Fractional-Order Discrete-Time Laguerre Filters: A New Tool for Modeling and Stability Analysis of Fractional-Order LTI SISO Systems

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Rafał Stanisławski

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents new results on modeling and analysis of dynamics of fractional-order discrete-time linear time-invariant single-input single-output (LTI SISO systems by means of new, two-layer, “fractional-order discrete-time Laguerre filters.” It is interesting that the fractionality of the filters at the upper system dynamics layer is directly projected from the lower Laguerre-based approximation layer for the Grünwald-Letnikov difference. A new stability criterion for discrete-time fractional-order Laguerre-based LTI SISO systems is introduced and supplemented with a stability preservation analysis. Both the stability criterion and the stability preservation analysis bring up rather surprising results, which is illustrated with simulation examples.

Neuropilin-1 Is Expressed on Lymphoid Tissue Residing LTi-like Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells and Associated with Ectopic Lymphoid Aggregates.

Science.gov (United States)

Shikhagaie, Medya Mara; Björklund, Åsa K; Mjösberg, Jenny; Erjefält, Jonas S; Cornelissen, Anne S; Ros, Xavier Romero; Bal, Suzanne M; Koning, Jasper J; Mebius, Reina E; Mori, Michiko; Bruchard, Melanie; Blom, Bianca; Spits, Hergen

2017-02-14

Here, we characterize a subset of ILC3s that express Neuropilin1 (NRP1) and are present in lymphoid tissues, but not in the peripheral blood or skin. NRP1 + group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) display in vitro lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) activity. In agreement with this, NRP1 + ILC3s are mainly located in proximity to high endothelial venules (HEVs) and express cell surface molecules involved in lymphocyte migration in secondary lymphoid tissues via HEVs. NRP1 was also expressed on mouse fetal LTi cells, indicating that NRP1 is a conserved marker for LTi cells. Human NRP1 + ILC3s are primed cells because they express CD45RO and produce higher amounts of cytokines than NRP1 - cells, which express CD45RA. The NRP1 ligand vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) served as a chemotactic factor for NRP1 + ILC3s. NRP1 + ILC3s are present in lung tissues from smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, suggesting a role in angiogenesis and/or the initiation of ectopic pulmonary lymphoid aggregates. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integral-based event triggering controller design for stochastic LTI systems via convex optimisation

Science.gov (United States)

Mousavi, S. H.; Marquez, H. J.

2016-07-01

The presence of measurement noise in the event-based systems can lower system efficiency both in terms of data exchange rate and performance. In this paper, an integral-based event triggering control system is proposed for LTI systems with stochastic measurement noise. We show that the new mechanism is robust against noise and effectively reduces the flow of communication between plant and controller, and also improves output performance. Using a Lyapunov approach, stability in the mean square sense is proved. A simulated example illustrates the properties of our approach.

Quadratic Stabilization of LPV System by an LTI Controller Based on ILMI Algorithm

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Wei Xie

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A linear time-invariant (LTI output feedback controller is designed for a linear parameter-varying (LPV control system to achieve quadratic stability. The LPV system includes immeasurable dependent parameters that are assumed to vary in a polytopic space. To solve this control problem, a heuristic algorithm is proposed in the form of an iterative linear matrix inequality (ILMI formulation. Furthermore, an effective method of setting an initial value of the ILMI algorithm is also proposed to increase the probability of getting an admissible solution for the controller design problem.

Regulation of Cytokine Secretion in Human CD127(+) LTi-like Innate Lymphoid Cells by Toll-like Receptor 2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Crellin, Natasha K.; Trifari, Sara; Kaplan, Charles D.; Satoh-Takayama, Naoko; Di Santo, James P.; Spits, Hergen

2010-01-01

Lymphoid tissue inducer cells are members of an emerging family of innate lymphoid cells (ILC). Although these cells were originally reported to produce cytokines such as interleukin-17 (IL-17) and IL-22, we demonstrate here that human CD127(+)RORC(+) and CD56(+)CD127(+) LTi-like ILC also express

A Unified Transform for LTI Systems—Presented as a (Generalized Frame

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Van den Hof Paul MJ

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We present a set of functions in and show it to be a (tight generalized frame (as presented by G. Kaiser (1994. The analysis side of the frame operation is called the continuous unified transform. We show that some of the well-known transforms (such as Laplace, Laguerre, Kautz, and Hambo result by creating different sampling patterns in the transform domain (or, equivalently, choosing a number of subsets of the original frame. Some of these resulting sets turn out to be generalized (tight frames as well. The work reported here enhances the understanding of the interrelationships between the above-mentioned transforms. Furthermore, the impulse response of every stable finite-dimensional LTI system has a finite representation using the frame we introduce here, with obvious benefits in identification problems.

Prediction-based control for LTI systems with uncertain time-varying delays and partial state knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Léchappé, V.; Moulay, E.; Plestan, F.

2018-06-01

The stability of a prediction-based controller for linear time-invariant (LTI) systems is studied in the presence of time-varying input and output delays. The uncertain delay case is treated as well as the partial state knowledge case. The reduction method is used in order to prove the convergence of the closed-loop system including the state observer, the predictor and the plant. Explicit conditions that guarantee the closed-loop stability are given, thanks to a Lyapunov-Razumikhin analysis. Simulations illustrate the theoretical results.

Design of a decentralized detection of interacting LTI systems

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Shankar Shamanth

2002-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the problem of designing a decentralized detection filter for a large homogeneous collection of LTI systems is considered. The collection of systems considered here draws inspiration from platoons of vehicles, and the considered interactions amongst systems in the collection are banded and lower triangular, mimicking the typical “look-ahead” nature of interactions in a platoon of vehicles. A fault in a system propagates to other systems in the collection via such interactions. The decentralized detection filter for the collection is composed of interacting detection filters, one for each system. The feasibility of communicating the state estimates to other systems in the collection is assumed here. An important concern is the propagation of state estimation errors. In order that the state estimation errors not amplify as they propagate, a ℋ ∞ constraint on the state estimation error propagation dynamics is imposed. A sufficient condition for constructing a decentralized detection filter for the collection is presented. An example is provided to illustrate the design procedure.

Co-Design of Event Generator and Dynamic Output Feedback Controller for LTI Systems

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Dan Ma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a co-design method of the event generator and the dynamic output feedback controller for a linear time-invariant (LIT system. The event-triggered condition on the sensor-to-controller and the controller-to-actuator depends on the plant output and the controller output, respectively. A sufficient condition on the existence of the event generator and the dynamic output feedback controller is proposed and the co-design problem can be converted into the feasibility of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs. The LTI system is asymptotically stable under the proposed event-triggered controller and also reduces the computing resources with respect to the time-triggered one. In the end, a numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Telelegend Leo Karpin : ETV uus juhtkond teeb vaid lammutustööd / Leo Karpin ; interv. Verni Leivak

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Karpin, Leo, 1946-2014

2004-01-01

Pea 40 aastat Eesti Televisioonis töötanud telerežissöör oma teletöölt lahkumise põhjustest. Lisaks kommentaar "ETV juhatuse esimees Ilmar Raag, miks tunnustatud telemees Leo Karpin ametist vabastati?"

Molecular characterization of the recombinant protein RmLTI-BmCG-LTB: Protective immunity against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus.

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Bárbara Guimarães Csordas

Full Text Available The bovine tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus is found in several tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This parasite transmits pathogens that cause disease, such as babesiosis (Babesia bovis and B. bigemina and anaplasmosis (Anaplasma marginale. Tick infestations cause enormous livestock losses, and controlling tick infestations and the transmission of tick-borne diseases remains a challenge for the livestock industry. Because the currently available commercial vaccines offer only partial protection against R. (B. microplus, there is a need for more efficient vaccines. Several recombinant antigens have been evaluated using different immunization strategies, and they show great promise. This work describes the construction and immunological characterization of a multi-antigen chimera composed of two R. (B. microplus antigens (RmLTI and BmCG and one Escherichia coli antigen (B subunit, LTB. The immunogenic regions of each antigen were selected and combined to encode a single polypeptide. The gene was cloned and expressed in E. coli. For all of the experiments, two groups (treated and control of four Angus heifers (3-6 months old were used. The inoculation was performed via intramuscular injection with 200 μg of purified recombinant chimeric protein and adjuvated. The chimeric protein was recognized by specific antibodies against each subunit and by sera from cattle inoculated with the chimera. Immunization of RmLTI-BmCG-LTB cattle reduced the number of adult female ticks by 6.29% and vaccination of cattle with the chimeric antigen provided 55.6% efficacy against R. (B. microplus infestation. The results of this study indicate that the novel chimeric protein is a potential candidate for the future development of a more effective vaccine against R. (B. microplus.

Interoperabilidad entre el LMS Moodle y las aplicaciones educativas de propósito específico utilizando servicios del IMS-LTI

OpenAIRE

Soto Cardinault, Cynthia Guadalupe; Menéndez Domínguez, Víctor Hugo; Aguilar Vera, Raúl Antonio

2015-01-01

Compartir y reutilizar recursos digitales de alta calidad resulta una necesidad creciente en materia educativa; por ello, es conveniente conocer mecanismos de interoperabilidad con sistemas de gestión de aprendizaje transparentes de implementar y que permiten aprovechar al máximo las características propias de su diseño instruccional. En este artículo, presentamos una introducción al estándar de interoperabilidad IMS-LTI que ayuda a que esto sea posible y un breve análisis comparativo respect...

George W. Bushi "intellektuaalne armuromaan" / Urmas Kiil

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Kiil, Urmas

2005-01-01

Paljude poliitikute arvates kinnitab USA presidendi George Bushi vaimustus Natan Sharanski raamatust "The Case of Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror " fakti, et midagi pole tema poliitikas muutunud ka teisel ametiajal

Fault Detection, Isolation, and Accommodation for LTI Systems Based on GIMC Structure

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D. U. Campos-Delgado

2008-01-01

Full Text Available In this contribution, an active fault-tolerant scheme that achieves fault detection, isolation, and accommodation is developed for LTI systems. Faults and perturbations are considered as additive signals that modify the state or output equations. The accommodation scheme is based on the generalized internal model control architecture recently proposed for fault-tolerant control. In order to improve the performance after a fault, the compensation is considered in two steps according with a fault detection and isolation algorithm. After a fault scenario is detected, a general fault compensator is activated. Finally, once the fault is isolated, a specific compensator is introduced. In this setup, multiple faults could be treated simultaneously since their effect is additive. Design strategies for a nominal condition and under model uncertainty are presented in the paper. In addition, performance indices are also introduced to evaluate the resulting fault-tolerant scheme for detection, isolation, and accommodation. Hard thresholds are suggested for detection and isolation purposes, meanwhile, adaptive ones are considered under model uncertainty to reduce the conservativeness. A complete simulation evaluation is carried out for a DC motor setup.

Andre on alati tantsida tahtnud / Anu Mõttus

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Mõttus, Anu

2009-01-01

Koolitantsu maakonnavoorud on peetud. Igast maakonnast pääsevad piirkonnavooru kuni pooled tantsud. Umbes sama edasipääsuprotsent on ka Andre Laine tantsudel, kelle koolitantsu vaimustus algas Kanepi Gümnaasiumi õpilasena ja kes praeguseks on selle gümnaasiumi tantsupedagoog

Interoperabilidad entre el LMS Moodle y las aplicaciones educativas de propósito específico utilizando servicios del IMS-LTI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia Guadalupe Soto Cardinault

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Compartir y reutilizar recursos digitales de alta calidad resulta una necesidad creciente en materia educativa; por ello, es conveniente conocer mecanismos de interoperabilidad con sistemas de gestión de aprendizaje transparentes de implementar y que permiten aprovechar al máximo las características propias de su diseño instruccional. En este artículo, presentamos una introducción al estándar de interoperabilidad IMS-LTI que ayuda a que esto sea posible y un breve análisis comparativo respecto al estándar SCORM, ambos ampliamente aceptados y usados en este contexto; asimismo, ejemplificamos el proceso de interoperabilidad entre una aplicación de aprendizaje de propósito específico (alojada en general en forma remota y Moodle, una plataforma educativa empleada en el ámbito educativo.

Statistics of lower tropospheric inversions over the continental United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Y.H.; Zhang, S.D.; Yi, F. [Wuhan Univ., Hubei (China). School of Electronic Information; Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei (China). Key Lab. of Geospace Environment and Geodesy; State Observatory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing, Wuhan (China); Chen, Z.Y. [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). Inst. of Atmospheric Sciences

2011-07-01

The basic structure parameters of lower tropospheric inversions (LTIs) have been derived from 10 years (1998-2007) of high vertical resolution ({proportional_to}50 m) radiosonde observations over 56 United States stations. Seasonal and longitudinal variability of these parameters are presented and the formation mechanisms of LTI are also discussed. It is found that LTI seems to be a common feature over the continental United States. The LTI occurrence rates (defined as the fraction of measurements with LTI, which is calculated from the number of LTI cases divided by the number of measurements of the whole 10 years) at these 56 stations vary from 3.7% to 14.5%; the averaged base heights of LTI have a range of 3-5 km above mean sea level (a.m.s.l.); the averaged thicknesses and temperature jump ranges from 420-465m and 1.9-2.2 K, respectively. These parameters have an obvious seasonal variation. In winter, all the occurrence rates, thicknesses and temperature jumps of LTI have much larger values than those in summer. LTI occurrence rate shows an obvious west-east increasing trend in all 4 seasons. Detailed analyses reveal that dynamical instability induced by strong zonal wind shear is responsible for LTI in winter, spring and autumn; the frontal system tends to generate LTI in summer. Since the higher occurrence rate, larger temperature jump and larger thickness of LTI occur in winter, we believe strong zonal wind shear plays a more important role in the formation of LTI. (orig.)

Statistics of lower tropospheric inversions over the continental United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. H. Zhang

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The basic structure parameters of lower tropospheric inversions (LTIs have been derived from 10 years (1998–2007 of high vertical resolution (~50 m radiosonde observations over 56 United States stations. Seasonal and longitudinal variability of these parameters are presented and the formation mechanisms of LTI are also discussed. It is found that LTI seems to be a common feature over the continental United States. The LTI occurrence rates (defined as the fraction of measurements with LTI, which is calculated from the number of LTI cases divided by the number of measurements of the whole 10 years at these 56 stations vary from 3.7% to 14.5%; the averaged base heights of LTI have a range of 3–5 km above mean sea level (a.m.s.l.; the averaged thicknesses and temperature jump ranges from 420–465 m and 1.9–2.2 K, respectively. These parameters have an obvious seasonal variation. In winter, all the occurrence rates, thicknesses and temperature jumps of LTI have much larger values than those in summer. LTI occurrence rate shows an obvious west-east increasing trend in all 4 seasons. Detailed analyses reveal that dynamical instability induced by strong zonal wind shear is responsible for LTI in winter, spring and autumn; the frontal system tends to generate LTI in summer. Since the higher occurrence rate, larger temperature jump and larger thickness of LTI occur in winter, we believe strong zonal wind shear plays a more important role in the formation of LTI.

Factors Associated with Decreased Lean Tissue Index in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

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Yi-Wen Wang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Muscle wasting is common and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD. However, factors associated with decreased muscle mass in CKD patients are seldom reported. We performed a cross-sectional study of 326 patients (age 65.8 ± 13.3 years with stage 3–5 CKD who were not yet on dialysis. Muscle mass was determined using the Body Composition Monitor (BCM, a multifrequency bioimpedance spectroscopy device, and was expressed as the lean tissue index (LTI, lean tissue mass/height2. An LTI of less than 10% of the normal value (low LTI indicates muscle wasting. Patients with low LTI (n = 40 tended to be diabetic, had significantly higher fat tissue index, urine protein creatinine ratio, and interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels, but had significantly lower serum albumin and hemoglobin levels compared with those with normal LTI. In multivariate linear regression analysis, age, sex, cardiovascular disease, and interleukin-6 were independently associated with LTI. Additionally, diabetes mellitus remained an independent predictor of muscle wasting according to low LTI by multivariate logistic regression analysis. We conclude that LTI has important clinical correlations. Determination of LTI may aid in clinical assessment by helping to identify muscle wasting among patients with stage 3–5 CKD.

On-line Multiple-model Based Adaptive Control Reconfiguration for a Class of Non-linear Control Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Z.; Izadi-Zamanabadi, R.; Blanke, Mogens

2000-01-01

of LTI models are employed to approximate the faulty, reconfigured and nominal nonlinear systems respectively with respect to the on-line information of the operating system, and a set of compensating modules are proposed and designed so as to make the local LTI model approximating to the reconfigured...... nonlinear system match the corresponding LTI model approximating to the nominal nonlinear system in some optimal sense. The compensating modules are designed by the Pseudo-Inverse Method based on the local LTI models for the nominal and faulty nonlinear systems. Moreover, these modules should update...... corresponding to the updating of local LTI models, which validations are determined by the model approximation errors and the optimal index of local design. The test on a nonlinear ship propulsion system shows the promising potential of this method for system reconfiguration...

Consultation and management of patients with lipid disorders: importance of life-style changes and intensive follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Karwacki-Marugg, Claire L; Schnatz, J David

2006-03-01

The purpose was to compare long-term involvement (LTI) vs short-term involvement (STI) of patients in a Lipid Education Service (LES) and to assess the effects of life-style changes. Patients were referred for LTI and STI by their physicians. Three-hundred eighty-one consecutive patients, 287 LTI and 94 STI, were analyzed. The lipids in LTI patients were all significantly improved. Sixty-six percent of all LDL values were at goal as were 77% of HDL and 62% of triglyceride (NCEP-II criteria). Sixty-two percent of LDL values in coronary artery disease patients were at goal contrasted to a reported range of 9.6%-71%. Life-style changes made significant differences in the percentage of patients at lipid goals. In postprogram follow-up there were significant differences between LTI and STI patients. The LTI patients did much better in improving lipid levels at postprogram follow-up than did STI patients. These results demonstrate the importance of making life-style changes as well as the importance of intensive efforts in achieving meaningful and lasting change.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection in a Spanish prison.

Science.gov (United States)

López de Goicoechea-Saiz, M E; Sternberg, F; Portilla-Sogorb, J

2018-01-01

To determine the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTI) in a Spanish prison, analyze the main sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with this condition and estimate the percentage of individuals with LTI who have received chemoprophylactic treatment. Cross-sectional study including inmates hosted in the Madrid VI Prison on 16/07/2016. Exclusion criteria: history of tuberculosis; non-updated tuberculin test according to the Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Program in Prisons protocol. Information of the variables was collected from SANIT and SIP programs, and by checking the clinical records of inmates. Description of the participant population and comparison between the frequency of distribution of the independent variables in LTI present and absent groups were performed, the last calculating the p value with Ji2 and Mann-Whitney U tests. Bivariate and multivariate analysis have been carried out with a logistic regression model. 936 individuals have been included. The prevalence of LTI in prison is 54.6%. This condition has been linked to the sociodemographic variables age, sex and nationality of origin, being age the one that has shown the strongest association. Among the other factors analyzed, only HCV infection behaves as a predictor of LTI. 30.3% of the individuals with LTI have completed or are receiving chemoprophylactic treatment in the moment of the study. LTI prevalence is high in the Spanish current prison population. The results of the study emphasize the relevance of the LTI screening in the prison setting, specially among high risk groups, and point out the need of a greater effort in the indication and completion of the chemoprophylactic treatment.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection in a Spanish prison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ME López de Goicoechea-Saiz

Full Text Available Abstract Aim: To determine the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTI in a Spanish prison, analyze the main sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with this condition and estimate the percentage of individuals with LTI who have received chemoprophylactic treatment. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study including inmates hosted in the Madrid VI Prison on 16/07/2016. Exclusion criteria: history of tuberculosis; non-updated tuberculin test according to the Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Program in Prisons protocol. Information of the variables was collected from SANIT and SIP programs, and by checking the clinical records of inmates. Description of the participant population and comparison between the frequency of distribution of the independent variables in LTI present and absent groups were performed, the last calculating the p value with Ji2 and Mann-Whitney U tests. Bivariate and multivariate analysis have been carried out with a logistic regression model. Results: 936 individuals have been included. The prevalence of LTI in prison is 54.6%. This condition has been linked to the sociodemographic variables age, sex and nationality of origin, being age the one that has shown the strongest association. Among the other factors analyzed, only HCV infection behaves as a predictor of LTI. 30.3% of the individuals with LTI have completed or are receiving chemoprophylactic treatment in the moment of the study. Discussion: LTI prevalence is high in the Spanish current prison population. The results of the study emphasize the relevance of the LTI screening in the prison setting, specially among high risk groups, and point out the need of a greater effort in the indication and completion of the chemoprophylactic treatment.

Maailmarändur vaimustus eesti folkloorist / Rein Sikk

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Sikk, Rein, 1961-

2010-01-01

Inglise tantsuõpetajast Chris Davisest, kes on käinud Viljandi pärimusmuusika festivalil, meeste rahvatantsupeol Rakveres ja mujal Eestis ning peab eestlasi maailma parimateks vaimuvara hoidjateks. Chris Davis õpetab inglise rahvatantse oma kodumaal ja nüüd ka Eestis ning liitus kaerajaani Euroopasse viimise kampaaniaga

Control of epithelial cell function by interleukin-22-producing RORγt+ innate lymphoid cells

Science.gov (United States)

Sanos, Stephanie L; Vonarbourg, Cedric; Mortha, Arthur; Diefenbach, Andreas

2011-01-01

It is rapidly emerging that the defence system of innate lymphocytes is more diverse than previously recognized. In addition to natural killer (NK) cells, lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells, and natural helper cells have now been identified. LTi cells are developmentally dependent on the orphan transcription factor RORγt and instruct lymph node development during embryogenesis. More recently, it has become evident, that in addition to their role for lymph organ development, LTi cells are also potent producers of cytokines such as interleukin-22 (IL-22) and IL-17 in adult mice. In addition to LTi cells, another RORγt-dependent innate lymphocyte subset co-expressing RORγt and NK cell receptors (NKRs) has been identified. These NKR+ RORγt+ cells are also potent producers of IL-22 but it is unclear whether they are part of the NK cell or LTi cell lineage. This review will highlight recent progress in understanding development and function of innate IL-22-producing lymphocyte subsets. PMID:21391996

COMPARISON OF BODY COMPOSITION ACCORDING TO AGE AND GENDER IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD.

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Aleksandra Rymarz

2012-06-01

In hemodialysis patients no significant differences was observed in females and males in all BCMI, LTI, FTI and BMI. BCMI, LTI were significantly lower in older pts whereas BMI did not differ significantly (for all p < 0,05. In both groups BCMI and LTI decline in patients over 60 years whereas only in hemodialysis patients they do not differ in females and males. Analysis of body composition in patients with CKD is worth to be studied in large group of patients.

Capturing the Full Potential of the Synthetic Theater Operations Research Model (STORM)

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

lwd = 2) abline(v=med, col = "blue", lty =2, lwd =2) legend(locator(1),lty=c...1,2), lwd =c(2,2), col = c("blue", "blue"), legend =c("Mean","Median") ) ##Set up 4 by 4 plotting for comparing histograms 64 par(mfrow = c(2,2...Wilk"),xlab = "Normality test",ylab = "P-Value", main = "Title") abline(h=.05, lty = 2, col = "red", lwd = 3) legend(locator(1), lwd

Factors contributing to the differences in work related injury rates between Danish and Swedish construction workers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spangenberg, S.; Baarts, C.; Dyreborg, J.

2002-01-01

of injury risk factors at group and individual level for Danish and Swedish workers. LTI-rates and injury risk factors were compared for Danish and Swedish workers during the construction of the combined rail and road link across the 16-km wide sound, Oresund, between Denmark and Sweden. The comparison...... showed that the LTI-rate of the Danish construction workers was approximately fourfold the LTI-rate of the Swedish construction workers. Factors at the micro-level (group and individual level) e.g. differences in education and experience, training and learning, and attitude were important...

Self-Tuning Control of Linear Systems Followed by Deadzones

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K. Kazlauskas

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present paper is to increase the efficiency of self-tuning generalized minimum variance (GMV control of linear time-invariant (LTI systems followed by deadzone nonlinearities. An approach, based on reordering of observations to be processed for the reconstruction of an unknown internal signal that acts between LTI system and a static nonlinear block of the closed-loop Wiener system, has been developed. The results of GMV self-tuning control of the second order LTI system with an ordinary deadzone are given.

Decentralized control of discrete-time linear time invariant systems with input saturation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deliu, C.; Deliu, Ciprian; Malek, Babak; Roy, Sandip; Saberi, Ali; Stoorvogel, Antonie Arij

We study decentralized stabilization of discrete-time linear time invariant (LTI) systems subject to actuator saturation, using LTI controllers. The requirement of stabilization under both saturation constraints and decentralization impose obvious necessary conditions on the open-loop plant, namely

Decentralized control of discrete-time linear time invariant systems with input saturation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deliu, Ciprian; Deliu, C.; Malek, Babak; Roy, Sandip; Saberi, Ali; Stoorvogel, Antonie Arij

2009-01-01

We study decentralized stabilization of discrete time linear time invariant (LTI) systems subject to actuator saturation, using LTI controllers. The requirement of stabilization under both saturation constraints and decentralization impose obvious necessary conditions on the open-loop plant, namely

Tartu noored kunstnikud salapärasuse vaimustuses / Margus Kiis

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kiis, Margus

2003-01-01

Tartu Noorte Kunstnike Näitusest Tartu Kunstnike Majas. Iseloomustatud Priit Pajose, Lauri Pajose, Margus Pumpa, Andres Sütevaka, Kaie Luige, Maris Palgi, Külli Suitso, Kadri Kängsepa, Peeter Krossmani, Saimi Kalevi Makkoneni, Kaarel Vulla, Katri Kuuski, Väike Tomi, Meiu Mündi, Karol Kagovere, Meta Narusbeli, Aili Penti, Kene Triive ja Raivo Irdi töid

Eestlaste imepäraselt vahelduvad vaimustuse vood / Herbert Vainu

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Vainu, Herbert, 1929-2011

2004-01-01

Autor kommenteerib Eesti poliitilist olukorda alates Edgar Savisaare poolt algatatud IMEst ja Rahvarindest, Keskerakonna ja Savisaare valitsuse tegevust, kritiseerib samas järgmisi valitsusjuhte. Kommentaar Arnold Rüütli presidendiks ja Res Publica võimule saamisele, sotsiaaldemokraatide võidule europarlamendi valimistel ning üüripiirmäärade kaotamise seaduse läbisurumisele Riigikogus

Reduced-order LPV model of flexible wind turbines from high fidelity aeroelastic codes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adegas, Fabiano Daher; Sønderby, Ivan Bergquist; Hansen, Morten Hartvig

2013-01-01

of high-order linear time invariant (LTI) models. Firstly, the high-order LTI models are locally approximated using modal and balanced truncation and residualization. Then, an appropriate coordinate transformation is applied to allow interpolation of the model matrices between points on the parameter...

Characteristic of innate lymphoid cells (ILC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mateusz Adamiak

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Innate lymphoid cells (ILC is a newly described family of immune cells that are part of the natural immunity which is important not only during infections caused by microorganisms, but also in the formation of lymphoid tissue, tissue remodeling after damage due to injury and homeostasis tissue stromal cells. Family ILC cells form NK cells (natural killer and lymphoid tissue inducer T cells (LTi, which, although they have different functions, are evolutionarily related. NK cells are producing mainly IFN-γ, whereas LTi cells as NKR+LTi like, IL-17 and/or IL-22, which suggests that the last two cells, can also represent the innate versions of helper T cell - TH17 and TH22. Third population of ILC is formed by cells with characteristics such as NK cells and LTi (ILC22 - which are named NK22 cells, natural cytotoxicity receptor 22 (NCR22 cells or NK receptor-positive (LTi NKR+ LTi cells. Fourth population of ILC cells are ILC17 - producing IL-17, while the fifth is formed by natural helper type 2 T cells (nTH2, nuocyte, innate type 2 helper cells (IH2 and multi-potent progenitor type 2 cells (MPPtype2. Cells of the last population synthesize IL-5 and IL-13. It is assumed that an extraordinary functional diversity of ILC family, resembles T cells, probably because they are under the control of the corresponding transcription factors - as direct regulation factors, such as the family of lymphocytes T.

Increased prevalence of lymphoid tissue inducer cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with early multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Degn, Matilda; Modvig, Signe; Dyring-Andersen, Beatrice

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory cytokines produced by cells of the immune system are believed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have been shown to produce and secrete a wide range of the cytokines involved in MS pathogenesis; however...... of LTi cells in the CSF, suggesting a favoured recruitment of blood derived LTi cells. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests a role for ILCs, and in particular the LTi subset, in the early stages of MS. This finding represents an important contribution to the understanding of early inflammation in MS, and adds...

Maternal retinoids control type 3 innate lymphoid cells and set the offspring immunity

Science.gov (United States)

van de Pavert, Serge A.; Ferreira, Manuela; Domingues, Rita G.; Ribeiro, Hélder; Molenaar, Rosalie; Moreira-Santos, Lara; Almeida, Francisca F.; Ibiza, Sales; Barbosa, Inês; Goverse, Gera; Labão-Almeida, Carlos; Godinho-Silva, Cristina; Konijn, Tanja; Schooneman, Dennis; O'Toole, Tom; Mizee, Mark R.; Habani, Yasmin; Haak, Esther; Santori, Fabio R.; Littman, Dan R.; Schulte-Merker, Stefan; Dzierzak, Elaine; Simas, J. Pedro; Mebius, Reina E.; Veiga-Fernandes, Henrique

2014-04-01

The impact of nutritional status during fetal life on the overall health of adults has been recognized; however, dietary effects on the developing immune system are largely unknown. Development of secondary lymphoid organs occurs during embryogenesis and is considered to be developmentally programmed. Secondary lymphoid organ formation depends on a subset of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) named lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells. Here we show that mouse fetal ILC3s are controlled by cell-autonomous retinoic acid (RA) signalling in utero, which pre-sets the immune fitness in adulthood. We found that embryonic lymphoid organs contain ILC progenitors that differentiate locally into mature LTi cells. Local LTi cell differentiation was controlled by maternal retinoid intake and fetal RA signalling acting in a haematopoietic cell-autonomous manner. RA controlled LTi cell maturation upstream of the transcription factor RORγt. Accordingly, enforced expression of Rorgt restored maturation of LTi cells with impaired RA signalling, whereas RA receptors directly regulated the Rorgt locus. Finally, we established that maternal levels of dietary retinoids control the size of secondary lymphoid organs and the efficiency of immune responses in the adult offspring. Our results reveal a molecular link between maternal nutrients and the formation of immune structures required for resistance to infection in the offspring.

Effect of Ethyl Ester L-Lysine Triisocyanate addition to produce reactive PLA/PCL bio-polyester blends for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Visco, Annamaria; Nocita, Davide; Giamporcaro, Alberto; Ronca, Sara; Forte, Giuseppe; Pistone, Alessandro; Espro, Claudia

2017-04-01

We report in this paper the effects of Ethyl Ester L-Lysine Triisocyanate (LTI) on the physical-mechanical properties of Poly(lactide)/Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PLA/PCL) polyesters blends. The PLA/PCL ratios considered were 20/80, 50/50 and 80/20 (wt/wt %) and LTI was added in amounts of 0.0-0.5-1.0 phr. PLA and PCL reacted with LTI during processing in a Brabender twin screw internal mixer to produce block copolymers in-situ. The resulting blends have been characterized by torque measurements, uniaxial tensile tests, Differential Scanning Calorimeter, contact angle measurements with a Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) solution, ATR analysis and morphological SEM observations. Experimental results highlighted how LTI enhanced interaction and dispersion of the two components, resulting into a synergic effect in mechanical properties. Mechanical and physical properties can be tailored by changing the blend composition. The most noticeable trend was an increase in ductility of the mixed polymers. Besides, LTI decreased blend's wet ability in PBS and lowered the starting of crystalline phase formation for both polymers, confirming an interaction among them. These reactive blends could find use as biomedical materials, e.g. absorbable suture threads or scaffolds for cellular growth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of process variables on permeability and anisotropy of Biso-coated HTGR fuel particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stinton, D.P.; Lackey, W.J.; Thiele, B.A.

1977-11-01

The effect of several important process variables on the fraction of defective particles and anisotropy of the low-temperature isotropic (LTI) coating layer was determined for Biso-coated HTGR fuel particles. Process variables considered are deposition temperature, hydrocarbon type, diluent type, and percent diluent. The effect of several other variables such as coating rate and density that depend on the process variables were also considered in this analysis. The fraction of defective particles was controlled by the dependent variables coating rate and LTI density. Coating rate was also the variable controlling the anisotropy of the LTI layer. Diluent type and diluent concentration had only a small influence on the deposition rate of the LTI layer. High-quality particles in terms of anisotropy and permeability can be produced by use of a porous plate gas distributor if the coating rate is between 3 and 5 μm/min and the coating density is between about 1.75 and 1.95 g/cm 3

LEARNING TOOLS INTEROPERABILITY – A NEW STANDARD FOR INTEGRATION OF DISTANCE LEARNING PLATFORMS

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Oleksandr A. Shcherbyna

2015-06-01

Full Text Available For information technology in education there is always an issue of re-usage of electronic educational resources, their transferring possibility from one virtual learning environment to another. Previously, standardized sets of files were used to serve this purpose, for example, SCORM-packages. In this article the new standard Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI is reviewed, which allows users from one environment to access resources from another environment. This makes it possible to integrate them into a single distributed learning environment that is created and shared. The article gives examples of the practical use of standard LTI in Moodle learning management system using External tool and LTI provider plugins.

Uranium dispersion in the coating of weak-acid-resin-deprived HTGR fuel microspheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, G.W.; Beatty, R.L.; Tennery, V.J.; Lackey, W.J. Jr.

