Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Regelung eines Gangrehabilitationsroboters unter Berücksichtigung von Reibung

Zusammenfassung Zur Wiederherstellung der Bewegungsfähigkeit, beispielsweise nach Verletzungen des Rückenmarks, werden bei der Rehabilitation verstärkt Therapieroboter eingesetzt. In diesem Beitrag wird die Regelung eines Gangrehabilitationsroboter mittels adaptiver Folgereglung vorgestellt. Ziel ist die Einregelung einer Gangtrajektorie unabhängig von den Einflüssen des Patienten durch die zusätzliche Masse oder aufgebrachte Kräfte beim Training. Darüber hinaus treten dominante, variierende Reibungseffekte in den Antrieben des Roboters auf, die ebenfalls kompensiert werden müssen. Die Evaluation des Verfahrens anhand von Messungen an einem Prototyp des Roboters zeigt, dass bereits nach kurzer Einschwingzeit der Adaption eine sehr gute Trajektorienfolge erzielt wird.
Nosocomial infection surveillance and control policies

Purpose of review In the majority of countries costs for health care are increasing and strategies to reduce adverse events in medical treatment have an increasing importance. Nosocomial infection remains the most common type of complication affecting hospitalized patients. As preventive strategies have indeed become more important they now have to show not only that they are effective in reducing nosocomial infections but also that they are cost effective. This paper investigates the contribution made by articles published in the last year to the development of nosocomial-infection surveillance and control policies. Recent findings At least 15 randomized controlled studies and six meta-analyses investigating various infection-control policies were published last year. They did not lead to any changes in present guidelines, but rather endorsed existing recommendations. At least nine studies were found reporting a substantial reduction in nosocomial infections by the introduction of quality management principles under routine working conditions. Furthermore there were a lot of studies published which focused on optimizing surveillance measures and investigating the use of reference data for reducing infection rates. Only seven studies estimating the burden of disease were found in the literature of the past year. Summary The predominant opinion voiced in the studies was that in many medical institutions some 30% or more of nosocomial infections could be prevented.
Management of behavioral symptoms in disturbed elderly patients: comparison of trifluoperazine and haloperidol.

This double-blind trial compared the efficacy of trifluoperazine 1 mg b.i. d. and haloperidol 0.5 mg b.i. d. as initial doses in the treatment of behavioral symptoms associated with chronic brain syndromes and senile psychoses in 54 institutionalized elderly patients. Forty-four of the patients were followed through the entire 6-week trial. Improvement in symptoms as measured by Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scores was observed in 86% (N = 19) of those who received trifluoperazine and 90% (N = 20) of those given haloperidol. Twenty-seven percent (N = 6) of the trifluoperazine patients were rated at least moderately improved on the CGI, whereas only 9% (N = 2) of those treated with haloperidol exhibited such improvement. Marginally significant trends favoring trifluoperazine over haloperidol were observed in the ratings obtained on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation, and the Sandoz Clinical Assessment-Geriatric. The type and incidence of adverse reactions were similar for the two treatments, with sedation being the most common complaint. None of the patients developed any extrapyramidal motor symptoms.
Identification of seminal stains.

Sidney Kaye is the associate director of the Research Bureau of the St. Louis Police Department and also an instructor of Pathology (Toxicology), Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. During the recent war he held the rank of Major in the U. S. Army and was assigned duties as a toxicologist in the Chemical Sections of the Medical Department. Mr. Kaye received his academic training at New York University where he was granted both B. S. and M. S. degrees. -EDITOR
Least-squares design of IIR filters with prescribed magnitude and phase responses and a pole radius constraint

