Vibratory stimulus to the masseter muscle impairs the oral fine motor control during biting tasks

PurposeTo investigated the effect of vibratory stimulus on masseter muscles during oral fine motor biting tasks.MethodsSixteen healthy individuals (age: 24.5 ± 2.4 years) participated in experiment I during which the participants were asked to “hold and split” half a roasted peanut placed on a force transducer with their front teeth. The participant performed ten series with ten trials of the “hold and split” behavioral task while vibratory stimulus was applied on the masseter muscle every alternate series. Further, fourteen participants participated (age: 25.2 ± 4.8 years) in experiment II during which they performed a series each of the behavioral task at baseline, an adjusted baseline without and with vibration as well as with and without visual feedback. Hold and split forces along with the variability of hold force and duration and force rate during the split were measured.ResultsThe results of the study showed an increase in the magnitude of the hold force (P = 0.002), force rate during the split (P < 0.001) and a significant decrease in the duration of split (P < 0.001) due to the vibratory stimulus. However, there was no significant effect of the vibratory stimulus on the variability of hold forces (P = 0.879) or mean split force (P = 0.683) during the “hold and split” behavioral task. The results of experiment II also showed an increase in hold force due to the vibratory stimulus (P < 0.001).ConclusionsVibratory stimulus to the masseter muscles impairs the oral force control during a standardized biting task and provide further insight into the sensorimotor regulation of the masticatory system.     

Real‐time RF pulse adjustment for B0 drift correction

Although the magnetic field of an MR scanner is very stable under little or no load, it can become less stable under heavy‐duty cycle conditions, such as in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Uncorrected, such field drifts lead to an apparent image shift along the phase‐encoding direction and decreasing effectiveness of fat saturation pulses. A method is presented to adjust the center frequency of all RF pulses and the receiver in real time during the acquisition. No data postprocessing or changes to the sequence timing are necessary. In vivo acquisitions were performed to assess the prolonged effectiveness of fat saturation. Field drifts of approximately 2.5 Hz/min were measured and corrected during DTI acquisitions at b‐values of up to 3000 s/mm². The effectiveness of fat saturation diminished over the duration of an 18‐min acquisition when the drift was left uncorrected. The proposed method corrects for apparent image shift and ensures continuously effective fat saturation over the duration of an acquisition. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

State and output feedback design for robust tracking of linear systems with rate limited actuators

A design technique (Control of Uncertain Systems with Bounded Inputs, Tarbouriech S, Garcia G, (Eds), Lecture Notes in Control and Information Sciences, vol. 227 , Springer: Berlin, 1997; 173–186) recently proposed for stabilization of a linear system with rate‐limited actuators is utilized to design feedback laws that cause the system output to track a desired command signal. This design technique combines two design techniques recently developed for linear systems with position limited actuators, piecewise‐linear LQ control (Automatica, 1994; 30 : 403–416) and low‐and‐high gain feedback (IEEE Trans. Automat. Control, 1996; 41 : 368–378), and hence takes advantage of both design techniques, while avoiding their disadvantages. In the case that only the output is available for feedback, the performance of the state feedback law is preserved by the use of a fast observer. An open‐loop exponentially unstable fighter aircraft is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control design method. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

随机系统的最小熵控制

本文放弃传统的MSE准则,从信息论观点出发,发展了随机系统的一种最小熵(ME)控制方法,并从ME控制的等价性、控制限度、存在性、唯一性及必要条件等方面,研究了ME控制的合理性和实用性。ME方法是一种全局分析法,它不仅包含了MSE和MAP准则,且由于全文在整个推导中并未假定高斯性、线性和非时变等,因而原则上适用于诸如非高斯、非线性、时变等传统方法难以处理的复杂系统;不仅适用于工程系统,将其推广到决策、社会、经济等领域会更为自然和切合实际。     

