Problem: Many individuals with chronic illnesses such as stroke and ongoing activity limitations report self-perceived health related quality of life (HRQL) that is similar to that of healthy individuals. This phenomenon is termed response shift (RS). RS describes how people change: internal standards in assessing HRQL (recalibration), values (reprioritization), or how they define HRQL (reconceptualization), after an event such as stroke. Changes in HRQL post stroke may be inaccurate if RS is not taken into account. Increased knowledge of RS may affect the way in which HRQL measures are used, both clinically and in research. The overall objective was to assess RS in construct specific HRQL models post stroke: physical function, mental health, and participation. Methods: Data were analysed from the longitudinal study “Understanding Quality of Life Post-Stroke: A Study of Individuals and their Caregivers”. Six-hundred and seventy- eight persons with stroke at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post stroke participated. Generic and stroke specific HRQL measures were collected. Descriptive analysis was completed with SAS, and identification of RS utilized structural equation modeling with LISREL. Results: Mean age of participants was 67 years (SD 14.8), and 45% were female. RS was identified in mental health using a framework which was developed for identifying RS statistically with multiple time points. RS was also identified in physical function where it had not been expected, possibly due to the self perceived nature of the response options. The effect size of change in physical function was affected by the presence of RS. The timing of RS in mental health and physical function was primarily around the 12 month time period, and predominantly recalibration RS. RS was also identified in participation. Conclusions: The framework that was developed was useful in identifying RS and incorporated important issues such as multiple testing and validation of the model. The presence of RS affects measurement of HRQL constructs post stroke; recalibration RS can be measured clinically with specific methods to account for RS. RS should also be measured in research studies to ensure accurate measurement of change. Future research should evaluate additional models in stroke and other populations. / October 2008

<p>An on-line identifier using Functional Link Network (FLN) and Pole-shift (PS) controller for power system stabilizer (PSS) application are presented in this thesis. To have the satisfactory performance of the PSS controller, over a wide range of operating conditions, it is desirable to adapt PSS parameters in real time. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) transform the inputs in a low-dimensional space to high-dimensional nonlinear hidden unit space and they have the ability to model the nonlinear characteristics of the power system. The ability of ANNs to learn makes them more suitable for use in adaptive control techniques.</p> <p>On-line identification obtains a mathematical model at each sampling period to track the dynamic behavior of the plant. The ANN identifier consisting of a Functional link Network (FLN) is used for identifying the model parameters. A FLN model eliminates the need of hidden layer while retaining the nonlinear mapping capability of the neural network by using enhanced inputs. This network may be conveniently used for function approximation with faster convergence rate and lesser computational load.</p> <p>The most commonly used Pole Assignment (PA) algorithm for adaptive control purposes assign the pole locations to fixed locations within the unit circle in the z-plane. It may not be optimum for different operating conditions. In this thesis, PS type of adaptive control algorithm is used. This algorithm, instead of assigning the closed-loop poles to fixed locations within the unit circle in the z-plane, this algorithm assumes that the pole characteristic polynomial of the closed-loop system has the same form as the pole characteristic of the open-loop system and shifts the open-loop poles radially towards the centre of the unit circle in the z-plane by a shifting factor &alpha; according to some rules. In this control algorithm, no coefficients need to be tuned manually, so manual parameter tuning (which is a drawback in conventional power system stabilizer) is minimized. The PS control algorithm uses the on-line updated ARMA parameters to calculate the new closed-loop poles of the system that are always inside the unit circle in the z-plane.</p> <p>Simulation studies on a single-machine infinite bus and on a multi-machine power system for various operating condition changes, verify the effectiveness of the combined model of FLN identifier and PS control in damping the local and multi-mode oscillations occurring in the system. Simulation studies prove that the APSSs have significant benefits over conventional PSSs: performance improvement and no requirement for parameter tuning.</p>

In the current transmission system, the information bandwidth of the optical fiber communication system is limited by optical amplifier bandwidth, and more efficient use of bandwidth is a very important issue. Amplitude and phase shift keying (APSK) is an advanced modulation scheme to improve the spectral efficiency and can effectively increase the transmission capacity. Certainly, APSK format has a good potential for development. This master thesis is focusing on that to study the transmission performance of the APSK format using digital coherent receiver. As the extinction ratio (ER) of the amplitude shift keying (ASK) signal affects the performances of the ASK signal and phase shift keying (PSK) signal simultaneously, the effect of the ER on the APSK transmission performance was studied. The APSK format has the trade-off between the performances of both the ASK signal and the PSK signal through the ER of the ASK signal. To overcome this issue, a method named zero-nulling method had been proposed, and this method solved the trade-off issue properly. At first, the amendment is to modify the digital coherent receiver program, confirmed that the digital coherent receiver program can correctly resolve APSK signal. Second, in this master thesis, I set up a 500km long optical fiber to measure the transmission performance under APSK format, and try to use recirculating loop system to further increase the transmission distance to several thousand kilometers. Finally, by further modify the receiver program to achieve APSK modulation of the zero-nulling method, and can prove its feasibility.

