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Interior transmission eigenvalue problems for the Helmholtz equation play an important role in inverse wave scattering. Some distribution properties of those eigenvalues in the complex plane are reviewed. Further, a new scattering model for the interior transmission eigenvalue problem with mixed boundary conditions is described and an efficient algorithm for computing the interior transmission eigenvalues is proposed. Finally, extensive numerical results for a variety of two-dimensional scatterers are presented to show the validity of the proposed scheme.
To prevent the reduction of muscle mass and loss of strength coming along with the human aging process, regular training with e.g. a leg press is suitable. However, the risk of training-induced injuries requires the continuous monitoring and controlling of the forces applied to the musculoskeletal system as well as the velocity along the motion trajectory and the range of motion. In this paper, an adaptive norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm to minimize the knee joint loadings during the leg extension training with an industrial robot is proposed. The response of the algorithm is tested in simulation for patients with varus, normal and valgus alignment of the knee and compared to the results of a higher-order iterative learning control algorithm, a robust iterative learning control and a recently proposed conventional norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm. Although significant improvements in performance are made compared to the conventional norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm with a small learning factor, for the developed approach as well as the robust iterative learning control algorithm small steady state errors occur.
Within the present work a sterilization process by a heated gas mixture that contains hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is validated by experiments and numerical modeling techniques. The operational parameters that affect the sterilization efficacy are described alongside the two modes of sterilization: gaseous and condensed H₂O₂. Measurements with a previously developed H₂O₂ gas sensor are carried out to validate the applied H₂O₂ gas concentration during sterilization. We performed microbiological tests at different H₂O₂ gas concentrations by applying an end-point method to carrier strips, which contain different inoculation loads of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores. The analysis of the sterilization process of a pharmaceutical glass vial is performed by numerical modeling. The numerical model combines heat- and advection-diffusion mass transfer with vapor–pressure equations to predict the location of condensate formation and the concentration of H₂O₂ at the packaging surfaces by changing the gas temperature. For a sterilization process of 0.7 s, a H₂O₂ gas concentration above 4% v/v is required to reach a log-count reduction above six. The numerical results showed the location of H₂O₂ condensate formation, which decreases with increasing sterilant-gas temperature. The model can be transferred to different gas nozzle- and packaging geometries to assure the absence of H₂O₂ residues.
The paper presents a method for the quantitative assessment of choroidal blood flow using an OCT-A system. The developed technique for processing of OCT-A scans is divided into two stages. At the first stage, the identification of the boundaries in the selected portion was performed. At the second stage, each pixel mark on the selected layer was represented as a volume unit, a voxel, which characterizes the region of moving blood. Three geometric shapes were considered to represent the voxel. On the example of one OCT-A scan, this work presents a quantitative assessment of the blood flow index. A possible modification of two-stage algorithm based on voxel scan processing is presented.
Background
Osteoporosis is associated with the risk of fractures near the hip. Age and comorbidities increase the perioperative risk. Due to the ageing population, fracture of the proximal femur also proves to be a socio-economic problem. Preventive surgical measures have hardly been used so far.
Methods
10 pairs of human femora from fresh cadavers were divided into control and low-volume femoroplasty groups and subjected to a Hayes fall-loading fracture test. The results of the respective localization and classification of the fracture site, the Singh index determined by computed tomography (CT) examination and the parameters in terms of fracture force, work to fracture and stiffness were evaluated statistically and with the finite element method. In addition, a finite element parametric study with different position angles and variants of the tubular geometry of the femoroplasty was performed.
Findings
Compared to the control group, the work to fracture could be increased by 33.2%. The fracture force increased by 19.9%. The used technique and instrumentation proved to be standardized and reproducible with an average poly(methyl methacrylate) volume of 10.5 ml. The parametric study showed the best results for the selected angle and geometry.
Interpretation
The cadaver studies demonstrated the biomechanical efficacy of the low-volume tubular femoroplasty. The numerical calculations confirmed the optimal choice of positioning as well as the inner and outer diameter of the tube in this setting. The standardized minimally invasive technique with the instruments developed for it could be used in further comparative studies to confirm the measured biomechanical results.
