Neck support pillows are widely used in patients with neck pain to reduce pain and get better quality of sleep. To test whether specific neck pillows have any effect on neck pain, headache and quality of sleep in people with chronic non-specific neck pain and to find the optimal characteristics of such a pillow, 52 patients with chronic neck pain tested four different pillows (three specially desi

To describe and explore the relationships between pain, emotional state and coping strategies in patients with chronic radicular neck pain before and after surgery or conservative treatments. Methods: We randomize 81 conseutive patients with cervical radicular pain and nerve root compression, verified by MRI, to either surgical decompression with fusion or physiotherapy or neck collar. Emotional s

This paper presents a dynamic method that derives the magnetic model of permanent magnet synchronous machines. The method uses the moment of inertia of the rotating parts to limit the speed dynamics while specific stator winding currents accelerate and brake the machine. Measurements of the rotor position and the phase voltages give the voltages in the dq frame and the rotational frequency, which

In this paper, we consider capacities of single-antenna terminals communicating to large antenna arrays that are deployed on surfaces. That is, the entire surface is used as an intelligent receiving antenna array. Under the condition that the surface area is sufficiently large, the received signal after matched-filtering (MF) can be well approximated by an intersymbol interference (ISI) channel wh

The first measured results for massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) performance in a line-of-sight (LOS) scenario with moderate mobility are presented, with 8 users served by a 100 antenna base Station (BS) at 3.7 GHz. When such a large number of channels dynamically change, the inherent propagation and processing delay has a critical relationship with the rate of change, as the use of o

Flow thinning (FT) is an active traffic protection mechanism destined for communication networks with variable capacity of links, as for example wireless networks. In FT, end-to-end traffic demands are equipped with dedicated logical tunnels (for example MPLS tunnels) whose maximal capacity is subject to thinning in order to follow the fluctuations of the currently available link capacity. It foll

The presented work is motivated by Free Space Optics (FSO) communications. FSO is a well established wireless optical transmission technology considered as an alternative to radio communications for example in metropolitan wireless mesh networks. An FSO link is established by means of a laser beam between the transmitter and the receiver placed in the line of sight. A major disadvantage of FSO lin

Microbial decomposers colonising submerged leaf litter are in close spatial proximity with periphytic algae and can use carbon (C) exudates released during photosynthesis. We investigated whether labile C delivered as algal exudates could affect the microbial colonisation and decomposition of leaf litter. Using microcosms, we submerged leaf litter in pond water and monitored fungal and bacterial g

Deposition from oppositely charged polyelectrolyte/surfactant (P/S) systems has numerous industrial applications such as detergency, paints, oil recovery, the pharmaceuticals, food, and biotechnology. Deposition is a delicate balance between the bulk-solution phase behavior of the system and the forces that control the interaction with the surface. Generally, maximum surface excess from polyelectr

During excavations of burials at Zvejnieki in northern Latvia, it transpired that the grave fill included occupation material brought to the grave. It contained tools of a type that could not be contemporaneous with the grave. This is confirmed by the dating of bone tools and other bone finds in the fill. The fill was taken from an older settlement site a short distance away. The fill also include

Today we can observe an increasing spatial divide as some large urban regions and many more medium-sized and small regions face growing problems such as decreasing labour demand, increasing unemployment and an ageing population. In view of these trends, this book offers a better understanding of the general characteristics and specific drivers of the geographies of growth. It shows how these may v