A geometrical formulation of the μ-lower bound problem

A new problem formulation for the structured singular value μ in the case of purely real (possibly repeated) uncertainties is presented. The approach is based on a geometrical interpretation of the singularity constraint arising in the μ lower bound problem. An interesting feature of this problem formulation is that the resulting parametric search space is independent of the number of times any parameter is repeated in the structured uncertainty matrix. A corresponding lower bound algorithm combining randomisation and optimisation methods is developed, and some probabilistic performance guarantees are derived. The potential usefulness of the proposed approach is demonstrated on two high-order real μ analysis problems from the aerospace and systems biology literature

Search for neutrinoless tau decays tau -> 3l and tau -> l K0S

Neutrinoless tau-lepton decays into either three leptons (tau- -> l1- l2 l3) or one lepton and one K0S meson(tau- -> l- K0S) where lepton l means either an electron or muon, have been searched for using 48.6 fb^{-1} of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+e- collider. No evidence for candidate decays are found in any channel. Therefore we set 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fraction for 8 different decay modes. These limits are more stringent than those set previously and reach to the 10^{-7} level.Comment: Invited talk at the Seventh International Workshop on Tau Lepton Physics (TAU02), Santa Cruz, Ca, USA, Sept 2002, 7 pages, LaTeX, 3 eps figure

One-parameter class of uncertainty relations based on entropy power

We use the concept of entropy power to derive a new one-parameter class of information-theoretic uncertainty relations for pairs of conjugate observables in an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space. This class constitutes an infinite tower of higher-order statistics uncertainty relations, which allows one in principle to determine the shape of the underlying information-distribution function by measuring the relevant entropy powers. We illustrate the capability of the new class by discussing two examples: superpositions of vacuum and squeezed states and the Cauchy-type heavy-tailed wave function

Primary and submovement control of aiming in C6 tetraplegics following posterior deltoid transfer

Background: Upper limb motor control in fast, goal-directed aiming is altered in tetraplegics following posterior-deltoid musculotendinous transfer. Specifically, movements have similar end-point accuracy but longer duration and lower peak velocity than those of age-matched, neurotypical controls. Here, we examine in detail the interplay between primary movement and submovement phases in five C6 tetraplegic and five control participants. Methods: Aiming movements were performed in two directions (20 cm away or toward), with or without vision. Trials that contained a submovement phase (i.e., discontinuity in velocity, acceleration or jerk) were identified. Discrete kinematic variables were then extracted on the primary and submovements phases. Results: The presence of submovements did not differ between the tetraplegic (68%) and control (57%) groups, and almost all submovements resulted from acceleration and jerk discontinuities. Tetraplegics tended to make a smaller amplitude primary movement, which had lower peak velocity and greater spatial variability at peak velocity. This was followed by a larger amplitude and longer duration secondary submovement. Peak velocity of primary movement was not related to submovement incidence. Together, the primary and submovement phases of both groups were equally effective in reducing end-point error. Conclusions: C6 tetraplegic participants exhibit some subtle differences in measures of motor behaviour compared to control participants, but importantly feedforward and feedback processes work effectively in combination to achieve accurate goal-directed aiming. Keywords: Tetraplegia, Aiming, Submovement, Upper-limb control, Muscle transfe

Quality of Life Changes Following Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation and Participation in a Mixed-Type, Moderate-intensity, Exercise Program

Summary:The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of undertaking peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBST) on quality of life (QoL), and to determine the effect of participating in a mixed-type, moderate-intensity exercise program on QoL. It was also an objective to determine the relationship between peak aerobic capacity and QoL in PBST patients. QoL was assessed via the CARES questionnaire and peak aerobic capacity by a maximal graded treadmill test, pretransplant (PI), post transplant (PII) and following a 12-week intervention period (PIII). At PII, 12 patients were divided equally into a control or exercise intervention group. Undergoing a PBST was associated with a statistically but not clinically significant decline in QoL (P<0.05). Following the intervention, exercising patients demonstrated an improved QoL when compared with pretransplant ratings (P<0.01) and nonexercising transplant patients (P<0.05). Moreover, peak aerobic capacity and QoL were correlated (P<0.05). The findings demonstrated that exercise participation following oncology treatment is associated with a reduction in the number and severity of endorsed problems, which in turn leads to improvements in global, physical and psychosocial QoL. Furthermore, a relationship between fitness and QoL exists, with those experiencing higher levels of fitness also demonstrating higher QoL.Bone Marrow Transplantation (2004) 33, 553-558. doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1704378 Published online 12 January 200

