<p>The agricultural data landscape is largely dysfunctional because of the industry’s highvariability  in  scale,  scope,  technological  adoption,  and  relationships.   Integrated  data  andmodels of agricultural sub-systems could be used to advance decision-making, but interoperability  challenges  prevent  successful  innovation.   In  this  work,  temporal  and  geospatial indexing  strategies  and  aggregation  were  explored  toward  the  development  of  functional data  structures  for  soils,  weather,  solar,  and  machinery-collected  yield  data  that  enhance data context, scalability, and sharability.</p> <p>The data structures were then employed in the creation of decision support tools including web-based  applications  and  visualizations.   One  such  tool  leveraged  a  geospatial  indexing technique called geohashing to visualize dense yield data and measure the outcomes of on-farm yield trials.  Additionally, the proposed scalable, open-standard data structures were used to drive a soil water balance model that can provide insights into soil moisture conditions critical to farm planning, logistics, and irrigation.  The model integrates SSURGO soil data,weather data from the Applied Climate Information System, and solar data from the National Solar Radiation Database in order to compute a soil water balance, returning values including runoff, evaporation, and soil moisture in an automated, continuous, and incremental manner.</p> <p>The approach leveraged the Open Ag Data Alliance framework to demonstrate how the data structures can be delivered through sharable Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces and to run the model in a service-oriented manner such that it can be operated continuously and incrementally, which is essential for driving real-time decision support tools.  The implementations rely heavily on the Javascript Object Notation data schemas leveraged by Javascript/Typescript front-end web applications and back-end services delivered through Docker containers.  The approach embraces modular coding concepts and several levels of open source utility packages were published for interacting with data sources and supporting the service-based operations.</p> <p>By making use of the strategies laid out by this framework, industry and research canenhance data-based decision making through models and tools.  Developers and researchers will  be  better  equipped  to  take  on  the  data  wrangling  tasks  involved  in  retrieving  and parsing unfamiliar datasets, moving them throughout information technology systems, and understanding those datasets down to a semantic level.</p>

Every second, major companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft are col- lecting a great amount of data from users. Photos, voice and texts etc. are stored in the companies massive server parks. With this amount of data, along with technical benefits such as computing power and exceeding algorithms, the companies can train their ma- chine learning models to levels which is hard for a local computing landscape to reach up to.Nowadays, the companies allow developers to use their services and this paper proclaims the benefits of using these. The aim for this thesis is to show how cloud based face recognition and speech recognition can be utilized to create a virtual assistant in Magic Mirror. This new concept opens new possibilities for human-computer interaction.The use case for the assistant was to aid visitors who comes into an office for an appointment with an employee. The prototype of the assistant showed 94% accuracy when identifying faces and fulfilled the task well when the employee name was internationally known, while having difficulties with others, e.g. Swedish names.

El progreso de la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) ha sido notable en los últimos años. Los impresionantes avances en imitar las capacidades humanas por parte de las máquinas se deben especialmente al campo del Deep Learning (DL). Este paradigma evita el complejo diseño manual de características. En su lugar, los datos pasan directamente a un algoritmo, que aprende a extraer y representar características jerárquicamente en múltiples capas a medida que aprende a resolver una tarea. Esto ha demostrado ser ideal para problemas relacionados con el mundo visual. Una solución de DL comprende datos y un modelo. La mayor parte de la investigación actual se centra en los modelos, en busca de mejores algoritmos. Sin embargo, aunque se prueben diferentes arquitecturas y configuraciones, difícilmente mejorará el rendimiento si los datos no son de buena calidad. Son escasos los estudios que se centran en mejorar los datos, pese a que constituyen el principal recurso para el aprendizaje automático. La recolección y el etiquetado de extensos datasets de imágenes consumen mucho tiempo, esfuerzo e introducen errores. La mala clasificación, la presencia de imágenes irrelevantes, el desequilibrio de las clases y la falta de representatividad del mundo real son problemas ampliamente conocidos que afectan el rendimiento de los modelos en escenarios prácticos. Nuestra propuesta enfrenta estos problemas a través de un enfoque data-centric. A través de la ingeniería del