro Filipe R. , Albuquerque Beatriz , Macario Valmir
Published: January 2019

Segmentation of masses in mammography images is an important task to aid the accurate diagnosis of breast cancer. Although the quality of segmentation is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis, the segmentation process is a challenging task even for specialists, due to the presence of ill-defined edges and low contrast images. One of the techniques of state of the art for tumor segmentation is the Fuzzy GrowCut algorithm. In this work a study is performed on the behavior of this algorithm when using different membership functions for segmentation. Moreover, this research proposes a new membership function, called Multi-Gaussian, which improves the results of Fuzzy GrowCut with respect to those obtained through the use of classical functions.
Beating Bomberman with Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Monteiro Juarez , Granada Roger , Pinto Rafael C. , Barros Rodrigo C.
Published: January 2019

Artificial Intelligence (AI) seeks to bring intelligent behavior for machines by using specific techniques. These techniques can be employed in order to solve tasks, such as planning paths or controlling intelligent agents. Some tasks that use AI techniques are not trivially testable, since it can handle a high number of variables depending on their complexity. As digital games can provide a wide range of variables, they become an efficient and economical means for testing artificial intelligence techniques. In this paper, we propose a combination of a behavior tree and a Pathfinding algorithm to solve a maze-based problem using the digital game Bomberman of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) platform. We perform an analysis of the AI techniques in order to verify the feasibility of future experiments in similar complex environments. Our experiments show that our intelligent agent can be successfully implemented using the proposed approach.
Risk Sensitive Probabilistic Planning with ILAO* and Exponential Utility Function
Authors: De Freitas Elthon Manhas , Delgado Karina Valdivia , Freire Valdinei
Published: January 2019

Markov Decision Process (MDP) has been used very efficiently to solve sequential decision-making problems. However, there are problems in which dealing with the risks of the environment to obtain a reliable result is more important than minimizing the total expected cost. MDPs that deal with this type of problem are called risk-sensitive Markov decision processes (RSMDP). In this paper we propose an efficient heuristic search algorithm that allows to obtain a solution by evaluating only the relevant states to reach the goal states starting from an initial state.
An Analysis of the Sentiment Classification of Short Messages Using Word2Vec
Authors: Lima Raul de Araújo , Guerra Paulo T.
Published: January 2019

Sentiment analisys and the polarity classification of texts constitute one of the main tools currently used by companies and organizations for the most varied purposes. This work presents an analysis of the use of word embeddings, built through Word2Vec, in the process of features extraction for polarity classification of short messages written in English. The texts used were extracted from Twitter and the results obtained show that, in spite of the possible need to use larger textual bases to obtain better vectors, Word2Vec is a promising tool for the features extraction of textual data, contributing to obtain good classification results.
Computational Intelligence Techniques and Phylogenetic Trees for Identification of Sedimentary Petrofacies
Authors: Saporetti Camila M. , Goliatt Leonardo , De Oliveira Leonardo C. , Pereira Egberto
Published: January 2019

The heterogeneities are characterized by several sedimentary petro- facies. Petrofacies identification involves manual processes and time-consuming analyses. The study of the diagenesis has been encouraged by petroleum companies, in order to understand the distribution of porosity in sandstones. This work aims to analyze the use of clustering approaches to identify petrofacies and assist the analysis of petrographic data. In addition, this study introduced the use the phylogenetic analysis tools to understand the diagenetic process that occurred during sedimentary rock formation. The proposed methodology reaches similar results to those obtained by the conventional method of individualization while allows for reducing time and cost in the individualization task.
Optimization of Expanded Genetic Codes via Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Silva Maísa de Carvalho , De Oliveira Lariza Laura , Tinós Renato
Published: January 2019

In the last decades, researchers have proposed the use of genetically modified organisms that utilize unnatural amino acids, i.e., amino acids other than the 20 amino acids encoded in the standard genetic code. Unnatural amino acids have been incorporated into genetically engineered organisms for the development of new drugs, fuels and chemicals. When new amino acids are incorporated, it is necessary to modify the standard genetic code. Expanded genetic codes have been created without considering the robustness of the code. The objective of this work is the use of genetic algorithms (GAs) for the optimization of expanded genetic codes. The GA indicates which codons of the standard genetic code should be used to encode a new unnatural amino acid. The fitness function has two terms; one for robustness of the new code and another that takes into account the frequency of use of amino acids. Experiments show that, by controlling the weighting between the two terms, it is possible to obtain more or less amino acid substitutions at the same time that the robustness is minimized.
Evaluating the Impact of Pre-clustering and Class Imbalance on Solar Flare Forecasting
Authors: Bueno Mirelle C. , Coelho Guilherme P. , Da Silva Ana Estela A. , Gradvohl André L. S.
Published: January 2019