1976-02-01

The current reference HTGR recycle fuel particle is a UO 2 /UC 2 kernel with a Triso coating comprising a low-density pyrocarbon (PyC) buffer, a high-density PyC inner LTI coating, SiC, and a high-density PyC outer LTI. The kernel is fabricated from a weak-acid ion exchange resin (WAR). Microradiographic examination of coated WAR particles has demonstrated that considerable U can be transferred from the kernel to the buffer coating during fabrication. Investigation of causes of fuel dispersion has indicated several different factors that contribute to fuel redistribution if not properly controlled. The presence of a nonequilibrium UC/sub 1-x/O/sub x/ (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.3) phase had no significant effect on initiating fuel dispersion. Gross exposure of the completed fuel kernel to ambient atmosphere or to water vapor at room temperature produced very minimal levels of dispersion. Exposure of the fuel to perchloroethylene during buffer and inner LTI deposition produced massive redistribution. Fuel redistribution observed in Triso-coated particles results from permeation of the inner LTI by HCl during SiC deposition. As the decomposition of CH 3 Cl 3 Si is used to deposit SiC, chlorine is readily available during this process. The permeability of the inner LTI coating has a marked effect on the extent of this mode of fuel dispersion. LTI permeability was determined by chlorine leaching studies to be a strong function of density, coating gas dilution, and coating temperature but relatively unaffected by application of a seal coat, variations in coating thickness, and annealing at 1800 0 C. Mechanical attrition of the kernels during processing was identified as a potential source of U-bearing fines that may be incorporated into the coating in some circumstances

Health and relationships with leisure time activities in Swedish children aged 2-17 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Berntsson, Leeni T; Ringsberg, Karin C

2014-09-01

Three cross-sectional time series studies, randomised and stratified for age and gender, were performed on children aged 2-17, studying their health and well-being. The studies were performed in the Nordic countries in 1984, 1996 and 2011. Long-term illness (LTI) and psychosomatic complaints (PSC) increased during the period. Data were collected from mailed questionnaires. Data of 1461 Swedish children from 2011 were used and compared with data from 1984 and 1996. Relationships between the health indicators (the absence of LTI, 13 diagnoses, the absence of PSC, six symptoms, six items of well-being) and 12 activities were analysed. A total of 83.2% of the children were healthy and 16.8% had at least one LTI, boys 19.1% and girls 14.5%. PSC increased from 18.6% in 1996 to 23.1% in 2011. The distribution was higher in girls. Girls were more active than boys during leisure time. 'Reading books', 'visiting friends', 'listening to music' and 'activity in organisations' were related to an absence of PSC, LTI and well-being. 'Surfing/blogging on the Internet' was negatively related to LTI, PSC and well-being. Multiple regression showed that that 'visits or is visited by friends' was related with a low probability for LTI and also with a high probability for well-being. In the logistic regression analyses, the following variables were seen as promoting health most: 'visits or is visited by friends' and 'is active in organizations' for children aged 2-17 years, especially for boys and well-being. The health of Swedish children declined between 1984 and 2011. Positive relationships were found between some activities and health as well as other activities related to ill health. The results suggest an increased focus on the activities that have positive relationships with health in order to promote health among children. © 2013 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Conceptualization of an R&D Based Learning-to-Innovate Model for Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Oiki Sylvia

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research was to conceptualize an R & D based learning-to-innovate (LTI) model. The problem to be addressed was the lack of a theoretical L TI model, which would inform science pedagogy. The absorptive capacity (ACAP) lens was adopted to untangle the R & D LTI phenomenon into four learning processes: problem-solving via…

Testing a linear time invariant model for skin conductance responses by intraneural recording and stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerster, Samuel; Namer, Barbara; Elam, Mikael; Bach, Dominik R

2018-02-01

Skin conductance responses (SCR) are increasingly analyzed with model-based approaches that assume a linear and time-invariant (LTI) mapping from sudomotor nerve (SN) activity to observed SCR. These LTI assumptions have previously been validated indirectly, by quantifying how much variance in SCR elicited by sensory stimulation is explained under an LTI model. This approach, however, collapses sources of variability in the nervous and effector organ systems. Here, we directly focus on the SN/SCR mapping by harnessing two invasive methods. In an intraneural recording experiment, we simultaneously track SN activity and SCR. This allows assessing the SN/SCR relationship but possibly suffers from interfering activity of non-SN sympathetic fibers. In an intraneural stimulation experiment under regional anesthesia, such influences are removed. In this stimulation experiment, about 95% of SCR variance is explained under LTI assumptions when stimulation frequency is below 0.6 Hz. At higher frequencies, nonlinearities occur. In the intraneural recording experiment, explained SCR variance is lower, possibly indicating interference from non-SN fibers, but higher than in our previous indirect tests. We conclude that LTI systems may not only be a useful approximation but in fact a rather accurate description of biophysical reality in the SN/SCR system, under conditions of low baseline activity and sporadic external stimuli. Intraneural stimulation under regional anesthesia is the most sensitive method to address this question. © 2017 The Authors. Psychophysiology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Evidence for adaptive evolution of low-temperature stress response genes in a Pooideae grass ancestor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vigeland, Magnus D; Spannagl, Manuel; Asp, Torben

2013-01-01

Adaptation to temperate environments is common in the grass subfamily Pooideae, suggesting an ancestral origin of cold climate adaptation. Here, we investigated substitution rates of genes involved in low-temperature-induced (LTI) stress responses to test the hypothesis that adaptive molecular...... evolution of LTI pathway genes was important for Pooideae evolution. Substitution rates and signatures of positive selection were analyzed using 4330 gene trees including three warm climate-adapted species (maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and rice (Oryza sativa)) and five temperate Pooideae...... species (Brachypodium distachyon, wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), Lolium perenne and Festuca pratensis). Nonsynonymous substitution rate differences between Pooideae and warm habitat-adapted species were elevated in LTI trees compared with all trees. Furthermore, signatures...

Effects of Phenytoin Therapy on Bispectral Index and Haemodynamic Changes Following Induction and Tracheal Intubation

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Parmod P Bithal

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation (LTI increase blood pressure and heart rate (HR. Intensity of these changes is influenced by the anaesthetic depth assessed by the bispectral index (BIS. We determined the effect of phenytoin on anaesthetic depth and its influence on haemodynamics following LTI. Fifty patients of ASA grades I and II on oral phenytoin 200 to 300mg per day for more than one week were compared with 48 control patients. Standard anaesthesia technique was followed. BIS, non invasive mean blood pressure (MBP and HR were recorded 30, 60, 90 and 120 sec after LTI. Phenytoin group needed lesser thiopentone for induction, 5 mg (1.1 vs. 4.3 mg (0.7 [p=0.036]. BIS was significantly lower in the phenytoin group vs. the control 30, 60, 90 and 120 sec after LTI [43.1 (16.0 vs. 48.9 (14.9, p=0.068, 56.3 (16.7 vs. 64.3 (14.4, p=0.013, 59.8 (15.8 vs. 67.5 (12.1, p=0.008, 62.6 (14 vs. 68.9 (11.2, p=0.017, and 64.2 (11.3 vs. 69 (11.7, p=0.033], respectively. MBP was also lower in the phenytoin group 30, 60, 90 and 120 sec after LTI [112.8 mmHg (13.8, vs. 117.9 mmHg (18 p=0.013, 108.6 (12.8 vs. 117.5 (16 p=0.003, 106.1 mmHg (14.1 vs. 113.2 mmHg (14.9, p=0.017, 101.8 mmHg (13.8 vs. 109.5 mmHg (14.1, p=0.007], respectively. HR was lower in phenytoin group at 30 sec. (p=0.027, 60 sec (p=0.219, and again at 120 sec (p=0.022. Oral phenytoin therapy for over a week results in greater anaesthetic depth as observed using BIS, which also attenuated haemodynamic response of LTI.

Body Composition and Survival in Dialysis Patients: Results from an International Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Usvyat, Len A.; Kotanko, Peter; Bayh, Inga; Canaud, Bernard; Etter, Michael; Gatti, Emanuele; Grassmann, Aileen; Wang, Yuedong; Marelli, Cristina; Scatizzi, Laura; Stopper, Andrea; van der Sande, Frank M.; Kooman, Jeroen

2015-01-01

Background and objectives High body mass index appears protective in hemodialysis patients, but uncertainty prevails regarding which components of body composition, fat or lean body mass, are primarily associated with survival. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Data between April 2006 and December 2012 were extracted from the Fresenius Medical Care Europe subset of the international MONitoring Dialysis Outcomes initiative. Fresenius Medical Care Europe archives a unique repository of predialysis body composition measurements determined by multifrequency bioimpedance (BCM Body Composition Monitor). The BCM Body Composition Monitor reports lean tissue indices (LTIs) and fat tissue indices (FTIs), which are the respective tissue masses normalized to height squared, relative to an age- and sex-matched healthy population. The relationship between LTI and FTI and all-cause mortality was studied by Kaplan–Meier analysis, multivariate Cox regression, and smoothing spline ANOVA logistic regression. Results In 37,345 hemodialysis patients, median (25th–75th percentile) LTI and FTI were 12.2 (10.3–14.5) and 9.8 (6.6–12.4) kg/m2, respectively. Median (25th–75th percentile) follow-up time was 266 (132–379) days; 3458 (9.2%) patients died during follow-up. Mortality was lowest with both LTI and FTI in the 10th–90th percentile (reference group) and significantly higher at the lower LTI and FTI extreme (hazard ratio [HR], 3.37; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.94 to 3.87; P<0.001). Survival was best with LTI between 15 and 20 kg/m2 and FTI between 4 and 15 kg/m2 (probability of death during follow-up: <5%). When taking the relation between both compartments into account, the interaction was significant (P=0.01). Higher FTI appeared protective in patients with low LTI (HR, 3.37; 95% CI, 2.94 to 3.87; P<0.001 at low LTI–low FTI, decreasing to HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.47 to 2.17; P<0.001 at low LTI–high FTI). Conclusions This large international study

An Augmented Lagrangian Method for the Optimal H∞ Model Order Reduction Problem

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Hongli Yang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper treats the computational method of the optimal H∞ model order reduction (MOR problem of linear time-invariant (LTI systems. Optimal solution of MOR problem of LTI systems can be obtained by solving the LMIs feasibility coupling with a rank inequality constraint, which makes the solutions much harder to be obtained. In this paper, we show that the rank inequality constraint can be formulated as a linear rank function equality constraint. Properties of the linear rank function are discussed. We present an iterative algorithm based on augmented Lagrangian method by replacing the rank inequality with the linear rank function. Convergence analysis of the algorithm is given, which is distinct to the now available heuristic methods. Numerical experiments for the MOR problems of continuous LTI system illustrate the practicality of our method.

General Output Feedback Stabilization for Fractional Order Systems: An LMI Approach

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Yiheng Wei

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the problem of general output feedback stabilization for fractional order linear time-invariant (FO-LTI systems with the fractional commensurate order 0<α<2. The objective is to design suitable output feedback controllers that guarantee the stability of the resulting closed-loop systems. Based on the slack variable method and our previous stability criteria, some new results in the form of linear matrix inequality (LMI are developed to the static and dynamic output feedback controllers synthesis for the FO-LTI system with 0<α<1. Furthermore, the results are extended to stabilize the FO-LTI systems with 1≤α<2. Finally, robust output feedback control is discussed. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design methods.

Ethnic analogies and differences in fetal heart rate variability signal: A retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tagliaferri, Salvatore; Esposito, Francesca Giovanna; Fagioli, Rosa; Di Cresce, Marco; Sacchi, Lucia; Signorini, Maria Gabriella; Campanile, Marta; Martinelli, Pasquale; Magenes, Giovanni

2017-02-01

We aimed to analyze computerized cardiotocographic (cCTG) parameters (including fetal heart rate baseline, short-term variability, Delta, long-term irregularity [LTI], interval index [II], low frequency [LF], movement frequency [MF], high frequency [HF], and approximate entropy [ApEn]) in physiological term pregnancies in order to correlate them with ethnic differences. The clinical meaning of numerical parameters may explain physiological or paraphysiological phenomena that occur in fetuses of different ethnic origins. A total of 696 pregnant women, including 384 from Europe, 246 from sub-Saharan Africa, 45 from South-East Asia, and 21 from South America, were monitored from the 37th to the 41st week of gestation. Statistical analysis was performed with the analysis of variance test, Pearson correlation test and receiver-operator curves (P < 0.05). Our results showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between white and black women for Delta, LTI, LF, MF, HF, and ApEn; between white and Asian women for Delta, LTI, MF, and the LF/(HF + MF) ratio; and between white and Latina women for Delta, LTI, and ApEn. In particular, Delta and LTI performed better in the white group than in the black, Asian, and Latina groups. Instead, LF, MF, HF, and ApEn performed better in the black than in the white group. Our results confirmed the integrity and normal functionality of both central and autonomic nervous system components for all fetuses investigated. Therefore, CTG monitoring should include both linear and nonlinear components of fetal heart rate variability in order to avoid misinterpretations of the CTG trace among ethnic groups. © 2016 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Aircraft applications of fault detection and isolation techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Marcos Esteban, Andres

In this thesis the problems of fault detection & isolation and fault tolerant systems are studied from the perspective of LTI frequency-domain, model-based techniques. Emphasis is placed on the applicability of these LTI techniques to nonlinear models, especially to aerospace systems. Two applications of Hinfinity LTI fault diagnosis are given using an open-loop (no controller) design approach: one for the longitudinal motion of a Boeing 747-100/200 aircraft, the other for a turbofan jet engine. An algorithm formalizing a robust identification approach based on model validation ideas is also given and applied to the previous jet engine. A general linear fractional transformation formulation is given in terms of the Youla and Dual Youla parameterizations for the integrated (control and diagnosis filter) approach. This formulation provides better insight into the trade-off between the control and the diagnosis objectives. It also provides the basic groundwork towards the development of nested schemes for the integrated approach. These nested structures allow iterative improvements on the control/filter Youla parameters based on successive identification of the system uncertainty (as given by the Dual Youla parameter). The thesis concludes with an application of Hinfinity LTI techniques to the integrated design for the longitudinal motion of the previous Boeing 747-100/200 model.

Gain-Scheduled Control of a Fossil-Fired Power Plant Boiler

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hangstrup, M.; Stoustrup, Jakob; Andersen, Palle

1999-01-01

-scheduling which interpolates between unstable controllers is not allowed using traditional schemes. The results show that a considerable optimization of the conventional controlled system is obtainable. Also the gain-scheduled optimizing controller is seen to have a superior performance compared to the fixed LTI......In this paper the objective is to optimize the control of a coal fired 250 MW power plant boiler. The conventional control system is supplemented with a multivariable optimizing controller operating in parallel with the conventional control system. Due to the strong dependence of the gains...... and dynamics upon the load, it is beneficial to consider a gain-scheduling control approach. Optimization using complex mu synthesis results in unstable LTI controllers in some operating points of the boiler. A recent gain-scheduling approach allowing for unstable fixed LTI controllers is applied. Gain...

Linear Parameter Varying Versus Linear Time Invariant Reduced Order Controller Design of Turboprop Aircraft Dynamics

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Widowati

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The applicability of parameter varying reduced order controllers to aircraft model is proposed. The generalization of the balanced singular perturbation method of linear time invariant (LTI system is used to reduce the order of linear parameter varying (LPV system. Based on the reduced order model the low-order LPV controller is designed by using synthesis technique. The performance of the reduced order controller is examined by applying it to lateral-directional control of aircraft model having 20th order. Furthermore, the time responses of the closed loop system with reduced order LPV controllers and reduced order LTI controller is compared. From the simulation results, the 8th order LPV controller can maintain stability and to provide the same level of closed-loop systems performance as the full-order LPV controller. It is different with the reduced-order LTI controller that cannot maintain stability and performance for all allowable parameter trajectories.

Long term survey of body composition in hemodialysis patients using the Body Composition Monitor® (BCM

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Stanislas Trolonge

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Since 2 years all 265 incident patients in self-dialysis units were included in a prospective study. Every 6-months, clinical and biological nutritional evaluation was associated to a BCM measure. 205 pts have a complete set of data at start (age 60±16 years, BMI 25±5 kg/m2, albumin 37±4 g/L, prealbumin 0.32±0.1 g/L, CRP median 5 mg/L, 135 pts at 6 mo and 56 pts at 2 years. Measures were performed before HD session to ensure stability and reproducibility of body fluid compartments by the same examiner. Lean and fat masses (lean tissue index: LTI, fat tissue index: FTI were normalized by square body height and compared with a reference range derived from 2000 healthy controls, according to gender and age. 28% of pts had values of LTI below the 10th percentile. A linear correlation exists (p<0.001 between pre-dialysis creatinine level and LTI. Albumin or prealbumin were not predictive of sarcopenia. Prescribed post dialysis BW was underestimated in 25% of pts and 16% remain overhydrated. In stable patients repeated measures analysis reveal no significant variation of LTI even in case of reevaluation of BW and gain of BW is associated with fat mass increase. BCM is a simple tool in clinical practice to evaluate body composition and hydratation status and help to guide nutritional support.

Actuator Control of Edgewise Vibrations in Wind Turbine Blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Staino, A.; Basu, B.; Nielsen, Søren R.K.

2012-01-01

) theory. Multi-Blade Coordinate (MBC) transformation is applied to an edgewise reduced order model, leading to a linear time-invariant (LTI) representation of the dynamic model. The LTI description obtained is used for the design of the active control algorithm. Linear Quadratic (LQ) regulator designed...... for the MBC transformed system is compared with the control synthesis performed directly on an assumed nominal representation of the timevarying system. The LQ regulator is also compared against vibration control performance using Direct Velocity Feedback (DVF). Numerical simulations have been carried out...

PREDICTING THE RISK OF LATENT TUBERCULOUS INFECTION IN THOSE SERVING THEIR SENTENCES IN THE PENITENTIARY SYSTEM

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V. S. Borovitsky

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study: to assess the prevalence of latent tuberculous infection (LTI and risk of its development in the inmates servicing their sentence in a penal colony of the Federal Penitentiary System, using the tools of statistics analysisSubjects and Methods. 232 persons in the age from 18 to 67 (27; 225-35 years old were examined Results. Exposure to a tuberculosis case in the past and duration of imprisonment are statistically confident risk factors of developing LTI The use of statistic tools allows predicting the chances of LTI 

Dynamic Uncertainty for Compensated Second-Order Systems

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Clemens Elster

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The compensation of LTI systems and the evaluation of the according uncertainty is of growing interest in metrology. Uncertainty evaluation in metrology ought to follow specific guidelines, and recently two corresponding uncertainty evaluation schemes have been proposed for FIR and IIR filtering. We employ these schemes to compare an FIR and an IIR approach for compensating a second-order LTI system which has relevance in metrology. Our results suggest that the FIR approach is superior in the sense that it yields significantly smaller uncertainties when real-time evaluation of uncertainties is desired.

Genes de enterotoxinas e perfil antimicrobiano de Escherichia coli isoladas de suínos hígidos no Distrito Federal

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V.O. Drummond

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Um total de 127 cepas de Escherichia coli foi isolado de suínos no Distrito Federal, testado para a presença de genes de enterotoxinas (STa, LT-I, LT-II, Stx1 e Stx2 e para resistência antimicrobiana. Das cepas isoladas, oito (6,3% possuíam genes para enterotoxinas, sendo quatro (3,2% positivas somente para LT-I, três (2,4% somente para STa e uma (0,8% positiva para STa e LT-I. Nenhuma das cepas isoladas apresentou genes para LT-II, Stx1 ou Stx2. Quanto ao perfil de resistência antimicrobiano, os antibióticos com maiores porcentagens de resistência foram lincomicina (100%, sulfonamidas (74,8% e tetraciclina (70,1%, enquanto os maiores índices de sensibilidade foram observados na norfloxacina (82,7%, gentamicina (75,6% e sulfametoxazol + trimetoprim (63%. Esses resultados demonstraram a presença de genes de enterotoxinas e altas taxas de resistência antimicrobiana em E. coli isoladas de suínos hígidos no DF.

Low lean tissue mass can be a predictor of one-year survival in hemodialysis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rymarz, Aleksandra; Gibińska, Julia; Zajbt, Maria; Piechota, Wiesław; Niemczyk, Stanisław

2018-11-01

Nutritional status has a significant impact on the outcomes in the dialysis population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between body composition and a one-year survival of hemodialysis patients. Forty-eight patients with chronic kidney disease stage V treated with hemodialysis for more than three months were included. Body composition was assessed by bioimpedance spectroscopy (Body Composition Monitor, Fresenius Medical Care). Blood samples for serum creatinine, serum albumin, serum prealbumin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1) concentrations were taken before the midweek dialysis session. Over the course of a one-year observation, seven patients died. We observed a significantly lower lean tissue index (LTI) (p = .013) and higher IL-6 (p = .032) and hsCRP levels (p = .011) among the patients who died. The remaining biochemical markers did not differ between these two groups. Kapplan-Meier analysis revealed a worse survival rate in patients with sarcopenia (lower than the 10th percentile for their age and gender) in comparison with those with normal LTI. However, it was not of statistical significance (p = .055). LTI inversely correlated with age and IL-6 and positively with IGF-1. Sarcopenia defined as decreased LTI, is a relatively common condition among patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, it can also be associated with a lower one-year survival rate. Decreased lean tissue mass can be associated with old age, lower IGF-1 levels and higher IL-6 levels. Body composition assessment may provide prognostic data for hemodialysis patients.

Modeling and Stability Assessment of Single-Phase Grid Synchronization Techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Golestan, Saeed; Guerrero, Josep M.; Vasquez, Juan

2018-01-01

(GSTs) is of vital importance. This task is most often based on obtaining a linear time-invariant (LTI) model for the GST and applying standard stability tests to it. Another option is modeling and dynamics/stability assessment of GSTs in the linear time-periodic (LTP) framework, which has received...... a very little attention. In this letter, the procedure of deriving the LTP model for single-phase GSTs is first demonstrated. The accuracy of the LTP model in predicting the GST dynamic behavior and stability is then evaluated and compared with that of the LTI one. Two well-known single-phase GSTs, i...

Central Role of Core Binding Factor β2 in Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Organogenesis in Mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagatake, Takahiro; Fukuyama, Satoshi; Sato, Shintaro; Okura, Hideaki; Tachibana, Masashi; Taniuchi, Ichiro; Ito, Kosei; Shimojou, Michiko; Matsumoto, Naomi; Suzuki, Hidehiko; Kunisawa, Jun; Kiyono, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is a group of secondary and organized lymphoid tissue that develops at different mucosal surfaces. Peyer's patches (PPs), nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT), and tear duct-associated lymphoid tissue (TALT) are representative MALT in the small intestine, nasal cavity, and lacrimal sac, respectively. A recent study has shown that transcriptional regulators of core binding factor (Cbf) β2 and promotor-1-transcribed Runt-related transcription factor 1 (P1-Runx1) are required for the differentiation of CD3-CD4+CD45+ lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells, which initiate and trigger the developmental program of PPs, but the involvement of this pathway in NALT and TALT development remains to be elucidated. Here we report that Cbfβ2 plays an essential role in NALT and TALT development by regulating LTi cell trafficking to the NALT and TALT anlagens. Cbfβ2 was expressed in LTi cells in all three types of MALT examined. Indeed, similar to the previous finding for PPs, we found that Cbfβ2-/- mice lacked NALT and TALT lymphoid structures. However, in contrast to PPs, NALT and TALT developed normally in the absence of P1-Runx1 or other Runx family members such as Runx2 and Runx3. LTi cells for NALT and TALT differentiated normally but did not accumulate in the respective lymphoid tissue anlagens in Cbfβ2-/- mice. These findings demonstrate that Cbfβ2 is a central regulator of the MALT developmental program, but the dependency of Runx proteins on the lymphoid tissue development would differ among PPs, NALT, and TALT.

Innate lymphoid cells in secondary lymphoid organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Ephraïm, Yotam E; Mebius, Reina E

2016-05-01

The family of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) has attracted attention in recent years as its members are important regulators of immunity, while they can also cause pathology. In both mouse and man, ILCs were initially discovered in developing lymph nodes as lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells. These cells form the prototypic members of the ILC family and play a central role in the formation of secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs). In the absence of LTi cells, lymph nodes (LN) and Peyer's Patches (PP) fail to form in mice, although the splenic white pulp can develop normally. Besides LTi cells, the ILC family encompasses helper-like ILCs with functional distinctions as seen by T-helper cells, as well as cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells. ILCs are still present in adult SLOs where they have been shown to play a role in lymphoid tissue regeneration. Furthermore, ILCs were implicated to interact with adaptive lymphocytes and influence the adaptive immune response. Here, we review the recent literature on the role of ILCs in secondary lymphoid tissue from the formation of SLOs to mature SLOs in adults, during homeostasis and pathology. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Modeling and Harmonic Coupling Analysis of Multiple-Parallel Connected Inverter Using Harmonic State Space (HSS)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kwon, Jun Bum; Wang, Xiongfei; Bak, Claus Leth

2015-01-01

As the number of power electronics based systems are increasing, studies about overall stability and harmonic problems are rising. In order to analyze harmonics and stability, most research is using an analysis method, which is based on the Linear Time Invariant (LTI) approach. However, this can...... be difficult in terms of complex multi-parallel connected systems, especially in the case of renewable energy, where possibilities for intermittent operation due to the weather conditions exist. Hence, it can bring many different operating points to the power converter, and the impedance characteristics can...... can demonstrate other phenomenon, which can not be found in the conventional LTI approach. The theoretical modeling and analysis are verified by means of simulations and experiments....

Moving from ethnography to epidemiology: lessons learned in Appalachia

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzara, Jennifer; Copeland, William E.; Costello, E. Jane; Angold, Adrian; Worthman, Carol M.

2009-01-01

Background Anthropologists are beginning to translate insights from ethnography into tools for population studies that assess the role of culture in human behavior, biology, and health. Aim We describe several lessons learned in the creation and administration of an ethnographically-based instrument to assess the life course perspectives of Appalachian youth, the Life Trajectory Interview for Youth (LTI-Y). Then, we explore the utility of the LTI-Y in predicting depressive affect, controlling for prior depressed mood and severe negative life events throughout the life course. Subjects and methods In a sample of 319 youth (190 White, 129 Cherokee), we tested the association between depressive affect and two domains of the LTI-Y - life course barriers and milestones. Longitudinal data on previous depressed mood and negative life events were included in the model. Results The ethnographically-based scales of life course barriers and milestones were associated with unique variance in depressed mood, together accounting for 11% of the variance in this outcome. Conclusion When creating ethnographically-based instruments, it is important to strike a balance between detailed, participant-driven procedures and the analytic needs of hypothesis testing. Ethnographically-based instruments have utility for predicting health outcomes in longitudinal studies. PMID:19353406

Lymphoid tissue inducer cells: pivotal cells in the evolution of CD4 immunity and tolerance?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter John Lane

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Phylogeny suggests that the evolution of placentation in mammals was accompanied by substantial changes in the mammalian immune system: in particular lymph nodes and CD4 high affinity memory antibody responses co-evolved during the same period. Lymphoid tissue inducer cells (LTi are members of an emerging family of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs that are crucial for lymph node development, but our studies have indicated that they also play a pivotal role in the long-term maintenance of memory CD4 T cells in adult mammals through their expression of the tumor necrosis family members, OX40- and CD30-ligands. Additionally, our studies have shown that these two molecules are also key operators in CD4 effector function, as their absence obviates the need for the FoxP3-dependent regulatory T cells (Tregs that prevent CD4 driven autoimmune responses. In this perspective article, we summarize findings from our group over the last 10 years, and focus specifically on the role of LTi in thymus. We suggest that like memory CD4 T cells, LTi also play a role in the selection and maintenance of the Tregs that under normal circumstances are absolutely required to regulate CD4 effector cells.

The association between bioimpedance analysis and quality of life in pre-dialysis stage 5 chronic kidney disease, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Yongsiri, Somchai; Thammakumpee, Jiranuch; Prongnamchai, Suriya; Dinchuthai, Pakaphan; Chueansuwan, Rachaneeporn; Tangjaturonrasme, Siriporn; Chaivanit, Pechngam

2014-03-01

Protein-energy wasting is a significant problem in End stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Furthermore, it compromises the patient's Quality of life (QOL). Multifrequency Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) is a validated method to assess body composition in dialysis patients. There has been no data on the relationship between body composition and QOL in ESRD patients who were treated with different modalities. To explore the association between body composition as assessed by BIS and QOL in ESRD patients who received different treatment modalities. The present study is a cross sectional, descriptive analytic study of the association between QOL and BIS in ESRD patients in Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand. QOL was assessed by WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, body composition was measured by BIS technique. The difference between groups was tested by one-way ANOVA test, relationship between groups was tested with Pearson correlation test. Eighteen predialysis-CKD5, 26 peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 34 hemodialysis (HD) patients were included in the present study. All PD patients had weekly Kt/V > or = 1.7 per week and all HD patients had weekly Kt/V > or = 3.6 per week. There were no statistically difference in baseline characteristics including Charlson comorbidity index, dietary intake, BMI, and blood pressure between groups. Mean QOL scores in each group were in the middle range and not significantly difference. PD patients had more over hydration when compare to HD patients (16.18 +/- 11.24 vs. 2.36 +/- 11.07 %OH/ECW p < 0.0001). There were inversed correlation between overhydration and physical health in HD patients (r = -0.372, p = 0.033) but not in PD and CKD5 patients. CKD5 patients had more lean tissue index (LTI) than PD and HD patients (LTI = 14.34 +/- 3.13, 12.26 +/- 3.65, 11.48 +/- 3.48 kg/m2 respectively, p = 0.023). There were correlation between LTI and overall QOL in CKD5 (r = 0.690, p = 0.002) and PD patients (r = 0.498, p = 0.010). In HD patients, LTI

Cyclic LTI Systems in Digital Signal Processing

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Vaidyanathan, P

1998-01-01

.... While circular convolution has been the centerpiece of many algorithms in signal processing for decades, such freedom, especially from the viewpoint of linear system theory, has not been studied in the past...

Stabilization of discrete-time LTI positive systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krokavec Dušan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper mitigates the existing conditions reported in the previous literature for control design of discrete-time linear positive systems. Incorporating an associated structure of linear matrix inequalities, combined with the Lyapunov inequality guaranteing asymptotic stability of discrete-time positive system structures, new conditions are presented with which the state-feedback controllers and the system state observers can be designed. Associated solutions of the proposed design conditions are illustrated by numerical illustrative examples.

Stroma cell priming in enteric lymphoid organ morphogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela eFerreira

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The lymphoid system is equipped with a network of specialized platforms located at strategic sites, which grant strict immune-surveillance and efficient immune responses. The development of these peripheral secondary lymphoid organs occurs mainly in utero, while tertiary lymphoid structures can form in adulthood generally in response to persistent infection and inflammation. Regardless of the lymphoid tissue and intrinsic cellular and molecular differences, it is now well established that the recruitment of fully functional Lymphoid Tissue inducer (LTi cells to presumptive lymphoid organ sites, and their consequent close and reciprocal interaction with resident stroma cells, are central to secondary lymphoid organ formation. In contrast, the nature of events that initially prime resident sessile stroma cells to recruit and retain LTi cells remains poorly understood.

Robust Backstepping Control for Cold Rolling Main Drive System with Nonlinear Uncertainties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Yang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The nonlinear model of main drive system in cold rolling process, which considers the influence with parameter uncertainties such as clearance and variable friction coefficient, as well as external disturbance by roll eccentricity and variation of strip material quality, is built. By transformation, the lower triangular structure form of main drive system is obtained. The backstepping algorithm based on signal compensation is proposed to design a linear time-invariant (LTI robust controller, including a nominal controller and a robust compensator. A comparison with PI controller shows that the controller has better disturbance attenuation performance and tracking behaviors. Meanwhile, according to its LTI characteristic, the robust controller can be realized easily; therefore it is also appropriated to high speed dynamic rolling process.

Linear approximation model network and its formation via ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

niques, an alternative `linear approximation model' (LAM) network approach is .... network is LPV, existing LTI theory is difficult to apply (Kailath 1980). ..... Beck J V, Arnold K J 1977 Parameter estimation in engineering and science (New York: ...

Comparative study of OMA applied to experimental and simulated data from an operating Vestas V27 wind turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Requeson, Oscar Ramirez; Tcherniak, Dmitri; Larsen, Gunner Chr.

2015-01-01

), and modal analysis requirements are thus fulfilled for the dynamic characterization. Under operation, the system cannot be considered as LTI and must be modelled as a linear periodic time-variant (LPTV) system, which allows for the application of the related theory for such systems. One of these methods...... results, and in turn, numerical and analytical modelling help improve and validate new experimental techniques. Wind turbines are complex dynamic systems that consist of mutually moving substructures under high dynamic loads. At a standstill, the system can be modelled as linear time-invariant (LTI...... which is the assumption of isotropic rotors. Since rotors are never completely isotropic in real life, this paper presents the application of operational modal analysis together with the Coleman transformation on both experimental data from a full-scale Vestas wind turbine with instrumented blades...

CLOUD EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR PHYSICS LEARNING RESEARCHES SUPPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleksandr V. Merzlykin

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The definition of cloud educational resource is given in paper. Its program and information components are characterized. The virtualization as the technological ground of transforming from traditional electronic educational resources to cloud ones is reviewed. Such levels of virtualization are described: data storage device virtualization (Data as Service, hardware virtualization (Hardware as Service, computer virtualization (Infrastructure as Service, software system virtualization (Platform as Service, «desktop» virtualization (Desktop as Service, software user interface virtualization (Software as Service. Possibilities of designing the cloud educational resources system for physics learning researches support taking into account standards of learning objects metadata (accessing via OAI-PMH protocol and standards of learning tools interoperability (LTI are shown. The example of integration cloud educational resources into Moodle learning management system with use of OAI-PMH and LTI is given.

The Combat-System/Ship-System Interface,

Science.gov (United States)

1982-02-01

sequence initiated by removal of the load shed signal. Re-eneAgize capabitiLty. Provide remotely controlled reclosable power control devices to...signal from the electrical plant control equipment. The power controllers would replace existing circuit breakers and incorporate reclose capability

U.S. EPA, Pesticide Product Label, MORGRO EPTAM 2.3 GRANULAR, 08/11/1967

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-13

... i_. '" v_"", -- fpc,;:;. Li..l~~ :x.- ~.fttH~ ~n:t tlrlilP Ju-,ln~ tli( fll ..... l:li jt:.:;. 1\\6 111 .n~ Ml'Clur,;~ ;-OW''':lti, '_:~es . .lhr~Jh~~ ar.~ ~r:OlllJ "-('v._r ..... ...

Linear regressive model structures for estimation and prediction of compartmental diffusive systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, D; Keesman, K.J.; Zwart, Heiko J.

In input-output relations of (compartmental) diffusive systems, physical parameters appear non-linearly, resulting in the use of (constrained) non-linear parameter estimation techniques with its short-comings regarding global optimality and computational effort. Given a LTI system in state space

Linear regressive model structures for estimation and prediction of compartmental diffusive systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, D.; Keesman, K.J.; Zwart, H.

2006-01-01

Abstract In input-output relations of (compartmental) diffusive systems, physical parameters appear non-linearly, resulting in the use of (constrained) non-linear parameter estimation techniques with its short-comings regarding global optimality and computational effort. Given a LTI system in state

Conceptualization of an R&D Based Learning-to-Innovate Model for Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Oiki Sylvia

The purpose of this research was to conceptualize an R & D based learning-to-innovate (LTI) model. The problem to be addressed was the lack of a theoretical L TI model, which would inform science pedagogy. The absorptive capacity (ACAP) lens was adopted to untangle the R & D LTI phenomenon into four learning processes: problem-solving via knowledge acquisition, incremental improvement via knowledge participation, scientific discovery via knowledge creation, and product design via knowledge productivity. The four knowledge factors were the latent factors and each factor had seven manifest elements as measured variables. The key objectives of the non experimental quantitative survey were to measure the relative importance of the identified elements and to explore the underlining structure of the variables. A questionnaire had been prepared, and was administered to more than 155 R & D professionals from four sectors - business, academic, government, and nonprofit. The results showed that every identified element was important to the R & D professionals, in terms of improving the related type of innovation. The most important elements were highlighted to serve as building blocks for elaboration. In search for patterns of the data matrix, exploratory factor analysis (EF A) was performed. Principal component analysis was the first phase of EF A to extract factors; while maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) was used to estimate the model. EF A yielded the finding of two aspects in each kind of knowledge. Logical names were assigned to represent the nature of the subsets: problem and knowledge under knowledge acquisition, planning and participation under knowledge participation, exploration and discovery under knowledge creation, and construction and invention under knowledge productivity. These two constructs, within each kind of knowledge, added structure to the vague R & D based LTI model. The research questions and hypotheses testing were addressed using correlation

Perspectives of data-driven LPV modeling of high-purity distillation columns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bachnas, A.A.; Toth, R.; Mesbah, A.; Ludlage, J.H.A.