This paper presents a method for the frequency domain design of infinite impulse response (IIR) digital filters. The proposed method designs filters approximating prescribed magnitude and phase responses. IIR filters of this kind can have approximately linear-phase responses in their passbands, or they can equalize magnitude and phase responses of given systems. In many cases, these filters can be implemented with less memory and with fewer computations per output sample than equivalent finite impulse response (FIR) digital filters. An important feature of the proposed method is the possibility to specify a maximum radius for the poles of the designed rational transfer function. Consequently, stability can be guaranteed, and undesired effects of implementations using fixed-point arithmetic can be alleviated by restricting the poles to keep a prescribed distance from the unit circle. This is achieved by applying Rouche's theorem in the proposed design algorithm. We motivate the use of IIR filters with an unequal number of poles and zeros outside the origin of the complex plane. In order to satisfy simultaneous specifications on magnitude and phase responses, it is advantageous to use IIR filters with only a few poles outside the origin of the z-plane and an arbitrary number of zeros. Filters of this type are a compromise between IIR filters with optimum magnitude responses and phase-approximating FIR filters. We use design examples to compare filters designed by the proposed method to those obtained by other methods. In addition, we compare the proposed general IIR filters with other popular more specialized structures such as FIR filters and cascaded systems consisting of frequency-selective IIR filters and phase-equalizing allpass filters.
Pathophysiology and Natural History of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Study Design. This study is a combination of narrative and systematic review. Objective. Clinicians who deal with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) should be up-to-date with the emerging knowledge related to the cascade of pathobiological secondary events that take place under chronic cervical spinal cord compression. Moreover, by performing a systematic review, we aim to (1) describe the natural history and (2) determine potential risk factors that affect the progression of CSM. Summary of Background Data. The pathophysiology, natural history, as well as the factors associated with clinical deterioration have not been fully described in CSM. Methods. For the first part of the study, a literature review was performed. To answer key questions 1 and 2 of the second goal, a systematic search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Collaboration Library for articles published between January 1, 1956, and November 7, 2012. We included all articles that described the progression and outcomes of CSM for which no surgical intervention was given. Results. By performing a narrative literature review, we found that the assumption that acute traumatic spinal cord injury and CSM share a similar series of cellular and molecular secondary injury events was made in the past. However, recent advances in basic research have shown that the chronic mechanical compression results in secondary injury mechanisms that have distinct characteristics regarding the nature and the temporal profile compared with those of spinal cord injury. For the purpose of the systematic review, 10 studies yielding 16 publications met inclusion criteria for key questions 2 and 3. Moderate-strength evidence related to the natural history of CSM suggests that 20% to 60% of patients will deteriorate neurologically over time without surgical intervention. Finally, there is low-strength evidence indicating that the area of circumferential compression is associated with deteriorating neurological symptoms. Conclusion. CSM has unique pathobiological mechanisms that mainly remain unexplored. Although the natural history of CSM can be mixed, surgical intervention eliminates the chances of the neurological deterioration. Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations. Recommendation. Evidence concerning the natural history of CSM suggests that 20% to 60% of patients will deteriorate neurologically over time without surgical intervention. Therefore, we recommend that patients with mild CSM be counseled regarding the natural history of CSM and have the option of surgical decompression explained. Overall Strength of Evidence. Moderate Strength of Recommendation. Strong Summary Statements. Chronic compression of the spinal cord results in progressive neural cell loss related to secondary mechanisms including apoptosis, neuroinflammation, and vascular disruption.
Etude et développement d'un coupleur de puissance pour les cavités supraconductrices destinées aux accélérateurs de protons de haute intensité

