Search

We address the distributed energy management problem of the economic dispatch of grids in order to balance the power demand and supply. By manipulating the primal problem, we show that the resulting dual problem can be solved by using a decentralized linearized alternating direction method of multipliers. As consequence, in this paper, we propose an optimization based algorithm that enjoys the advantages of both the primal and the dual domain methods. Contrary to the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM), the proposed algorithm exhibits a lower computational cost not requiring at each main step iteration an explicit resolution of a local optimization problem. Moreover, we show through computer simulations that for the IEEE 14-bus and the IEEE 39-bus distribution test system the proposed algorithm achieves a significantly higher convergence rate when compared with recent approaches in the literature to solve the proposed economic dispatch problem.

Introduction: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs) are crucial in the pathogenesis of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis. Although highly specific for this disease, these antibodies can appear in healthy individuals or occur in other settings such as malignance, other inflammatory disease, or drugs. Renal biopsy remains essential for diagnosis and as a prognostic tool. Failing to perform a biopsy risks an incomplete evaluation or misdiagnosis. Clinical case: A 60-year-old male known to have had previous normal kidney function was admitted with generalized pitting edema, nonpruritic erythematous rash, and decreased urine output. He had been recently started on clozapine for depression. Laboratory tests revealed nephrotic syndrome with massive proteinuria (11g/day), hematuria and elevated serum creatinine that reached a maximum of 4.9 mg/dl. The only positive finding was a high titer of myeloperoxidase (MPO) ANCA antibody (111 UI/ml). Clozapine was discontinued, and he was started on conservative management of the nephrotic syndrome. The rash disappeared within one week. Kidney biopsy showed cellular variant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) with mild acute tubular injury. The patient was treated with oral prednisolone with complete remission. Repeat MPO-ANCA was negative after one month. Discussion: We present a challenging case that highlights the importance of kidney biopsy for accurate diagnosis with major impact on treatment and prognosis. This case also underlines the presentation and evolution of FSGS cellular variant, a rare and poorly understood disease. The relationship between skin rash with high MPO titer and the administration of clozapine with clinical remission after its discontinuation favors the hypothesis of drug associated ANCA-vasculitis.

We present the implementation of a short-term forecasting system of price movements in exchange markets using market depth data and a systematic procedure to enable a fully automated trading system. Three types of Deep Learning (DL) Neural Network (NN) methodologies are trained and tested: Deep NN Classifier (DNNC), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional NN (CNN). Although the LSTM is more suitable for multivariate time series analysis from a theoretical point of view, test results indicate that the CNN has on average the best predictive power in the case study under analysis, which is the UK to Win Horse Racing market during pre-live stage in the world’s most relevant betting exchange. Implications from the generalized use of automated trading systems in betting exchange markets are discussed.

We consider an optimal control problem for a system of local continuity equations on a space of probability measures. Such systems can be viewed as macroscopic models of ensembles of non-interacting particles or homotypic individuals, representing several different ``populations''. For the stated problem, we propose a necessary optimality condition, which involves feedback controls inherent to the extremal structure, designed via the standard Pontryagin's Maximum Principle conditions. This optimality condition admits a realization as an iterative algorithm for optimal control. As a motivating case, we discuss an application of the derived optimality condition and the consequent numeric method to a problem of supervised machine learning via dynamic systems.

Padding is a process used for the border treatment of data before the convolution operation in Convolutional Neural Networks. This study proposes a new type of padding designated by roll padding, which is conceived for multivariate time series analysis when using convolutional layers. The Human Activity Recognition raw time distributed dataset is used to train, test and compare four Deep Learning architectures: Long Short-Term Memory, Convolutional Neural Networks with and without roll padding, and WaveNet with roll padding. Two main findings are obtained: on the one hand, the inclusion of roll padding improves the accuracy of the basic standard Convolutional Neural Network and, on the other hand, WaveNet extended with roll padding provides the best performance result.

The 2016–2018 triennium was a period marked by a fierce dispute between the European Commission and Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações, Portugal, on the need to regulate wholesale access prices. While the European Commission defended the imposition of Fiber-To-The-x regulation in non-competitive areas, the Portuguese sectoral regulator argued in favor of the persistence of Fiber-To-The-x deregulation. Following a Game Theory approach, the present study demonstrates that the transition from Fiber-To-The-x deregulation to Fiber-To-The-x regulation should only occur when a given territorial unit becomes a competitive area since the subgame perfect Nash equilibrium captures a regulatory framework optimally characterized by the imposition of active access price deregulation (regulation) in non-competitive (competitive) areas, that is, local administrative units characterized by a weak (strong) degree of vertical spillover, respectively. Meanwhile, ducts access regulation must be permanently imposed throughout the national territory, despite it can be relaxed in competitive areas if the regulator imposes intra-flexibility to establish a monopolistic bottleneck to ensure social welfare maximization. Previous conclusions require to introduce both facility-based and service-based competition at the entry stage as well as active and passive obligations at the regulation stage in a multi-stage game with complete information. The present analysis legitimizes the emergence of a new optimization theory in the telecommunications literature, whose modus operandi is contrary to (coincident with) the ladder of investment theory in non-competitive (competitive) areas, respectively. Differently from the view sustained by the ladder of investment theory, which defends that a short-term regulatory touch combined with long-term market deregulation is a socially optimal strategy, the new theory confirms that a regulatory intervention is socially desirable only in the long run. The conceptual refinement is meticulously explained and labeled as the theory of creative creation because, differently from the Schumpeterian gale of creative destruction, whose processes of industrial mutation are permanently market-driven by assumption, a period of regulatory holidays followed by successive regulatory interventions dependent on the degree of vertical spillover observed in the telecommunications industry can effectively promote investment realization that continuously revolutionizes the market structure from within, incessantly destroying the old technology. The theory of creative creation reflects the regulatory framework currently in force in the Portuguese Telecommunications Industry.

