On bounds for the existence of a bistable controller

By we shall denote the set of polynomials nonzero on the closed disk {z: |z|r}. The problem to be studied is given as follows.Avoidance Problem. Given polynomials A and B, nonnegative integers n, m, and positive numbers r₁, r₂, r₃, determine if there exist , with degrees n and m, respectively, such that AP+BQ is in .It is shown that the Avoidance Problem for r₁=r₂=r₃=1 is equivalent to the well-known Bistable Stabilization Problem for a large class of control systems.Also, a general class of optimization problems for solving the Avoidance Problem is introduced. The class of optimization problems includes problems with sets more general than disks . In addition, an algorithm is proposed for solving these optimization problems, and numerical experience is reported.As an application, bistable controllers for the plant are shown to exist for values of β as low as 0.0246, thus improving on previously reported results by Blondel et al. for this difficult case.Furthermore, it is shown how in some cases it is possible to find optimal controllers by using a combination of numerical and algebraic techniques, and a variant of the algorithm already introduced. As an example, a low order controller is found for for the case when .This method could be applied to other problems where the plant depends on a parameter.     

Dynamic characteristics of vibratory gyroscopes

Although there have been test results on microgyroscope dynamic characteristics, quantitative results relating the dynamic properties to microgyro design and operating parameters are not yet available. In this paper, we study the dynamic characteristics of a vibrating wheel microgyroscope. In vibratory microgyroscopes, the mechanical structure is driven into oscillatory motion. Consequently, the angular velocity input to the sensor is multiplied by the periodic driven motion. In order to recover the angular velocity input from the sensor responses, a demodulation must by carried out. Therefore, the differential equation governing the gyro input and output is not time invariant. The frequency response for the time-variant linear system is obtained through the demodulated and low-pass filtered steady-state output to sinusoidal excitations. With further assumptions of large Q value and close frequency match between the driven mode and sense mode, we obtain a time invariant model for the microgyroscope which is much simpler to use in the design of the microgyroscopes.     

The Impact of Rape on Women's Sexual Health Risk Behaviors.

This study used cluster analysis to identify three patterns of sexual health risk behaviors in a sample of adult rape survivors (N=102). Women in the 1st cluster (high risk) reported substantial increases from pre- to postrape in their frequency of sexual activity, number of sexual partners, infrequency of condom use, and frequency of using alcohol and/or drugs during sex. The 2nd cluster (moderate risk) reported increases in frequency of sexual activity and number of partners but mitigated that risk with increased condom use. Survivors in the 3rd cluster (low risk) indicated that their sexual health behaviors had become much less risky postrape. An ecological model predicting cluster membership revealed that individual-level and contextual factors predict patterns of risk behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Effectiveness of Telephone-Based Continuing Care in the Clinical Management of Alcohol and Cocaine Use Disorders: 12-Month Outcomes.

This study of continuing care for substance dependent patients compared a telephone-based monitoring and brief counseling intervention (TEL) with 2 face-to-face interventions, relapse prevention (RP) and standard 12-step group counseling (STND). The participants were graduates of intensive outpatient programs who had current dependence on alcohol and/or cocaine. Self-report, collateral, and biological measures of alcohol and cocaine use were obtained over a 12-month follow-up. The treatment groups did not differ on abstinence-related outcomes in the complete sample (N = 359) or on cocaine use outcomes in participants with cocaine dependence (n = 268). However, in participants with alcohol dependence only (n = 91), TEL produced better alcohol use outcomes than STND on all measures examined and better outcomes than RP on some of the measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotional display rules as work unit norms: A multilevel analysis of emotional labor among nurses.