Le coupleur de puissance utilise pour les cavites supraconductrices de la section haute energie du Linac de EUROTRANS doit transferer 150kW de puissance RF au faisceau de protons. Les pertes RF par effet Joule et dielectriques dans les differents elements du coupleur (conducteur interne, conducteur externe et fenetre) operant a cette puissance sont relativement elevees. Par consequent, il est necessaire de le refroidir efficacement afin d'assurer un fonctionnement stable et fiable du systeme d'acceleration (coupleur–cavite). Apres avoir evaluer toutes les pertes dans le coupleur, les calculs thermiques et les resultats des simulations numeriques ont permis de dimensionner et valider le circuit de refroidissement du conducteur interne. Nous avons egalement concu, dimensionne et optimise le circuit de refroidissement du conducteur externe en specifiant ses caracteristiques hydrauliques et thermiques. Ensuite, nous avons mis en oeuvre et realisee avec succes une experience dediee a l'etude de l'interaction thermique entre la cavite et le coupleur de puissance. Le principal resultat de cette experience est la mesure experimentale de la charge thermique critique que peut supporter la cavite sans degradation sensible de ses performances RF. La valeur de la charge thermique critique mesuree, qui est comprise entre 3W et 5W, constitue un critere essentiel pour qualifier les performances de l'echangeur du conducteur externe qui utilise l'helium supercritique comme fluide refrigerant. Enfin, une station d'essai, destine a la qualification de l'echangeur du conducteur externe dans des conditions similaires a celles de son fonctionnement dans le cryomodule, a ete concue et realisee avec succes. Les resultats experimentaux ont montre les excellentes performances thermiques de l'echangeur pour un fonctionnement a une puissance RF de l'ordre de ~750kW soit plus que cinq fois la puissance RF nominale 150kW. En effet, Le flux residuel maximum mesure pour une charge thermique de 127W, simulant les pertes RF dans le coupleur, est de 60mW. Par ailleurs, la comparaison entre les temperatures mesurees et calculees a l'aide d'un modele thermique 2D axisymetrique a permis d'identifier un coefficient d'echange global pour differents debits. Enfin, une etude experimentale preliminaire sur les instabilites thermohydrauliques de l'helium supercritique, a ete menee. Ainsi nous avons pu etablir un diagramme de stabilite base sur des parametres adimensionnels. Ce diagramme montre clairement que nos donnees experimentales sont en accord et completent les donnees d'autres experiences similaires.
Parturients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Regional Anesthesia: Clinical and Immunologic Response

Background It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV‐1), and the consequences of HIV infection are a leading cause of death in women aged 15–44 yr. Thus, HIV‐1 disease, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, occurs with increasing frequency in the parturient, and there is little information concerning the risks of regional anesthesia. Fear of spreading infection to the central nervous system or adverse neurologic sequelae have led some clinicians to advise against regional anesthesia. Thus, this study was undertaken to evaluate the possible problems or risks associated with regional anesthesia in parturients infected with HIV‐1 and to determine whether anesthesia affected the clinical course of the disease. Methods The clinical course and immunologic function of 30 parturients infected with HIV‐1 were evaluated prospectively. Extensive medical and laboratory evaluation before delivery and 4–6 months postpartum was undertaken. Medical problems related to HIV‐1 disease and use of antiviral drugs also were monitored. The anesthetic management was dictated by the clinical situation and the patient's wishes with careful postpartum follow‐up to evaluate possible neurologic changes or infection. Results Regional anesthesia was administered in 18 parturients, and 12 received small doses of opioids or no analgesia. There were no changes in the immunologic parameters studied (CD4 sup + p24, beta sub 2 microglobulins), and HIV‐1 disease remained stable in the peripartum period. There were no infections, complications, or neurologic changes in the peripartum period. Sixty‐eight percent of the infants were HIV‐l‐negative and, in 21% of infants, the HIV‐1 status was indeterminate (probably negative). Conclusions This prospective study of parturients infected with HIV‐1 demonstrated that regional anesthesia can be performed without adverse sequelae. There were no neurologic or infectious complications related to the obstetric or anesthetic course. The immune function of the parturient was stable in the peripartum period. Although the number of patients studied was small, with careful medical evaluation, regional anesthesia is an acceptable choice in the parturient infected with HIV‐1.
Optimisation pour la configuration robuste de systèmes de production de biens et de services