Among the phenomena that occur on the surface of the Sun, solar flares may cause several damages, from short circuits in power transmission lines to complete interruptions in telecommunications systems. In order to mitigate these effects, many works have been dedicated to the proposal of mechanisms capable of predicting the occurrence of solar flares. In this context, the present work sought to evaluate two aspects related to machine learning-based solar flare forecasting: (i) the impact of class imbalance in training datasets on the performance of the predictors; and (ii) whether the incorporation of a pre-clustering step prior to the classifiers training contributes to a better prediction.
A multivariate statistical analysis of EEG signals for differentiation of musicians and non-musicians
Authors: Ribeiro Estela , Thomaz Carlos Eduardo
Published: January 2019

It is possible to reveal whether a subject received musical training through the neural activation patterns induced in response to music listening. We are particularly interested in analyzing the brain data on a global level, considering its activity registered in electroencephalogram electrodes signals. Our experiments results, with 13 musicians and 12 non-musicians who listened the song Hungarian Dance No 5 from Johannes Brahms, have shown that is possible to differentiate musicians and non-musicians with high classification accuracy (88%). Given this multivariate statistical framework, it has also been possible to highlight the most expressive and discriminant changes in the participants brain according to the acoustic features extracted from the audio.
Evaluation of deep learning architectures applied to identification of diseases in grape leaves
Authors: Oliveira Flávio R. S. , Farias Felipe C. , Caldas Bernardo João de Barros
Published: January 2019

Vale do São Francisco in Pernambuco is one of the most
economically important poles in the state and among its cultivars, it is worth mentioning the grape culture. This sector faces challenges related to the response time between identifying a field infestation and taking corrective actions, in order to minimize losses. This work comprises a comparative analysis between deep learning architectures, applied to identification of diseases in grape cultivars. Results suggest that the use of these technologies is plausible to differentiate healthy grape leaves from leaves presenting one of three different types of diseases, obtaining near 100% accuracy in studied database using an architecture that can be employed in embedded devices.
Facial Expressions Classification with Ensembles of Convolutional Neural Networks and Smart Voting
Authors: Moraes Rodrigo C. , Guedes Elloá B. , Figueiredo Carlos Maurício S.
Published: January 2019

Facial Expression is a very important factor in the social interaction of human beings. And technologies that can automatically interpret and respond to stimuli of facial expressions already find a wide variety of applications, from antidepressant drug testing to fatigue analysis of drivers and pilots. In this context, the following work presents a model for Automatic Classification of Facial Expression using as a training base the dataset Challenges in Representation Learning (FER2013), characterized by examples of spontaneous facial expressions in uncontrolled environments. The presented method is composed by a Convolutional Neural Networks Ensemble architecture, using a non-trivial voting system, based on a smart model, Xtreme Gradient Boosting - XGBoost. As performance criteria for validation of the proposed model, were used K-fold and F1 Score Micro techniques to guarantee robustness and reliability of the results, which are competitive with state-of-the-art works.
An agent-based simulation model for analyzing the impact of teacher behavior in case of evacuation from daycare classrooms
Authors: Ferro Junior Raimundo J. C. , Da Silva Thayanne F. , Andrade João P. B. , De Campos Gustavo A. L.
Published: January 2019

Agent-based simulations can be used to study and formulate evacuation plans, however the traditional simulation models for this context are not suitable for daycare and school settings where the population of these settings has unique physical and behavioral characteristics. This paper proposes a simulation model based on classroom evacuation agents from daycare centers that takes into account the physical and behavioral characteristics of the students and that is able to provide data to evaluate the impact of teachers’ behavior in the evacuation process. The model was built using the Netlogo tool, using as basis the structures of the Brazilian classroom environment and using data from the literature on human behavior. The tests were performed in different settings of parameters for environment, population, student behavior and evacuation strategies. The experiments showed that the model was able to reproduce results consistent with the expected values and scenarios described in the literature, as well as being an effective tool to evaluate the impact of teacher behavior in the evacuation process, especially in rooms where students have a high degree of dependency.
Profitable Tour Problem with Passengers and Time and Cost Restrictions
Authors: Petch Vinícius A. , Goldbarg Marco Cesar , Goldbarg Elizabeth F. G. , Filho José G. L.
Published: January 2019

Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar um novo problema no contexto do transporte colaborativo denominado Problema do Passeio Lucrativo com Passageiros e Restrições de Tempo e Custo. O problema consiste em determinar a melhor rota de um courier que precisa realizar serviços em diversos locais. O courier realiza seu percurso em um veículo. Para reduzir custos, o courier pode levar passageiros que compartilham com ele os custos de viagem. Um modelo matemático é proposto o qual é implementado em um solver e aplicado a instâncias do problema. São apresentados algoritmos heurísticos segundo as meta-heurísticas Variable Neighborhood Search e Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure. São relatados resultados de um experimento computacional com 36 instâncias com até 150 vértices.
Using Graph Spectral to solve Change Point Detection Problems
Authors: Uzai Luis Gustavo C. , Kashiwabara André Y.
Published: January 2019

Time series are sequence of values distributed over time. Analyzing time series is important in many areas including medical, financial, aerospace, commercial and entertainment. Change Point Detection is the problem of identifying changes in meaning or distribution of data in a time series. This article presents Spec, a new algorithm that uses the graph spectrum to detect change points. The Spec was evaluated using the UCR Archive which is a large da- tabase of different time series. Spec performance was compared to the PELT, ECP, EDM, and gSeg algorithms. The results showed that Spec achieved a better accuracy compared to the state of the art in some specific scenarios and as efficient as in most cases evaluated.
Relevance, diversity and serendipity in content recommendation using clustering
Authors: Costa Fernando Henrique da Silva , Silva Andrei Martins , Peres Sarajane Marques
Published: January 2019

In this paper, over-specialization in content-based recommender sys- tems is explored through the definition and analysis of recommendation strate- gies aiming at quality in terms of relevance, diversity and serendipity. Clustering is applied as the basis for building these strategies, applied to the news context. The results show the feasibility of the proposed strategies.
Forecasting economic time series using chaotic neural networks
Authors: Gonçalves Victor H. , Rosa João L. G.
Published: January 2019

This paper describes the application of KIII, a biologically more plausible neural network model, for forecasting economic time series. K-sets are connectionist models based on neural populations and have been used in many machine learning applications. In this paper, this method was applied to IPCA, a Brazilian consumer price index surveyed by IBGE. The values ranged from August 1994 to June 2017. Experiments were performed using four non-parametric models and seven parametric methods. The statistical metric RMSE was used to compare methods performance. Freeman KIII sets worked well as a filter, but it was not a good prediction method. This paper contributes with the use of non-parametrics models for forecasting inflation in a developing country.
An Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy-based Multisensor Data Fusion applied to real-time UAV autonomous navigation
Authors: Paulino Ângelo de C. , Shiguemori Elcio H. , Guimarães Lamartine N. F.
Published: January 2019

The world trend in employing UAVs and drones is remarkable. The main reasons are that they may cost fractions of manned aircraft and avoid the exposure of human lives to risks. However, they depend on positioning systems that may be fallible. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that these systems are as accurate as possible, aiming at safe navigation. In pursuit of this end, conventional Data Fusion techniques can be employed. Nonetheless, its high computational cost may be prohibitive due to the low payload of some UAVs. This paper proposes a Data Fusion application based on Computational Intelligence – Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) – which is able to improve the accuracy of such position estimation systems.
Evaluation of Dimensionality Reduction and Truncation Techniques for Word Embeddings
Authors: Aoun Paulo Henrique Calado , Nascimento Andre C. A. , Da Silva Adenilton J.
Published: January 2019

The use of word embeddings is becoming very common in many Natural Language Processing tasks. Most of the time, these require computacional resources that can not be found in most part of the current mobile devices. In this work, we evaluate a combination of numeric truncation and dimensionality reduction strategies in order to obtain smaller vectorial representations without substancial losses in performance.