dataset original utilizando técnicas de DL, lo hacemos más adecuado para entrenar un modelo con mejor rendimiento y generalización en escenarios reales. Para demostrar esta hipótesis, consideramos dos casos prácticos que se han convertido en temas de creciente interés para la investigación. Por una parte, Internet es la plataforma mundial de comunicación y la Web es la principal fuente de información para las actividades humanas. Las páginas Web crecen a cada segundo y son cada vez más sofisticadas. Para organizar este complejo y vasto contenido, la clasificación es la técnica básica. El aspecto visual de una página Web puede ser una alternativa al análisis textual del código para distinguir entre categorías. Abordamos el reconocimiento y la clasificación de páginas Web creando un dataset de capturas de pantalla apropiado desde cero. Por otro lado, aunque los avances de la IA son significativos en el aspecto cognitivo, la parte emocional de las personas es un desafío. La expresión facial es la mejor evidencia para manifestar y transmitir nuestras emociones. Aunque algunos datasets de imágenes faciales existen para entrenar modelos de DL, no ha sido posible alcanzar el alto rendimiento en entornos controlados utilizando datasets in-the-lab. Abordamos el reconocimiento y la clasificación de emociones humanas mediante la combinación de varios datasets in-the wild de imágenes faciales. Estas dos problemáticas plantean situaciones distintas y requieren de imágenes con contenido muy diferente, por lo que hemos diseñado un método de refinamiento del dataset según el caso de estudio. En el primer caso, implementamos un modelo de DL para clasificar páginas Web en determinadas categorías utilizando únicamente capturas de pantalla, donde los resultados demostraron un problema multiclase muy difícil. Tratamos el mismo problema con la estrategia One vs. Rest y mejoramos el dataset mediante reclasificación, detección de imágenes irrelevantes, equilibrio y representatividad, además de utilizar técnicas de regularización y un nuevo mecanismo de predicción con los clasificadores binarios. Estos clasificadores operando por separado mejoran el rendimiento, en promedio incrementan un 26.29% la precisión de validación y disminuyen un 42.30% el sobreajuste, mostrando importantes mejoras respecto al clasificador múltiple que opera con todas las categorías juntas. Utilizando el nuevo modelo, hemos desarrollado un sistema en línea para clasificar páginas Web que puede ayudar a diseñadores, propietarios de sitios Web, Webmasters y usuarios en general. En el segundo caso, la estrategia consiste en refinar progresivamente el dataset de imágenes faciales mediante varios entrenamientos sucesivos de un modelo de red convolucional. En cada entrenamiento, se utilizan las imágenes faciales correspondientes a las predicciones correctas del entrenamiento anterior, lo que permite al modelo captar más características distintivas de cada clase de emoción. Tras el último entrenamiento, el modelo realiza una reclasificación automática de todo el dataset. Este proceso también nos permite detectar las imágenes irrelevantes, pero nuestro propósito es mejorar el dataset sin modificar, borrar o aumentar las imágenes, a diferencia de otros trabajos similares. Los resultados experimentales en tres datasets representativos demostraron la eficacia del método propuesto, mejorando la precisión de validación en un 20.45%, 14.47% y 39.66%, para FER2013, NHFI y AffectNet, respectivamente. Las tasas de reconocimiento en las versiones reclasificadas de estos datasets son del 86.71%, el 70.44% y el 89.17%, que alcanzan el estado del arte. Combinamos estas versiones mejor clasificadas para aumentar el número de imágenes y enriquecer la diversidad de personas, gestos y atributos de resolución, color, fondo, iluminación y formato de imagen. El dataset resultante se utiliza para entrenar un modelo más general. Frente a la necesidad de métricas más realistas de la generalización de los modelos, creamos un dataset evaluador combinado, equilibrado, imparcial y bien etiquetado. Para tal fin, organizamos este dataset en categorías de género, edad y etnia. Utilizando un predictor de estas características representativas de la población, podemos seleccionar el mismo número de imágenes y mediante el exitoso modelo Stable Diffusion es posible generar las imágenes faciales necesarias para equilibrar las categorías creadas a partir de las mencionadas características. Los experimentos single-dataset y cross-dataset indican que el modelo entrenado en el dataset combinado mejora la generalización de los modelos entrenados individualmente en FER2013, NHFI y AffectNet en un 13.93%, 24.17% y 7.45%, respectivamente. Desarrollamos un sistema en línea de reconocimiento de emociones que aprovecha el modelo más genérico obtenido del dataset combinado. Por último, la buena calidad de las imágenes faciales sintéticas y la reducción de tiempo conseguida con el método generativo nos motivan para crear el primer y mayor dataset artificial de emociones categóricas. Este producto de libre acceso puede complementar los datasets reales, que son difíciles de recopilar, etiquetar, equilibrar, controlar las características y proteger la identidad de las personas.