2013-01-01

Abstract—This paper investigates data-driven, Linear- Parameter-Varying (LPV) modeling of a high-purity distillation column. Two LPV modeling approaches are studied: a local approach, corresponding to the interpolation of Linear Time- Invariant (LTI) models identified at steady-state purity levels,

Pattern-based approach for logical traffic isolation forensic modelling

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Dlamini, I

2009-08-01

Full Text Available reusability and flexibility of the LTI model. This model is viewed as a three-tier architecture, which for experimental purposes is composed of the following components: traffic generator, DiffServ network and the sink server. The Mediator pattern is used...

Subspace identification of distributed clusters of homogeneous systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yu, C.; Verhaegen, M.H.G.

2017-01-01

This note studies the identification of a network comprised of interconnected clusters of LTI systems. Each cluster consists of homogeneous dynamical systems, and its interconnections with the rest of the network are unmeasurable. A subspace identification method is proposed for identifying a single

CVA identification of nonlinear systems with LPV state-space models of affine dependence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Larimore, W.E.; Cox, P.B.; Toth, R.

2015-01-01

This paper discusses an improvement on the extension of linear subspace methods (originally developed in the Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) context) to the identification of Linear Parameter-Varying (LPV) and state-affine nonlinear system models. This includes the fitting of a special polynomial

Response of Archaeal and Bacterial Soil Communities to Changes Associated with Outdoor Cattle Overwintering.

Science.gov (United States)

Chroňáková, Alica; Schloter-Hai, Brigitte; Radl, Viviane; Endesfelder, David; Quince, Christopher; Elhottová, Dana; Šimek, Miloslav; Schloter, Michael

2015-01-01

Archaea and bacteria are important drivers for nutrient transformations in soils and catalyse the production and consumption of important greenhouse gases. In this study, we investigate changes in archaeal and bacterial communities of four Czech grassland soils affected by outdoor cattle husbandry. Two show short-term (3 years; STI) and long-term impact (17 years; LTI), one is regenerating from cattle impact (REG) and a control is unaffected by cattle (CON). Cattle manure (CMN), the source of allochthonous microbes, was collected from the same area. We used pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes to assess the composition of archaeal and bacterial communities in each soil type and CMN. Both short- and long- term cattle impact negatively altered archaeal and bacterial diversity, leading to increase of homogenization of microbial communities in overwintering soils over time. Moreover, strong shifts in the prokaryotic communities were observed in response to cattle overwintering, with the greatest impact on archaea. Oligotrophic and acidophilic microorganisms (e.g. Thaumarchaeota, Acidobacteria, and α-Proteobacteria) dominated in CON and expressed strong negative response to increased pH, total C and N. Whereas copiotrophic and alkalophilic microbes (e.g. methanogenic Euryarchaeota, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes) were common in LTI showing opposite trends. Crenarchaeota were also found in LTI, though their trophic interactions remain cryptic. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Methanobacteriaceae, and Methanomicrobiaceae indicated the introduction and establishment of faecal microbes into the impacted soils, while Chloroflexi and Methanosarcinaceae suggested increased abundance of soil-borne microbes under altered environmental conditions. The observed changes in prokaryotic community composition may have driven corresponding changes in soil functioning.

Human fetal lymphoid tissue-inducer cells are interleukin 17-producing precursors to RORC(+) CD127(+) natural killer-like cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cupedo, Tom; Crellin, Natasha K.; Papazian, Natalie; Rombouts, Elwin J.; Weijer, Kees; Grogan, Jane L.; Fibbe, Willem E.; Cornelissen, Jan J.; Spits, Hergen

2009-01-01

The human body contains over 500 individual lymph nodes, yet the biology of their formation is poorly understood. Here we identify human lymphoid tissue-inducer cells (LTi cells) as lineage-negative RORC(+) CD127(+) cells with the functional ability to interact with mesenchymal cells through

Safe LPV Controller Switching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trangbæk, K

2010-01-01

plants and controllers. Rather than relying on frequency domain methods as done in the LTI case, it is shown how to use standard LPV system identification methods. By identifying a filtered closed-loop operator rather than directly identifying the plant, more reliable results are obtained....

Contingent Learning for Creative Music Technologists

Science.gov (United States)

King, Andrew

2009-01-01

This article will review educational literature relevant to the design and implementation of a learning technology interface (LTI) into an undergraduate music technology curriculum. It also explores through empirical enquiry some of the advantages and disadvantages of using learning technology. This case study adopted a social-constructivist…

Linear regression techniques for state-space models with application to biomedical/biochemical example

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khairudin, N.; Keesman, K.J.

2009-01-01

In this paper a novel approach to estimate parameters in an LTI continuous-time statespace model is proposed. Essentially, the approach is based on a so-called pqR-decomposition of the numerator and denominator polynomials of the system’s transfer function. This approach allows the physical

Time-Weighted Balanced Stochastic Model Reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tahavori, Maryamsadat; Shaker, Hamid Reza

2011-01-01

A new relative error model reduction technique for linear time invariant (LTI) systems is proposed in this paper. Both continuous and discrete time systems can be reduced within this framework. The proposed model reduction method is mainly based upon time-weighted balanced truncation and a recently...

Iterative algorithms for the input and state recovery from the approximate inverse of strictly proper multivariable systems

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Liwen; Xu, Qiang

2018-02-01

This paper proposes new iterative algorithms for the unknown input and state recovery from the system outputs using an approximate inverse of the strictly proper linear time-invariant (LTI) multivariable system. One of the unique advantages from previous system inverse algorithms is that the output differentiation is not required. The approximate system inverse is stable due to the systematic optimal design of a dummy feedthrough D matrix in the state-space model via the feedback stabilization. The optimal design procedure avoids trial and error to identify such a D matrix which saves tremendous amount of efforts. From the derived and proved convergence criteria, such an optimal D matrix also guarantees the convergence of algorithms. Illustrative examples show significant improvement of the reference input signal tracking by the algorithms and optimal D design over non-iterative counterparts on controllable or stabilizable LTI systems, respectively. Case studies of two Boeing-767 aircraft aerodynamic models further demonstrate the capability of the proposed methods.

Predictor feedback for delay systems implementations and approximations

CERN Document Server

Karafyllis, Iasson

2017-01-01

This monograph bridges the gap between the nonlinear predictor as a concept and as a practical tool, presenting a complete theory of the application of predictor feedback to time-invariant, uncertain systems with constant input delays and/or measurement delays. It supplies several methods for generating the necessary real-time solutions to the systems’ nonlinear differential equations, which the authors refer to as approximate predictors. Predictor feedback for linear time-invariant (LTI) systems is presented in Part I to provide a solid foundation on the necessary concepts, as LTI systems pose fewer technical difficulties than nonlinear systems. Part II extends all of the concepts to nonlinear time-invariant systems. Finally, Part III explores extensions of predictor feedback to systems described by integral delay equations and to discrete-time systems. The book’s core is the design of control and observer algorithms with which global stabilization, guaranteed in the previous literature with idealized (b...

Diversity, Function and Transcriptional Regulation of Gut Innate Lymphocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucille eRankin

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The innate immune system plays a critical early role in host defense against viruses, bacteria and tumour cells. Until recently, natural killer (NK cells and lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi cells were the primary members of the innate lymphocyte family: NK cells form the front-line interface between the external environment and the adaptive immune system, while LTi cells are essential for secondary lymphoid tissue formation. More recently, it has become apparent that the composition of this family is much more diverse than previously appreciated and newly recognized populations play distinct and essential functions in tissue protection. Despite the importance of these cells, the developmental relationships between different innate lymphocyte populations (ILCs remain unclear. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of the development of different innate immune cell subsets, the transcriptional programs that might be involved in driving fate decisions during development, and their relationship to NK cells.

Bi-directional approach for logical traffic isolation forensic model

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Dlamini, I

2009-08-01

Full Text Available -it-as-you-can" system, which seizes all packets passing through a certain traffic point, captures and writes them to the storage. The main aim of this paper is to address some of the challenges faced by the Logical Traffic Isolation (LTI) model, more specifically...

Stochastic Control - External Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad

2005-01-01

This note is devoted to control of stochastic systems described in discrete time. We are concerned with external descriptions or transfer function model, where we have a dynamic model for the input output relation only (i.e.. no direct internal information). The methods are based on LTI systems...

Safe LPV Controller Switching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trangbæk, K

2011-01-01

plants and controllers. Rather than relying on frequency domain methods as done in the LTI case, it is shown how to use standard LPV system identification methods. It is furthermore shown how to include model uncertainty to robustify the results. By appropriate filtering, it is only necessary to evaluate...

Response of Archaeal and Bacterial Soil Communities to Changes Associated with Outdoor Cattle Overwintering.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alica Chroňáková

Full Text Available Archaea and bacteria are important drivers for nutrient transformations in soils and catalyse the production and consumption of important greenhouse gases. In this study, we investigate changes in archaeal and bacterial communities of four Czech grassland soils affected by outdoor cattle husbandry. Two show short-term (3 years; STI and long-term impact (17 years; LTI, one is regenerating from cattle impact (REG and a control is unaffected by cattle (CON. Cattle manure (CMN, the source of allochthonous microbes, was collected from the same area. We used pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes to assess the composition of archaeal and bacterial communities in each soil type and CMN. Both short- and long- term cattle impact negatively altered archaeal and bacterial diversity, leading to increase of homogenization of microbial communities in overwintering soils over time. Moreover, strong shifts in the prokaryotic communities were observed in response to cattle overwintering, with the greatest impact on archaea. Oligotrophic and acidophilic microorganisms (e.g. Thaumarchaeota, Acidobacteria, and α-Proteobacteria dominated in CON and expressed strong negative response to increased pH, total C and N. Whereas copiotrophic and alkalophilic microbes (e.g. methanogenic Euryarchaeota, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were common in LTI showing opposite trends. Crenarchaeota were also found in LTI, though their trophic interactions remain cryptic. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Methanobacteriaceae, and Methanomicrobiaceae indicated the introduction and establishment of faecal microbes into the impacted soils, while Chloroflexi and Methanosarcinaceae suggested increased abundance of soil-borne microbes under altered environmental conditions. The observed changes in prokaryotic community composition may have driven corresponding changes in soil functioning.

Response of Archaeal and Bacterial Soil Communities to Changes Associated with Outdoor Cattle Overwintering

Science.gov (United States)

Chroňáková, Alica; Schloter-Hai, Brigitte; Radl, Viviane; Endesfelder, David; Quince, Christopher; Elhottová, Dana; Šimek, Miloslav; Schloter, Michael

2015-01-01

Archaea and bacteria are important drivers for nutrient transformations in soils and catalyse the production and consumption of important greenhouse gases. In this study, we investigate changes in archaeal and bacterial communities of four Czech grassland soils affected by outdoor cattle husbandry. Two show short-term (3 years; STI) and long-term impact (17 years; LTI), one is regenerating from cattle impact (REG) and a control is unaffected by cattle (CON). Cattle manure (CMN), the source of allochthonous microbes, was collected from the same area. We used pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes to assess the composition of archaeal and bacterial communities in each soil type and CMN. Both short- and long- term cattle impact negatively altered archaeal and bacterial diversity, leading to increase of homogenization of microbial communities in overwintering soils over time. Moreover, strong shifts in the prokaryotic communities were observed in response to cattle overwintering, with the greatest impact on archaea. Oligotrophic and acidophilic microorganisms (e.g. Thaumarchaeota, Acidobacteria, and α-Proteobacteria) dominated in CON and expressed strong negative response to increased pH, total C and N. Whereas copiotrophic and alkalophilic microbes (e.g. methanogenic Euryarchaeota, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes) were common in LTI showing opposite trends. Crenarchaeota were also found in LTI, though their trophic interactions remain cryptic. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Methanobacteriaceae, and Methanomicrobiaceae indicated the introduction and establishment of faecal microbes into the impacted soils, while Chloroflexi and Methanosarcinaceae suggested increased abundance of soil-borne microbes under altered environmental conditions. The observed changes in prokaryotic community composition may have driven corresponding changes in soil functioning. PMID:26274496

The expanding family of innate lymphoid cells: regulators and effectors of immunity and tissue remodeling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spits, Hergen; Di Santo, James P.

2011-01-01

Research has identified what can be considered a family of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that includes not only natural killer (NK) cells and lymphoid tissue-inducer (LTi) cells but also cells that produce interleukin 5 (IL-5), IL-13, IL-17 and/or IL-22. These ILC subsets are developmentally related,

Transcriptional control of innate lymphoid cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mjösberg, Jenny; Bernink, Jochem; Peters, Charlotte; Spits, Hergen

2012-01-01

Cells that belong to the family of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) not only form a first line of defense against invading microbes, but also play essential roles in tissue remodeling and immune pathology. Ror?t+ ILCs, producing the cytokines IL-22 and IL-17, include lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells

Controller synthesis for L2 behaviors using rational kernel representations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mutsaers, M.E.C.; Weiland, S.

2008-01-01

This paper considers the controller synthesis problem for the class of linear time-invariant L2 behaviors. We introduce classes of LTI L2 systems whose behavior can be represented as the kernel of a rational operator. Given a plant and a controlled system in this class, an algorithm is developed

Data-driven modelling of LTI systems using symbolic regression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khandelwal, D.; Toth, R.; Van den Hof, P.M.J.

2017-01-01

The aim of this project is to automate the task of data-driven identification of dynamical systems. The underlying goal is to develop an identification tool that models a physical system without distinguishing between classes of systems such as linear, nonlinear or possibly even hybrid systems. Such

Elastic Model Transitions: a Hybrid Approach Utilizing Quadratic Inequality Constrained Least Squares (LSQI) and Direct Shape Mapping (DSM)

Science.gov (United States)

Jurenko, Robert J.; Bush, T. Jason; Ottander, John A.

2014-01-01

A method for transitioning linear time invariant (LTI) models in time varying simulation is proposed that utilizes both quadratically constrained least squares (LSQI) and Direct Shape Mapping (DSM) algorithms to determine physical displacements. This approach is applicable to the simulation of the elastic behavior of launch vehicles and other structures that utilize multiple LTI finite element model (FEM) derived mode sets that are propagated throughout time. The time invariant nature of the elastic data for discrete segments of the launch vehicle trajectory presents a problem of how to properly transition between models while preserving motion across the transition. In addition, energy may vary between flex models when using a truncated mode set. The LSQI-DSM algorithm can accommodate significant changes in energy between FEM models and carries elastic motion across FEM model transitions. Compared with previous approaches, the LSQI-DSM algorithm shows improvements ranging from a significant reduction to a complete removal of transients across FEM model transitions as well as maintaining elastic motion from the prior state.

Administration of RANKL boosts thymic regeneration upon bone marrow transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, Noella; Vachon, Hortense; Marie, Julien; Irla, Magali

2017-06-01

Cytoablative treatments lead to severe damages on thymic epithelial cells (TECs), which result in delayed de novo thymopoiesis and a prolonged period of T-cell immunodeficiency. Understanding the mechanisms that govern thymic regeneration is of paramount interest for the recovery of a functional immune system notably after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Here, we show that RANK ligand (RANKL) is upregulated in CD4 + thymocytes and lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells during the early phase of thymic regeneration. Importantly, whereas RANKL neutralization alters TEC recovery after irradiation, ex vivo RANKL administration during BMT boosts the regeneration of TEC subsets including thymic epithelial progenitor-enriched cells, thymus homing of lymphoid progenitors, and de novo thymopoiesis. RANKL increases specifically in LTi cells, lymphotoxin α, which is critical for thymic regeneration. RANKL treatment, dependent on lymphotoxin α, is beneficial upon BMT in young and aged individuals. This study thus indicates that RANKL may be clinically useful to improve T-cell function recovery after BMT by controlling multiple facets of thymic regeneration. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

Demonstration Report for the Former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range. Project 200504: Practical Discrimination Strategies for Application to Live Sites, Ver. 2.0

Science.gov (United States)

2007-03-22

05-C-0018 ESTCP 200504Dr. Stephen Billings, Leonard Pasion , Jon Jacobson, Stacey Kingsbury - Sky Research, Inc. Dr Douglas Oldenburg, Laurens Beran...For the EM-61, 3-dipole instantaneous amplitude models were fit to the available 4 time-channels, while for the EM-63, 3-dipole Pasion -Oldenburg...retrospective Pasion -Oldenburg and Lti classifiers. ..................................................................... 53 Figure 29. Analysis of

Peptide Nanotube Reinforced Polymers: A System for Tunable, Composite Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2015-11-30

Mater. Chem. 2003, 13: 2414. CLP12 NPYHPTIPQSVH 12 Mineral templating Hydroxyapatite nucleation Langmuir 2011, 27: 7620. QBP1 PPPWLPYMPPWS 12...able to covalently bind GFP-SpyCatcher (Fig. scri t r ft J s i L , r r . fi ti l rti l t f r - i i l ir . r lti rti l - r t fi r r l

Type 2 innate lymphoid cells-new members of the "type 2 franchise" that mediate allergic airway inflammation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mjösberg, Jenny; Spits, Hergen

2012-01-01

Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are members of an ILCfamily, which contains NKcells and Ror?t+ ILCs, the latter including lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells and ILCs producing IL-17 and IL-22. ILC2s are dedicated to the production of IL-5 and IL-13 and, as such, ILC2s provide an early and

Proportional-delayed controllers design for LTI-systems: a geometric approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Díez, J.-E.; Méndez-Barrios, C.-F.; Mondié, S.; Niculescu, S.-I.; González-Galván, E. J.

2018-04-01

This paper focuses on the design of P-δ controllers for single-input-single-output linear time-invariant systems. The basis of this work is a geometric approach allowing to partitioning the parameter space in regions with constant number of unstable roots. This methodology defines the hyper-planes separating the aforementioned regions and characterises the way in which the number of unstable roots changes when crossing such a hyper-plane. The main contribution of the paper is that it provides an explicit tool to find P-δ gains ensuring the stability of the closed-loop system. In addition, the proposed methodology allows to design a non-fragile controller with a desired exponential decay rate σ. Several numerical examples illustrate the results and a haptic experimental set-up shows the effectiveness of P-δ controllers.

Index-aware model order reduction : LTI DAEs in electric networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Banagaaya, N.; Schilders, W.H.A.; Ali, G.; Tischendorf, C.

2014-01-01

Purpose Model order reduction (MOR) has been widely used in the electric networks but little has been done to reduce higher index differential algebraic equations (DAEs). The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Most methods first do an index reduction before reducing a

Bayesian Frequency Domain Identification of LTI Systems with OBFs kernels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Darwish, M.A.H.; Lataire, J.P.G.; Tóth, R.

2017-01-01

Regularised Frequency Response Function (FRF) estimation based on Gaussian process regression formulated directly in the frequency-domain has been introduced recently The underlying approach largely depends on the utilised kernel function, which encodes the relevant prior knowledge on the system

Outbreaks of cholera-like diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest.

Science.gov (United States)

Vicente, Ana C P; Teixeira, Luiz F M; Iniguez-Rojas, L; Luna, M G; Silva, L; Andrade, J R C; Guth, B E C

2005-09-01

The relationship between enteropathogens and severe diarrhoea in the Brazilian Amazon is poorly understood. In 1998, outbreaks of acute diarrhoea clinically diagnosed as cholera occurred in two small villages localized far from the main cholera route in the Brazilian rainforest. PCR was performed on some enteropathogens and heat-labile (LT) and/or heat-stable (STh) toxin genes, the virulence determinants of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), were detected. Further characterization of ETEC isolates revealed the presence of two clones, one from each outbreak. One presenting serotype O167:H5 harboured LT-I and STh toxin genes and expressed the CS5CS6 colonization factor. The other, a non-typeable serotype, was positive for the LT-I gene and expressed the CS7 colonization factor. The current study demonstrates the importance of molecular diagnosis in regions such as the Amazon basin, where the enormous distances and local support conditions make standard laboratory diagnosis difficult. Here we also show that the mis-identified cholera cases were in fact associated with ETEC strains. This is the first report of ETEC, molecularly characterized as the aetiological agent of severe diarrhoea in children and adults in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest.

Design and control of a bio-inspired soft wearable robotic device for ankle–foot rehabilitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Yong-Lae; Chen, Bor-rong; Pérez-Arancibia, Néstor O; Young, Diana; Wood, Robert J; Nagpal, Radhika; Stirling, Leia; Goldfield, Eugene C

2014-01-01

We describe the design and control of a wearable robotic device powered by pneumatic artificial muscle actuators for use in ankle–foot rehabilitation. The design is inspired by the biological musculoskeletal system of the human foot and lower leg, mimicking the morphology and the functionality of the biological muscle–tendon–ligament structure. A key feature of the device is its soft structure that provides active assistance without restricting natural degrees of freedom at the ankle joint. Four pneumatic artificial muscles assist dorsiflexion and plantarflexion as well as inversion and eversion. The prototype is also equipped with various embedded sensors for gait pattern analysis. For the subject tested, the prototype is capable of generating an ankle range of motion of 27° (14° dorsiflexion and 13° plantarflexion). The controllability of the system is experimentally demonstrated using a linear time-invariant (LTI) controller. The controller is found using an identified LTI model of the system, resulting from the interaction of the soft orthotic device with a human leg, and model-based classical control design techniques. The suitability of the proposed control strategy is demonstrated with several angle-reference following experiments. (paper)

Stability Assessment and Tuning of an Adaptively Augmented Classical Controller for Launch Vehicle Flight Control

Science.gov (United States)

VanZwieten, Tannen; Zhu, J. Jim; Adami, Tony; Berry, Kyle; Grammar, Alex; Orr, Jeb S.; Best, Eric A.

2014-01-01

Recently, a robust and practical adaptive control scheme for launch vehicles [ [1] has been introduced. It augments a classical controller with a real-time loop-gain adaptation, and it is therefore called Adaptive Augmentation Control (AAC). The loop-gain will be increased from the nominal design when the tracking error between the (filtered) output and the (filtered) command trajectory is large; whereas it will be decreased when excitation of flex or sloshing modes are detected. There is a need to determine the range and rate of the loop-gain adaptation in order to retain (exponential) stability, which is critical in vehicle operation, and to develop some theoretically based heuristic tuning methods for the adaptive law gain parameters. The classical launch vehicle flight controller design technics are based on gain-scheduling, whereby the launch vehicle dynamics model is linearized at selected operating points along the nominal tracking command trajectory, and Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) controller design techniques are employed to ensure asymptotic stability of the tracking error dynamics, typically by meeting some prescribed Gain Margin (GM) and Phase Margin (PM) specifications. The controller gains at the design points are then scheduled, tuned and sometimes interpolated to achieve good performance and stability robustness under external disturbances (e.g. winds) and structural perturbations (e.g. vehicle modeling errors). While the GM does give a bound for loop-gain variation without losing stability, it is for constant dispersions of the loop-gain because the GM is based on frequency-domain analysis, which is applicable only for LTI systems. The real-time adaptive loop-gain variation of the AAC effectively renders the closed-loop system a time-varying system, for which it is well-known that the LTI system stability criterion is neither necessary nor sufficient when applying to a Linear Time-Varying (LTV) system in a frozen-time fashion. Therefore, a

Robust Stability and Stabilization of Interval Uncertain Descriptor Fractional-Order Systems with the Fractional-Order α: The 1≤α<2 Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanhua Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Stability and stabilization of fractional-order interval system is investigated. By adding parameters to linear matrix inequalities, necessary and sufficient conditions for stability and stabilization of the system are obtained. The results on stability check for uncertain FO-LTI systems with interval coefficients of dimension n only need to solve one 4n-by-4n LMI. Numerical examples are presented to shown the effectiveness of our results.

Structural Analysis Approach to Fault Diagnosis with Application to Fixed-wing Aircraft Motion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Izadi-Zamanabadi, Roozbeh

2002-01-01

The paper presents a structural analysis based method for fault diagnosis purposes. The method uses the structural model of the system and utilizes the matching idea to extract system's inherent redundant information. The structural model is represented by a bipartite directed graph. FDI...... Possibilities are examined by further analysis of the obtained information. The method is illustrated by applying on the LTI model of motion of a fixed-wing aircraft....

Structural Analysis Approach to Fault Diagnosis with Application to Fixed-wing Aircraft Motion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Izadi-Zamanabadi, Roozbeh

2001-01-01

The paper presents a structural analysis based method for fault diagnosis purposes. The method uses the structural model of the system and utilizes the matching idea to extract system's inherent redundant information. The structural model is represented by a bipartite directed graph. FDI...... Possibilities are examined by further analysis of the obtained information. The method is illustrated by applying on the LTI model of motion of a fixed-wing aircraft....

Using LTI Dynamics to Identify the Influential Nodes in a Network.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goran Murić

Full Text Available Networks are used for modeling numerous technical, social or biological systems. In order to better understand the system dynamics, it is a matter of great interest to identify the most important nodes within the network. For a large set of problems, whether it is the optimal use of available resources, spreading information efficiently or even protection from malicious attacks, the most important node is the most influential spreader, the one that is capable of propagating information in the shortest time to a large portion of the network. Here we propose the Node Imposed Response (NiR, a measure which accurately evaluates node spreading power. It outperforms betweenness, degree, k-shell and h-index centrality in many cases and shows the similar accuracy to dynamics-sensitive centrality. We utilize the system-theoretic approach considering the network as a Linear Time-Invariant system. By observing the system response we can quantify the importance of each node. In addition, our study provides a robust tool set for various protective strategies.

A Unified Transform for LTI Systems--Presented as a (Generalized) Frame

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feuer, A.; Van Den Hof, P.M.J.; Heuberger, P.S.C.

2006-01-01

We present a set of functions in L2([0,8)) and show it to be a (tight) generalized frame (as presented by G. Kaiser (1994)). The analysis side of the frame operation is called the continuous unified transform. We show that some of the well-known transforms (such as Laplace, Laguerre, Kautz, and

America’s Army: The Strength of the Nation. 2010 Army Posture Statement

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-19

that the Army Soldier is the best equipped and most re- spected combatant in the world. In order to ex- ecute Army Modernization and ensure the con...Force Traumatic Brain Injury ( TBI ) Unaccompanied Personnel Housing (UPH) Unmanned Aircraft, Raven Small System Unmanned Aircraft, Shadow System Unmanned...Services TBI Traumatic Brain Injury 30 LoyaLty | Duty | Respect | seLfLess seRvice | HonoR | integRity | peRsonaL couRage 2010 Army

Relative Error Model Reduction via Time-Weighted Balanced Stochastic Singular Perturbation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tahavori, Maryamsadat; Shaker, Hamid Reza

2012-01-01

A new mixed method for relative error model reduction of linear time invariant (LTI) systems is proposed in this paper. This order reduction technique is mainly based upon time-weighted balanced stochastic model reduction method and singular perturbation model reduction technique. Compared...... by using the concept and properties of the reciprocal systems. The results are further illustrated by two practical numerical examples: a model of CD player and a model of the atmospheric storm track....

Factores asociados a la infección tuberculosa latente en los contactos de pacientes afectados

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miquel Alsedà

2004-04-01

tratamiento del caso índice ha mostrado una asociación independiente con la frecuencia de ITL en los contactos. Deben reforzarse las medidas destinadas al diagnóstico precoz y el tratamiento de los enfermos tuberculosos.Background: As tuberculosis control programs have reached acceptable levels in the identification and treatment of persons with active tuberculosis, the next step should be to develop methods of preventing new cases. Persons with latent tuberculosis infection (LTI are considered to have a higher risk of developing active tuberculosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of LTI and its associated factors in the contacts of tuberculosis patients. Methods: We studied the contacts of tuberculosis patients who were examined in the Center for Tuberculosis Control and Prevention in Lleida (Spain from 1991-1997. Factors associated with the index case (demographic, radiographic, bacteriologic and therapeutic and tuberculin skin test results and demographic data in contacts were collected. Data on HIV infection, injection drug use and alcohol consumption in tuberculosis patients were also collected. The associations were assessed by obtaining crude and adjusted odds ratios. Results: The prevalence of LTI among contacts was 36.1% (780/2,161. In the multivariate analysis a higher frequency of LTI was detected in contacts older than 14 years (ORa = 3.34; 95% CI, 2.51-4.45, contacts who had a higher degree of exposure to the index case (ORa = 1.96; 95% CI, 1.59-2.42, contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients (ORa = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.01-2.35, contacts of patients with a positive sputum smear (ORa = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.15-1.99, contacts of patients with caverns on chest x-ray (ORa = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.01-1.61 and contacts of patients with delayed treatment (ORa = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.05-1.62. Conclusions: The overall prevalence of LTI in the contacts of patients with tuberculosis was high. Among the factors studied, delayed treatment in the index case was

Response of Archaeal and Bacterial Soil Communities to Changes Associated with Outdoor Cattle Overwintering

OpenAIRE

Chro??kov?, Alica; Schloter-Hai, Brigitte; Radl, Viviane; Endesfelder, David; Quince, Christopher; Elhottov?, Dana; ?imek, Miloslav; Schloter, Michael

2015-01-01

Archaea and bacteria are important drivers for nutrient transformations in soils and catalyse the production and consumption of important greenhouse gases. In this study, we investigate changes in archaeal and bacterial communities of four Czech grassland soils affected by outdoor cattle husbandry. Two show short-term (3 years; STI) and long-term impact (17 years; LTI), one is regenerating from cattle impact (REG) and a control is unaffected by cattle (CON). Cattle manure (CMN), the source of...

Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS) Procedures Manual. Volume 8. Document Identifier Code Input/Output Formats (Fixed Length)

Science.gov (United States)

1994-07-01

REQUIRED MIX OF SEGMENTS OR INDIVIDUAL DATA ELEMENTS TO BE EXTRACTED. IN SEGMENT R ON AN INTERROGATION TRANSACTION (LTI), DATA RECORD NUMBER (DRN 0950) ONLY...and zation and Marketing input DICs. insert the Continuation Indicator Code (DRN 8555) in position 80 of this record. Maximum of OF The assigned NSN...for Procurement KFR, File Data Minus Security Classified Characteristics Data KFC 8.5-2 DoD 4100.39-M Volume 8 CHAPTER 5 ALPHABETIC INDEX OF DIC

Unique aspects of the professional identity of tattooed psychologists : the professional self-esteem, sense of not belonging and intentional behavior modeling of four tattooed professionals from the field of psychology and psychiatry

OpenAIRE

Buckman, Tiia

2013-01-01

Tatuointien ja lävistysten kasvava suosio on alkanut yleistyä kaikissa sosiaalisissa ja ammatillisissa luokissa, mukaan lukien psykologian opiskelijat ja jopa ammattilaiset psykologit. Tatuoinnit eivät ole enää pelkkä rikollisten ja kapinallisten merkki – niistä on tullut kaikille saatavilla oleva muoti-ilmiö. Ne eivät ole ennenkuulumattomia koristeita monelle nykyiselle ja tulevalle psykologillekaan, joiden työ vaatii oman ulkoasun harkintaa ja nojaa hyvin pitkälti vuorovaikutussuhteen laatu...

Non-reciprocity in nonlinear elastodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchard, Antoine; Sapsis, Themistoklis P.; Vakakis, Alexander F.

2018-01-01

Reciprocity is a fundamental property of linear time-invariant (LTI) acoustic waveguides governed by self-adjoint operators with symmetric Green's functions. The break of reciprocity in LTI elastodynamics is only possible through the break of time reversal symmetry on the micro-level, and this can be achieved by imposing external biases, adding nonlinearities or allowing for time-varying system properties. We present a Volterra-series based asymptotic analysis for studying spatial non-reciprocity in a class of one-dimensional (1D), time-invariant elastic systems with weak stiffness nonlinearities. We show that nonlinearity is neither necessary nor sufficient for breaking reciprocity in this class of systems; rather, it depends on the boundary conditions, the symmetries of the governing linear and nonlinear operators, and the choice of the spatial points where the non-reciprocity criterion is tested. Extension of the analysis to higher dimensions and time-varying systems is straightforward from a mathematical point of view (but not in terms of new non-reciprocal physical phenomena), whereas the connection of non-reciprocity and time irreversibility can be studied as well. Finally, we show that suitably defined non-reciprocity measures enable optimization, and can provide physical understanding of the nonlinear effects in the dynamics, enabling one to establish regimes of "maximum nonlinearity." We highlight the theoretical developments by means of a numerical example.

Under the Threat of Mount Saint Helens: A Study of Chronic Family Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-02-01

reported in the buil] It ins and shown in the eruption maps. After each of the 14 messages, the family member- business manager was allowed to choose... Family Stress Robert K. Leik 2 2 19 Sheila A. Leik Knut Ekker I Gregory A. Gifford EI I i University of Minnesota for Federal Emergency Management Agency...activLty. The game was so constructed that if an eruption had covered the geographil area where the family was located, difficulties with the business

Suunnitteluautomaatio CAD-ohjelmissa

OpenAIRE

Anttila, Juho

2010-01-01

Tässä työssä tutkittiin suunnitteluautomaation mahdollisuuksia cad-ohjelmissa. Työtä varten perehdyttiin useampaan cad-ohjelmaan ja tehtiin suurehko automaatti Vertex G4 alustalle, jonka kokemuksiin työn pohdinta pitkälti perustuu. Työ etenee yleisestä työkalujen esittelystä automatisoinnin teoriaan. Teoriassa pohditaan erilaisia tapoja ja tasoja miten automatisointia voidaan toteuttaa. Työn aihe oli kiinnostava, koska aiheesta on tehty melko vähän teoksia. Teoriapohdiskelun ohella esitettii...

Brief Survey of Operational Decision Support Systems

Science.gov (United States)

1979-02-01

Crosn Salps -KxtocnaI (T,i-l!ltiTcr>. (T.C.D) Sales DoductLotis (T,C,r)) Net Sains (T,(J,D) Cost of Good;! Sold <T,C,D) Cross...plan. The data displays stimulated officer insights on zone accessibility, neighborhood characteristics, travel time, and personnel and equipment...at AIRMICS, or ten days. Travel will be as follows: Q) One trip to Ft. l.ee, VA of 1-2 days duration:€)0ne trip to Gould Corp. Chicago, (2> One

A New Approach to Rational Discrete-Time Approximations to Continuous-Time Fractional-Order Systems

OpenAIRE

Matos , Carlos; Ortigueira , Manuel ,

2012-01-01

Part 10: Signal Processing; International audience; In this paper a new approach to rational discrete-time approximations to continuous fractional-order systems of the form 1/(sα+p) is proposed. We will show that such fractional-order LTI system can be decomposed into sub-systems. One has the classic behavior and the other is similar to a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) system. The conversion from continuous-time to discrete-time systems will be done using the Laplace transform inversion integr...

Digitaalisen markkinoinnin kehittäminen pienyrityksessä

OpenAIRE

Levoniemi, Veera

2013-01-01

Verkkomaailman ymmärtäminen ja sen toimintojen yhdistäminen perinteiseen markkinointiin on ollut haaste monille yrityksille. Pitkälti perinteisiin markkinointikanaviin luottanut yhden hengen vaatealan yritys Habitura on myös kohdannut tämän ongelman. Tässä opinnäytetyössä tutkittiin digitaalista markkinointia pienen yrityksen näkökulmasta ja etsittiin mahdollisuuksia perinteisten markkinointikeinojen korvaamiseksi ja täydentämiseksi Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli digitaalisen markkinoin...