FEEDBACK CONTROL OF A HEAT DIFFUSION SYSTEM WITH TIME-DEPENDENT SPATIAL DOMAIN

The problem of controlling the temperature distribution in a solid cylinder whose length varies with time and with one end in contact with a constant temperature medium is considered. This problem is motivated from that of controlling the temperature and thermal gradient inside a crystal pulled from a melt by the Czochralski method. Boundary feedback controls are derived by considering the time rate of change of a cost functional involving the deviations of both the solid temperature and its gradient from their desired values. The derived feedback controls consist of spatially distributed proportional-plus-rate and lag compensators and a non-linear feedback control involving the temperature gradient at the cylinder surface and the velocity of the spatial domain boundary. The resulting feedback-controlled system has the property that the cost functional along any motion decreases monotonically to zero with time. A numerical scheme for solving the partial differential equation of the feedback-controlled system is proposed. Typical numerical results on the dynamic behaviour of the feedback-controlled system obtained by means of the proposed scheme are presented.     

A phase I/II study of continuous infusion suramin in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer : toxicity and response

 Introduction: Suramin is a synthetic polysulfonated naphthylurea which has been used for the treatment of African trypanosomiasis and onchocerciasis, but since the mid-1980s has received attention as a possible antiretroviral and antineoplastic agent. Objective: This clinical trial of suramin was undertaken as a phase I/II study in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, with the hypothesis that the intensity of therapy with suramin could be increased significantly if measures were undertaken to maintain the plasma concentrations of the drug under 300 μg/ml. Methods: We report the clinical results of this trial, wherein patients were treated at three different targeted plasma suramin concentrations (275, 215 and 175 μg/ml) for varying periods of time (2, 4 or 8 weeks), with delivery of the drug by continuous intravenous infusion. Results: The major toxicity observed in this trial was neurologic, consisting of a motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy that resulted in both paresis and paralysis of the limbs. Nearly all of this severe (CTEP grade III, IV) neurologic toxicity was observed in the patients treated at a plasma suramin concentration of 275 μg/ml for 4 or more weeks. A single patient treated at 215 μg/ml for 8 weeks developed moderate (CTEP grade III) proximal lower extremity weakness, and no patient treated at 175 μg/ml developed this toxicity. The second most common toxicity observed was infection of the central venous catheter. The overall response rate for all of the evaluable patients was 17% (13 of 75 patients). In addition, prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-defined responses were observed in six patients receiving therapy at 175 μg/ml, but these responses were confounded by cessation of therapy with flutamide during suramin treatment. Conclusions: In summary, although plasma suramin concentrations were maintained below 300 μg/ml, neurologic toxicity nonetheless occurred with high frequency in patients treated at 275 μg/ml for 4 or more weeks. Therapy at 215 and 175 μg/ml was in general well tolerated, but central venous catheter-related infection, as well as the inconvenience and expense of continuous infusional therapy, make this method of drug delivery impractical. Only moderate antitumor activity was observed during this trial, but it is possible that both continuation of flutamide and flutamide withdrawal during suramin therapy confounded the assessment of suramin’s activity in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Received: 9 June 1995/Accepted: 18 March 1996     

The role of formative courses in the professional integration of patients with epilepsy. An Italian experience

Abstract The aim of the present paper was to describe some formative projects on work integration of patients with epilepsy and mild cognitive deficits, so that similar initiatives may be promoted. The different phases of the formative projects were described: the inclusion criteria, the selection of participants, the assessment instruments, the courses themselves and the final results in terms of working experience. Thirteen participants were selected for each course. Patients were treated in different Lombardy Epilepsy departments, which addressed them to the Epilepsy Center, S. Paolo Hospital, Milan, where the selection took place. Seventy percent of the participants in the formative courses found a job in 1 year, even though most of the positions were temporary. The work integration seemed to be mainly related to the level of intelligence and to verbal memory. We stress the importance of organising similar courses in the future, in the context of wider networks. This will help more patients in acquiring both economic and psychological autonomy from their families.     

Polynomial matrix solution of H2 optimal control problem for state‐space systems

A polynomial matrix solution to the H₂ output feedback optimal control problems is obtained for systems represented in state‐equation form. The proof does not invoke the separation principle but is obtained in the z‐domain. The cost function includes weighted states, which allows the so‐called standard system model problem to be solved. This encompasses the class of inferential control problems. The results also enable the two‐degree‐of‐freedom optimal control solution properties to be explored. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.