Emotional labor theory has conceptualized emotional display rules as shared norms governing the expression of emotions at work. Using a sample of registered nurses working in different units of a hospital system, we provided the first empirical evidence that display rules can be represented as shared, unit-level beliefs. Additionally, controlling for the influence of dispositional affectivity, individual-level display rule perceptions, and emotion regulation, we found that unit-level display rules are associated with individual-level job satisfaction. We also showed that unit-level display rules relate to burnout indirectly through individual-level display rule perceptions and emotion regulation strategies. Finally, unit-level display rules also interacted with individual-level dispositional affectivity to predict employee use of emotion regulation strategies. We discuss how future research on emotional labor and display rules, particularly in the health care setting, can build on these findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concreteness training reduces dysphoria: Proof-of-principle for repeated cognitive bias modification in depression.

A tendency toward abstract and overgeneral processing is a cognitive bias hypothesized to causally contribute to symptoms of depression. This hypothesis predicts that training dysphoric individuals to become more concrete and specific in their thinking would reduce depressive symptoms. To test this prediction, 60 participants with dysphoria were randomly allocated either to (a) concreteness training; (b) bogus concreteness training, matched with concreteness training for treatment rationale, experimenter contact, and treatment duration but without active engagement in concrete thinking; (c) a waiting-list, no training control. Concreteness training resulted in significantly greater decreases in depressive symptoms and significantly greater increases in concrete thinking than the waiting-list and the bogus training control, and significantly greater decreases in rumination than the waiting-list control. These findings suggest that concreteness training has potential as a guided self-help intervention for mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Limited Accuracy of Pan-Trk Immunohistochemistry Screening for NTRK Rearrangements in Follicular-Derived Thyroid Carcinoma

Patients with advanced thyroid cancer harboring NTRK rearrangements can be treated with highly effective selective inhibitors. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis, to detect Trk protein expression, represents an appealing screening strategy for NTRK rearrangements, but its efficacy has been poorly explored in thyroid cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic utility of Trk IHC in the identification of NTRK rearrangements. A series of 26 follicular-derived thyroid tumors, positive for NTRK rearrangements, and 28 NTRK fusion-negative controls were retrospectively analyzed by IHC using the pan-Trk monoclonal antibody (clone {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"EPR17341","term_id":"523383444","term_text":"EPR17341"}}EPR17341) on the Ventana system. Area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity were calculated by ROC analysis. Trk expression was detected in 25 samples, including 22 out of the 26 NTRK-rearranged (84.6%) and three out of 28 NTRK-negative samples (10.7%). Four out of twenty-six NTRK-rearranged thyroid tumors were negative for Trk expression (15.4%), all carrying the ETV6/NTRK3 fusion. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity were 0.87, 0.85 and 0.89, respectively. A screening based on IHC analysis showed limited sensitivity and specificity in the identification of NTRK-rearranged tumors. Since falsely negative results could preclude the administration of effective targeted drugs, alternative detection strategies should be considered for thyroid cancer.     

A comparison of behaviors and play themes over a six-week period: Two case studies in play therapy.

As a method for counseling children, play therapy continues to demonstrate effectiveness through research and to be included in mental health training programs throughout the country. However, like other counseling interventions, capturing the essence of the therapeutic environment is complex and dependent on individual perspectives and experiences. In this article, two case studies are presented to demonstrate the use of quantitative and qualitative measures in comparing the behavioral changes as rated by caregivers on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and play themes observed by play therapists over a 6-week period. For both children in the study, behaviors and themes were related. As the children made changes in their play themes over the 6-week period, they also made changes in their behaviors at home. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of dynamic stimulation,visual perception and individual susceptibility to car sickness during controlled stop-and-go driving

Forschung im Ingenieurwesen - The enjoyment and usage of highly automated vehicles might be reduced by motion sickness. This study addresses the influencing factors of dynamic stimulation, visual...     

浅谈IEC电线及电缆标准

1引言 电线及电缆制造商在拓展全球市场时,都面临一项高难度的挑战,就是要同时符合不同市场的国家标准要求。即使是同一款的线型,制造商通常也因应不同国家的要求,生产不同的电线型号。这些电线在推向市场之前,必须通过多项测试和认证,而这些测试及认证,有时需要在全球各地的实验室和认证机构内进行。