Decentralised delay-dependent static output feedback variable structure control

In this paper, an output feedback stabilisation problem is considered for a class of large scale interconnected time delay systems with uncertainties. The uncertainties appear in both isolated subsystems and interconnections. The bounds on the uncertainties are nonlinear and time delayed. It is not required that either the known interconnections or the uncertain interconnections are matched. Then, a decentralised delay-dependant static output feedback variable structure control is synthesised to stabilise the system globally uniformly asymptotically using the Lyapunov Razumikhin approach. A case study relating to a river pollution control problem is presented to illustrate the proposed approach

DOES SENSE OF COMMUNITY MEDIATE THE EFFECTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD DISADVANTAGE ON ADOLESCENT DRUG USE?

This thesis examines the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage, sense of community, and adolescent drug use. Prior research has found that sense of community has positive effects on adolescent behavior. However, little study has examined the specific impact of sense of community on adolescent drug use. Based on social disorganization theory and the extended social disorganization models, this thesis attempts to fill this gap in the literature by testing the hypothesis that sense of community mediates the effects of neighborhood disadvantage on adolescent drug use. Using data from Add Health, correlations and regressions are applied to test the hypothesis. The results partially support the hypotheses. Sense of community is found to mediate the effects of one aspect of neighborhood disadvantage - residential instability, on adolescent drug use