De Moor Research Articles

SVD-Based Parameter Identification of Discrete-Time Stochastic Systems with Unknown Exogenous Inputs

This paper addresses the problem of parameter identification for discrete-time stochastic systems with unknown exogenous inputs. These systems form an important class of dynamic stochastic system models used to describe objects and processes under a high level of a priori uncertainty, when it is not possible to make any assumptions about the evolution of the unknown input signal or its statistical properties. The main purpose of this paper is to construct a new SVD-based modification of the existing Gillijns and De Moor filtering algorithm for linear discrete-time stochastic systems with unknown exogenous inputs. Using the theoretical results obtained, we demonstrate how this modified algorithm can be applied to solve the problem of parameter identification. The results of our numerical experiments conducted in MATLAB confirm the effectiveness of the SVD-based parameter identification method that was developed, under conditions of unknown exogenous inputs, compared to maximum likelihood parameter identification when exogenous inputs are known.

Prevalence of apical periodontitis and quality of root canal treatment in an adult Kuwaiti sub-population: a cross-sectional study.

This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and the technical quality of root canal fillings in an adult Kuwaiti subpopulation using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Two experienced examiners analyzed 250 CBCT images obtained from Kuwaiti patients aged 15-65 years who attended government dental specialist clinics between January 2019 and September 2020. The assessment followed the radiographic scoring criteria proposed by De Moor for periapical status and the technical quality of root canal filling. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis, with significance level set at p < 0.05. Among the 2,762 examined teeth, 191 (6.91%) exhibited radiographic signs of AP, and 176 (6.37%) had undergone root canal filling. AP prevalence in root canal-treated teeth was 32.38%, with a significant difference between males and females. Most of the endodontically treated teeth exhibited adequate root canal filling (71.5%). The study demonstrated a comparable prevalence of AP and satisfactory execution of root canal treatment compared to similar studies in different countries.

Jacques Brel's Ne me quitte pas in English: On putting the record straight… and queering it?

This article is part of a wider project investigating the theory and practice of song translation and performance. It derives – specifically – from my own desire to attempt to translate Ne me quitte pas into English. (See: Appendix.) It is designed as an investigation into the tenacious misconception that certain English-language versions of Brel's songs are translations thereof. Using Peter Low's typology, many of these versions can more accurately be described as adaptations or as replacement texts. One objective of this comparative study is to draw attention to the need – in theory – to distinguish between translation and adaptation. This work also calls for more precision in attributing authorship to the lyrics or texts sung by different performers. Examination of eight English-language versions of Ne me quitte pas – an exceptional corpus made up of texts sung by Rod McKuen, Scott Walker, Marc Almond (×2), Momus, Arnold Johnston, Des de Moor and The Black Veils – seeks to illustrate and discuss the history of approaches to rendering this song in English. That is one sense in which this article aims to put the record straight. This aim might also hint at the idea of respecting (high) ‘fidelity’ to the original. However, whether translation, adaptation or replacement text, any Target Text – even if assessed by criteria provided by Song Translation Theory – can only ever be interpreted subjectively. Thus, imagining a single way of putting a record straight is futile. Comparison of versions of Ne me quitte pas can, however, illustrate how different strategies and priorities can ‘succeed’ differently. Understanding the potential for ‘queering’ Ne me quitte pas was a by-product of research and close reading of the texts themselves. As this appears to pertain significantly in a handful of versions in the Anglophone world – but not, seemingly, in Turkish versions – this article seeks also to open up the ‘queering’ (or not) of Brel, in particular, as an avenue of future inquiry.

