932 research outputs found

    Infinite Horizon Noncooperative Differential Games

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    For a non-cooperative differential game, the value functions of the various players satisfy a system of Hamilton-Jacobi equations. In the present paper, we consider a class of infinite-horizon games with nonlinear costs exponentially discounted in time. By the analysis of the value functions, we establish the existence of Nash equilibrium solutions in feedback form and provide results and counterexamples on their uniqueness and stability.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figure

    Minimally-invasive pain management techniques in palliative care

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    Pain is a common source of suffering for seriously ill patients. Typical first-line treatments consist of lifestyle modifications and medication therapy, including opioids. However, medical treatments often fail or are associated with limiting systemic toxicities, and more targeted interventional approaches are necessary. Herein, we present options for minimally invasive techniques for the alleviation of pain in palliative patients from a head-to-toe approach, with a focus on emerging therapies and advanced techniques. Head and neck: image-guided interventions targeted to sympathetic ganglia of the head and neck, such as sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) and stellate ganglion, have been shown to be effective for some forms of sympathetically-maintained and visceral pain. Interventions targeting branches of cranial nerves and upper cervical nerves, such as the glossopharyngeal nerve (GPN), are options in treating somatic head and face pain. Abdominal and Pelvic: sympathetic blocks, including celiac plexus, inferior hypogastric, and ganglion impar can relieve visceral abdominal and pelvic pain. Spine and somatic pain: fascial plane blocks of the chest and abdominal wall and myofascial trigger point injections can be used for somatic pain indications. Cementoplasties, such as kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, are used for pain related to bony metastases and compression fractures. Tumor ablative techniques can also be used for lytic lesions of the bone. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS), intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDS), and cordotomy have also been used successfully in patients requiring advanced options, such as those with significant spinal, ischemic, or visceral pain

    Strengthening of Concrete Beams Using FRP Composites

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    Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to predict the behavior of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP). To verify and measure the accuracy of the FEM model, the current model results were compared with both experimental and theoretical available results. Four beams were studied simulating the Horsetail Creek Bridge, Oregon, USA. The first one is a control beam with no strengthening fiber.The second beam is strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) oriented along the length of the beam to reinforce the flexure behavior. The third beam is wrapped with glass fiber reinforced polymer(GFRP) laminates representing the shear beam. The fourth one is strengthened with CFRP and GFRP laminates representing the flexure-shear beam.The load-strain for concrete, steel and fiber as well were represented and compared. In addition, the load deflection curves and crack patterns were developed and represented. The results showed that the modeling process was accurate in simulating the tested beams. It was also clear that using FRP in strengthening reinforced concrete beams is an effective method in improving both shear and flexural behavior of the beams

    Medical image analysis for the early prediction of hypertension

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    Recently, medical image analysis has become a vital evolving technology that is used in the early diagnosis of various diseases. Medical imaging techniques enable physicians to capture noninvasive images of structures inside the human body (such as bones, tissues, or blood vessels) as well as their functions (such as brain activity). In this study, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) images have been analyzed to help physicians in the early prediction of hypertension. Hypertension is a progressive disease that may take several years before being fully understood. In the United States, hypertension afflicts one in every three adults and is a leading cause of mortality in more than half a million patients every year. Specific alterations in human brains’ cerebrovasculature have been observed to precede the onset of hypertension. This study presents a computer-aided diagnosis system (CAD) that can predict hypertension prior to the systemic onset of the disease. This MRA-based CAD system is able to detect, track, and quantify the hypertension-related cerebrovascular alterations, then it makes a decision based on the analyzed data about whether each subject is at a high risk of developing hypertension or not. Such kind of prediction can help clinicians in taking proactive and preventative steps to stop the progress of the disease and mitigate adverse events

    On Pairwise λ-Open Soft Sets and Pairwise Locally Closed Soft Sets

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    Kandil and his colleagues [10], introduced the notion of -closed soft set by involving -soft set and -closed soft set. In this paper, we give some additional properties of -closed soft sets. We also introduce and study a related new class of -spaces which lies between  and  . Moreover, we show that there exists a very important relation between the notion of -closed soft sets and the  property, ,  , . In addition, we offer the notion of -locally closed soft sets and we investigate a related new pairwise soft separation axiom  which is independent from . The relationships between the -closed soft sets and the -locally closed soft sets are obtained. Furthermore, we introduce the notion of -open soft sets and we construct supra soft topology associated with the class of -open soft sets and we present pairwise soft separation axioms related to such soft sets, namely . We provide some illustrative examples to support the results

    Cooperative Localization in Mines Using Fingerprinting and Neural Networks

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