Let $l^2(Bbb Z)$ be the Hilbert space of square summable double sequences of complex numbers with standard basis ${e_n:ninBbb Z}$, and let us consider a bounded matrix $A$ on $l^2(Bbb Z)$ satisfying the following system of equations egin{itemize} item[1.] $lan Ae_{2j},e_{2i} an=p_{ij}+alan Ae_{j},e_i an$; item[2.] $lan Ae_{2j},e_{2i-1} an=q_{ij}+blan Ae_{j},e_{i} an$; item[3.] $lan Ae_{2j-1},e_{2i} an=v_{ij}+clan Ae_{j},e_{i} an$; item[4.] $lan Ae_{2j-1},e_{2i-1} an=w_{ij}+dlan Ae_{j},e_{i} an$ end{itemize} for all $i,j$, where $P=(p_{ij})$, $Q=(q_{ij})$, $V=(v_{ij})$, $W=(w_{ij})$ are bounded matrices on $l^2(Bbb Z)$ and $a,b,c,dinBbb C$. This type dyadic recurrent system arises in the study of bounded operators commuting with the slant Toeplitz operators, i.e., the class of operators ${{cal T}_vp:vpin L^infty(Bbb T)}$ satisfying $lan {cal T}_vp e_j,e_i an=c_{2i-j}$, where $c_n$ is the $n$-th Fourier coefficient of $vp$. It is shown in [10] that the solutions of the above system are closely related to the bounded solution $A$ for the operator equation [ phi(A)=S^*AS=lambda A+B, ] where $B$ is fixed, $lambdainBbb C$ and $S$ the shift given by ${cal T}_{arzeta+arxi z}^*$ (with $zetaxi ot=0$ and $|zeta|^2+|xi|^2=1$). In this paper, we shall characterize the ``eigenvectors" for $phi$ for the eigenvalue $lambda$ with $|lambda|leq1$, in terms of dyadic recurrent systems similar to the one above.

Let $l^2(Bbb Z)$ be the Hilbert space of square summable double sequences of complex numbers with standard basis ${e_n:ninBbb Z}$, and let us consider a bounded matrix $A$ on $l^2(Bbb Z)$ satisfying the following system of equations egin{itemize} item[1.] $lan Ae_{2j},e_{2i} an=p_{ij}+alan Ae_{j},e_i an$; item[2.] $lan Ae_{2j},e_{2i-1} an=q_{ij}+blan Ae_{j},e_{i} an$; item[3.] $lan Ae_{2j-1},e_{2i} an=v_{ij}+clan Ae_{j},e_{i} an$; item[4.] $lan Ae_{2j-1},e_{2i-1} an=w_{ij}+dlan Ae_{j},e_{i} an$ end{itemize} for all $i,j$, where $P=(p_{ij})$, $Q=(q_{ij})$, $V=(v_{ij})$, $W=(w_{ij})$ are bounded matrices on $l^2(Bbb Z)$ and $a,b,c,dinBbb C$. par It is clear that the solutions of the above system of equations introduces a class of infinite matrices whose entries are related ``dyadically". In cite{Ho:g}, it is shown that the seemingly complicated task of constructing these matrices can be carried out alternatively in a systematical and relatively simple way by applying the theory of Hardy classes of operators through certain operator equation on ${cal B}({cal H})$ (space of bounded operators on $cal H$) induced by a shift. Our purpose here is to present explicit formula for the homogeneous solutions this equation.