Smart Water Conservation System for Irrigated Landscape

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-01

ht ly M or e W or kl oa d; 5 -M or e W or kl oa d; 6 -S ig ni fic an lty M or...install the water harvesting and pump system was captured from the contractor cost proposal. 7.1.3 Water Cost Water purchased from the Port Hueneme Water...818) 737-2734 KDuke@valleycrest.com Contractor Tom Santoianni 1205 Mill Rd. Bldg. 1430 Public Works, Ventura (805) 982-4075 Tom.Santoianni@navy.mil Energy Manager

Robust reconfigurable control for parametric and additive faults with FDI uncertainties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stoustrup, Jakob; Yang, Zhenyu

2000-01-01

From the system recoverable point of view, this paper discusses robust reconfigurable control synthesis for LTI systems and a class of nonlinear control systems with parametric and additive faults as well as derivations generated by FDI algorithms. By following the model-matching strategy......, an augmented optimal control problem is constructed based on the considered faulty and fictitious nominal systems, such that the robust control design techniques, such as H-infinity control and mu synthesis, can be employed for the reconfigurable control design....

A frequency domain subspace algorithm for mixed causal, anti-causal LTI systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fraanje, Rufus; Verhaegen, Michel; Verdult, Vincent; Pintelon, Rik

2003-01-01

The paper extends the subspacc identification method to estimate state-space models from frequency response function (FRF) samples, proposed by McKelvey et al. (1996) for mixed causal/anti-causal systems, and shows that other frequency domain subspace algorithms can be extended similarly. The method

Obligations, loyalties, conflicts. Highly educated women and family life in Nairobi, Kenya

OpenAIRE

Latvala, Johanna

2006-01-01

Millaisia ristiriitoja korkeasti koulutetut naiset kokevat perhe-elämässään tämän päivän Keniassa? Kuinka aviosuhteista ja perhevelvollisuuksista neuvotellaan kulttuurisessa kontekstissa, joka perustuu pitkälti ajatukseen yksilöstä kiinteänä osana sukua? Millaisia muutoksia perhe- ja sukupuolten välisissä suhteissa on meneillään urbaanissa Keniassa? Miten monivaimoisuus vaikuttaa aviopuolisoiden väleihin? Millaista on afrikkalainen feministinen ajattelu? Tutkimus käsittelee Kenian pääkaupungi...

Harmonic Interaction Analysis in Grid-connected Converter using Harmonic State Space (HSS) Modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kwon, Jun Bum; Wang, Xiongfei; Blaabjerg, Frede

2017-01-01

research about the harmonic interaction. However, it is found that the Linear Time Invariant (LTI) based model analysis makes it difficult to analyze these phenomena because of the time-varying properties of the power electronic based systems. This paper investigates grid-connected converter by using......An increasing number of power electronic based Distributed Generation (DG) systems and loads generate not only characteristic harmonics but also unexpected harmonics. Several methods like impedance based analysis, which are derived from the conventional average model, are introduced to perform...

The influence of a probiotic supplementation on memory in quail suggests a role of gut microbiota on cognitive abilities in birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Parois, Severine; Calandreau, Ludovic; Kraimi, Narjis; Gabriel, Irène; Leterrier, Christine

2017-07-28

The gut microbiota is involved in host behaviour and memory in mammals. Consequently, it may also influence emotional behaviour and memory in birds. Quail from two genetic lines with different fearfulness (LTI: long tonic immobility, n=37; STI: short tonic immobility, n=32) were either or not supplemented with a probiotic (Pediococcus acidilactici) from hatching. Emotional reactivity was measured in a tonic immobility test (d6 and 7 of age) and two open-field tests (d13-15; d22-24). Memory was measured in a test rewarded with mealworms, where quail had to remember the cups previously visited (d34-36). Quail endured a 5-days stress period from days 17 to 21 to help revealing the potentially beneficial effect of the probiotic. As expected, STI quail were less fearful compared to the LTI quail (p0.05), except in the tonic immobility test where supplemented STI quail had lower immobility duration (p=0.0001). Regarding the memory test, the two lines had similar performances. Quail fed with probiotics made fewer errors (p=0.040). There was no significant correlation between traits of emotional reactivity and of memory. In conclusion, the supplementation with Pediococcus acidilactici as a probiotic, affected a specific trait of emotional reactivity in STI quail, and improved memory in both lines, whichstrengthens the idea that the influence of gut microbiota on the host behaviour and memory seen in mammals is shared by birds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The application of adaptive Luenberger observer concept in chemical process control: An algorithmic approach

Science.gov (United States)

Doko, Marthen Luther

2017-05-01

When developing a wide class of on-line parameter estimation scheme for estimating the unknown parameter vector that appears in certain general linear and bilinear parametric model will be parametrizations of LTI processes or plants as well as of some special classes of nonlinear processes or plants. The resuls is used to design one of the important tools in control, i.e., adaptive observer and for stable LTI processes or plants. In this paper it will consider the design of schemes that simultaneously estimate the plant state variables and parameters by processing the plant I/O measurements on-line and such schemes is refered to as adaptive observers. The design of an adaptive observer is based on the combination of a state observer that could be used to estimate the state variables of aparticular plant state-space representation with an on-line estimation scheme. The choice of the plant state-space representation is crucial for the design and stability analysis of the adaptive observer. The paper will discuss a class of observer called Adaptive Luenberger Observer and its application. Begin with observable canonical form one can find observability matrix of n linear independent rows. By using this fact or their linear combination chosen as a basis, various canonical forms known also as Luenberger canonical form can be obtained. Also,this formation will leads to various algorithm for computing including computation of observable canonical form, observable Hessenberg form and reduced-order state observer design.

Differential expression analysis of boron transporters and some stress-related genes in response to 24-epibrassinolide and boron by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surgun Yonca

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Plant steroidal hormones, brassinosteroids (BRs, promote plant developmental processes and enhance tolerance to several abiotic stresses including high boron (B stress. To examine the possible role of BR in high B-induced stress at the transcriptional level, we investigated the response of B transporter genes (BOR1-4, high B-induced genes (MATE, Hsp-like, BR-induced genes (Hsp70-4, Hsp90-1 and other stress-related genes (LTI/COR78, LEA4-5 upon exogenous treatments of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL on Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh exposed to high concentrations of boric acid (BA using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. BA treatments led to down regulation of BOR1 and BOR3 genes in leaf and root tissues and higher concentration of EBL further decreased expression of these genes in roots. The expression of high B-induced genes was observed to be upregulated by 1 μM EBL treatment under high B stress in both tissues of the seedlings. The upregulation of BR-induced genes were clearly evident in root tissues co-treated with 1 μM EBL and BA as compared to BA alone. Higher concentration of EBL was found to be more effective in increasing expression of LTI/COR78 gene in root and LEA4-5 gene in shoot tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report how exogenous application of EBL modulates high B stress responses at molecular level in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Depression Is Associated With Muscle Mass And Strength In Patients With End Stage Renal Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Rim Song

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Depression is the most common psychiatric complication in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD. Sarcopenia, defined as loss of muscle mass and strength, is expected to be associated with depression, because both are closely linked to physical inactivity and functional impairment. We investigated the association of sarcopenia with depression in patients with ESRD. A total of 115 patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD were included in this study. Muscle mass was assessed by lean tissue index (LTI using portable whole body bioimpedance spectroscopy, and muscle strength was measured with handgrip strength (HGS. Depression was defined as Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II score ≥16. About 60% of prevalent HD patients had depression. Compared to subjects without depression, depressed patients had a higher prevalence of sarcopenia (45.5 vs. 8.2%, p<0.001 and significantly increased serum IL-6 and hs-CRP level. However, (prealbumin and body mass index (BMI failed to correlate with BDI-II. HGS and LTI had a consistent negative effect on BDI-II even after adjusting other parameters including inflammation. In multivariate analysis, lower , increased IL-6 and β2-microglobulin,and sarcopenia were significant predictors for depression; sarcopenia was most powerful [odds ratio 9.01, 95% CI 3.60-12.22, p=0.001]. In conclusion, the prevalence of sarcopenia and depression was considerably high and and the presence of sarcopenia was an important predictor for depression.

Wind energy systems control engineering design

CERN Document Server

Garcia-Sanz, Mario

2012-01-01

IntroductionBroad Context and MotivationConcurrent Engineering: A Road Map for EnergyQuantitative Robust ControlNovel CAD Toolbox for QFT Controller DesignOutline Part I: Advanced Robust Control Techniques: QFT and Nonlinear SwitchingIntroduction to QFTQuantitative Feedback TheoryWhy Feedback? QFT OverviewInsight into the QFT TechniqueBenefits of QFTMISO Analog QFT Control SystemIntroductionQFT Method (Single-Loop MISO System)Design Procedure OutlineMinimum-Phase System Performance SpecificationsJ LTI Plant ModelsPlant Templates of P?(s), P( j_i )Nominal PlantU-Contour (Stability Bound)Trackin

ST-LO (7 July -19 July 1944)

Science.gov (United States)

1946-08-21

artillery, but the main troubles came in operating heavy vehicles through muddy fields, slippery trails, and hedgerows. The II9th Infantry felt...Army’s attack began, continued to balk aerial reconnaissance and to make the roads slippery and muddy. The axis of advance of the attacking task...JuLTI J ! VII - XIX CoIIps IOUNOIJIY AS OF 6 JULY .....lIT, If’ III IIIET!!!!. I o " ’" •’" .. flU ( \\ J Elm ’ "’/1’ v,",f «. ? --/ F:rm~91

Robust Control Mixer Method for Reconfigurable Control Design Using Model Matching Strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Zhenyu; Blanke, Mogens; Verhagen, Michel

2007-01-01

A novel control mixer method for recon¯gurable control designs is developed. The proposed method extends the matrix-form of the conventional control mixer concept into a LTI dynamic system-form. The H_inf control technique is employed for these dynamic module designs after an augmented control...... system is constructed through a model-matching strategy. The stability, performance and robustness of the reconfigured system can be guaranteed when some conditions are satisfied. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, a robot system subjected to failures is used to demonstrate...

An Equivalent LMI Representation of Bounded Real Lemma for Continuous-Time Systems

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Xie Wei

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract An equivalent linear matrix inequality (LMI representation of bounded real lemma (BRL for linear continuous-time systems is introduced. As to LTI system including polytopic-type uncertainties, by using a parameter-dependent Lyapunov function, there are several LMIs-based formulations for the analysis and synthesis of performance. All of these representations only provide us with different sufficient conditions. Compared with previous methods, this new representation proposed here provides us the possibility to obtain better results. Finally, some numerical examples are illustrated to show the effectiveness of proposed method.

The Best Achievable ℋ2 Tracking Performances for SIMO Feedback Control Systems

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Shinji Hara

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the inherent ℋ2 tracking performance limitation of single-input and multiple-output (SIMO linear time-invariant (LTI feedback control systems. The performance is measured by the tracking error between a step reference input and the plant output with additional penalty on control input. We employ the plant augmentation strategy, which enables us to derive analytical closed-form expressions of the best achievable performance not only for discrete-time system, but also for continuous-time system by exploiting the delta domain version of the expressions.

Sensor and Actuator Fault-Hiding Reconfigurable Control Design for a Four-Tank System Benchmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hameed, Ibrahim; El-Madbouly, Esam I; Abdo, Mohamed I

2015-01-01

Invariant (LTI) system where virtual sensors and virtual actuators are used to correct faulty performance through the use of a pre-fault performance. Simulation results showed that the developed approach can handle different types of faults and able to completely and instantly recover the original system......Fault detection and compensation plays a key role to fulfill high demands for performance and security in today's technological systems. In this paper, a fault-hiding (i.e., tolerant) control scheme that detects and compensates for actuator and sensor faults in a four-tank system benchmark...

Achievable Performance of Zero-Delay Variable-Rate Coding in Rate-Constrained Networked Control Systems with Channel Delay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barforooshan, Mohsen; Østergaard, Jan; Stavrou, Fotios

2017-01-01

This paper presents an upper bound on the minimum data rate required to achieve a prescribed closed-loop performance level in networked control systems (NCSs). The considered feedback loop includes a linear time-invariant (LTI) plant with single measurement output and single control input. Moreover......, in this NCS, a causal but otherwise unconstrained feedback system carries out zero-delay variable-rate coding, and control. Between the encoder and decoder, data is exchanged over a rate-limited noiseless digital channel with a known constant time delay. Here we propose a linear source-coding scheme...

Transport coefficient computation based on input/output reduced order models

Science.gov (United States)

Hurst, Joshua L.

The guiding purpose of this thesis is to address the optimal material design problem when the material description is a molecular dynamics model. The end goal is to obtain a simplified and fast model that captures the property of interest such that it can be used in controller design and optimization. The approach is to examine model reduction analysis and methods to capture a specific property of interest, in this case viscosity, or more generally complex modulus or complex viscosity. This property and other transport coefficients are defined by a input/output relationship and this motivates model reduction techniques that are tailored to preserve input/output behavior. In particular Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) based methods are investigated. First simulation methods are identified that are amenable to systems theory analysis. For viscosity, these models are of the Gosling and Lees-Edwards type. They are high order nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) that employ Periodic Boundary Conditions. Properties can be calculated from the state trajectories of these ODEs. In this research local linear approximations are rigorously derived and special attention is given to potentials that are evaluated with Periodic Boundary Conditions (PBC). For the Gosling description LTI models are developed from state trajectories but are found to have limited success in capturing the system property, even though it is shown that full order LTI models can be well approximated by reduced order LTI models. For the Lees-Edwards SLLOD type model nonlinear ODEs will be approximated by a Linear Time Varying (LTV) model about some nominal trajectory and both balanced truncation and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) will be used to assess the plausibility of reduced order models to this system description. An immediate application of the derived LTV models is Quasilinearization or Waveform Relaxation. Quasilinearization is a Newton's method applied to the ODE operator

Innate Lymphoid Cells in Tumor Immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

van Beek, Jasper J P; Martens, Anne W J; Bakdash, Ghaith; de Vries, I Jolanda M

2016-02-25

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a group of immune cells of the lymphoid lineage that do not possess antigen specificity. The group includes natural killer (NK) cells, lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells and the recently identified ILC1s, ILC2s and ILC3s. Although the role of NK cells in the context of cancer has been well established, the involvement of other ILC subsets in cancer progression and resistance is just emerging. Here, we review the literature on the role of the different ILC subsets in tumor immunity and discuss its implications for cancer treatment and monitoring.

Evolving Workforce Demographics: Federal Agency Action and Reaction

Science.gov (United States)

1993-11-01

MICi ltiKit tii- tAtu l III wiwk VIj IIci( wi hcit’s iim t..’~iliil I1cil\\ f/ ic es ’ Ic ’ts o wwf tilt t’ ’t> il I/it’ f/IlIlit~ t10, tl flt’ ti’lit’ I...below, staffing entry-level jobs, one official calling the Student Employment and Partnerships With program "our bread and butter." Schools. A...and bureaus of the Federal Government. All agencies Involvement with Schools either formally or informally assess individual The partnerships that many

Vision for Time-Varying Images

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-01

Oogoing adaptive evolution of ASPM:, a brain size detetmin.ant in Homo sapiens . Scieoce. 309, 1 no. 20. Bniteoberg, V., & Schiiz, A. (1998). Cortex...D, this decepUw:ly $1mple mechanism not only prodtJCeS a supen·ISE’d dasslfiet, bat 2lso tlllCO’IetS the: $1mll:artty structure el "’lbedded ln the...Six healthy hU~MD vo1unt£erS mte«d an 0.1RI neurolm:tglng :awaratus and viewed :1 $ el of pictures while thele bfaln actl\\’lty (bk)od OX

Modeling Reliability Growth in Accelerated Stress Testing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-01

labels = NA) axis(side = 2, tck = -.015, labels = NA) axis(side = 1, lwd = 0, line = -.6) axis(side = 2, lwd = 0, line = -.6, las = 1) mtext...side = 1, "t", line = 2) mtext(side = 2, "R(t)", line = 2.5) legend("bottomleft", c("Bi-Weibull","Tri-Weibull","NMW", "EMWE"),lty=c(1,1,3,2), lwd =c...1, lwd = 0, line = -.6) axis(side = 2, lwd = 0, line = -.6, las = 1) mtext(side = 1, "t", line = 2) mtext(side = 2, "f(t)", line = 3) legend

Combat Modeling Evaluation at the United States Military Academy.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-06-01

Sttuvt Prosres) * ktert Cal~ * kittemeasi qeemtii * mosl Slalsmite of hsamua Isse * omaptmbe vih Oiphies war"" * tm ktes (mse lads/54m TWO) 7ftm a. wa...difficuLty in WM. Onu feasibLe approach in the usP41nsien Of the artillery lsthaillty piarauuLir iste ia vector which reflects the letchal ity of that...ion voomqiutat Acso; wit ist Iivi .4,~~C4.LUisiab v0lueS. Thsu approoath Is apilrlllae fur a modial Much IV 11TH. J1. L’’A K tisnt/ntQuaial.in

The lasersoft revolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moll, J.E.

1994-01-01

LASERSOFT and the Laser Technology, Inc. (LTI) Criterion 400 survey laser instrument constitute a virtual revolution in pre-design activities for many projects requiring field survey in the Forest Service. The instrument makes and downloads survey measurements in a couple of seconds; LASERSOFT is MS-DOS compatible software that provides a user-friendly platform for survey management and data conversion into formats required by several widely used PC-based road and site design software systems. This article provides information specific to LASERSOFT V1.0 usage, in addition to brief overviews of laser instrument capabilities and existing and planned survey routines

The lasersoft revolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moll, J. E.

1994-01-15

LASERSOFT and the Laser Technology, Inc. (LTI) Criterion 400 survey laser instrument constitute a virtual revolution in pre-design activities for many projects requiring field survey in the Forest Service. The instrument makes and downloads survey measurements in a couple of seconds; LASERSOFT is MS-DOS compatible software that provides a user-friendly platform for survey management and data conversion into formats required by several widely used PC-based road and site design software systems. This article provides information specific to LASERSOFT V1.0 usage, in addition to brief overviews of laser instrument capabilities and existing and planned survey routines.

Multiple descriptions for packetized predictive control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Jan; Quevedo, Daniel

2016-01-01

be reliably reconstructed at the plant side. For the particular case of LTI plant models and i.i.d. channels, we show that the overall system forms a Markov jump linear system. We provide conditions for mean square stability and derive upper bounds on the operational bit rate of the quantizer to guarantee......In this paper, we propose to use multiple descriptions (MDs) to achieve a high degree of robustness towards random packet delays and erasures in networked control systems. In particular, we consider the scenario, where a data-rate limited channel is located between the controller and the plant...

Surveillance of transmitted antiretroviral drug resistance among HIV-1 infected women attending antenatal clinics in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mqondisi Tshabalala

Full Text Available The rapid scale-up of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART and use of single dose Nevirapine (SD NVP for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (pMTCT have raised fears about the emergence of resistance to the first line antiretroviral drug regimens. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of primary drug resistance (PDR in a cohort of young (<25 yrs HAART-naïve HIV pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Whole blood was collected in EDTA for CD4 counts, viral load, serological estimation of duration of infection using the BED Calypte assay and genotyping for drug resistance. Four hundred and seventy-one women, mean age 21 years; SD: 2.1 were enrolled into the study between 2006 and 2007. Their median CD4 count was 371cells/µL; IQR: 255-511 cells/µL. Two hundred and thirty-six samples were genotyped for drug resistance. Based on the BED assay, 27% were recently infected (RI whilst 73% had long-term infection (LTI. Median CD4 count was higher (p<0.05 in RI than in women with LTI. Only 2 women had drug resistance mutations; protease I85V and reverse transcriptase Y181C. Prevalence of PDR in Chitungwiza, 4 years after commencement of the national ART program remained below WHO threshold limit (5%. Frequency of recent infection BED testing is consistent with high HIV acquisition during pregnancy. With the scale-up of long-term ART programs, maintenance of proper prescribing practices, continuous monitoring of patients and reinforcement of adherence may prevent the acquisition and transmission of PDR.

A Systematic and Numerically Efficient Procedure for Stable Dynamic Model Inversion of LTI Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

George, K.; Verhaegen, M.; Scherpen, J.M.A.

1999-01-01

Output tracking via the novel Stable Dynamic model Inversion (SDI) technique, applicable to non-minimum phase systems, and which naturally takes into account the presence of noise in target time histories, is considered here. We are motivated by the typical need to replicate time signals in the

Comparison of Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry and Bioimpedance in Assessing Body Composition and Nutrition in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Popovic, Velena; Zerahn, Bo; Heaf, James Goya

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients are characterized by protein malnutrition and muscle wasting. Reliable, easy, and cheap methods for evaluating nutrition are desirable. Three methods are commonly available: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioimpedance (BI), and subjective global...... assessment (SGA).The objective of the study was to compare the previously mentioned methods for assessment of body composition and nutritional status in PD patients. DESIGN: The study is cross-sectional and consisted of 72 PD patients from a single center PD ambulatorium. METHODS: Participants were measured...... in this population. OH might reduce DXA accuracy in PD patients. LTI and ICW may be useful measures to supplement SGA in assessing nutrition....

Corrosion/Deterioration of Fuel Tank Materials Wetted in Methanolic Electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

1987-12-15

R32 DD FORM 1473, 84 MAR 83 APR edition may be used until exhausted. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE All other editions are obsolete *U.S... aiSA A12A A1AS5!S1tit "IiaA Id~A1131 *AWFl 1t1103114W) No us" C C A C A C C A~tt A A CS Sell lA~~~l, 5158-lti A ICC :1L1 1113iC AlMeAtt2~ TIttrljACn...Corrosion Resistance of Metals and Alloys, Second Edition , Reinhold Publishing Corporation, NY, 1963, p. 217. 4. Uhlig, H. H., Coroion.and Corrosion

LQG Control of Networked Control Systems with Limited Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qing-Quan Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG control problems for multi-input multioutput (MIMO, linear time-invariant (LTI systems, where the sensors and controllers are geographically separated and connected via a digital communication channel with limited data rates. An observer-based, quantized state feedback control scheme is employed in order to achieve the minimum data rate for mean square stabilization of the unstable plant. An explicit expression is presented to state the tradeoff between the LQ cost and the data rate. Sufficient conditions on the data rate for mean square stabilization are derived. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Robust Stabilization of Fractional-Order Systems with Interval Uncertainties via Fractional-Order Controllers

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Mohammadtaghi Hamidi Beheshti

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a fractional-order controller to stabilize unstable fractional-order open-loop systems with interval uncertainty whereas one does not need to change the poles of the closed-loop system in the proposed method. For this, we will use the robust stability theory of Fractional-Order Linear Time Invariant (FO-LTI systems. To determine the control parameters, one needs only a little knowledge about the plant and therefore, the proposed controller is a suitable choice in the control of interval nonlinear systems and especially in fractional-order chaotic systems. Finally numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Control and Optimization of Network in Networked Control System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Zhiwen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In order to avoid quality of performance (QoP degradation resulting from quality of service (QoS, the solution to network congestion from the point of control theory, which marks departure of our results from the existing methods, is proposed in this paper. The congestion and bandwidth are regarded as state and control variables, respectively; then, the linear time-invariant (LTI model between congestion state and bandwidth of network is established. Consequently, linear quadratic method is used to eliminate the network congestion by allocating bandwidth dynamically. At last, numerical simulation results are given to illustrate the effectiveness of this modeling approach.

Robust Stabilization of Fractional-Order Systems with Interval Uncertainties via Fractional-Order Controllers

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Sayyad Delshad Saleh

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract We propose a fractional-order controller to stabilize unstable fractional-order open-loop systems with interval uncertainty whereas one does not need to change the poles of the closed-loop system in the proposed method. For this, we will use the robust stability theory of Fractional-Order Linear Time Invariant (FO-LTI systems. To determine the control parameters, one needs only a little knowledge about the plant and therefore, the proposed controller is a suitable choice in the control of interval nonlinear systems and especially in fractional-order chaotic systems. Finally numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Bulk Ion Heating with ICRF Waves in Tokamaks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mantsinen, M. J.; Bilato, R.; Bobkov, V. V.

2015-01-01

Heating with ICRF waves is a well-established method on present-day tokamaks and one of the heating systems foreseen for ITER. However, further work is still needed to test and optimize its performance in fusion devices with metallic high-Z plasma facing components (PFCs) in preparation of ITER...... when 3 MW of ICRF power tuned to the central 3He ion cyclotron resonance was added to 4.5 MW of deuterium NBI. The radial gradient of the Ti profile reached locally values up to about 50 keV/m and the normalized logarithmic ion temperature gradients R/LTi of about 20, which are unusually large for AUG...

Body Composition and Mortality Predictors in Hemodialysis Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Caetano, Cristina; Valente, Ana; Oliveira, Telma; Garagarza, Cristina

2016-03-01

To evaluate how different compartments of body composition can affect survival in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Multicenter longitudinal observational study of a cohort of patients in HD with 12 months of follow-up. Patients from 34 Nephrocare dialysis units in Portugal were included. A total of 697 patients on maintenance HD during 4 hours 3 days per week were enrolled. Dry weight, presence of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), lean tissue index (LTI), fat tissue index (FTI), body cell mass index (BCMI), albumin and hydration status were recorded at baseline. In all patients, the assessment of body composition was carried out using the Body Composition Monitor (BCM; Fresenius Medical Care a Deutschland GmbH, Germany). Survival during a 12-month period of follow-up. Patient's mean (±standard deviation) age was 65.4 ± 14.3 years, and median (interquartile range) HD vintage was 41 (19-81) months. Patients who died during the study period, had higher age (P < .001), lower dry weight (P = .001), BMI (P < .001), albumin (P < .001), LTI (P = .015), and also lower BCMI (P = .046). Patients with diabetes (P = .045), BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2) (P < .001), albumin < 4.0 g/dL (P < .001), relative overhydration ≥ 15% (P = .001), low FTI (P = .019), and also those in the lowest tertile of BCMI (P = .022) displayed a significantly worse survival. In the Cox regression analysis, the overall mortality of patient was related to low FTI, relative overhydration, BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2), BCMI ≤ 5.2 kg/m(2), and albumin < 4.0 g/dL. Several body composition parameters demonstrated to have an important role in predicting 1-year mortality in HD patients. Albumin, FTI, and BMI were useful predictors of mortality in these patients. Copyright © 2016 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Field and geochemical constraints on the relationship between the Apoteri basalts (northern Brazil, southwestern Guyana) and the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, Viter M.; Santos, João Orestes S.; Ronchi, Luiz H.; Hartmann, Léo A.; Bicudo, Carlos Alberto; de Souza, Vladimir

2017-11-01

In northern Brazil, Roraima state and southwestern Guyana, basalt flows characterized by inflated pahoehoe structure occur along the margins of the Tacutu Rift Valley, dykes intrude the Paleoproterozoic basement close to the boundary of the rift system with concordant, NE-trend. The dykes and flows belong to Apoteri magmatism. New field, geochemical data (major, trace and rare-earth elements) and chemical stratigraphy of the Apoteri magmatism indicate petrographic and chemical homogeneity characteristic of continental tholeiitic basalts. The basalt flows of Morro Redondo and Nova Olinda sites show two distinct chemical groups: a) the lower flows with intermediate TiO2 content (ITi group) ranging from 1.09 to 1.41 wt%, MgO (5.64-6.46 wt%) and Ni (43-53 ppm) contents; and b) the upper flows with lower TiO2 content (LTi group) = 0.75 to 0.78 wt%, higher MgO = 7.95-8.85 wt% and Ni = 105-115 ppm. The two magma types share many characteristics in high field strength elements (HFSE) and rare earth elements (REE), but in detail significant differences exist in REE ratios, e.g. (La/Yb)N of ∼4.0 for ITi and 3.2 for LTi and this may be explained by fractional crystallization. The chemical compositions of the Apoteri dykes are similar the ITi group analyses, suggesting that they have the same origin. The La/Ba versus La/Nb diagram is indicative of large ion lithophile elements (LILE) enrichment and LILE/HFSE fractionation in the mantle source, and the data favor a dominant subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) component in the origin of the Apoteri flows and dykes. These data show consistent similar chemical characteristics and correspond to other tholeiitic flows from the large Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), especially eastern USA.

OsPEX11, a peroxisomal biogenesis factor 11, contributes to salt stress tolerance in Oryza sativa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cui Peng

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Peroxisomes are single membrane-bound organelles, whose basic enzymatic constituents are catalase and H2O2-producing flavin oxidases. Previous reports showed that peroxisome is involved in numerous processes including primary and secondary metabolism, plant development and abiotic stress responses. However, knowledge on the function of different peroxisome genes from rice and its regulatory roles in salt and other abiotic stresses is limited. Here, a novel prey protein, OsPEX11 (Os03g0302000, was screened and identified by yeast two-hybrid and GST pull down assays. Phenotypic analysis of OsPEX11 overexpression seedlings demonstrated that they had better tolerance to salt stress than wild type and OsPEX11-RNAi seedlings. Compared with wild type and OsPEX11-RNAi seedlings, overexpression of OsPEX11 had lower level of lipid peroxidation, Na+/K+ ratio, higher activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD and CAT and proline accumulation. Furthermore, qPCR data suggested that OsPEX11 acted as a positive regulator of salt tolerance by reinforcing the expression of several well-known rice transporters (OsHKT2;1, OsHKT1;5, OsLti6a, OsLti6b, OsSOS1, OsNHX1 and OsAKT1 involved in Na+/K+ homeostasis in transgenic plants under salinity. Ultrastructural observations of OsPEX11-RNAi seedlings showed that they were less sensitive to salt stress than wild type and overexpression lines. These results provide experimental evidence that OsPEX11 is an important gene implicated in Na+ and K+ regulation, and plays a critical role in salt stress tolerance by modulating the expression of cation transporters and antioxidant defense. Thus, OsPEX11 could be considered in transgenic breeding for improvement of salt stress tolerance in rice crop.

OsPEX11, a Peroxisomal Biogenesis Factor 11, Contributes to Salt Stress Tolerance in Oryza sativa.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Peng; Liu, Hongbo; Islam, Faisal; Li, Lan; Farooq, Muhammad A; Ruan, Songlin; Zhou, Weijun

2016-01-01

Peroxisomes are single membrane-bound organelles, whose basic enzymatic constituents are catalase and H 2 O 2 -producing flavin oxidases. Previous reports showed that peroxisome is involved in numerous processes including primary and secondary metabolism, plant development and abiotic stress responses. However, knowledge on the function of different peroxisome genes from rice and its regulatory roles in salt and other abiotic stresses is limited. Here, a novel prey protein, OsPEX11 (Os03g0302000), was screened and identified by yeast two-hybrid and GST pull-down assays. Phenotypic analysis of OsPEX11 overexpression seedlings demonstrated that they had better tolerance to salt stress than wild type (WT) and OsPEX11-RNAi seedlings. Compared with WT and OsPEX11-RNAi seedlings, overexpression of OsPEX11 had lower level of lipid peroxidation, Na + /K + ratio, higher activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT) and proline accumulation. Furthermore, qPCR data suggested that OsPEX11 acted as a positive regulator of salt tolerance by reinforcing the expression of several well-known rice transporters ( OsHKT2;1, OsHKT1;5, OsLti6a, OsLti6b, OsSOS1, OsNHX1 , and OsAKT1 ) involved in Na + /K + homeostasis in transgenic plants under salinity. Ultrastructural observations of OsPEX11-RNAi seedlings showed that they were less sensitive to salt stress than WT and overexpression lines. These results provide experimental evidence that OsPEX11 is an important gene implicated in Na + and K + regulation, and plays a critical role in salt stress tolerance by modulating the expression of cation transporters and antioxidant defense. Thus, OsPEX11 could be considered in transgenic breeding for improvement of salt stress tolerance in rice crop.

Advanced atherogenic index for the assessment of consolidated lipid risk in premature coronary artery disease patients in India

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Sanjiv Kumar Bansal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The high prevalence, severity, and prematurity of coronary artery disease (CAD in the Indian population cannot be completely explained by the conventional lipid parameters and the existing lipid indices. Aims and Objectives: To calculate newly defined advanced atherogenic index (AAI in premature CAD patients and compare it between cases and controls and Correlate its values with the existing indices. Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty premature CAD patients and an equal number of age and sex matched healthy individuals were included in this study. Lipid profile and nonconventional lipid parameters like oxidized Low density lipoprotein (OX LDL, small dense LDL (SD LDL, lipoprotein (a apolipoprotein B (Apo B, and apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1 were estimated and their values were used to define AAI and existing lipid indices like AI, lipid tetrad index (LTI and lipid pentad index (LPI. Results: The mean age of cases and controls was 37.29 + 4.50 and 36.13 + 3.53 years, respectively. The value of AAI was highly significant in cases (3461.22 ± 45.20 as compared to controls (305.84 ± 21.80. AAI has shown better statistical significance and correlation (P < 0.0001, r = 0.737 as compared to the earlier indices such as AI (P < 0.01, r = 0.52, LTI (P < 0.001, r = 0.677 and LPI (P < 0.001, r = 0.622 in premature CAD. Kolmogorov D statistic and cumulative distribution function plot has shown that AAI can discriminate cases and controls more accurately as compared to the earlier indices. Conclusion: Statistically AAI appears to be a better marker of consolidated lipid risk in premature CAD patients as compared to the earlier indices.

Diagnostic and therapeutic impact of MR enterography in Crohn's disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hafeez, R. [Department of Surgery, University College London Hospitals, NW1 2BU (United Kingdom); Punwani, S. [Centre for Medical Imaging, University College London (United Kingdom); Department of Specialist X-Ray, University College London Hospitals, NW1 2BU (United Kingdom); Boulos, P. [Department of Surgery, University College London Hospitals, NW1 2BU (United Kingdom); Bloom, S.; McCartney, S. [Department of Gastroenterology, University College London Hospitals, NW1 2BU (United Kingdom); Halligan, S. [Centre for Medical Imaging, University College London (United Kingdom); Department of Specialist X-Ray, University College London Hospitals, NW1 2BU (United Kingdom); Taylor, S.A., E-mail: csytaylor@yahoo.co.uk [Centre for Medical Imaging, University College London (United Kingdom); Department of Specialist X-Ray, University College London Hospitals, NW1 2BU (United Kingdom)

2011-12-15

Aim: To assess the impact of magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) on clinician diagnostic confidence and therapeutic strategy in patients under investigation for small bowel Crohn's disease. Material and methods: Gastroenterologists completed a proforma before and following MRE in 51 patients (mean age 35 years, 26 female) under investigation for small bowel Crohn's disease, indicating percentage confidence for presence/absence of small bowel involvement. In suspected disease, diagnostic confidence (using a scoring system from 1 = no to 6 = yes) was scored for subcategories: extent >30 cm (DE), terminal ileum (lTI), jejunal (JD), colonic disease (CoD), strictures (ST), activity (AD), extraluminal complications (EL), and surgical need (NS). Therapeutic strategy was recorded. Patients were divided into three groups: 1 = suspected disease, MRE normal (n = 15); 2 = suspected disease, MRE abnormal (n = 30); 3 = no suspected disease, MRE normal (n = 6). Binomial exact and paired t-tests were use to compare confidence pre and post-MRE. Results: Mean percentage confidence for the presence/absence of small bowel disease increased from 62 to 84% (p = 0.003), 87 to 98% (p = 0.0001), and 83 to 98% (p = 0.005) after MRE for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In suspected disease, confidence changed significantly for all of the subcategories (p < 0.001) except EL in group 1. The percentage of patients with a confidence change ranged from 40% (CoD) to 87% (lTI; group 1) and from 7% (EL) to 93% (DE; group 2). Therapeutic strategy changed in 31/51 (61%, 95% CI 47-74%), 14 with a reduction in planned therapy and 17 with an increase. Conclusion: MRE had a positive diagnostic impact in patients under investigation for small bowel Crohn's disease and this influenced therapeutic strategy in 61% of the patients.

