abstract: Wearable robots including exoskeletons, powered prosthetics, and powered orthotics must add energy to the person at an appropriate time to enhance, augment, or supplement human performance. Adding energy while not being in sync with the user can dramatically hurt performance making it necessary to have correct timing with the user. Many human tasks such as walking, running, and hopping are repeating or cyclic tasks and a robot can add energy in sync with the repeating pattern for assistance. A method has been developed to add energy at the appropriate time to the repeating limit cycle based on a phase oscillator. The phase oscillator eliminates time from the forcing function which is based purely on the motion of the user. This approach has been simulated, implemented and tested in a robotic backpack which facilitates carrying heavy loads. The device oscillates the load of the backpack, based on the motion of the user, in order to add energy at the correct time and thus reduce the amount of energy required for walking with a heavy load. Models were developed in Working Model 2-D, a dynamics simulation software, in conjunction with MATLAB to verify theory and test control methods. The control system developed is robust and has successfully operated on a range of different users, each with their own different and distinct gait. The results of experimental testing validated the corresponding models. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2014

No description available.

Circadian rhythms are periodic physiological cycles that recur about every 24 hours, by means of which organisms integrate their physiology and behavior to the daily cycle of light and temperature imposed by the rotation of the earth. Circadian derives from the Latin word circa "about" and dies "day". Circadian rhythms have three noteworthy properties. They are endogenous, that is, they persist in the absence of external cues (in an environment of constant light intensity, temperature, etc.). Secondly, they are temperature compensated, that is, the nearly 24 hour period of the endogenous oscillator is remarkably independent of ambient temperature. Finally, they are phase shifted by light. The circadian rhythm can be either advanced or delayed by applying a pulse of light in constant darkness. Consequently, the circadian rhythm will synchronize to a periodic light-dark cycle, provided the period of the driving stimulus is not too far from the period of the endogenous rhythm. A window on the molecular mechanism of 24-hour rhythms was opened by the identification of circadian rhythm mutants and their cognate genes in Drosophila, Neurospora, and now in other organisms. Since Konopka and Benzer first discovered the period mutant in Drosophila in 1971 (Konopka and Benzer, 1971), there have been remarkable developments. Currently, the consensus opinion of molecular geneticists is that the 24-hour period arises from a negative feedback loop controlling the transcription of clock genes. However, a better understanding of this mechanism requires an approach that integrates both mathematical and molecular biology. From the recent discoveries in molecular biology and through a mathematical approach, we propose that the mechanism of circadian rhythm is based upon the combination of both negative and positive feedback. / Master of Science

In this paper we consider a radially symmetric nonlinear Dirichlet problem in a ball, where the nonlinearity is "superlinear" and "superlinear with jumping."

No description available.

Active flow control of a precessing jet is the focus of this work. A round jet confined by a round cavity exhibits a self-excited rotational motion, precession, for a specific range of cavity lengths. Active flow control of this unstable flow provides the ability to control near-field mixing of the precessing jet. Twelve micro-jets on the periphery of the nozzle inlet are used as actuation and near-field pressure data is measured by four pressure probes at the chamber exit to monitor the flow behavior. A phase plane, based on pressure signals, is used to find a Reynolds number and actuation frequency range where actuation stabilizes the flow motion. Phase-locked stereoscopic PIV is also used to validate the pressure processing tool. The results confirm the pressure measurement and micro-jet actuation can be employed to develop a future closed-loop flow control on a precessing jet.

The SIR can be expressed either as a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations or as a nonlinear Volterra integral equation. In general, neither of these can be solved in closed form. In this thesis, it is shown that if we assume S(t) is a finite multi-exponential, i.e. function of the form S(t) = a+ ∑nk=1 rke-σkt or a logistic function which is an infinite-multi-exponential, i.e. function of the form S(t) = c + a/b+ewt, then we can have closed form solution. Also we will formulate a method to determine R0 the basic reproductive rate of an infection.

Classical time series analysis has well known methods for the study of seasonality. A more recent method of functional data analysis has proposed phase-plane plots for the representation of each year of a time series. However, the study of seasonality within functional data analysis has not been explored extensively. Time series analysis is first introduced, followed by phase-plane plot analysis, and then compared by looking at the insight that both methods offer particularly with respect to the seasonal behavior of a variable. Also, the possible combination of both approaches is explored, specifically with the analysis of the phase-plane plots. The methods are applied to data observations measuring water flow in cubic feet per second collected monthly in Newport, TN from the French Broad River. Simulated data corresponding to typical time series cases are then used for comparison and further exploration.

