Different Degrees Of Compensation Research Articles

Analysis of long-term functional results of surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis in middle-aged and elderly patients

BACKGROUND: Insufficient attention has been paid to the analysis of the use of instrumental methods of examination in assessment the long-term results of surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis in middle-aged and elderly patients. AIM: To show the peculiarities of strength characteristics of lower limb muscles and temperature and pain sensitivity in the dermatomes of the cauda equina roots in middle-aged and elderly patients in the distant terms after surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis depending on the etiology of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An analysis of the results of functional studies of 21 patients with spondylolisthesis aged 41 to 74 years (12 with degenerative, 9 with isthmic) is presented. The research done before treatment and 7599 months after surgery. The following research methods were used: analysis clinical (neurological status), visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), radiology (functional X-ray examination), magnetic resonance imaging, anthropometry, the lower limb muscles dynamometry, esthesiometry, statistical. RESULTS: In the long term after surgical treatment, patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis had a predominant increase in the moment of force in all muscle groups (3975% of cases). Negative dynamics prevailed in the group of patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis a decrease in muscle strength characteristics in 5094% of cases. According to esthesiometry, more pronounced negative changes in the values of temperature and pain sensitivity thresholds were observed in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis. CONCLUSION: The analysis of muscle strength characteristics and esthesiometry data determined a different degree of compensation and recovery during surgical treatment of patients with spondylolisthesis, depending on the etiology of the disease.

Effect of neutron irradiation on the spectrum of deep-level defects in GaAs grown by liquid-phase epitaxy in hydrogen or argon ambient

We present results of experimental studies of capacitance--voltage characteristics, spectra of deep-level transient spectroscopy of graded high-voltage GaAs p+-p0-i-n0 diodes fabricated by liquid-phase epitaxy at a crystallization temperature of 900oC from one solution--melt due to autodoping with background impurities, in a hydrogen or argon ambient, before and after irradiation with neutrons are presented. After neutron irradiation, deep-level transient spectroscopy spectra revealed wide zones of defect clusters with acceptor-like negatively charged traps in the n0-layer, which arise as a result of electron emission from states located above the middle of the band gap. It was found that the differences in capacitance--voltage characteristics of the structures grown in hydrogen or argon ambient after irradiation are due to different doses of irradiation of GaAs p+-p0-i-n0 structures and different degrees of compensation of shallow donor impurities by deep traps in the layers. Keywords: GaAs, neutron irradiation, capacitance spectroscopy, p0-i-n0-junction, liquid-phase epitaxy, hydrogen, argon.

Системний огляд ефективності місцевого лікування виразок за синдрому діабетичної стопи з позицій доказової медицини

В роботі зроблено огляд різних методів місцевого лікування синдрому діабетичної стопи. Проведено аналіз робіт, дизайн і методи яких відповідають критеріям доказової медицини. Відзначено, що більшість досліджень були низької методологічної якості. Існують проблеми з чіткою оцінкою через різний ступінь компенсації цукрового діабету, супутньої патології (тобто гетерогенності клінічного матеріалу), що пов’язане з повільною реакцією виразок на різні методи терапії, а також із визначенням кінцевих точок контролю та лікування.

Evaluating the global efficiency of teachers through a multi-criteria approach

Improving the quality of education is one of the main objectives for governments, given that it plays an essential role in providing well-being to the population. In this regard, the efficiency of teachers may be a key issue to improve the students' academic performance and learning achievement. Specifically, in this paper, we analyse the efficiency of teachers from a multi-criteria optimization perspective. The purpose is to detect the most efficient teachers to gain knowledge about the characteristics of their teaching context, which contribute to increase the education performance of the students. To this aim, data from TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 for fourth-grade reading, mathematics and science teachers in Spain have been used. Three synthetic indexes gathering these data are calculated: a weak index allowing full compensation among the variables, a strong index informing about the worst variable value (no compensation scheme) and a synthetic index representing a different degree of compensation of the two formers. These indexes are built using aspiration and reservation levels for each variable. This allows us to include desirable ranges of values to be achieved by the variables in the study of the teachers' efficiency. With this, it is possible to know if the teachers are performing better, within or worse than the desired limits, and to rank the teachers according to their efficiency. The analysis carried out has contributed to have a better understanding of the policies to be followed in order to promote efficiency in teaching.

Bartter syndrome: causes, diagnosis, and treatment.

