A Thalamic-Fronto-Parietal Structural Covariance Network Emerging in the Course of Recovery from Hand Paresis after Ischemic Stroke.

AIM To describe structural covariance networks of gray matter volume (GMV) change in 28 patients with first-ever stroke to the primary sensorimotor cortices, and to investigate their relationship to hand function recovery and local GMV change. METHODS Tensor-based morphometry maps derived from high-resolution structural images were subject to principal component analyses to identify the networks. We calculated correlations between network expression and local GMV change, sensorimotor hand function and lesion volume. To verify which of the structural covariance networks of GMV change have a significant relationship to hand function, we performed an additional multivariate regression approach. RESULTS Expression of the second network, explaining 9.1% of variance, correlated with GMV increase in the medio-dorsal (md) thalamus and hand motor skill. Patients with positive expression coefficients were distinguished by significantly higher GMV increase of this structure during stroke recovery. Significant nodes of this network were located in md thalamus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and higher order sensorimotor cortices. Parameter of hand function had a unique relationship to the network and depended on an interaction between network expression and lesion volume. Inversely, network expression is limited in patients with large lesion volumes. CONCLUSION Chronic phase of sensorimotor cortical stroke has been characterized by a large scale co-varying structural network in the ipsilesional hemisphere associated specifically with sensorimotor hand skill. Its expression is related to GMV increase of md thalamus, one constituent of the network, and correlated with the cortico-striato-thalamic loop involved in control of motor execution and higher order sensorimotor cortices. A close relation between expression of this network with degree of recovery might indicate reduced compensatory resources in the impaired subgroup.

Medical, psychological and socio-economic implications of chronic hand eczema: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND Hand eczema (HE) is a common skin disease with major medical psychological and socio-economic implications. Onset and prognosis of HE are determined by individual as well as environmental factors. So far, most epidemiological data on HE have been reported from Scandinavian and recently German studies. OBJECTIVE To investigate the characteristics and medical care of patients with chronic HE (CHE) in Switzerland, and identify risk factors. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, data from patients with chronic HE were obtained by means of medical history, dermatological examination and patient questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to identify risk factors for high severity and dermatology life quality index (DLQI). RESULTS In seven dermatology departments, 199 patients (mean age 40.4 years, 50.8% female) with CHE (mean duration 6.6 years) were enrolled. Moderate to severe HE was reported by 70.9% of patients, and was associated with age <30 or >50 years, localization of lesions and pruritus. Because of the CHE, 37.3% of patients were on sick leave over the past 12 months, 14.8% had changed or lost their job. Practically all patients applied topical therapy, 21% were treated with alitretinoin, and 21% with psoralen plus UVA light (PUVA). The effects on the health-related quality of life was moderate to large in 33.7% and 39.4% of CHE patients, respectively. Factors associated with a high impact on DLQI (mean 9.7 ± 5.8) were female sex, lesions on back of the hands and pruritus as well as mechanical skin irritation and wearing gloves. CONCLUSION In agreement with recent studies, the Swiss data demonstrate the high impact of CHE on medical well-being, patient quality of life and work ability. As it is associated with an intense use of health care services, high rate of sick leave, job loss and change, CHE may cause a high socio-economic burden.

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 650 - "Vorgeschichte des politischen Antisemitismus"; "Sociòlogica II" (p. IX 30-IX 31.1-11)

Vorrede von Max Horkheimer und Theodor W. Adorno, Entwurf; veröffentlicht in: Massig, Paul W. (1959) Vorgeschichte des Antisemitismus. Frankfurt am Main; Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, datiert Ostern 1958, 8 Blatt; Mann, Thomas (1949) Rehearsal for Destruction; Rezesion der amerikanischen Originalausgabe des Buches von Massig; Typoskript, 3 Blatt; "Sociòlogica II", veröffentlicht von Max Horkheimer und Theodor W. Ardono, Frankfurt am Main, 1962; Vorbemerkung, Entwurf, mehrere Typoskripte zum Teil mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen und Ergänzungen; Adorno, Gretel: 1 Brief mit Unterschrift an Max Horkheimer, Frankfurt, 09.01.1962 und Beiliegend: Verzeichnis der Verlage und Drucknachweise, 6 Blatt; Adorno, Gretel: 1 Brief mit Unterschrift an Max Horkheimer, Frankfurt, 24.07.1961, 1 Blatt; Horkheimer, Max: "Zum Begriff des Menschen heute". Sonderdruck; mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 11 Blatt; mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen von Theodor W. Adorno, 11 Blatt; Beiträge zu "Sociòlogica II" von Adorno; Adorno, Theodor W.: "Die revidierte Psychoanalyse". Typsokript 28 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W.: "Aberglaube aus zweiter Hand". Typoskript, 43 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W.: "Theorie der Halbbildung". Sonderdurck mit hanschriftlichen Anstreichungen, 13 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W.: "Soziologie und empirische Forschung". Sonderdruck, 8 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W.: "Über Statik und Dynamik als soziologische Kategorien". Sonderdruck, 10 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W.: "Kultur und Verwaltung". Sonderdruck, 11 Blatt; Horkheimer, Max: "Philosophie als Kulturkritik". Teilstücke aus den Druckfahnen mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen und Ergänzungen, 3 Blatt;

