Sharif Digital Repository

Background: The purpose of this study was to propose a methodology for mechanical characterization of the ligaments in subject-specific models of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) of living individuals. Method: PFJ laxity tests were performed on a healthy volunteer using a specially designed loading apparatus under biplane fluoroscopy. A three-dimensional (3D) parametric model of the PFJ was developed in the framework of the rigid body spring model using the geometrical data acquired from the subject's computed tomography and magnetic resonance images. The stiffness and pre-strains of the medial and lateral PFJ ligaments were characterized using a two-step optimization procedure which minimized... 

A safe rehabilitation exercise for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries needs to be compatible with the normal knee arthrokinematics to avoid abnormal loading on the joint structures. The objective of this study was to measure the amount of the anterior tibial translation (ATT) of the ACL-deficient knees during selective open and closed kinetic chain exercises. The intact and injured knees of fourteen male subjects with unilateral ACL injury were imaged using uniplanar fluoroscopy, while the subjects performed forward lunge and unloaded/loaded open kinetic knee extension exercises. The ATTs were measured from fluoroscopic images, as the distance between the tibial and femoral reference... 

A detailed 3D anatomical model of the patellofemoral joint was developed to study the tracking, force, contact and stability characteristics of the joint. The quadriceps was considered to include six components represented by 15 force vectors. The patellar tendon was modeled using four bundles of viscoelastic tensile elements. Each of the lateral and medial retinaculum was modeled by a three-bundle nonlinear spring. The femur and patella were considered as rigid bodies with their articular cartilage layers represented by an isotropic viscoelastic material. The geometrical and tracking data needed for model simulation, as well as validation of its results, were obtained from an in vivo... 

This paper investigates the rights of children born into interfaith marriages, focusing on child registration in Semarang, Indonesia. In a multicultural society like Indonesia, children from interfaith unions face complex legal and social challenges. This study explores the nuances of child registration in Semarang, addressing the legal framework, social dynamics, and implications for children’s rights. Beginning with an overview of Indonesia’s legal context, the paper emphasizes the importance of civil registration in establishing a child’s legal identity and access to rights and services. It examines the hurdles encountered by interfaith families in navigating registration procedures,... 

Background: Functional knee braces are extensively used for partially and completely torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) patients and those who have undergone ACL graft reconstruction, in order to support the healing ACL, improve the joint's functional stability, and restore the normal joint kinematics. Research question: Does wearing braces alter the arthrokinematics of the ACL deficient knees during lung exercise? Methods: For ten male unilateral ACL deficient subjects, 3D knee models were reconstructed from CT images, acquired in rest position. Sagittal plane fluoroscopy was then performed throughout a complete cycle of lunge in braced and non-braced conditions. The 3D kinematics of the... 

This paper will first describe the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) and Fuzzy logic controller when the Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controllers are inactive for procedures that have large delay time (LDT) in transfer stage. Therefore in those states, LQR and Fuzzy controllers perform better than the PID controllers. The constrained LQR is optimal and stabilizing. The solution algorithm is guaranteed to terminate in finite time with a computational cost that has a reasonable upper bound compared to the minimal cost for computing the optimal solution. The system determines the amount of fuel required from a fuzzy algorithm to arrive at the desired temperature. The parameters of the... 

Background: Ligament reconstruction is a common procedure in orthopedic surgery. Although several popular techniques are currently in use, new methods are proposed for secure fixation of the tendon graft into the bone tunnel. Purposes: We sought to introduce our new technique of Bashti bone plug for fixation of soft tissue graft in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and to compare its biomechanical features with conventional absorbable interference screw technique in a bovine model. Methods: Twenty pairs of bovine knees were harvested after death. Soft tissue was removed and the Achilles tendon was harvested to be used as an ACL graft. It was secured into the bone tunnel on the... 

Large Language Models (LLMs) have emerged as the dominant paradigm in Natural Language Processing owing to their remarkable performance across various target tasks. However, naively fine-tuning them for specific downstream tasks often requires updating a vast number of parameters, resulting in high computational costs and overfitting when training data is limited. In this paper, we propose a novel approach, called Stochastic Tuning, that addresses these challenges by selectively updating a small subset of parameters in each step of the tuning process. Our approach is characterized by its customization of updates based on task-specific partial gradients with respect to stochastic... 

This work presents a new signaling method operating based on a Nyquist-rate orthogonal pulse amplitude modulation (NOPAM) scheme for high-speed wireline communication systems. The proposed signaling approach provides a 2 bit/symbol throughput like PAM-4 signaling while requiring only three voltage levels for data transmission. Thus, it is less sensitive to non-idealities of the lossy interfaces in long/medium reach links. A transceiver (TRx) architecture using NOPAM signaling is presented and realization of its main blocks is described. A 56 Gbps NOPAM TRx using a medium-reach link with 20 dB loss at 14 GHz is modeled and simulated in MATLAB. Performance of the system is provided and...