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Dysphagia has been reported to be associated with the descent of the hyolaryngeal complex. Further, suprahyoid muscles play a greater role than infrahyoid muscles in elevation of the hyolarngeal complex. Respiratory muscle training (RMT) can improve lung function, and expiratory muscle strength training can facilitate elevation of the hyoid bone and increase the motor unit recruitment of submental muscles during normal swallowing. This study aimed to investigate the surface electromyography (sEMG) of the swallowing muscles, bilaterally, and the effect of RMT on swallowing muscles in stroke patients with respiratory muscle weakness.Forty patients with first episode of unilateral stroke were included in this retrospective controlled trial. After exclusion of 11 patients with respiratory muscle strength stronger than 70% of the predicted value, 15 were allocated to the RMT group and 14 to the control group. However, eventually, 11 patients in RMT group and 11 patients in control group completed the study. The sEMG of the orbicularis oris, masseter, submental, and infrahyoid muscles were recorded during dry swallowing, water swallowing (2 mL), and forced exhalation against a threshold breathing trainer set at different intensities, at baseline and after 6-week RMT.Regarding the sEMG of submental muscles, there were significant between-group differences on the latency of the unaffected side (P = .048), significant change from baseline force on the unaffected side (P = .035), and significant between-side difference (P = .011) in the RMT group during dry swallowing. Significant change in the duration from baseline was observed on the affected side of the RMT group when blowing was set at 50% maximal expiratory pressure (MEP; P = .015), and on the unaffected side of the control group when blowing set at 15% MEP (P = .005). Significant difference was observed in the duration between 50% MEP and 15% MEP after 6-week program in the control group (P = .049).A 6-week RMT can improve the electric signal of the affected swallowing muscles with more effect on the unaffected side than on the affected side during dry swallowing. Furthermore, RMT with 50% MEP rather than 15% MEP can facilitate greater submental muscle activity on the affected side in stroke patients with respiratory muscle weakness.

Background Spasticity and impaired hand function are common complication in patients with stroke, and it pose negative impact on quality of life. Aim We aimed to assess the effect of the combined administration of kinesio taping (KT) and modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) on upper extremity function and spasticity in hemiplegic patients with stroke. Design A randomized controlled pilot study. Setting A hospital center. Population Patient of stroke with hemiplegia for 3-12 months. Methods Thirty-five patients were enrolled and allocated into three groups, including the sham KT and mCIMT group, KT group, or KT and mCIMT group. The KT, sham KT, and mCIMT serve as additional therapies (5 days/week for 3 weeks) besides regular rehabilitation (5 days/week for 6 weeks). KT was applied over the dorsal side of the affected hand, while mCIMT was applied to restrain the unaffected upper extremity. The outcomes included the modified Tardieu scale (mTS), Brunnstrom stage, Box and Block Test (BBT), Fugl-Meyer assessment for the upper extremity (FMA-UE), and Stroke Impact Scale version 3.0. Measurements were taken at baseline, immediately after intervention (third week), and 3 weeks later (sixth week). Results Between baseline and the third week, within-group comparisons yielded significant improvement in the wrist and hand parts of the FMA and BBT of the Sham KT and mCIMT group (P=0.007-0.035); in the hand part of the FMA, BBT, and mTS degree (P=0.005-0.024) of the KT group; and in the Brunnstrom stage of the wrist, FMA-UE, BBT, and mTS degrees (P=0.005-0.032) of the KT and mCIMT group. Between baseline and the sixth week, there was significant difference in the proximal part of the FMA and mTS degree in groups with KT, but an additional improvement on the Brunnstrom stage of the wrist was noted in the KT and mCIMT group. Conclusions KT benefits patients with stroke in spasticity reduction and upper extremity function. The combination of KT and mCIMT provides extra benefit in motor performance with a more long-lasting effect. Clinical rehabilitation impact Kinesio taping could act as potential adjuvant therapy in patient of stroke with hemiplegia.

