bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Kinematic Calibration of Industrial Hydraulic Manipulators
Authors: Khoshzaban M. , Sassani F. , Lawrencet P. D. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA novel off-line technique for automatic calibration of kinematic parameters for hydraulic manipulators is presented. Hydraulically actuated manipulators have joints which are always powered and, unlike conventional robots, may not have conventional joint sensors to exploit in the calibration procedure. Instead, our approach employs an external three-dimensional linkage, termed “the calibrator”, which has sufficient number of joints with corresponding sensors. One end of the calibrator is grasped by the manipulator's end effector while the other end is attached to a passive spherical joint fixed to the world coordinate system. The mobile closed kinematic chain thus formed has the added advantage of eliminating the explicit measurement of the manipulator's endpoint location. A sequential identification technique that uses a least squares numerical search algorithm has been developed based on link-by-link movement of the manipulator. Simulation and experimental calibration results on a typical mobile hydraulic manipulator are reported in this paper, which show that the proposed technique is globally stable, and potentially fast, inexpensive, and easy to apply on site.
Towards a virtual work-bench for robotics training
Authors: Liu Jiming 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYLearning in the age of information superhighway necessitates a properly-developed efficient vehicle that is not only powerful in directing users to the needed information or to situate in a reality through virtual settings, but also controllable at the various comfortable paces. The goal of this project is to explore a new on-line medium for users to navigate at their own pace in the structured cyberspace—knowledge space composed of concepts, systems design, application-oriented case studies, up-to-date industrial news (trends and product review), and on-line robotic systems, and to use it as a robotics work-bench for conducting controllable experiments/simulations. Through such an electronic learning medium, users will be able to acquire a global outlook as well as an integrated understanding of modern robotics in a manner that is low-cost, time-and-place-free, and student-centered.
The history of be fixing to: grammaticization, sociolinguistic distribution and emerging literary spaces
Authors: Smith K. Aaron 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThe be fixing to structure not only has a long and fascinating history but also a highly contemporary presence in Internet communication. The rise of the futurate verbal periphrasis be fixing to + V shows an essentially textbook example of grammaticization, not so different in many ways from the development of be going to. However, there are some important differences too. While be going to has a wide distribution among speakers of Englishes in the world, having much to do with its sixteenth century development and subsequent global diffusion in the colonial period, be fixing to grammaticized in Southern US English in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a fact which resulted in a relatively small circumscribed geographical distribution in its earliest uses.
Exploring discourse on globalizing English
Authors: Onysko Alexander 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTA case study of discourse on anglicisms in German.“By recognizing our uncanny strangeness, we shall neither suffer from it nor enjoy it from the outside. The foreigner is within me, hence we are all foreigners. If I am a foreigner, there are no foreigners.” (Julia Kristeva, Strangers to Ourselves (1991)).Is Kristeva's dissolution of the notion ‘foreign’ also applicable to language? The nature of language as a semiotic system of arbitrarily bound units of meaning and form determines the essential foreignness of signifier and signified. As such, every linguistic unit is indeed intrinsically foreign on the level of designation and, thus, there is no foreign language. On the surface of human communication, however, incomprehensibility among speakers can emerge as a criterion of foreignness. The perception of the foreign in language is particularly tied to situations of contact between different language-cultural areas. Such contact can occur internally in a multilingual speaker or can be observed externally as happening in the speech community. In both ways, crucial to language contact is a perceived intertwining of linguistic units from at least two distant, i.e. incomprehensible, codes culturally rooted in diverse speech communities.
Graveyard frolics
Authors: Tulloch Alexander 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTWe all need to relax. Teachers, doctors, solicitors, bricklayers, salesmen, shop assistants and even grossly over-paid footballers all need a break. Once we have performed whatever daily task it is that provides us with our daily bread, we need to recharge our batteries, ‘chill out’ (as they now say) and do something entirely different to help us unwind. There are those who like to take part in some form of sporting activity whereas others prefer to settle down with a good book or crash out in front of the telly. And then there are those who would rather have an enjoyable meal at a decent restaurant and take in a show or go to what we seem to refer to increasingly as the ‘movies’ where they can ‘check out’ the most recent Bond film or Spielberg production. Whatever our preference, entertainment of one form or another plays a vital role in everyone's life and some choices, whether we are aware of it or not, link us with ancient societies whose need to enjoy themselves now and again was no less than ours is today.
