Robust parameter estimation of density functions under fuzzy interval observations

International audienceThis study deals with the derivation of a probabilistic parametric model from interval data using the maximum likelihood principle. In contrast with classical techniques such as the EM algorithm, that define a precise likelihood function by computing the probability of observations viewed as a collection of non-elementary events, our approach presupposes that each imprecise observation underlies a precise one, and that the uncertainty that pervades its observation is epistemic, rather than representing noise. We define an interval-valued likelihood function and apply robust optimisation methods to find a safe plausible estimate of the statistical parameters. The approach is extended to fuzzy data by optimizing the average of lower likelikoods over a collection of data sets obtained from cuts of the fuzzy intervals, as a trade off between optimistic and pessimistic interpretations of fuzzy data. The principles of this method are compared with those of other existing approaches to handle incompleteness of observations, especially the EM technique

Seeking stability of supply chain management decisions under uncertain criteria

The leading theme of MOSIM’12 is "Performance, Interoperability and Safety for sustainable development"International audienceThis paper tackles the question of the anticipation of the supply chain partner's decisional behaviour under uncertain criteria. In other words, we propose a model to support sequential decisions under uncertainty where the decision maker has to make hypothesis about the decision criteria. For example, Hurwicz criterion weights extreme optimism and pessimism positions and a classic criticism of this criterion consisting in the difficulty of the weight assessment and the involving decision instability. To achieve this, we present a method based on fuzzy representation of weight vision. Finally, the model allows sequential decision of a Decision Tree to be compute thanks a pignistic probabilities treatment of the fuzzy representation of the decision maker optimism-pessimism index. This approach is illustrated through an industrial case study

Decision support with ill-known criteria in the collaborative supply chain context

International audienceIn the field of Supply Chain Risk Management, the attitude of managers toward risk affect the tactical decision-making process in collaborative supply chains under an uncertain environment, concerning especially capacity levels, lot-sizing rules, purchasing strategies, production scheduling,…, etc. The issue can be formulated as a sequential decision problem under uncertainty where the customer decisions affect the decisions made by the supplier. In this paper we deal with two kinds of uncertainties. The first one is the uncertainty on the indicators of performance (which are not comparable) used by the decision maker to choose a solution (for example: service quality or inventory cost). Hence, we propose an approach based on subjective probability to evaluate the probability that a decision is optimal for the first actor and the probability that it is optimal for both. From these two evaluations, we propose a ranking function to help the first actor to take into account the second one when selecting a decision. The second kind of uncertainty pertains to the demand. A classical criterion under total uncertainty is Hurwicz criterion where a weight expresses a degree of pessimism. Nevertheless, the degree of pessimism is itself ill-known. Thus, it becomes difficult to take into account the behavior of the actors. Hence, we propose an approach based on possibility theory and the so-called pignistic transform, which computes a subjective probability distribution over the criteria. Then, we apply the method used for uncertain criterion. This approach is illustrated through an example and an industrial case study

Development and mechanical characterization of porous titanium bone substitutes

The authors wish to thank Dr J.-M. Hiver from Institut Jean Lamour, Ecole des Mines de Nancy for his participation in the computed tomography analysis of the porous samplesCommercially Pure Porous Titanium (CPPTi) can be used for surgical implants to avoid the stress shielding effect due to the mismatch between the mechanical properties of titanium and bone. Most researchers in this area deal with randomly distributed pores or simple architectures in titanium alloys. The control of porosity, pore size and distribution is necessary to obtain implants with mechanical properties close to those of bone and to ensure their osseointegration. The aim of the present work was therefore to develop and characterize such a specific porous structure. First of all, the properties of titanium made by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) were characterized through experimental testing on bulk specimens. An elementary pattern of the porous structure was then designed to mimic the orthotropic properties of the human bone following several mechanical and geometrical criteria. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was used to optimize the pattern. A porosity of 53% and pore sizes in the range of 860 to 1500 μm were finally adopted. Tensile tests on porous samples were then carried out to validate the properties obtained numerically and identif the failure modes of the samples. Finally, FE elastoplastic analyses were performed on the porous samples in order to propose a failure criterion for the design of porous substitutes

Contribution à la modélisation musculo-squelettique personnalisée du membre inférieur combinant stéréoradiographie et ultrason.