Introduction: Une respiration buccale est souvent associée à une faible musculature oro-faciale et à une position basse de la langue, pouvant mener aux malocclusions et au potentiel de développer des problèmes de respiration pendant le sommeil chez les enfants. Objectifs: Évaluer l’efficacité de la thérapie oro-faciale myofonctionnelle sur le rétablissement d’une déglutition physiologique et d’une respiration nasale en développant une posture linguale et labiale normale au repos. Méthodes: Cette étude contrôlée randomisée prospective à simple aveugle a évalué 37 patients (six à quatorze ans) divisés en deux groupes où un groupe a reçu une thérapie complète (7 séances), comprenant des exercices pour la correction du patron de déglutition et de la posture linguale, et l’autre groupe a reçu une thérapie sommaire, corrigeant seulement la posture linguale (3 séances). Des suivis à trois mois et à un an post-traitement ont été effectués pour les deux groupes. Résultats: Les résultats des deux traitements, soient la thérapie complète et la thérapie sommaire, sont similaires (p = 0.59) et également efficaces pour la correction de la déglutition atypique et le rétablissement d’une respiration nasale, avec une différence significative entre les évaluations avant et après traitement (p = 0.001), qui demeure stable après un an post-traitement. Conclusion: Le traitement avec des exercices spécifiques pour une correction d’une propulsion linguale ne serait pas une composante absolue d’une thérapie oro-faciale myofonctionnelle afin de rétablir une posture linguale adéquate au repos et un patron de respiration nasale chez les enfants n’ayant pas d’autre problème fonctionnel connu. / Introduction: Mouth breathing is often associated with a weak orofacial musculature and a low resting tongue position, leading to malocclusion and potentially sleep-disordered breathing in children. Objective: To evaluate the effect of orofacial myofunctional therapy on the reestablishment of a mature pattern of swallowing and nasal breathing by stabilizing a proper position of the tongue and lips at rest. Methods: This prospective randomized single-blind controlled study evaluated 37 patients (age six to fourteen years) divided into two groups who received either a complete orofacial myofunctional therapy (7 sessions) including swallowing pattern and tongue posture, or a simplified therapy modifying their tongue posture (3 sessions). Both groups were seen at three months and one year following treatment completion. Results: Results suggested that treatment outcomes were similar when treating tongue-lip posture at rest along with tongue thrust, and treating without addressing tongue thrust (p = 0.59). Both treatments were efficacious as there was a significant difference between the pre- and post- evaluations for both groups (p < 0.001), and these differences remained stable at the one year follow-up. Conclusion: Treating a tongue thrust habit with specific related exercises, may not be a necessary component of an orofacial myofunctional therapy to reestablish tongue posture at rest and nasal breathing in children with no other functional problems.

AD is regarded as a sustainable technology that could assist the UK Government meet internationally agreed GHG emission targets by 2050. However, the mature status of the technology is based on expensive systems that rely on high energy feedstock to be profitable. Meanwhile, the natural biodegradation of cow slurry is a recognised contributor to climate change despite having a relatively low CH4 potential because of the large volumes produced. Economic mixing is essential to the cost-effectiveness of farm AD but techniques applied are not always appropriate as slurry is a shear thinning thixotropic Herschel-Bulkley fluid and therefore challenging to mix. The apparent viscosity of slurry and the shear stress induced was most influenced by solids content (exponential change) followed by temperature (linear). Most shear thinning occurred before a rising shear rate of 20s-1 was achieved with the fluid acting near-Newtonian above. Thixotropic recovery occurred within 1 hour of resting. Rheological values were also much higher than previously reported. Highest CH4 production occurred in the first 10 days of the batch process using a range of mixing regimes with different shear rates and rest periods. During fed-batch operations, changing shear rate had a minimal effect on CH4 production using a 30-day HRT whereas shorter rest periods increased production. Specific CH4 production rate was highest when feeding and mixing coincided. However, when HRT was reduced (OLR increased) the CH4 produced by all mixed regimes significantly increased with highest values being achieved using high intensity mixing rested for short periods. Lower HRTs also requires smaller digesters. Parasitic mixing energy invariably had the most influence on net energy production. Signs of instability were evident after 20 days using the low HRT. Significant microbial adaptation was also observed as the experiments progressed. The research outcomes demonstrate that mixing regime and HRT can be managed to maximise net energy production whilst reducing capital expenditure.