ЗНАЧЕНИЕ СВЯЗЫВАНИЯ КОРТИКОСТЕРОИДОВ С БЕЛКАМИ ПЛАЗМЫ КРОВИ В МЕХАНИЗМЕ ВЛИЯНИЯ РАДИОПРОТЕКТОРА РС-11 НА ФУНКЦИЮ КОРЫ НАДПОЧЕЧНИКОВ ПРИ ОСТРОЙ ЛУЧЕВОЙ БОЛЕЗНИ

Purpose: To study the role of binding of corticosteroids to blood plasma proteins in the mechanism of influence of the radioprotector RS-11 on the function of the adrenal cortex in irradiated animals. Material and methods: The experiments were carried out on 30 male chinchilla rabbits weighing 2.5–3.0 kg. The first series of experiments is aimed at studying the reaction of the adrenal cortex and the processes of protein-steroid interaction after the administration of PC-11 to intact animals; in the second series – the same indicators in animals irradiated during the prophylactic administration of RS-11. The total content of 11-hydroxycorticosteroids (11-OKS) in blood plasma was determined by the fluorometric method of Guillemin et al in the author’s modification. The amount of free corticosteroids was determined by the difference in their content in whole plasma and in its protein fraction after separation on Sephadex G-25. Binding capacity of corticosteroid binding globulin (CSBG) was determined by gel filtration De Moor at al. in the author’s modification. Statistical analysis of the study results was carried out using the Student–Fisher method. Results: In the group of intact rabbits under conditions of administration of PC-11, the reaction of the adrenal cortex after 2.5–3 hours was significantly higher compared to control animals. The increase in the free fraction of the hormone with the introduction of the radioprotector RS-11 during this period is associated with an increase in the total level of 11-OKS, since the binding ability of CSBG did not change. In the group of irradiated rabbits, 2.5–3 hours after irradiation, the administration of PC-11 also led to a significant increase in the total content of 11-OKS in the blood compared to the initial data. At the height of radiation sickness on the 4th day, RS-11 protected rabbits showed a significantly smaller decrease in the binding capacity of CSBG than control animals, and the total content of 11-OKS was higher than in the control. The level of free hormone on the 4th day was sharply reduced (8 % of the total 11-OKS content versus 41 % in the control). On the 8th day of radiation sickness, free 11-OKS in protected RS-11 and control rabbits was practically absent, however, in protected animals, the binding capacity of CSBG was 2 times higher than in control animals. Conclusions: The influence of the radioprotector RS-11 leads in the first hours to an increase in the total concentration of 11-OX in the blood plasma and to an increase in the amount of free hormone in intact animals. The binding capacity does not change. Prophylactic administration of RS-11 inhibits, at the height of radiation sickness, the decrease in the binding capacity of CSBG in the blood plasma, and as a result, the increase in the level of free physiologically active hormone at a higher overall level of hormones in the blood. In the mechanism for reducing post-radiation hypercortisolism under conditions of protection with the drug RS-11, the main significance is the lesser degree of disruption of the binding ability of CSBG, and not a change in the overall level of hormones in the blood.

Additional damping force identification of passively controlled structures based on a Gillijn De Moor filter

The damping force provided by the damper is difficult to measure directly due to the complex mechanism of the damper in the structure. For damper-controlled structures, the additional damping force generated by the dampers can be considered a kind of input force on the primary structure. On the condition that the excitation force and parameters of the primary structure are known, an inverse method based on a Gillijn De Moor filter and structural response is presented in this paper to estimate the additional damping force. The state-space equations of damper-controlled structures are built first. The Gillijn De Moor filter is then used to estimate the additional damping force. The proposed method is examined by numerical simulations and a series of experiments. The results show that the additional damping force generated by dampers can be accurately estimated using the inverse method based on the Gillijn De Moor filter.

Effect of The Rs-10 Radioprotector on Protein-Steroid Interaction in Irradiated Animals with Biphasic Adrenocortical Response to Irradiation