The analysis of the behavior of the musculoskeletal system is essential to understand diseases or effectiveness of the sporting gesture. Models, which represent a 50-percentile subject, allow tendencies identification. However, results are limited to the range of people they represent. Their geometry and mechanical properties must be personalized to simulate as closely as possible the biomechanical behavior. MRI is the reference device for the construction of three-dimensional personalized models. However, the cost, the availability and methods of reconstruction limit its use. Recent developments in stereoradiography, with the EOS® system, and in ultrasonic field, with ShearWave elastography, open up new horizons. The aim of this work was to propose a new method for building a personalized musculoskeletal model of lower limb combining stereoradiography and ultrasound, in standing position. First, robust bony frame on MR images were defined to build a reference model. Then, the personalized bones and external envelope geometries were obtained by stereoradiography. This first personalized information was used to estimate muscles geometry. This pre-personalized model was deformed to match the real muscle geometry obtained by ultrasound. This method has several advantages. It overrides the assembly of ultrasound cuts and removes the complete manual segmentation. Finally, a protocol for measuring the mechanical properties ShearWave elastography was introduced. Thus, the muscles elastic properties of the lower limb can then be defined in the model.L'analyse du comportement du système musculo-squelettique est indispensable à la compréhension de pathologies ou de l'efficacité du geste sportif. Les modèles, représentants un sujet moyen, permettent l'identification de tendance. Cependant, leurs résultats sont limités à la plage de population qu'ils représentent. Il est donc nécessaire d'adapter leurs géométries et propriétés mécaniques afin de simuler le plus fidèlement possible le comportement biomécanique. L'IRM est l'outil de référence pour la construction de modèle personnalisé tridimentionnel. Cependant, son coût, sa disponibilité et les méthodes de reconstructions limitent son utilisation. Récemment, les développements de la stéréoradiographie, avec le système EOS®, et des techniques ultrasonores, avec l'élastographie ShearWave, ouvrent de nouvelles voies pour la personnalisation des modèles. Le but de ce travail était de proposer une nouvelle méthode pour la construction d'un modèle musculo-squelettique personnalisé, en position érigée, du membre inférieur combinant stéréoradiographie et ultrasons. Tout d'abord, des repères osseux robustes sur images IRM ont été définis pour construire un modèle de référence en position debout. Ensuite, la personnalisation de la géométrie osseuse et de l'enveloppe externe est obtenue par stéréoradiographie. Ces premières informations personnalisées sont utilisées pour estimer la géométrie des muscles. Ce modèle pré-personnalisé est déformé pour correspondre à la géométrie réelle des muscles obtenue par échographie. Cette méthode possède plusieurs avantages. Elle passe outre l'assemblage de coupes échographiques et de supprime la segmentation manuelle complète des coupes. Enfin, un protocole de mesure des propriétés mécaniques par élastographie ShearWave a été présenté. Les propriétés élastiques des muscles du membre inférieur peuvent alors être définies

An MDE-based framework to support the development of Mixed Interactive Systems

International audienceIn the domain of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), recent advances in sensors, communication technologies, miniaturization and computing capabilities have led to new and advanced forms of interaction. Among them, Mixed Interactive Systems (MIS), form a class of interactive systems that comprises augmented reality, tangible interfaces and ambient computing; MIS aim to take advantage of physical and digital worlds to promote a more transparent integration of interactive systems with the user's environment. Due to the constant change of technologies and the multiplicity of these interaction forms, specific development approaches have been developed. As a result, numerous taxonomies, frameworks, API and models have emerged, each one covering a specific and limited aspect of the development of MIS. To support a coherent use of these multiple development resources and contribute to the increasing popularity of MIS, we have developed a framework based on Model-Driven Engineering. The goal is to take advantage of Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) standards, methodology and tools to support the manipulation of complementary Domain Specific Languages (DSL), to organize and link the use of different design and implementation resources, and to ensure a rationalized implementation based on design choices. In this paper, we first summarize existing uses of MDE in HCI before focusing on five major benefits MDE can provide in a MIS development context. We then detail which MDE tools and resources support these benefits and thus form the pillars of the success of an MDE-based MIS development approach. Based on this analysis, we introduce our framework, called Guide-Me, and illustrate its use through a case study. This framework includes two design models. Model transformations are also included to link one model to another; as a result the frameworks coverage extends from the earliest design step to a software component-based prototyping platform. A toolset based on Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) that supports the use of the framework is also presented. We finally assess our MDE-based development process for MIS based on the five major MDE benefits for MIS