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Il lavoro di ricerca analizza in tutti i suoi aspetti la disciplina relativa alla rilevanza delle festività religiose nell'ordinamento italiano. Il primo capitolo è dedicato all'individuazione del valore che la festività assume nei diversi ordinamenti religiosi e in particolare nel diritto canonico, ebraico, islamico ed avventista. Il secondo capitolo analizza l'evoluzione della normativa unilaterale dello Stato italiano in materia di giorni festivi. Tra i vari problemi che interessano i rapporti tra confessioni religiose e Stato, quelli che più hanno dato luogo a dissensi, e che sono oggetto di trattazione nel terzo capitolo, riguardano essenzialmente la libertà di osservare il riposo festivo e di adempiere i doveri religiosi ad esso connessi, nonché l'obbligo dei datori di lavoro di rendere effettiva tale libertà organizzando l'attività lavorativa in modo che essa non ostacoli l'osservanza del riposo festivo. Nel quarto capitolo viene analizzata la disciplina pattizia, e in particolare le modalità di tutela del diritto alla festività e al riposo per i fedeli di confessioni che hanno stipulato un'Intesa con lo Stato italiano. Infine nell’ultima parte viene esaminata la normativa sulle celebrazioni pubbliche in occasione delle festività religiose in ambito statale, regionale e comunale. / This research analyses in all its aspects the importance of religious festivity in Italian law. The first chapter is dedicated to the individuation of the festivity value in religious rules, in particular in canon, islamic, jewish and adventist law. The second chapter analyses the evolution of unilateral italian rules of week days and holidays. One of the most important problem in the relationship between State and religious confessions regards the freedom of observe the weekly day off and connected religious duties. Employers must guarantee religious freedom, organizing working activity without preventing the observance of festive rest. In the fourth chapter has been analysed the pactional discipline, and in particular the way of protecting the right to observe holidays and rests for people who belong to a religious confession that stipulated an agreement with Italian State. In the last part of the thesis have been examined the norms about public celebrations on the occasion of religious festivity in statal, regional and communal laws.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:19:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1354.pdf: 1194159 bytes, checksum: f55e476028028c44693b4da86ac5109f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-02-26 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / The changes on the heart rate sympathetic-vagal balance caused to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic heart failure, as well as, the hemodynamics change induced by the non-invasive ventilation were unclear. In this context, we proposed to develop two studies. The first study was titled by The heart rate autonomic control in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure patients on the rest and during the respiratory sinusal arrhythmia maneuver . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the heart rate (HR) autonomic modulation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients as well as chronic heart failure (CHF) patients on the rest as well as during the respiratory sinus arrhythmia maneuver (M-RSA); and to correlation the HR autonomic modulation and seriousness levels of both pathologies. Twenty-seven male volunteers were subdivided in three groups: ten presented COPD (69±9 years); seven presented CHF (62±8 years) and; ten were healthy with 64±5 year-old (control). When resting, the three groups electrocardiography signal was obtained in three conditions: 1) lying position for 15 min; 2) lying position during the M-RSA for 4 min; and 3) sitting position for 15 min. The data was analyzed by the time (RMSSD and SDNN indexes) and the frequency domain, in total power, low frequency, high frequency absolute (ab) and normalized (nu) units and LF/HF ratio. Regarding the M-RSA indexes, the expiratory/inspiratory ratio (E/I) and the inspiratory/expiratory difference (&#8710;IE) were calculated. The main results showed that the CHF and the COPD patients presented lower E/I ratio values (0,03±0,01 vs 0,09±0,04 e 0,04±0,02 vs 0,09±0,04) and &#8710;I/E values (0,67±0,13 vs 1,09±0,13 e 0,81±0,20 vs 1,09±0,13), when compared to control group. Strong correlations were observed between the forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and the RMSSD (r=-0,73) and between the FEV1 and the BF absolute (r=-0,71) in the COPD patients. At same, strong correlations were observed between the ejecting fraction and the RMSSD (r=0,83) in CHF patients. Concluding, the results of this study suggest that both, the COPD and the CHF patients, presented parasympathetic activity reduction and there is a relation between the seriousness levels of both pathologies and the HR autonomic activity. The second study was titled to The acute effects of the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the heart rate autonomic control of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure patients . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute continuous positive pressure airway over the heart rate (HR) autonomic control and the respiratory variables behavior in COPD as well as CHF patients. Twenty-eight male volunteers were sub-divided in three groups: ten presented COPD (69±9 years); eight presented CHF (62±8 years) and; ten were healthy with 64±5 year-old (control). The electrocardiography signal was obtained for 10 min in the sitting position with spontaneous breath (SB) and following randomly conditions: CPAP Sham, CPAP 5, and CPAP 10 cmH2O. Additionally, the breath rate, the endtidal of carbon dioxide, and the peripheral oxygen saturation were obtained. The HR and it variability data were analyzed by the time and the frequency domain, in according with previous describe. The main results showed that the ETCO2 reduced in all groups during the CPAP application. COPD group were significantly lower values of the RMSSD index in the Sham (1.06), CPAP 5 (1.08), and CPAP 10 (1,01) than SB (1,22). In addition, they presented increased in the LFnu (1.60 vs 1.82) and decreased in the HFab (1.90 vs 1.55) from the SB to CPAP 10. The CHF group RMSSD index and TP increased to SB (1.31 and 2.62) to CPAP 5 (1.44 and 2.87) and the CPAP 10 (1.48 and 2.97), respectively. Concluding, the CPAP caused modification in the HR autonomic control and improvement in the alveolar ventilation of COPD, CHF patients and healthy individuals. / As modificações do balanço simpato-vagal da freqüência cardíaca (FC) provocadas com o curso da doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) e da insuficiência cardíaca crônica (ICC), bem como, as que ocorrem em função dos ajustes hemodinâmicos induzidos pela aplicação da ventilação não invasiva são bastante contraditórias. Neste contexto, propusemos o desenvolvimento de dois estudos que poderiam contribuir com novas informações. O primeiro intitulado por Controle autonômico da freqüência cardíaca de pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica ou insuficiência cardíaca crônica em repouso e durante a manobra de acentuação arritmia sinusal respiratória teve por objetivos avaliar o controle autonômico da FC de pacientes com DPOC ou ICC em repouso e durante uma manobra de acentuação da arritmia sinusal respiratória (M-ASR), bem como, relacionar a atividade autonômica da FC com a gravidade das patologias. Vinte e sete voluntários do sexo masculino foram subdivididos em três grupos: 10 com DPOC (GD) e 69±9 anos; 7 com ICC (GI) e 62±8 anos; e 10 saudáveis (GC) com 64±5 anos. Em repouso, o sinal eletrocardiográfico foi obtido em três situações: 1) 15 min na posição supina; 2) 4 min durante M-ASR na posição supina; e 3) 15 min na posição sentada. Os dados foram analisados no domínio do tempo (índices RMSSD e SDNN) e da freqüência, pela densidade espectral total (DET), bandas de baixa (BF) e alta freqüências (AF) - absolutas (ab) e normalizadas (un), e a razão BF/AF. Durante M-ASR foram calculadas a razão expiração/inspiração (E/I) e a diferença inspiração/expiração (&#8710;IE). Os principais resultados em logaritmos decimais (média±desvio-padrão) mostraram que os pacientes com ICC e DPOC apresentaram menor razão E/I (0,03±0,01 vs 0,09±0,04 e 0,04±0,02 vs 0,09±0,04) e &#8710;IE (0,67±0,13 vs 1,09±0,13 e 0,81±0,20 vs 1,09±0,13), respectivamente, comparados ao GC durante a M-ASR. Correlações fortes foram observadas entre volume expiratório forçado no primeiro segundo com o RMSSD (r=-0,73) e com a BF absoluta (r=-0,71) nos pacientes com DPOC; e entre fração de ejeção e o RMSSD (r=0,83) nos pacientes com ICC. Em conclusão, os resultados sugerem que tanto a DPOC como a ICC levam a redução da atividade parassimpática e que a gravidade de ambas está relacionada com o controle autonômico da FC. O segundo estudo com o titulo: Efeitos da aplicação aguda da pressão positiva continua nas vias aéreas sobre o controle autonômico da freqüência