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 682 - "Antisemitism among American Labor" (p. IX 146.2-4 - IX 146.5-23)

"Antisemitism and American Labor. A Research Project of the Institut of Social Research", Januar 1944 (revised June 1944); a) als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 14 Blatt; b) Typoskript, 14 Blatt; Institut of Social Research: "Project an Antisemitism and American Labor", Januar 1944; a) Typoskript, 18 Blatt; b) Typoskript, mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 17 Blatt, c) Teilstück, Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 1 Blatt; d) Teilstück, Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 1 Blatt; e) Teilstück, Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 5 Blatt; f) Teilstück, Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 4 Blatt; "Project on Antisemitism an American Labor", Dezember 1943; a) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 18 Blatt; b) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen von Theodor W. Adorno, 17 Blatt; c) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 12 Blatt; Memoranden 1941-1949; Adorno, Theodor W. to Löwenthal, Leo: "Supplement to the Memorandum of 7/28/49 by Pollock, Friedrich re Labor Study", 18.09.1949. Typoskript, 6 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W.: "Memorandum re: Antisemitism among American Labor, as edited by the Bureau of Applied Social Research", 19.07.1949. Typoskript, 8 Blatt; "Expenses for Project: Antisemitism among Labor, june 1, 1944- May 31,1945". Typoskript, 1 Blatt; Institut of Social Research: "Interim Memorandum on Progress of Project on Antisemitism within Labor", 04.09.1944. Typoskript, 11 Blatt; Institut of Social Research: "Re: Project on Labor and Antisemitism. Difficulties to be expected", 21.03.1944. Typoskript, 3 Blatt; "Re: Project on Labor and Antisemitism. Plants to be Contacted", 21.03.1944. Typoskript, 2 Blatt; "Some Remarks to Dr. Gelle's Report 'Der deutsche Progrom, a, 10. November 1938'", 11.03.1944. Typoskript, 12 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W. ?: "Adress to ameeting of the Jewish Labor Committee, January 20th, 1944, los Angeles". Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Ergänzungen, 2 Blatt; Pollock, Friedrich: "Re: Sherman", 31.12.1943, 1 Blatt; "Memorandum re: Jewish Labor Committee", 23.12.1943. Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 2 Blatt; "Tentative Budget for a Trial Survey on Antisemitism among American Labor", 23.12.1943. Typoskript, 1 Blatt; "Council for Democracy. Survey on Antisemitism. Hartford, Conn., late 1941". Typoskript, 4 Blatt; "Council for Democracy. Survey on Antisemitism. Terre Haute, Ind.". Typoskript, 2 Blatt; Horkheimer, Max: Eigenhändige Notizen zum Projekt, 3 Blatt; "Some heading lind", handschriftlichen Notizen, 1 Blatt; Institut of Social research: "Instructuins", Fragebogen, als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 3 Blatt; "Instructions for Interviews on Attitudes of Workers and White Collar Workers towards Jews". Als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 1 Blatt; Horkheimer, Max: 1 Briefentwurf an Friedrich Pollock, ohne Ort, ohne Datum, 1 Blatt; Pollock, Friedrich: 3 Briefe an Max Horkheimer, ohne Ort, 1943, 3 Blatt; Sherman, Charles B.: 1 Brief mit Unterschrift an Friedrich Pollock, New York, 23.12.1943; 3 Briefe von Friedrich Pollock, New York, 1943-1944, 5 Blatt;