Multiple Description Coding for Closed Loop Systems over Erasure Channels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Jan; Quevedo, Daniel

2013-01-01

In this paper, we consider robust source coding in closed-loop systems. In particular, we consider a (possibly) unstable LTI system, which is to be stabilized via a network. The network has random delays and erasures on the data-rate limited (digital) forward channel between the encoder (controller......) and the decoder (plant). The feedback channel from the decoder to the encoder is assumed noiseless. Since the forward channel is digital, we need to employ quantization.We combine two techniques to enhance the reliability of the system. First, in order to guarantee that the system remains stable during packet...... by showing that the system can be cast as a Markov jump linear system....

Fixed-structure Control of LTI Systems with Polytopic-type Uncertainty: Application to Inverter-interfaced Microgrids

OpenAIRE

Sad Abadi, Mahdieh Sadat

2016-01-01

This thesis focuses on the development of robust control solutions for linear time-invariant interconnected systems affected by polytopic-type uncertainty. The main issues involved in the control of such systems, e.g. sensor and actuator placement, control configuration selection, and robust fixed-structure control design are included. The problem of fixed-structure control is intrinsically nonconvex and hence computationally intractable. Nevertheless, the problem has attracted considerab...

Frequency-Domain Robust Performance Condition for Controller Uncertainty in SISO LTI Systems: A Geometric Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vahid Raissi Dehkordi

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the robust performance problem of a linear time-invariant control system in the presence of robust controller uncertainty. Assuming that plant uncertainty is modeled as an additive perturbation, a geometrical approach is followed in order to find a necessary and sufficient condition for robust performance in the form of a bound on the magnitude of controller uncertainty. This frequency domain bound is derived by converting the problem into an optimization problem, whose solution is shown to be more time-efficient than a conventional structured singular value calculation. The bound on controller uncertainty can be used in controller order reduction and implementation problems.

Performance of HTGR fertile particles irradiated in HFIR capsule HT-32

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, E.L. Jr.; Robbins, J.M.; Tiegs, T.N.; Kania, M.J.

1980-04-01

The HT-32 experiment was an uninstrumented capsule irradiated for four cycles in the target position of the High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). The experiment was designed to: provide supplemental simulated fuel rods for thermal transport and expansion measurements; test fertile kernels with Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 additives for improved fission product retention; study the stability and permeability of low-temperature isotropic (LTI) pyrocarbon coatings; test Biso- and Triso-coatings derived in a large (0.24-m-dia) coating furnace with a frit distributor; investigate the performance of particles with an outer layer of SiC both as loose particles and as resin-bonded fuel rods; and evaluate high-density alumina as a potential high-temperature thermometry sheathing material

Incentives – Effectiveness and efficiency

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Björn Hinderlich

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper covers the question if and how incentive schemes work evaluated by their impact on company performance (market capitalization and profit before tax. Based on a unique data set for German executive directors of DAX companies it can be proved that neither short (STI nor long term incentives (LTI plans necessarily support the company success. It rather depends on the efficiency of each plan, i. e. on its design. Special attention has to be paid on target setting. Short term focused objectives often miss their targets, whereas long term oriented objectives significantly support the company success. To solve the prisoner’s dilemma between employers and employees by a quasi-endless game, additional measures may be helpful, such as share ownership guidelines.

LMI-based gain scheduled controller synthesis for a class of linear parameter varying systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendtsen, Jan Dimon; Anderson, Brian; Lanzon, Alexander

2006-01-01

This paper presents a novel method for constructing controllers for a class of single-input multiple-output (SIMO) linear parameter varying (LPV) systems. This class of systems encompasses many physical systems, in particular systems where individual components vary with time, and is therefore...... of significant practical relevance to control designers. The control design presented in this paper has the properties that the system matrix of the closed loop is multi-affine in the various scalar parameters, and that the resulting controller ensures a certain degree of stability for the closed loop even when...... as a standard linear time-invariant (LTI) design combined with a set of linear matrix inequalities, which can be solved efficiently with software tools. The design procedure is illustrated by a numerical example....

Linear systems with unstructured multiplicative uncertainty: Modeling and robust stability analysis.

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Radek Matušů

Full Text Available This article deals with continuous-time Linear Time-Invariant (LTI Single-Input Single-Output (SISO systems affected by unstructured multiplicative uncertainty. More specifically, its aim is to present an approach to the construction of uncertain models based on the appropriate selection of a nominal system and a weight function and to apply the fundamentals of robust stability investigation for considered sort of systems. The initial theoretical parts are followed by three extensive illustrative examples in which the first order time-delay, second order and third order plants with parametric uncertainty are modeled as systems with unstructured multiplicative uncertainty and subsequently, the robust stability of selected feedback loops containing constructed models and chosen controllers is analyzed and obtained results are discussed.

Robust self-triggered model predictive control for constrained discrete-time LTI systems based on homothetic tubes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aydiner, E.; Brunner, F.D.; Heemels, W.P.M.H.; Allgower, F.

2015-01-01

In this paper we present a robust self-triggered model predictive control (MPC) scheme for discrete-time linear time-invariant systems subject to input and state constraints and additive disturbances. In self-triggered model predictive control, at every sampling instant an optimization problem based

Variation in the Abundance of OsHAK1 Transcript Underlies the Differential Salinity Tolerance of an indica and a japonica Rice Cultivar

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Guang Chen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Salinity imposes a major constraint over the productivity of rice. A set of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs, derived from a cross between the japonica type cultivar (cv. Nipponbare (salinity sensitive and the indica type cv. 9311 (moderately tolerant, was scored using a hydroponics system for their salinity tolerance at the seedling stage. Two of the CSSLs, which share a ∼1.2 Mbp stretch of chromosome 4 derived from cv. Nipponbare, were as sensitive to the stress as cv. Nipponbare itself. Fine mapping based on an F2 population bred from a backcross between one of these CSSLs and cv. 9311 narrowed this region to 95 Kbp, within which only one gene (OsHAK1 exhibited a differential (lower transcript abundance in cv. Nipponbare and the two CSSLs compared to in cv. 9311. The gene was up-regulated by exposure to salinity stress both in the root and the shoot, while a knockout mutant proved to be more salinity sensitive than its wild type with respect to its growth at both the vegetative and reproductive stages. Seedlings over-expressing OsHAK1 were more tolerant than wild type, displaying a superior photosynthetic rate, a higher leaf chlorophyll content, an enhanced accumulation of proline and a reduced level of lipid peroxidation. At the transcriptome level, the over-expression of OsHAK1 stimulated a number of stress-responsive genes as well as four genes known to be involved in Na+ homeostasis and the salinity response (OsHKT1;5, OsSOS1, OsLti6a and OsLti6b. When the stress was applied at booting through to maturity, the OsHAK1 over-expressors out-yielded wild type by 25%, and no negative pleiotropic effects were expressed in plants gown under non-saline conditions. The level of expression of OsHAK1 was correlated with Na+/K+ homeostasis, which implies that the gene should be explored a target for molecular approaches to the improvement of salinity tolerance in rice.

Type II heat-labile enterotoxins from 50 diverse Escherichia coli isolates belong almost exclusively to the LT-IIc family and may be prophage encoded.

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Michael G Jobling

Full Text Available Some enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC produce a type II heat-labile enterotoxin (LT-II that activates adenylate cyclase in susceptible cells but is not neutralized by antisera against cholera toxin or type I heat-labile enterotoxin (LT-I. LT-I variants encoded by plasmids in ETEC from humans and pigs have amino acid sequences that are ≥ 95% identical. In contrast, LT-II toxins are chromosomally encoded and are much more diverse. Early studies characterized LT-IIa and LT-IIb variants, but a novel LT-IIc was reported recently. Here we characterized the LT-II encoding loci from 48 additional ETEC isolates. Two encoded LT-IIa, none encoded LT-IIb, and 46 encoded highly related variants of LT-IIc. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the predicted LT-IIc toxins encoded by these loci could be assigned to 6 subgroups. The loci corresponding to individual toxins within each subgroup had DNA sequences that were more than 99% identical. The LT-IIc subgroups appear to have arisen by multiple recombinational events between progenitor loci encoding LT-IIc1- and LT-IIc3-like variants. All loci from representative isolates encoding the LT-IIa, LT-IIb, and each subgroup of LT-IIc enterotoxins are preceded by highly-related genes that are between 80 and 93% identical to predicted phage lysozyme genes. DNA sequences immediately following the B genes differ considerably between toxin subgroups, but all are most closely related to genomic sequences found in predicted prophages. Together these data suggest that the LT-II loci are inserted into lambdoid type prophages that may or may not be infectious. These findings raise the possibility that production of LT-II enterotoxins by ETEC may be determined by phage conversion and may be activated by induction of prophage, in a manner similar to control of production of Shiga-like toxins by converting phages in isolates of enterohemmorhagic E. coli.

Tribological characteristics of dental metal biomaterials

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Walczak Mariusz

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper is a report of the examination of the tribological wear characteristics of certain dental metal biomaterials. In the study, tests were undertaken on the following materials: 316L steel, NiCrMo alloy, technically pure titanium (ASTM-grade 2 and Ti6Al4V ELI alloy (ASTM-grade 5. The tribological tests were performed in artificial saliva to determine the coefficient of friction and wear factor; the traces of wear were then ascertained through SEM. The significance of variations in the wear factor, was subsequently assessed by the U Mann-Whitney test. The resistance to wear in the ball-on-disc test under in vitro conditions was observed for the tested materials in the following order: NiCrMo>316L>Ti6Al4V>Ti grade 2.

Functional and phenotypic heterogeneity of group 3 innate lymphoid cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo-Gonzalez, Felipe; Hepworth, Matthew R

2017-03-01

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3), defined by expression of the transcription factor retinoid-related orphan receptor γt, play key roles in the regulation of inflammation and immunity in the gastrointestinal tract and associated lymphoid tissues. ILC3 consist largely of two major subsets, NCR + ILC3 and LTi-like ILC3, but also demonstrate significant plasticity and heterogeneity. Recent advances have begun to dissect the relationship between ILC3 subsets and to define distinct functional states within the intestinal tissue microenvironment. In this review we discuss the ever-expanding roles of ILC3 in the context of intestinal homeostasis, infection and inflammation - with a focus on comparing and contrasting the relative contributions of ILC3 subsets. © 2016 The Authors. Immunology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Interpreting Popov criteria in Lure´ systems with complex scaling stability analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, J.

2018-06-01

The paper presents a novel frequency-domain interpretation of Popov criteria for absolute stability in Lure´ systems by means of what we call complex scaling stability analysis. The complex scaling technique is developed for exponential/asymptotic stability in LTI feedback systems, which dispenses open-loop poles distribution, contour/locus orientation and prior frequency sweeping. Exploiting the technique for alternatively revealing positive realness of transfer functions, re-interpreting Popov criteria is explicated. More specifically, the suggested frequency-domain stability conditions are conformable both in scalar and multivariable cases, and can be implemented either graphically with locus plotting or numerically without; in particular, the latter is suitable as a design tool with auxiliary parameter freedom. The interpretation also reveals further frequency-domain facts about Lure´ systems. Numerical examples are included to illustrate the main results.

Irradiation test OF-2: high-temperature irradiation behavior of LASL-made fuel rods and LASL-made coated particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, P.; Reiswig, R.D.; Hollabaugh, C.M.; White, R.W.; O'Rourke, J.A.; Davidson, K.V.; Schell, D.H.

1977-10-01

Three LASL-made, substoichiometric ZrC-coated particles with inert kernels, and two high-density molded graphite fuel rods that contained LASL-made, ZrC-coated fissile particles were irradiated in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor test OF-2. The severest test conditions were 8.36 x 10 21 nvt (E greater than 0.18 MeV) at 1350 0 C. The graphite matrix showed no effect of the irradiation. There was no interaction between the matrix and any of the particle coats. The loose ZrC coated particles with inert kernels showed no irradiation effects. The graded ZrC-C coats on the fissile particles were cracked. It is postulated that the cracking is associated with the low LTI deposition rate and is not related to the ZrC

PERAN KEPUASAN DALAM MEMEDIASI PENGARUH KOMUNITAS MEREK TERHADAP LOYALITAS PENGGUNA HARLEY-DAVIDSON DI KOTA DENPASAR

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I Gede Nandya Oktora Panasea

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This study empirically explores the influences of brand community on loyalty when mediated by satisfaction. The data on this research were collected from observation, interviews, and  questionnaires.Data analysis methods that used on this research were descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions were used to describes the  characteristics of the respondents, while inferential statisticssuch  as  Baron  and  Kenny  Steps  and  Sobel  test  is  used  to  test  the  hypotheses.  The  results  showed  that satisfaction partially mediates the effect of brand community on loyalty of Harley-Davidson users inDenpasar. It shows that satisfaction is an essential element for the brand community to realize the brand loya lty.

Weed identification using an automated active shape matching (AASM) technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

C. Swain, Kishore; Nørremark, Michael; Jørgensen, Rasmus Nyholm

2011-01-01

Weed identification and control is a challenge for intercultural operations in agriculture. As an alternative to chemical pest control, a smart weed identification technique followed by mechanical weed control system could be developed. The proposed smart identification technique works on the con......Weed identification and control is a challenge for intercultural operations in agriculture. As an alternative to chemical pest control, a smart weed identification technique followed by mechanical weed control system could be developed. The proposed smart identification technique works...... on the concept of ‘active shape modelling’ to identify weed and crop plants based on their morphology. The automated active shape matching system (AASM) technique consisted of, i) a Pixelink camera ii) an LTI (Lehrstuhlfuer technische informatik) image processing library, iii) a laptop pc with the Linux OS. A 2...

Adaptive Observer-Based Fault-Tolerant Control Design for Uncertain Systems

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Huaming Qian

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study focuses on the design of the robust fault-tolerant control (FTC system based on adaptive observer for uncertain linear time invariant (LTI systems. In order to improve robustness, rapidity, and accuracy of traditional fault estimation algorithm, an adaptive fault estimation algorithm (AFEA using an augmented observer is presented. By utilizing a new fault estimator model, an improved AFEA based on linear matrix inequality (LMI technique is proposed to increase the performance. Furthermore, an observer-based state feedback fault-tolerant control strategy is designed, which guarantees the stability and performance of the faulty system. Moreover, the adaptive observer and the fault-tolerant controller are designed separately, whose performance can be considered, respectively. Finally, simulation results of an aircraft application are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design methods.

Harmonic Interaction Analysis in Grid Connected Converter using Harmonic State Space (HSS) Modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kwon, Jun Bum; Wang, Xiongfei; Bak, Claus Leth

2015-01-01

-model, are introduced to analyze these problems. However, it is found that Linear Time Invariant (LTI) base model analysis makes it difficult to analyze these phenomenon because of time varying system operation trajectories, varying output impedance seen by grid connected systems and neglected switching component......An increasing number of power electronics based Distributed Generation (DG) systems and loads generate coupled harmonic as well as non-characteristic harmonic with each other. Several methods like impedance based analysis, which is derived from conventional small signal- and average...... during the modeling process. This paper investigates grid connected converter by means of Harmonic State Space (HSS) small signal model, which is modeled from Linear Time varying Periodically (LTP) system. Further, a grid connected converter harmonic matrix is investigated to analyze the harmonic...

The Robust Control Mixer Method for Reconfigurable Control Design By Using Model Matching Strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Z.; Blanke, Mogens; Verhagen, M.

2001-01-01

This paper proposes a robust reconfigurable control synthesis method based on the combination of the control mixer method and robust H1 con- trol techniques through the model-matching strategy. The control mixer modules are extended from the conventional matrix-form into the LTI sys- tem form....... By regarding the nominal control system as the desired model, an augmented control system is constructed through the model-matching formulation, such that the current robust control techniques can be usedto synthesize these dynamical modules. One extension of this method with respect to the performance...... recovery besides the functionality recovery is also discussed under this framework. Comparing with the conventional control mixer method, the proposed method considers the recon gured system's stability, performance and robustness simultaneously. Finally, the proposed method is illustrated by a case study...

Linear Matrix Inequality Based Fuzzy Synchronization for Fractional Order Chaos

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Bin Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates fuzzy synchronization for fractional order chaos via linear matrix inequality. Based on generalized Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model, one efficient stability condition for fractional order chaos synchronization or antisynchronization is given. The fractional order stability condition is transformed into a set of linear matrix inequalities and the rigorous proof details are presented. Furthermore, through fractional order linear time-invariant (LTI interval theory, the approach is developed for fractional order chaos synchronization regardless of the system with uncertain parameters. Three typical examples, including synchronization between an integer order three-dimensional (3D chaos and a fractional order 3D chaos, anti-synchronization of two fractional order hyperchaos, and the synchronization between an integer order 3D chaos and a fractional order 4D chaos, are employed to verify the theoretical results.

Compact tunable silicon photonic differential-equation solver for general linear time-invariant systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jiayang; Cao, Pan; Hu, Xiaofeng; Jiang, Xinhong; Pan, Ting; Yang, Yuxing; Qiu, Ciyuan; Tremblay, Christine; Su, Yikai

2014-10-20

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an all-optical temporal differential-equation solver that can be used to solve ordinary differential equations (ODEs) characterizing general linear time-invariant (LTI) systems. The photonic device implemented by an add-drop microring resonator (MRR) with two tunable interferometric couplers is monolithically integrated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer with a compact footprint of ~60 μm × 120 μm. By thermally tuning the phase shifts along the bus arms of the two interferometric couplers, the proposed device is capable of solving first-order ODEs with two variable coefficients. The operation principle is theoretically analyzed, and system testing of solving ODE with tunable coefficients is carried out for 10-Gb/s optical Gaussian-like pulses. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the fabricated device as a tunable photonic ODE solver.

A distributed model predictive control scheme for leader-follower multi-agent systems

Science.gov (United States)

Franzè, Giuseppe; Lucia, Walter; Tedesco, Francesco

2018-02-01

In this paper, we present a novel receding horizon control scheme for solving the formation problem of leader-follower configurations. The algorithm is based on set-theoretic ideas and is tuned for agents described by linear time-invariant (LTI) systems subject to input and state constraints. The novelty of the proposed framework relies on the capability to jointly use sequences of one-step controllable sets and polyhedral piecewise state-space partitions in order to online apply the 'better' control action in a distributed receding horizon fashion. Moreover, we prove that the design of both robust positively invariant sets and one-step-ahead controllable regions is achieved in a distributed sense. Simulations and numerical comparisons with respect to centralised and local-based strategies are finally performed on a group of mobile robots to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

Poliuretanos obtenidos a partir de aceite de higuerilla modificado y poli-isocianatos de lisina: síntesis, propiedades mecánicas y térmicas y degradación in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel F. Valero

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Biodegradable polyurethanes (PUR were prepared from polyols derived from castor oil by transesterification of pentaerythritol-modified castor oil and lysine polyisocyanates (LDI and LTI. The polyurethanes obtained were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA. The mechanical behavior of the polyurethanes was measured by Shore A hardness and tensile testing (stress-strain curves. The biodegradable nature of the material was determined by contact angle, water absorption tests, and in vitro degradation in PBS solution. This study aims to examine the effect of the structure and functionality of diisocyanate on the mechanical properties and in vitro degradation of the material. The results were compared with homologous materials obtained from isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI used in previous works. The objective was to evaluate candidate materials that can be potentially used in tissue engineering.

Algal testing of titanium dioxide nanoparticles - Testing considerations, inhibitory effects and modification of cadmium bioavailability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartmann, Nanna Isabella Bloch; von der Kammer, F.; Hofmann, T.

2010-01-01

The ecotoxicity of three different sizes of titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) particles (primary particles sizes: 10, 30, and 300 nm) to the freshwater green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata was investigated in this study. Algal growth inhibition was found for all three particle types...... surfaces. It is also believed that heteroaggregation, driven by algal exopolymeric exudates, is occurring and could influence the concentration-response relationship. The ecotoxicity of cadmium to algae was investigated both in the presence and absence of 2 mg/LTiO(2). The presence of TiO(2) in algal tests......(II) species, indicating a possible carrier effect, or combined toxic effect of TiO(2) nanoparticles and cadmium. These results emphasize the importance of systematic studies of nanoecotoxicological effects of different sizes of nanoparticles and underline the fact that, in addition to particle toxicity...

Data Driven Economic Model Predictive Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoud Kheradmandi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This manuscript addresses the problem of data driven model based economic model predictive control (MPC design. To this end, first, a data-driven Lyapunov-based MPC is designed, and shown to be capable of stabilizing a system at an unstable equilibrium point. The data driven Lyapunov-based MPC utilizes a linear time invariant (LTI model cognizant of the fact that the training data, owing to the unstable nature of the equilibrium point, has to be obtained from closed-loop operation or experiments. Simulation results are first presented demonstrating closed-loop stability under the proposed data-driven Lyapunov-based MPC. The underlying data-driven model is then utilized as the basis to design an economic MPC. The economic improvements yielded by the proposed method are illustrated through simulations on a nonlinear chemical process system example.

Desarrollo y aplicación del diagnóstico y pronóstico técnico al mantenimiento de los sistemas centralizados de aire acondicionado // Develop and application of the diagnosis and technical prediction to the maintenance of the centralized systems of conditi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. L. Sánchez Ávila

2000-10-01

Full Text Available Se expone la aplicación del mantenimiento por diagnóstico y pronóstico técnico al sistema centralizado de aireacondicionado con recuperación del calor del hotel LTI Bella Costa; como solución a los graves problemas a que seenfrenta la dirección de servicios técnicos de las instalaciones turísticas para realizar un mantenimiento con calidad y a unmenor costo.El desarrollo de un plan experimental, en las instalaciones del hotel, permitió obtener las curvas que expresan elcomportamiento de la degradación de estos sistemas en el tiempo, así como determinar el momento más oportuno para larealización del mantenimiento.La aplicación de esta investigación permitió la implementación de un mantenimiento menos costoso y de más calidad,aumentando la rentabilidad de la labor del mantenimiento, y lo que es decisivo en este tipo de instalación: la seguridad en laexplotación como garantía de un servicio sin fallas.Palabras claves: mantenimiento, refrigeración, predictivo, diagnóstico, pronóstico.____________________________________________________________________Abstract:In this paper is exposed the application of the maintenance by diagnosis and technical prediction to the centralized systemof air conditioned with heat recovery of the hotel Beautiful LTI Costa; as a solution to the serious problems that thetechnical management services faces in the tourist facilities to carry out a maintenance with quality and whith smaller cost.The development of an experimental plan, in the hotel facilities, allowed to obtain the curves that express the behavior ofthe degradation of these systems in the time, as well as to determine the most opportune moment for the realization of themaintenance.The application of this investigation allowed the implementation of a less expensive maintenance and of more quality,increasing the profitability of the maintenance work, and what is decisive in this installation type: the security in theexploitation as a

On the fractography of overload, stress corrosion, and cyclic fatigue failures in pyrolytic-carbon materials used in prosthetic heart-valve devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, R O; Dauskardt, R H; Pennisi, F J

1992-01-01

A scanning electron microscopy study is reported of the nature and morphology of fracture surfaces in pyrocarbons commonly used for the manufacture of mechanical heart-valve prostheses. Specifically, silicon-alloyed low-temperature-isotropic (LTI)-pyrolytic carbon is examined, both as a coating on graphite and as a monolithic material, following overload, stress corrosion (static fatigue), and cyclic fatigue failures in a simulated physiological environment of 37 degrees C Ringer's solution. It is found that, in contrast to most metallic materials yet in keeping with many ceramics, there are no distinct fracture morphologies in pyro-carbons which are characteristic of a specific mode of loading; fracture surfaces appear to be identical for both catastrophic and subcritical crack growth under either sustained or cyclic loading. We conclude that caution should be used in assigning the likely cause of failure of pyrolytic carbon heart-valve components using fractographic examination.

Electroacoustics modeling of piezoelectric welders for ultrasonic additive manufacturing processes

Science.gov (United States)

Hehr, Adam; Dapino, Marcelo J.

2016-04-01

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a recent 3D metal printing technology which utilizes ultrasonic vibrations from high power piezoelectric transducers to additively weld similar and dissimilar metal foils. CNC machining is used intermittent of welding to create internal channels, embed temperature sensitive components, sensors, and materials, and for net shaping parts. Structural dynamics of the welder and work piece influence the performance of the welder and part quality. To understand the impact of structural dynamics on UAM, a linear time-invariant model is used to relate system shear force and electric current inputs to the system outputs of welder velocity and voltage. Frequency response measurements are combined with in-situ operating measurements of the welder to identify model parameters and to verify model assumptions. The proposed LTI model can enhance process consistency, performance, and guide the development of improved quality monitoring and control strategies.

Consideration of Gyroscopic Effect in Fault Detection and Isolation for Unbalance Excited Rotor Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhentao Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Fault detection and isolation (FDI in rotor systems often faces the problem that the system dynamics is dependent on the rotor rotary frequency because of the gyroscopic effect. In unbalance excited rotor systems, the continuously distributed unbalances are hard to be determined or estimated accurately. The unbalance forces as disturbances make fault detection more complicated. The aim of this paper is to develop linear time invariant (LTI FDI methods (i.e., with constant parameters for rotor systems under consideration of gyroscopic effect and disturbances. Two approaches to describe the gyroscopic effect, that is, as unknown inputs and as model uncertainties, are investigated. Based on these two approaches, FDI methods are developed and the results are compared regarding the resulting FDI performances. Results are obtained by the application in a rotor test rig. Restrictions for the application of these methods are discussed.

The Robust Control Mixer Module Method for Control Reconfiguration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Z.; Blanke, M.

1999-01-01

into a LTI dynamical system, and furthermore multiple dynamical control mixer modules can be employed in our consideration. The H_{\\infty} control theory is used for the analysis and design of the robust control mixer modules. Finally, one practical robot arm system as benchmark is used to test the proposed......The control mixer concept is efficient in improving an ordinary control system into a fault tolerant one, especially for these control systems of which the real-time and on-line redesign of the control laws is very difficult. In order to consider the stability, performance and robustness...... of the reconfigurated system simultaneously, and to deal with a more general controller reconfiguration than the static feedback mechanism by using the control mixer approach, the robust control mixer module method is proposed in this paper. The form of the control mixer module extends from a static gain matrix...

Robust Adaptive Stabilization of Linear Time-Invariant Dynamic Systems by Using Fractional-Order Holds and Multirate Sampling Controls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Alonso-Quesada

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a strategy for designing a robust discrete-time adaptive controller for stabilizing linear time-invariant (LTI continuous-time dynamic systems. Such systems may be unstable and noninversely stable in the worst case. A reduced-order model is considered to design the adaptive controller. The control design is based on the discretization of the system with the use of a multirate sampling device with fast-sampled control signal. A suitable on-line adaptation of the multirate gains guarantees the stability of the inverse of the discretized estimated model, which is used to parameterize the adaptive controller. A dead zone is included in the parameters estimation algorithm for robustness purposes under the presence of unmodeled dynamics in the controlled dynamic system. The adaptive controller guarantees the boundedness of the system measured signal for all time. Some examples illustrate the efficacy of this control strategy.

6th Conference on Non-integer Order Calculus and Its Applications

CERN Document Server

Łukaniszyn, Marian; Stanisławski, Rafał

2015-01-01

This volume presents selected aspects of non-integer, or fractional order systems, whose analysis, synthesis and applications have increasingly become a real challenge for various research communities, ranging from science to engineering. The spectrum of applications of the fractional order calculus has incredibly expanded, in fact it would be hard to find a science/engineering-related subject area where the fractional calculus had not been incorporated. The content of the fractional calculus is ranged from pure mathematics to engineering implementations and so is the content of this volume. The volume is subdivided into six parts, reflecting particular aspects of the fractional order calculus. The first part contains a single invited paper on a new formulation of fractional-order descriptor observers for fractional-order descriptor continous LTI systems. The second part provides new elements to the mathematical theory of fractional-order systems. In the third part of this volume, a bunch of new results in ap...

Zādzība kvalificējošos apstākļos

OpenAIRE

Šleija, Ilze

2012-01-01

Maģistra darba tēma ir „Zādzība kvalificējošos apstākļos”. Maģistra darba mērķis bija noskaidrot zādzības kvalificējošo apstākļu izpratni teorijā un to piemērošanu praksē. Aplūkojot krimināltiesību teorijā paustās atziņas un analizējot tiesu praksi, maģistra darbā tika noskaidroti problēmjautājumi, kas rodas kvalificējot zādzību, kas izdarīta, iekļūstot dzīvoklī vai citā telpā, vai ja tā izdarīta no glabātavas, ietaises, kas savieno glabātavas, vai transportlīdzekļa, zādzība izdarīta atkārtot...

Bioētikas krimināltiesiskie aspekti

OpenAIRE

Lisovskis, Jānis

2011-01-01

Šis darbs ir veltīts nozīmīgu bioētikas jautājumu aplūkošanai saistība ar krimināltiesībām, precīzāk, ģenētiskās inženierijas saistību ar Krimināllikumu. Straujā attīstība tādās zinātnes nozarēs kā nanotehnoloģijas, ģenētiskā inženierija, manipulācijas ar audiem un cilmes šūnām, kā arī citās ar šīm saistītās biomedicīnas nozarēs rada jaunu problēmu riskus, proti, robežu noteikšana, cik tālu zinātne var sniegties. Lai gan modernajiem atklājumiem medicīnā ir ļoti liels potenciāls uzlabo...

Time Series Forecasting with Missing Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shin-Fu Wu

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Time series prediction has become more popular in various kinds of applications such as weather prediction, control engineering, financial analysis, industrial monitoring, etc. To deal with real-world problems, we are often faced with missing values in the data due to sensor malfunctions or human errors. Traditionally, the missing values are simply omitted or replaced by means of imputation methods. However, omitting those missing values may cause temporal discontinuity. Imputation methods, on the other hand, may alter the original time series. In this study, we propose a novel forecasting method based on least squares support vector machine (LSSVM. We employ the input patterns with the temporal information which is defined as local time index (LTI. Time series data as well as local time indexes are fed to LSSVM for doing forecasting without imputation. We compare the forecasting performance of our method with other imputation methods. Experimental results show that the proposed method is promising and is worth further investigations.

Signals and transforms in linear systems analysis

CERN Document Server

Wasylkiwskyj, Wasyl

2013-01-01

Signals and Transforms in Linear Systems Analysis covers the subject of signals and transforms, particularly in the context of linear systems theory. Chapter 2 provides the theoretical background for the remainder of the text. Chapter 3 treats Fourier series and integrals. Particular attention is paid to convergence properties at step discontinuities. This includes the Gibbs phenomenon and its amelioration via the Fejer summation techniques. Special topics include modulation and analytic signal representation, Fourier transforms and analytic function theory, time-frequency analysis and frequency dispersion. Fundamentals of linear system theory for LTI analogue systems, with a brief account of time-varying systems, are covered in Chapter 4 . Discrete systems are covered in Chapters 6 and 7.  The Laplace transform treatment in Chapter 5 relies heavily on analytic function theory as does Chapter 8 on Z -transforms. The necessary background on complex variables is provided in Appendix A. This book is intended to...

A Framework Based on a Systems Approach to Developing Safety Indicators in Fish Farming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siri Mariane Holen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The fish farming industry is one of the industries in Norway with the highest occupational fatality and injury rate. Despite the serious health, safety, and environmental issues in the industry, little is done to measure changes in safety over time beyond the traditional Lost Time Injury (LTI registrations. In this article the objective is twofold; (i to propose a framework for developing safety indicators based on Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA, and (ii to apply the framework to find indicators relevant for hazards in operations where subcontractors participate. STPA uses a hierarchical portrayal of the system in focus, in contrast to sequential models, and views safety as a control problem. It is believed that a systemic approach to indicator development better captures the complex safety challenges in aquaculture. Thirteen indicators are identified within areas such as maintenance, training, and planning. The indicators identified may function as a basis for decisions and actions that must be undertaken to ensure safe operations.

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF PILOT BASED CHANNEL ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES IN MB OFDM SYSTEMS

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M. Madheswaran

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Ultra wideband (UWB communication is mainly used for short range of communication in wireless personal area networks. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM is being used as a key physical layer technology for Fourth Generation (4G wireless communication. OFDM based communication gives high spectral efficiency and mitigates Inter-symbol Interference (ISI in a wireless medium. In this paper the IEEE 802.15.3a based Multiband OFDM (MB OFDM system is considered. The pilot based channel estimation techniques are considered to analyze the performance of MB OFDM systems over Liner Time Invariant (LTI Channel models. In this paper, pilot based Least Square (LS and Least Minimum Mean Square Error (LMMSE channel estimation technique has been considered for UWB OFDM system. In the proposed method, the estimated Channel Impulse Responses (CIRs are filtered in the time domain for the consideration of the channel delay spread. Also the performance of proposed system has been analyzed for different modulation techniques for various pilot density patterns.

De novo Transcriptome Assembly of Floral Buds of Pineapple and Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in Response to Ethephon Induction

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chuan-He; Fan, Chao

2016-01-01

A remarkable characteristic of pineapple is its ability to undergo floral induction in response to external ethylene stimulation. However, little information is available regarding the molecular mechanism underlying this process. In this study, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in plants exposed to 1.80 mL·L−1 (T1) or 2.40 mL·L−1 ethephon (T2) compared with Ct plants (control, cleaning water) were identified using RNA-seq and gene expression profiling. Illumina sequencing generated 65,825,224 high-quality reads that were assembled into 129,594 unigenes with an average sequence length of 1173 bp. Of these unigenes, 24,775 were assigned to specific KEGG pathways, of which metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were the most highly represented. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the annotated unigenes revealed that the majority were involved in metabolic and cellular processes, cell and cell part, catalytic activity and binding. Gene expression profiling analysis revealed 3788, 3062, and 758 DEGs in the comparisons of T1 with Ct, T2 with Ct, and T2 with T1, respectively. GO analysis indicated that these DEGs were predominantly annotated to metabolic and cellular processes, cell and cell part, catalytic activity, and binding. KEGG pathway analysis revealed the enrichment of several important pathways among the DEGs, including metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and plant hormone signal transduction. Thirteen DEGs were identified as candidate genes associated with the process of floral induction by ethephon, including three ERF-like genes, one ETR-like gene, one LTI-like gene, one FT-like gene, one VRN1-like gene, three FRI-like genes, one AP1-like gene, one CAL-like gene, and one AG-like gene. qPCR analysis indicated that the changes in the expression of these 13 candidate genes were consistent with the alterations in the corresponding RPKM values, confirming the accuracy and credibility of the RNA-seq and gene

Distinct pattern of lesion distribution in multiple sclerosis is associated with different circulating T-helper and helper-like innate lymphoid cell subsets.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Catharina C; Schulte-Mecklenbeck, Andreas; Hanning, Uta; Posevitz-Fejfár, Anita; Korsukewitz, Catharina; Schwab, Nicholas; Meuth, Sven G; Wiendl, Heinz; Klotz, Luisa

2017-06-01

Distinct lesion topography in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) might be due to different antigen presentation and/or trafficking routes of immune cells into the central nervous system (CNS). To investigate whether distinct lesion patterns in multiple sclerosis (MS) might be associated with a predominance of distinct circulating T-helper cell subset as well as their innate counterparts. Flow cytometric analysis of lymphocytes derived from the peripheral blood of patients with exclusively cerebral (n = 20) or predominantly spinal (n = 12) disease manifestation. Patients with exclusively cerebral or preferential spinal lesion manifestation were associated with increased proportions of circulating granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) producing T H 1 cells or interleukin (IL)-17-producing T H 17 cells, respectively. In contrast, proportions of peripheral IL-17/IL-22-producing lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi), the innate counterpart of T H 17 cells, were enhanced in RRMS patients with exclusively cerebral lesion topography. Distinct T-helper and T-helper-like innate lymphoid cell (ILC) subsets are associated with different lesion topography in RRMS.

