255 research outputs found

    J.-C., Deschamps, J.-F., Morales, D, Paez, & S., Worchel. L’identité sociale. La construction de l’individu dans les relations entre groupes.

    Get PDF
    Le concept d'identité, millénaire, a accompagné au vingtième siècle l'émergence de la psychologie comme discipline scientifique. Ce concept ayant fait l'objet d'une attention soutenue de la part de la communauté scientifique, et donc d'un volume de publications en conséquence, les auteurs se proposent de rendre compte des récentes avancées dans ce domaine. Un peu plus de vingt ans après l'arrivée de la T.I.S. (Théorie de l'Identité Sociale) dans le champ épistémologique, que pouvons-nous dire..

    Tailoring the morphology of photowritten buried waveguides by helical trajectory in As2S3 glass

    No full text
    International audienceThis paper deals with the control of the refractive index variation (Δn) profile induced by femtosecond laser irradiation in the bulk of As2S3 glass. The writing technique consists of an original laser inscription based on a helical translation of the sample parallel to the laser beam. Instead of inscribing the core of the waveguide as usually performed, the laser beam is used to induce a negative refractive index variation and consequently to write the cladding of the waveguide. However, it should be noticed that the matter displacement resulting from local heating leads to a densification at the center of the helix which induces a positive Δn relatively to the matrix. Therefore, the structure of Δn is complex, being composed of a positive core surrounded by a negative cladding. The influence of different parameters on the Δn profiles such as the sample translation velocity, the pitch and the radius of the helical displacement, and the pulse energy are analysed. This study demonstrates that both Δn and its diameter can be varied in a wide range of values and picked independently, allowing the design of single or multimode buried infrared waveguid

    Feedback Control of an Exoskeleton for Paraplegics: Toward Robustly Stable Hands-free Dynamic Walking

    Get PDF
    This manuscript presents control of a high-DOF fully actuated lower-limb exoskeleton for paraplegic individuals. The key novelty is the ability for the user to walk without the use of crutches or other external means of stabilization. We harness the power of modern optimization techniques and supervised machine learning to develop a smooth feedback control policy that provides robust velocity regulation and perturbation rejection. Preliminary evaluation of the stability and robustness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through the Gazebo simulation environment. In addition, preliminary experimental results with (complete) paraplegic individuals are included for the previous version of the controller.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Control System Magazine. This version addresses reviewers' concerns about the robustness of the algorithm and the motivation for using such exoskeleton

    Effects of ultrasound on polymeric foam porosity

    Get PDF
    A variety of materials require functionally graded cellular microstructures whose porosity is engineered to meet specific applications (e.g. mimic bone structure for orthopaedic applications; fulfil mechanical, thermal or acoustic constraints in structural foamed components, etc.). Although a huge variety of foams can be manufactured with homogenous porosity, there are no generic processes for controlling the distribution of porosity within the resulting matrix. Motivated by the desire to create a flexible process for engineering heterogeneous foams, the authors have investigated how ultrasound, applied during the formation of a polyurethane foam, affects its cellular structure. The experimental results demonstrated how the parameters of ultrasound exposure (i.e. frequency and applied power) influenced the volume and distribution of pores within the final polyurethane matrix: the data demonstrates that porosity (i.e. volume fraction) varies in direct proportion to both the acoustic pressure and frequency of the ultrasound signal. The effects of ultrasound on porosity demonstrated by this work offer the prospect of a manufacturing process that can adjust the cellular geometry of foam and hence ensure that the resulting characteristics match the functional requirements