Bartter syndrome is an inherited renal tubular disorder caused by a defective salt reabsorption in the thick ascending limb of loop of Henle, resulting in salt wasting, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis. Mutations of several genes encoding the transporters and channels involved in salt reabsorption in the thick ascending limb cause different types of Bartter syndrome. A poor phenotype–genotype relationship due to the interaction with other cotransporters and different degrees of compensation through alternative pathways is currently reported. However, phenotypic identification still remains the first step to guide the suspicion of Bartter syndrome. Given the rarity of the syndrome, and the lack of genetic characterization in most cases, limited clinical evidence for treatment is available and the therapy is based mainly on the comprehension of renal physiology and relies on the physician’s personal experiences. A better understanding of the mutated channels and transporters could possibly generate targets for specific treatment in the future, also encompassing drugs aiming to correct deficiencies in folding or plasma membrane expression of the mutated proteins.

Building Ease-of-Doing-Business synthetic indicators using a double reference point approach

Investment decision making may require the selection of the geographical areas where the investments will be mainly done. A large number of factors could influence this decision such as the country business atmosphere, the human development level of the country and/or its political and macroeconomic stability.In this paper, we are mainly concerned with those aspects related to the ease of doing business in terms of countries' regulation. The World Bank Group publishes indicators on regulation for doing business, and they also provide a composite indicator. However, due to the aggregation method, this composite indicator does not fully reflect situations where a country performs well with respect to one indicator and very bad with respect to another. In this work, we propose the use of a Double Reference Point based methodology to obtain synthetic indicators allowing for different degrees of compensation. We will compare the obtained results with those obtained by the World Bank, highlighting the potential advantages of our approach. Comparison will be done taking into account the imprecision, ambiguity and uncertainty of the data by means of the Fuzzy Degree of Similarity between two rankings.

A non-unit protection scheme for double circuit series capacitor compensated transmission lines

This paper presents a non-unit protection scheme for series capacitor compensated transmission lines (SCCTL) using discrete wavelet transform and k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) algorithm. All the protective relaying functions such as fault detection, fault classification, faulty phase identification and fault location estimation have been considered in this work. Such a comprehensive work providing all protective relaying functions for protection of double circuit SCCTL utilizing k-NN has not been reported so far. The signal processing and feature extraction are done using discrete wavelet transform due to its capability to differentiate between high and low frequency transient components. For fault detection and classification, only approximate wavelet coefficient of current signal up to level 1 has been used; while for k-NN location estimation, both voltage and current signals of the two circuits are decomposed up to level 3 have been used. Finally, the standard deviation of one cycle pre-fault and one cycle post-fault samples of the approximate wavelet coefficients are calculated to form the feature vector for the k-NN-based algorithm. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated for large number of fault events with variation in fault type including inter-circuit faults, fault inception angle, fault location and fault resistance. The change in position of series capacitor and different degree of compensation has been discussed. The accuracy of the proposed k-NN-based fault detection and classification module is 100% for all the tested fault cases with a decision period of less than half cycle. The k-NN-based fault location scheme estimates the location of fault with ≤1% error for most of the tested fault cases, which is an exceptional attribute of the proposed scheme as compared with 10–15% error of conventional distance relaying scheme.

Domain structures of ferroelectric films under different electrical boundary conditions

A two-dimensional phase field simulation of ferroelectric films is used that incorporates Landau-Devonshire energy, gradient energy and depolarization electrical energy. A new intermediate electrical boundary condition is firstly presented to study the effects on domain structures of ferroelectric films. Two-dimensional simulations of domain structures are carried out under the open circuit (OC), short circuit (SC) and intermediate (IM) electrical boundary conditions. The simulation results show that there are multi-vortices domains and 180° multi-stripes domains under OC and SC electrical boundary condition, respectively. And there is a transition from multi-vortices domains to 180° multi-stripes domains under the IM electrical boundary condition due to competition between the elastic energy and depolarization electrical energy in the films. The present IM electrical boundary condition can completely characterize different degrees of compensation for surface charges by the electrodes and further describe the effect on the depolarization electrical energy. It can also be reduced to OC and SC electrical boundary conditions. Hence, for nano-thin ferroelectric films, the IM electrical boundary condition plays an important role in the formation of domain structures.

