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A qualitative game describes a situation in which antagonistic players strive to keep the evolutions of their state variables in predetermined constraint sets. We argue that a qualitative game model is a suitable mathematical representation of the struggle between a domestic central bank of a small open economy and a foreign central bank of a large economy to maintain their respective state variables within an acceptable band regardless of the other player's choices. The actions of the foreign central bank affect the domestic exchange rate and, hence, domestic inflation, output gap and interest rate. However, these actions do not necessarily aim to destabilise the small open economy, nor do they take into account the state of the latter. The domestic bank's problem, therefore, is similar to that of a game against nature. We refer to this type of qualitative game as a nuisance-agent game (or NA-game). We use viability theory to derive satisficing rules (in the sense of Simon) of nominal interest-rate adjustments for the domestic central bank of a small open economy in a qualitative NA-game against the foreign central bank.

The book presents a unified approach to the perturbation analysis in Matrix Analysis and Control, based on the method of splitting operators and Lyapunov majorant functions. Combined with the Schauder or Banach fixed point principles, this approach allows to obtain rigorous non-local perturbation bounds for a set of important objects in Linear Algebra and Control Theory. Among them are the Schur system of a matrix, the QR decomposition of a matrix, the orthogonal canonical forms of time-invariant linear systems, the state and output feedback gains in pole assignment design, the generalized Schur system of a pair of matrices, the Hamiltonian-Schur and block Hamiltonian-Schur forms of Hamiltonian matrices, and others. In this way, the approach proposed can be used as a unified tool in deriving asymptotic and nonlocal perturbation bounds in matrix analysis and control theory. An important technique of the method considered is the construction of an operator equation, which is equivalent to the perturbed problem. It is based on the splitting of a certain linear matrix operator and its argument into strictly lower, diagonal and strictly upper parts, respectively. This allows to unify the perturbation analysis of matrix problems, involving unitary matrices, in which the resulting matrix is upper triangular. Some other issues such as perturbation analysis of problems with non-unique solution and construction of improved asymptotic perturbation bounds are also considered. The book is intended as a reference in the area of matrix computations and control theory. It will be of interest to researchers in the area of matrix analysis, linear control theory and applied mathematics. The book may also be useful for graduate students in the area of applied mathematics.

The paper present design of low-cost antenna array for RFID indentification in the frequency range 865 to 868 Mhz. The design antenna has enhanced coverage (pattern) and beam-steering capabilities. It can serve as a base element for more sophisticated RFID readers with direction finding capabilities and improved distance of tag reading.

The composition the atmosphere of Venus results from the integration of many processes entering into play over the entire geological history of the planet. Determining the elemental abundances and isotopic ratios of noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) and stable isotopes (H, C, N, O, S) in the Venus atmosphere is a high priority scientific target since it could open a window on the origin and early evolution of the entire planet. This chapter provides an overview of the existing dataset on noble gases and stable isotopes in the Venus atmosphere. The current state of knowledge on the origin and early and long-term evolution of the Venus atmosphere deduced from this dataset is summarized. A list of persistent and new unsolved scientific questions stemming from recent studies of planetary atmospheres (Venus, Earth and Mars) are described. Important mission requirements pertaining to the measurement of volatile elements in the atmosphere of Venus as well as potential technical difficulties are outlined.

The aim of this paper is to describe in detail the μ -synthesis of a miniature helicopter integral attitude controller of high order and to present results from the hardware-in-the-loop simulation of this controller implementing Digital Signal Processor. The μ -controller designed allows to suppress efficiently wind disturbances in the presence of 25 % input multiplicative uncertainty. A simple position controller is added to ensure tracking of the desired trajectory in 3D space. The results from hardware-in-the-loop simulation are close to the results from double-precision simulation of helicopter control system in Simulink ® . The software platform developed allows to implement easily different sensors, servoactuators and control laws and to investigate the closed-loop system behavior in presence of different disturbances and parameter variations.

. The lifetimes of the 2 1 + , the 2 2 + and the 3 1 - states of 210 Po have been measured in the 208 Pb( 12 C, 10 Be) 210 Po transfer reaction by the Doppler-shift attenuation method. The result for the lifetime of the 2 1 + state is about three times shorter than the adopted value. However, the new value still does not allow for a consistent description of the properties of the yrast 2 1 + , 4 1 + , 6 1 + , and 8 1 + states of 210 Po in the framework of nuclear shell models. Quasi-particle Phonon Model (QPM) calculations also cannot overcome this problem thus indicating the existence of a peculiarity which is neglected in both theoretical approaches.

Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (ECPSS) are rare developmental anomalies in which a variable portion of the portal blood bypasses the liver and is shunted in the systemic circulation via one or more aberrant vessels. We present a clinical case of a 70-year-old man, who was referred to the Cardiology Department because of exertional dyspnea, fatigue, and feeling of heaviness and pressure behind the sternum. MDCT of the aorta was performed and an aberrant vessel was discovered with communication with the left iliac vein on one side and superior mesenteric and splenic veins on the other. The portal vein was hypoplastic. The radiologic findings were suggestive of malformation of Abernethy. The ECPSS can be classified into 2 main groups (with complete and partial shunting). The patients have different clinical presentation. Some of them are completely asymptomatic while in others the shunt can manifest even before birth as fetal growth retardation or in the early neonatal period with neonatal cholestasis and galactosemia. Common complications are hepatic encephalopathy and hepatopulmonary syndrome and there is a wide variety of concomitant abnormalities. The imaging modalities play a crucial role in the diagnosis, classification, follow-up and the proper choice of therapeutic management in patients with ECPSS.

The potential of embryonal day (ED) 14 fetal liver epithelial progenitor (FLEP) cells from Fischer (F)344 rats to repopulate the normal and retrorsine-treated liver was studied throughout a 6-month period in syngeneic dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV −) mutant F344 rats. In normal liver, FLEP cells formed: 1) hepatocytic clusters ranging in size up to ∼800 to 1000 cells; 2) bile duct structures connected to pre-existing host bile ducts; and 3) mixed clusters containing both hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells. Liver repopulation after 6 months was moderate (5 to 10%). In retrorsine-treated liver, transplanted cells formed large multilobular structures containing both parenchymal and bile duct cells and liver repopulation was extensive (60 to 80%). When the repopulating capacity of ED 14 FLEP cells transplanted into normal liver was compared to adult hepatocytes, three important differences were noted: 1) FLEP cells continued to proliferate at 6 months after transplantation, whereas adult hepatocytes ceased proliferation within the first month; 2) both the number and size of clusters derived from FLEP cells gradually increased throughout time but decreased throughout time with transplanted mature hepatocytes; and 3) FLEP cells differentiated into hepatocytes when engrafted into the liver parenchyma and into bile epithelial cells when engrafted in the vicinity of the host bile ducts, whereas adult hepatocytes did not form bile duct structures. Finally, after transplantation of ED 14 FLEP cells, new clusters of DPPIV + cells appeared after 4 to 6 months, suggesting reseeding of the liver by transplanted cells. This study represents the first report with an isolated fetal liver epithelial cell fraction in which the cells exhibit properties of tissue-determined stem cells after their transplantation into normal adult liver; namely, bipotency and continued proliferation long after their transplantation.

Assessing pain in individuals not able to communicate (e.g. infants, under surgery, or following stroke) is difficult due to the lack of non-verbal objective measures of pain. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) being a portable, non-invasive and inexpensive method of monitoring cerebral hemodynamic activity has the potential to provide such a measure. Here we used functional NIRS to evaluate brain activation to an innocuous and a noxious electrical stimulus on healthy human subjects (n = 11). For both innocuous and noxious stimuli, we observed a signal change in the primary somatosensory cortex contralateral to the stimulus. The painful and non-painful stimuli can be differentiated based on their signal size and profile. We also observed that repetitive noxious stimuli resulted in adaptation of the signal. Furthermore, the signal was distinguishable from a skin sympathetic response to pain that tended to mask it. Our results support the notion that functional NIRS has a potential utility as an objective measure of pain.

This paper illustrates the principle of the Doppler-shift attenuation method (DSAM) using particle-γ coincidences, a method for determining lifetimes of excited nuclear levels in the range of few femtoseconds up to one picosecond. The coincident detection holds several advantages towards conventional DSAM experiments, such as the elimination of background and feeding transitions. Using the experimental data on 94Zr, the concept of the (p,p'γ) DSAM analysis is presented. Additional experimental results are highlighted.