The article is devoted to the influence of RS-10 radioprotector on the protein-steroid interaction in irradiated animals. Introduction. Increasing threats to the radiation safety of the population is now causing the need for comprehensive studies of the anti-beam properties of chemical radioprotectors. The aim of the study is to study the effect of the RS-10 radioprotector on protein-steroid interaction in irradiated guinea pigs with biphasic adrenocortical response to irradiation. Study methods: experiments were conducted on 146 guinea pigs weighing 300-350 g, which were exposed to total ƴ radiation at a dose of 3.5 Gy and 4.5 Gy at a dose rate of 5.76 Gy/min, which caused them radiation disease of II and III severity. Experimental animals were injected intraperitoneally with RS-10 (chitosan bitartrate) 15 minutes before irradiation. Control animals were administered an equal volume of saline. The total plasma content of 11-oxycorticosteroids (11-OKS) was determined by the fluorometric method of Guillemin et al. in the author's modification. The binding capacity of corticosteroid binding globulin (CSG) was determined by gel filtration of De Moor at al. in the author's modification. Conclusions. Prophylactic administration of RS-10 to irradiated animals with a two-phase adreno-cortical reaction to radiation causes a later onset of secondary hypercorticism in the midst of radiation sickness in animals. Prophylactic administration of RS-10 before irradiation reduces the level of free hormone and leads to a decrease in hypercorticism, increasing the reserve capabilities of the binding ability of the CSG at the height of radiation sickness. A leading role in the mechanism of reducing affected hypercorticism under protective conditions has a lesser degree of impairment of the binding capacity of the CSG, rather than a change in the total level of 11-OKS in the blood.

Minimum variance unbiased Bayesian smoothing for input and state estimation of systems without direct Feedthrough: Mitigating Ill-Posedness of online load identification

In this paper, the problem of moving load identification using pure displacement measurements is addressed. It is known that when no assumptions are made on the statistics of the unknown loads and a minimum variance unbiased (MVU) estimation approach is adopted, the existing methods in the literature suffer from a very elevated load estimation uncertainty. This elevated uncertainty is due to ill-posedness of the problem. In this paper a new method is proposed that addresses this issue via an MVU smoothing approach. To alleviate this problem, a MVU smoothing algorithm is proposed in this study, via modification of a MVU smoothing Bayesian estimator proposed by some of the co-authors of this paper hence referred to as MSBE, which leads to substantial decrease in the moving load estimation uncertainties using pure displacement measurements. The efficacy of the MSBE is studied through a simulated experiment corresponding to a numerical model of an operating steel railway bridge with riveted connections and a multi-axle load. The selection of the hyperparameters of the smoothing and filtering techniques are discussed, and the optimal values are presented. The parametric studies show that the proposed method can yield highly accurate results, and substantially outperforms a celebrated MVU filter proposed by Gillijns and De Moor.

A linear Bayesian filter for input and state estimation of structural systems

AbstractThis paper proposes a linear recursive Bayesian filter for minimum variance unbiased joint input and state estimation of structural systems. Unlike the augmented Kalman filter (AKF), the proposed filter falls within the category of Bayesian filters in which unknown inputs are estimated without attributing any fictitious input model or statistics. Also, in contrast with the existing algorithms in the latter category, such as the Gillijns and De Moor Filters (GDFs), the developed filter applies to systems with and without direct feedthrough, in particular, systems with a rank‐deficient feedforward matrix. Because of the latter features, the filter is referred to as universal filter (UF) for convenience. The numerical examples show that the UF performs better than the AKF. Due to its structure, the UF does not require the tuning of the hyperparameters for inputs, and therefore the problematic instability of the AKF is not encountered in the case of a large modeling error variance of the input. For systems with direct feedthrough, the error and covariance propagation terms differ due to the distinct state space. Consequently, the UF can enhance estimations due to the well‐conditionedness of the relevant inversion problem. Moreover, the UF can deal with systems with rank‐deficient feedforward matrix where these systems are not covered by GDFs.

Integrated data-driven modeling and experimental optimization of granular hydrogel matrices

Integrated data-driven modeling and experimental optimization of granular hydrogel matrices

Financial Toxicity: A Barrier to Achieving Health Equity in Cancer Care

Financial Toxicity: A Barrier to Achieving Health Equity in Cancer Care

Evaluation of recursive Bayesian filters for modal contribution estimation in high-tech compliant mechanisms

This study evaluates three recursive Bayesian input and state estimation algorithms, as introduced in the field of Structural Health Monitoring, for estimating modal contributions for high-tech compliant mechanisms. The aim of estimating modal contributions is the use for active vibration control. High-tech compliant motion stages allow for different sensor configurations, making new and interesting performance evaluations of these filters possible. The algorithms used, namely, the Augmented Kalman Filter (AKF), Dual Kalman Filter (DKF) and Gilijns de Moor Filter (GDF) are implemented on a compliant motion stage for guidance flexure deformation estimation. Our results show the GDF performs overall best, with good estimation performance and real-world tuning capability.

