LMI-based digital redesign of linear time-invariant systems with state-derivative feedback

A simple method for designing a digital state-derivative feedback gain and a feedforward gain such that the control law is equivalent to a known and adequate state feedback and feedforward control law of a digital redesigned system is presented. It is assumed that the plant is a linear controllable, time-invariant, Single-Input (SI) or Multiple-Input (MI) system. This procedure allows the use of well-known continuous-time state feedback design methods to directly design discrete-time state-derivative feedback control systems. The state-derivative feedback can be useful, for instance, in the vibration control of mechanical systems, where the main sensors are accelerometers. One example considering the digital redesign with state-derivative feedback of a helicopter illustrates the proposed method. © 2009 IEEE.

Choosing the most suitable analogue redesign method for forward-type digital power converters

This work proposes a method to objectively determine the most suitable analogue redesign method for forward type converters under digital voltage mode control. Particular emphasis is placed on determining the method which allows the highest phase margin at the particular switching and crossover frequencies chosen by the designer. It is shown that at high crossover frequencies with respect to switching frequency, controllers designed using backward integration have the largest phase margin; whereas at low crossover frequencies with respect to switching frequency, controllers designed using bilinear integration have the largest phase margins. An accurate model of the power stage is used for simulation, and experimental results from a Buck converter are collected. The performance of the digital controllers is compared to that of the equivalent analogue controller both in simulation and experiment. Excellent correlation between the simulation and experimental results is presented. This work will allow designers to confidently choose the analogue redesign method which yields the greater phase margin for their application.

Systematic selection of analogue redesign method for forward-type digital power converters

This article proposes a systematic approach to determine the most suitable analogue redesign method to be used for forward-type converters under digital voltage mode control. The focus of the method is to achieve the highest phase margin at the particular switching and crossover frequencies chosen by the designer. It is shown that at high crossover frequencies with respect to switching frequency, controllers designed using backward integration have the largest phase margin; whereas at low crossover frequencies with respect to switching frequency, controllers designed using bilinear integration with pre-warping have the largest phase margins. An algorithm has been developed to determine the frequency of the crossing point where the recommended discretisation method changes. An accurate model of the power stage is used for simulation and experimental results from a Buck converter are collected. The performance of the digital controllers is compared to that of the equivalent analogue controller both in simulation and experiment. Excellent closeness between the simulation and experimental results is presented. This work provides a concrete example to allow academics and engineers to systematically choose a discretisation method.

Digital inmigrants and digital natives expectation collection in the Andalusian Public Health System Virtual Library: communication with our users

The Andalusian Public Health System Virtual Library (Biblioteca Virtual del Sistema Sanitario Público de Andalucía, BV-SSPA) provides access to health information resources and services to healthcare professionals through its Website. This virtual environment demands higher users’ knowledge in order to satisfy of the need of information of our users, as digital natives as digital immigrants, improving at the same time the communication with all of them. 1. To collect clients' views and expectations according to their nature of digital natives and immigrants. 2. To know our online reputation. A Collecting User Expectation Questionnaire will be built, taking into account the segmentation of the BV-SSPA users’ professional groups of the Andalusian Public Health System. A pilot test will be run to check the survey dimensions and items about practices, attitudes and knowledge of our users. Two Quality Function Deployment (QFD) matrices will enable the BV-SSPA services to be targeted to our digital natives or digital immigrants, according to their nature, finding the best way to satisfy their information needs. We provide feedback on BV-SSPA: users can have the opportunity to post feedback about the site via the 'Contact us' section and comment about their experience. And Web 2.0 is a shop window, providing the opportunity to show the comments; and through time, our online reputation will be built, but the BV-SSPA must manage its own personal branding. Web 2.0 tools are a driver of improvement, because they provide a key source of insight into people's attitudes. Besides, the BV-SSPA digital identity will be analyzed through indicators like major search engine referrals breakdown, top referring sites (non search engines), or top search engine referral phrases, among others. Definition of digital native and digital immigrant profiles of the BV-SSPA, and their difference, will be explained by their expectations. The design of the two QFD matrices will illustrate in just one graph the requirements of both groups for tackling digital abilities and inequalities. The BV-SSPA could deliver information and services through alternative channels. On the other hand, we are developing a strategy to identify, to measure and to manage a digital identity through communication with the user and to find out our online reputation. With the use of different tools from quantitative and qualitative methodology, and the opportunities offered by Web 2.0 tools, the BV-SSPA will know the expectations of their users as a first step to satisfy their necessities. Personalization is pivotal to the success of the Site, delivering tailored content to individuals based on their recorded preferences. The valuable user research can be used during new product development and redesign. Besides positive interaction let us build trust, show authenticity, and foster loyalty: we improve with effort, communication and show.

