Sociotechnical systems, risk management, and public health: comparing the North Battleford and Walkerton outbreaks

Accidents in different complex sociotechnical systems are rarely compared using the same theoretical framework for risk management. We conducted a comparative analysis of two Canadian public health disasters involving drinking water distribution systems, the North Battleford Cryptosporidium parvum outbreak in April 2001 and the Walkerton E. coli outbreak in May 2000. Both accidents resulted from a complex interaction between all levels of a complex sociotechnical system. However, the low-level physical and individual factors differed in the two cases, whereas, the high-level governmental and regulatory factors tended to be the same. These findings may have implications for the design of public policies to minimize risk in complex sociotechnical systems.     

Child Death From Pediatric Illness: Conceptualizing Intervention From a Family/Systems and Public Health Perspective.

Despite the universal and understandable distress associated with the death of a child from pediatric illness, do psychologists help surviving families in ways that match their need for assistance? Many families do not seek psychological help and cope adaptively with their loss. Indications for psychotherapy with bereaved families are based largely on experience with families who engage in treatment and who have greater distress. Other families may not receive sufficient services but are at risk for ongoing difficulties and unlikely to engage in treatment. Suggestions for intervention are made, with attention to the fit of therapeutic approaches with family needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retrograde Amnesia Induced by Drugs Acting on Different Molecular Systems.

The gamma aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) agonist, muscimol, the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, D-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5), and the inhibitor of the extracellularly regulated kinases (ERKs), UO 126, cause retrograde amnesia when administered to the hippocampus. In the present study, the authors found that they all cause retrograde amnesia for 1-trial inhibitory avoidance, not only when infused into the dorsal CA1 region of the hippocampus, but also when infused into the basolateral amygdala or the entorhinal, parietal, and posterior cingulate cortices. The posttraining time course of the effect of each drug was, however, quite different across brain structures. Thus, in all of them, NMDA receptors and the ERK pathway are indispensable for memory consolidation, and GABAA receptor activation inhibits memory consolidation: but in each case, their influence is interwoven differently. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

一类连续模糊动态系统控制方法在Furuta摆中的应用

为了研究Furuta摆在倒立点附近的稳定控制问题，采用基于T-S模糊模型的一类连续模糊动态系统控制方法，首次进行Furuta摆的模糊状态空间建模，并采用模糊切换的思想，设计了Furuta摆在倒立点附近的稳定控制器，进而分析了系统稳定性。与已有的方法相比，该方法的优点是稳定区域大、调节时间短。数字仿真结果验证了方法的有效性。     

一种实现非等带宽多载波调制的新方法

传统的多载波调制都是采用对传输信道进行等带宽划分的方式。为了更好地适应信道传输特性，一个很有应用前景的发展方向是采用非等带宽划分信道的多载波调制方式。本文提出了一种利用正交小波包变换实现的非等带宽划分信道的多载波调制方法。理论分析和实验结果表明，这种方法对于提高信道的传输性能有很大的潜力。     

On a large-gain theorem

The aim of this paper is to give a general quantitative requirement which the loop gain must satisfy in order to stabilize a given unstable (possibly nonlinear and time-varying) plant, namely that the gain must exceed one.     

压缩式致冷设备的电子宽温域多功能控制

设计并研制了一种用于压缩式致冷设备的电子式定温域多功能控制装置。它除具有控温范围宽、精度高、控温参数易调等优点外，还实现了低成本的温度显示、半自动除霜控制、加电延时保护、过欠压保护等功能。全部采用无触点控制方式，有良好的性能／价格比。     

Regulator problem for uncertain linear discrete-time systems with constrained control

A necessary and sufficient condition to test the robustness of a regulator of uncertain linear systems with constrained control is given. The candidate regulator for this test is that stabilizing nominal systems. An illustrative example is also given.     

H∞-control with measurement-feedback for Pritchard-Salamon systems

In this paper we extend the finite-dimensional results for the H_∞-control problem with measurement-feedback to a large class of infinite-dimensional systems, allowing for a certain type of unboundedness in the input and output operators (the Pritchard-Salamon class). The main result of the paper relates the solvability to the suboptimal H_∞-control problem to the existence of stabilizing solutions to certain operator Riccati equations. Furthermore, a characterization of all suboptimal controllers is given.     

Design of minimax robust LQG controllers under parameter and noise uncertainties

The problem of design of minimax robust LQG controllers for linear systems with parameter and noise uncertainties is considered in this paper. Necessary and sufficient conditions for converting this problem to a two-person, zero-sum continuous game problem are presented. A simple procedure for design of a suboptimal minimax robust LQG controller, i.e., the LQG controller for least-favourable model, is proposed. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a saddle point are established. Under these conditions, the controller obtained is exactly the minimax LQG controller. When there does not exist a saddle point, the worst-case error between the controller obtained and the minimax robust LQG controllers under described uncertainties is bounded.