Model and visualise the relationship between energy consumption and temperature distribution in cold rooms

In the area of food and pharmacy cold storage, temperature distribution is considered as a key factor. Inappropriate distribution of temperature during the cooling process in cold rooms will cause the deterioration of the quality of products and therefore shorten their life-span. In practice, in order to maintain the distribution of temperature at an appropriate level, large amount of electrical energy has to be consumed to cool down the volume of space, based on the reading of a single temperature sensor placed in every cold room. However, it is not clear and visible that what is the change of energy consumption and temperature distribution over time. It lacks of effective tools to visualise such a phenomenon. In this poster, we initially present a solution which combines a visualisation tool with a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model together to enable users to explore such phenomenon

Magnetic Field Strength in the Upper Solar Corona Using White-light Shock Structures Surrounding Coronal Mass Ejections

To measure the magnetic field strength in the solar corona, we examined 10 fast (> 1000 km/s) limb CMEs which show clear shock structures in SOHO/LASCO images. By applying piston-shock relationship to the observed CME's standoff distance and electron density compression ratio, we estimated the Mach number, Alfven speed, and magnetic field strength in the height range 3 to 15 solar radii (Rs). Main results from this study are: (1) the standoff distance observed in solar corona is consistent with those from a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model and near-Earth observations; (2) the Mach number as a shock strength is in the range 1.49 to 3.43 from the standoff distance ratio, but when we use the density compression ratio, the Mach number is in the range 1.47 to 1.90, implying that the measured density compression ratio is likely to be underestimated due to observational limits; (3) the Alfven speed ranges from 259 to 982 km/s and the magnetic field strength is in the range 6 to 105 mG when the standoff distance is used; (4) if we multiply the density compression ratio by a factor of 2, the Alfven speeds and the magnetic field strengths are consistent in both methods; (5) the magnetic field strengths derived from the shock parameters are similar to those of empirical models and previous estimates.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 11 Figures, 1 Tabl

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group for treatment-resistant participants: A randomized controlled trial.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a theoretically coherent approach addressing common processes across a range of disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a group-based ACT intervention for "treatment-resistant" participants with various diagnoses, who had already completed at least one psychosocial intervention. Of 61 individuals randomized into a service-based trial comparing ACT and Treatment as Usual based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TAU-CBT), 45 provided data (ACT n=26; TAU-CBT n=19). Primary outcomes were measures of psychological symptoms. All participants showed reduced symptoms immediately after intervention but improvements were more completely sustained in the ACT group at 6-month follow-up. More elaborate and more fully controlled evaluations are required to confirm the findings, improve understanding of ACT processes and assess health economic benefits

Damage Mechanism Evaluation of Large-Scale Concrete Structures Affected by Alkali-Silica Reaction Using Pattern Recognition

Alkali-silica reaction has caused damage to concrete structures, endangering structural serviceability and integrity. This is of concern in sensitive structures such as nuclear power plants. In this study, acoustic emission (AE) was employed as a structural health monitoring strategy in large-scale, reinforced concrete specimens affected by alkali-silica reaction with differing boundary conditions resembling the common conditions found in nuclear containments. An agglomerative hierarchical algorithm was utilized to classify the AE data based on energy-frequency based features. The AE signals were transferred into the frequency domain and the energies in several frequency bands were calculated and normalized to the total energy of signals. Principle component analysis was used to reduce feature redundancy. Then the selected principal components were considered as features in an input of the pattern recognition algorithm. The sensor located in the center of the confined specimen registered the largest portion of AE energy release, while in the unconfined specimen the energy is distributed more uniformly. This confirms the results of the volumetric strain, which shows that the expansion in the confined specimen is oriented along the thickness of the specimen