Analyses of shocked quartz from the K-P boundary

The precise cause and timing of the Cretaceous-Paleocene (K-P) mass extinction 65 Ma ago remains a matter of debate. Many advocate that the extinction was caused by a meteorite impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, and a number of potential kill-mechanisms have been proposed for this. Although we now have good constraints on the size of this impact and chemistry of the target rocks, estimates of its environmental consequences are hindered by a lack of knowledge about the obliquity of this impact. An oblique impact is likely to have been far more catastrophic than a sub-vertical one, because greater volumes of volatiles would have been released into the atmosphere. The principal purpose of this study was to characterize shocked quartz within distal K-P ejecta, to investigate whether the quartz distribution carried a signature of the direction and angle of impact. Our analyses show that the total number, maximum and average size of shocked quartz grains all decrease gradually with paleodistance from Chicxulub. We do not find particularly high abundances in Pacific sites relative to Atlantic and European sites, as has been previously reported, and the size-distribution around Chicxulub is relatively symmetric. Ejecta samples at any one site display features that are indicative of a wide range of shock pressures, but the mean degree of shock increases with paleodistance. These shock- and size-distributions are both consistent with the K-P layer having been formed by a single impact at Chicxulub. One site in the South Atlantic contains quartz indicating an anomalously high average shock degree, that may be indicative of an oblique impact with an uprange direction to the southeast +/- 45°. The apparent continuous coverage of proximal ejecta in this quadrant of the crater, however, suggests a relatively high impact angle of >45°. We conclude that some of the more extreme predictions of the environmental consequences of a low-angle impact at Chicxulub are probably not applicable.

Diseño de un Procesador de Membranas Paralelo para los Sistemas P de Transición

La computación con membranas surge como una alternativa a la computación tradicional. Dentro de este campo se sitúan los denominados Sistemas P de Transición que se basan en la existencia de regiones que contienen recursos y reglas que hacen evolucionar a dichos recursos para poder llevar a cada una de las regiones a una nueva situación denominada configuración. La sucesión de las diferentes configuraciones conforman la computación. En este campo, el Grupo de Computación Natural de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid lleva a cabo numerosas investigaciones al amparo de las cuales se han publicado numerosos artículos y realizado varias tesis doctorales. Las principales vías de investigación han sido, hasta el momento, el estudio del modelo teórico sobre el que se definen los Sistemas P, el estudio de los algoritmos que se utilizan para la aplicación de las reglas de evolución en las regiones, el diseño de nuevas arquitecturas que mejoren las comunicaciones entre las diferentes membranas (regiones) que componen el sistema y la implantación de estos sistemas en dispositivos hardware que pudiesen definir futuras máquinas basadas en este modelo. Dentro de este último campo, es decir, dentro del objetivo de construir finalmente máquinas que puedan llevar a cabo la funcionalidad de la computación con Sistemas P, la presente tesis doctoral se centra en el diseño de dos procesadores paralelos que, aplicando variantes de algoritmos existentes, favorezcan el crecimiento en el nivel de intra-paralelismo a la hora de aplicar las reglas. El diseño y creación de ambos procesadores presentan novedosas aportaciones al entorno de investigación de los Sistemas P de Transición en tanto en cuanto se utilizan conceptos que aunque previamente definidos de manera teórica, no habían sido introducidos en el hardware diseñado para estos sistemas. Así, los dos procesadores mantienen las siguientes características: - Presentan un alto rendimiento en la fase de aplicación de reglas, manteniendo por otro lado una flexibilidad y escalabilidad medias que son dependientes de la tecnología final sobre la que se sinteticen dichos procesadores. - Presentan un alto nivel de intra-paralelismo en las regiones al permitir la aplicación simultánea de reglas. - Tienen carácter universal en tanto en cuanto no depende del carácter de las reglas que componen el Sistema P. - Tienen un comportamiento indeterminista que es inherente a la propia naturaleza de estos sistemas. El primero de los circuitos utiliza el conjunto potencia del conjunto de reglas de aplicación así como el concepto de máxima aplicabilidad para favorecer el intra-paralelismo y el segundo incluye, además, el concepto de dominio de aplicabilidad para determinar el conjunto de reglas que son aplicables en cada momento con los recursos existentes. Ambos procesadores se diseñan y se prueban mediante herramientas de diseño electrónico y se preparan para ser sintetizados sobre FPGAs. ABSTRACT Membrane computing appears as an alternative to traditional computing. P Systems are placed inside this field and they are based upon the existence of regions called “membranes” that contain resources and rules that describe how the resources may vary to take each of these regions to a new situation called "configuration". Successive configurations conform computation. Inside this field, the Natural Computing Group of the Universidad Politécnica of Madrid develops a large number of works and researches that provide a lot of papers and some doctoral theses. Main research lines have been, by the moment, the study of the theoretical model over which Transition P Systems are defined, the study of the algorithms that are used for the evolution rules application in the regions, the design of new architectures that may improve communication among the different membranes (regions) that compose the whole system and the implementation of such systems over hardware devices that may define machines based upon this new model. Within this last research field, this is, within the objective of finally building machines that may accomplish the functionality of computation with P Systems, the present thesis is centered on the design of two parallel processors that, applying several variants of some known algorithms, improve the level of the internal parallelism at the evolution rule application phase. Design and creation of both processors present innovations to the field of Transition P Systems research because they use concepts that, even being known before, were never used for circuits that implement the applying phase of evolution rules. So, both processors present the following characteristics: - They present a very high performance during the application rule phase, keeping, on the other hand, a level of flexibility and scalability that, even known it is not very high, it seems to be acceptable. - They present a very high level of internal parallelism inside the regions, allowing several rule to be applied at the same time. - They present a universal character meaning this that they are not dependent upon the active rules that compose the P System. - They have a non-deterministic behavior that is inherent to this systems nature. The first processor uses the concept of "power set of the application rule set" and the concept of "maximal application" number to improve parallelism, and the second one includes, besides the previous ones, the concept of "applicability domain" to determine the set of rules that may be applied in each moment with the existing resources.. Both processors are designed and tested with the design software by Altera Corporation and they are ready to be synthetized over FPGAs.

