Robust H-infinity filtering for 2-D systems with intermittent measurements

This paper is concerned with the problem of robust H∞ filtering for uncertain two-dimensional (2-D) systems with intermittent measurements. The parameter uncertainty is assumed to be of polytopic type, and the measurements transmission is assumed to be imperfect, which is modeled by a stochastic variable satisfying the Bernoulli random binary distribution. Our attention is focused on the design of an H∞ filter such that the filtering error system is stochastically stable and preserves a guaranteed H∞ performance. This problem is solved in the parameter-dependent framework, which is much less conservative than the quadratic approach. By introducing some slack matrix variables, the coupling between the positive definite matrices and the system matrices is eliminated, which greatly facilitates the filter design procedure. The corresponding results are established in terms of linear matrix inequalities, which can be easily tested by using standard numerical software. An example is provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approac

Comparison of walking performance over the first 2 minutes and the full 6 minutes of the Six-Minute Walk Test

BackgroundAlthough the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), as recommended by the American Thoracic Society, is widely used as a measure of functional endurance, it may not be applicable in some settings and populations. We sought to examine, therefore, performance over the first 2 minutes and the full 6 minutes of the 6MWT. Specifically, we investigated completion rates, distances walked, test-retest reliability, and the relationship between distances walked over the first 2 and the full 6 minutes of the 6MWT.MethodsCommunity-dwelling children and adults age 3-85 years (n = 337) were asked to walk back and forth on a 15.24 meter (50 ft) course as far as possible without running over a 6 minute period. Test completion and the distance covered by the participants at 2 and 6 minutes were documented. The reliability of distances covered at 2 and 6 minutes was determined by retesting a subsample of 54 participants 6 to 10 days later. The relationship between distances covered at 2 and 6 minutes was determined for the 330 participants completing the 6MWT.ResultsAll 337 participants completed at least 2 minutes of walking, but 7 children less than 5 years of age ceased walking before 6 minutes had elapsed. For the remaining 330 participants the mean distance walked was 186 meters at 2 minutes and 543 meters at 6 minutes. The distances covered at 2 and 6 minutes were reliable between sessions (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.888 and 0.917, respectively). The distances covered over 2 and 6 minutes were highly correlated (r = 0.968).ConclusionsThe completion rate, values obtained, test-retest reliability, and relationship of the distances walked in 2 and 6 minutes support documentation of 2 minute distance during the 6MWT. The findings also provide support for use of a Two-Minute Walk Test as the endurance component in the Motor Battery of the NIH Toolbox

Sums of divisor functions in <b>F</b>_q[<i>t</i>] and matrix integrals

We study the mean square of sums of theandnbsp;kth divisor functionandnbsp;dk(n)andnbsp;over short intervals and arithmetic progressions for the rational function field over a finite field ofandnbsp;qandnbsp;elements. In the limit asandnbsp;qandrarr;andinfin;andnbsp;we establish a relationship with a matrix integral over the unitary group. Evaluating this integral enables us to compute the mean square of the sums ofandnbsp;dk(n)andnbsp;in terms of a lattice point count. This lattice point count can in turn be calculated in terms of a certain piecewise polynomial function, which we analyse. Our results suggest general conjectures for the corresponding classical problems over the integers, which agree with the few cases where the answer is known.</p

Uncomfortable truths - teamworking under lean in the UK

A recent contribution in this journal – Procter, S. and Radnor, Z. (2014) ‘Teamworking under Lean in UK public services: lean teams and team targets in Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)’ International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25:21, 2978–2995 – provides an account of teamworking in the UK Civil Service, specifically Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), focused on the relationship between recently implemented lean work organisation and teams and teamworking. Procter and Radnor claim in this work that it delivers a ‘more nuanced’ analysis of lean in this government department and, it follows, of the lean phenomenon more generally. Our riposte critiques their article on several grounds. It suffers from problems of logic and construction, conceptual confusion and definitional imprecision. Methodological difficulties and inconsistent evidence contribute additionally to analytical weakness. Included in our response are empirical findings on teamworking at HMRC that challenge Procter and Radnor’s evidential basis and further reveal the shortcomings of their interpretation

Studies of the decays D^0 \rightarrow K_S^0K^-\pi^+ and D^0 \rightarrow K_S^0K^+\pi^-