This article concerns the issue of optimizing strategies of resources management in Agriculture. The increasing human population, and the anthropogenic environmental impacts resulting from the current agricultural food production practice raise tremendous challenges as the latter constitutes a huge threat to the overarching goal of eliminating hunger from the Earth's face. The contribution of this article consists in showing the stability and convergence of a bi-level optimization based control architecture to de-conflict the short-term profit-seeking goals of each agricultural production unit with the long-term goal of attaining the collective environmental equilibrium required to preserve the necessary food production efficiency level. Given the complexity of any realistic scenario, we consider a very simple context clarifying the core mathematical issues of a bi-level control architecture previously proposed by the authors that, under reasonable assumptions, generates control strategies ensuring the asymptotic convergence to an environmentally healthy equilibrium while ensuring the economic (and, thus, social) short term sustainability.

We describe the case of a previously healthy 8-year-old girl presenting with a 1-year history of iron deficiency anemia. There was no report of hematemesis, abdominal pain or melena. Laboratory work-up excluded iron malabsorption as the underlying cause. Therefore, endoscopic evaluation was performed to exclude gastrointestinal blood loss, which revealed the presence of a 7 mm reddish lesion located within the ampulla of Vater. Capsule endoscopy excluded alternative diagnoses and concomitant lesions. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pyogenic granuloma. The young age of the child and the benign nature of this lesion along with the absence of complications favored conservative management. Pyogenic granuloma is a benign vascular lesion that presents as a polypoid red mass. In the gastrointestinal tract, it is a rare condition and occurs more commonly in the elderly. The most common sites are the small intestine, esophagus, and colon, but they can occur throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract with a propensity to bleed that may cause iron deficiency anemia. In pediatric age patients, there are few reports of gastrointestinal pyogenic granulomas, most of which occur in the colon and rectum. Its identification and location in the ampulla of Vater is an exceptional finding.

Recently, the concept of Human-centered automation is adopted in Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) scenarios, where interactive manufacturing systems are designed to emphasize human activities, by relating them with Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS). This research is focused on self-adaptation of industrial manipulators to the operator's physiological characteristics, which involve the correlation of different biometric signals. A collaborative environment was achieved by implementing a CPPS for this intent. The developed use case scenario consists in a simple manufacturing process, which involves a human operator and a mini robotic arm, in a joint manipulation of objects. The robotic arm assists the human operator regarding task execution, considering the worker's real-time monitoring, regarding stress and fatigue levels and motion tracking. The monitoring of the human operator serves as input for the self-adaptation of the robotic arm, namely task execution's speed, and correct operation. Presented results show that the implemented Fuzzy system can classify stress and fatigue with an accuracy of 87.8% and 74.4% respectively.

Objective To analyze the results of an epidemiological study of mandibular fractures treated in a population of the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Materials and Methods The population included patients treated by a Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology from January 2008 to September 2010, diagnosed with mandibular fractures. The variables analyzed for the study were gender, age, etiology, clinical signs and symptoms, type of treatment, and postoperative condition. Results A total of 171 patients and a total of 269 mandible fractures were diagnosed, with the majority being the males (84.8%), between the 2nd and 3rd decade of life. The mandibular condyle was the most affected region (32.04%), followed by the mandibular angle (23.38%). The postoperative edema was the most evident clinical sign, and the treatment of choice was the reduction and internal fixation with titanium mini-plates in all cases. Conclusion The treatment of mandibular fractures should be aimed at restoring the occlusion and mastication function, with surgery being the most indicated treatment, using reduction and internal fixation with the use of a plates and screws system based on the experience of the authors. Knowledge of surgical techniques and methods of reduction and fixation of fractures, and periodic monitoring allow these patients to receive the appropriate treatment.

Summary Background Autologous breast reconstruction has become a progressively more popular method of breast reconstruction. A wide variety of perforator flaps have been described and subsequently refined to decrease donor-site morbidity. Recently, the lumbar artery perforator (LAP) flap has been reported as an option for autologous breast reconstruction. Methods This study summarises the prospectively gathered data of 35 free LAP flaps for breast reconstruction in 28 patients. The mean follow-up was 18 months. Results The internal mammary artery and the venae comitantes were used as recipient vessels in all reconstructions. In 80% of the reconstructions (28 flaps), an interposition graft was used. Six flaps (17%) had to be revised for venous thrombosis. Two of the revised flaps (5.7%) could not be salvaged, and total flap necrosis occurred. The mean operating time was 6 h and 15 min, 6 h and 39 min when an interposition graft was used and 5 h and 23 min when no interposition graft was necessary. Conclusion The LAP flap should be considered as a further alternative for breast reconstruction in patients in whom a deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEAP) flap is not possible or not desirable. Shaping of this flap is easier compared to any other flaps due to the quality of the lumbar fat and the gluteal extension. An interposition graft is frequently used to facilitate anastomosis, either to lengthen the pedicle or to resolve size mismatch. This is a disadvantage of the LAP flap.