The Yin and Yang of Innate Lymphoid Cells in Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrega, Paolo; Campana, Stefania; Bonaccorsi, Irene; Ferlazzo, Guido

2016-11-01

The recent appreciation of novel subsets of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) as important regulators of tissue homeostasis, inflammation and repair, raise questions regarding the presence and role of these cells in cancer tissues. In addition to natural killer and fetal lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells, the ILC family comprises non-cytolytic, cytokine-producing cells that are classified into ILC1, ILC2 and ILC3 based on phenotypic and functional characteristics. Differently from natural killer cells, which are the prototypical members of ILC1 and whose role in tumors is better established, the involvement of other ILC subsets in cancer progression or resistance is still fuzzy and in several instances controversial, since current studies indicate both context-dependent beneficial or pathogenic effects. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding the involvement of these novel ILC subsets in the context of tumor immunology, highlighting how ILC subsets might behave either as friends or foes. Copyright © 2016 European Federation of Immunological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of interleukin (IL)-17 and T-helper (Th)17 cells in cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yang; Yang, Jian Ming

2017-11-04

Interleukin-17 (IL-17), a pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine, is reported to be significantly generated by a distinct subset of CD4 + T-cells, upgrading cancer-elicited inflammation and preventing cancer cells from immune surveillance. T-helper (Th)17 cells produced from naive CD4 + T cells have recently been renowned and generally accepted, gaining eminence in cancer studies and playing the effective role in context of cancer. Th17 cells are the main source of IL-17-secreting cells, It was found that other cell types produced this cytokine as well, including Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3), δγT cells, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, lymphoid-tissue inducer (LTi)-like cells and Natural killer (NK) cells. Th17-associated cytokines give impetus to tumor progression, or inducing angiogenesis and metastasis. This review demonstrates an understanding on how the pro- or antitumor function of Th17 cells and IL-17 may change cancer progression, leading to the appearance of complex and pivotal biologic activities in tumor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of generalized state transfer matrix using neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Changchun

2001-01-01

The research is introduced on identification of generalized state transfer matrix of linear time-invariant (LTI) system by use of neural networks based on LM (Levenberg-Marquart) algorithm. Firstly, the generalized state transfer matrix is defined. The relationship between the identification of state transfer matrix of structural dynamics and the identification of the weight matrix of neural networks has been established in theory. A singular layer neural network is adopted to obtain the structural parameters as a powerful tool that has parallel distributed processing ability and the property of adaptation or learning. The constraint condition of weight matrix of the neural network is deduced so that the learning and training of the designed network can be more effective. The identified neural network can be used to simulate the structural response excited by any other signals. In order to cope with its further application in practical problems, some noise (5% and 10%) is expected to be present in the response measurements. Results from computer simulation studies show that this method is valid and feasible

Subspace identification of Hammer stein models using support vector machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Dhaifallah, Mujahed

2011-01-01

System identification is the art of finding mathematical tools and algorithms that build an appropriate mathematical model of a system from measured input and output data. Hammerstein model, consisting of a memoryless nonlinearity followed by a dynamic linear element, is often a good trade-off as it can represent some dynamic nonlinear systems very accurately, but is nonetheless quite simple. Moreover, the extensive knowledge about LTI system representations can be applied to the dynamic linear block. On the other hand, finding an effective representation for the nonlinearity is an active area of research. Recently, support vector machines (SVMs) and least squares support vector machines (LS-SVMs) have demonstrated powerful abilities in approximating linear and nonlinear functions. In contrast with other approximation methods, SVMs do not require a-priori structural information. Furthermore, there are well established methods with guaranteed convergence (ordinary least squares, quadratic programming) for fitting LS-SVMs and SVMs. The general objective of this research is to develop new subspace algorithms for Hammerstein systems based on SVM regression.

Diverse Roles of Inhibitor of Differentiation 2 in Adaptive Immunity

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Lucille Rankin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The helix-loop-helix (HLH transcription factor inhibitor of DNA binding 2 (Id2 has been implicated as a regulator of hematopoiesis and embryonic development. While its role in early lymphopoiesis has been well characterized, new roles in adaptive immune responses have recently been uncovered opening exciting new directions for investigation. In the innate immune system, Id2 is required for the development of mature natural killer (NK cells, lymphoid tissue-inducer (LTi cells, and the recently identified interleukin (IL-22 secreting nonconventional innate lymphocytes found in the gut. In addition, Id2 has been implicated in the development of specific dendritic cell (DC subsets, decisions determining the formation of αβ and γδ T-cell development, NK T-cell behaviour, and in the maintenance of effector and memory CD8+ T cells in peripheral tissues. Here, we review the current understanding of the role of Id2 in lymphopoiesis and in the development of the adaptive immune response required for maintaining immune homeostasis and immune protection.

Analysis and Design of Timing Recovery Schemes for DMT Systems over Indoor Power-Line Channels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cortés José Antonio

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Discrete multitone (DMT modulation is a suitable technique to cope with main impairments of broadband indoor power-line channels: spectral selectivity and cyclic time variations. Due to the high-density constellations employed to achieve the required bit-rates, synchronization issues became an important concern in these scenarios. This paper analyzes the performance of a conventional DMT timing recovery scheme designed for linear time-invariant (LTI channels when employed over indoor power lines. The influence of the channel cyclic short-term variations and the sampling jitter on the system performance is assessed. Bit-rate degradation due to timing errors is evaluated in a set of measured channels. It is shown that this synchronization mechanism limits the system performance in many residential channels. Two improvements are proposed to avoid this end: a new phase error estimator that takes into account the short-term changes in the channel response, and the introduction of notch filters in the timing recovery loop. Simulations confirm that the new scheme eliminates the bit-rate loss in most situations.

Mediação da informação: um olhar sobre o portal LTi a partir literatura indexada na Brapci.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isa Maria Freire

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Introdução: Apresenta resultados de pesquisa exploratória sobre a produção científica publicada sobre a temática no campo da Ciência da Informação, no Brasil, com vistas à identificação de abordagens teóricas e epistemológicas.Objetivo: Observar, na literatura indexada na Base de Dados Referencial de Artigos de Periódicos em Ciência da Informação, os indícios de abordagens sobre a temática , no Brasil.Metodologia: A pesquisa utilizou o método indiciário e o procedimento de brauseio para buscar a produção científica sobre a temática na Brapci, selecionando 13 artigos, publicados em nove periódicos, que apresentam o termo de busca nos títulos e palavras-chave, para compor uma amostra do território da literatura, onde os indícios de abordagens foram observados.Resultados: Observamos que os artigos que compõem a amostra apresentam os indícios de várias temáticas relacionadas a , destacando-se: , , , , , , .Conclusão: Cotejamos os resultados da nossa observação com aqueles obtidos na pesquisa de Gomes (2010 sobre a produção na temática , embora usando metodologia diferente da adotada neste exercício, encontrando similaridades que tanto confirmam nossos resultados quanto ratificam a metodologia que adotamos.

Oxysterol Sensing through the Receptor GPR183 Promotes the Lymphoid-Tissue-Inducing Function of Innate Lymphoid Cells and Colonic Inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Emgård, Johanna; Kammoun, Hana; García-Cassani, Bethania; Chesné, Julie; Parigi, Sara M; Jacob, Jean-Marie; Cheng, Hung-Wei; Evren, Elza; Das, Srustidhar; Czarnewski, Paulo; Sleiers, Natalie; Melo-Gonzalez, Felipe; Kvedaraite, Egle; Svensson, Mattias; Scandella, Elke; Hepworth, Matthew R; Huber, Samuel; Ludewig, Burkhard; Peduto, Lucie; Villablanca, Eduardo J; Veiga-Fernandes, Henrique; Pereira, João P; Flavell, Richard A; Willinger, Tim

2018-01-16

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) sense environmental signals and are critical for tissue integrity in the intestine. Yet, which signals are sensed and what receptors control ILC3 function remain poorly understood. Here, we show that ILC3s with a lymphoid-tissue-inducer (LTi) phenotype expressed G-protein-coupled receptor 183 (GPR183) and migrated to its oxysterol ligand 7α,25-hydroxycholesterol (7α,25-OHC). In mice lacking Gpr183 or 7α,25-OHC, ILC3s failed to localize to cryptopatches (CPs) and isolated lymphoid follicles (ILFs). Gpr183 deficiency in ILC3s caused a defect in CP and ILF formation in the colon, but not in the small intestine. Localized oxysterol production by fibroblastic stromal cells provided an essential signal for colonic lymphoid tissue development, and inflammation-induced increased oxysterol production caused colitis through GPR183-mediated cell recruitment. Our findings show that GPR183 promotes lymphoid organ development and indicate that oxysterol-GPR183-dependent positioning within tissues controls ILC3 activity and intestinal homeostasis. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Model Reduction Using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition and Predictive Control of Distributed Reactor System

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Alejandro Marquez

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the application of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD to reduce the order of distributed reactor models with axial and radial diffusion and the implementation of model predictive control (MPC based on discrete-time linear time invariant (LTI reduced-order models. In this paper, the control objective is to keep the operation of the reactor at a desired operating condition in spite of the disturbances in the feed flow. This operating condition is determined by means of an optimization algorithm that provides the optimal temperature and concentration profiles for the system. Around these optimal profiles, the nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs, that model the reactor are linearized, and afterwards the linear PDEs are discretized in space giving as a result a high-order linear model. POD and Galerkin projection are used to derive the low-order linear model that captures the dominant dynamics of the PDEs, which are subsequently used for controller design. An MPC formulation is constructed on the basis of the low-order linear model. The proposed approach is tested through simulation, and it is shown that the results are good with regard to keep the operation of the reactor.

Type 2 innate lymphoid cells-new members of the "type 2 franchise" that mediate allergic airway inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mjösberg, Jenny; Spits, Hergen

2012-05-01

Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are members of an ILC family, which contains NK cells and Rorγt(+) ILCs, the latter including lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells and ILCs producing IL-17 and IL-22. ILC2s are dedicated to the production of IL-5 and IL-13 and, as such, ILC2s provide an early and important source of type 2 cytokines critical for helminth expulsion in the gut. Several studies have also demonstrated a role for ILC2s in airway inflammation. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Klein Wolterink et al. [Eur. J. Immunol. 2012. 42: 1106-1116] show that ILC2s are instrumental in several models of experimental asthma where they significantly contribute to production of IL-5 and IL-13, key cytokines in airway inflammation. This study sheds light over the relative contribution of ILC2s versus T helper type 2 cells (Th2) in type 2 mediated allergen-specific inflammation in the airways as discussed in this commentary. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dynamic IQC-Based Control of Uncertain LFT Systems With Time-Varying State Delay.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Chengzhi; Wu, Fen

2016-12-01

This paper presents a new exact-memory delay control scheme for a class of uncertain systems with time-varying state delay under the integral quadratic constraint (IQC) framework. The uncertain system is described as a linear fractional transformation model including a state-delayed linear time-invariant (LTI) system and time-varying structured uncertainties. The proposed exact-memory delay controller consists of a linear state-feedback control law and an additional term that captures the delay behavior of the plant. We first explore the delay stability and the L 2 -gain performance using dynamic IQCs incorporated with quadratic Lyapunov functions. Then, the design of exact-memory controllers that guarantee desired L 2 -gain performance is examined. The resulting delay control synthesis conditions are formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities, which are convex on all design variables including the scaling matrices associated with the IQC multipliers. The IQC-based exact-memory control scheme provides a novel approach for delay control designs via convex optimization, and advances existing control methods in two important ways: 1) better controlled performance and 2) simplified design procedure with less computational cost. The effectiveness and advantages of the proposed approach have been demonstrated through numerical studies.

The transfer function of neuron spike.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmieri, Igor; Monteiro, Luiz H A; Miranda, Maria D

2015-08-01

The mathematical modeling of neuronal signals is a relevant problem in neuroscience. The complexity of the neuron behavior, however, makes this problem a particularly difficult task. Here, we propose a discrete-time linear time-invariant (LTI) model with a rational function in order to represent the neuronal spike detected by an electrode located in the surroundings of the nerve cell. The model is presented as a cascade association of two subsystems: one that generates an action potential from an input stimulus, and one that represents the medium between the cell and the electrode. The suggested approach employs system identification and signal processing concepts, and is dissociated from any considerations about the biophysical processes of the neuronal cell, providing a low-complexity alternative to model the neuronal spike. The model is validated by using in vivo experimental readings of intracellular and extracellular signals. A computational simulation of the model is presented in order to assess its proximity to the neuronal signal and to observe the variability of the estimated parameters. The implications of the results are discussed in the context of spike sorting. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser Shearography Inspection of TPS (Thermal Protection System) Cork on RSRM (Reusable Solid Rocket Motors)

Science.gov (United States)

Lingbloom, Mike; Plaia, Jim; Newman, John

2006-01-01

Laser Shearography is a viable inspection method for detection of de-bonds and voids within the external TPS (thermal protection system) on to the Space Shuttle RSRM (reusable solid rocket motors). Cork samples with thicknesses up to 1 inch were tested at the LTI (Laser Technology Incorporated) laboratory using vacuum-applied stress in a vacuum chamber. The testing proved that the technology could detect cork to steel un-bonds using vacuum stress techniques in the laboratory environment. The next logical step was to inspect the TPS on a RSRM. Although detailed post flight inspection has confirmed that ATK Thiokol's cork bonding technique provides a reliable cork to case bond, due to the Space Shuttle Columbia incident there is a great interest in verifying bond-lines on the external TPS. This interest provided and opportunity to inspect a RSRM motor with Laser Shearography. This paper will describe the laboratory testing and RSRM testing that has been performed to date. Descriptions of the test equipment setup and techniques for data collection and detailed results will be given. The data from the test show that Laser Shearography is an effective technology and readily adaptable to inspect a RSRM.

Influence of the Antennas on the Ultra-Wideband Transmission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Werner Wiesbeck

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Spectrum is presently one of the most valuable goods worldwide as the demand is permanently increasing and it can be traded only locally. Since the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC has opened the spectrum from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz, that is, a bandwidth of 7.5 GHz, for unlicensed use with up to −41.25 dBm/MHz EIRP, numerous applications in communications and sensor areas are showing up. Like all wireless devices, these have an antenna as an integral part of the air interface. The antennas are modeled as linear time-invariant (LTI systems with a transfer function. The measurement of the antenna's frequency-dependent directional transfer function is described. Quality measures for the antennas like the peak value of the transient response, its width and ringing, as well as the transient gain are discussed. The application of these quality measures is shown for measurements of different UWB antennas.

Modeling of a 3D CMOS sensor for time-of-flight measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhla, Rico; Hosticka, Bedrich J.; Mengel, Peter; Listl, Ludwig

2004-02-01

A solid state 3D-CMOS camera system for direct time-of-flight image acquisition consisting of a CMOS imaging sensor, a laser diode module for active laser pulse illumination and all optics for image forming is presented, including MDSI & CDS algorithms for time-of-flight evaluation from intensity imaging. The investigation is carried out using ideal and real signals. For real signals the narrow infrared laser pulse of the laser diode module and the shutter function of the sensors column circuit were sampled by a new sampling procedure. A discrete sampled shutter function was recorded by using the impulse response of a narrow pulse of FWHM=50ps and an additional delay block with step size of Δτ = 0.25ns. A deterministic system model based on LTI transfer functions was developed. The visual shutter windows give a good understanding of differences between ideal and real output functions of measurement system. Simulations of shutter and laser pulse brought out an extended linear delay domain from MDSI. A stochastic model for the transfer function and photon noise in time domain was developed. We used the model to investigate noise in variation the laser pulse shutter configuration.

Identification of reduced-order model for an aeroelastic system from flutter test data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Tang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Recently, flutter active control using linear parameter varying (LPV framework has attracted a lot of attention. LPV control synthesis usually generates controllers that are at least of the same order as the aeroelastic models. Therefore, the reduced-order model is required by synthesis for avoidance of large computation cost and high-order controller. This paper proposes a new procedure for generation of accurate reduced-order linear time-invariant (LTI models by using system identification from flutter testing data. The proposed approach is in two steps. The well-known poly-reference least squares complex frequency (p-LSCF algorithm is firstly employed for modal parameter identification from frequency response measurement. After parameter identification, the dominant physical modes are determined by clear stabilization diagrams and clustering technique. In the second step, with prior knowledge of physical poles, the improved frequency-domain maximum likelihood (ML estimator is presented for building accurate reduced-order model. Before ML estimation, an improved subspace identification considering the poles constraint is also proposed for initializing the iterative procedure. Finally, the performance of the proposed procedure is validated by real flight flutter test data.

Resource-efficient ILC for LTI/LTV systems through LQ tracking and stable inversion: enabling large feedforward tasks on a position-dependent printer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Zundert, J.; Bolder, J.J.; Koekebakker, S.H.; Oomen, T.A.E.

Iterative learning control (ILC) enables high performance for systems that execute repeating tasks. Norm-optimal ILC based on lifted system representations provides an analytic expression for the optimal feedforward signal. However, for large tasks the computational load increases rapidly for

Inhibition of Binding of the AB5-Type Enterotoxins LT-I and Cholera Toxin to Ganglioside GM1 by Galactose-Rich Dietary Components

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Becker, P.M.; Widjaja-Greefkes, H.C.A.; Wikselaar, van P.G.

2010-01-01

Cholera, travelers' diarrhea, or colibacillosis in pigs can possibly be prevented or attenuated by dietary provision of competitive inhibitors that react with the GM1-binding sites of the enterotoxins cholera toxin (CT), human Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin of serogroup I (LTh-I), and

Linear minimax estimation for random vectors with parametric uncertainty

KAUST Repository

Bitar, E

2010-06-01

In this paper, we take a minimax approach to the problem of computing a worst-case linear mean squared error (MSE) estimate of X given Y , where X and Y are jointly distributed random vectors with parametric uncertainty in their distribution. We consider two uncertainty models, PA and PB. Model PA represents X and Y as jointly Gaussian whose covariance matrix Λ belongs to the convex hull of a set of m known covariance matrices. Model PB characterizes X and Y as jointly distributed according to a Gaussian mixture model with m known zero-mean components, but unknown component weights. We show: (a) the linear minimax estimator computed under model PA is identical to that computed under model PB when the vertices of the uncertain covariance set in PA are the same as the component covariances in model PB, and (b) the problem of computing the linear minimax estimator under either model reduces to a semidefinite program (SDP). We also consider the dynamic situation where x(t) and y(t) evolve according to a discrete-time LTI state space model driven by white noise, the statistics of which is modeled by PA and PB as before. We derive a recursive linear minimax filter for x(t) given y(t).

Insourcing as a Stratagy for Cost Reduction: a Methodology to Identifiy and Mensurate the Supporting Decition Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geraldo Magela Ribeiro dos Santos

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The 2008, market crisis made the national siderurgy industry reconsider its cost structure in order to maintain its competitiveness. Among the adopted strategies, insourcing was used in order to reduce costs and improve its productive capacity from its people and equipments resulting from declining sales. This research has been developed within this context and has as its objective to quantify the results of this choice. In order to achieve this objective, an insourcing case study of mechanical maintenance at ArcelorMittal Tubarão (AMT was used. Among the main advantages of insourcing at AMT are: the reduction of 24, 41% in maintenance services costs; a reduction in the level of rework and the level of lost time injuries (LTI; increased productivity and the index for available time fulfillment on shutdown. The factors that most contributed for the services insourcing are: collective bargaining agreements of the contractors higher than those of contracting and the incidence of profit, management fees (rates administration and taxes on the cost of labor and benefits to employees. This research also concludes that if the service prices of third parties were only adjusted based upon the inflation index (INPC over the last ten years, the insourcing of services, if viewed from the costs standpoint, would have been unfeasible.

Robust control of an industrial boiler system; a comparison between two approaches: Sliding mode control and H∞ technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moradi, Hamed; Bakhtiari-Nejad, Firooz; Saffar-Avval, Majid

2009-01-01

To achieve a good performance of the utility boiler, dynamic variables such as drum pressure, steam temperature and water level of drum must be controlled. In this paper, a linear time invariant (LTI) model of a boiler system is considered in which the input variables are feed-water and fuel mass rates. However this dynamic model may associate with uncertainties. With considering the uncertainties of the dynamic model, a sliding mode controller is designed. After representation of the uncertain dynamic system in general control configuration and modelling the parametric uncertainties, nominal performance, robust stability and robust performance are analyzed by the concept of structured singular value μ. Using an algorithm for μ-analysis and applying an inversed-base controller, robust stability and nominal performance are guaranteed but robust performance is not satisfied. Finally, an optimal robust controller is designed based on μ-synthesis with DK-iteration algorithm. Both optimal robust and sliding mode controllers guarantee robust performance of the system against the uncertainties and result in desired time responses of the output variables. By applying H ∞ robust control, system tracks the desire reference inputs in a less time and with smoother time responses. However, less control efforts, feedwater and fuel mass rates, are needed when the sliding mode controller is applied.

Improved bounds on the epidemic threshold of exact SIS models on complex networks

KAUST Repository

Ruhi, Navid Azizan; Thrampoulidis, Christos; Hassibi, Babak

2017-01-01

The SIS (susceptible-infected-susceptible) epidemic model on an arbitrary network, without making approximations, is a 2n-state Markov chain with a unique absorbing state (the all-healthy state). This makes analysis of the SIS model and, in particular, determining the threshold of epidemic spread quite challenging. It has been shown that the exact marginal probabilities of infection can be upper bounded by an n-dimensional linear time-invariant system, a consequence of which is that the Markov chain is “fast-mixing” when the LTI system is stable, i.e. when equation (where β is the infection rate per link, δ is the recovery rate, and λmax(A) is the largest eigenvalue of the network's adjacency matrix). This well-known threshold has been recently shown not to be tight in several cases, such as in a star network. In this paper, we provide tighter upper bounds on the exact marginal probabilities of infection, by also taking pairwise infection probabilities into account. Based on this improved bound, we derive tighter eigenvalue conditions that guarantee fast mixing (i.e., logarithmic mixing time) of the chain. We demonstrate the improvement of the threshold condition by comparing the new bound with the known one on various networks with various epidemic parameters.

IMPACT OF THE CO-BRANDING ON CUSTOMERS’ LOYALTY INSTOCKMANN LTD

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Dace Kr #363;mane

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The theoretic #1072;l b #1072;ckground of the Rese #1072;rch P #1072;per de #1072;ls with the gener #1072;linform #1072;tion #1072;bout co-br #1072;nding #1072;nd it’s role in enterpreneurship, customers’loy #1072;lty issues #1072;nd development tendencies of credit c #1072;rd segment in co-br #1072;nding.The pr #1072;ctic #1072;l b #1072;ckground of the Rese #1072;rch P #1072;per is connected with Dep #1072;rtmentstore „Stockm #1072;nn” #1072;nd the w #1072;y how this enterprise cre #1072;tes the competitive #1072;dv #1072;nt #1072;ge – co-br #1072;nding product - “Stockm #1072;nn M #1072;sterC #1072;rd”.The m #1072;in re #1072;son for choosing this theme is th #1072;t now #1072;d #1072;y’s situ #1072;tion in worldeconomic #1072;nd determin #1072;ting f #1072;ctor for surviv #1072;l of enterprise is #1072;bility to cre #1072;te #1072;nd introduce innov #1072;tive #1072;nd untr #1072;dition #1072;l solutions in m #1072;rketing, customerrel #1072;tions m #1072;n #1072;gement #1072;nd strengthening of customers.

LIFELONG LEARNING AS A STRATEGY FOR EDUCATING GLOBAL CITIZENS WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION

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Ele HOLVOET

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Recent research emphasizes the need for educa tion on global citizenship (GC within higher education (Davis, Evans Reid, 2005; Ibrahim, 2008; Schultz, 2007. However, GC is an ill- defined concept (Schultz, 2007 and its position in university policies is unclear (Holvoet, 2007. Therefore, the GC concept is difficult to impl ement within universities’ educational practice (Fullan, 2002; Hargreaves Goodson, 2006. In order to overcome possible impediments, the reported research aimed at elucidating visions of policy makers on the role of higher education institutes with regard to positioning GC in society. The findings resulted from a two round Delphi inqu iry and in-depth interviews with 20 key figures in the field of academic policy making in five Fl emish universities, representatives of the Flemish government’s education department and members of GC education agencies. Respondents reported two components as basic conditions for universities to educate their students as global citizens: the need for a reflexive learning approach and an international learning environment. Conditions and difficu lties in creating such environments were distinguished. As lifelong learning is defined as “a way of empowering people for active engagement with important personal, social and global issues” (European Commission, 2001, this concept is considered as appropriate to supply a framework for GC.

Identification and robust water level control of horizontal steam generators using quantitative feedback theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safarzadeh, O.; Khaki-Sedigh, A.; Shirani, A.S.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A robust water level controller for steam generators (SGs) is designed based on the Quantitative Feedback Theory. → To design the controller, fairly accurate linear models are identified for the SG. → The designed controller is verified using a developed novel global locally linear neuro-fuzzy model of the SG. → Both of the linear and nonlinear models are based on the SG mathematical thermal-hydraulic model developed using the simulation computer code. → The proposed method is easy to apply and guarantees desired closed loop performance. - Abstract: In this paper, a robust water level control system for the horizontal steam generator (SG) using the quantitative feedback theory (QFT) method is presented. To design a robust QFT controller for the nonlinear uncertain SG, control oriented linear models are identified. Then, the nonlinear system is modeled as an uncertain linear time invariant (LTI) system. The robust designed controller is applied to the nonlinear plant model. This nonlinear model is based on a locally linear neuro-fuzzy (LLNF) model. This model is trained using the locally linear model tree (LOLIMOT) algorithm. Finally, simulation results are employed to show the effectiveness of the designed QFT level controller. It is shown that it will ensure the entire designer's water level closed loop specifications.

Improved bounds on the epidemic threshold of exact SIS models on complex networks

KAUST Repository

Ruhi, Navid Azizan

2017-01-05

The SIS (susceptible-infected-susceptible) epidemic model on an arbitrary network, without making approximations, is a 2n-state Markov chain with a unique absorbing state (the all-healthy state). This makes analysis of the SIS model and, in particular, determining the threshold of epidemic spread quite challenging. It has been shown that the exact marginal probabilities of infection can be upper bounded by an n-dimensional linear time-invariant system, a consequence of which is that the Markov chain is “fast-mixing” when the LTI system is stable, i.e. when equation (where β is the infection rate per link, δ is the recovery rate, and λmax(A) is the largest eigenvalue of the network\\'s adjacency matrix). This well-known threshold has been recently shown not to be tight in several cases, such as in a star network. In this paper, we provide tighter upper bounds on the exact marginal probabilities of infection, by also taking pairwise infection probabilities into account. Based on this improved bound, we derive tighter eigenvalue conditions that guarantee fast mixing (i.e., logarithmic mixing time) of the chain. We demonstrate the improvement of the threshold condition by comparing the new bound with the known one on various networks with various epidemic parameters.

Proportional Retarded Controller to Stabilize Underactuated Systems with Measurement Delays: Furuta Pendulum Case Study

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T. Ortega-Montiel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The design and tuning of a simple feedback strategy with delay to stabilize a class of underactuated mechanical systems with dead time are presented. A linear time-invariant (LTI model with time delay of fourth order and a Proportional Retarded (PR controller are considered. The PR controller is shown as an appealing alternative to the application of observer-based controllers. This paper gives a step forward to obtain a better understanding of the effect of output delays and related phenomena in mechatronic systems, making it possible to design resilient control laws under the presence of uncertain time delays in measurements and obtain an acceptable performance without using a derivative action. The Furuta pendulum is a standard two-degrees-of-freedom benchmark example from the class of underactuated mechanical systems. The configuration under study includes an inherent output delay due to wireless communication used to transmit measurements of the pendulum’s angular position. Our approach offers a constructive design and a procedure based on a combination of root loci and Mikhailov methods for the analysis of stability. Experiments over a laboratory platform are reported and a comparison with a standard linear state feedback control law shows the advantages of the proposed scheme.

Identification and robust water level control of horizontal steam generators using quantitative feedback theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Safarzadeh, O., E-mail: O_Safarzadeh@sbu.ac.ir [Shahid Beheshti University, P.O. Box: 19839-63113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khaki-Sedigh, A. [K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shirani, A.S. [Shahid Beheshti University, P.O. Box: 19839-63113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-09-15

Highlights: {yields} A robust water level controller for steam generators (SGs) is designed based on the Quantitative Feedback Theory. {yields} To design the controller, fairly accurate linear models are identified for the SG. {yields} The designed controller is verified using a developed novel global locally linear neuro-fuzzy model of the SG. {yields} Both of the linear and nonlinear models are based on the SG mathematical thermal-hydraulic model developed using the simulation computer code. {yields} The proposed method is easy to apply and guarantees desired closed loop performance. - Abstract: In this paper, a robust water level control system for the horizontal steam generator (SG) using the quantitative feedback theory (QFT) method is presented. To design a robust QFT controller for the nonlinear uncertain SG, control oriented linear models are identified. Then, the nonlinear system is modeled as an uncertain linear time invariant (LTI) system. The robust designed controller is applied to the nonlinear plant model. This nonlinear model is based on a locally linear neuro-fuzzy (LLNF) model. This model is trained using the locally linear model tree (LOLIMOT) algorithm. Finally, simulation results are employed to show the effectiveness of the designed QFT level controller. It is shown that it will ensure the entire designer's water level closed loop specifications.

Improving boiler unit performance using an optimum robust minimum-order observer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moradi, Hamed; Bakhtiari-Nejad, Firooz [Energy and Control Centre of Excellence, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-03-15

To achieve a good performance of the utility boiler, dynamic variables such as drum pressure, steam temperature and water level of drum must be controlled. In this paper, a linear time invariant (LTI) model of a boiler system is considered in which the input variables are feed-water and fuel mass rates. Due to the inaccessibility of some state variables of boiler system, a minimum-order observer is designed based on Luenberger's model to gain an estimate state x of the true state x. Low cost of design and high accuracy of states estimation are the main advantages of the minimum-order observer; in comparison with previous designed full-order observers. By applying the observer on the closed-loop system, a regulator system is designed. Using an optimal functional code developed in MATLAB environment, desired observer poles are found such that suitable time response specifications of the boiler system are achieved and the gain and phase margin values are adjusted in an acceptable range. However, the real dynamic model may associate with parametric uncertainties. In that case, optimum region of poles of observer-based controller are found such that the robust performance of the boiler system against model uncertainties is guaranteed. (author)

Design of LPV-Based Sliding Mode Controller with Finite Time Convergence for a Morphing Aircraft

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Nuan Wen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a finite time convergence sliding mode control (FSMC strategy based on linear parameter-varying (LPV methodology for the stability control of a morphing aircraft subject to parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. Based on the Kane method, a longitudinal dynamic model of the morphing aircraft is built. Furthermore, the linearized LPV model of the aircraft in the wing transition process is obtained, whose scheduling parameters are wing sweep angle and wingspan. The FSMC scheme is developed into LPV systems by applying the previous results for linear time-invariant (LTI systems. The sufficient condition in form of linear matrix inequality (LMI constraints is derived for the existence of a reduced-order sliding mode, in which the dynamics can be ensured to keep robust stability and L2 gain performance. The tensor-product (TP model transformation approach can be directly applied to solve infinite LMIs belonging to the polynomial parameter-dependent LPV system. Then, by the parameter-dependent Lyapunov function stability analysis, the synthesized FSMC is proved to drive the LPV system trajectories toward the predefined switching surface with a finite time arrival. Comparative simulation results in the nonlinear model demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of this approach.

Enhanced Antibody Responses in a Novel NOG Transgenic Mouse with Restored Lymph Node Organogenesis

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Takeshi Takahashi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Lymph nodes (LNs are at the center of adaptive immune responses. Various exogenous substances are transported into LNs and a series of immune responses ensue after recognition by antigen–specific lymphocytes. Although humanized mice have been used to reconstitute the human immune system, most lack LNs due to deficiency of the interleukin (IL-2Rγ gene (cytokine common γ chain, γc. In this study, we established a transgenic strain, NOG-pRORγt-γc, in the NOD/shi-scid-IL-2Rγnull (NOG background, in which the γc gene was expressed in a lymph-tissue inducer (LTi lineage by the endogenous promoter of RORγt. In this strain, LN organogenesis was normalized and the number of human T cells substantially increased in the periphery after reconstitution of the human immune system by human hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The distribution of human T cells differed between NOG-pRORγt-γc Tg and NOG-non Tg mice. About 40% of human T cells resided in LNs, primarily the mesenteric LNs. The LN-complemented humanized mice exhibited antigen-specific immunoglobulin G responses together and an increased number of IL-21+–producing CD4+ T cells in LNs. This novel mouse strain will facilitate recapitulation of human immune responses.

Body cell mass measured by bioimpedance spectroscopy as a nutritional marker.

