Marginal integration for nonparametric causal inference

We consider the problem of inferring the total causal effect of a single variable intervention on a (response) variable of interest. We propose a certain marginal integration regression technique for a very general class of potentially nonlinear structural equation models (SEMs) with known structure, or at least known superset of adjustment variables: we call the procedure S-mint regression. We easily derive that it achieves the convergence rate as for nonparametric regression: for example, single variable intervention effects can be estimated with convergence rate $n^{-2/5}$ assuming smoothness with twice differentiable functions. Our result can also be seen as a major robustness property with respect to model misspecification which goes much beyond the notion of double robustness. Furthermore, when the structure of the SEM is not known, we can estimate (the equivalence class of) the directed acyclic graph corresponding to the SEM, and then proceed by using S-mint based on these estimates. We empirically compare the S-mint regression method with more classical approaches and argue that the former is indeed more robust, more reliable and substantially simpler.Comment: 40 pages, 14 figure

A spatial impedance controller for robotic manipulation

Mechanical impedance is the dynamic generalization of stiffness, and determines interactive behavior by definition. Although the argument for explicitly controlling impedance is strong, impedance control has had only a modest impact on robotic manipulator control practice. This is due in part to the fact that it is difficult to select suitable impedances given tasks. A spatial impedance controller is presented that simplifies impedance selection. Impedance is characterized using ¿spatially affine¿ families of compliance and damping, which are characterized by nonspatial and spatial parameters. Nonspatial parameters are selected independently of configuration of the object with which the robot must interact. Spatial parameters depend on object configurations, but transform in an intuitive, well-defined way. Control laws corresponding to these compliance and damping families are derived assuming a commonly used robot model. While the compliance control law was implemented in simulation and on a real robot, this paper emphasizes the underlying theor

The science of law and modern public administration

Założeniem badawczym artykułu jest poddanie opisowi zasadniczych problemów bytu i funkcjonowania administracji publicznej we współczesności, problematyki nauki administracji oraz prawa administracyjnego. Opis i argumentacja dotyczą szerokiego spektrum zagadnień związanych z przeglądem wybranych współczesnych dziedzin funkcjonowania administracji, a zarazem także z ewolucją struktur i układów administracyjnych. Zastosowanie znajduje tu pewna ilość nowych terminów wstępnie wypracowanych. Cechą współczesnych procesów prawnych i politycznych jest konwergencja o charakterze globalnym. Stanowi ona wynik szeroko pojmowanego problemu globalizacji, czyli umiędzynarodowiania wszelkich dziedzin życia społecznego. Konwergencja globalna w prawie prowadzi często do nowych standardów, deregulacji, nowych uregulowań. Swoistym zagadnieniem badawczym jest tu prawo ponadnarodowe. Pozostaje ono w szczególnie dynamicznej łączności z prawem publicznym, a także z administracją publiczną.Problematyka dotyczy także aktualnego stanu nauki prawa i koniecznego rozwoju jej poznania, teorii. W szerszym zagadnieniu dotyczy rozwoju doktryn społecznych i ich uosabiania zwłaszcza w życiu politycznym i w życiu prawnym. Dostrzegalne i ważne w tych sferach są zagadnienia relacji podmiotowości i władztwa. Procesy współczesnego życia społecznego, a także przykłady szczególne dają podstawę złożonym problemom. Administracja musi aktualnie zmierzać do struktur ewoluujących wraz ze społeczeństwem, musi być strukturą chłonną i uczącą się, dającą podstawę bytowi działań innowacyjnych. Innowacje i inwencje są zasadniczym celem i potrzebą działania administracyjnego i funkcjonowania układów administracyjnych. Stanowią zasadniczy trzon postępu, i jedno z najistotniejszych współczesnych zagadnień prawnych.Ciągle istotna jest centralizacja. Administracja staje tu przed coraz szerszą skalą zadań. Multiplikuje się nie tylko wymiar potrzeb, ale zarazem szerokie zagadnienie regulacji prawnej. Powracają problemy regulacji i wykładni zagadnień prawnych, interesu publicznego, partii politycznych, praw podmiotowych, podmiotowości wobec władztwa, podziału władzy oraz zasad państwa prawnego. Przejawiają się one komparatystycznie w wielu kulturach prawnych, mimo nierzadko zmiennej frazeologii i różnego stanu zaawansowania w rozstrzyganiu problemów prawnych. Rozwiązań trzeba tu poszukiwać nie tylko w zmiennych wartościach doktrynalnych czy systemowych, ale też w tych szczególnych zmiennych wartościach, które dotyczą organizacji, kontroli, nadzoru, policji administracyjnej, a zatem tych pojęć i urządzeń, które są podstawowe dla nauki administracji i nauki prawa administracyjnego.The aim of this research paper is deliberation on the essential problems of existence and functioning of public administration in modern times as well as on some issues of the science administration and administrative law. The description and argumentation cover a wide spectrum of issues relating to the review of contemporary areas of administrative activity as well as to the evolution of administrative structures and systems. A number of new terms, preliminarily developed, is therefore used. One of the features of contemporary legal and political processes is convergence of a global nature, which is a result of broadly understood globalisation, namely the internationalisation of all aspects of social life. Global convergence frequently leads to new standards, deregulation and new regulations. A particular research issue is supranational law, dynamically linked to public law and public administration.The paper looks into the current condition of the science of law and calls for further cognitive studies. These include development of social doctrines and their personification in political and legal life, in particular. Here, the relationships between subjectivity and power are of significant importance. The processes of contemporary social life give rise to complex problems andadministration must evolve together with society. It must be able to adapt to new circumstances and create foundations for innovative activities. Innovation and invention are the fundamental goal of administrative actions and functioning of administrative structures. They constitute the principal pillar of progress and development and belong to the most important legal issues of the contemporary world.Centralisation continues to be essential as well. Administration faces an increasing range of tasks. The scale of needs multiplies, which then calls for new regulations and produces new legal issues. Regulation, interpretation of law, public interest, separation of powers, the rule of law, subjectivity and subjective rights are recurring issues and are comparatively manifested in many legal cultures, despite frequently varying phraseology and different levels of advancement in solving new legal problems. Solutions must be sought not only in doctrinal or system variables, but also in the specific variables relating to the organisation, control, supervision, or administrative police, and thus in these concepts and institutions that are fundamental for the science of administration and administrative law.