Determining the Dynamic Characteristics of a Multi-Story RC Building Located in Chile: A Comparison of the Results between the Nonparametric Spectral Analysis Method and the Parametric Stochastic Subspace Identification Method

Estimating the dynamic characteristics of instrumented built structures from seismic vibration data collected from built civil structures is essential input information for structural model updating and assessing the health of structures. This study focuses on the earthquake acceleration time histories obtained from several events recorded during its construction phase by accelerometers placed throughout an office building located in Viña del Mar (Chile) to determine its modal features. To this end, the data obtained were analyzed to compare the building’s dynamic properties obtained with two different modal identification techniques. MATLAB programs were developed to implement both methods. The stochastic subspace identification technique for linear systems developed by van Overschee and de Moor was used to study the dynamic properties of the building. In contrast, the nonparametric method employed herein uses correlations and spectral analysis based on the Welch transform in the frequency domain. The investigation demonstrated that both methods identify similar frequencies and that the obtained translational mode shapes exhibit good agreement. Furthermore, the identified frequencies are congruent with the design frequencies.

A Lawyer in Exile: Johannes M. de Moor and the Circulation of Legal Knowledge in Wartime London

Abstract De Moor’s biography illustrates how people and ideas travelled between and within national and transnational spaces. He played a role in the circulation of legal knowledge in the transnational epistemic community, more precisely between the Cambridge Commission and the London International Assembly. In thinking about the future of the international order and the place of nation states within it, De Moor came to embrace the idea that state sovereignty and the rule of law had to be recalibrated and that, as a logical conclusion, war crimes could be prosecuted internationally. In London, he became an advocate for a universal organization backed by an international court and an international armed force. He envisioned an international rule of law as the underlying system governing the international order.

Maltusliku ehk Lääne-Euroopa abiellumustüübi kõrgaeg Eestis

Maltusliku ehk Lääne-Euroopa abiellumustüübi kõrgaeg Eestis

Code and Data Repository for Disjoint Bilinear Optimization: A Two-stage Robust Optimization Perspective

The software and data in this repository are a snapshot of the software and data that were used in the research reported in the paper Disjoint Bilinear Optimization: A Two-stage Robust Optimization Perspective by Jianzhe Zhen, Ahmadreza Marandi, Danique de Moor, Dick den Hertog, and Lieven Vandenberghe.

A global indicator of utilized wildlife populations: Regional trends and the impact of management

A global indicator of utilized wildlife populations: Regional trends and the impact of management

Связывающая способность кортикостероидсвязывающего глобулина плазмы крови как механизм повышения свободной фракции гормона в патогенезе острой лучевой болезни

The research of the hormonal level of the body in the pathogenesis of acute radiation sickness does not lose its relevance due to the expansion of the list of radiation hazard sources. The study results are necessary for clarification of a number of radiobiology concepts on the role of the binding capacity of plasma corticosteroid-binding globulin to blood plasma proteins for increasing the free fraction of the hormone in the dynamics of acute radiation sickness. Determination of the role of free corticoids in the hormonal effect in acute radiation sickness in animals with mono- and biphasic curves of adrenocortical response to radiation was the aim of the work. The experiments were carried out on male rabbits and outbred rats. Animals received a dose of gamma-irradiation, that caused acute radiation sickness of the stage IV. The total content of 11-OX, mcg% was determined by the fluorimetric method Guillemin et al. in the author's modification. To determine the free 11-OX and the binding capacity of CSG, the gel filtration method was used by De Moor et al. in the author's modification. Rabbits were tested 2 hours after irradiation, on days 4 and 8 of radiation sickness. Rats were tested one hour after irradiation, on days 1, 3, 8, and 10 of radiation sickness. The results of the study showed that acute radiation syndrome occurs against the background of an increase in free corticosteroids, which is essential in the pathogenesis of acute radiation sickness. The increase in free corticosteroids in the midst of radiation sickness is primarily due to a decrease in the binding capacity of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CSG or transcortin) and does not depend on the total concentration of the hormone in the blood plasma, which is a general radiobiological pattern. The magnitude of the binding capacity of transcortin is an indicator of protein-steroid interaction.