ResumenIntroducciónCuando un paciente se encuentra politraumatizado, involucrando fracturas serias en la región maxilofacial, así como en la base del cráneo, se opta por realizar una traqueostomía con el fin de permitir un abordaje simultáneo para los diferentes tercios faciales afectados. La intubación submental ofrece una alternativa a dicho manejo de la vía aérea, significando menor riesgo para el paciente por su seguridad y versatilidad en el manejo de las fracturas nasales y el establecimiento de la oclusión.MaterialesUn total de 30 pacientes con diferente afección de los tercios faciales (superior, medio e inferior) fueron tratados por nuestro equipo, llevando a cabo una intubación submental para mantener la vía aérea. Las fracturas afectaban los huesos nasales y la oclusión dentaria.ResultadosEn todos los casos se logró una adecuada reducción de las fracturas nasales y obtención de la oclusión dental correcta, sin presentar eventualidades durante o después de la intubación mencionada.ConclusionesLa intubación submental es una buena alternativa para poder tratar adecuadamente a los pacientes politraumatizados con afección de la cavidad nasal y oral sin tener que realizar una traqueostomía en casos que no la requieran.AbstractIntroductionWhen a patient has multiple injuries, involving serious fractures in the maxillofacial region and base of skull, a tracheostomy is often performed to approach the different affected facial thirds simultaneously. Submental intubation offers an alternative to this type of airway management, involving a decreased risk for the patient due to its safety and versatility in treating nasal fractures and re-establishment of dental occlusion.MaterialsA total of 30 patients with different degrees of involvement of the facial thirds (superior, middle and inferior) were treated by our team, performing a submental intubation to maintain the airway. These fractures affected nasal bones and dental occlusion.ResultsIn all cases we accomplished an adequate reduction of nasal fractures and obtained an accurate dental occlusion, with no incidents during or after this intubation.ConclusionsSubmental intubation is a good alternative to treat multiple injury patients who have nasal and oral cavities involvement, avoiding the use of tracheostomy in cases that do not need it.

Introducción: Cuando un paciente se encuentra politraumatizado, involucrando fracturas serias en la región maxilofacial, así como en la base del cráneo, se opta por realizar una traqueostomía con el fin de permitir un abordaje simultáneo para los diferentes tercios faciales afectados. La intubación submental ofrece una alternativa a dicho manejo de la vía aérea, significando menor riesgo para el paciente por su seguridad y versatilidad en el manejo de las fracturas nasales y el establecimiento de la oclusión. Materiales: Un total de 30 pacientes con diferente afección de los tercios faciales (superior, medio e inferior) fueron tratados por nuestro equipo, llevando a cabo una intubación submental para mantener la vía aérea. Las fracturas afectaban los huesos nasales y la oclusión dentaria. Resultados: En todos los casos se logró una adecuada reducción de las fracturas nasales y obtención de la oclusión dental correcta, sin presentar eventualidades durante o después de la intubación mencionada. Conclusiones: La intubación submental es una buena alternativa para poder tratar adecuadamente a los pacientes politraumatizados con afección de la cavidad nasal y oral sin tener que realizar una traqueostomía en casos que no la requieran. Introduction: When a patient has multiple injuries, involving serious fractures in the maxillofacial region and base of skull, a tracheostomy is often performed to approach the different affected facial thirds simultaneously. Submental intubation offers an alternative to this type of airway management, involving a decreased risk for the patient due to its safety and versatility in treating nasal fractures and re-establishment of dental occlusion. Materials: A total of 30 patients with different degrees of involvement of the facial thirds (superior, middle and inferior) were treated by our team, performing a submental intubation to maintain the airway. These fractures affected nasal bones and dental occlusion. Results: In all cases we accomplished an adequate reduction of nasal fractures and obtained an accurate dental occlusion, with no incidents during or after this intubation. Conclusions: Submental intubation is a good alternative to treat multiple injury patients who have nasal and oral cavities involvement, avoiding the use of tracheostomy in cases that do not need it.

Resumen Introduccion Existen numerosas protesis disenadas con el fin de sustituir elementos osiculares en el oido medio. En este trabajo presentamos el diseno de una nueva protesis de sustitucion osicular total anclada en el mango del martillo y analizamos su comportamiento mecanoacustico teorico. Metodos Para el diseno de la protesis hemos utilizado el metodo de los elementos finitos (FEM) basandonos en un modelo computarizado 3D dinamico del oido medio humano, analizando su comportamiento mecanico. Resultados La protesis resultante presenta un comportamiento mecanoacustico teorico superponible al del oido humano sano. Posee, ademas, otras ventajas biologicas como son estabilidad y la facilidad de implantacion. Conclusiones La simulacion computarizada puede ser utilizada para disenar y optimizar las caracteristicas vibroacusticas de protesis implantables en el oido medio. Mostramos la eficiencia mecanoacustica de un nuevo diseno de protesis de maleovestibulopexia util en la reconstruccion de la cadena osicular.