Les travaux presentes dans ce memoire apportent une contribution a la configuration des systemes de production en contexte incertain. Les differents outils permettant d’apprehender l’incertain en optimisation sont d’abord presentes. Nous insistons plus particulierement sur la notion de robustesse a travers l’approche utilisee dans le cadre de nos travaux. Nous presentons ensuite deux applications : la configuration d’un atelier de machines partiellement multifonctions soumis a des incertitudes sur la demande et la configuration d’un reseau de distribution d’electricite soumis a des incertitudes sur les caracteristiques de puissance. Pour chaque application, nous identifions les perturbations prises en compte ainsi que les performances attendues en presence de ces perturbations. Nous proposons ensuite un critere de robustesse en adequation avec cette problematique. Enfin des methodes de resolution sont proposees pour apprehender les differents problemes mis en evidence par ce critere.
Analyse combinatoire de données : structures et optimisation

Cette these porte sur des problemes d'exploration de donnees avec le point de vue de la recherche operationnelle. L'exploration de donnees consiste en l'apprentissage de nouvelles connaissances a partir d'observations contenues dans une base de donnees. La nature des problemes rencontres dans ce domaine est proche de celle des problemes de la recherche operationnelle: grandes instances, objectifs complexes et difficulte algorithmique. L'exploration de donnees peut aussi se modeliser comme un probleme d'optimisation avec un objectif partiellement connu. Cette these se divise en deux parties. La premiere est une introduction a l'exploration de donnees. Elle presente l'Analyse Combinatoire de Donnees (ACD), une methode d'exploration de donnees issue de l'optimisation discrete. Cette methode est appliquee a des donnees medicales originales et une extension aux problemes d'analyse de temps de survie est proposee. L'analyse de temps de survie consiste a modeliser le temps avant un evenement (typiquement un deces ou une rechute). Les heuristiques proposees utilisent des techniques classiques de recherche operationnelle telles que la programmation lineaire en nombres entiers, la decomposition de probleme, des algorithmes gloutons. La seconde partie est plus theorique et s'interesse a deux problemes combinatoires rencontres dans le domaine de l'exploration de donnees. Le premier est un probleme de partitionnement de graphes en sous-graphes denses pour l'apprentissage non supervise. Nous montrons la complexite algorithmique de ce probleme et nous proposons un algorithme polynomial base sur la programmation dynamique lorsque le graphe est un arbre. Cet algorithme repose sur des resultats de la theorie des couplages. Le second probleme est une generalisation des problemes de couverture par les tests pour la selection d'attributs. Les lignes d'une matrice sont coloriees en deux couleurs. L'objectif est de trouver un sous-ensemble minimum de colonnes tel que toute paire de lignes avec des couleurs differentes restent distinctes lorsque la matrice est restreinte au sous-ensemble de colonnes. Nous montrons des resultats de complexite ainsi que des bornes serrees sur la taille des solutions optimales pour differentes structures de matrices.
Reciprocal influences and effects of viral NWOM campaigns in social media

ABSTRACT Negative perceptions of United Airlines’ corporate reputation increased 500% after an event regarding the forcible removal of a ticketed passenger in April 2017, a video that became viral and traveled the world first-class through social media. This study explores the way consumers interact online during a significant negative word-of-mouth social media event for a service company. It analyzes how different negative word-of-mouth events interact and affect each other regarding social media and the public’s attention. The paper then focuses on the long-term relationship between negative word-of-mouth and fluctuations in the stock market price. Results show the reciprocal influence effect between social media NWOM events promoted by consumers, and the effect that informational social influence has on the development of negative social media firestorms for a service. Findings also emphasize consumer focus on comparing negative experiences and events between brands, including those competing in the marketplace. This study can contribute to the word-of-mouth literature by providing a more precise picture regarding consumers’ reaction to adverse brand events for a service as opposed to a product, and their responses in social media.
Intermittent release of transients in the slow solar wind: 2. In situ evidence