EPR, ESE, and pulsed ENDOR study of the nitrogen donors in 15R SiC grown under carbon‐rich conditions

X‐band field‐sweep electron spin echo and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy were used to study n‐type 15R SiC wafers grown under carbon (C)‐rich conditions with the aim to verify the recently proposed concept that nitrogen (N) donors substitute both carbon (C) and silicon (Si) sites and may occupy nonequivalent positions at Si sites. It was found that besides the 14N ENDOR spectra of the C substituting quasicubic “k1”, “k2”, and “k3” positions five doublet lines due to 14N nuclei at other lattice positions were observed in the ENDOR spectrum of highly compensated C‐rich n‐type 15R SiC. Three of them with the hyperfine interaction (HFI) constants 34.66, 32.20, and 29.77 MHz were attributed to the N donors substituting “k1”, “k2”, and “k3” positions at Si sites. Two other additional ENDOR spectra were explained by the presence of the C antisite (CSi) defects in C‐rich 15R SiC, which leads to the formation of CSiNC complexes with donor levels close to the conduction‐band minimum and isotropic 14N HFI constants of 21.58 and 25.94 MHz. The energy levels of N donors have been evaluated by comparing the number of ENDOR spectra observed in C‐rich 15R SiC with different degrees of compensation.

Real time digital simulation of shunt active filter for mitigation of current harmonics with P-Q theory

The main objective of this paper is to develop PI and Fuzzy logic controllers to analyze the performance of instantaneous active and reactive power (p-q) control strategy for extracting reference currents of shunt active filters under balanced, un-balanced and balanced non-sinusoidal conditions. When the supply voltages are balanced and sinusoidal, then all controllers converge to the same compensation characteristics. However, when the supply voltages are distorted and/or un-balanced sinusoidal, these control strategies result in different degrees of compensation in harmonics. The p-q control strategy with PI controller is unable to yield an adequate solution when source voltages are not ideal. Extensive simulations were carried out; simulations were performed with balance, unbalanced and non sinusoidal conditions. Simulation results validate the dynamic behavior of Fuzzy logic controller over PI controller. The 3-ph 4-wire shunt active filter system is also implemented on a real time digital simulator (RTDS Hardware) to further verify its effectiveness. The detailed simulation and RTDS Hardware results are included. Key words: Harmonic compensation, shunt active filter (SAF), P-Q control strategy, PI controller, fuzzy controller, RTDS hardware.

Righting the Wrong for Third Parties: How Monetary Compensation, Procedure Changes and Apologies Can Restore Justice for Observers of Injustice

People react negatively not only to injustices they personally endure but also to injustices that they observe as bystanders at work—and typically, people observe more injustices than they personally experience. It is therefore important to understand how organizations can restore observers’ perceptions of justice after an injustice has occurred. In our paper, we employ a policy capturing design to test and compare the restorative power of monetary compensation, procedure changes and apologies, alone and in combination, from the perspective of third parties. We extend previous research on remedies by including different degrees of compensation and procedural changes, by comparing the effects of sincere versus insincere apologies and by including apologies from additional sources. The results indicate that monetary compensation, procedure changes, and sincere apologies all have a significant and positive effect on how observers perceive the restoration of justice. Insincere apologies, on the other hand, have no significant effect on restoration for third parties. Procedural changes were found to have the strongest remedial effects, a remedy rarely included in previous research. One interpretation of this finding could be that observers of injustice prefer solutions that are not short sighted: changing procedures avoids future injustices that could affect other people. We found that combinations of remedies, such that the presence of a second remedy strengthens the effect of the first remedy, are particularly effective. Our findings regarding interactions underline the importance of studying and administering remedies in conjunction with each other.

Real-time implementation of PI and fuzzy logic controllers based shunt active filter control strategies for power quality improvement

Instantaneous active and reactive power (p–q) and current (Id–Iq) control strategies for extracting the three-phase reference currents for shunt active power filters are compared, evaluating their performance under different source voltage conditions with PI and fuzzy logic controllers in MATLAB/Simulink environment and also implemented using Real-Time Digital Simulator Hardware (RTDS Hardware). When the supply voltages are balanced and sinusoidal, then all control strategies with both controllers converge to the same compensation characteristics. However, when the supply voltages are distorted and/or un-balanced sinusoidal, these control strategies result in different degrees of compensation in harmonics. The p–q control strategy unable to yield an adequate solution when source voltages are not ideal. Extensive simulations are carried out with PI as well as fuzzy logic controller for both p–q and Id–Iq control strategies by considering different voltage conditions and adequate results were presented. On owing Id–Iq method with fuzzy logic controller gives away an out-standing performance under balanced, un-balanced and non-sinusoidal supply conditions. The detailed simulation and RTDS Hardware results are included.