Soil investigation (SI) work is a process of collecting subsurface ground profile information in evaluating soil engineering properties for a construction project. The standard penetration method (SPT) is widely accepted worldwide as a feasible and relatively inexpensive method over other field tests. Pressuremeter test (PMT), on the other hand, is costly and more popular in situ method in interpreting soil deformation behavior. Considering SPT is available in almost site investigation works for all sizes of project, it was tempting to establish the correlation between SPT and PMT results, specifically in local geologic setting. The study was conducted in Kenny Hill Formation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The correlation established in this study is between pressuremeter modulus (EM) and SPT blow count (N60). In addition to in situ methods, the physical properties of soil extruded from boreholes were tested in geotechnical laboratories to determine soil properties, such as particle size distribution, liquid limit, and plastic limit. These parameters need to be considered during prediction of EM. Group method of data handling (GMDH) neural network has been used to achieve this objective. The mean absolute error (MAE) results show that the GMDH neural networks produce values of 8.04 and 8.59 for training and testing. The root mean square error (RMSE) yields 10.61 and 10.84 for training and testing, respectively. Further, the results of the coefficients of determination (R2) are 0.794 and 0.726 for training and testing demonstrates a good correlation exists between predicted and measured values. Based on the GMDH results, N60, sand, and clay are required input variables for determination of EM.

Integral feedback control is commonly used in mechanical and electrical systems to achieve zero steady-state error following an external disturbance. Equivalently, in biological systems, a property known as robust perfect adaptation guarantees robustness to environmental perturbations and return to the pre-disturbance state. Previously, Briat et al proposed a biomolecular design for integral feedback control (robust perfect adaptation) called the antithetic feedback motif. The antithetic feedback controller uses the sequestration binding reaction of two biochemical species to record the integral of the error between the current and the desired output of the network it controls. The antithetic feedback motif has been successfully built using synthetic components in vivo in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. However, these previous synthetic implementations of antithetic feedback have not produced perfect integral feedback control due to the degradation and dilution of the two controller species. Furthermore, previous theoretical results have cautioned that integral control can only be achieved under stability conditions that not all antithetic feedback motifs necessarily fulfill. In this paper, we study how to design antithetic feedback motifs that simultaneously achieve good stability and small steady-state error properties, even as the controller species are degraded and diluted. We provide simple tuning guidelines to achieve flexible and practical synthetic biological implementations of antithetic feedback control. We use several tools and metrics from control theory to design antithetic feedback networks, paving the path for the systematic design of synthetic biological controllers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of comprehensive postural instructions and range of motion (ROM) exercises via educational videos for shoulder injury prevention and functional improvement of the hemiplegic shoulder after acute stroke.In this prospective cohort study, 48 subacute stroke patients with hemiplegia were enrolled and divided into 2 groups (23 in experimental group and 25 in control group). In the control group (n = 25), the patients performed conventional rehabilitation for 5 days per week. In the experimental group (n = 23), the patients received not only conventional rehabilitation but also additional postural instructions and regular ROM exercises via educational videos for hemiplegic shoulders for 15 minutes twice per day for 5 days per week during their hospital stay. Main outcome measures, including the presence and severity of pain, motor function, and sonography on hemiplegic shoulder, were assessed.More motor recovery improvement was found in the experimental group (P.05). In the supraspinatus tendon, a significantly increased frequency in tendinopathy or tear was observed between admission (12%) and before discharge (40%) in the control group (P.05), but no difference was observed in the experimental group. In the subdeltoid bursa, effusion or bursitis was significantly reduced between admission (30.4%) and before discharge (8.7%) in the experimental group (P.05).These findings suggest that comprehensive postural instructions and ROM exercises via educational videos during inpatient rehabilitation for subacute stroke patients could improve motor recovery and limit shoulder injury in stroke patients with hemiplegia.