BACKGROUND: Muscle stretch reflexes are widely used to examine neural muscle function. The knowledge of reflex response in muscles crossing the shoulder is limited. OBJECTIVE: To quantify reflex modulation according to various subject postures and different procedures of muscle pre-activation steering. METHODS: Thirteen healthy male participants performed two sets of external shoulder rotation stretches in various positions and with different procedures of muscle pre-activation steering on an isokinetic dynamometer over a range of two different pre-activation levels. All stretches were applied with a dynamometer acceleration of 104∘/s2 and a velocity of 150∘/s. Electromyographical response was measured via sEMG. RESULTS: Consistent reflexive response was observed in all tested muscles in all experimental conditions. The reflex elicitation rate revealed a significant muscle main effect (F (5,288) = 2.358, ρ= 0.040; η2= 0.039; f= 0.637) and a significant test condition main effect (F (1,288) = 5.884, ρ= 0.016; η2= 0.020; f= 0.143). Reflex latency revealed a significant muscle pre-activation level main effect (F (1,274) = 5.008, ρ= 0.026; η2= 0.018; f= 0.469). CONCLUSION: Muscular reflexive response was more consistent in the primary internal rotators of the shoulder. Supine posture in combination with visual feedback of muscle pre-activation level enhanced the reflex elicitation rate.
Background
For supratentorial craniotomy, surgical access, and closure technique, including placement of subgaleal drains, may vary considerably. The influence of surgical nuances on postoperative complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage or impaired wound healing overall remains largely unclear. With this study, we are reporting our experiences and the impact of our clinical routines on outcome in a prospectively collected data set.
Method
We prospectively observed 150 consecutive patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy and recorded technical variables (type/length of incision, size of craniotomy, technique of dural and skin closure, type of dressing, and placement of subgaleal drains). Outcome variables (subgaleal hematoma/CSF collection, periorbital edema, impairment of wound healing, infection, and need for operative revision) were recorded at time of discharge and at late follow-up.
Results
Early subgaleal fluid collection was observed in 36.7% (2.8% at the late follow-up), and impaired wound healing was recorded in 3.3% of all cases, with an overall need for operative revision of 6.7%. Neither usage of dural sealants, lack of watertight dural closure, and presence of subgaleal drains, nor type of skin closure or dressing influenced outcome. Curved incisions, larger craniotomy, and tumor size, however, were associated with an increase in early CSF or hematoma collection (p < 0.0001, p = 0.001, p < 0.01 resp.), and larger craniotomy size was associated with longer persistence of subgaleal fluid collections (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Based on our setting, individual surgical nuances such as the type of dural closure and the use of subgaleal drains resulted in a comparable complication rate and outcome. Subgaleal fluid collections were frequently observed after supratentorial procedures, irrespective of the closing technique employed, and resolve spontaneously in the majority of cases without significant sequelae. Our results are limited due to the observational nature in our single-center study and need to be validated by supportive prospective randomized design.
Experience has shown that a priori created static resource allocation plans are vulnerable to runtime deviations and hence often become uneconomic or highly exceed a predefined soft deadline. The assumption of constant task execution times during allocation planning is even more unlikely in a cloud environment where virtualized resources vary in performance. Revising the initially created resource allocation plan at runtime allows the scheduler to react on deviations between planning and execution. Such an adaptive rescheduling of a many-task application workflow is only feasible, when the planning time can be handled efficiently at runtime. In this paper, we present the static low-complexity resource allocation planning algorithm (LCP) applicable to efficiently schedule many-task scientific application workflows on cloud resources of different capabilities. The benefits of the presented algorithm are benchmarked against alternative approaches. The benchmark results show that LCP is not only able to compete against higher complexity algorithms in terms of planned costs and planned makespan but also outperforms them significantly by magnitudes of 2 to 160 in terms of required planning time. Hence, LCP is superior in terms of practical usability where low planning time is essential such as in our targeted online rescheduling scenario.