Grasp Mapping Between a 3-Finger Haptic Device and a Robotic Hand

This paper presents the implementation of a robust grasp mapping between a 3-finger haptic device (master) and a robotic hand (slave). Mapping is based on a grasp equivalence defined considering the manipulation capabilities of the master and slave devices. The metrics that translate the human hand gesture to the robotic hand workspace are obtained through an analytical user study. This allows a natural control of the robotic hand. The grasp mapping is accomplished defining 4 control modes that encapsulate all the grasps gestures considered.

Escuela en Hunstanton de A+P Smithson: el Nuevo Brutalismo en Inglaterra

La tesis estudia en detalle la Hunstanton Secondary School y su trascendencia. Así, se trata de analizar el conjunto de procesos que hace que esta obra sea entendida como el manifiesto construido del Nuevo Brutalismo en Inglaterra. La Escuela en Hunstanton fue la primera obra proyectada y construida por los Smithson y, si se considera que el legado que dejaron Alison y Peter fue más de carácter teórico que constructivo, ésta se ha convertido en un edificio relevante dentro de su trayectoria profesional. Además, el rigor con el que fue realizado el proyecto y la ratificación de las ideas que subyacían tras él, a pesar del extenso intervalo temporal que caracterizó su proceso constructivo, hacen que esta obra se convierta en una síntesis de la filosofía arquitectónica gestada en Inglaterra tras la guerra. Por otro lado, hay que contemplar que la sencillez del lenguaje constructivo empleado, viene dada por la compleja reiteración de los sistemas proyectuales tipo que formulan para este proyecto y el establecimiento de una gramática casi matemática. La sistematización de su vocabulario hace que, tras el análisis de su arquitectura, se encuentren nuevos parámetros capaces de documentar este momento de la historia de la arquitectura en Inglaterra. La envolvente del edificio constituye al tiempo fachada y estructura. Esta característica ha pasado inadvertida cuando, en numerosas ocasiones y durante seis décadas, se han venido publicando las fotografías de la obra terminada y los dibujos que los Smithson habían realizado en la fase de proyecto. Como consecuencia, ha proliferado el conocimiento de la arquitectura de la escuela a un nivel más superficial, mostrando el resultado formal de la misma y con ello, simplemente se ha dejado intuir la gran influencia que Mies Van der Rohe provocó en los Smithson en los primeros años de desarrollo de su labor como arquitectos. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es, por tanto, facilitar el entendimiento del espacio que propusieron los Smithson a partir del análisis pormenorizado de los distintos sistemas constructivos empleados y del equipo personal que se vio implicado en su construcción. Para ello, es necesario abordar el estudio de los materiales y mecanismos proyectuales que hicieron posible que este conjunto de espacios –interiores y exteriores- resultase definido a través de la relación entre dos variables: una evidente austeridad en la utilización de los materiales y la combinación de los distintos sistemas intervinientes a partir del recurso de la repetición. La Escuela de Hunstanton, a pesar de las inoportunas intervenciones realizadas para adaptar el centro a unas necesidades derivadas de su número de alumnos actual (el doble que en su inicio), continúa proclamando su integridad espacial. Partiendo de la hip��tesis de que la arquitectura de la Secondary School en Hunstanton, representa el manifiesto construido del Nuevo Brutalismo en Inglaterra, se concluye que el resultado de su construcción fue consecuencia de numerosas influencias que, en relación con los Smithson, estuvieron presentes durante los años en que se gestó. Algo que va más allá de la conclusión de aquellos debates arquitectónicos que se habían emprendido, por escrito, en las distintas revistas locales de arquitectura. Los mecanismos compositivos empleados, también habían tenido mucho que ver con lo que los historiadores del arte habían venido aportando a la historia de la arquitectura hasta ese momento. Desde los años 40, éstos últimos habían emprendido una nueva manera de contar la historia en la que quedaba fuertemente involucrada su capacidad crítica, provocando interferencias en la mentalidad de los arquitectos de nueva generación y otorgándoles un bagaje cultural subliminalmente determinado y subjetivo. Por supuesto, en el resultado arquitectónico final, también tuvieron mucho que ver los recursos materiales de que se disponía en aquel momento. Así como la optimización de los mismos a través de la adopción de nuevas metodologías de trabajo como puede ser la organización multidisciplinar. La inclusión del ingeniero Ronald Jenkins en el equipo de trabajo de los Smithson supuso una gran oportunidad. Este ingeniero, propuso poner en práctica la entonces innovadora Teoría Plástica en la metodología de cálculo estructural y, con ello consiguió enriquecer el resultado espacial, posibilitando