Quercetin, a natural antiglycative agent, was incorporated into steamed bread to produce a functional food that has high potential to lower the risk of diabetes. With the incorporation of quercetin at 1.20, 2.40, and 3.60%, the volume of steamed bread significantly decreased and the hardness of the crumb correspondingly increased with incremental quercetin content, while incorporation levels below 1.20% had no impact. Within this range of enrichment (1.2-3.6%), quercetin negatively affected the yeast activity with significantly less CO2 produced in dough during proofing. The wheat protein structure was altered by quercetin in terms of a higher level of β-sheets and a lower level of β-turns. The antioxidant capacity of the steamed bread with quercetin (0.05-0.2%) was significantly enhanced dose-dependently. A high inhibitory activity of quercetin-enriched steamed bread (0.05-0.2%) against fluorescent advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) via several different mechanisms was observed. The inhibition of total AGEs from 0.2% quercetin-enriched steamed bread was around 40% during in vitro protein glycation. Overall, the results support quercetin-enriched steamed bread to be a promising functional food with high antioxidant and antiglycation properties.

This letter aims for a simple and accessible explanation as to why oscillations naturally arise due to tradeoffs in feedback systems, and how these can be aggravated by delays and unstable poles and zeros. Such results have been standard for decades using frequency domain methods, which yield a rich variety of familiar “waterbed” tradeoffs. While almost trivial for control experts, frequency domain methods are less familiar to many scientists and engineers who could benefit from the insights such tradeoffs can provide. So here we present an entirely time domain model using discrete time dynamics and l 1 norm performance. A simple waterbed effect is that imposing zero steady state response to a step naturally create oscillations that double the response to periodic disturbances. We also show how this tradeoff is further aggravated not only by unstable poles and zeros, but also delays, in a way clearer than in the frequency domain versions.

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease manifested by both motor and non-motor dysfunctions and co-existence of cognitive impairment and physical frailty is common. Given that research in this area is limited, a better understanding of associated factors with physical frailty could provide a focused screening method and facilitate early intervention in PD. Methods: Seventy-six patients with idiopathic PD were recruited and Fried’s criteria of physical frailty were used to group all participants. Comprehensive cognitive tests and clinical characteristics were measured, and univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to explore the relationship between clinical factors or neuropsychological functions. Results: Twenty-nine patients with PD (38%) exhibited physical frailty. Compared to PD patients without frailty, PD patients with frailty were older in age and demonstrated worse disease severity and poorer cognitive functions, including attention, executive function, memory, speech and language, and visuospatial function (p < 0.05). Further, stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that disease severity by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) total score (OR: 1.065; 95% CI: 1.033–1.099) and executive function (OR: 0.724; 95% CI: 0.581–0.877) were independent risk factors for predicting physical frailty (p = 0.003 and 0.002). The best cut-off points are 46 in UPDRS (sensitivity: 62.1%; specificity: 91.5%). Conclusions: Executive function impairment is an independent risk factor for the development of physical frailty with disease progression. Awareness of such comorbidity might provide a screening tool to facilitate investigation in their underlying etiology and early intervention for frailty prevention.

Feedback regulation is pervasive in biology at both the organismal and cellular level. In this article, we explore the properties of a particular biomolecular feedback mechanism called antithetic integral feedback, which can be implemented using the binding of two molecules. Our work develops an analytic framework for understanding the hard limits, performance tradeoffs, and architectural properties of this simple model of biological feedback control. Using tools from control theory, we show that there are simple parametric relationships that determine both the stability and the performance of these systems in terms of speed, robustness, steady-state error, and leakiness. These findings yield a holistic understanding of the behavior of antithetic integral feedback and contribute to a more general theory of biological control systems.