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Aleksandra Rymarz

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Body Cell Mass (BCM is a sum of all metabolically active cells of the body. Aim of the study was to compare BCM with other nutritional and inflammatory markers in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD stage 4-5 (NKF without dialysis treatment and in hemodialysis patients(HD. We included 45 adult patients with CKD and eGFR<30 ml/min not treated with dialysis (26 male, age: 59,7±16,8 and 39 adults treated with HD three times a week, for more than three months (26 male, 5 diabetics, age: 59,8 ±16. Body composition was measured using multifrequency biopimpedance spectroscopy: Body Composition Monitor - FMC. We used BCM index (BCMI defined as BCM divided by height to the power of 2. To measure hand grip strength (HGS we used dynamometr Jamar. In statistics analysis we used Pearson correlations (SPSS v18. Predialysis group: BCMI: 7,1 ±1,6 kg/m², Lean Tissue Index (LTI: 12,9 ±2,4 kg/m², Fat Tissue Index (FTI: 14,7 ±5,4 kg/m², BMI: 28,2 ±5 kg/m², serum creatinine level (SCr: 3,9 ±2,1 mg/dl, eGFR: 18,3 ±7,0034 ml/min/1,73 m², albumin (SA: 3,9 ±0,3 g/dl, prealbumin (PA: 32,8 ±8,8 mg/dl, CRP: 0,5 ±0,3 mg/dl. A positive correlation was found with BCMI and HGS (r = 0,55; p=0,001, PA (r = 0,41; p=0,004 and SCr (r =0,37; p=0,012. A negative correlation was found between BCMI and age (r = -0,48; p=0,006, CRP (r = -0,33; p=0,028. We do not observed correlation with BMI and SA. HD group: BCMI: 6,4±1,7 kg/m², LTI: 12,1±2,3 kg/m², FTI: 12 ±6 kg/m², BMI: 24,8 ±4,8, SCr: 8,9 ±2,6 mg/dl, TP: 6,7 ±0,6 g/dl, SA: 3,9 ±0,47 g/dl, PA 33,8 ±11,4 g/dl, CRP: 1,1 ±1,4 mg/dl. A positive, significant correlation was found between BCMI and HGS (r = 0,47; p=0,003. A negative correlation was found with BCMI and age (r = -0,55; p=0,0005 and with CRP (r = -0,31, but not statistically significant. We do not observed correlation between BCMI and BMI, SCr, TP, SA, PA, hemodialysis vintage, Kt/V. Assessment of body compartments is

Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes of the post-paleozoic magmatism from eastern Paraguay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comin-Chiaramonti, P; Gasparon, M; Gomes, C.B; Antonini, P

2001-01-01

The Parana Angola-Namibia igneous province (PAN) is characterized by Early Cretaceous flood tholeiites and tholeiitic dyke swarms associated with alkaline rocks of Early and Late Cretaceous ages, respectively, and with scarce post-Mesozoic magmatic rocks (Comin-Chiaramonti et al., 1997; 1999; Marques et al., 1999). The Eastern Paraguay, at the westernmost side of the Parana Basin, is of special interest because: (1) it is located between two main cratonic blocks, i.e. the southernmost tip of the Amazon Craton, and the northermost exposure of the Rio de La Plata Craton; (2) it was the site of repeated Na-K-alkaline magmatism since Late-Permian-Triassic times (i.e.: 250-240 Ma, Na-alkaline; c. 145 Ma, K-alkaline; 128-126 Ma, K-alkaline; 120-90 Ma, Na-alkaline; 61-33 Ma, Na-alkaline; cf. Comin-Chiaramonti and Gomes, 1996; Comin-Chiaramonti et al., 1999), and of Early Cretaceous tholeiitic magmatism, both low- and high-Ti variants, L-Ti and H-Ti, respectively (133-131 Ma; cf. Marzoli et al., 1999); (3) the younger sodic magmatic rocks are closely associated in space to the potassic analogues (Comin- Chiaramonti et al., 1999). The paper aims discussing the most important Sr- Nd-Pb isotope features of the alkaline and tholeiitic magmas from Eastern Paraguay in comparison with the PAN analogues (au)

Irradiation performance of HTGR fertile fuel in HFIR target capsules HT-12 through HT-15. Part I. Experiment description and fission product behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kania, M.J.; Lindemer, T.B.; Morgan, M.T.; Robbins, J.M.

1977-02-01

Sixteen types of Biso-coated designs, on ThO 2 kernels, were irradiated in High Flux Isotope Reactor target capsules HT-12 through HT-15. The report addresses the description of the experiment and extensive postirradiation analyses and experiments to determine fertile-particle burnup, fuel coating failures, and fission product behavior. Several low-temperature isotropic (LTI) pyrocarbon coatings, which ''survived'' according to visual inspection, were shown to have developed permeability during irradiation. These particles were irradiated at temperatures approximately equal to 1250 0 C and to burnups equal to or greater than 8 percent fission per initial heavy-metal atom (FIMA). No evidence of permeability was found in similar particles irradiated at temperatures approximately equal to 1550 0 C and burnups approximately equal to 16 percent FIMA. Failures due to permeability were not detectable by visual inspection but required a more extensive investigation by the 1000 0 C gaseous chlorine leaching technique. Maximum particle surface operating temperatures were found to be approximately 300 0 C in excess of design limits of 900 0 C (low-temperature magazines) and 1250 0 C (high-temperature magazines). The extremes of high temperatures and fast neutron fluences up to 1.6 x 10 22 neutrons/cm 2 produced severe degradation and swelling of the Poco graphite magazines and sample holders

Early-Life Obesity Prevention: Critique of Intervention Trials During the First One Thousand Days.

Science.gov (United States)

Reilly, John J; Martin, Anne; Hughes, Adrienne R

2017-06-01

To critique the evidence from recent and ongoing obesity prevention interventions in the first 1000 days in order to identify evidence gaps and weaknesses, and to make suggestions for more informative future intervention trials. Completed and ongoing intervention trials have had fairly modest effects, have been limited largely to high-income countries, and have used relatively short-term interventions and outcomes. Comparison of the evidence from completed prevention trials with the evidence from systematic reviews of behavioral risk factors shows that some life-course stages have been neglected (pre-conception and toddlerhood), and that interventions have neglected to target some important behavioral risk factors (maternal smoking during pregnancy, infant and child sleep). Finally, while obesity prevention interventions aim to modify body composition, few intervention trials have used body composition measures as outcomes, and this has limited their sensitivity to detect intervention effects. The new WHO Healthy Lifestyles Trajectory (HeLTI) initiative should address some of these weaknesses. Future early obesity prevention trials should be much more ambitious. They should, ideally: extend their interventions over the first 1000 days; have longer-term (childhood) outcomes, and improved outcome measures (body composition measures in addition to proxies for body composition such as the BMI for age); have greater emphasis on maternal smoking and child sleep; be global.

Advanced Atherogenic Index for the Assessment of Consolidated Lipid Risk in Premature Coronary Artery Disease Patients in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, Sanjiv Kumar; Agarwal, Sarita; Daga, Mridul Kumar

2016-01-01

The high prevalence, severity, and prematurity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Indian population cannot be completely explained by the conventional lipid parameters and the existing lipid indices. To calculate newly defined advanced atherogenic index (AAI) in premature CAD patients and compare it between cases and controls and Correlate its values with the existing indices. One hundred and twenty premature CAD patients and an equal number of age and sex matched healthy individuals were included in this study. Lipid profile and nonconventional lipid parameters like oxidized Low density lipoprotein (OX LDL), small dense LDL (SD LDL), lipoprotein (a) apolipoprotein B (Apo B), and apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1) were estimated and their values were used to define AAI and existing lipid indices like AI, lipid tetrad index (LTI) and lipid pentad index (LPI). The mean age of cases and controls was 37.29 + 4.50 and 36.13 + 3.53 years, respectively. The value of AAI was highly significant in cases (3461.22 ± 45.20) as compared to controls (305.84 ± 21.80). AAI has shown better statistical significance and correlation (P statistic and cumulative distribution function plot has shown that AAI can discriminate cases and controls more accurately as compared to the earlier indices. Statistically AAI appears to be a better marker of consolidated lipid risk in premature CAD patients as compared to the earlier indices.

IL-22: An Evolutionary Missing-Link Authenticating the Role of the Immune System in Tissue Regeneration

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Pawan Kumar, Kamalakannan Rajasekaran, Jeanne M Palmer, Monica S Thakar, Subramaniam Malarkannan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Tissue regeneration is a critical component of organ maintenance. The ability of lymphocytes to kill pathogen-infected cells has been well-studied. However, the necessity for lymphocytes to participate in reconstruction of destroyed tissues has not been explored until recently. Interleukin (IL-22, a newly defined cytokine exclusively produced by subsets of lymphocytes, provides the strongest proof yet for the tissue regenerative potentials of the immune system. IL-22 plays an obligatory role in epithelial homeostasis in the gut, liver and lung. The receptor for IL-22 (IL-22R1 and IL-10R2 is predominantly expressed by epithelial cells. While the pro-inflammatory effect is questioned, the pro-constructive potential of IL-22 is well established. It is evident from the response to IL-22, that epithelial cells not only produce anti-microbial peptides but also actively proliferate. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR and retinoic acid-related orphan receptor (RORγt transcription factor are required for IL-22 generation from Lymphoid Tissue inducer cells LTi, Th22 and NK-like cells. However, IL-22 production from conventional NK cells is independent of AhR and RORγt. In this review, we present a case for a paradigm shift in how we define the function of the immune system. This would include tissue regeneration as a legitimate immune function.

MU-SYNTHESIS BASED ACTIVE ROBUST VIBRATION CONTROL OF AN MRI INLET

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Atta Oveisi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a robust control technique based on μ-synthesis is employed in order to investigate the vibration control of a funnel-shaped structure that is used as the inlet of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI device. MRI devices are widely subjected to the vibration of the magnetic gradient coil which then propagates to acoustic noise and leads to a series of clinical and mechanical problems. In order to address this issue and as a part of noise cancellation study in MRI devices, distributed piezo-transducers are bounded on the top surface of the funnel as functional sensor/actuator modules. Then, a reduced order linear time-invariant (LTI model of the piezolaminated structure in the state-space representation is estimated by means of a predictive error minimization (PEM algorithm as a subspace identification method based on the trust-region-reflective technique. The reduced order model is expanded by the introduction of appropriate frequency-dependent weighting functions that address the unmodeled dynamics and the augmented multiplicative modeling uncertainties of the system. Then, the standard D-K iteration algorithm as an output-feedback control method is used based on the nominal model with the subordinate uncertainty elements from the previous step. Finally, the proposed control system implemented experimentally on the real structure is to evaluate the robust vibration attenuation performance of the closed-loop system.

Beyond xMOOCs in healthcare education: study of the feasibility in integrating virtual patient systems and MOOC platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Stathakarou, Natalia; Zary, Nabil; Kononowicz, Andrzej A

2014-01-01

Background. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are an emerging trend in online learning. However, their technology is not yet completely adjusted to the needs of healthcare education. Integration of Virtual Patients within MOOCs to increase interactivity and foster clinical reasoning skills training, has been discussed in the past, but not verified by a practical implementation. Objective. To investigate the technical feasibility of integrating MOOCs with Virtual Patients for the purpose of enabling further research into the potential pedagogical benefits of this approach. Methods. We selected OpenEdx and Open Labyrinth as representative constituents of a MOOC platform and Virtual Patient system integration. Based upon our prior experience we selected the most fundamental technical requirement to address. Grounded in the available literature we identified an e-learning standard to guide the integration. We attempted to demonstrate the feasibility of the integration by designing a "proof-of-concept" prototype. The resulting pilot implementation was subject of verification by two test cases. Results. A Single Sign-On mechanism connecting Open Labyrinth with OpenEdx and based on the IMS LTI standard was successfully implemented and verified. Conclusion. We investigated the technical perspective of integrating Virtual Patients with MOOCs. By addressing this crucial technical requirement we set a base for future research on the educational benefits of using virtual patients in MOOCs. This provides new opportunities for integrating specialized software in healthcare education at massive scale.

Un enfoque para la creación de contenido online interactivo

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Daniel Pérez-Berenguer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Las universidades se enfrentan al reto de producir contenidos online interactivos para ser utilizados en cursos de los estudios reglados o como cursos masivos online (MOOC. La producción de estos contenidos requiere actualmente un gran esfuerzo de los docentes que deben dedicar una gran cantidad de tiempo. Por ello, las universidades deberán proporcionar recursos (herramientas, métodos, personal,.. que faciliten esta tarea a los docentes. En este sentido, el Centro de Producción de Contenidos Digitales de la Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena ha definido un enfoque que consiste de un proceso de producción y una infraestructura software que lo soporta. En este artículo se presenta el proceso que consta de varias etapas en las que intervienen diferentes roles como el docente, diseñador y programador web. El formato de presentación Web de los contenidos se basa en un conjunto de plantillas (esqueletos de código HTML5 y CSS que son adaptadas para cada curso. Además se ha definido una plataforma que soporta la gamificación, de modo que los docentes pueden incluir juegos en sus cursos. Aunque el artículo no se centra en las cuestiones de implementación de la infraestructura que soporta el proceso, conviene destacar que se aplican SCORM y LTI para favorecer la integración en diferentes plataformas.

Cell surface appearance of unexpected host MHC determinants on thymocytes from radiation bone marrow chimeras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharrow, S.O.; Mathieson, B.J.; Singer, A.

1981-01-01

The phenotypic appearance of cell surface antigens on murine thymocytes from long-term radiation bone marrow chimeras was analyzed using indirect immunofluorescence and flow microfluorometry. Cells maturing in the thymi of these mice were typed for MHC (Kk, I-Ak, H-2b, Kb, and Ib) and non-MHC (Lty 1, Ly 9, and TL) determinants. All cells were of donor origin as determined by non-MHC (Ly) phenotype in P1 leads to P2, P1 x P2 leads to P1, and P1 leads to P2 radiation chimeras. In contrast, the MHC phenotypes of these thymocytes were markedly affected by the host environment. Specifically, H-2 and I-A determinants of both parental phenotypes were detected on thymocytes from P1 leads to P1 x P2 chimeras; I-A determinants of host phenotype were present, whereas I-A determinants of donor phenotype were reduced on thymocytes from P1 x P2 leads to P1 chimeras; and thymocytes from P1 leads to P2 chimeras possessed H-2 and I-A determinants of host phenotype but showed reduction of donor I-A phenotype determinants. The appearance of host cell surface H-2 and I-A determinants on thymocytes from chimeras closely parallels the functional recognition of MHC determinants by T cells from chimeric mice and thus may be significantly related to the development of the self-recognition repertoire by maturing T cells

Beyond xMOOCs in healthcare education: study of the feasibility in integrating virtual patient systems and MOOC platforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Stathakarou

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs are an emerging trend in online learning. However, their technology is not yet completely adjusted to the needs of healthcare education. Integration of Virtual Patients within MOOCs to increase interactivity and foster clinical reasoning skills training, has been discussed in the past, but not verified by a practical implementation.Objective. To investigate the technical feasibility of integrating MOOCs with Virtual Patients for the purpose of enabling further research into the potential pedagogical benefits of this approach.Methods. We selected OpenEdx and Open Labyrinth as representative constituents of a MOOC platform and Virtual Patient system integration. Based upon our prior experience we selected the most fundamental technical requirement to address. Grounded in the available literature we identified an e-learning standard to guide the integration. We attempted to demonstrate the feasibility of the integration by designing a “proof-of-concept” prototype. The resulting pilot implementation was subject of verification by two test cases.Results. A Single Sign-On mechanism connecting Open Labyrinth with OpenEdx and based on the IMS LTI standard was successfully implemented and verified.Conclusion. We investigated the technical perspective of integrating Virtual Patients with MOOCs. By addressing this crucial technical requirement we set a base for future research on the educational benefits of using virtual patients in MOOCs. This provides new opportunities for integrating specialized software in healthcare education at massive scale.

Reduced Order Modeling for Prediction and Control of Large-Scale Systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalashnikova, Irina [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Computational Mathematics; Arunajatesan, Srinivasan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Aerosciences Dept.; Barone, Matthew Franklin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Aerosciences Dept.; van Bloemen Waanders, Bart Gustaaf [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Uncertainty Quantification and Optimization Dept.; Fike, Jeffrey A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Component Science and Mechanics Dept.

2014-05-01

-Stokes equations is derived, and it is demonstrated that if a Galerkin ROM is constructed in this inner product, the ROM system energy will be bounded in a way that is consistent with the behavior of the exact solution to these PDEs, i.e., the ROM will be energy-stable. The viability of the linear as well as nonlinear continuous projection model reduction approaches developed as a part of this project is evaluated on several test cases, including the cavity configuration of interest in the targeted application area. In the second part of this report, some POD/Galerkin approaches for building stable ROMs using discrete projection are explored. It is shown that, for generic linear time-invariant (LTI) systems, a discrete counterpart of the continuous symmetry inner product is a weighted L2 inner product obtained by solving a Lyapunov equation. This inner product was first proposed by Rowley et al., and is termed herein the “Lyapunov inner product“. Comparisons between the symmetry inner product and the Lyapunov inner product are made, and the performance of ROMs constructed using these inner products is evaluated on several benchmark test cases. Also in the second part of this report, a new ROM stabilization approach, termed “ROM stabilization via optimization-based eigenvalue reassignment“, is developed for generic LTI systems. At the heart of this method is a constrained nonlinear least-squares optimization problem that is formulated and solved numerically to ensure accuracy of the stabilized ROM. Numerical studies reveal that the optimization problem is computationally inexpensive to solve, and that the new stabilization approach delivers ROMs that are stable as well as accurate. Summaries of “lessons learned“ and perspectives for future work motivated by this LDRD project are provided at the end of each of the two main chapters.

Chemostratigraphy and evolution of the Paraná Igneous Province volcanism in the central portion of the state of Paraná, Southern Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Allan Silva; Licht, Otavio Augusto Boni; Vasconcellos, Eleonora Maria Gouvêa; Soares, Jan Savaris

2018-04-01

Analysis of borehole samples offers the potential to investigate the chemostratigraphic variations of a large igneous province in subsurface. New geochemical data based on multielement analyses of 829 chip samples that were obtained during the drilling of seven deep boreholes is presented for the central area of the Paraná Igneous Province (PIP). In order to detail the compositional variations found within the two main types from the Central-Northern Subprovince (CNSP), simple statistical treatment was carried out for part this database. Thus, the combination of low (L) and high (H) contents of Th, Nb, La and Yb was used as a means to create 16 geochemical subtypes for the Type 4 (LSi-LZr-HTi-HP) sequence. Likewise, other four elements (Cr, Ni, Cu and Pd) were selected with the same intention for the Type 1 (Central-Northern) (LSi-LZr-LTi-LP) sequence. When subtypes are plotted in the cross section, it is possible to observe that those with similar characteristics tend to be associated in groups (cycles). This analysis showed that the volcanic pile can be divided into at least eleven different cycles and also that they are laterally continuous throughout the section. The compositional changes observed in these volcanic cycles also display correlations with Mg#, Zr, Ti/Y and La/SmN ratios, for example. Therefore, since the reservoir is marked by periods of injection of more differentiated or more mafic magmas, it could be suggested that it was periodically recharged with batches of magma from the parental source.

Disseminating General Relativity for 21st century astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Crosta, Mariateresa

2015-08-01

The talk aims to present two outreach projects - initially developed for the ESA Gaia satellite, a multidisciplinary mission launched on December 19, 2013 - available to the OAD community: NeST and "The Meaning of Light".NeST is an interactive educational tool, that displays how the theory of GR rules the Universe, it creates a performance physically "belonging" to the exhibition space and moving through it, materializing what J.A. Wheeler said "mass tells space-time how to curve, and space-time tells mass how to move"."The Meaning of Light" is a short motion comics, part of an extensive outreach program called "The History of Photons" whose main theme is the story of a beam of stellar photons that, after leaving the progenitor star, propagates through the Universe and, once intercepted come into contact with a team of scientists: here begins their adventure to be taken "back" home and in doing so the scientists, and the spectators, are driven to discover the wonders of which the light are the bearers.The description of the journey of the photons becomes, therefore, an opportunity to easily tell the fascinating topics of Astrophysics and General Relativity, i.e. the complexity and the infinite beauty of the Universe in which we live.For this movie a new theme song was produced, "Singing the Stars", whose refrain (Oh Be A Fine Girl / Guy Kiss Me Little Thing, Yeah) adds to the famous mnemonic for stellar classification (OBAFGKM) the new stellar types LTY discovered in recent years.

Improving boiler unit performance using an optimum robust minimum-order observer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moradi, Hamed; Bakhtiari-Nejad, Firooz

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Multivariable model of a boiler unit with uncertainty. → Design of a robust minimum-order observer. → Developing an optimal functional code in MATLAB environment. → Finding optimum region of observer-based controller poles. → Guarantee of robust performance in the presence of parametric uncertainties. - Abstract: To achieve a good performance of the utility boiler, dynamic variables such as drum pressure, steam temperature and water level of drum must be controlled. In this paper, a linear time invariant (LTI) model of a boiler system is considered in which the input variables are feed-water and fuel mass rates. Due to the inaccessibility of some state variables of boiler system, a minimum-order observer is designed based on Luenberger's model to gain an estimate state x-tilde of the true state x. Low cost of design and high accuracy of states estimation are the main advantages of the minimum-order observer; in comparison with previous designed full-order observers. By applying the observer on the closed-loop system, a regulator system is designed. Using an optimal functional code developed in MATLAB environment, desired observer poles are found such that suitable time response specifications of the boiler system are achieved and the gain and phase margin values are adjusted in an acceptable range. However, the real dynamic model may associate with parametric uncertainties. In that case, optimum region of poles of observer-based controller are found such that the robust performance of the boiler system against model uncertainties is guaranteed.

Práticas de organização e representação da informação étnico-racial em bibliotecas universitárias: necessidade de preservação da memória de negros

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirian Albuquerque Aquino

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Apresenta reflexão sobre pesquisa de doutorado em andamento, que está sendo realizada no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Informação da Universidade Federal da Bahia (PPGCI/UFBA. A fundamentação teórica está alicerçada na mediação da informação, tendo como objetivo desenvolver competência informacional nos moradores da Comunidade objeto de estudo. Essas competências serão implementadas mediante treinamentos em parceria com o Laboratório de Tecnologias Intelectuais – LTi do Departamento de Ciência da Informação juntamente com o Departamento de Informática da Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB com o PPGCI/UFBA. Adota-se a metodologia da pesquisa-ação, de modo a promover a rede de cooperação necessária como suporte para elaboração de um modelo de mediação, apropriação e uso de tecnologias intelectuais, passível de ser aplicado em outras comunidades. A investigação recorre ao auxílio da observação participante, visando acompanhar a realidade no campo de pesquisa, fazendo uso do diário de campo. O propósito do projeto é construir uma rede de cooperação para transformar realidades e ultrapassar fronteiras, promovendo informação e conhecimento para quem deles necessita.

Feedback to providers improves evidence-based implantable cardioverter-defibrillator programming and reduces shocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Silver, Marc T; Sterns, Laurence D; Piccini, Jonathan P; Joung, Boyoung; Ching, Chi-Keong; Pickett, Robert A; Rabinovich, Rafael; Liu, Shufeng; Peterson, Brett J; Lexcen, Daniel R

2015-03-01

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks are associated with increased anxiety, health care utilization, and potentially mortality. The purpose of the Shock-Less Study was to determine if providing feedback reports to physicians on their adherence to evidence-based shock reduction programming could improve their programming behavior and reduce shocks. Shock-Less enrolled primary prevention (PP) and secondary prevention (SP) ICD patients between 2009 and 2012 at 118 study centers worldwide and followed patients longitudinally after their ICD implant. Center-specific therapy programming reports (TPRs) were delivered to each center 9 to 12 months after their first enrollment. The reports detailed adherence to evidence-based programming targets: number of intervals to detect ventricular fibrillation (VF NID), longest treatment interval (LTI), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) discriminators (Wavelet, PR Logic), SVT limit, Lead Integrity Alert (LIA), and antitachycardia pacing (ATP). Clinicians programmed ICDs at their discretion. The primary outcome measure was the change in utilization of evidence-based shock reduction programming before (phase I, n = 2694 patients) and after initiation of the TPR (phase II, n = 1438 patients). Patients implanted after feedback reports (phase II) were up to 20% more likely to have their ICDs programmed in line with evidence-based shock reduction programming (eg, VF NID in PP patients 30/40 in 33.5% vs 18.6%, P programming feedback reports improves adherence to evidence-based shock reduction programming and is associated with lower risk of ICD shocks. Copyright © 2015 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geochemical characterization of the largest upland lake of the Brazilian Amazonia: Impact of provenance and processes

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Guimarães, José Tasso Felix; Souza-Filho, Pedro Walfir Martins; da Silva, Marcio Sousa; Nascimento, Wilson, Júnior; Powell, Mike A.; Reis, Luiza Santos; Pessenda, Luiz Carlos Ruiz; Rodrigues, Tarcísio Magevski; da Silva, Delmo Fonseca; Costa, Vladimir Eliodoro

2017-12-01

Lake Três Irmãs (LTI), the largest upland lake in the Brazilian Amazonia, located in Serra dos Carajás, was characterized using multi-elemental and isotope geochemistry (δ13C and δ15N) to understand the significance of organic and inorganic sources, weathering and sedimentary processes on the distribution of elements in lake bottom (surficial) sediments. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes from sedimentary organic matter suggest C3 terrestrial plants (forests > canga vegetation), macrophytes and freshwater DOC as the main sources. Sediments are depleted in most of the major oxides (except Fe2O3 and P2O5) when compared to upper continental crust (UCC) and their spatial distribution is highly influenced by catchment lithology. Principal Component Analysis revealed that most of the trace elements (Ba, Sr, Rb, Sc, Th, U, Zr, Hf, Nb, Y, V, Cr, Ga, Co, Ni) and REEs are closely correlated with Al and Ti (PC1; Group-1), so their redistribution is less influenced by post-depositional process. This is due to their relative immobility and being hosted by Al-bearing minerals during laterization. High Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Mafic Index of Alteration (MIA) and Index of Laterization (IOL) values indicate intense chemical weathering at source areas, but the weathering transformation was better quantified by IOL. A-CN-K plot along with elemental ratios (Al/K, Ti/K, Ti/Zr, La/Al, Cr/Th, Co/Th, La/Sm, La/Gd, Zr/Y, and Eu/Eu*) as well as chondrite-normalized REE patterns show that the detritic sediments are mainly sourced from ferruginous laterites and soils in the catchment, which may have characteristics similar to mafic rocks.

Improved Power System Stability Using Backtracking Search Algorithm for Coordination Design of PSS and TCSC Damping Controller.

Science.gov (United States)

Niamul Islam, Naz; Hannan, M A; Mohamed, Azah; Shareef, Hussain

2016-01-01

Power system oscillation is a serious threat to the stability of multimachine power systems. The coordinated control of power system stabilizers (PSS) and thyristor-controlled series compensation (TCSC) damping controllers is a commonly used technique to provide the required damping over different modes of growing oscillations. However, their coordinated design is a complex multimodal optimization problem that is very hard to solve using traditional tuning techniques. In addition, several limitations of traditionally used techniques prevent the optimum design of coordinated controllers. In this paper, an alternate technique for robust damping over oscillation is presented using backtracking search algorithm (BSA). A 5-area 16-machine benchmark power system is considered to evaluate the design efficiency. The complete design process is conducted in a linear time-invariant (LTI) model of a power system. It includes the design formulation into a multi-objective function from the system eigenvalues. Later on, nonlinear time-domain simulations are used to compare the damping performances for different local and inter-area modes of power system oscillations. The performance of the BSA technique is compared against that of the popular particle swarm optimization (PSO) for coordinated design efficiency. Damping performances using different design techniques are compared in term of settling time and overshoot of oscillations. The results obtained verify that the BSA-based design improves the system stability significantly. The stability of the multimachine power system is improved by up to 74.47% and 79.93% for an inter-area mode and a local mode of oscillation, respectively. Thus, the proposed technique for coordinated design has great potential to improve power system stability and to maintain its secure operation.

Evaluación del desarrollo testicular y medidas morfométricas en ovinos de pelo colombiano

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amado Espitia-Pacheco

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Las medidas corporales en ovinos son útiles como indicador de tipo y función, permiten mejorar la selección. Se conocen estudios biométricos en ovinos que, relacionan la importancia de estas medidas con algunas variables productivas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el desarrollo testicular y su relación con los parámetros morfométricos en ovinos de pelo colombiano, en el municipio de Sampués, Sucre, Colombia. Se utilizaron doce ovinos machos (destetados nacidos entre febrero y abril del 2014, sobre los cuales se tomaron las siguientes medidas: circunferencia escrotal (CE, peso corporal (PC, altura a la grupa (AG, alzada a la cruz (AC y longitud testicular derecha e izquierda (LTD y LTI, cada veintiocho días hasta los doce meses de edad. Para CE se efectuó análisis de regresión múltiple (RM del PC; AG; AC; LT. Para describir la variación del LT, el modelo incluyó solo las variables PC; AG; AC. El grado de asociación entre las variables estudiadas, se realizó por medio de correlación Pearson. La circunferencia escrotal mostró una correlación alta con los parámetros morfométricos evaluados. Dentro del análisis de RM, el PC influyó en la variable CE (p<0,05, mientras que las demás variables no influyeron significativamente. Según el coeficiente de regresión asociado a la medición, por cada kg de incremento en PC, hubo un correspondiente aumento de 0,09 cm en la CE.

Improved Power System Stability Using Backtracking Search Algorithm for Coordination Design of PSS and TCSC Damping Controller.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naz Niamul Islam

Full Text Available Power system oscillation is a serious threat to the stability of multimachine power systems. The coordinated control of power system stabilizers (PSS and thyristor-controlled series compensation (TCSC damping controllers is a commonly used technique to provide the required damping over different modes of growing oscillations. However, their coordinated design is a complex multimodal optimization problem that is very hard to solve using traditional tuning techniques. In addition, several limitations of traditionally used techniques prevent the optimum design of coordinated controllers. In this paper, an alternate technique for robust damping over oscillation is presented using backtracking search algorithm (BSA. A 5-area 16-machine benchmark power system is considered to evaluate the design efficiency. The complete design process is conducted in a linear time-invariant (LTI model of a power system. It includes the design formulation into a multi-objective function from the system eigenvalues. Later on, nonlinear time-domain simulations are used to compare the damping performances for different local and inter-area modes of power system oscillations. The performance of the BSA technique is compared against that of the popular particle swarm optimization (PSO for coordinated design efficiency. Damping performances using different design techniques are compared in term of settling time and overshoot of oscillations. The results obtained verify that the BSA-based design improves the system stability significantly. The stability of the multimachine power system is improved by up to 74.47% and 79.93% for an inter-area mode and a local mode of oscillation, respectively. Thus, the proposed technique for coordinated design has great potential to improve power system stability and to maintain its secure operation.

BODY COMPOSITION IN HEMODIALYSIS AND PERITONEAL DIALYSIS PATIENTS

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Nam Ho Kim

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Bioimpedance analysis is a reliable technique for determining post dialysis target weight. Using this technique, we can understand body fluid status easier and conveniently. Moreover this technique can be used for check nutrition status and nutritional status of dialysis patients. We compared the body fluid status and nutrition status between hemodialysis (HD patients and peritoneal dialysis (PD patients by BCM (Body composition monitor technique. We studied 48 (30 males and 18 females PD patients, 21 (10 males and 11 females HD patients. Body composition monitoring (BCM, Fesenitus Medical Care, Germany was used as a tool for the analysis of bioimpedance. Extracellular water, Total body water, Intracellular water, Overhydration, E/I, Lean tissue mass, Fat Tissue mass was measured and those results were compared between two groups. HD patients were more hydrated than PD patients (61.9% vs. 35.4% and nutritional status such as LTI was poorer than peritoneal dialysis patients (11.7±1.7 vs. 15.3±2.6. Although total body water is more abundant in peritoneal patients (29.4±5.5L vs. 35.9±6.2L, Extracellular water and intracellular water ratio was relatively higher in Hemodialysis patients (E/I 0.98±0.13 vs. 0.87±0.12. The nutrition status was better in PD patients by comparing the percent of lean tissue mass (LTM% between two groups (LTM% 52.1±10.6% vs. 66.8±11.3. In conclusions, Hemodialysis patients were more hydrated with poorer nutrition status than peritoneal dialysis patients, but, due to the significant difference of age between two groups, further study should be required.

The beauty of simple adaptive control and new developments in nonlinear systems stability analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barkana, Itzhak, E-mail: ibarkana@gmail.com [BARKANA Consulting, Ramat Hasharon (Israel)

2014-12-10

Although various adaptive control techniques have been around for a long time and in spite of successful proofs of stability and even successful demonstrations of performance, the eventual use of adaptive control methodologies in practical real world systems has met a rather strong resistance from practitioners and has remained limited. Apparently, it is difficult to guarantee or even understand the conditions that can guarantee stable operations of adaptive control systems under realistic operational environments. Besides, it is difficult to measure the robustness of adaptive control system stability and allow it to be compared with the common and widely used measure of phase margin and gain margin that is utilized by present, mainly LTI, controllers. Furthermore, customary stability analysis methods seem to imply that the mere stability of adaptive systems may be adversely affected by any tiny deviation from the pretty idealistic and assumably required stability conditions. This paper first revisits the fundamental qualities of customary direct adaptive control methodologies, in particular the classical Model Reference Adaptive Control, and shows that some of their basic drawbacks have been addressed and eliminated within the so-called Simple Adaptive Control methodology. Moreover, recent developments in the stability analysis methods of nonlinear systems show that prior conditions that were customarily assumed to be needed for stability are only apparent and can be eliminated. As a result, sufficient conditions that guarantee stability are clearly stated and lead to similarly clear proofs of stability. As many real-world applications show, once robust stability of the adaptive systems can be guaranteed, the added value of using Add-On Adaptive Control along with classical Control design techniques is pushing the desired performance beyond any previous limits.

Time-Varying Uncertainty in Shock and Vibration Applications Using the Impulse Response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.B. Weathers

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Design of mechanical systems often necessitates the use of dynamic simulations to calculate the displacements (and their derivatives of the bodies in a system as a function of time in response to dynamic inputs. These types of simulations are especially prevalent in the shock and vibration community where simulations associated with models having complex inputs are routine. If the forcing functions as well as the parameters used in these simulations are subject to uncertainties, then these uncertainties will propagate through the models resulting in uncertainties in the outputs of interest. The uncertainty analysis procedure for these kinds of time-varying problems can be challenging, and in many instances, explicit data reduction equations (DRE's, i.e., analytical formulas, are not available because the outputs of interest are obtained from complex simulation software, e.g. FEA programs. Moreover, uncertainty propagation in systems modeled using nonlinear differential equations can prove to be difficult to analyze. However, if (1 the uncertainties propagate through the models in a linear manner, obeying the principle of superposition, then the complexity of the problem can be significantly simplified. If in addition, (2 the uncertainty in the model parameters do not change during the simulation and the manner in which the outputs of interest respond to small perturbations in the external input forces is not dependent on when the perturbations are applied, then the number of calculations required can be greatly reduced. Conditions (1 and (2 characterize a Linear Time Invariant (LTI uncertainty model. This paper seeks to explain one possible approach to obtain the uncertainty results based on these assumptions.

