LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Robust fault tolerant tracking controller design for a VTOL aircraft

This paper deals with the fault tolerant control (FTC) design for a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft subject to external disturbances and actuator faults. The aim is to synthesize a fault tolerant controller ensuring trajectory tracking for the nonlinear uncertain system represented by a Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) model. In order to design the FTC law, a proportional integral observer (PIO) is adopted which estimate both of the faults and the faulty system states. Based on the Lyapunov theory and L2 optimization, the trajectory tracking performance and the stability of the closed loop system are analyzed. Sufficient conditions are obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). Simulation results show that the proposed controller is robust with respect to uncertainties on the mechanical parameters that characterize the model and secures global convergence. & 2012 The Franklin Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The validity and precision of the leicester cough questionnaire in COPD patients with chronic cough

BACKGROUND
A validated instrument to assess the effects of chronic cough on health status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently not available. The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) is a cough-specific health status questionnaire which is originally validated for a population of general patients presenting with chronic cough. We examined the psychometric performance of the LCQ in patients with COPD and chronic productive cough.


METHODS
Concurrent validity, internal consistency, reproducibility and responsiveness were determined. The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) were used as external criteria. Questionnaires were completed at the start of the study. After 2 and 12 weeks the LCQ was repeated, together with a global rating of change.


RESULTS
In total 54 patients were included. Concurrent validity analysis showed significant correlations between corresponding domains of the LCQ and the SGRQ (r(s) -0.31 to -0.60). Corresponding domains of the LCQ and the SF-36 showed weaker correlations (r(s) 0.04 to 0.41). Internal consistency was adequate for two of the three domains (Cronbach's α 0.74 - 0.86). Test-retest reliability in stable patients was high (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.79 - 0.93). The mean difference after two weeks was 0.73 (± 1.75). Responsiveness analysis indicated that the LCQ was able to detect changes after 12 weeks.


CONCLUSION
The LCQ is a valid, reliable, responsive instrument to measure health status in COPD patients with chronic productive cough.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01071161.
Curvature nonlinearity measure and filter divergence detector for nonlinear tracking problems

Several nonlinear filtering techniques are investigated for nonlinear tracking problems. Experimental results show that for a weakly nonlinear tracking problem, the extended Kalman filter and the unscented Kalman filter are good choices, while a particle filter should be used for problems with strong nonlinearity. To quantitatively determine the nonlinearity of a nonlinear tracking problem, we propose two types of measures: one is the differential geometry curvature measure and the other is based on the normalized innovation squared (NIS) of the Kalman filter. Simulation results show that both measures can effectively quantify the nonlinearity of the problem. The NIS is capable of detecting the filter divergence online. The curvature measure is more suitable for quantifying the nonlinearity of a tracking problem as determined via simulations.
Myotonic disorders

Myotonia reflects a state of muscle fiber hyperexcitability. Impaired transmembrane conductance of either chloride or sodium ions results in myotonia. Myotonic disorders include the myotonic dystrophies and nondystrophic myotonias. Mutations in the genes encoding chloride (ClC-1) or sodium (SCN4A) channels expressed exclusively in skeletal muscle cause nondystrophic myotonias. Genetic defects in the myotonic dystrophies do not involve ion channel or its regulator proteins. Recent research supports a novel RNA-mediated disease mechanism of myotonia in the myotonic dystrophies. Myotonic dystrophy Type 1 is caused by CTG repeat expansion in the 3' untranslated region in the Dystrophia Myotonica Protein Kinase (DMPK) gene. Myotonic dystrophy Type 2 is caused by CCTG repeat expansion in the first intron in Zinc Finger Protein 9 (ZNF9) gene. The expanded repeat is transcribed in RNA and forms discrete inclusions in nucleus in both types of myotonic dystrophies. Mutant RNA sequesters MBNL1, a splice regulator protein and depletes MBNL1 from the nucleoplasm. Loss of MBNL1 results in altered splicing of ClC-1 mRNA. Altered splice products do not encode functional ClC-1 protein. Subsequent loss of chloride conductance in muscle membrane causes myotonia in the myotonic dystrophies. The purpose of this review is to discuss the clinical presentation, recent advances in understanding the disease mechanism with particular emphasis on myotonic dystrophies and potential therapy options in myotonic disorders.
Total hip arthroplasty in patients younger than 30 years of age following developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) in infancy