la percepción de una arquitectura ligera –a pesar de sus grandes dimensiones- y vinculada al paisaje donde se inserta. Pero todos estos condicionantes fueron pasados a su vez por el filtro del deseo de una regeneración social, que buscaba el modelo de la sociedad americana. El Buen Vivir que propugnaban los americanos, viajaba a Europa de la mano de la publicidad. Y, al igual que la componente publicitaria tuvo algo que ver en el proceso creativo de la arquitectura de la escuela, también lo tuvo el conocimiento del arte pop y sus recursos compositivos. ABSTRACT The thesis examines in detail the project of Hunstanton Secondary School and the architectural language’s significance used in it. Thus, it is reinterpreting the set of processes that makes this work to be understood as the “built manifesto” of the English New Brutalism. Hunstanton School’s project was the first work designed and built by the Smithsons and, considering their legacy -more theoretical than constructed-, make of this building an important work within their career. In addition, the rigor with which it was carried out the project and the ratification of the ideas lying behind him, make this work becomes a synthesis of the architectural philosophy gestated in England after the war, despite the extensive time interval that characterized its construction process. On the other hand, it must be considered the simplicity of the constructive language used in this project. It is given by the complex projective repetition of the type systems and by the establishment of a quasi-mathematical grammar. The systematization of its vocabulary makes, after a deep analysis of its architecture, to recognize new parameters able to document this moment in the history of English architecture. The building envelope is, at the same time, facade and structure. This feature has been overlooked when many photographs of the finished work and its drawings -made by the Smithsons during the design phase- has been exposed over six decades. As a result, it has proliferated the knowledge of Hunstanton Secondary Modern School’s architecture as a more superficial level, just by showing the formal outcome of its project and thus simply been left the sensation of the great influence that Mies Van der Rohe provocated in the Smithson thinking during their first years of developing his work as architects. Therefore, the main objective of this thesis is to facilitate an understanding of the Smithsons’ proposed space. This is made possible through the detailed analysis of the different systems used in it and, by understanding the knowledge of the team involved in its construction. To prove this, it is necessary to pay attention to the study of the materials and to different project mechanisms that make possible to this group of spaces -inner and outer- be defined through the game played by two variables: an apparent austerity in the use of materials and the combination of the various participant systems through the resource of repetition. Despite the untimely interventions made in order to adapt the center to the new needs (the large increase in the number of students), Hunstanton School’s building continues proclaiming its spatial integrity. Assuming that Hunstanton Secondary School’s architecture represents the manifesto of New Brutalism in England, it is concluded that the result of its construction was the result of numerous influences that, in connection with the Smithsons, were present during the years in which its project was conceived. This meaning goes beyond the conclusions made from the architectural debate that was published in many of local architectural magazines. The compositional mechanisms employed, are also linked to what art historians had contributed to the history of architecture until then. Since the 40s, historians had undertaken a new way to tell History. This new mode strongly implied its critical capacity. All this, was causing interferences in the mentality of the architects of the new generation and, giving them a subliminally determined and very subjective cultural background. Of course, the final architectural result had much to do with the material resources available at that time and, with its optimization through the adoption of new working methods as the multidisciplinary organization. The inclusion of engineer Ronald Jenkins in the team of the Smithsons was a great opportunity. He proposed to implement the new Plastic Theory in the structural calculation and thereby he got enrich the spatial results achieved, by enabling the perception of a lightweight construction, despite its large size and, linked to the landscape where it is inserted. But all these conditions were passed through the filter of social regeneration’s desire, following the American society’s model. This American model travelled to Europe in the hands of advertising. And, in the same way that publicity had something to do with the creative process of this architecture, also had a lot to do the knowledge of pop art and its compositional resources.