The aim of this study is to investigate soft tissue disorders of affected shoulders after nerve-sparing selective neck dissection (SND) in patients with head and neck cancers (HNCs) by sonography. Eighteen HNCs patients with shoulder disability after SND were enrolled. Shoulder motions, pain, and the sonographic findings were measured and analyzed. Significantly decreased flexion, abduction, and increased pain were found on affected shoulders compared with normal shoulders. There were significant decrease in thickness of trapezius muscle (p=0.001), abnormal findings of supraspinatus tendon (p=0.022), and subdeltoid bursa (p=0.018) on surgical side. The ratio of trapezius muscle atrophy was related to shoulder pain (p=0.010). Patients with subdeltoid abnormalities had significant limitation on shoulder flexion and abduction. Abnormalities of supraspinatus tendon and subdeltoid bursa on sonography and trapezius muscle atrophy may play a key role in shoulder pain and shoulder flexion and abduction limitations.

Early childhood diet may have lifelong influences on health outcomes, yet development of indices to assess diet quality is scarce in toddlers, especially in Asian countries. We aimed to develop and evaluate a Diet Quality Index (DQI) in a multi-ethnic Asian mother&ndash, offspring cohort and identify perinatal correlates of early childhood diet. Based primarily on the Singapore dietary guidelines, the DQI includes seven food components: rice, bread and alternatives, fruit, vegetables, meat and alternatives, milk and dairy products, whole grains, and foods high in sugar. The DQI was developed using parental report of Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) data for 18-month-old toddlers (n = 561). The mean &plusmn, SD of DQI for the study toddlers was 44.2 &plusmn, 8.9 (theoretical range: 0&ndash, 65). A higher DQI (better diet quality) was associated with higher intakes of several nutrients and food groups (e.g., vegetables, dietary fibre, and beta-carotene, all p &lt, 0.001). Further construct validity was demonstrated by substantial agreement between the FFQ-DQI and 24-hour-recall-DQI (Intraclass-correlation-coefficient: 0.70). Independent predictors of lower DQI included higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI [&beta, (95% CI): &minus, 0.23(&minus, 0.39, &minus, 0.07)], Malay ethnicity [&minus, 1.88(&minus, 3.67, &minus, 0.09)], lower household income [&minus, 1.97(&minus, 3.91, &minus, 0.03)], lower education level [&minus, 2.57(&minus, 4.85, &minus, 0.28)] and never breastfeeding [&minus, 6.17(&minus, 11.06, &minus, 1.28)]. We developed a valid DQI for assessing the overall quality of the diets of Asian toddlers.

Aim The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the water swallow test for screening aspirations in stroke patients. Background The water swallow test is a simple bedside screening tool for aspiration among stroke patients in nursing practice, but results from different studies have not been combined before. Design A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to provide a synthetic and critical appraisal of the included studies. Data sources Electronic literature in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and other sources were searched systemically in this study. Databases and registers were searched from inception up to 30 April 2015. Review methods This systematic review was conducted using the recommendations from Cochrane Collaboration for Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy. Bivariate random-effects models were used to estimate the diagnostic accuracy across those studies. The tool named Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Results There were 770 stroke patients in the 11 studies for the meta-analysis. The water swallow test had sensitivities between 64-79% and specificities between 61-81%. Meta-regression analysis indicated that increasing water volume resulted in higher sensitivity but lower specificity of the water swallow test. Conclusions This systematic review showed that the water swallow test was a useful screening tool for aspiration among stroke patients. The test accuracy was related to the water volume and a 3-oz water swallow test was recommended for aspiration screening in stroke patients.