An Annotated Bibliography on Home Care Technologies
Authors: Leenders Josette , Marké Lars-Åke 
Published: March 2009

Curtiss, F. R. (1984). Reimbursement dilemma regarding home health-care products and services. Am. J. Hosp. Pharm., August, 41(8), 1548–57.Reimbursement mechanisms for home health-care products and services are discussed in detail. The two major categories of the home health care industry—(1) skilled nursing, homemaker, and other services, and (2) equipment, supplies, and other products (including drugs)—are reimbursed by third-party payers differently. While prospective pricing of inpatient care encourages the growth of home-care services, government administrators are concerned about potential spending growth at time of ballooning deficits, and private health insurers are uncertain about coverage criteria. Nuances of Medicare coverage criteria and private insurance reimbursement for home health care services are described. Medicaid coverage of drugs and biologicals for home patients is also described. The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is expected to clarify and restrict Medicare coverage and payment of home-care products, equipment, and supplies. Medical justification will probably become more specific with greater attention to patient diagnoses and prognosis of patient therapies. Per-case payment methods will be refined to encompass home care. The government and private insurance programs will move toward capitation payment methods under which institutions will have even greater incentives to develop sophisticated home-care programs to substitute for institutional care. L.A.M.
Look to Norway
Authors: Saetnan Ann Rudinow , Backe Bjørn , Kolstad Arnulf , Lamvik Torarin 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe authors of the paper argue that Norway's national health service, despite public perceptions, is both inexpensive and technologically advanced. Norway has a highly regulated medical system at both the national and local levels, and many distribution issues take the form of political debate. As a result, the authors believe that medical care and equipment is equitably distributed, but perhaps over-densely, throughout the country. Although the overall picture is optimistic, there is some concern that technologies, health care priorities, and decision-making processes should be more carefully examined by consensus conferences, advisory groups, and experts in technology assessment.
Health Policy in Finland
Authors: Bäckman Guy 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis article surveys attempts by the Finnish government to plan and budget health care since the Primary Health Care Act of 1972. A national board of health allocates approved resources to local authorities who develop plans for preventative and primary health care and hospital services. The acquisition of expensive technologies are debated at the national level. The author presents studies which suggest that there is a considerable need for expansion of both diagnostic and therapeutic technologies in Finland. These adjustments will be necessary to meet the needs of an economically, socially, and demographically changing country.
Medical Technology and its Diffusion in Australia
Authors: Richardson Jeffrey 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe author examines the Australian health care system by surveying the financing techniques, physical organization, and government activity. He explains the impact of the public and private sectors and comments on the effectiveness of current evaluation procedures. While the author believes that the system is relatively healthy and cost effective, he recognizes a need for more comprehensive and scientific oversight. Using regression analysis and focusing on the installation of medical technology in hospitals, the author attempts to determine the specific factors that influence technology diffusion. He concludes by stressing that further studies analyzing the actual use of specific technologies are vital.
Assessment of Clinical Technologies
Authors: Jennett Bryan 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe author contends that the diffusion and use of modern medical technologies has had a profound impact on the hospital environment, the doctor-patient relationship, and the humanity of the patient. On these grounds the author argues for a rigorous, comprehensive, and ongoing assessment of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. He stresses the importance of developing standards by which to judge the human and economic impact of particular technologies. These studies would decrease the inappropriate use of medical technology and would provide guidelines to improve current use.
A Cost-Effectiveness Comparison of Surgical Treatments for Mitral Valve Disease
Authors: Papageorge Basil N. , Schweitzer Stuart O. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis study compares the cost-effectiveness of mitral valve reconstruction and replacement. Published clinical data were used to determine the effectiveness of each procedure. Both direct and indirect costs were calculated. The findings indicate that reconstruction has lower costs per year of life extended than replacement due to better outcomes. Changing outcome probabilities and discount rates did not alter these results. Cost savings in excess of 40% may be achieved by early reconstruction for suitable patients. These results suggest that the prevailing practice of delaying surgery until replacement is needed should be reconsidered, especially for patients who could benefit from reconstruction.
Rationing Medical Technology
Authors: Greer Ann Lennarson 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis paper analyzes medical technology decision making in the United States and England in terms of the appropriateness of different decision-making models to the organization and delivery of medical care, and to the rationing of technology among and within hospitals. It examines the effect on the American hospital of prospective payment programs from the perspective of organizational structure and decision making. The strategies of central control and specification which characterize these programs are contrasted with decision-making procedures in the English National Health Service, which have emphasized decentralization, delegation, and consensus. The analysis suggests that decentralized models of decision making are more supportive of essential elements of medical care including doctor-patient trust and professional responsibility and are more able to achieve rationing decisions which are compatible with professional and consumer preferences.