RTDS hardware implementation and simulation of SHAF for mitigation of harmonics using p-q control strategy with PI and fuzzy logic controllers

The main objective of this paper is to develop PI and fuzzy controllers to analyze the performance of instantaneous real active and reactive power (p-q) control strategy for extracting reference currents of shunt active filters (SHAFs) under balanced, unbalanced, and balanced non-sinusoidal conditions. When the supply voltages are balanced and sinusoidal, both controllers converge to the same compensation characteristics. However, if the supply voltages are distorted and/or unbalanced sinusoidal, these controllers result in different degrees of compensation in harmonics. The p-q control strategy with PI controller is unable to yield an adequate solution when source voltages are not ideal. Extensive simulations were carried out with balance, unbalanced, and non-sinusoidal conditions. Simulation results validate the superiority of fuzzy logic controller over PI controller. The three-phase four-wire SHAF system is also implemented on a real-time digital simulator (RTDS hardware) to further verify its effectiveness. The detailed simulation and RTDS hardware results are included.

RTDS Hardware Implementation and Simulation of 3-ph 4-wire SHAF for Mitigation of Current Harmonics with p-q and Id-Iq Control Strategies using Fuzzy Logic Controller

Control strategies for extracting the three-phase reference currents for shunt active power filters are compared, evaluating their performance under different source voltage conditions in MATLAB/Simulink environment and also with Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) Hardware. When the supply voltages are balanced and sinusoidal, then all control strategies converge to the same compensation characteristics. However, when the supply voltages are distorted and/or un-balanced sinusoidal, these control strategies result in different degrees of compensation in harmonics. The p-q control strategy unable to yield an adequate solution when source voltages are not ideal. Extensive Simulations are carried out with Fuzzy Controller for both p-q and Id-Iq control strategies for different voltage conditions and adequate results were presented. The 3-ph 4-wire SHAF system is also implemented on a RTDS Hardware to further verify its effectiveness. The detailed simulation and RTDS Hardware results are included.

Effekte der Kernspinresonanztherapie auf Krankenstand bei Patienten mit Nervenwurzelirritation infolge eines lumbalen Bandscheibenvorfalls

The prevalence of spinal symptoms in Western industrialised countries ranges up to 80 %. Back pain ranks second among the most common reasons to seek medical advice. The resulting financial burden on the health-care system is proportional to the subjectively experienced pain. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the use of magnetic resonance therapy alters the duration of sickness absence in patients with discogenic radiculopathy. In a double-blind prospective randomised study, the use of magnetic resonance therapy for back pain in patients with discogenic radiculopathy was evaluated in the context of health economics. Patients aged 20 to 55 years with lumboischialgia and no indication for surgery were included in the study. The primary variable was the number of days of sickness absence in a study group before and after magnetic field therapy, and in a control group. The number of days of sickness absence was determined on the basis of a pain diary and by telephone inquiry. Patients who were treated with an activated magnetic resonance therapy device had significantly fewer days of sickness absence (p = 0.009) when evaluated by personal telephone calls. The duration of sickness absence before therapy was 14.7 days and that after therapy 5.8 days. In contrast, the days of sickness absence in the control group were 7.6 days before therapy and 13.8 days after therapy. The duration of symptoms was negatively correlated with the days of sickness absence. Patients who reported a burden at work had more days of sickness absence (8.3 days) than those with no burden at work (3.2 days). This correlation does not apply to familial burden. The cost-effectiveness analysis showed different degrees of compensation of the cost of magnetic resonance therapy, depending on the occupational group. Direct and indirect costs of magnetic resonance therapy were compensated by 16.9 fewer days of sickness absence among workers, 11.4 fewer days of sickness absence among employees, and 9.1 fewer days of sickness absence among civil servants. Based on the number of days of sickness absence, the study confirmed that a relatively economical alternative technique is able to provide pain relief as well as benefit the health economy. Unemployed patients or patients who have submitted an application for a pension may be problematic because they may not wish to be pronounced healthy by their doctors.

Crisis management of the pricing mistakes committed by Dell

PurposeThere are two purposes of this study. First, it aims to discuss some measures managers would take on the basis of an empirical case study – Dell's pricing mistakes on the web site – and find out the underlying motivation regarding consumers' attitude toward Dell. Second, there appears to be a fruitful opportunity to explore whether consumers' requests or different degrees of compensation will have any impact on organizational reputation (intangible assets).Design/methodology/approachThe survey investigates consumers' attitude toward the Dell crisis case, including how and why it affected the reputation of the company. The main questionnaire survey was conducted after the Dell pricing mistakes. In total, 433 samples were found valid and kept for further examination. The study tests the proposed hypotheses by structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsBy taking Dell's pricing mistake on the web site as an example, the study finds that managers sometimes opt for solutions unfavorable to the whole organization, in order to ensure self interest, including over quota coupons to reimburse consumers, which would be harmful to other stakeholders. Managers face not only consumers' interests but also other stakeholders' as well as corporate intangible assets. Also, consumers have different backgrounds and these characteristics will exercise influence on perceived crisis management.Originality/valueAlthough the academic literature has given much attention to the internet issues or crisis management, little attention seems to have been paid to the crisis potential coming from the internet. The power of consumers may hugely increase in the internet age and make the crisis graver, because the internet changes the ability of external commentators to make their opinions widely known, and hurts the reputation of corporations more deeply. A major theoretical contribution of this study is comprehension and filling the gaps in the existing literature. Agency theory and stakeholders' view provides a logical explanation of how and why these things happened.