Objective To examine the efficacy of combined inspiratory and expiratory respiratory muscle training (RMT) with respect to the swallowing function, pulmonary function, functional performance, and dysarthria in patients with stroke. Design Prospective, randomized controlled trial. Setting Tertiary hospital. Participants The trial included 21 subjects (12 men, 9 women) aged 35 to 80 years presenting with 6 months history of unilateral stroke, respiratory muscle weakness (≥70% predicted maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and/or ≤70% maximal expiratory pressure (MEP)), dysphagia, or dysarthria. These subjects were randomly assigned to the control (n = 10, rehabilitation) and experimental (n = 11, rehabilitation with RMT) groups. Intervention Inspiratory RMT starting from 30% to 60% of MIP and expiratory RMT starting from 15% to 75% of MEP for 5 days/week for 6 weeks. Main outcome measures MIP, MEP, pulmonary function, peak cough flow, perception of dyspnea, Fatigue Assessment Scale, Modified Rankin Scale, Brunnstrom stage, Barthel index, Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), and parameters of voice analysis. Results Significant differences were observed between both groups in terms of MIP, forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume per second (FEV1) of the percentage predicted. Significant difference was found with respect to the change in fatigue, shimmer percent, amplitude perturbation quotient, and voice turbulence index (VTI) according to the acoustic analysis in the RMT group. The FEV1/FVC ratio was negatively correlated with jitter percent, relative average perturbation, pitch perturbation quotient, and VTI; the maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) and MMEF% were also negatively correlated with VTI. Significant differences among participants of the same group were observed while comparing the Brunnstrom stage before and after training of the affected limbs and the Barthel scale and FOIS scores in both the groups. Conclusions Altogether, 6-week combined inspiratory and expiratory RMT is feasible as adjuvant therapy for stroke patients to improve fatigue level, respiratory muscle strength, lung volume, respiratory flow, and dysarthria.Clinical trial registration number (Clinical Trial Identifier): NCT03491111.

Background: Early detection and intervention for post-stroke dysphagia could reduce the incidence of pulmonary complications and mortality. The aims of this study were to investigate the benefits of swallowing therapy in swallowing function and brain neuro-plasticity and to explore the relationship between swallowing function recovery and neuroplasticity after swallowing therapy in cerebral and brainstem stroke patients with dysphagia. Methods: We collected 17 subacute stroke patients with dysphagia (11 cerebral stroke patients with a median age of 76 years and 6 brainstem stroke patients with a median age of 70 years). Each patient received swallowing therapies during hospitalization. For each patient, functional oral intake scale (FOIS), functional dysphagia scale (FDS) and 8-point penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) in videofluoroscopy swallowing study (VFSS), and brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were evaluated before and after treatment. Results: FOIS (p = 0.003 in hemispheric group and p = 0.039 in brainstem group) and FDS (p = 0.006 in hemispheric group and p = 0.028 in brainstem group) were both significantly improved after treatment in hemispheric and brainstem stroke patients. In hemispheric stroke patients, changes in FOIS were related to changes of functional brain connectivity in the ventral default mode network (vDMN) of the precuneus in brain functional MRI (fMRI). In brainstem stroke patients, changes in FOIS were related to changes of functional brain connectivity in the left sensorimotor network (LSMN) of the left postcentral region characterized by brain fMRI. Conclusion: Both hemispheric and brainstem stroke patients with different swallowing difficulties showed improvements after swallowing training. For these two dysphagic stroke groups with corresponding etiologies, swallowing therapy could contribute to different functional neuroplasticity.

Background With ageing of Australians, the numbers of residential aged care (RAC) residents is rising. This places a spotlight on decisions about appropriate care for this population, including hospitalisation and end-of-life (EOL) care. The aim was to study a sample of RAC residents who attended and died in hospital, to quantify measurable components of EOL care so as to describe the extent of palliative care required. Methods A retrospective case-note review of hospital records was conducted in Adelaide, Australia. Participants were 109 RAC residents who attended from July 2013 to June 2014 and died in hospital. Measurements were advance care planning, health care input from the RAC facilities to hospital and components of EOL care. Residents with and without advanced dementia were compared. Results Advance care directives (ACDs) were present from 11 to 50%, and advance care plans (ACPs) at 60%. There were more ACPs, resuscitation orders (for/against) and do-not-hospitalise orders in residents with advanced dementia than those without. General practitioner (GP) and extended care paramedic (ECP) input on decisions for hospital transfer were 30% and 1 %. Mean hospital stay to death was 5.2 days. For residents admitted under non-palliative care teams, specialist palliative care (SPC) was needed for phone advice in 5%, consultation in 45%, transfer to palliative care unit in 37%, and takeover by SPC team in 19%. Mean number of documented goals-of-care discussions with family/caregiver was 1.7. In the last 3 days of life, the mean daily number of doses of EOL medications was 4.2. Continuous subcutaneous infusion was commenced in 35%. Conclusion Staff in RAC need to be adequately resourced to make complex decisions about whether to transfer to hospital. RAC nurses are mainly making these decisions as GP and ECP input were suboptimal. Ways to support nurses and optimise decision-making are needed. Advance care planning can be improved, especially documentation of EOL wishes and hospitalisation orders. By describing the components of EOL care, it is hoped providers and policy makers have more information to assist with making decisions about what is the most appropriate care for this population.

