University of Salford

About: University of Salford is a education organization based out in Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 13049 authors who have published 22957 publications receiving 537330 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Salford Manchester & The University of Salford Manchester.

"soft" exoskeletons for upper and lower body rehabilitation — design, control and testing

Abstract: The basic concepts for exoskeletal systems have been suggested for some time with applications ranging from construction, manufacturing and mining to rescue and emergency services. In recent years, research has been driven by possible uses in medical/rehabilitation and military applications. Yet there are still significant barriers to the effective use and exploitation of this technology. Among the most pertinent of these factors is the power and actuation system and its impact of control, strength, speed and, perhaps most critically, safety. This work describes the design, construction and testing of an ultra low-mass, full-body exoskeleton system having seven degrees of freedom (DOFs) for the upper limbs and five degrees of freedom (DOFs) for each of the lower limbs. This low mass is primarily due to the use of a new range of pneumatic muscle actuators as the power source for the system. The work presented will show how the system takes advantage of the inherent controllable compliance to produce a unit...

Narrative theory and emergent interactive narrative

Abstract: This paper aims at reviewing narrative approaches and theories in an effort to assess their potential as suitable models for computational implementation within the EU Framework V-funded project VICTEC (Virtual ICT with Empathic Characters). We discuss classical narrative theories as well as envisage alternative interactive models according to the narrative requirements presented by VICTEC. The Emergent Narrative (Aylett, 1999) concept is also defined and referred as an essential element of the VICTEC research project.

Genetic programming for credit scoring: The case of Egyptian public sector banks

Abstract: Credit scoring has been widely investigated in the area of finance, in general, and banking sectors, in particular. Recently, genetic programming (GP) has attracted attention in both academic and empirical fields, especially for credit problems. The primary aim of this paper is to investigate the ability of GP, which was proposed as an extension of genetic algorithms and was inspired by the Darwinian evolution theory, in the analysis of credit scoring models in Egyptian public sector banks. The secondary aim is to compare GP with probit analysis (PA), a successful alternative to logistic regression, and weight of evidence (WOE) measure, the later a neglected technique in published research. Two evaluation criteria are used in this paper, namely, average correct classification (ACC) rate criterion and estimated misclassification cost (EMC) criterion with different misclassification cost (MC) ratios, in order to evaluate the capabilities of the credit scoring models. Results so far revealed that GP has the highest ACC rate and the lowest EMC. However, surprisingly, there is a clear rule for the WOE measure under EMC with higher MC ratios. In addition, an analysis of the dataset using Kohonen maps is undertaken to provide additional visual insights into cluster groupings.

A decade of neglect: reflecting on gender and IS

Abstract: This paper presents the case that research on gender and information systems (IS), from both quantitative and qualitative traditions, is problematic as the concept of gender continues to remain under-theorised. This will be elaborated upon with a critique of some recent qualitative and quantitative research papers that have been published in key IS journals within a ten-year period.

A multicentre, parallel-group comparison of calcipotriol ointment and short-contact dithranol therapy in chronic plaque psoriasis.

Abstract: Short-contact treatment with dithranol (anthralin) is a widely used treatment for chronic plaque psoriasis. Although effective, it causes staining and irritation, and is therefore inconvenient. Calcipotriol is a recently developed vitamin D analogue which is effective and easy to use. To evaluate the relative efficacy, safety and acceptability of these treatments a multicentre, open, randomized, parallel-group comparison was performed. Four hundred and seventy-eight patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were randomized to use one of the two treatments for 8 weeks. One group applied calcipotriol ointment (50 micrograms/g) twice daily. The other used a single application for 30 min each day of Dithrocream in the highest concentration tolerated. Severity of psoriasis was assessed by modified PASI score at baseline, and after 2, 4, and 8 weeks of treatment. A five-point scale was used by subjects and by investigators as an additional assessment of overall response, and a similar scale was used by subjects to grade acceptability. Total serum calcium was monitored at baseline and after 2 and 8 weeks on treatment. The mean PASI score fell from 9.1 to 4.7 after 8 weeks on dithranol (P < 0.001), and from 9.4 to 3.4 on calcipotriol (P < 0.001). The difference between the two treatments was significant in favour of calcipotriol at 2 weeks (P < 0.001), and remained so at subsequent assessments. At 8 weeks the difference between mean improvements in scores for the two groups was 1.6 (95% confidence interval 0.5-2.7). Efficacy grading by subjects and investigators, and acceptability grading by subjects, were all significantly better for calcipotriol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)