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Cancer survivorship has been an emerging area in health care due to the increasing number of long-term cancer survivors after primary therapy with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. 1 McCabe MS Bhatia S Oeffinger KC et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology statement: achieving high-quality cancer survivorship care. J Clin Oncol. 2013; 31: 631-640 Crossref PubMed Scopus (310) Google Scholar In 2012, approximately 13.7 million patients were considered cancer survivors which is anticipated to grow 18 million by 2022 living five or more years after completion of curative treatment. 2 de Moor JS Mariotto AB Parry C et al. Cancer survivors in the United States: prevalence across the survivorship trajectory and implications for care. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013; 22: 561-570 Crossref PubMed Scopus (442) Google Scholar Perhaps more than any other genitourinary malignancy, testis cancer has particular relevance due to the high number of patients who achieve a durable response from multimodal treatment, the treatment-related side effects from chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery, and young age at the time of diagnosis. 3 Fung C Dinh PC Fossa SD Travis LB. Testicular Cancer Survivorship. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2019; 17: 1557-1568 Crossref PubMed Scopus (13) Google Scholar Therefore, a critical component in effective, high quality cancer survivorship includes assessing and addressing health-related quality of life. 4 Nekhlyudov L Mollica MA Jacobsen PB Mayer DK Shulman LN Geiger AM. Developing a quality of cancer survivorship care framework: implications for clinical care, research, and policy. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2019; 111: 1120-1130 Crossref PubMed Scopus (83) Google Scholar

Early Medieval Commons? Or How the History of Early Medieval Europe Could Benefit from a Necessary Conversation: The Case From NW Iberia

In 2016, M. Laborda-Pemán and T. De Moor issued a call to advance the conversation between commons scholars and historians. This paper argues that in order to further this conversation, in the case of Western Europe more attention needs to be paid to the centuries preceding the blossoming of the commons in the high Middle Ages. It focuses on NW Iberia to show that in this case, as in others, such developments need to be assessed against the processes triggered by the collapse of the Roman Empire. On the basis of the extant sources, and building upon some of the concerns of critical institutionalism, it then considers some of the theoretical avenues that could facilitate such a dialogue: addressing the multifunctional, socially embedded nature of institutions; the weight of social inequalities and power relations in their configuration and functioning; the role of conflict in the definition of norms and their transformation over time; and the discursive practices aimed at legitimising specific institutional arrangements.

Young Rebels Who Do Not Want a Revolution: The Non-participatory Preferences of Fridays for Future Activists in Finland

Young people’s lack of participation in elections has been taken as a sign that the young are wary of representative democracy and reject traditional authorities. Instead of election participation, it is expected that the young want more possibilities for direct involvement in political decision-making. Fridays for Future (FFF) is a global, youth-led climate movement that has been able to mobilize millions of young people around the world into political action (de Moor et al., 2020; Wahlström et al., 2019) in times when youth participation is generally declining, especially in traditional forms of political participation. While many have taken this as evidence that young people dismiss representative democracy in favor of a more participatory democracy, in-depth studies of their motivations are still lacking. This article helps fill this lacuna by providing a case study on Finnish FFF participants. Through semi-structured interviews and theory-guided content analysis with 15- to 20-year-old climate activists, the Finnish FFF participants’ attitudes toward political participation are examined. The data consists of 11 one-on-one in-depth theme interviews with young people, who participated in the FFF movement by attending at least one protest in Finland in 2019. The interviews focused on the following themes: motivation for participation in the FFF movement, interviewee’s background, and the participant’s ideas regarding politics, democracy, and political participation. The interviews were combined with material from various news sources to contextualize the information in the analysis phase. Based on the empirical evidence, I argue that although these young citizens have become politically active in a climate protest movement, it does not necessarily mean that they want major reforms to the representative democracy toward a more participatory system. Instead of more participatory possibilities, the Finnish climate activists want a better-functioning representative system with politicians who listen to their demands.