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) in young patients is a controversial subject, due to the high failure rates reported in the literature, and even more so in patients with a history of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). A group of 11 patients, all under the age of 30 years at the time of surgery, underwent THA due to congenital dislocation of the hip. Mean age at the time of operation was 23.3 years (range 16–30 years). The mean follow-up period was 9 years (range 3–14 years). The mean preoperative Harris' hip score (HHS) was 56.9 compared with the postoperative HHS of 90.6. Due to aseptic loosening of the cup, 4 patients underwent successful revision arthroplasty. These encouraging medium-term results in our patients suggest that THA may be a good solution for young patients suffering from coxarthrosis due to DDH, at least temporarily, especially when other alternatives, such as arthrodesis or resection arthroplasty, are considered.
One century sedimentary records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mercury and trace elements in the Qinghai Lake, Tibetan Plateau.

Sediments from a remote lake of northeastern Tibetan Plateau were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trace metals. USEPA priority PAHs, ranged from 11 in 1860 to 279 ng g(-1) in 2002, while, the deposition fluxes were in the range of 0.2-11.4 ng cm(-2) yr(-1). Similarly, from 1860 to 2002, an increased trend of Hg flux was observed (0.5-3.2 ng cm(-2) yr(-1)). Remarkable increase of PAHs and Hg concentration began from 1970, nearly the same period of the "Reform and Open" Policy had been embarked (1978) in China. Good correlations were found between concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, As, Hg, and PAHs, which suggested the sources of these chemicals in the sediment is analogous, likely from anthroprogenic sources. Based on isomer ratios, PAHs in core were dominantly from the incomplete combustion of coal. Owing to the proximity to dust source area (Qaidam Basin) and the close association between PAHs, Hg, Pb, and particle matters, atmospheric dust-transport and deposition might be the main pathways that pollutants enter into Qinghai Lake.
SHA-3 proposal BLAKE

BLAKE is our proposal for SHA-3. BLAKE entirely relies on previously analyzed components: it uses the HAIFA iteration mode and builds its compression function on the ChaCha core function. BLAKE resists generic second-preimage attacks, length extension, and sidechannel attacks. Theoretical and empirical security guarantees are given, against structural and differential attacks. BLAKE hashes on a Core 2 Duo at 12 cycles/byte, and on a 8-bit PIC microcontroller at 400 cycles/byte. In hardware BLAKE can be implemented in less than 9900 gates, and reaches a throughput of 6 Gbps. FHNW, Windisch, Switzerland, jeanphilippe.aumasson@gmail.com ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland, henzen@iis.ee.ethz.ch FHNW, Windisch, Switzerland, willi.meier@fhnw.ch Loughborough University, UK, r.phan@lboro.ac.uk
Running in cheetahs, gazelles, and goats: energy cost and limb configuration.

BAHARAV, AND ARIEH BORUT. Running in cheetahs, gazelles, and goats: energy cost and limb conjguration. Am. J. Physiol. 227(4) : 848-850. 1974.-Functional anatomists have argued that an animal can be built to run cheaply by lightening the distal parts of the limbs and/or by concentrating the muscle mass of the limbs around their pivot points. These arguments assume .that much of the energy expended as animals run at a constant speed goes into alternately accelerating and decelerating the limbs. Gazelles, goats, and cheetahs offer a nice gradation of limb configurations in animals of similar total mass and limb length and, therefore, provide the opportunity to quantify the effect of limb design on the energy cost of running. We found that, despite large differences in limb configuration, the energetic cost of running in cheetahs, gazelles, and goats of about the same mass was nearly identical over a wide range of speeds. Also, the observed energetic cost of running was almost the same as that predicted on the basis of body weight for all three species: cheetah, 0.14 ml 02 (g l km)-’ observed vs. 0.13 ml 02 (g *km)-l predicted; gazelle, 0.16 ml 02 (g *km)-’ observed vs. 0.15 ml 02 (g *km)-’ predicted; and goat, 0.18 ml 02 (g . km)-’ observed vs. 0.14 ml 02 (g *km)-’ predicted. Thus the relationship between body weight and energetic cost of running apparently applies to animals with very different limb configurations and is more general than anticipated. This suggests that most of the energy expended in running at a constant speed is not used to accelerate and decelerate the limbs.
Urban Transition in the Era of the Internet of Things: Social Implications and Privacy Challenges