cardíaca de pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica ou insuficiência cardíaca crônica , objetivou avaliar o efeito agudo da pressão positiva continua nas vias aéreas (CPAP) sobre o controle autonômico da freqüência cardíaca (FC) e o comportamento de variáveis respiratórias de pacientes com DPOC ou ICC. 28 homens foram subdivididos em três grupos: 10 com DPOC (GD) e 69±9 anos; 8 com ICC (GI) e 62±8 anos; e 10 saudáveis (GC) com 64±5 anos. O sinal eletrocardiográfico foi obtido por 10 min na posição sentada com respiração espontânea (RE) e randomicamente nas condições: CPAP sham, CPAP 5 e CPAP 10 cmH2O. Adicionalmente, foram obtidos os valores da freqüência respiratória, o volume de dióxido de carbono no final da expiração (ETCO2) e a saturação periférica de oxigênio. A FC e sua variabilidade foram analisadas no domínio do tempo e da freqüência, conforme descrito anteriormente. Os principais resultados mostraram que o ETCO2 reduziu em todos os grupos durante a aplicação da CPAP. O GD apresentou menores valores do RMSSD durante a CPAP sham (1,06), 5 (1,08) e 10 (1,01) em comparação a RE (1,22), bem como, aumento da BFun (1,60 vs 1,82) e redução da AFab (1,90 vs 1,55) da RE para a CPAP 10. No GI, o SDNN e a DET aumentaram da condição de RE (1,31 e 2,62) para CPAP 5 (1,44 e 2,87) e 10 (1.48 e 2,97), respectivamente. Os resultados sugerem que a CPAP melhorou a ventilação alveolar e provocou atenuação da atividade simpática sobre a FC de pacientes com ICC, bem como redução do tônus vagal de pacientes com DPOC.

It`s blameful to do nothing. You should catch the day and its possibilities. Every second, minute and day, you have the potential to be constantly productive. Do not lose a second of time that you can use to create an imprint of your existence. Do not waste your time when you have the opportunity to create something measurably valuable. Soon you are gone and the competition is great. Doing nothing is a task that fewer and fewer are devoted to, to a lesser extent. We are expected to always be accessible and keep up to date with what is happening around us. There is a constant occupation of our sense of mind, thoughtfulness and rest is unprioritized. We try to maximize the part of our time when we are productive and active to absurdity. The goal seems to make as big imprint of our existence as possible. Fast and more is applauded until the day we burn ourselves out. In my work, I investigate passivity as backlash in a faster world, in a world where focus is on production, efficiency and results. A world where everything worth valuing is measurable. What is really a desired result and is it always possible to measure? Who really gets that gain from our fast life? Can passivity and slowness act as an activist act? Can one passively create something measurable? Is burning time perhaps our time´s most provocative act? With my work, I want to question my constant bad conscience about being insufficient and my feeling of not doing enough. If I can´t do enough, I do nothing instead. / Det är skuldbelagt att göra ingenting. Du bör fånga dagen och dess möjligheter. Varje sekund, minut och dag har du potential att vara konstant produktiv. Förlora inte en sekund av tid som du kan använda till att skapa ett avtryck av din existens. Slösa inte med din tid när du har möjlighet att skapa något mätbart värdefullt. Snart är du borta och konkurrensen är stor. Att göra ingenting är en syssla som allt färre ägnar sig åt. Vi förväntas alltid vara tillgängliga och hålla oss uppdaterade om vad som händer runt oss. Det sker ständigt en ockupation av våra sinnesintryck. Eftertänksamhet och vila prioriteras bort. Vi försöker att maximera den del av vår tid då vi är produktiva och aktiva till absurditet. Målet verkar vara att hinna sätta ett så stort avtryck av vår existens som möjligt. Snabbare och mer applåderas till den dagen då vi bränner ut oss. I mitt arbete undersöker jag passivitet som motreaktion till en snabbare värld, i en värld där fokus ligger på produktion, effektivitet och resultat. I en värld där endast det som är mätbart ges ett värde. Vad är egentligen ett önskat resultat och är det alltid möjligt att mäta? Vem är det egentligen som får vinsten av vårt snabba liv? Kan passivitet och långsamhet fungera som en aktivistisk handling? Kan man passivt skapa något mätbart? Är ”att bränna tid”  kanske vår tids mest provokativa handling? Med mitt arbete vill jag ifrågasätta mitt konstanta dåliga samvete om att vara otillräcklig och min känsla av att jag inte gör tillräckligt. Om jag inte kan göra nog så gör jag istället ingenting.