Introduction and objective Many designs of prostheses are available for middle ear surgery. In this study, we propose a design for a new prosthesis, which optimises mechanical performance in the human middle ear and improves some deficiencies in the prostheses currently available. Our objective was to design and assess the theoretical acoustic–mechanical behaviour of this new total ossicular replacement prosthesis. Methods The design of this new prosthesis was based on an animal model (an iguana). For the modelling and mechanical analysis of the new prosthesis, we used a dynamic 3D computer model of the human middle ear, based on the finite elements method (FEM). Results The new malleovestibulopexy prosthesis design demonstrates an acoustical–mechanical performance similar to that of the healthy human middle ear. This new design also has additional advantages, such as ease of implantation and stability in the middle ear. Conclusions This study shows that computer simulation can be used to design and optimise the vibroacoustic characteristics of middle ear implants and demonstrates the effectiveness of a new malleovestibulopexy prosthesis in reconstructing the ossicular chain.

The dislocation of the mandibular condyle in the middle cranial fossa is a rare condition with few reports in the literature. The authors described the first case reported of unilateral dislocation and fracture treated and reconstructed with a Temporo mandibular joint prostheses. Pre-surgical conduct, medical positions of the Neurosurgery, Radiology and Oral and Maxillofacial teams are described. Also, two years post-operative evaluations are detailed, including information regarding maximum interincisal opening, function, speech, pain and diet of the patient.

In this paper we propose a novel numerical approach to the design of smooth trajectories for fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with applications to target tracking of marine vehicles. Given a desired geometric path with respect to a possible moving target vehicle, we are interested in computing a feasible UAV trajectory that best approximates in L 2 sense the desired geometric moving path with a specified airspeed profile assigned on it. Due to communication range limitations (e.g., the UAV is operating as a wireless communication relay between a target vehicle and a ground station), the UAV trajectory needs to satisfy given path constraints. Space-varying wind is also taken into account. We address this problem by taking a Virtual Target Vehicle (VTV) perspective. We set up a suitable optimal control problem based on the error coordinates between the UAV and the VTV. We solve the optimal control problem numerically by using PRONTO, a very versatile control optimization tool enabling to deal with a wide variety of trajectory functionals and constraints. We provide and discuss numerical computations based on a practical scenario where an Autonomous Surface Vehicle (the target vehicle) transmits data to the UAV which sends them back to a ground station.

This paper addresses the problem of implementing a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm combined with a non-reactive controller (such as trajectory following or path following). A general study showing the advantages of using predictors to avoid mapping inconsistences in autonomous SLAM architectures is presented. In addition, this paper presents a priority-based uncertainty map construction method of the environment by a mobile robot when executing a SLAM algorithm. The SLAM algorithm is implemented with an extended Kalman filter (EKF) and extracts corners (convex and concave) and lines (associated with walls) from the surrounding environment. A navigation approach directs the robot motion to the regions of the environment with the higher uncertainty and the higher priority. The uncertainty of a region is specified by a probability characterization computed at the corresponding representative points. These points are obtained by a Monte Carlo experiment and their probability is estimated by the sum of Gaussians method, avoiding the time-consuming map-gridding procedure. The priority is determined by the frame in which the uncertainty region was detected (either local or global to the vehicle's pose). The mobile robot has a non-reactive trajectory following controller implemented on it to drive the vehicle to the uncertainty points. SLAM real-time experiments in real environment, navigation examples, uncertainty maps constructions along with algorithm strategies and architectures are also included in this work.

ResumoA incontinência fecal é uma complicação frequente das crianças com malformação anorretal e espinha bífida, sendo fator perturbador da qualidade de vida e da integração social destas. As atitudes terapêuticas médicas (laxantes, enemas, criação de hábitos defecatórios e alimentares) são frequentemente ineficazes. Das opções terapêuticas cirúrgicas disponíveis, nenhuma foi estabelecida como a forma de abordagem ideal. Relata-se o caso clínico de um adolescente de 17 anos, com incontinência fecal e espinha bfida proposto para realização de cecostomia endoscópica percutânea (CEP). A CEP evidencia-se como uma boa opção para abordagem da incontinência fecal. Apesar de não ser o tratamento ideal para esta condição, alia à segurança e facilidade de execução da técnica o sucesso no controlo da continência e elevado grau de satisfação do doente e familiares.AbstractFecal incontinence is common in children with ano-rectal malformations and spina bifida being a disturbing cause of life quality and social integration. Medical treatments (laxatives, enemas, daily habits and diet attitudes) are frequently unsuccessful. Many surgical therapies have been proposed to treat this condition but all of them are far away from being the best treatment option. We report a case of a 17 years-old adolescent with spina bifida and fecal incontinence that has been submitted to percutaneous endoscopic cecostomy. Even though it is not the ideal treatment for this condition, it revealed to be a good option: it's easy and safe to perform; provides a successful management of fecal continence and it's associated with high satisfaction from the adolescent and its family.

This paper reports experimental results obtained with a value function based path following controller for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). The value functions are computed using numerical methods for the dynamic programming (DP) equations. We consider the case of planar operation of an AUV with actuation surfaces (fins). A reduced nonlinear model with 4 state variables is considered: cross-track error, angle with respect to path, angular velocity and fin's position. The objective of our control approach is twofold: to ensure given hard constraints on the maximum cross-track error in the presence of bounded disturbances; to provide a balance between the controller performance and the rate of change in the fin's position, in order to avoid premature wear of the servomotors. The underwater experiments are performed with an AUV from Porto University.

