Markov Jump Linear Systems with switching transition rates: Mean square stability with dwell-time

The stability of a class of Markov Jump Linear Systems characterized by piecewise-constant transition rates and system dynamics is investigated. For these Switching Markov Jump Linear Systems, mean square stability is analyzed through the time evolution of the second-order moment of the state. The main result is a sufficient condition that guarantees mean square stability under constraints on the dwell-time between switching instants. An alternative condition based on Kronecker calculus is worked out. It is shown that both the stability criteria admit an LMI implementation.     

Nonlinear H∞ disturbance attenuation for robots with flexible joints

The tracking problem is considered for robots having flexible joints. We propose a state feedback control algorithm which guarantees arbitrary attenuation on the outputs of the effects of time-varying disturbances as well as of parameter uncertainties. Only a lower bound on the values of the elastic constants is required to be known.     

Cloning and functional expression of a human liver organic cation transporter

OBJECTIVE: The triglyceride-lowering effects of omega-3 fats and HDL cholesterol-raising effects of exercise may be appropriate management for dyslipidemia in NIDDM. However, fish oil may impair glycemic control in NIDDM. The present study examined the effects of moderate aerobic exercise and the incorporation of fish into a low-fat (30% total energy) diet on serum lipids and glycemic control in dyslipidemic NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a controlled, 8-week intervention, 55 sedentary NIDDM subjects with serum triglycerides > 1.8 mmol/l and/or HDL cholesterol < 1.0 mmol/l were randomly assigned to a low-fat diet (30% daily energy intake) with or without one fish meal daily (3.6 g omega-3/day) and further randomized to a moderate (55-65% VO2max) or light (heart rate < 100 bpm) exercise program. An oral glucose tolerance test (75 g), fasting serum glucose, insulin, lipids, and GHb were measured before and after intervention. Self-monitoring of blood glucose was performed throughout. RESULTS: In the 49 subjects who completed the study, moderate exercise improved aerobic fitness (VO2max) by 12% (from 1.87 to 2.07 l/min, P = 0.0001). Fish consumption reduced triglycerides (0.80 mmol/l, P = 0.03) and HDL3 cholesterol (0.05 mmol/l, P = 0.02) and increased HDL2 cholesterol (0.06 mmol/l, P = 0.01). After adjustment for age, sex, and changes in body weight, fish diets were associated with increases in GHb (0.50%, P = 0.05) and self-monitored glucose (0.57 mmol/l, P = 0.0002), which were prevented by moderate exercise. CONCLUSIONS: A reduced fat diet incorporating one daily fish meal reduces serum triglycerides and increases HDL2 cholesterol in dyslipidemic NIDDM patients. Associated deterioration in glycemic control can be prevented by a concomitant program of moderate exercise.     

Psychological services to Spanish-speaking populations: A model curriculum for training competent professionals.

The competent delivery of mental health services to Spanish-speaking clients requires knowledge of Latino cultures, racial and ethnic identity development, variables that impact service delivery, and the Spanish language. We present the Psychological Services for Spanish Speaking Populations (PSSSP) program as a model for training mental health professionals to deliver services to Spanish-speaking clients. The goals for the program were to improve participants' oral and written Spanish language proficiency in work-related contexts and to improve multicultural competence in service delivery to Latino clients. Recommendations for those who wish to offer similar programs include (a) grouping trainees according to Spanish language proficiency, (b) using Spanish language instructors with expertise in teaching heritage language learners, and (c) developing criterion references or measures to assess program outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison between TRH-stimulated TSH and basal TSH measurement by a commercial immunoradiometric assay in the management of thyroid disease