In paper 1, we showed that the Heliospheric Imager (HI) instruments on the pair of NASA STEREO spacecraft can be used to image the streamer belt and, in particular, the variability of the slow solar wind which originates near helmet streamers. The observation of intense intermittent transient outflow by HI implies that the corresponding in situ observations of the slow solar wind and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) should contain many signatures of transients. In the present paper, we compare the HI observations with in situ measurements from the STEREO and ACE spacecraft. Analysis of the solar wind ion, magnetic field, and suprathermal electron flux measurements from the STEREO spacecraft reveals the presence of both closed and partially disconnected interplanetary magnetic field lines permeating the slow solar wind. We predict that one of the transients embedded within the second CIR (CIR-D in paper 1) should impact the near-Earth ACE spacecraft. ACE measurements confirm the presence of a transient at the time of CIR passage; the transient signature includes helical magnetic fields and bidirectional suprathermal electrons. On the same day, a strahl electron dropout is observed at STEREO-B, correlated with the passage of a high-plasma beta structure. Unlike ACE, STEREO-B observes the transient a few hours ahead of the CIR. STEREO-A, STEREO-B, and ACE spacecraft observe very different slow solar wind properties ahead of and during the CIR analyzed in this paper, which we associate with the intermittent release of transients.
Can balanced scorecard adoption mediate the impacts of environmental uncertainty on hotel performance? The moderating role of organizational decision-making structure

ABSTRACT This paper examines the influence of perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) on hotel performance (HP) by examining the mediating role of balanced scorecard (BSC) adoption. It also examines the moderating role of organizational structure in the direct relationship between the extent of BSC adoption and HP and the indirect relationship between PEU and HP. A total of 400 top- and middle-level managers from 44 five-star-hotels in Antalya responded to surveys. Using Hayes’s process-macro models 1, 4, and 7 for analysis, the findings suggest that: HP was influenced by PEU and BSC dimensions’ adoption, including financial, customer, and internal business processes, as well as innovation and learning; financial, customer, and internal business processes mediated the relations between PEU and HP; and the effects of financial, customer, and internal business processes on HP were strengthened by high decentralization. The results highlight the importance of the balance scorecard dimensions’ adoption in the hospitality industry.
Funciones de fitness en la compresión fractal en bloques

Los sistemas de funciones iteradas (IFS) constituyen una manera de representar imagenes por medio de conjuntos fractales (Barnsley, 1985). La factibilidad de representar imagenes con IFS se fundamenta en el Teorema del Collage, segun el cual una imagen cualquiera puede ser arbitrariamente aproximada por un atractor fractal adecuadamente representado por un IFS (Barnsley, 1988a y 1988b). Esta propiedad hace tentadora la idea de buscar un metodo de compresion de imagenes que encuentre el collage adecuado para cualquier imagen de entrada. Esto constituye el problema inverso del IFS. Las estrategias hasta ahora propuestas para solucionar esta dificultad son dos. Por un lado, es posible restringir el espacio de busqueda a un subconjunto de las transformaciones afines, como se propone en la compresion fractal en bloques (CFB) (ver Fisher 1995, Jacquin 1990). En la CFB se utiliza un conjunto relativamente grande de mapas entre segmentos de la imagen, utilizando escalas fijas, y rotaciones cuantizadas a cuartos de circunferencia. Por lo tanto, el espacio de busqueda es relativamente pequeno para cada transformacion. Los resultados obtenidos con la CFB poseen una buena relacion de compromiso entre tiempo de computo, compresion resultante, y calidad final, aunque estan evidentemente lejos de las posibilidades teoricas (Fisher 1997).
An automated 3D scanning algorithm using depth cameras for door detection

This paper presents an investigation on the characteristics of Microsoft Kinect depth camera for door detection in an indoor environment. Autonomous vehicles usually have to rely on images when navigating indoors due to network limitations of an indoor environment. Locating a door for exit and entryway is one of the problems that need to be tackled when navigating indoors. In this paper, images from a depth camera are captured and used as a tool for detecting doors. The continuously varied ratios and depth differences in the door images have been analysed. An algorithm for door detection was developed using MATLAB. Experiments using different heights and depths of the Kinect sensor have been performed to verify the efficacy of the algorithm for indoor autonomous flying robots like the quadcopter. The algorithm developed is best performed in a clear path of 3.5 meters. The accuracy of the measurement was influenced by the low resolution of the depth images.