Optimal Remote State Estimation for Self-Propelled Particle Models

We investigate the design of a remote state estimation system for a self-propelled particle (SPP). Our framework consists of a sensing unit that accesses the full state of the SPP and an estimator that is remotely located from the sensing unit. The sensing unit must pay a cost when it chooses to transmit information on the state of the SPP to the estimator; and the estimator computes the best estimate of the state of the SPP based on received information. In this paper, we provide methods to design transmission policies and estimation rules for the sensing unit and estimator, respectively, that are optimal for a given cost functional that combines state estimation distortion and communication costs. We consider two notions of optimality: joint optimality and person-by-person optimality. Our main results show the existence of a jointly optimal solution and describe an iterative procedure to find a person-by-person optimal solution. In addition, we explain how the remote estimation scheme can be applied to tracking of animal movements over a costly communication link. We also provide experimental results to show the effectiveness of the scheme.Comment: a part of the article was submitted to IEEE Conference on Decision and Control 201

The holm oak Myrto communis-Quercetum rotundifoliae in Alentejo - Portugal. Post-fire vegetation recovery in two stations (Forest Perimeter of Contenda and Aljustrel)

Abstract This work, developed in the Southern mainland Portugal, Alentejo, focused in the Forest Perimeter of Contenda (38º 01’ N e 7º 13’ W) and Aljustrel (37º 53’ N e 08º 07’ W), where holm oak forests belonging to the Myrto communis-Quercetum rotundifoliae Rivas Goday in Rivas Goday, Borja, Esteve, Galiano, Rigual & Rivas-Martínez 1960 have been identified. The Forest Perimeter of Contenda is subjected to the Forest Regime. Here, the field surveys were carried in an area destined to the maintenance of a healthy population of deer for hunting by means of sustainable management activities with minimal impacts on the ecosystem. In Aljustrel, the study area is not significantly disturbed by forestry or agricultural activities, so it has been maintained as a refuge for small game hunting species

The Impact of Interest-rate Subsidies on Long-term Household Debt: Evidence from a Large Program

The responsiveness of long-term household debt to the interest rate is a crucial parameter for assessing the effectiveness of public policies aimed at promoting specific types of saving. This paper estimates the effect of a reform of Credito Bonificado, a large program in Portugal that subsidized mortgage interest rates, on long-term household debt. The reform established a ceiling in the price of the house that could be financed through the program, and provides plausibly exogenous variation in incentives. Using a unique dataset of matched household survey data and administrative records of debt, we document a large decrease in the probability of signing a new loan after the removal of the subsidy.