This study describes the approach of amino acid and monosaccharide combined with Hotelling T2 range plot to identify edible bird nests (EBN) and non-EBN. Prior to the approach, an analytical method was developed and validated to quantify monosaccharides in EBN. Hotelling T2 range plots of both compounds were successful in predicting the different types of EBN and differentiating EBN and non-EBN. This outcome suggests EBN contains a group of glycoproteins which is not affected by the EBN’s coloration, country of origin, and/or the processing method of the food item. In addition, the glycoproteins were shown to be unique to EBN. EBN were revealed to be rich in protein and essential amino acids as well as contain a wider variety of monosaccharides than most food items. The overall findings suggest that amino acid and monosaccharide provide information not only on the detected compounds and also insights into the glycoproteins of EBN.

Uncertainty about the H+ buffering capacity in tropical rain forest limits our ability to predict the future effect of anthropogenic deposition on the streamwater chemistry. Export of major ions to the stream and the ion-fluxes via rainfall, throughfall, litter-leachate and soil-water pathways were observed to examine the source of streamwater nutrients in a small catchment in Sabah, Malaysia. The streamwater and the ion-fluxes were measured for 3.75 and 2 y, respectively, by collecting water twice a month and setting ion-exchange-resin columns. Streamwater pH ranged from 6.5 to 7.6 and was not sensitive to water discharge controlling base cations. The NO3−-N, Ca2+ and Mg2+ fluxes were low in atmospheric depositions (0.6, 0.5 and 0.3 kg ha−1 y−1, respectively) and markedly increased in the litter layer. The NO3−-N flux decreased drastically from subsoil (70 kg ha−1 y−1) to the stream (1.4 kg ha−1 y−1) whereas the Ca2+ and Mg2+ fluxes were not different between subsoil (38 and 18 kg ha−1 y−1) and stream (30 and 15 kg ha−1 y−1). Neutral pH in tropical streams was mainly due to the base cation leaching with deep chemical weathering in deeper strata, and a rapid decrease in NO3− leaching from the subsoil to the stream.

RATIONALE Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a renowned food item in the Chinese community due to the therapeutic effects claimed to be brought about by its consumption. However, very little scientific information has been revealed to support these claims. Thus, metabolite profiling was performed to identify the metabolites and to relate them to the medicinal properties of EBN. The study also aims to further extend the results to determine any possible differences when the EBNs are classified according to their coloration, countries or production sites. METHODS Extraction of the metabolites was performed via sonication of EBN with methanol and chloroform. Two analytical platforms, namely gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), were utilized to detect the metabolites. This multi-analytical platform would provide a comprehensive coverage of the metabolites in EBN. GC/MS analysis was conducted in scan mode from m/z 50-650. On the other hand, LC/MS analysis was operated in both positive and negative ion mode from m/z 150-1000. RESULTS Metabolites were identified and their relationships with the medicinal properties of EBN were deduced. Classification with chemometrics illustrates that EBNs could be differentiated according to their coloration, countries and production sites. This differentiation was due to the environment where the EBNs are produced. Furthermore, GC/MS was demonstrated to be more suitable for classification as the processing methods of the EBNs did not cause a significant variation in the metabolites detected by GC/MS. CONCLUSIONS The overall findings suggest that the novel approach of metabolite profiling offers new insights to understanding EBN and provided evidence to support the medicinal properties of EBN. In addition, the success of classification of EBNs with metabolite profiling combining with chemometrics represents a paradigm shift in the quality control of this food item.