The Internet of Things (IoT) could become an important aspect of urban life in the next decade. In the IoT paradigm, various information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used in concert to substantially reduce urban problems. Smart cities and ubiquitous cities will adopt ICTs in the urban development process; however, IoT-based cities will experience considerably stronger effects than those that adopt conventional ICTs. IoT cities allow urban residents and “things” to be connected to the Internet by virtue of the extension of the Internet Protocol from IPv4 to IPv6 and of cutting-edge device and sensor technology. Therefore, the urban transition resulting from the influence of IoT may be a critical issue. The privacy-related vulnerabilities of IoT technologies may negatively affect city residents. Furthermore, disparities in the spread of IoT systems across different countries may allow some countries to subvert the privacy of other countries’ citizens. The aim of this paper is to identify the potential prospects and privacy challenges that will emerge from IoT deployment in urban environments. This paper reviews the prospects of and barriers to IoT implementation at the regional, city, and residential scales from the perspectives of security and privacy. The IoT technology will be a continual presence in life in general and in urban life in particular. However, the adoption of the IoT paradigm in cities will be complicated due to the inherent presence of unsecured connections. Moreover, the IoT systems may rob people of some of their humanity, infringing on their privacy, because people are also regarded as “things” in the IoT paradigm. Given the social trepidation surrounding IoT implementation, local and international associations related to IoT privacy, and legislation and international laws, are needed to maintain the personal right to privacy and to satisfy the demands of institutional privacy in urban contexts.
Alcohol misuse, firearm violence perpetration, and public policy in the United States.

OBJECTIVE
Firearm violence is a significant public health problem in the United States, and alcohol is frequently involved. This article reviews existing research on the relationships between alcohol misuse; ownership, access to, and use of firearms; and the commission of firearm violence, and discusses the policy implications of these findings.


METHOD
Narrative review augmented by new tabulations of publicly-available data.


RESULTS
Acute and chronic alcohol misuse is positively associated with firearm ownership, risk behaviors involving firearms, and risk for perpetrating both interpersonal and self-directed firearm violence. In an average month, an estimated 8.9 to 11.7 million firearm owners binge drink. For men, deaths from alcohol-related firearm violence equal those from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. Enforceable policies restricting access to firearms for persons who misuse alcohol are uncommon. Policies that restrict access on the basis of other risk factors have been shown to reduce risk for subsequent violence.


CONCLUSION
The evidence suggests that restricting access to firearms for persons with a documented history of alcohol misuse would be an effective violence prevention measure. Restrictions should rely on unambiguous definitions of alcohol misuse to facilitate enforcement and should be rigorously evaluated.
Analyzing Adaptive Cache Replacement Strategies

Adaptive Replacement Cache (Arc) and Clock with Adaptive Replacement (Car) are stateof-the-art “adaptive” cache replacement algorthms invented to improve on the shortcomings of classical cache replacement policies such as Lru and Clock. Both Arc and Car have been shown to outperform their classical and popular counterparts in practice. However, for over a decade, no theoretical proof of the competitiveness of Arc and Car is known. We prove that for a cache of size N , (a) Arc is 4N -competitive, and (b) Car is 21N -competitive, thus proving that no “pathological” worst-case request sequence exists that could make them perform much worse than Lru. 1998 ACM Subject Classification F.2.2 Nonnumerical Algorithms and Problems
Controlled airway pressure therapy, nitric oxide inhalation, prone position, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as components of an integrated approach to ARDS.