Identification and characterization of a conserved family of protein serine/threonine phosphatases homologous to Drosophila retinal degeneration C (rdgC)

The Drosophila retinal degeneration C (rdgC) gene encodes an unusual protein serine/threonine phosphatase in that it contains at least two EF-hand motifs at its carboxy terminus. By a combination of large-scale sequencing of human retina cDNA clones and searches of expressed sequence tag and genomic DNA databases, we have identified two sequences in mammals [Protein Phosphatase with EF-hands-1 and 2 (PPEF-1 and PPEF-2)] and one in Caenorhabditis elegans (PPEF) that closely resemble rdgC. In the adult, PPEF-2 is expressed specifically in retinal rod photoreceptors and the pineal. In the retina, several isoforms of PPEF-2 are predicted to arise from differential splicing. The isoform that most closely resembles rdgC is localized to rod inner segments. Together with the recently described localization of PPEF-1 transcripts to primary somatosensory neurons and inner ear cells in the developing mouse, these data suggest that the PPEF family of protein serine/threonine phosphatases plays a specific and conserved role in diverse sensory neurons.

RGBD Human-Hand recognition for the Interaction with Robot-Hand

New low cost sensors and the new open free libraries for 3D image processing are permitting to achieve important advances for robot vision applications such as tridimensional object recognition, semantic mapping, navigation and localization of robots, human detection and/or gesture recognition for human-machine interaction. In this paper, a method to recognize the human hand and to track the fingers is proposed. This new method is based on point clouds from range images, RGBD. It does not require visual marks, camera calibration, environment knowledge and complex expensive acquisition systems. Furthermore, this method has been implemented to create a human interface in order to move a robot hand. The human hand is recognized and the movement of the fingers is analyzed. Afterwards, it is imitated from a Barret hand, using communication events programmed from ROS.

Stability in Linear Optimization Under Perturbations of the Left-Hand Side Coefficients

This paper studies stability properties of linear optimization problems with finitely many variables and an arbitrary number of constraints, when only left hand side coefficients can be perturbed. The coefficients of the constraints are assumed to be continuous functions with respect to an index which ranges on certain compact Hausdorff topological space, and these properties are preserved by the admissible perturbations. More in detail, the paper analyzes the continuity properties of the feasible set, the optimal set and the optimal value, as well as the preservation of desirable properties (boundedness, uniqueness) of the feasible and of the optimal sets, under sufficiently small perturbations.

Memoire pour servir de reponse a l'ecrit des reflections mal et sans fondement refléchiés par les res p[èr]es Jesuistes (sic) du College de Quebec remis pars le R[everen]d J. Duparc superieur dud[it] college a un Ecclesiastique du Seminaire de Quebec le 8 avril 1728 : manuscript, [17--]

Reply to Jean-Baptiste Du Parc's Reflexions sur la contestation survenus entre messieurs du chapitre de Quebec concerning church administration in Quebec.

Turcia Asiatica: exhibens Natoliam modernam, in suos beglirbegatus divisam, itemque reliquos beglirbegatus, sive gubernationes et Prœfecturas generales, in regionibus Georgiæ, Armeniæ, Mespotamiæ, Syriæ et Arabiæ sitos, una cum Mari Nigro, Mari Azowiensi, Mari di Marmora, et Mari Ægeo, atque adiacentibus Insulis : C. P. S. C. M. = Carte de la Turquie asiatique contenant la Natolie moderne divisée en les beglerbeys &

ex novissimis subsidiis ac relationibus ad normam legitimae proiectionis in usum belli praesentis delineata impensis homannianorum heredum.

Hand-book of sanitary information for householders

Microfilmed for preservation