The recent search for a stochastic background of gravitational waves with LIGO interferometers has produced a new upper bound on the amplitude of this background in the 100 Hz region. We investigate the implications of the current and future LIGO results on pre-Big-Bang models of the early Universe, determining the exclusion regions in the parameter space of the minimal pre-Big Bang scenario. A...

The focus of this paper is on the design of time optimal control profiles for flexible structures subject to deflection constraints. The benchmark floating oscillator is used to illustrate the variation in the structure of the control profile as a function of permissible deflection. The transition from a 5 switch bang-bang to a 7 switch bang-bang to finally, a 7 switch profile which includes no...

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potentially fatal disease process that has been linked to higher rates of morbidity and mortality as well as increased perioperative complications. OSA is characterized by repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep. Greater than 92% of women and 82% of men who are plagued by moderate to severe sleep apnea are undiagnosed and may go unrecognized in...