BACKGROUND
Recent years have seen the introduction of innovative additive therapies for acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, because there are no reliable predictors of response to a particular therapy, potential responders to a specific therapeutic intervention may be lost. Therefore, the authors evaluated the effect of a combined therapeutic approach on the survival of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, when treated according to a strict algorithm.


METHODS
During a 2.5-yr period, 84 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome were assigned to a standardized treatment protocol. Data analysis was performed by retrospective review of patient charts. Patients were treated using a stepwise treatment algorithm of pressure-controlled ventilation (peak airway pressure < 35 cm H2O), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP; 12-15 cm H2O), permissive hypercapnia, inhaled nitric oxide (5-20 ppm), and prone positioning. These interventions were termed "conventional therapy." Response to treatment was defined as a more than 20% increase in arterial oxygen tension (PaO2). Nonresponders were triaged to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.


RESULTS
The overall survival rate was 80%. All patients received conventional therapy up to 96 h; 71 responded to conventional therapy and 59 survived (83%). Thirteen patients (15%) did not respond to conventional therapy and underwent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; 8 of these patients (62%) survived. For the group, the mean admission lung injury score was 3.3+/-0.5, the PaO2/fractional inspired oxygen tension (F(I)O2) ratio was 96+/-45, and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was 18+/-6.


CONCLUSIONS
The 80% overall survival rate achieved in this group of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome may in part reflect the additive beneficial effects of combined treatment methods, such as airway pressure control, nitric oxide inhalation, prone position, and early triage of nonresponders to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
EFFICIENT VIRTUAL MODEL WITH CONFIGURABLE VIEWS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Rachik Elmaraghy is the founder and CEO of SAFI Quality Software Inc., Quebec, Canada. He earned his B.Sc. from Cairo University in 1969 and his M.A.Sc. from Toronto University in 1973. He is presently working towards a Ph.D. at the Ecole de technologie superieure in Montreal. For several years, he worked for leading industries on projects involving dynamics, stress analysis, structural design and testing. Mr. Elmaraghy founded SAFI in 1986. He is the main author of the company’s suite of structural engineering computer programs and holds several patents, industrial awards, distinctions such as the AISC 2000 Merit Award for the Steel CalculatorTM and an AISC 2004 Honorable mention for the Steel Wood BridgeTM, as well as trademarks like the new Virtual Steel BuildingsTM software. His current area of interest is in the full integration of the design/fabrication technologies for the construction and steel industries. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Quebec and a member of AISC and CISC. SAFI is a Steel Plus Network technological partner and a CISC strategic alliance.
Determinants of improved survival after oesophagectomy for cancer.

BACKGROUND
Survival after oesophagectomy for cancer seems to be improving. This study aimed to identify the most important contributors to this change.


METHODS
Patients who underwent oesophagectomy from 1999 to 2010 were extracted from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Four time periods were compared: 1999-2001 (period 1), 2002-2004 (period 2), 2005-2007 (period 3) and 2008-2010 (period 4). Hospital type, tumour location, tumour type, tumour differentiation, neoadjuvant therapy, operation type, (y)pT category, involvement of surgical resection margins, number of removed lymph nodes and number of involved lymph nodes were investigated in relation to trends in survival using multivariable analysis.


RESULTS
A total of 4382 patients were identified. Two-year overall survival rates improved from 49·3 per cent in period 1 to 58·4, 56·2 and 61·0 per cent in periods 2, 3 and 4 respectively (P < 0·001). Multivariable survival analysis revealed that the improvement in survival between periods 3 and 4 was related to the introduction of neoadjuvant therapy. The improvement in survival between periods 1 and 2 could not be explained completely by the factors studied. The number of examined lymph nodes increased, especially between periods 2 and 3, but this increase was not associated with the improvement in survival.