Ce travail de thèse a pour but l’étude des douleurs de dos qui surviennent chez l’astronaute présentant davantage de hernies discales par rapport à une population contrôle. Nos recherches visent à comprendre la physiopathologie de ce phénomène et à étudier les conséquences cliniques de ce déconditionnement vertébral qui participe également aux troubles posturaux. Cet axe de recherche est recommandé par les différentes agences spatiales internationales. Pour cela nous avons eu l’opportunité d’analyser les données dans deux modèles d’études des effets de la microgravité : l’immersion sèche (n=11) et l’alitement tête déclive (n=9) et un état analogue, le confinement (n=4). Seuls les principaux résultats de l’immersion sèche, méthode d’étude nouvelle de notre paradigme, sont rapportés dans ce résumé. Celle-ci a permis grâce à l’imagerie et la spectroscopie par résonnance magnétique nucléaire de la colonne vertébrale, d’analyser en 3 dimensions le disque intervertébral et d’objectiver l’augmentation du contenu en eau (+17%) du volume de ce disque (+9,5%). Les variations du tonus des muscles paravertébraux et des membres inférieurs ont été mesurées avec la très récente et non-invasive technologie MyotonPRO. Une diminution du tonus musculaire (-7,3%) a été retrouvée, associée à une atrophie musculaire (-10,6%) ainsi qu’une perte de force démontrée sur les membres inférieurs. Ces résultats, attestant un déconditionnement musculaire, sont cohérents avec le déconditionnement postural immédiatement après immersion sèche. Nous avons également étudié les paramètres d’occlusion dentaire, qui font partie des entrées posturales et peuvent affecter la bonne stabilité du corps. Finalement deux éléments interviennent dans l’explication des dysfonctions vertébrales : l’augmentation de la taille de la colonne liée à celle du volume des disques intervertébraux. On note également une atrophie des muscles paravertébraux, qui joue un rôle majeur dans la posture. Nous avons par ailleurs montré le rôle de l’occlusion dentaire dans le déconditionnement vertébral et postural. En conclusion : le tonus musculaire, la bonne mobilité vertébrale et l’équilibre de l’occlusion dentaire sont des éléments à préserver pendant et après un séjour en impesanteur, afin d’éviter les effets délétères du déconditionnement. / This work focuses on the study of back pain experienced by astronauts, who present with a greater incidence of herniated discs compared to a control population. Our research aims at understanding the physiopathology of this phenomenon and to study the clinical consequences of vertebral deconditioning which also contributes to postural disorders. This line of research has been recommended by the various international space agencies. For this reason, we had the opportunity to analyze data in two models simulating the effects of microgravity: dry immersion (n = 11) and head-down bed rest (n = 9), and a similar state, confinement (n = 4). Only the main results of dry immersion, a new method of studying our paradigm, are reported in this summary. Using magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy of the vertebral column, it was possible to analyze the intervertebral disc in 3 dimensions and to objectify the increase in water content (+ 17%) and the increase in intervertebral disc volume (+ 9.5%). Variations in paravertebral and lower limb muscle tone were measured with the very recent, and non-invasive, MyotonPRO technology. A decrease in muscle tone (-7.3%) was found to be associated with muscular atrophy (-10.6%) as well as a loss of strength in the lower limbs. These results, attesting to muscle deconditioning, are consistent with postural impairment immediately after dry immersion. We also studied variations in dental occlusion, which is involved with the maintenance of posture and could affect balance. In summary, two elements are involved in the explanation of vertebral dysfunction: the increase in spine height, related to increased intervertebral discs volume and paravertebral muscles atrophy, which plays a major role in posture. However, we also showed a role of dental occlusion in vertebral and postural deconditioning. In conclusion: muscle tone, good vertebral mobility, and dental occlusion are elements to be preserve during and after an exposure to weightlessness to avoid the deleterious effects of deconditioning.