Some existence results on periodic solutions of Euler–Lagrange equations in an Orlicz–Sobolev space setting

International audienceIn this paper we consider the problem of finding periodic solutions of certain Euler-Lagrange equations. We employ the direct method of the calculus of variations, i.e. we obtain solutions minimizing certain functional I. We give conditions which ensure that I is finitely defined and differentiable on certain subsets of Orlicz-Sobolev spaces W 1 L Φ associated to an N-function Φ. We show that, in some sense, it is necessary for the coercitivity that the complementary function of Φ satisfy the ∆ 2-condition. We conclude by discussing conditions for the existence of minima of I

A gesture recognition algorithm in a robot therapy for ASD children

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) exhibit significant impairments in gesture imitation. Newest interventions are based on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) since children with ASD cope well with stylized, rule-based and predictable systems. These collaborative approaches encompass therapy games based on joint exercises, imitation and interaction between robots and children. This paper's aim was to implement an algorithm to automatically recognize small and similar gestures within a humanoid-robot therapy called IOGIOCO for ASD children. IOGIOCO is a multi-level HRI therapy meant to teach 19 meaningful gestures in a semantic framework based on a feedback interaction. Gestures were tracked as 3D coordinates of body keypoints captured by a Kinect. A Residual Neural Network was implemented and trained on a segmented Dataset acquired within this study to generate the offline model which was then exploited in a real-time classification using a sliding window. Feedback as sound stimuli from NAO robot was provided based on the automatic evaluation of each performance. Clinical acquisitions were carried out on 4 ASD children within the IOGIOCO therapy. Offline recognition was successful: exploiting Artificial Neural Networks we reached 95% of test accuracy for 19 gestures. A real-time recognition on healthy subjects reached 94% accuracy. Clinical applications were evaluated through the F1 score that achieved 79% value. These outcomes were encouraging considering the wide gesture set and all the challenges the therapy raises. This kind of automatic algorithm was able to decrease the therapist workload and increase the robustness of the therapy and engagement of the child

Psychiatric events in epilepsy

Psychiatric events are thought to be more frequent in people with epileptic seizures than in the general population. However, inter-ictal psychiatric events attributable to epilepsy remain controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of psychiatric events in a population of fairly unselected patients with epilepsy and in the general population, and the correlation between psychiatric complaints and selected demographic and disease characteristics. The survey was part of a multicentre prospective cohort study of everyday life risks conducted in eight European countries and comparing referral children and adults with epilepsy referred to secondary/tertiary centers to age- and sex-matched non-epileptic controls. Nine hundred and fifty-one patients with epilepsy and 909 controls were studied. Each patient and his/her control received a diary to record any accident or illness, with severity, circumstances, causes, consequences, and (for the cases) the possible relation to a seizure. The follow-up period ranged between 1 and 2 years. Fifty-eight psychiatric events occurred in 25 patients (2.6%) and 88 in 19 controls (2.1%). Housewives (9.3%) and unemployed persons (4.1%) were mostly affected. No correlation was found between psychiatric events, demographic and disease characteristics. Our results suggest that people with epilepsy if unselected are not at higher risk for psychiatric disorders than the general population. © 2007 British Epilepsy Association

Accidents in patients with epilepsy: Types, circumstances, and complications: A European cohort study

Purpose: To investigate the risk of accidents in a cohort of patients with epilepsy and in matched nonepilepsy controls, by type, circumstances, and complications. Methods: A total of 951 children and adults with idiopathic, cryptogenic, or remote symptomatic epilepsy and 904 matched controls seen in secondary and tertiary centers in eight European countries (England, Estonia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, and Slovenia) were followed up prospectively for 17,484 and 17,206 person-months and asked to report any accident requiring medical attention, its site, and complications. Risk assessment was done by using actuarial methods, relative risks (RRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: During the study period, 199 (21%) patients and 123 (14%) controls reported an accident (p < 0.0001); 24% were seizure related. The cumulative probability of accidents at 12 and 24 months was 17 and 27% in the cases and 12 and 17% in the controls. The risk was highest for concussions (RR, 2.6; 9.5% CI, 1.2-5.8), abrasions (RR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-4.0), and wounds (RR, 1.9; CI, 1.2-3.1). Domestic accidents prevailed in both groups, followed by street and work accidents, and were more common among cases. Compared with controls, patients with epilepsy reported more hospitalization, complications, and medical action. Disease characteristics associated with an increased risk of accidents included generalized epilepsy (concussions), active epilepsy, and at least monthly seizures (abrasions). Most risks decreased, becoming nonsignificant after excluding seizure-related events. Conclusions: Patients with epilepsy are at higher risk of accidents and their complications. However, the risk was substantially lower after exclusion of seizure-related events