A propaganda e a publicidade na TV digital: um estudo exploratório de tendências

Pós-graduação em Televisão Digital: Informação e Conhecimento - FAAC

Metodologias de desenvolvimento de objetos de aprendizagem: mapeamento para construção na TV digital

Pós-graduação em Televisão Digital: Informação e Conhecimento - FAAC

A Job Diagnostic Survey of Nursing Home Caregivers: Implications of Job Redesign

Nursing home caregiving was analyzed as a job, subject to management intervention. Specifically examined was the usefulness of job redesign, a managerial intervention used to enhance worker motivation and effectiveness. Information from interviews with administrators was combined with survey data from aides and LPNs (n= 489) in 21 nursing homes to assess to need for, and feasibility of, redesign of caregiving work. Implementation principles and examples are included.

Improving Nursing Home Care Through Training amd Job Redesign

Nursing assistants have the primary contact with older residents of nursing homes. The Penn State Nursing Home Intervention Project's short-term longitudinal study assessed the single and combined effects of two interventions designed to affect nursing assistants' performance by increasing their knowledge and motivation: skills training and job redesign. Statistically significant differences in nursing assistants' knowledge were evident in comparisons between intervention and control sites, but performance was not improved. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.

The Library of Birmingham project:lifelong learning for the digital age

The Library of Birmingham (LoB) is a £193million project designed to provide a new space for lifelong learning and knowledge growth, a physical and virtual portal for Birmingham's citizens to the wider world. In cooperation with a range of private, public, and third-sector bodies, as well as individual citizens, the library, due to open in June 2013, will articulate a continuing process of organic growth and emergence. Key delivery themes focus on: arts and creativity, citizenship and community, enterprise and innovation, learning and skills and the new media ecology. A landmark design in the heart of the cultural district of the city, the LoB aims to stimulate sustainable economic growth, urban regeneration and social inclusion by offering a wide range of new digital learning services, real and virtual community spaces, and new opportunities for interpreting and exploiting internationally significant collections of documentary archives, photography, moving image, and rare printed books. Additionally, the LoB will offer physical space for creative, cultural, enterprise, and knowledge development. This paper outlines the cultural and educational thinking that informs the project and the challenges experienced in developing innovative service redesign.

Transition From Glass To Digital Slide Microscopy In The Teaching Of Oral Pathology In A Brazilian Dental School.

Several medical and dental schools have described their experience in the transition from conventional to digital microscopy in the teaching of general pathology and histology disciplines; however, this transitional process has scarcely been reported in the teaching of oral pathology. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to report the transition from conventional glass slide to virtual microscopy in oral pathology teaching, a unique experience in Latin America. An Aperio ScanScope® scanner was used to digitalize histological slides used in practical lectures of oral pathology. The challenges and benefits observed by the group of Professors from the Piracicaba Dental School (Brazil) are described and a questionnaire to evaluate the students' compliance to this new methodology was applied. An improvement in the classes was described by the Professors who mainly dealt with questions related to pathological changes instead of technical problems; also, a higher interaction with the students was described. The simplicity of the software used and the high quality of the virtual slides, requiring a smaller time to identify microscopic structures, were considered important for a better teaching process. Virtual microscopy used to teach oral pathology represents a useful educational methodology, with an excellent compliance of the dental students.