In order to assess the current diagnostic role of the TRH test following the introduction of more sensitive second generation TSH assays, we studied a series of 259 outpatients, 237 women and 22 men, mean age 44.7 years (range 12-82), 91 of whom (35%) with untreated simple goiter, 133 (51%) with simple nodular goiter on steady state I-thyroxine treatment, 18 (7%) with overt or subclinical hyperthyroidism and 17 (7%) with overt or subclinical hypothyroidism, compared to a control group of 26 euthyroid healthy subjects. Serum TSH was measured by a commercial immunoradiometric assay (clinical sensitivity 0.1 microU/ml). TSH response to TRH was evaluated 30 minutes after giving 200 micrograms TRH i.v. bolus, the results being analyzed both as absolute increase (delta-TSH=stimulated TSH minus basal TSH) and as relative increase (R-TSH stimulated TSH/basal TSH). Using cut-off values of 0.3-3.2 microU/ml, basal TSH measurement was able to detect hypothyroidism (specificity = 100%) and to exclude hyperthyroidism (sensivity = 96.9%), but failed to accurately prove hyperthyroidism (specificity = 93.4%) and, above all, to exclude hypothyroidism (sensitivity = 35.3%) in our ambulatory patients. The delta-TSH values showed a basal TSH dependent linear increase (r = + 0.87, p < 0.001) both including only patients (n = 139) with basal TSH level in the euthyroidism range and including all patients (n = 223) having TSH responsive to TRH. All the patients with detectable basal TSH level displayed detectable TSH response to TRH, as did 19 (= 23.5%) of 81 patients with undetectable (< 0.1 microU/ml) basal value. In particular: a) for subnormal but detectable basal TSH ranging between 0.1 and 0.2 microU/ml, TSH was always hyporesponsive (delta-TSH < or = 2.5 microU/ml), while between 0.2 and 0.3 microU/ml TSH was hyporesponsive in 72.2% and normoresponsive (delta-TSH > 2.5 and < or = 11.9 microU/ml) in the remaining 27.8%; b) for basal TSH values within the normal range (0.3-3.2 microU/ml). TSH was hyporesponsive in 13.7%, normoresponsive in 74.8% and hyperresponsive in 11.5%; c) for high basal TSH values TSH was always hyperresponsive. The analysis of R TSH showed relatively constant values in the range of euthyroidism and hypothyroidism (m +/- SD: 7.4 +/- 2.3 and 7.7 +/- 3.1, respectively), and a marked differentiation of hyperthyroid patients whose R-TSH values were significantly lower (4.2 +/- 3.4) but had a wide individual variability. Linear regression analysis of basal or stimulated TSH and circulating thyroid hormones showed a close negative relationship, being highly significant between delta-TSH and T4 (r = 0.57, p < 0.001) and delta-TSH and FT4 (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). In conclusion, after the introduction of current second generation TSH immunoradiometric assay, the diagnostic role of the TRH test is greatly limited but not to be excluded: it can provide additional information to that obtained with simple basal TSH measurement in the diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism and in the precise evaluation of the degree of TSH suppression in patients with a subnormal basal TSH, either for endogenous thyrotoxicosis or I.-thyroxine treatment.     

The most dangerous flaw orientation in brittle materials and structures

In the present paper a sheet of material is considered. It is loaded by uniaxial tensile stress and contains a random distribution of flaw orientations, with the flaws thought of as flat pre-cracks of comparable length, and with all crack planes being oriented perpendicular to the faces of the sheet. Intuition suggests that the most likely flaw to initiate fracture, which will be termed the “most dangerous defect”, lies orthogonally to the major load axis. The purpose of the present paper is to show that such an assumption is incorrect. Neither the most dangerous defect nor the first increments of crack growth will be oriented perpendicularly to the stress direction (nor will they be co-planar with the orientation of the most critical flaw).     

Model-driven engineering for mobile robotic systems: a systematic mapping study

Software and Systems Modeling - Mobile robots operate in various environments (e.g. aquatic, aerial, or terrestrial), they come in many diverse shapes and they are increasingly becoming parts of...     

An adaptive learning regulator for uncertain minimum phase systems with undermodeled unknown exosystems

The design of an adaptive learning regulator is addressed for uncertain minimum phase linear systems (with known bounds, known upper bound on system order, known relative degree, known high frequency gain sign) and for unknown exosystems (with unknown order, uncertain frequencies). On the basis of a known bound on system uncertainties and a known bound on the modeled exosystem frequencies, a new adaptive output error feedback control algorithm is proposed which guarantees exponential convergence of both the output and the control input errors into residual bounds which decrease as the exosystem modeling error decreases. Exponential convergence of both errors to zero is obtained when the regulator exactly models all exosystem excited frequencies, while asymptotic convergence of both errors to zero is achieved when the actual exosystem is overmodeled by the regulator. The new algorithm generalizes existing learning controllers since, in the case of periodic references and/or disturbances, the knowledge of the period is not required.     

Algebraic Riccati equation and J-spectral factorization for estimation

In this paper we investigate on the existence of the stabilizing solution of the algebraic Riccati equation (ARE) related to the filtering problem with a prescribed attenuation level γ. It is well known that such a solution exists and is positive definite for γ larger than a certain γ_F and it does not exist for γ smaller than a certain γ₀. We consider the intermediate case γ(γ₀,γ_F] and show that in this interval the stabilizing solution does exist, except for a finite number of values of γ. We show how the solution of the ARE may be employed to obtain a minimum-phase J-spectral factor of the J-spectrum associated with the filtering problem.