CONCLUSION
The observed increase in long-term survival after surgery for oesophageal cancer between 1999 and 2010 in the Netherlands is difficult to explain fully, although the recent increase seems to be partly attributable to the introduction of neoadjuvant therapy.
Controllable selective exfoliation of high-quality graphene nanosheets and nanodots by ionic liquid assisted grinding.

Bulk quantities of graphene nanosheets and nanodots have been selectively fabricated by mechanical grinding exfoliation of natural graphite in a small quantity of ionic liquids. The resulting graphene sheets and dots are solvent free with low levels of naturally absorbed oxygen, inherited from the starting graphite. The sheets are only two to five layers thick. The graphene nanodots have diameters in the range of 9-29 nm and heights in the range of 1-16 nm, which can be controlled by changing the processing time.
uPAR-targeted optical near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging and PET for image-guided surgery in head and neck cancer: proof-of-concept in orthotopic xenograft model

PURPOSE
Urokinase-like Plasminogen Activator Receptor (uPAR) is overexpressed in a variety of carcinoma types, and therefore represents an attractive imaging target. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of two uPAR-targeted probes for PET and fluorescence tumor imaging in a human xenograft tongue cancer model.


EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RESULTS
Tumor growth of tongue cancer was monitored by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and MRI. Either ICG-Glu-Glu-AE105 (fluorescent agent) or 64Cu-DOTA-AE105 (PET agent) was injected systemically, and fluorescence imaging or PET/CT imaging was performed. Tissue was collected for micro-fluorescence imaging and histology. A clear fluorescent signal was detected in the primary tumor with a mean in vivo tumor-to-background ratio of 2.5. Real-time fluorescence-guided tumor resection was possible, and sub-millimeter tumor deposits could be localized. Histological analysis showed co-localization of the fluorescent signal, uPAR expression and tumor deposits. In addition, the feasibility of uPAR-guided robotic cancer surgery was demonstrated. Also, uPAR-PET imaging showed a clear and localized signal in the tongue tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated the feasibility of combining two uPAR-targeted probes in a preclinical head and neck cancer model. The PET modality provided preoperative non-invasive tumor imaging and the optical modality allowed for real-time fluorescence-guided tumor detection and resection. Clinical translation of this platform seems promising.
1 INVESTMENT AND UNCERTAINTY IN THE G 7

In this paper we assess the impact of a comprehensive range of macroeconomic and financial measures of uncertainty on business investment in the major industrial countries using Pooled Mean Group Panel Estimation. We discover a significant negative long run effect from both nominal and real exchange rate volatility using a GARCH (1,1) approach on aggregate investment for the G7. This is also found in poolable subgroups including all four larger European countries. Results for an adverse impact of uncertainty on investment are also found for volatility of long rates in recent years but not for inflation, share prices and industrial production. The results imply that to the extent that EMU favours lower exchange rate and long interest rate volatility, it will also be beneficial to investment.
Offshoring, Labour Market Institutions and the Elasticity of Labour Demand

This paper analyses the evolution of the elasticity of labour demand and the role of offshoring therein using industry-level data for a large number of OECD countries. The first main finding is that the wage elasticity of labour demand has increased substantially. The finding that employment has become increasingly sensitivity to wages is shown to be robust to a wide variety of econometric specifications of labour demand, although some of this association may reflect a trend increase in the speed of adjustment rather than an increase in the long-run wage elasticity. A second finding is that more intensive offshoring is associated with more elastic labour demand, consistent with increased offshoring having expanded the flexibility of firms to adjust the mix of domestic workers and foreign value-added in production when relative factor prices change. More in particular, the average elasticity of labour demand appears to be about 30% to 40% larger in absolute value than the counter-factual elasticity which would have prevailed had offshoring not been possible. Increases of this magnitude might well have important implications for job security and worker bargaining power. Finally, we find some evidence that strict employment protection legislation weakens the link between offshoring and higher labour demand elasticity. This suggests that the impact of offshoring on labour demand elasticity depends on the national institutional environment. JEL classification: F16