Sliding mode control of spatial mechanical systems decoupling translation and rotation

This paper looks at the robust trajectory control of spatial mechanical systems using sliding mode techniques. Two distinctions of the proposed method from reported methods are: (1) The measure of attitudinal error used is intrinsically defined, Euclidean-geometric, and intuitive. From Euler's theorem it follows that given a desired and actual attitude of a rigid body there exists an axis and angle of rotation relating the two attitudes. This defines a relative rotation vector, which is used as an intrinsically defined, intuitive measure of error. Reported methods use algebraic differences of entities such as generalized coordinates representing attitude. While functionally correlated to attitudinal error, these measures are not intrinsically defined. (2) A novel, dynamically nonlinear sliding function is used that results in a simple control law. The parameters of this function are dynamically and geometrically intuitive. Simulation results are given for a spacecraft tracking a complex desired trajectory

Is quantitative analysis superior to visual analysis of planar thallium 201 myocardial exercise scintigraphy in the evaluation of coronary artery disease? - Analysis of a prospective clinical study

Quantitative analysis of myocardial exercise scintigraphy has been previously reported to be superior to visual image interpretation for detection of the presence and extent of coronary artery disease. Computer analysis of perfusion defects and washout rate of thallium 201 was performed on scintigrams from a group of 131 consecutive patients (prospective group), using criteria defined from a previous group of 72 patients (initial group), and compared with visual interpretation of scintigrams for detection and evaluation of coronary artery disease. The sensitivity of the quantitative technique with regard to overall detection of coronary artery disease was not significantly different from the visual method (69% and 74%, respectively), whereas the specificity was higher (86% and 68%). Quantitative analysis did not increase the sensitivity of thallium imaging over the visual method in the left anterior descending artery (46% vs 65%) and the right coronary artery (51% vs 72%) but did increase sensitivity in the left circumflex artery (75% vs 47%). Whereas in the initial group quantitative analysis resulted in a better identification of multivessel disease (sensitivity 81 % vs 57%), in the prospective group sensitivity decreased (54% vs 67%) without significant loss of specificity. The initial group had a 40% incidence of three-vessel disease and the prospective group, 22% (P < 0.05). One-vessel disease was higher in the prospective group (32% vs 11%, P < 0.05). Thus, assessing the quantitative technique in a larger prospective patient population, there was no improvement of detection of the presence and extent of coronary artery disease when compared with visual interpretation

Regulation and Banking after the Crisis

The Central Bank of Ireland and SUERF organised a joint conference in Dublin on 20th September, 2010 on the general theme of Regulation and Banking after the Crisis. In the best traditions of SUERF, the programme included papers and presentations from the three main constituencies of SUERF: Central Banks (including notably the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland), academics, and financial practitioners. As always, the papers illuminated some of the different perspectives of the three constituencies. We are grateful to the many distinguished contributors who were prepared to make powerful contributions to the conference