The Rise of Technology in Chinese Hospitals
Authors: Henderson Gail , Liu Yuanli , Guan Xiaoming , Liu Zongxiu 
Published: March 2009

AbstractChinese hospitals in the 1980s are in the midst of a technological revolution. Based upon data from several regions in China, this paper describes the political, organizational, economic, and philosophical changes which have accompanied the shift in focus from primary care medicine to high technology tertiary care. The increased authority of physicians, greater contact with the West, and increased funding for medical equipment are key factors in these changes. Although the Chinese state continues to control the administration and financing of most hospitals, the decentralizing reforms of Deng Xiaoping have undermined its ability to effectively plan for, and assess new technology. At present, limited resources prevent most regions from excessive technology acquisition, but the state must rebuild its planning capacity in order to foster rational allocation of scarce medical resources.
Decision Making on the Adoption of Advanced Medical Technology in Taiwan
Authors: Lan Chung-Fu 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis paper discusses both the current interest in and approaches to the employment of advanced medical technology in Taiwan. It describes the formation of the national policy, including funding, reimbursement, and regulatory processes, on adopting innovative and expensive medical technologies. Using the case of extracorporeal Shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), the key players who affect organizational decision making on the adoption and diffusion of medical technology have also been analyzed. Finally, it examines some of the salient features of medical technology adoption and assessment in Taiwan, and in other countries which depend heavily upon imported advanced medical technology. It is hoped that an understanding of Taiwan's attempts to use innovative medical technology wisely while incorporating the practice of technology assessment and appropriate policies, will assist other countries with similar conditions to gain maximal benefit from technological advancement.
Psychological Safety of a Multiple Channel Cochlear Implant Device
Authors: Haas Leonard J. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractFifty-three deaf patients were screened psychologically and medically for suitability to receive an intracochlear implant. After initial screening for psychological normalcy, candidates were assessed again 1 year postimplant. Isolated deleterious psychological effects were found, and certain aspects of psychological functioning were enhanced. Overall evidence suggests that the implant is not psychologically damaging.
Cost Containment and Computerized Medical Imaging
Authors: Wagner Judith L. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractToday, computers are used in several important and fast-growing medical imaging modalities, such as digital subtraction angiography, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, and diagnostic ultrasound. The ultimate test for the computer in medical imaging will be its ability to replace traditional film-based radiography as the mechanism for displaying, communicating, and storing imaging information. This transition will require radiologists and other imagers to accept information in digital form. The speed of that acceptance depends on the economic incentives of the health care system. These are changing as a result of cost containment, which is moving away from fee-for-service toward bundled payment. The increase in capitated health plans will encourage the development of digital radiography systems that realistically trade-off the perceived quality needs of radiologists with the costs of producing and operating such systems.
Use of Different Systems for Classifying the Population at Risk
Authors: Farnot Ubaldo 
Published: March 2009

When a National Health System was established in Cuba and the health services regionalized, three levels of increasing complexity were established for prenatal care. This led to the use throughout the country of a system for the classification of pregnant women according to risk.The first system used in 1969 was a qualitative system which divided pregnant women into 4 risk groups. This made it possible to establish levels and standards of care, to supervise and control the quality of prenatal care, and to use nurse-midwives for providing prenatal care efficiently. This very expeditious and practical system seemed somewhat inadequate because it gave little attention to biological and social factors, but stressed the complications of pregnancy and concomitant diseases.Beginning in 1975, another system was used throughout the country to classify pregnant women during prenatal care. In this quantitative risk classification, an arbitrary value was given to each risk factor, and when these values were added up, the final score made it possible to divide pregnant women into 4 risk categories. This new system was also used for the administration of maternal and child health, but its use resulted in too many pregnant women being put into the high-risk category and many protective measures being taken for pregnant women who possibly did not need them. Validation tests such as sensitivity, specificity, and predictive power were used in this system, and it was found that it suffered from problems in discriminating the risk groups.The need for a system of classifying pregnant women according to risk led to an epidemiological study whose purpose was to give a more appropriate numerical value to each risk factor. It is also emphasized that the objectives of prenatal care include not only the preventive treatment of diseases of women and children, but also the preparation of women for delivery, encouragement of breast feeding, and preparation of couples for assuming their responsibility as parents.