    Influence of NaX (X=I or Cl) additions on GeS2-​Ga2S3 based glasses

    No full text
    International audienceChalcogenide glasses in the pseudo-​ternary system NaX-​GeS2-​Ga2S3 (X=Cl or I) were synthesized. Different series were investigated in order to highlight the influence of the sodium halide addn. on two different host glasses (GeS2)​80(Ga2S3)​20 and (GeS2)​72(Ga2S3)​28. Macroscopic properties including d. and characteristic temps., such as glass transition temps. Tg and crystn. temp. Tx, were detd. for a max. molar content of NaX equal to 15​%. The evolution of the optical band-​gap and the chem. stability following the compn. were also studied. Cond. measurements were also performed and compared to other Li-​based GeS2-​Ga2S3 glasses. The results were discussed taking into account the cation and anion nature and also the glass packing d

    Does expecting more pain make it more intense? Factors associated with the first week pain trajectories after breast cancer surgery

    Get PDF
    The aim of this study was to identify clinical risk factors for unfavorable pain trajectories after breast cancer surgery, to better understand the association between pain expectation, psychological distress, and acute postoperative pain. This prospective study included 563 women treated for breast cancer. Psychological data included questionnaires for depressive symptoms and anxiety. Experimental pain tests for heat and cold were performed before surgery. The amount of oxycodone needed for satisfactory pain relief after surgery was recorded. Pain intensity in the area of operation before surgery and during the first postoperative week and expected intensity of postoperative pain were recorded using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS 0-10). Pain trajectories were formed to describe both initial intensity (the intercept) and the direction of the pain path (the slope). Factors associated with higher initial pain intensity (the intercept) were the amount of oxycodone needed for adequate analgesia, psychological distress, type of axillary surgery, preoperative pain in the area of the operation, and expectation of postoperative pain. The higher the pain initially was, the faster it resolved over the week. Expectation of severe postoperative pain was associated with higher scores of both experimental and clinical pain intensity and psychological factors. The results confirm that acute pain after breast cancer surgery is a multidimensional phenomenon. Psychological distress, pain expectation, and the patients' report of preoperative pain in the area to be operated should be recognized before surgery. Patients having axillary clearance need more efficient analgesic approaches.Peer reviewe

    Feedback Control of an Exoskeleton for Paraplegics: Toward Robustly Stable, Hands-Free Dynamic Walking

    Get PDF
    "I will never forget the emotion of my first steps […]," were the words of Fran?oise, the first user during initial trials of the exoskeleton ATALANTE [1]. "I am tall again!" were the words of Sandy (the fourth user) after standing up in the exoskeleton. During these early tests, complete paraplegic patients dynamically walked up to 10 m without crutches or other assistance using a feedback control method originally invented for bipedal robots. As discussed in "Summary," this article describes the hardware (shown in Figure 1) that was designed to achieve hands-free dynamic walking, the control laws that were deployed (and those being developed) to provide enhanced mobility and robustness, and preliminary test results. In this article, dynamic walking refers to a motion that is orbitally stable as opposed to statically stable

    Differential predictors of acute post-surgical pain intensity after abdominal hysterectomy and major joint arthroplasty

    Get PDF
    Author's personal copyBACKGROUND Psychological factors have a significant role in post-surgical pain, and their study can inform pain management. PURPOSE The aims of this study are to identify psychological predictors of post-surgical pain following abdominal hysterectomy (AH) and major joint arthroplasty (MJA) and to investigate differential predictors by type of surgery. METHOD One hundred forty-two women undergoing AH and 110 patients undergoing MJA were assessed 24 h before (T1) and 48 h after (T2) surgery. RESULTS A predictive post-surgical pain model was found for AH and MJA yielding pre-surgical pain experience and pain catastrophizing as significant predictors and a significant interaction of pre-surgical optimism and surgery type. Separate regression models by surgery type showed that pre-surgical optimism was the best predictor of post-surgical pain after MJA, but not after AH. CONCLUSIONS Findings highlight the relevance of psychological predictors for both surgeries and the value of targeting specific psychological factors by surgery type in order to effectively manage acute post-surgical pain.Supported by a project grant (PTDC/SAU-NEU/108557/2008) and by a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/36368/2007) from the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology, COMPETE, and FEDE
    corecore