Submitted by Luiz Cesar Maranho (lc-maranho@bol.com.br) on 2018-10-11T20:16:50Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Final.pdf: 1883342 bytes, checksum: 85a25606a3113b39d6d4354dcaa161d8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Elza Mitiko Sato null (elzasato@ibilce.unesp.br) on 2018-10-15T12:39:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 maranho_lc_me_sjrp.pdf: 5069791 bytes, checksum: 2501e6acc67bdd7103eb807f326a4c0b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-15T12:39:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 maranho_lc_me_sjrp.pdf: 5069791 bytes, checksum: 2501e6acc67bdd7103eb807f326a4c0b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-20 / O mosquito Aedes aegypti é o principal vetor responsável por diversas arboviroses como a dengue, a febre amarela, o vírus zika e a febre chikungunya. Devido a sua resistência, adaptabilidade e proximidade ao homem, o Aedes aegypti é atualmente um dos maiores problemas de saúde pública no Brasil e nas Américas. Mesmo com os avanços e investimentos em pesquisas com vacinas, monitoramento, campanhas educativas e diversos tipos de controle deste vetor, ainda não existe um método eficaz para controlar e erradicar o mosquito. Portanto, esse trabalho destina-se ao auxílio na criação de estratégias para controlar esse agente transmissor, mediante a análise do espaço de estados e a estabilidade assintótica de uma dinâmica não linear para controle populacional do Aedes aegypti via a técnica de linearização de Lyapunov, além de apresentação de formas de prevenção e combate aos criadouros do mosquito. A dinâmica não linear proposta é uma dinâmica simplificada obtida de um modelo não linear existente na literatura, proposto por Esteva e Yang em 2005 e se baseia no ciclo de vida do mosquito, que é dividido em duas fases: fase imatura ou aquática (ovos, larvas e pupas) e fase alada (mosquitos adultos). Na fase adulta, os mosquitos são divididos em machos, fêmeas imaturas e fêmeas fertilizadas, sendo que a dinâmica proposta nesta dissertação de mestrado é baseada nos estudos efetuados por Reis desde 2016, obtendo um modelo simplificado no qual a soma das densidades das populações de fêmeas imaturas e fêmeas fertilizadas serão consideradas como fêmeas adultas. / The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the main vector responsible for several arboviruses such as dengue fever, yellow fever, zika virus and chikungunya fever. Due to its resistance, adaptability and proximity to humans, Aedes aegypti is currently one of the major public health problems in Brazil and the Americas. Even with the advances and investments in research with vaccines, monitoring, educational campaigns and various types of control of this vector, there is still no effective method to control and eradicate the mosquito. Therefore, this work is intended to aid in the creation of strategies to control this transmitting agent by analyzing the state space and the asymptotic stability of a nonlinear dynamics for population control of Aedes aegypti via the Lyapunov linearization technique to present ways of preventing and combating mosquito breeding sites. The proposed nonlinear dynamics is a simplified dynamics obtained from a nonlinear model existing in the literature, proposed by Esteva and Yang in 2005 and based on the life cycle of the mosquito, which is divided into two phases: immature or aquatic phase (eggs, larvae and pupae) and winged phase (adult mosquitoes). In the adult phase, mosquitoes are divided into males, immature females and fertilized females, and the dynamics proposed in this dissertation is based on studies carried out by Reis since 2016, obtaining a simplified model in which the sum of the densities of the populations of females immature and fertilized females will be considered as adult females.

This thesis presents the analysis, design and characterization of an integrated high-frequency phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency multiplier. The frequency multiplier is novel in its use of a low multiplication factor of 4 and a fully differential topology for rejection of common mode interference signals. The PLL is composed of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) for the first divide-by-two stage, a static master-slave flip-flop (MSFF) divider for the second divide-by-two stage and a Gilbert cell mixer phase detector (PD). The circuit has been fabricated using a standard CMOS 0.18-um process based on its relatively low cost and ready availability. The PLL frequency multiplier generates an output signal at 26 GHz and is the highest operational frequency PLL in the technology node reported to date. Time domain phase plane analysis is used for prediction of PLL locking range based on initial conditions of phase and frequency offsets. Tracking range of the PLL is limited by the inherent narrow locking range of the ILFD, and is confirmed via experimental results. The performance benefits of the fully differential PLL are experimentally confirmed by the injection of differential- and common-mode interfering signals at the VCO control lines. A comparison of the common- and differential-mode modulation indices reveals that a common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of greater than 20 dB is possible for carrier offset frequencies of less than 1 MHz. Closed-loop frequency domain transfer functions are used for prediction of the PLL phase noise response, with the PLL being dominated by the reference and VCO phase noise contributions. Regions of dominant phase noise contributions are presented and correlated to the overall PLL phase noise performance. Experimental verifications display good agreement and confirm the usefulness of the techniques for PLL performance prediction. The PLL clock multiplier has an operational output frequency of 26.204 to 26.796 GHz and a maximum output frequency step of 16 MHz. Measured phase noise at 1 MHz offset from the carrier is -103.9 dBc/Hz. The PLL clock multiplier core circuit (VCO/ILFD/MSFF Divider/PD) consumes 186 mW of combined power from 2.8 and 4.3 V DC rails. / Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-04-24 11:31:35.384