Distributed systems are comprised of multiple subsystems that interact in two distinct ways: (1) physical interactions and (2) cyber interactions; i.e. sensors, actuators and computers controlling these subsystems, and the network over which they communicate. A broad class of cyber-physical systems (CPS) are described by such interactions, such as the smart grid, platoons of autonomous vehicles and the sensorimotor system. This paper will survey recent progress in developing a coherent mathematical framework that describes the rich CPS “design space” of fundamental limits and tradeoffs between efficiency, robustness, adaptation, verification and scalability. Whereas most research treats at most one of these issues, we attempt a holistic approach in examining these metrics. In particular, we will argue that a control architecture that emphasizes scalability leads to improvements in robustness, adaptation, and verification, all the while having only minor effects on efficiency – i.e. through the choice of a new architecture, we believe that we are able to bring a system closer to the true fundamental hard limits of this complex design space.

Controls is increasingly central to technology, science, and society, yet remains the “hidden technology.” Our appropriate emphasis on mathematical rigor and practical relevance in the past 40 years has not been similarly balanced with technical accessibility. The aim of this tutorial is to enlist the controls community in helping to radically rethink controls education. In addition to the brief 2 hour tutorial at CDC, we will have a website with additional materials, but particularly extensive online videos with mathematical details and case studies. We will also have a booth in the exhibition area at CDC with live demos and engaging competitions throughout the conference.

This paper focuses on detecting and localizing a surface feature on an otherwise uniform surface using kinematic data collected during an exploratory procedure. Assuming that characteristics of the feature shape and surface shape are known, a surface feature is detected by performing least squares estimation calculated via impulsive hybrid system optimization. The optimization routine is based on an adjoint formulation which allows the algorithm to be computationally efficient and scalable. This algorithm is also shown to perform well with the presence of measurement noise and model noise, both in simulations and experiments.

This paper presents a technique to efficiently solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation for a class of stochastic affine nonlinear dynamical systems in high dimensions. The HJB solution provides a globally optimal controller to the associated dynamical system. However, the curse of dimensionality, commonly found in robotic systems, prevents one from solving the HJB equation naively. This work avoids the curse by representing the linear HJB equation using tensor decomposition. An alternating least squares (ALS) based technique finds an approximate solution to the linear HJB equation. A straightforward implementation of the ALS algorithm results in ill-conditioned matrices that prevent approximation to a high order of accuracy. This work resolves the ill-conditioning issue by computing the solution sequentially and introducing boundary condition rescaling. Both of these additions reduce the condition number of matrices in the ALS-based algorithm. A MATLAB tool, Sequential Alternating Least Squares (SeALS), that implements the new method is developed. The performance of SeALS is illustrated using three engineering examples: an inverted pendulum, a Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft, and a quadcopter with state up to twelve.

This paper presents a method to synthesize a sequence of control inputs for a discrete-time piecewise linear system equipped with a cost function, such that the controlled system behavior satisfies a finite-word linear-time temporal objective with minimal cost. An abstract finite state weighted transition system is constructed, such that the cost of the optimal control on the abstract system provides an upper bound on the cost of the optimal control for the original system. Specifically, the abstract system is constructed from finite partitions of the state and input spaces by solving optimization problems, and a sequence of suboptimal controllers is obtained by considering a sequence of uniformly refined partitions. Furthermore, the costs achieved by the sequence of suboptimal controllers converge to the optimal cost for the piecewise linear system. The abstraction refinement algorithm is implemented in the tool OptCAR. The feasibility of this approach is illustrated on an example, by constructing automatically, sub-optimal controllers with improving optimal costs.