Comparative finite element analysis of skull mechanical properties following parietal bone graft harvesting in adults

Introduction: Parietal bone grafts are commonly used in cranio-maxillo-facial surgery. Both the outer and the internal layer of the calvarium can be harvested. The bone defect created by this harvesting may induce significant weakening of the skull that has not been extensively evaluated. Our aim was to evaluate the consequences of parietal bone graft harvesting on mechanical properties of the skull using a finite element analysis. Methods: Finite elements models of the skull of 3 adult patients were created from CT scans. Parietal external and internal layer harvest models were created. Frontal, lateral, and parietal loading were modeled and von Mises stress distributions were compared. Results: The maximal von Mises stress was higher for models of bone harvesting, both on the whole skull and at the harvested site. Maximal von Mises stress was even higher for models with internal layer defect. Conclusions: Harvesting parietal bone modifies the skull's mechanical strength and can increase the risk of skull fracture, mainly on the harvested site. Outer layer parietal graft harvesting is indicated. Graft harvesting located in the upper part of the parietal bone, close to the sagittal suture and with smooth internal edges and corners should limit the risk of fracture

A practical inference method with several implicative gradual rules and a fuzzy input: one and two dimensions

International audienceA general approach to practical inference with gradual implicative rules and fuzzy inputs is presented. Gradual rules represent constraints restricting outputs of a fuzzy system for each input. They are tailored for interpolative reasoning. Our approach to inference relies on the use of inferential independence. It is based on fuzzy output computation under an interval-valued input. A double decomposition of fuzzy inputs is done in terms of alpha-cuts and in terms of a partitioning of these cuts according to areas where only a few rules apply. The case of one and two dimensional inputs is consideredCet article présente une méthode d'inférence avec des règles implicatives graduelles pour une entrée floue. Les règles graduelles représentent des contraintes qui restreignent l'univers de sortie pour chacune des entrées. Elles sont conçues pour réaliser des interpolations. L'algorithme que nous proposons s'appuie sur le principe de indépendance inférentielle. Il met en oeuvre une double décomposition de l'ensemble flou d'entrée, par alpha-coupes et suivant le partitionnement de l'univers des variables d'entrée. Les cas étudiés correspondent à des systèmes à une et deux dimension

Intervertebral disc characterization by shear wave elastography: an in-vitro preliminary study

Patient-specific numerical simulation of the spine is a useful tool both in clinic and research. While geometrical personalization of the spine is no more an issue, thanks to recent technological advances, non-invasive personalization of soft tissue’s mechanical properties remains a challenge. Ultrasound elastography is a relatively recent measurement technique allowing the evaluation of soft tissue’s elastic modulus through the measurement of shear wave speed (SWS). The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of elastographic measurements in intervertebral disc (IVD). An in-vitro approach was chosen to test the hypothesis that SWS can be used to evaluate IVD mechanical properties and to assess measurement repeatability. Eleven oxtail IVDs were tested in compression to determine their stiffness and apparent elastic modulus at rest and at 400 N. Elastographic measurements were performed in these two conditions and compared to these mechanical parameters. The protocol was repeated six times to determine elastographic measurement repeatability. Average SWS over all samples was 5.3 ± 1.0 m/s, with a repeatability of 7 % at rest and 4.6 % at 400 N; stiffness and apparent elastic modulus were 266.3 ± 70.5 N/mm and 5.4 ± 1.1 MPa at rest, respectively, while at 400 N they were 781.0 ± 153.8 N/mm and 13.2 ± 2.4 MPa. Correlations were found between elastographic measurements and IVD mechanical properties; these preliminary results are promising for further in-vivo application.The authors are grateful to the ParisTech BiomecAM chair program on subject-specific musculoskeletal modelling for funding (with the support of Proteor, ParisTech and Yves Cotrel Foundations)