Recently, orthognathic surgeries are being increasingly performed to correct dento-facial deformities. However, complications related to this procedure in the trans- or postoperative periods may result in a poor outcome or lead to serious local or systemic changes. The aim of this study is to describe the major complications related to orthognathic surgery, with special emphasis on the main causes and methods to avoid or treat them.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis or hypomobility involves fusion of the mandibular condyle to the base of the skull. It is most frequently caused by trauma, presents with restriction in mouth opening in early stages and, in children, it may result in facial growth retardation. Various methods are available for surgical correction, such as autogenous grafts, gap arthroplasty, and prosthetic reconstruction. However, such techniques present several disadvantages and may lead to relapse, decrease in the vertical height of the posterior mandible and, in the case of prosthetic reconstruction, be contraindicated for the treatment of pediatric patients. The aim of this paper is to present a case of bilateral TMJ ankylosis in a 9-year-old patient treated by the technique of vertical sliding osteotomy, a simple surgical procedure indicated for the treatment of TMJ ankylosis in children, with the results after a 3-year follow-up.

Resumen Introduccion y objetivos La coclea es considerada el primer filtro de seleccion frecuencial en la via auditiva debido a la accion contractil de las celulas ciliadas externas. Sin embargo numerosas evidencias en animales de experimentacion, algunas anatomicas (conexiones entre la via auditiva y los nucleos motores de los musculos del oido medio) y otras fisiologicas, apuntan a que el oido medio pudiera ser el primer filtro gracias al cual comienza a discriminarse un determinado sonido de un entorno ruidoso. Metodos En colaboracion con el Departamento de Ingenieria Mecanica de la Escuela Tecnica Superior (ETS) de Ingenieros Industriales de la Universidad de Valladolid (UVa) hemos desarrollado y puesto a punto un nuevo admitancimetro capaz de analizar los cambios de impedancia que ocurren en el oido medio humano en funcion de la frecuencia. Con el hemos cuantificado la variacion de la impedancia del oido en 7 voluntarios otologicamente sanos sometidos a diferentes entornos sonoros. Resultados Hemos hallado que la impedancia del oido no es constante sino que la atencion que los sujetos explorados ofrecen para discriminar una conversacion en un ambiente ruidoso hace que la impedancia del oido varie en las frecuencias agudas. Conclusiones A la vista de los resultados consideramos que el oido medio no es un mero actor pasivo durante la audicion sino que la contraccion de los musculos endotimpanicos hacen posible variaciones de la impedancia de forma que la frecuencia de resonancia del oido se desplace hacia frecuencias agudas mejorando la discriminacion de la palabra en ambientes ruidosos.

Introduction and objectives The cochlea has traditionally been considered as the first frequency selection filter in the auditory pathway due to the contraction of its external ciliated cells. Yet, much evidence has emerged from work carried out during experiments with animals, some of which is anatomical (connections between the auditory pathway and motor nuclei of the middle ear muscles); other work is physiological, which indicates that the middle ear might be the first filter through which specific sounds from noisy environments may initially be isolated. Material and methods In cooperation with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical School of Industrial Engineering at the University of Valladolid (UVa), we developed and refined a new admittance meter capable of evaluating changes in impedance that occur in the human middle ear depending on frequency. Using this device, we measured variation in impedance in 7 otologically healthy volunteers submitted to a varied range of sound environments. Results We found that hearing impedance is not constant, but rather that the attention offered by the examined subjects when following a conversation in a noisy environment leads to variations in hearing impedance at high frequencies. Conclusions In the light of these findings, we feel that the middle ear does not play a merely passive role in hearing but rather that the contraction of the intratympanic muscles makes variations in impedance possible such that the resonance frequency of the ear shifts towards higher frequencies. This thus enhances sound discrimination in noisy environments.

Obstructive sleep apnea is recognized as a major respiratory disorder in adults, characterized by a sharp decline or periodic interruption of airflow during sleep. The exact cause of this condition is uncertain and apparently multifactorial. Prognathic (Class III) cases are generally subject to the procedures of mandibular retrusion through sagittal ramus osteotomies that change the characteristics of the oropharynx, causing reduction of the airway space. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on the influence of orthognathic surgery for the correction of prognathism in the development of postoperative respiratory disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.

The conventional concepts of invariance are extended in this article to include impulsive control systems represented by measure driven differential inclusions. Invariance conditions and some of their main features are derived. The solution concept plays a critical role in the extension of the conditions for conventional problems to the impulsive control context.

Detailed hydrodynamic models are very important tools for various types of water management activities. For trans boundary basins or basins covering catchments managed by different authorities, different types of models may be applied, which will lead to problems of compatibility and, hence, complicate the integrated catchment modelling and management process. Another problem are the huge calculation times. A possible solution for this problem lies in the transformation of the existing detailed models into conceptual reservoir-type models, with an explicit calculation scheme. This approach does not only simplify the process of model integration, but does also achieve an important reduction of the model calculation times. However, one well-known problem is that conceptual models have difficulties to account for backwater effects. For this reason, their application to tidally influenced river reaches so far was non-existent. This paper introduces an extension of the existing grey-box reservoir modelling technique to incorporate tidally influenced river reaches. The presented methodology is demonstrated for the downstream part of the rivers Zenne and Rupel in Belgium. Calibration of the grey-box model was done based on the results of a detailed hydrodynamic model that solves the full de Saint-Venant equations. Results show a minor loss of accuracy when the detailed model is replaced by the surrogate conceptual model. Also, the tidal effects are well represented.