This thesis consists of two topics. A frequency-shift readout circuit is integrated for the rapid IgE measurement biomedical system in the first half. Secondly, we present a ROM-less DDFS (direct digital frequency synthesis) using a non-equal division parabolic polynomial interpolation method, which is used as the frequency generator in the measurement system. The first topic investigates the IgE concentration measurement system and realizes the readout circuit using TSMC 1P6M 0.18 £gm CMOS technology. We integrate the flexural plate wave (FPW) sensor chips and an ASIC comprising control block, digital to analog convertor (DAC), OTA-C oscillators, amplifiers, peak detectors, registers, and a subtractor. By taking advantages of the characteristics that the central frequencies of the loaded FPW sensors will be shifted, sine waves with various frequencies are generated and swept through one pair of FPW sensors. The frequency difference of these sensors is then readout to get concentration by look-up table. The second topic investigates the division method of a quarter sine wave to improve the spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) and realizes a ROM-less DDFS which is used as the frequency generator in the mentioned IgE measurement system. The proposed non-equal division parabolic polynomial interpolation method will generate a complete sine wave by a quarter of a sine digital signal owing to the symmetry. We combine the quasi-linear interpolation and an offset adjustment to derive the quarter sine wave digital signals. The proposed method not only reduces the absolute error between ideal sine wave and generated sine wave, it also improves SFDR.

¡@¡@The research on collection or reflection of solitary waves mainly focus on numerical model and theoretical analytics, there are few study on experiment. due to the process on reaction of solitary waves are very short in times, and the waveform is also hardly to measure quantifiable. ¡@¡@The method present in this paper that we setup a high speed camera at a fixed position, and a grid-point board is located in the water tank and out of the tank after pictured, then we capture the process on reflection of solitary wave at a wall by high speed camera, so that the waveform and the grid surface coincide. finally, we analyze the waveform within the grid by using image techniques. ¡@¡@The results of this paper that present several important parameters in several relative wave height, such as maximal run-up, residual time, phase shift..et.al. the other hand, this paper compare the result of experiment with available evidences likes numerical model and theoretical analytics that found to be in quantitative agreement. ¡@¡@In addition, this paper also present the result of experiment that could compare with the new phenomenon "residual falling jet¡¨, it`s published by Chambarel.et.al (2009) numerical model.

The post-weld-shift (PWS) introduced in the butterfly laser packaging is investigated in this study. The elastic-plastic-thermal coupled finite element model is employed in the stress and deformation analyses. The temperature dependent material properties are used to calculate the residual stresses and the post-weld shift distributions during the packaging process. The finite element package ¡¥MARC¡¦ is used in this study. And the commercial optical software, i.e. ¡¥Zemax¡¦ is also employed in laser power coupling efficiency simulation. The variations of laser welding sequence, Nd-YAG pulse laser power, and initial ferrule¡¦s alignment position on PWS for butterfly laser packaging are studied and discussed in this work. The results indicated adjust the sequence and pulse laser power properly can improve the PWS in butterfly packing significantly. Besides, the PWS correction technique, i.e. the ¡¥Laser Harmering¡¦, is also illustrated in this study. The simulate results showed that proper arrange the welding processes may improve the coupling efficiency over 75¢M.

To fulfill the requirements of the operation in a wide power range, a parallel configuration with modular power factor correctors (PFCs) is proposed. Each PFC module is composed of a bridge-rectifier, a fly-back converter and associated passive filters. The fly-back converter is independently operated at a fixed frequency with a discontinuous inductor current. This allows the modules to achieve a high power factor and to regulate the output power with simple control. With the same duty-ratio and frequency, the total current will be distributed equally to each operating module without complex current sharing control. The operating modules are equally phase-shifted to take the advantages of the continuous current mode when operated at a higher power. Experiments were conducted to achieve a power rating of 1 kVA by operating 10 PFC modules in parallel. The duty-ratio of the operating modules is controlled by a micro-controller to regulate the output power in accordance with the load requirement. A complex programmable logic device (CPLD) is used for phase-shifting. All modules are operated in turn to share the operating cycles in a more equal manner. Experimental results demonstrate the parallel configuration can achieve the expected performances.

For getting the position which can obtain the maximum coupling efficiency, fiber array and laser array need to be adjusted while the module of fiber array is packaging, than fastening it on the base. Nowadays, there are some methods for fastening the fiber array like adhesive, soldering and laser welding. But the material will discover some phenomenons like expansion and contraction during the process of heating and solidification. Those phenomenons will lead the system to deviate on the six degree of freedom (D.O.F). Because of the fiber array system will confront with the situation of deviation, the magnitude of coupling efficiency will drop down. It is because that the technique of laser welding will cause smaller deviation than other methods just mentioned, so the research choose the method of laser welding for packaging. The distance between fiber and laser array is too small to fasten the CCD on the directions of X, Y and Z axes while the research measures the deviation. So the research uses a mirror to reflect the image for obtaining the correct position of the space and Post-Weld-Shift measurement the deviation of system. Afterward, the research designs a structure for reducing the deviation and increasing the coupling efficiency of system.