This paper presents a robust design for the general bilateral teleoperation system with Markov jumping parameters. Although passivity-based approach and robust design-based approach can stabilize the bilateral teleoperation system, sufficient conditions are too conservative. In this paper, requirements for a general bilateral teleoperation system are given first. Next, time delays on the internet are modeled by a Markov process with nine states, three for the forward communication branch and three for the backward communication branch. Based on the requirements of the master and the slave controllers, the standard robust design are carried out. Then, with the model of internet time delays, the bilateral teleoperation system is reconstructed by a Markov jumping system. Based on the mode-dependent stability conditions for the stochastic time delay system, the closed-loop controller is designed to obtain the less conservative stable system and to therefore improve the performance of tracking and transparency. Simulation has been carried out and the results verify the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed approach.

This paper studies robust performance analysis of H2/Hinfincontrol problem in time-varying systems. In the case where the state-space matrices of the system depend affinely on the uncertain parameters, it is known that recently developed extended or dilated linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) are effective to assess the robust performance in a less conservative fashion. This paper further probes into those preceding results and proposes a new form of extended LMIs for time-varying H2/Hinfincontrollers synthesis. The new method enables us to parameterize controllers without involving the Lyapunov variables in the parameterization. The numerical simulations prove the validity of this framework.

This paper presents a fuzzy approach for positioning an iRobot B21r mobile robot in an indoor environment. A novel error model for the laser rangefinder is built with consideration of the detection distance and the detection angle, and a new concept, the virtual angular point, is introduced as the feature for positioning the mobile robot in this paper. Such points as break points, real angular points, and virtual angular points are employed for positioning a mobile robot. Positions obtained by two arbitrary pairs of feature points are fused together by the weighted mean technique, and the weights are determined by the fuzzy accuracy of the feature points. Experimental study has been carried out to verify the effectiveness of the algorithms.

MOTIVATION: Microarrays are an important research tool for the advancement of basic biological sciences. However this technology has yet to be integrated with clinical decision making. We have implemented an information framework based on the Microarray Gene Expression Markup Language (MAGE-ML) specification. We are using this framework to develop a test-bed integrated database application to identify genomic and imaging markers for diagnosis of breast cancer. RESULTS: We developed extensible software architecture for retrieving data from different microarray databases using MAGE-ML and for combining microarray data with breast cancer image analysis and clinical data for correlation studies. The framework we developed will provide the necessary data integration to move microarray research from basic biological sciences to clinical applications. AVAILABILITY: Open source software will be available from SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/projects/microsoap/).

Few information systems today offer a flexible means to define and manage the automated part of radiology processes, which provide clinical imaging services for the entire healthcare organization. Even fewer of them provide a coherent architecture that can easily cope with heterogeneity and inevitable local adaptation of applications and can integrate clinical and administrative information to aid better clinical, operational, and business decisions. We describe an innovative enterprise architecture of image information management systems to fill the needs. Such a system is based on the interplay of production workflow management, distributed object computing, Java and Web techniques, and in-depth domain knowledge in radiology operations. Our design adapts the approach of "4+1" architectural view. In this new architecture, PACS and RIS become one while the user interaction can be automated by customized workflow process. Clinical service applications are implemented as active components. They can be reasonably substituted by applications of local adaptations and can be multiplied for fault tolerance and load balancing. Furthermore, the workflow-enabled digital radiology system would provide powerful query and statistical functions for managing resources and improving productivity. This paper will potentially lead to a new direction of image information management. We illustrate the innovative design with examples taken from an implemented system.