Development of an Orphan Drug by a Start-Up Company: MetroGel® for Rosacea
Authors: Borgman Robert J. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe Orphan Drug Act of 1983, along with the discovery of a new use for a known drug and an investor willing to assume the necessary risk, brought about the formation of a start-up pharmaceutical company. The primary incentive of the Orphan Drug Act of seven years of marketing exclusivity provided the protection from competition necessary for recovery of the significant research and development and marketing costs. The orphan product, MetroGel®, for the treatment of rosacea, required approximately five years of development before it was approved for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration. MetroGel® has become the number one drug in the United States for the treatment of rosacea. It currently is marketed in other countries through a licensing agreement with a major pharmaceutical company.
Automated Ambulatory Medical Records Systems: An Orphan Technology
Authors: Schoenbaum Stephen C. , Barnett G. Octo 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAutomated ambulatory medical records systems (AAMRSs) have been operational for over 20 years but have not been adopted by more than a small fraction of their potential users. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the uses and benefits of the COSTAR-based AAMRS at the Harvard Community Health Plan and of the factors which have inhibited the dissemination of COSTAR. We conclude that AAMRSs have been an orphan technology and cite trends in health care that favor the future development of AAMRSs.
Health Technologies for the Developing World: Addressing the Unmet Needs
Authors: Free Michael J. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis paper provides a critical overview of several strategies and mechanisms that have been employed by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health over the past decade to address the unmet needs for health technologies in the developing world. Partnerships between public and private-sector organizations are emphasized in order to share risks, encourage efficiency, and ensure the availability of priority products for health care in resource-poor settings. Incentives for the involvement of the commercial sector, the means to protect the interest of the public sector, and the role of bridging organizations are discussed in the light of the shifting goals of the public sector.
The Consensus Development Program: Detecting Changes in Medical Practice Following A Consensus Conference on the Treatment of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Sherman Charles R. , Potosky Arnold L. , Weis Kathleen A. , Ferguson John H. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe treatment of prostate cancer was reviewed at a U.S. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference in June 1987. Data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results tumor registries were analyzed and showed that the proportion of eligible prostate cancer patients receiving the recommended therapies did not increase at a faster rate after the conference than before.
Cost-Effectiveness of the Screening and Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy:What Are the Costs of Underutilization?
Authors: Mark Fendrick A. , Javitt Jonathan C. , Chiang Yen Pin 
Published: March 2009

AbstractDiabetic retinal disease remains a leading cause of visual disability among those of working age. Controlled trials have demonstrated that timely diagnosis and photocoagulation treatment can reduce significantly the likelihood of visual impairment in affected diabetic patients. Using a prospective simulation model, we show that an annual screening and treatment program saves thousands of years of vision and reduces medical expenditures over the lifetime of a cohort of Swedish Type I diabetic patients.
A Model for Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment
Authors: Glick Henry , Heyse Joseph F. , Thompson David , Epstein Robert S. , Smith M. Eugene , Oster Gerry 
Published: March 2009

AbstractWe describe and illustrate the use of a generalizable model for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of alternative cholesterol-lowering treatments. We combine standard incidence-based techniques for measuring the cost of illness with logistic risk functions from the Framingham Heart Study to project, for persons with known coronary risk characteristics, the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) over a lifetime as well as a number of related outcomes, including the expected loss of years of life due to CHD, the expected lifetime direct and indirect costs of CHD, and the changes in these outcomes that would result from cholesterol-lowering treatment.
The Appropriateness of the Use of Cardiovascular Procedures: British Versus U.S. Perspectives
Authors: Bernstein Steven J. , Kosecoff Jacqueline , Gray David , Hampton John R. , Brook Robert H. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractTo determine whether patients are less likely to receive an inappropriate procedure in countries that devote fewer resources to health care than does the United States, we studied how appropriately coronary angiography and coronary artery bypass surgery were performed in the Trent region of the United Kingdom. The medical records of 320 patients who underwent coronary angiography and 319 who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery in 1987 and 1988 were randomly selected for review. Despite the United Kingdom's more limited use of coronary angiography and coronary artery bypass surgery, a substantial proportion were still performed for less than appropriate reasons, by both U.S. and U.K. criteria. Merely reducing the rate of use of these procedures will not be sufficient to eliminate such inappropriate use.