Necessary and sufficient conditions for stable H∞ stabilizability

In this paper, the stable H∞ control problem is addressed. It is shown that the stable H∞ control problem is reduced to finding a unimodular matrix such that a two block H∞ optimization problem is solvable. And then it can be solved if an unimodular matrix is selected such that a Nehari problem is solvable. In fact, if the unimodular matrix is selected as a constant matrix, then a previous result is obtained.published_or_final_versio

Maximal entanglement versus entropy for mixed quantum states

Maximally entangled mixed states are those states that, for a given mixedness, achieve the greatest possible entanglement. For two-qubit systems and for various combinations of entanglement and mixedness measures, the form of the corresponding maximally entangled mixed states is determined primarily analytically. As measures of entanglement, we consider entanglement of formation, relative entropy of entanglement, and negativity; as measures of mixedness, we consider linear and von Neumann entropies. We show that the forms of the maximally entangled mixed states can vary with the combination of (entanglement and mixedness) measures chosen. Moreover, for certain combinations, the forms of the maximally entangled mixed states can change discontinuously at a specific value of the entropy. Along the way, we determine the states that, for a given value of entropy, achieve maximal violation of Bell's inequality

Transcriptional activity around bacterial cell death reveals molecular biomarkers for cell viability

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In bacteriology, the ability to grow in selective media and to form colonies on nutrient agar plates is routinely used as a retrospective criterion for the detection of living bacteria. However, the utilization of indicators for bacterial viability-such as the presence of specific transcripts or membrane integrity-would overcome bias introduced by cultivation and reduces the time span of analysis from initiation to read out. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between transcriptional activity, membrane integrity and cultivation-based viability in the Gram-positive model bacterium <it>Bacillus subtilis</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We present microbiological, cytological and molecular analyses of the physiological response to lethal heat stress under accurately defined conditions through systematic sampling of bacteria from a single culture exposed to gradually increasing temperatures. We identified a coherent transcriptional program including known heat shock responses as well as the rapid expression of a small number of sporulation and competence genes, the latter only known to be active in the stationary growth phase.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The observed coordinated gene expression continued even after cell death, in other words after all bacteria permanently lost their ability to reproduce. Transcription of a very limited number of genes correlated with cell viability under the applied killing regime. The transcripts of the expressed genes in living bacteria – but silent in dead bacteria-include those of essential genes encoding chaperones of the protein folding machinery and can serve as molecular biomarkers for bacterial cell viability.</p

Molecular Gas in the Host Galaxy of a Quasar at Redshift z=6.42

Observations of the molecular gas phase in quasar host galaxies provide fundamental constraints on galaxy evolution at the highest redshifts. Molecular gas is the material out of which stars form; it can be traced by spectral line emission of carbon--monoxide (CO). To date, CO emission has been detected in more than a dozen quasar host galaxies with redshifts (z) larger 2, the record holder being at z=4.69. At these distances the CO lines are shifted to longer wavelengths, enabling their observation with sensitive radio and millimetre interferometers. Here we present the discovery of CO emission toward the quasar SDSS J114816.64+525150.3 (hereafter J1148+5251) at a redshift of z=6.42, when the universe was only 1/16 of its present age. This is the first detection of molecular gas at the end of cosmic reionization. The presence of large amounts of molecular gas (M(H_2)=2.2e10 M_sun) in an object at this time demonstrates that heavy element enriched molecular gas can be generated rapidly in the earliest galaxies.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. To appear in Nature, July, 200

Choosing the Best Direction of Printing for Additive Manufacturing Process in Medical Applications Using a New Geometric Complexity Model Based on Part CAD Data

Additive manufacturing processes is now experiencing significant growth and is at the origin of intense research activity (optimization of topology, biomedical applications, etc.). One of the characteristics of this method is that the geometric complexity is free. The complexity of a CAD model is also a field of research. The basic idea is that the complexity of a component has implications in design and especially in manufacturing. Indeed, industrial competitiveness in the mechanical field generated the need to produce increasingly complex systems and parts (in terms of geometry, topology ...). Part deposition orientation is also very important factor of additive manufacturing as it effects build time, support structure, dimensional accuracy, surface finish and cost of the part. A number of layered manufacturing process specific parameters and constraints have to be considered while deciding the part deposition orientation. Determination of an optimal part deposition orientation is a difficult and time consuming task as one has to trade-off among various contradicting objectives like part surface finish and build time. This paper describes and compares various attempts made to determine part deposition orientation of orthoses using geometric complexity model and part CAD information. (c) Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

Evaluation of a standard provision versus an autonomy promotive exercise referral programme: rationale and study design

Background The National Institute of Clinical Excellence in the UK has recommended that the effectiveness of ongoing exercise referral schemes to promote physical activity should be examined in research trials. Recent empirical evidence in health care and physical activity promotion contexts provides a foundation for testing the utility of a Self Determination Theory (SDT) -based exercise referral consultation. Methods/Design Design: An exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial comparing standard provision exercise on prescription with a Self Determination Theory-based (SDT) exercise on prescription intervention. Participants: 347 people referred to the Birmingham Exercise on Prescription scheme between November 2007 and July 2008. The 13 exercise on prescription sites in Birmingham were randomised to current practice (n=7) or to the SDT-based intervention (n=6). Outcomes measured at 3 and 6-months: Minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week assessed using the 7-day Physical Activity Recall; physical health: blood pressure and weight; health status measured using the Dartmouth CO-OP charts; anxiety and depression measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and vitality measured by the subjective vitality score; motivation and processes of change: perceptions of autonomy support from the advisor, satisfaction of the needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness via physical activity, and motivational regulations for exercise. Discussion This trial will determine whether an exercise referral programme based on Self Determination Theory increases physical activity and other health outcomes compared to a standard programme and will test the underlying SDT-based process model (perceived autonomy support, need satisfaction, motivation regulations, outcomes) via structural equation modelling. Trial registration The trial is registered as Current Controlled trials ISRCTN07682833

Compartments revealed in food-web structure

Compartments(1) in food webs are subgroups of taxa in which many strong interactions occur within the subgroups and few weak interactions occur between the subgroups(2). Theoretically, compartments increase the stability in networks(1-5), such as food webs. Compartments have been difficult to detect in empirical food webs because of incompatible approaches(6-9) or insufficient methodological rigour(8,10,11). Here we show that a method for detecting compartments from the social networking science(12-14) identified significant compartments in three of five complex, empirical food webs. Detection of compartments was influenced by food web resolution, such as interactions with weights. Because the method identifies compartmental boundaries in which interactions are concentrated, it is compatible with the definition of compartments. The method is rigorous because it maximizes an explicit function, identifies the number of non-overlapping compartments, assigns membership to compartments, and tests the statistical significance of the results(12-14). A graphical presentation(14) reveals systemic relationships and taxa-specific positions as structured by compartments. From this graphic, we explore two scenarios of disturbance to develop a hypothesis for testing how compartmentalized interactions increase stability in food webs(15-17).Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62960/1/nature02115.pd

Consumer credit in comparative perspective

We review the literature in sociology and related fields on the fast global growth of consumer credit and debt and the possible explanations for this expansion. We describe the ways people interact with the strongly segmented consumer credit system around the world—more specifically, the way they access credit and the way they are held accountable for their debt. We then report on research on two areas in which consumer credit is consequential: its effects on social relations and on physical and mental health. Throughout the article, we point out national variations and discuss explanations for these differences. We conclude with a brief discussion of the future tasks and challenges of comparative research on consumer credit.Accepted manuscrip

Belowground DNA-based techniques: untangling the network of plant root interactions

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