This work represents one of the first successful applications of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) for interdisciplinary coastal research. A monitoring mission to study the shape and estimate the initial dilution of the S. Jacinto sewage outfall plume using an AUV was performed on July 2002. An efficient sampling strategy enabling greater improvements in spatial and temporal range of detection demonstrated that the sewage effluent plume can be clearly traced using naturally occurring tracers in the wastewater. The outfall plume was found at the surface highly influenced by the weak stratification and low currents. Dilution varying with distance downstream was estimated from the plume rise over the outfall diffuser until a nearly constant value of 130:1, 60m from the diffuser, indicating the near field end. Our results demonstrate that AUVs can provide high-quality measurements of physical properties of effluent plumes in a very effective manner and valuable considerations about the initial mixing processes under real oceanic conditions can be further investigated.

Introduction Refractory iron-deficiency anemia with no obvious etiology in pediatric age can be a puzzling problem. Screening of iron malabsorption conditions, including autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG), is emerging as a priority in the investigational procedure. Materials and methods Retrospective analysis of clinical process of children/adolescents with the diagnosis of AAG. Results Eight patients (aged between 4.7 and 18 years old) were identified. The diagnosis was triggered on the basis of high serum gastrin levels and strong positivity of antiparietal cell antibodies. Upper endoscopy and biopsy revealed atrophic gastritis in all patients, with 2 of them with intestinal metaplasia. Four patients presented with Helicobacter pylori infection object of eradication therapy. After a medium follow-up of 36.6 months, antiparietal cell antibodies and hypergastrinemia did not show evidence of regression. Of the 3 patients who underwent endoscopic reevaluation, a similar anatomo-pathologic pattern was observed in 2 and intestinal metaplasia in 1 patient. Normalization of hematological parameters was achieved, using alternative iron formulas. Conclusions AAG must be recognized as a pathology affecting pediatric patients. Gastric autoimmune lesion is a chronic process with potential evolution to malignancy. Management guidelines in childhood are not available. Their elaboration is important considering an important risk factor in these age group: a long life expectancy.

In this article we present and discuss a cooperative localization and navigation system based on the Extended Kalman Filter specifically designed to meet the requirements of the underwater environment. These lead us to consider a SLAM-like scheme in which some other Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) play the role of mobile environment features and range measurements are used as external data. Own “recent” navigation data and some minimal communicated data by other AUVs are used to consistently update pose estimates and error covariances of relevant vehicles. A number of simulation and experimental results are presented to illustrate the approach.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-27T11:55:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013Bitstream added on 2015-04-27T12:08:19Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ISSN2314-4777-2013-2013-01-15.pdf: 2241792 bytes, checksum: cc29fad964663817486565150d46d093 (MD5) An optimal control framework to support the management and control of resources in a wide range of problems arising in agriculture is discussed. Lessons extracted from past research on the weed control problem and a survey of a vast body of pertinent literature led to the specification of key requirements to be met by a suitable optimization framework. The proposed layered control structure—including planning, coordination, and execution layers—relies on a set of nested optimization processes of which an “infinite horizon” Model Predictive Control scheme plays a key role in planning and coordination. Some challenges and recent results on the Pontryagin Maximum Principle for infinite horizon optimal control are also discussed. Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Departamento de Ciência da Computação e Estatística, Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, RUA CRISTOVÃO CRISTOVÃO COLOMBO, 2265 (Sala 15 - DCCE), JD NAZARETH, CEP 15054000, SP, Brasil Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Departamento de Ciência da Computação e Estatística, Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, RUA CRISTOVÃO CRISTOVÃO COLOMBO, 2265 (Sala 15 - DCCE), JD NAZARETH, CEP 15054000, SP, Brasil Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Sistemas e Robótica Porto, Rua Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Trabalhador Sãocarlense 400, 13560-970 São Carlos, SP, Brazil

We present a simple experiment which demonstrates the main features of intrinsic optical bistability obtained through thermally induced shifts in the band edge of semiconductor particles embedded in a glass matrix. This readily demonstrates how nonlinear optical effects can be used to transmit information, providing an instructive introduction to the main concepts of optical computing. Several possible extensions of the experiment suitable for advanced independent research projects are discussed.

