Non parametric and robust statistics for indoor distance estimation through BLE

Indoor positioning through Smart Bluetooth (Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE) sensors is a promising new field, where noisy data and outliers make challenging even the simplest distance estimates. The power of the BLE signal is known to be highly unstable even when measurement conditions remain unchanged and statistics on repeated measurements are required in order to have a good confidence in the obtained short-range distance estimates. This work proposes a stack of corrections based on non-parametric and robust statistics as a preprocessing step on the measured data, such that both the calibration and the range estimation processes can improve significantly. According to experiments, robust and non-parametric statistics are able to handle effectively the severe noise involved in RSSI measurements, reaching most of the times a sub-meter accuracy

Botox for chronic anal fissure: is it useful? A clinical experience with mid-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Sphincterotomy has been the most commonly used treatment for chronic anal fissures. Although effective it is associated with incontinence (0-20%). Intrasphincteric Botulinum Toxin A injection seems to be a reliable option. The aim of this clinical report is to verify the effectiveness of this treatment in relieving symptoms and healing fissures without relapse. METHODS: The study design was an open label non-comparative prospective trial to evaluate the efficacy ofbotulinum toxin injection in anal sphincters. In the period 2003-2005 sixty patients were enrolled in our Unit of Coloproctology. After inoculation hygiene measures (sitz baths, Vaseline oil and water intake) were recommended. After the first 4 weeks without improvement we administered a second injection (30 U.I). After failure of the second administration the patient was addressed to surgery. Mean follow-up was 24 months; patients were re-evaluated at the 6th, 12th and 24th month. RESULTS: In 29 pts the fissure was healed (48.33%) after the first injection; 31 patients (51.6%) were re-treated; 20 pts presented a complete healing of the fissure in a period ranging between 4-5 weeks from the second injection and 11 patients were introduced to surgery. In 3 cases we observed haemorrhoidal thrombosis. Gas incontinence was reported in two patients and solved spontaneously. CONCLUSIONS: Our clinical experience suggests that botulinum toxin therapy can be considered effective and safe. It can be proposed to the patient as first line therapy before surgery