Simulation and RTDS Hardware Implementation of SHAF for Mitigation of Current Harmonics with p-q and Id-Iq Control Strategies Using PI Controller

Control strategies for extracting the three-phase reference currents for shunt active power filters are compared, evaluating their performance under different source conditions in MATLAB/Simulink environment and also with Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) Hardware. When the supply voltages are balanced and sinusoidal, the two control strategies are converging to the same compensation characteristics but when the supply voltages are distorted and/or un-balanced sinusoidal, these control strategies result in different degrees of compensation in harmonics. The p-q control strategy is unable to yield an adequate solution when source voltages are not ideal. Extensive Simulations are carried out with PI controller for both p-q and Id-Iq control strategies for different voltage conditions and adequate results were presented. The 3-ph 4-wire SHAF system is also implemented on RTDS Hardware to further verify its effectiveness. The detailed simulation and RTDS Hardware results are included.

A clinical study of the subjective visual vertical during unilateral centrifugation and static tilt

Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that various response patterns of subjective visual vertical (SVV) can be identified during unilateral centrifugation (UC). It is proposed that these response types correspond to different degrees of compensation after disease. This is advantageous for monitoring the effect of rehabilitative measures and is useful in medico-legal issues. It also emerges that diagnosis of unilateral utricle function requires the determination not only of asymmetry ratio but also offset of SVV estimates. Objectives: A retrospective clinical study of SVV test results was performed to establish a classification and model of response types in patients with suspected otolith disorder. Methods: SVV measurements were made in 473 patients recruited from the dizziness clinic. A control group of healthy subjects (n = 43) was tested with the same protocol. Testing with bilateral stimulation (stationary upright, 15°, 30° tilt) and UC was performed. A mathematical model for the UC results was developed. Results: During UC testing 61% of the patients showed an asymmetric response indicating a unilateral utricular hypofunction/dysfunction. These results could be classified into three subgroups, indicating different degrees of compensation. The model parameters can be adapted to reflect this classification.

I<sub>d</sub>-i<sub>q</sub> Control Strategy for Mitigation of Current Harmonics with Fuzzy Logic Controller Using Matlab/Simulation and RTDS Hardware

The main objective of this paper is to develop Fuzzy controller to analyse the performance of instantaneous real active and reactive current (id-iq) control strategy for extracting reference currents of shunt active filters under balanced, un-balanced and balanced non-sinusoidal conditions. When the supply voltages are balanced and sinusoidal, the all control strategies are converge to the same compensation characteristics; However, the supply voltages are distorted and/or un-balanced sinusoidal, these control strategies result in different degrees of compensation in harmonics. The p-q control strategy unable to yield an adequate solution when source voltages are not ideal. Extensive simulations are carried out with Fuzzy controller for id-iq control strategy under different main voltages. The 3-ph 4-wire shunt active filter (SHAF) system is also implemented on a Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS Hardware) to further verify its effectiveness. The detailed simulation and RTDS Hardware results are included.

Fuzzy and PI Controller Based SHAF for Mitigation of Current Harmonics with P-Q Method Using Matlab and RTDS Hardware

The main objective of this paper is to develop PI and Fuzzy logic controllers to analyse the performance of instantaneous real active and reactive power (p-q) control strategy for extracting reference currents of shunt active filters under balanced, un-balanced and balanced non-sinusoidal conditions. When the supply voltages are balanced and sinusoidal, then all controllers converge to the same compensation characteristics. However, when the supply voltages are distorted and/or un-balanced sinusoidal, these control strategies result in different degrees of compensation in harmonics. The p-q control strategy with PI controller is unable to yield an adequate solution when source voltages are not ideal. Extensive simulations were carried out; simulations were performed with balance, unbalanced and non sinusoidal conditions. Simulation results validate the dynamic behaviour of Fuzzy logic controller over PI controller. The 3-ph 4-wire SHAF system is also implemented on a Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS Hardware) to further verify its effectiveness. The detailed simulation and RTDS Hardware results are included.