Introdução: A doença hepática autoimune (DHAI) pode envolver predominantemente os hepatócitos ou o epitélio dos ductos biliares intra/extra-hepáticos, ou ambas as estruturas (simultaneamente ou de forma sequencial), denominando-se, respetivamente, hepatite autoimune (HAI), colangite esclerosante primária (CEP) e síndrome de overlap (SO). Objetivo: Conhecer as dificuldades de diagnóstico de DHAI numa população pediátrica. Métodos: Estudo retrospetivo dos casos seguidos num hospital pediátrico nos últimos 19 anos. Resultados: Foram incluídos 20 doentes (10 M, 10F): HAI-10, CEP-7, SO-3. A mediana de idades à data de aparecimento dos sintomas foi de 9,0 anos e à data de diagnóstico de 11,5 anos. Dos 10 doentes com HAI, 3 tinham score pré-tratamento de diagnóstico provável e todos score póstratamento de diagnóstico definitivo. Em 1 doente a presença de ds-DNA obrigou a diagnóstico diferencial com lúpus. Dos 7 doentes com CEP, apenas 2 apresentavam anomalias imagiológicas das vias biliares e 4 lesões histológicas ductulares. Três doentes apresentaram critérios de diagnóstico de SO, um de aparecimento sequencial. Conclusões: As maiores dificuldades foram encontradas nos doentes com CEP em estadio inicial e nos doentes com SO, sobretudo no caso de apresentação sequencial. Destacam-se também as dificuldades em efetuar o diagnóstico diferencial entre HAI como entidade independente e outras doenças autoimunes multissistémicas com atingimento hepático, como o lúpus eritematoso sistémico. Introduction: Autoimmune liver disease (AILD) may involve predominantly the hepatocytes or the intra/extra-hepatic bile duct epithelium, or both structures, naming respectively, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and overlap syndrome (OS). Aim: To identify the diagnostic difficulties of AILD in a paediatric population. Methods: Retrospective study of the cases followed in a pediatric hospital in the last 19 years. Results: Included 20 patients (10 M, 10F): AIH-10, PSC-7, OS-3. Median age at the time of onset of symptoms was 9,0 years and at the date of diagnosis was 11,5 years. Of the 10 patients with AIH, 3 had a pre-treatment score of probable diagnosis, and all had a post-treatment score of definitive diagnosis. In 1 patient the presence of dsDNA forced the differential diagnosis with lupus. Of the 7 patients with PSC, only 2 had abnormalities of the biliary tract on imaging, and 4 histological lesions in the ducts. Three patients had diagnostic criteria for OS, 1 with sequencial presentation. Conclusions: The major diagnostic difficulties were encountered in patients with PSC in early stage, and in cases of OS, especially the one of sequential presentation. Also noteworthy are the difficulties of the differential diagnosis between HAI as an independent entity and other multisystem autoimmune diseases with liver involvement, such as systemic lupus erythematosus.

Localisation techniques have long been of major importance for safety systems and a lot of research has been conducted in the distributed computing field regarding its functionality and reliability. In the specific scenario of long yet narrow tunnels existing at CERN, localisation methods will enable a number of applications and processes to substantially reduce human intervention. In this article, we evaluate the use of fingerprinting techniques with GSM signal available throughout the LHC tunnel via a radiating cable and compare some methods to estimate the location. In the tests, 16 variants of the K-Nearest Neighbour algorithm, employing different distance weighting methods and fingerprint grouping functions, are taken into consideration and their performance is assessed with a specific rating algorithm. The existing GSM infrastructure and tunnel conditions seem to be favourable to the adoption of these fingerprinting methods. Nevertheless, significant variations in the signal have been observed which might be traced back to the presence of bulky equipment and different operational states of the accelerator. The performance limits of these fingerprinting methods are discussed for the current scenario and, based on that, an outlook for future research is given aiming at improving the system’s accuracy under such challenging conditions.

The psychological and social impact of the lipodystrophy syndrome on HIV-infected individuals may be quite considerable and adversely affect their quality of life. Currently no validated assessment tool for facial lipoatrophy is available. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of interactive anthropometric landmark localization based on digitized 3D facial images. By comparing both computed tomography (CT) and structured light scanning we try to demonstrate that surface scanning shows a higher sensitivity in measuring facial reference points. Besides, we evaluate the reproducibility of facial 3D white-light scans. Three HIVpositive men attending our plastic surgery outpatient clinic for treatment of facial lipodystrophy were enrolled in the study. Localization of anthropometric landmarks measurements was performed on the patients. All patients underwent a facial CT and a facial white-light scanning on the same day. The inter-landmark distances measured on facial models developed from CT aided with VirSSPA 3D software and structured light scanning were compared to the real human models. We found that facial distances measured in the CT 3D reconstruction showed a mean error margin of 0.357 cm from the real distances measured on patients. On the contrary, mean error margin with the white-light scanning was of 0.096 cm. In both cases, measurements were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). When compared to CT reconstructions, white-light surface scanning offers a more accurate landmark localization as well as reliable reconstructions of up to less than the tenth of a millimetre as average when compared to real measurements on facial human models.

We developed a novel, multiple vehicle extension to a typical, single vehicle chemical plume source localization algorithm. The approach is implemented and tested in MATLAB®. We discuss simulations results to assess the potential of using the multiple vehicle approach. It occurs that there can be an advantage from using multiple vehicles.

Mandibular arteriovenous malformation is a severe vascular pathological condition that may lead to life-threatening hemorrhages. In child and teenaged patients, a conservative treatment is preferred to avoid profuse blood loss and/or mutilating alterations in the still-growing patients' face. The aim of this article was to present a case of an 11-year-old boy with an arteriovenous malformation involving the left mandible and treated by means of endovascular embolization with direct lesional delivery of N-butyl-cyanoacrylate glue through transfemoral catheterization.