Transient thermal performance analysis of micro heat pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Xiangdong; Chen, Yongping

2013-01-01

A theoretical analysis of transient fluid flow and heat transfer in a triangular micro heat pipes (MHP) has been conducted to study the thermal response characteristics. By introducing the system identification theory, the quantitative evaluation of the MHP's transient thermal performance is realized. The results indicate that the evaporation and condensation processes are both extended into the adiabatic section. During the start-up process, the capillary radius along axial direction of MHP decreases drastically while the liquid velocity increases quickly at the early transient stage and an approximately linear decrease in wall temperature arises along the axial direction. The MHP behaves as a first-order LTI control system with the constant input power as the 'step input' and the evaporator wall temperature as the 'output'. Two corresponding evaluation criteria derived from the control theory, time constant and temperature constant, are able to quantitatively evaluate the thermal response speed and temperature level of MHP under start-up, which show that a larger triangular groove's hydraulic diameter within 0.18–0.42 mm is able to accelerate the start-up and decrease the start-up temperature level of MHP. Additionally, the MHP starts up fastest using the fluid of ethanol and most slowly using the working fluid of methanol, and the start-up temperature reaches maximum level for acetone and minimum level for the methanol. -- Highlights: • Transient thermal response of micro heat pipe is simulated by an improved model. • Control theory is introduced to quantify the thermal response of micro heat pipe. • Evaluation criteria are proposed to represent thermal response of micro heat pipe. • Effects of groove dimensions and working fluids on start-up of micro heat pipe are evaluated

Treatment of metabolic syndrome by combination of physical activity and diet needs an optimal protein intake: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutheil, Frédéric; Lac, Gérard; Courteix, Daniel; Doré, Eric; Chapier, Robert; Roszyk, Laurence; Sapin, Vincent; Lesourd, Bruno

2012-09-17

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein intake has been set at 1.0-1.3 g/kg/day for senior. To date, no consensus exists on the lower threshold intake (LTI = RDA/1.3) for the protein intake (PI) needed in senior patients ongoing both combined caloric restriction and physical activity treatment for metabolic syndrome. Considering that age, caloric restriction and exercise are three increasing factors of protein need, this study was dedicated to determine the minimal PI in this situation, through the determination of albuminemia that is the blood marker of protein homeostasis. Twenty eight subjects (19 M, 9 F, 61.8 ± 6.5 years, BMI 33.4 ± 4.1 kg/m²) with metabolic syndrome completed a three-week residential programme (Day 0 to Day 21) controlled for nutrition (energy balance of -500 kcal/day) and physical activity (3.5 hours/day). Patients were randomly assigned in two groups: Normal-PI (NPI: 1.0 g/kg/day) and High-PI (HPI: 1.2 g/kg/day). Then, patients returned home and were followed for six months. Albuminemia was measured at D0, D21, D90 and D180. At baseline, PI was spontaneously 1.0 g/kg/day for both groups. Albuminemia was 40.6 g/l for NPI and 40.8 g/l for HPI. A marginal protein under-nutrition appeared in NPI with a decreased albuminemia at D90 below 35 g/l (34.3 versus 41.5 g/l for HPI, p treatment based on restricted diet and exercise in senior people with metabolic syndrome, the lower threshold intake for protein must be set at 1.2 g/kg/day to maintain blood protein homeostasis.

Development and function of secondary and tertiary lymphoid organs in the small intestine and the colon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Buettner

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The immune system of the gut has evolved a number of specific lymphoid structures that contribute to homeostasis in the face of microbial colonization and food-derived antigenic challenge. These lymphoid organs encompass Peyer’s patches (PP in the small intestine and their colonic counterparts that develop in a programmed fashion before birth. In addition, the gut harbors a network of lymphoid tissues that is commonly designated as solitary intestinal lymphoid tissues (SILT. In contrast to PP, SILT develop strictly after birth and consist of a dynamic continuum of structures ranging from small cryptopatches (CP to large, mature isolated lymphoid follicles (ILF. Although the development of PP and SILT follow similar principles, such as an early clustering of lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi cells and the requirement for lymphotoxin beta (LTβ receptor-mediated signaling, the formation of CP and their further maturation into ILF is associated with additional intrinsic and environmental signals. Moreover, recent data also indicate that specific differences exist in the regulation of ILF formation between the small intestine and the colon. Importantly, intestinal inflammation in both mice and humans is associated with a strong expansion of the lymphoid network in the gut. Recent experiments in mice suggest that these structures, although they resemble large, mature ILF in appearance, may represent de novo-induced tertiary lymphoid organs (TLO. While so far it is not clear whether intestinal TLO contribute to the exacerbation of inflammatory pathology, it has been shown that ILF provide the critical microenvironment necessary for the induction of an effective host response upon infection with enteric bacterial pathogens. Regarding the importance of ILF for intestinal immunity, interfering with the development and maturation of these lymphoid tissues may offer novel means for manipulating the immune response during intestinal infection or inflammation.

Development and Function of Secondary and Tertiary Lymphoid Organs in the Small Intestine and the Colon

Science.gov (United States)

Buettner, Manuela; Lochner, Matthias

2016-01-01

The immune system of the gut has evolved a number of specific lymphoid structures that contribute to homeostasis in the face of microbial colonization and food-derived antigenic challenge. These lymphoid organs encompass Peyer’s patches (PP) in the small intestine and their colonic counterparts that develop in a programed fashion before birth. In addition, the gut harbors a network of lymphoid tissues that is commonly designated as solitary intestinal lymphoid tissues (SILT). In contrast to PP, SILT develop strictly after birth and consist of a dynamic continuum of structures ranging from small cryptopatches (CP) to large, mature isolated lymphoid follicles (ILF). Although the development of PP and SILT follow similar principles, such as an early clustering of lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells and the requirement for lymphotoxin beta (LTβ) receptor-mediated signaling, the formation of CP and their further maturation into ILF is associated with additional intrinsic and environmental signals. Moreover, recent data also indicate that specific differences exist in the regulation of ILF formation between the small intestine and the colon. Importantly, intestinal inflammation in both mice and humans is associated with a strong expansion of the lymphoid network in the gut. Recent experiments in mice suggest that these structures, although they resemble large, mature ILF in appearance, may represent de novo-induced tertiary lymphoid organs (TLO). While, so far, it is not clear whether intestinal TLO contribute to the exacerbation of inflammatory pathology, it has been shown that ILF provide the critical microenvironment necessary for the induction of an effective host response upon infection with enteric bacterial pathogens. Regarding the importance of ILF for intestinal immunity, interfering with the development and maturation of these lymphoid tissues may offer novel means for manipulating the immune response during intestinal infection or inflammation. PMID

Development and Function of Secondary and Tertiary Lymphoid Organs in the Small Intestine and the Colon.

Science.gov (United States)

Buettner, Manuela; Lochner, Matthias

2016-01-01

The immune system of the gut has evolved a number of specific lymphoid structures that contribute to homeostasis in the face of microbial colonization and food-derived antigenic challenge. These lymphoid organs encompass Peyer's patches (PP) in the small intestine and their colonic counterparts that develop in a programed fashion before birth. In addition, the gut harbors a network of lymphoid tissues that is commonly designated as solitary intestinal lymphoid tissues (SILT). In contrast to PP, SILT develop strictly after birth and consist of a dynamic continuum of structures ranging from small cryptopatches (CP) to large, mature isolated lymphoid follicles (ILF). Although the development of PP and SILT follow similar principles, such as an early clustering of lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells and the requirement for lymphotoxin beta (LTβ) receptor-mediated signaling, the formation of CP and their further maturation into ILF is associated with additional intrinsic and environmental signals. Moreover, recent data also indicate that specific differences exist in the regulation of ILF formation between the small intestine and the colon. Importantly, intestinal inflammation in both mice and humans is associated with a strong expansion of the lymphoid network in the gut. Recent experiments in mice suggest that these structures, although they resemble large, mature ILF in appearance, may represent de novo-induced tertiary lymphoid organs (TLO). While, so far, it is not clear whether intestinal TLO contribute to the exacerbation of inflammatory pathology, it has been shown that ILF provide the critical microenvironment necessary for the induction of an effective host response upon infection with enteric bacterial pathogens. Regarding the importance of ILF for intestinal immunity, interfering with the development and maturation of these lymphoid tissues may offer novel means for manipulating the immune response during intestinal infection or inflammation.

Una (revisión heterodoxa del desarrollo (territorial: un imperativo categórico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Boisier

2004-01-01

Full Text Available La evidencia empÌrica mundial muestra un fracaso completo de los programas de promociÛn del desa- rrollo, por lo menos en el periodo 1941-2001, lapso en el cual el con- cepto teÛrico de desarrollo se con- vierte en un concepto polÌtico. Las diversas formas de intervenciÛn y el gasto de cantidades inconmensu- rables de recursos revelan un mun- do patÈticamente dividido entre un reducido n ̇mero de ganadores y un enorme conjunto de perdedo- res. El autor plantea que de aquÌ en adelante habr· que considerar el fo- mento al desarrollo como un impe- rativo categÛrico kantiano; que adem·s ser· preciso colocar en pri- mer plano la dimensiÛn axiolÛgica valÛrica del desarrollo, mostrando asÌ su car·cter de estado y de proce- so intangible, subjetivo, dependiente de la trayectoria y del territorio. Las causas del fracaso del ̇lti- mo sexenio se centran, seg ̇n el au- tor, en el peso de la noche cartesia- na, es decir, en el apego irrestricto al paradigma positivista y al mÈtodo analÌtico, que, llevado al plano de la acciÛn, se ha traducido en el incre- mentalismo disjunto de Lindblom. El autor sugiere un cambio radical de enfoque, dando paso a un para- digma que combine la complejidad con el constructivismo, que conside- re el desarrollo como una propiedad emergente de un sistema territorial complejo y que utilice conceptos e instrumentos como la sinapsis neu- ronal, la sinergia cognitiva y la con- versaciÛn social como medios para realizar una ingenierÌa de las inter- venciones territoriales que genere, efectivamente, el desarrollo. Se plantean complejas cuestiones de reforma en la manera de hacer go- bierno.

Šiaurinių širvintiškių i, ē ir i̯ā kamienų daiktavardžių raida

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurimas Markevičius

2011-12-01

Full Text Available DEVELOPMENT OF THE i, ē AND i̯ā STEM NOUNS IN THE NORTHERN ŠIRVINTIŠKIAI SUBDIALECTSummaryThe present article is a joint analysis of three noun stems, as the majority of their endings have become syncretic due to phonetic and morphological development, and the above process resulted in good conditions for mixing of the said stems. Mostly the development of baritone stress i, ē and i̯ā stem nouns is discussed in the article, as unstressed endings have changed to a greater extent than stressed ones in the majority of Eastern Aukštaitian dialects.Quite a number of linguists attribute the majority of morphological changes to essentially phonetic changes. Numerous phonetic and accentual processes have taken place in different case endings of i, ē and i̯ā stem nouns of the Northern Širvintiškiai subdialect (in the localities of Kavarskas, Vidiškiai, Ukmergė and Pašilė. The main processes were Leskien's law (having resulted in the shortening of as many as fifteen case endings, shortening of unstressed long vowels (as unstressed endings were devoid of long vowels, fronting of the vowels a and ā preceded by palatalised consonants (this resulted in conditions for the baritone stress I̯ā stem to develop into the ē stem, cf. nom. sg. *saujā > *saujē “handful” vs. *dulkē “dust”, gen. sg. *saujās > *saujēs vs. *dulkēs etc., monophthongisation of circumflex and unstressed word‑ending diphthongs ‑ai, ‑ei and ‑ui (the dative case singular endings of all‑stem nouns have become syncretic, e.g. ká․rvi “for a cow”, í․lti “for a fang”, se̾․seri “for a sister”, etc.Following the aforementioned and other changes, a considerable part of case endings belonging to i, ē and I̯ā stem nouns have also become syncretic. Only the singular nominative case nouns with all the three stems have two different endings (e.g. í․ltis “fang”, sá․uje “handful”, dú․lke “dust”. All the remaining

Identification of serotypes and virulence markers of Escherichia coli isolated from human stool and urine samples in Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K M Osman

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic-uremic syndrome are associated with Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC. There are others DEC (Diarrhoeagenic E. coli pathotypes responsible for outbreaks and others toxins associated to these. Most clinical signs of disease arise as a consequence of the production of Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1, Stx2 or combinations of these toxins. Other major virulence factors include E. coli haemolysin (hlyA, and intimin, the product of the eaeA gene that is involved in the attaching and effacing adherence phenotype. Materials and Methods: In this study, the PCR assay was used to detect 12 E. coli genes associated with virulence (stx1, stx2, hylA, Flic h7 , stb, F41, K99, sta, F17, LT-I, LT-II and eaeA. Results: A total of 108 E. coli strains were serotyped into 64 typable strains. The investigated strains from the stool, 8/80 (10% strains were O 164:K, while the 56/110 strains isolated from the urine were O126:K71 (44/110, 40% and O 86:K 61 (12/110, 11%. The distribution pattern of the detected virulence genes was observed to be in the following order: F17 (10% from the stool and 44% from the urine, Sta (10% from the stool, hylA (10% from the stool and 44% from the urine, Stb (44% from the urine and stx1 (27% from the urine. The 8 faecal strains encoded a combination of the F17, Sta and hylA genes, while the 56 urine strains encoded a combination of the F17 0+ Stb + hylA (44/110, 40% and Stx1 only (12/60, 20%. Conclusion: This is the first report on the molecular characterization of E. coli diarrhoeagenic strains in Egypt and the first report on the potential role of E. coli in diarrhoea and urinary tract infections in a localized geographic area where the people engage in various occupational activities.

Adaptive operational modal identification for slow linear time-varying structures based on frozen-in coefficient method and limited memory recursive principal component analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cheng; Guan, Wei; Wang, J. Y.; Zhong, Bineng; Lai, Xiongming; Chen, Yewang; Xiang, Liang

2018-02-01

To adaptively identify the transient modal parameters for linear weakly damped structures with slow time-varying characteristics under unmeasured stationary random ambient loads, this paper proposes a novel operational modal analysis (OMA) method based on the frozen-in coefficient method and limited memory recursive principal component analysis (LMRPCA). In the modal coordinate, the random vibration response signals of mechanical weakly damped structures can be decomposed into the inner product of modal shapes and modal responses, from which the natural frequencies and damping ratios can be well acquired by single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) identification approach such as FFT. Hence, for the OMA method based on principal component analysis (PCA), it becomes very crucial to examine the relation between the transformational matrix and the modal shapes matrix, to find the association between the principal components (PCs) matrix and the modal responses matrix, and to turn the operational modal parameter identification problem into PCA of the stationary random vibration response signals of weakly damped mechanical structures. Based on the theory of "time-freezing", the method of frozen-in coefficient, and the assumption of "short time invariant" and "quasistationary", the non-stationary random response signals of the weakly damped and slow linear time-varying structures (LTV) can approximately be seen as the stationary random response time series of weakly damped and linear time invariant structures (LTI) in a short interval. Thus, the adaptive identification of time-varying operational modal parameters is turned into decompositing the PCs of stationary random vibration response signals subsection of weakly damped mechanical structures after choosing an appropriate limited memory window. Finally, a three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) structure with weakly damped and slow time-varying mass is presented to illustrate this method of identification. Results show that the LMRPCA

[Disasters and emergency situations: what have we learned from the past to prepare for the future?].

Science.gov (United States)

Peleg, Kobi

2010-07-01

Israel has gained extensive experience in the mass casuaLty field, especially from dealing with terrorism events. This special issue of "Harefuah" includes articles that describe and analyze several aspects and approaches related to mass casualty event (MCE) preparedness and response strategies, based on Israel's experience. Feigenberg reports that Magen David Adom (MDA) was able to evacuate all urgent injuries during an MCE from the site to a hospital in 28 minutes, on average. Of the MCE casualties, 71% were evacuated directly to level 1 trauma centers. Rafalowski notes that the ability of MDA to implement organizational and operational Learning processes close to the time of the incident, as well as their modular operational approach, which allows flexibility in responding to simultaneous events, are probably among the reasons that have helped MDA reach a high Level of success in dealing with MCEs. Analysis of terrorism injury data demonstrates that these injuries, suffered by both children and adults, are characterized by increased complexity, with higher severity, higher in-patient mortality rates, and significantly greater use of precious hospital resources such as intensive care, operating rooms, CT, and days of hospitalization. Extensive experience dealing with MCEs has brought managerial insights to the entire health system, for instance in the hospitalization system and clinical management of injuries. In her article, Adini defines five major components for assessing the Israeli health system in emergencies. Shasha's article discusses the principles of hospital preparedness while working under fire. The importance of this subject has in recent years helped bring a more academic approach to emergency and disaster management in the world and in Israel, as enacted at Tel Aviv University's Multidisciplinary Master's Program in Emergency and Disaster Management, and also in other universities that focus on specific disciplines. In summary, achieving

High-quality thorium TRISO fuel performance in HTGRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verfondern, Karl [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Allelein, Hans-Josef [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Technische Hochschule Aachen (Germany); Nabielek, Heinz; Kania, Michael J.

2013-11-01

Thorium as a nuclear fuel has received renewed interest, because of its widespread availability and the good irradiation performance of Th and mixed (Th,U) oxide compounds as fuels in nuclear power systems. Early HTGR development employed thorium together with high-enriched uranium (HEU). After 1980, HTGR fuel systems switched to low-enriched uranium (LEU). After completing fuel development for the AVR and the THTR with BISO coated particles, the German program expanded its efforts utilizing thorium and HEU TRISO coated particles in advanced HTGR concepts for process heat applications (PNP) and direct-cycle electricity production (HHT). The combination of a low-temperature isotropic (LTI) inner and outer pyrocarbon layers surrounding a strong, stable SiC layer greatly improved manufacturing conditions and the subsequent contamination and defective particle fractions in production fuel elements. In addition, this combination provided improved mechanical strength and a higher degree of solid fission product retention, not known previously with high-temperature isotropic (HTI) BISO coatings. The improved performance of the HEU (Th, U)O{sub 2} TRISO fuel system was successfully demonstrated in three primary areas of development: manufacturing, irradiation testing under normal operating conditions, and accident simulation testing. In terms of demonstrating performance for advanced HTGR applications, the experimental failure statistic from manufacture and irradiation testing are significantly below the coated particle requirements specified for PNP and HHT designs at the time. Covering a range to 1300 C in normal operations and 1600 C in accidents, with burnups to 13% FIMA and fast fluences to 8 x 10{sup 25} n/m{sup 2} (E> 16 fJ), the performance results exceed the design limits on manufacturing and operational requirements for the German HTR-Modul concept, which are 6.5 x 10{sup -5} for manufacturing, 2 x 10{sup -4} for normal operating conditions, and 5 x 10{sup -4

Clinical, analytical and bioimpedance characteristics of persistently overhydrated haemodialysis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Castellano, Sandra; Palomares, Inés; Molina, Manuel; Pérez-García, Rafael; Aljama, Pedro; Ramos, Rosa; Merello, J Ignacio

2014-11-17

Fluid overload is an important and modifiable cardiovascular risk factor for haemodialysis patients. So far, the diagnosis was based on clinical methods alone. Nowadays, we have new tools to assess more objectively the hydration status of the patients on haemodialysis, as BCM (Body Composition Monitor). A Relative Overhydration (AvROH) higher than 15% (it means, Absolute Overhydration or AWOH higher than 2.5 Litres) is associated to greater risk in haemodialysis. However, there is a group of maintained hyperhydrated patients. The aim of the present study is to identify the characteristics of patients with maintained hyperhydrated status (AvROH higher than 15% or AWOH higher than 2.5 liters). The secondary aim is to show the hemodynamic and analytical changes that are related to the reduction in hyperhydration status. Longitudinal cohort study during six months in 2959 patients in haemodialysis (HD) that are grouped according to their hydration status by BCM. And we compare their clinical, analytical and bioimpedance spectroscopy parameters. The change in overhydration status is followed by a decrease in blood pressure and the need for hypotensive drugs (AHT) and erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESA). The target hydration status is not reached by two subgroups of patients. First, in diabetic patients with a high comorbidity index and high number of hypotensive drugs (AHT) but a great positive sodium gradient during dialysis sessions; and, younger non-diabetic patients with longer time on hemodialysis and positive sodium gradient, lower fat tissue index (FTI) but similar lean tissue index (LTI) and albumin than those with a reduction in hyperhydration status. Those patients with a reduction in hyperhydration status, also show a better control in blood pressure and anemia with less number of AHT and ESA. The maintained hyperhydrated patients, diabetic patients with many comorbidities and young men patients with longer time on hemodialysis and non-adherence treatment

SAFIR. The Finnish research programme on nuclear power plant safety 2003-2006. Executive summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puska, E.

2006-12-01

Major part of Finnish public research on nuclear power plant safety during the years 2003-2006 has been carried out in the SAFIR programme. The programme has been administrated by the steering group that was nominated by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (KTM). The steering group of SAFIR has consisted of representatives from Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Ministry of Trade and Industry (KTM), Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO), Fortum Power and Heat Oy, Fortum Nuclear Services Oy (Fortum), Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes), Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LTY). The key research areas of SAFIR have been (1) reactor fuel and core, (2) reactor circuit and structural safety, (3) containment and process safety functions, that was divided in 2005 into (3a) thermal hydraulics and (3b) severe accidents, (4) automation, control room and IT, (5) organisations and safety management and (6) risk-informed safety management. The research programme has included annually from 20 up to 24 research projects, whose volume has varied from a few person months to several person years. The total volume of the programme during the four year period 2003-2006 has been 19.7 million euros and 148 person years. The research in the programme has been carried out primarily by Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). Other research units responsible for the projects include Lappeenranta University of Technology, Fortum Nuclear Services Oy, Helsinki University of Technology and RAMSE Consulting Oy. In addition, there have been a few minor subcontractors in some projects. The programme management structure has consisted of the steering group, a reference group in each of the seven research areas and a number of ad hoc groups in the various research areas. This report gives a short summary of the results of the SAFIR programme for the period January 2003 - November

New magnetic real time shape control for MAST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pangione, L., E-mail: luigi.pangione@ccfe.ac.uk [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association – Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); McArdle, G.; Storrs, J. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association – Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom)

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► New magnetic shape control system has been implemented. ► It has been intensively tested in a simulation environment. ► A tool chain to produce LTI model and simulate its behaviour has been implemented. ► Experimental results are shown. -- Abstract: The Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) real time plasma position controller is based on an optical linear camera placed on the mid plane of the vessel. This solution has the advantage of being a direct observation of the D{sub α} emissions coming from the interaction between the boundary of the plasma and neutral gas, but, on the other hand, it restricts the control to the outer radius of the plasma only. A complete chain of tools has been set up to implement, test and simulate a new real time magnetic plasma shape controller based on the rtEFIT code. The complete working path consists of three elements: a linear static relationship between control parameters and current demands, a linear state space model needed to represent the plasma dynamic response in closed loop simulations, and the possibility to run simulations inside the Plasma Control System (PCS). The linear relationship has been calculated using the FIESTA code, which is developed using Matlab at CCFE. The linear state space model was generated using the CREATE-L code developed by the CREATE Consortium. It has already been successfully used to model JET, FTU and TCV tokamaks. Using this working path many simulations have been carried out allowing fine tuning of the control gains before the real experiment. The simulation testing includes the plasma shape control law as implemented in PCS itself, so intensive debugging has been possible prior to operation. Successful control using rtEFIT was established in the second dedicated experiment during the MAST 2011–12 campaign. This work is a stepping stone towards divertor control which is ultimately intended for application to the super-X divertor in the MAST Upgrade experiment.

Thorium fuel performance assessment in HTRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allelein, H.-J. [Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); RWTH Aachen, D-52072 Aachen (Germany); Kania, M.J.; Nabielek, H. [Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Verfondern, K., E-mail: k.verfondern@fz-juelich.de [Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany)

2014-05-01

Thorium as a nuclear fuel is receiving renewed interest, because of its widespread availability and the good irradiation performance of Th and mixed (Th,U) oxide compounds as fuels in nuclear power systems. Early HTR development employed thorium together with high-enriched uranium. After 1980, most HTR fuel systems switched to low-enriched uranium. After completing fuel development for AVR and THTR with BISO coated particles, the German program expanded efforts on a new program utilizing thorium and high-enriched uranium TRISO coated particles for advanced HTR concepts for process heat applications (PNP) and direct-cycle electricity production (HHT). The combination of LTI inner and outer pyrocarbon layers surrounding a strong, stable SiC layer greatly improved manufacturing conditions and the subsequent contamination and defective particle fractions in production fuel elements. In addition, this combination provided improved mechanical strength and a higher degree of solid fission product retention, not known previously with HTI-BISO coatings. The improved performance of the HEU (Th,U)O{sub 2} TRISO fuel system was successfully demonstrated in three primary areas of development: manufacturing, irradiation testing under normal operating conditions, and accident simulation testing. In terms of demonstrating performance for advanced HTR applications, the experimental failure statistic from manufacture and irradiation testing are significantly below the coated particle requirements specified for PNP and HHT designs at the time. Covering a range to 1300 °C in normal operations and 1600 °C in accidents, with burnups up to 13% FIMA and fast fluences to 8 × 10{sup 25} m{sup −2} (E > 16 fJ), the results exceed the design limits on manufacturing and operational requirements for the German HTR Modul concept, which were: <6.5 × 10{sup −5} for manufacturing; <2 × 10{sup −4} for normal operating conditions; and <5 × 10{sup −4} for accident conditions. These

Desarrollo y aplicación del diagnóstico y pronóstico técnico al mantenimiento de los sistemas centralizados de aire acondicionado. // Develop and application of diagnosis and technical prediction to maintenance of centralized air conditioned systems.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. L. Sánchez Ávila

2001-10-01

Full Text Available Se expone la aplicación del mantenimiento por diagnóstico y pronóstico técnico al sistema centralizado de aireacondicionado con recuperación del calor del hotel LTI Bella Costa; como solución a los graves problemas a que seenfrenta la dirección de servicios técnicos de las instalaciones turísticas para realizar un mantenimiento con calidad y a unmenor costo. El desarrollo de un plan experimental, en las instalaciones del hotel, permitió obtener las curvas que expresanel comportamiento de la degradación de estos sistemas en el tiempo, así como determinar el momento más oportuno para larealización del mantenimiento.La aplicación de esta investigación permitió la implementación de un mantenimiento menoscostoso y de más calidad, aumentando la rentabilidad de la labor del mantenimiento, y lo que es decisivo en este tipo deinstalación: la seguridad en la explotación como garantía de un servicio sin fallas.Palabras claves: Mantenimiento, refrigeración, predictivo, diagnóstico, pronóstico.___________________________________________________________________Abstract:The application of maintenance by diagnosis and technical prediction to centralized system of conditioned air withrecovery of heat is exposed; as solution to the serious problems faces technical services of tourist facilities to carry outmaintenance with quality and smaller cost. The development of an experimental plan, in hotel facilities, allowed to obtaincurves that express the behavior of degradation of these systems in time, as well as to determine the most opportunemoment for the maintenance realization. Application of this investigation allowed the implementation of a less expensivemaintenance with more quality, increasing the profitability of maintenance work, and what is decisive in this type ofinstallation,: the security in the exploitation like guarantee of a service without flaws.Key words. Maintenance, refrigeration, prediction, diagnosis, air conditioned.

High-quality thorium TRISO fuel performance in HTGRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verfondern, Karl; Allelein, Hans-Josef; Nabielek, Heinz; Kania, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Thorium as a nuclear fuel has received renewed interest, because of its widespread availability and the good irradiation performance of Th and mixed (Th,U) oxide compounds as fuels in nuclear power systems. Early HTGR development employed thorium together with high-enriched uranium (HEU). After 1980, HTGR fuel systems switched to low-enriched uranium (LEU). After completing fuel development for the AVR and the THTR with BISO coated particles, the German program expanded its efforts utilizing thorium and HEU TRISO coated particles in advanced HTGR concepts for process heat applications (PNP) and direct-cycle electricity production (HHT). The combination of a low-temperature isotropic (LTI) inner and outer pyrocarbon layers surrounding a strong, stable SiC layer greatly improved manufacturing conditions and the subsequent contamination and defective particle fractions in production fuel elements. In addition, this combination provided improved mechanical strength and a higher degree of solid fission product retention, not known previously with high-temperature isotropic (HTI) BISO coatings. The improved performance of the HEU (Th, U)O 2 TRISO fuel system was successfully demonstrated in three primary areas of development: manufacturing, irradiation testing under normal operating conditions, and accident simulation testing. In terms of demonstrating performance for advanced HTGR applications, the experimental failure statistic from manufacture and irradiation testing are significantly below the coated particle requirements specified for PNP and HHT designs at the time. Covering a range to 1300 C in normal operations and 1600 C in accidents, with burnups to 13% FIMA and fast fluences to 8 x 10 25 n/m 2 (E> 16 fJ), the performance results exceed the design limits on manufacturing and operational requirements for the German HTR-Modul concept, which are 6.5 x 10 -5 for manufacturing, 2 x 10 -4 for normal operating conditions, and 5 x 10 -4 for accident conditions. These

Pathotyping and antibiotic resistance of porcine enterovirulent Escherichia coli strains from Switzerland (2014-2015).

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, P; Gobeli, S; Perreten, V

2017-07-01

A total of 131 porcine E. coli were isolated in 2014 and 2015 from the gut of 115 pigs raised in Switzerland and suffering from diarrhea. The isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance, serotypes, virulence factors and genetic diversity. Serotypes were assigned by agglutination tests and virulence genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antibiotic resistance profile was determined by the measurement of the MIC of 14 antibiotics and by the detection of the corresponding genes using microarray and PCR approaches. Genetic diversity was determined by repetitive palindromic PCR (rep- PCR) revealing a heterogenous population. Half of the E. coli isolates possessing virulence factors could not be assigned to any of the 19 serotypes tested, but contained toxins and adhesins similarly to the sero-typable E. coli isolates. The most prevalent E. coli serotypes found were K88ac (18%), O139:K82 (6%), O141:K85ac (5%), O108:K`V189` (5%), O119:K`V113` (3%) and O157:K`V17` (2%). The combination of toxins EAST-1, STb and LT-I and adhesin F4 characterizing ETEC was the most frequent. The shigatoxin Stx2e (STEC) and intimin Eae (EPEC) were also detected, but less frequently. Seventy percent of the isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic and 29% were resistant to more than 3 antibiotics. Isolates exhibited resistance to tetracycline (50%) associated to resistance genes tet(A), tet(B) and tet(C), sulfamethoxazole (49%) [sul1, sul2 and sul3], trimethoprim (34%) [dfr], nalidixic acid (29%), ampicillin (26%) [blaTEM-1], gentamicin (17%) [aac(3) -IIc, aac(3) -IVa and aac(3) -VIa], chloramphenicol (17%) [catAI and catAIII], and ciprofloxacin (8%) [mutations in GyrA (S83L) and ParC (S80I)]. All isolates were susceptible to 3rd generation cephalosporins, carbapenems, colistin and tigecycline. Pathogenic E. coli isolates from pigs in Switzerland could frequently not be assigned to a known serotype even if they contained diarrhea-causing virulence factors. They

Evaluation of detectors for blood bioanalysis in Lu-177 and I-131 therapies for bone marrow dosimetry; Avaliacao de detectores para bioanalise de sangue em terapias com Lu-177 and I-131 para dosimetria de medula ossea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Degenhardt, Amilie Louize

2016-10-01

The measures traceability is mandatory for minimizing uncertainties in internal dosimetry for radiopharmaceuticals clinical studies and ensures the quality of the standard. Equipment should have resolution and efficiency compatible with radionuclides energies and, additionally, be able to quantify variations in human bodies' activities samples since the initial administration near the minimum residual activities. For testing three equipment (ionization chamber Capintec 25R, sodium iodine scintillator LTI Genesys Gamma-1 and high hyperpure germanium detector Canberra), they were prepared Lu-177 and I-131 radiation sources simulating patient's blood samples activities by adopting the following hypothesis: (1) initial activities according the Brazilian protocols; (2) blood volume in the whole body (5.3 L for adult men and 1.4 L for 5 years-old children); (3) effective half-lives (1.61 h and 42.9 h for Lu-177 bi-exponential adjustment and 15.7 h for I-131 mono-exponential adjustment); (4) sampling between 30 min and 168 h; (v) blood density adjustments. The standard sources were measured in the secondary standard ionization chamber Centronics IG11 at the Laboratorio Nacional de Metrologia das Radiacoes Ionizantes. The Capintec ionization chamber efficiencies ranged, respectively for I-131 and Lu-177, between (111.58±0.02)% and (102.27±0.01)% and HPGe semiconductor detector efficiencies ranged, respectively, between (89.40±0.03)% and (87.80±0.04)%. For the NaI detector, when the Lu-177 sources were positioned inside the detector the efficiencies ranged between (12.66±0.01)% and (11.54± 0.07)% and when the sources were positioned at 5 cm and 10 cm from the detector the efficiencies decreased to less than 5%. For I-131 sources positioned inside the detector, the efficiencies ranged between (29.76±0.21)% and (30.20±0.04)% and they decreased to less than 5% when they were positioned at 5 cm and 10 cm from the detector (deviation greater than 95

Evaluation of detectors for blood bioanalysis in Lu-177 and I-131 therapies for bone marrow dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Degenhardt, Amilie Louize

2016-01-01

The measures traceability is mandatory for minimizing uncertainties in internal dosimetry for radiopharmaceuticals clinical studies and ensures the quality of the standard. Equipment should have resolution and efficiency compatible with radionuclides energies and, additionally, be able to quantify variations in human bodies' activities samples since the initial administration near the minimum residual activities. For testing three equipment (ionization chamber Capintec 25R, sodium iodine scintillator LTI Genesys Gamma-1 and high hyperpure germanium detector Canberra), they were prepared Lu-177 and I-131 radiation sources simulating patient's blood samples activities by adopting the following hypothesis: (1) initial activities according the Brazilian protocols; (2) blood volume in the whole body (5.3 L for adult men and 1.4 L for 5 years-old children); (3) effective half-lives (1.61 h and 42.9 h for Lu-177 bi-exponential adjustment and 15.7 h for I-131 mono-exponential adjustment); (4) sampling between 30 min and 168 h; (v) blood density adjustments. The standard sources were measured in the secondary standard ionization chamber Centronics IG11 at the Laboratorio Nacional de Metrologia das Radiacoes Ionizantes. The Capintec ionization chamber efficiencies ranged, respectively for I-131 and Lu-177, between (111.58±0.02)% and (102.27±0.01)% and HPGe semiconductor detector efficiencies ranged, respectively, between (89.40±0.03)% and (87.80±0.04)%. For the NaI detector, when the Lu-177 sources were positioned inside the detector the efficiencies ranged between (12.66±0.01)% and (11.54± 0.07)% and when the sources were positioned at 5 cm and 10 cm from the detector the efficiencies decreased to less than 5%. For I-131 sources positioned inside the detector, the efficiencies ranged between (29.76±0.21)% and (30.20±0.04)% and they decreased to less than 5% when they were positioned at 5 cm and 10 cm from the detector (deviation greater than 95

Medidas de adesão entre agregado e ligante asfáltico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamilla Lima Vasconcelos

2009-06-01

Full Text Available

A adesão entre agregado e ligante asfáltico vem sendo apontada como uma propriedade de grande importância para a causa de defeitos encontrados em pavimentos asfálticos, tais como trincas por fadiga, e dano por umidade. Diferentes mecanismos existem na literatura para explicar a adesão entre os dois materiais, porém, estes mecanismos podem ser resumidos em três grandes grupos: inter- travamento mecânico, adesão física, e interação química. A ocorrência de mais de um mecanismo simultaneamente parece ser o fenô- meno mais provável, sendo a relevância de cada um dependente das características físicas e químicas do agregado e do ligante asfálti- co. No presente trabalho, dois procedimentos foram utilizados para acessar a adesão entre agregado e ligante. O primeiro constou do cálculo do trabalho de adesão através da energia livre de superfície dos materiais envolvidos e o segundo, da determinação da entalpia de imersão quando soluções de asfalto são postas em contato com o agregado. Todos os materiais usados foram provenientes da biblio- teca de referência do SHRP sendo um pedregulho como agregado, e três diferentes ligantes asfálticos. Os resultados mostraram a capa- cidade do microcalorímetro em detectar possíveis interações químicas na adesão entre agregado e ligante asfáltico, em conjunto com adesão física. A presença de grupos funcionais mais fortemente adsorvidos pela superfície dos agregados justificou os maiores valores de entalpia de imersão para as combinações onde esses grupos se encontravam presentes.

Abstract Adhesion between the asphalt binder and the aggregate is critical to the performance and durability of asphalt mixtures. According to the literature, distresses mechanisms such as fatigue cracking and moisture induced damage are correlated to the nature and quality of adhesion between these two materials. Different mechanisms already exist to explain