Avaliação de técnicas de classificação digital de imagens landsat em diferentes padrões de cobertura da terra em Rondônia

Remotely sensed imagery has been widely used for land use/cover classification thanks to the periodic data acquisition and the widespread use of digital image processing systems offering a wide range of classification algorithms. The aim of this work was to evaluate some of the most commonly used supervised and unsupervised classification algorithms under different landscape patterns found in Rondônia, including (1) areas of mid-size farms, (2) fish-bone settlements and (3) a gradient of forest and Cerrado (Brazilian savannah). Comparison with a reference map based on the kappa statistics resulted in good to superior indicators (best results - K-means: k=0.68; k=0.77; k=0.64 and MaxVer: k=0.71; k=0.89; k=0.70 respectively for three areas mentioned). Results show that choosing a specific algorithm requires to take into account both its capacity to discriminate among various spectral signatures under different landscape patterns as well as a cost/benefit analysis considering the different steps performed by the operator performing a land cover/use map. it is suggested that a more systematic assessment of several options of implementation of a specific project is needed prior to beginning a land use/cover mapping job.

Modelo de inclusão digital para construção do conhecimento em qualidade de vida e atividade fisica

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Digital subtraction radiographic analysis of the combination of bioabsorbable membrane and bovine morphogenetic protein pool in human periodontal infrabony defects

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the bone density gain and its relationship with the periodontal clinical parameters in a case series of a regenerative therapy procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using a split-mouth study design, 10 pairs of infrabony defects from 15 patients were treated with a pool of bovine bone morphogenetic proteins associated with collagen membrane (test sites) or collagen membrane only (control sites). The periodontal healing was clinically and radiographically monitored for six months. Standardized pre-surgical and 6-month postoperative radiographs were digitized for digital subtraction analysis, which showed relative bone density gain in both groups of 0.034 ± 0.423 and 0.105 ± 0.423 in the test and control group, respectively (p>0.05). RESULTS: As regards the area size of bone density change, the influence of the therapy was detected in 2.5 mm² in the test group and 2 mm² in the control group (p>0.05). Additionally, no correlation was observed between the favorable clinical results and the bone density gain measured by digital subtraction radiography (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that the clinical benefit of the regenerative therapy observed did not come with significant bone density gains. Long-term evaluation may lead to a different conclusions.

Evaluation of the maxillary premolar roots dissociation using radiographic holders with conventional and digital radiography

This in vivo study evaluated the dissociation quality of maxillary premolar roots combining variations of vertical and horizontal angulations by using X-ray holders (Rinn -XCP), and made a comparison between two types of intraoral radiography systems - conventional film (Kodak Insight, Rochester, USA) and digital radiography (Kodak RVG 6100, Kodak, Rochester, USA). The study sample was comprised of 20 patients with a total of 20 maxillary premolars that were radiographed, using the paralleling angle technique (GP), with a 20º variation of the horizontal angle (GM) and 25º variation of the horizontal angle combined with 15º vertical angle (GMV). Each image was independently analyzed by two experienced examiners. These examiners assigned a score to the diagnostic capability of root dissociation and the measurement of the distance between the apexes. Statistical data was derived using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, Friedman and T test. The means of the measured distances between buccal and lingual root apexes were greater for the GMV, which ranged from 2.3 mm to 3.3 mm. A statistically significant difference was found between GM and GMV when compared to GP with p < 0.01. An established best diagnostic dissociation roots image was found in the GMV. These results support the use of the anterior X-ray holders which offer a better combined deviation (GMV) to dissociate maxillary premolar roots in both radiography systems.

Reproducibility, reliability and validity of measurements obtained from Cecile3 digital models

The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility, reliability and validity of measurements in digital models compared to plaster models. Fifteen pairs of plaster models were obtained from orthodontic patients with permanent dentition before treatment. These were digitized to be evaluated with the program Cécile3 v2.554.2 beta. Two examiners measured three times the mesiodistal width of all the teeth present, intercanine, interpremolar and intermolar distances, overjet and overbite. The plaster models were measured using a digital vernier. The t-Student test for paired samples and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used for statistical analysis. The ICC of the digital models were 0.84 ± 0.15 (intra-examiner) and 0.80 ± 0.19 (inter-examiner). The average mean difference of the digital models was 0.23 ± 0.14 and 0.24 ± 0.11 for each examiner, respectively. When the two types of measurements were compared, the values obtained from the digital models were lower than those obtained from the plaster models (p < 0.05), although the differences were considered clinically insignificant (differences < 0.1 mm). The Cécile digital models are a clinically acceptable alternative for use in Orthodontics.