The first measurements of the coherence factor R_{K_S^0K\pi} and the average strong--phase difference \delta^{K_S^0K\pi} in D^0 \to K_S^0 K^\mp\pi^\pm decays are reported. These parameters can be used to improve the determination of the unitary triangle angle \gamma\ in B^- \rightarrow $\widetilde{D}K^-$ decays, where $\widetilde{D}$ is either a D^0 or a D^0-bar meson decaying to the same final state, and also in studies of charm mixing. The measurements of the coherence factor and strong-phase difference are made using quantum-correlated, fully-reconstructed D^0D^0-bar pairs produced in e^+e^- collisions at the \psi(3770) resonance. The measured values are R_{K_S^0K\pi} = 0.70 \pm 0.08 and \delta^{K_S^0K\pi} = (0.1 \pm 15.7)$^\circ$ for an unrestricted kinematic region and R_{K*K} = 0.94 \pm 0.12 and \delta^{K*K} = (-16.6 \pm 18.4)$^\circ$ for a region where the combined K_S^0 \pi^\pm invariant mass is within 100 MeV/c^2 of the K^{*}(892)^\pm mass. These results indicate a significant level of coherence in the decay. In addition, isobar models are presented for the two decays, which show the dominance of the K^*(892)^\pm resonance. The branching ratio {B}(D^0 \rightarrow K_S^0K^+\pi^-)/{B}(D^0 \rightarrow K_S^0K^-\pi^+) is determined to be 0.592 \pm 0.044 (stat.) \pm 0.018 (syst.), which is more precise than previous measurements.Comment: 38 pages. Version 3 updated to include the erratum information. Errors corrected in Eqs (25), (26), 28). Fit results updated accordingly, and external inputs updated to latest best known values. Typo corrected in Eq(3)- no other consequence

Study of J/psi to p pbar, Lambda Lambdabar and observation of eta_c to Lambda Lambdabar at Belle

We study the baryonic charmonium decays of B mesons, B+ to etac K+ and B+ to J/psi K+, where the etac and J/psi subsequently decay into a p pbar or Lambda Lambdabar pair. We measure the J/psi to p pbar, Lambda Lambdabar anisotropy parameters, alpha_B = -0.60 +- 0.13 +-0.14 (p pbar), -0.44 +- 0.51 +- 0.31 (Lambda Lambdabar) and compare to results from e+e- to J/psi formation experiments. We also report the first observation of etac to Lambda Lambdabar. The measured branching fraction is B(etac to Lambda Lambdabar) = (0.87 +0.24 -0.21(stat) +0.09 -0.14(syst) +- 0.27 (PDG)) x 10^-3. This study is based on a 357 fb^-1 data sample recorded on the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider.Comment: 8 pages, two figures (4 figure files), an update of hep-ex/0509020 for journal submissio

Measurement of the branching fractions for B- --> D(*)+ pi- l- nu-bar and B0bar --> D(*)0 pi+ l- nu-bar

We report on a measurement of the branching fractions for B- --> D(*)+ pi- l- nu-bar and B0bar --> D(*)0 pi+ l- nu-bar with 275 million BBbar events collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at KEKB. Events are tagged by fully reconstructing one of the B mesons in hadronic modes. We obtain Br(B- --> D+ pi- l- nu-bar) = (0.54 +/- 0.07(stat) +/- 0.07(syst) +/- 0.06(BR)) x 10^-2, Br(B- --> D*+ pi- l- nu-bar) = (0.67 +/- 0.11(stat) +/- 0.09(syst) +/- 0.03(BR)) x 10^-2, Br(B0bar --> D0 pi+ l- nu-bar) = (0.33 +/- 0.06(stat) +/- 0.06(syst) +/- 0.03(BR)) x 10^-2, Br(B0bar --> D*0 pi+ l- nu-bar) = (0.65 +/- 0.12(stat) +/- 0.08(syst) +/- 0.05(BR)) x 10^-2, where the third error comes from the error on Bbar --> D(*) l- nu-bar decays. Contributions from B0bar --> D*+ l- nu-bar decays are excluded in the measurement of B0bar --> D0 pi+ l- nu-bar.Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Physical Review D (Rapid Communication), the Lepton-Photon 2005 Conference (Uppsala, Sweden) and the HEP2005 Europhysics Conference (Lisboa, Portugal