Background The combination of robotic tools with assistance technology determines a slightly explored area of applications and advantages for disability or elder people in their daily tasks. Autonomous motorized wheelchair navigation inside an environment, behaviour based control of orthopaedic arms or user's preference learning from a friendly interface are some examples of this new field. In this paper, a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is implemented to allow the environmental learning by a mobile robot while its navigation is governed by electromyographic signals. The entire system is part autonomous and part user-decision dependent (semi-autonomous). The environmental learning executed by the SLAM algorithm and the low level behaviour-based reactions of the mobile robot are robotic autonomous tasks, whereas the mobile robot navigation inside an environment is commanded by a Muscle-Computer Interface (MCI). Methods In this paper, a sequential Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) feature-based SLAM algorithm is implemented. The features correspond to lines and corners -concave and convex- of the environment. From the SLAM architecture, a global metric map of the environment is derived. The electromyographic signals that command the robot's movements can be adapted to the patient's disabilities. For mobile robot navigation purposes, five commands were obtained from the MCI: turn to the left, turn to the right, stop, start and exit. A kinematic controller to control the mobile robot was implemented. A low level behavior strategy was also implemented to avoid robot's collisions with the environment and moving agents. Results The entire system was tested in a population of seven volunteers: three elder, two below-elbow amputees and two young normally limbed patients. The experiments were performed within a closed low dynamic environment. Subjects took an average time of 35 minutes to navigate the environment and to learn how to use the MCI. The SLAM results have shown a consistent reconstruction of the environment. The obtained map was stored inside the Muscle-Computer Interface. Conclusions The integration of a highly demanding processing algorithm (SLAM) with a MCI and the communication between both in real time have shown to be consistent and successful. The metric map generated by the mobile robot would allow possible future autonomous navigation without direct control of the user, whose function could be relegated to choose robot destinations. Also, the mobile robot shares the same kinematic model of a motorized wheelchair. This advantage can be exploited for wheelchair autonomous navigation.

A team of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with limited communication ranges and limited resources are deployed in a region to search and destroy stationary and moving targets. When a UAV detects a target, depending on the target resource requirement, it is tasked to form a coalition over the dynamic network formed by the UAVs. In this paper, we develop a mechanism to find potential coalition members over the network using principles from internet protocol and introduce an algorithm using Particle Swarm Optimization to generate a coalition that destroys the target is minimum time. Monte-Carlo simulations are carried out to study how coalition are formed and the effects of coalition process delays.

This paper presents the Inter-Module Communication (IMC) protocol, a message-oriented protocol designed and implemented in the Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory (LSTS) to build interconnected systems of vehicles, sensors and human operators that are able to pursue common goals cooperatively by exchanging real-time information about the environment and updated objectives. IMC abstracts hardware and communication heterogeniety by providing a shared set of messages that can be serialized and transferred over different means.

In this paper, we develop a coordination mechanism for multiple Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and a single Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooperatively performing a ocean exploration mission. The UAV and the AUVs have limited sensor and communication constraints. The AUVs are deployed in the ocean and surface when their mission leg is completed. The UAV flies over the AUV, acquires the information procured by the AUV and generates a new mission plan to the AUV. The UAV has to meet all the AUVs and reach the base station within a prescribed sortie time. However, the AUVs may not complete the assigned task and may surface anywhere along the current mission leg. Hence, the UAV has to take the uncertainty of AUV surfacing into account while it generates the next mission plan to the AUV otherwise it may not satisfy the sortie time constraint. We develop a robust mechanism of determining the route for the UAV and path generation for the AUV such that the UAV always reaches the base station within the sortie time limit. Theoretical results are presented to show the robustness of the algorithms. Simulations are carried out to show how the mission is accomplished.

This paper describes the design and implementation of a portable control console for autonomous ocean-going vehicles and discusses lessons learned from operational deployments.

This paper presents recent developments from the Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory in order to integrate data received simultaneously from static and free-moving wireless sensors as well as unmanned vehicles, allowing real-time access of data using ubiquitous technologies. Live data is communicated using pre-established XML data formats and using the HTTP protocol for communication. Compatible systems may both send or receive this data following a publish/subscribe design pattern. Here, we describe the architecture as well as the various systems that make part of it: operational consoles, unmanned vehicles, wireless sensor networks and drifting sensors. The entire system is evaluated by presenting results from a real-world experiment.

This video shows a brief overview over Neptus, a command and control infrastructure for heterogeneous teams of autonomous vehicles. Having different types of vehicles at our laboratory and from our partners, there was an increasing need to create a common infrastructure to all these systems. Additionally, a tool to support the entire mission life cycle (planning, execution, review and dissemination) was lacking. Neptus was created to provide vehicle independence and seamless inter-systems communications. Currently, Neptus has been already tested with remotely operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, unmanned air vehicles, autonomous surface vehicles and wireless sensor networks. Some of these systems were operated simultaneously by various operating consoles that were sharing the same communication infrastructure. The received data was being relayed to a Web server that allowed for the real-time mission following by using a common Web browser.

This paper describes a preliminary and innovative approach to integrated cooperative control and navigation of multi robots dynamic formations that encompasses the simultaneous tracking of opponent team players in robotic football games. Unlike traditional approaches that use self localization to distribute object position estimates, a coordinated approach to cooperative formation navigation is proposed. The control architecture is based in a hierarchic hybrid systems approach, where distributed maneuvers allow simultaneous navigation and coordination. Our main contributions reside in an integrated control and navigation design framework yielding cooperative localization maneuvers and also some specific maneuver results on both formation estimation and global localization of two robots and two landmarks with bearing only measurements.

This paper presents the Mission Review and Analysis module of a C3I (Command, Control, Communication and Information) infrastructure - the Neptus framework. This is a mix-initiative environment that it's being developed in the Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory (USTL/LSTS) with the goal to support the coordinated operation of heterogeneous teams of vehicles. This includes autonomous and remotely operated underwater, surface, land, and air vehicles and people. People perform a fundamental role, not only in the case of remotely operated vehicles, but also with autonomous vehicles where mix-initiative operation is a requirement. The Neptus is very modular and will be heavily based on services with a distributed architecture. This paper focus mainly on the mission review and analysis where the data collected in a mission is prepared for analysis.