5,068 research outputs found
A consistent treatment of link and writhe for open rods, and their relation to end rotation
We combine and extend the work of Alexander & Antman \cite{alexander.82} and
Fuller \cite{fuller.71,fuller.78} to give a framework within which precise
definitions can be given of topological and geometrical quantities
characterising the contortion of open rods undergoing large deformations under
end loading. We use these definitions to examine the extension of known results
for closed rods to open rods. In particular, we formulate the analogue of the
celebrated formula (link equals twist plus writhe) for open rods and
propose an end rotation, through which the applied end moment does work, in the
form of an integral over the length of the rod. The results serve to promote
the variational analysis of boundary-value problems for rods undergoing large
deformations.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
Anytime Stereo Image Depth Estimation on Mobile Devices
Many applications of stereo depth estimation in robotics require the
generation of accurate disparity maps in real time under significant
computational constraints. Current state-of-the-art algorithms force a choice
between either generating accurate mappings at a slow pace, or quickly
generating inaccurate ones, and additionally these methods typically require
far too many parameters to be usable on power- or memory-constrained devices.
Motivated by these shortcomings, we propose a novel approach for disparity
prediction in the anytime setting. In contrast to prior work, our end-to-end
learned approach can trade off computation and accuracy at inference time.
Depth estimation is performed in stages, during which the model can be queried
at any time to output its current best estimate. Our final model can process
1242375 resolution images within a range of 10-35 FPS on an NVIDIA
Jetson TX2 module with only marginal increases in error -- using two orders of
magnitude fewer parameters than the most competitive baseline. The source code
is available at https://github.com/mileyan/AnyNet .Comment: Accepted by ICRA201
REFLEX, a social-cognitive group treatment to improve insight in schizophrenia:Study protocol of a multi-center RCT
BACKGROUND: Insight is impaired in a majority of people with schizophrenia. Impaired insight is associated with poorer outcomes of the disorder. Based on existing literature, we developed a model that explains which processes may possibly play a role in impaired insight. This model was the starting point of the development of REFLEX: a brief psychosocial intervention to improve insight in schizophrenia. REFLEX is a 12-sessions group training, consisting of three modules of four sessions each. Modules in this intervention are: "coping with stigma", "you and your personal narrative", and "you in the present". METHODS/DESIGN: REFLEX is currently evaluated in a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Eight mental health institutions in the Netherlands participate in this evaluation. Patients are randomly assigned to either REFLEX or an active control condition, existing of cognitive remediation exercises in a group. In a subgroup of patients, fMRI scans are made before and after training in order to assess potential haemodynamic changes associated with the effects of the training. DISCUSSION: REFLEX is one of the few interventions aiming specifically to improving insight in schizophrenia and has potential value for improving insight. Targeting insight in schizophrenia is a complex task, that comes with several methodological issues. These issues are addressed in the discussion of this paper. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN5024753
Spin-Orbit Coupling in LaAlO/SrTiO interfaces: Magnetism and Orbital Ordering
The combination of Rashba spin-orbit coupling and electron correlations can
induce unusual phenomena in the metallic interface between SrTiO and
LaAlO. We consider effects of Rashba spin-orbit coupling at this interface
in the context of the recent observation of anisotropic magnetism. Firstly, we
show how Rashba spin-orbit coupling in a system near a band-edge can account
for the observed magnetic anisotropy. Secondly, we investigate the coupling
between in-plane magnetic-moment anisotropy and nematicity in the form of an
orbital imbalance between d / d orbitals. We estimate this
coupling to be substantial in the low electron density regime. Such an orbital
ordering can affect magneto transport
Cost-Effectiveness of Five Commonly Used Prosthesis Brands for Total Knee Replacement in the UK: A Study Using the NJR Dataset.
BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of alternative brands of prosthesis for total knee replacement (TKR). We compared patient-reported outcomes, revision rates, and costs, and estimated the relative cost-effectiveness of five frequently used cemented brands of unconstrained prostheses with fixed bearings (PFC Sigma, AGC Biomet, Nexgen, Genesis 2, and Triathlon). METHODS: We used data from three national databases for patients who had a TKR between 2003 and 2012, to estimate the effect of prosthesis brand on post-operative quality of life (QOL) (EQ-5D-3L) in 53 126 patients at six months. We compared TKR revision rates by brand over 10 years for 239 945 patients. We used a fully probabilistic Markov model to estimate lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and the probability that each prosthesis brand is the most cost effective at alternative thresholds of willingness-to-pay for a QALY gain. FINDINGS: Revision rates were lowest with the Nexgen and PFC Sigma (2.5% after 10 years in 70-year-old women). Average lifetime costs were lowest with the AGC Biomet (ÂŁ9 538); mean post-operative QOL was highest with the Nexgen, which was the most cost-effective brand across all patient subgroups. For example, for 70-year-old men and women, the ICERs for the Nexgen compared to the AGC Biomet were ÂŁ2 300 per QALY. At realistic cost per QALY thresholds (ÂŁ10 000 to ÂŁ30 000), the probabilities that the Nexgen is the most cost-effective brand are about 98%. These results were robust to alternative modelling assumptions. CONCLUSIONS: AGC Biomet prostheses are the least costly cemented unconstrained fixed brand for TKR but Nexgen prostheses lead to improved patient outcomes, at low additional cost. These results suggest that Nexgen should be considered as a first choice prosthesis for patients with osteoarthritis who require a TKR
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