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Hierarchical silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4) membranes were fabricated by catalytic growth of α-Si 3 N 4 nanowires onto the rod-like β-Si 3 N 4 grains. Compared to the bare asymmetric structure of β-Si 3 N 4 membranes, the average pore size reduced from 0.9 µm to 0.67 µm, while the porosity decreased slightly from 47 ± 0.6% to 45.3 ± 1.1%. Inorganic nanoparticles derived from organosilane were used to further modify the membranes. The membranes displayed super-hydrophobic characteristics with a water contact angle of 155 ± 1° due to the multilevel hierarchical structure and the -Si-CH 3 low energy terminal groups. The super-hydrophobic membranes were successfully applied for the water-in-oil emulsion separation process. At various driving pressures, the water rejection of the water-in-oil emulsion was higher than 95%. This work's durable super-hydrophobic ceramic membrane has promise for the purification of a variety of oil products. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bilirubin has been found to protect against overt atherosclerotic diseases, but to date, few studies have investigated the effects of bilirubin especially within the normal range on lower limb atherosclerosis. Therefore, we aimed to assess the associations of bilirubin within normal limits including total bilirubin (TB), conjugated bilirubin (CB) and unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) with lower limb atherosclerosis in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: 7284 T2DM patients with normal levels of serum bilirubin were included in this cross-sectional, real-world study. Patients were divided into quintiles by TB levels (< 8.7, 8.7-10.19, 10.20-11.99, 12-13.99, > 13.99 µmol/L). Lower limb ultrasonography was conducted to detect lower limb plaque and stenosis. The association between serum bilirubin and lower limb atherosclerosis was explored by multiple logistic regression. Results: A remarkable decrease in the prevalence of lower limb plaque (77.5, 75.3, 70.7, 71.7 and 67.9%) and stenosis (21.1, 17.2, 13.3, 13.0 and 12.0%) was observed across the TB quintiles. Multivariable regression analysis showed that serum TB levels were negatively correlated with higher risks of lower limb plaque and stenosis, both as a continuous variable [OR (95%CI): 0.870 (0.784–0.964), p = 0.008 for plaque; and 0.835 (0.737–0.946), p = 0.005 for stenosis] and as categorized in quintiles (p = 0.015 and 0.016 for plaque and stenosis). Interestingly, serum CB levels were only negatively correlated with lower limb stenosis [OR (95%CI): 0.767 (0.685–0.858), p < 0.001], whereas serum UCB levels were only negatively associated with lower limb plaque [ OR (95%CI): 0.864 (0.784–0.952), p = 0.003] after a fully-adjusted analysis. Furthermore, serum CRP was significantly decreased across the TB quintiles and negatively associated with serum TB (r = -0.107, p < 0.001), CB (r = -0.054, p < 0.001), and UCB (r = -0.103, p < 0.001). Conclusions: High-normal serum bilirubin levels were independently and significantly related to reduced risks of lower limb atherosclerosis in T2DM patients. Furthermore, serum bilirubin levels including TB, CB and UCB were inversely correlated with CRP. These results suggested that higher-normal serum bilirubin may exhibit an anti-inflammatory and protective effect against lower limb atherosclerotic progression in T2DM subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the issue of asymptotic stabilization for a linear parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) with an unknown space‐varying reaction coefficient and multiple local piecewise uniform control. Clearly, the unknown reaction coefficient belongs to a function space. Hence, the fundamental difficulty for such issue lies in the lack of a conceptually simple but effective parameter identification technique in a function space. By the Lyapunov technique combined with a variant of Poincaré‐Wirtinger inequality, an update law is derived for estimate of the unknown reaction coefficient in a function space. Then a spatiotemporal adaptive state feedback control law is constructed such that the estimate of the unknown coefficient is bounded and the closed‐loop PDE is asymptotically stable in the sense of spatial ℋ1$$ {\mathscr{H}}^1 $$ norm if a sufficient condition given in terms of space‐time varying linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) is fulfilled for the estimated coefficient and the control gains. Both analytical and numerical approaches are proposed to construct a feasible solution to the space‐time varying LMI problem. With the aid of the semigroup theory, the well‐posedness and regularity of the closed‐loop PDE is also analyzed. Moreover, two extensions of the proposed adaptive control scheme are discussed: the PDE in N$$ N $$‐D space and the PDE with unknown diffusion and reaction coefficients. Finally, numerical simulation results are presented to support the proposed spatiotemporal adaptive control design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs the observer-based output feedback control technique to deal with the problem of spatiotemporally asynchronous sampled-data control for a linear parabolic PDE on a hypercube. By the spatiotemporally asynchronous sampled-data observation outputs, an observer-based output feedback control law is constructed, where the sampling interval in time is bounded. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional candidate and applying a weighted Poincaré–Wirtinger inequality on a hypercube, it is shown under a sufficient condition presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities that the suggested spatiotemporally asynchronous sampled-data control law asymptotically stabilises the PDE in the spatial H 1 (Ω) norm but its convergence speed can be regulated by a known constant. Moreover, both open-loop and closed-loop well-posedness analysis are done within the framework of C 0 semi-group. Finally, numerical simulation results are presented to support the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is still debatable whether glycated albumin/glycated hemoglobin A1C (GA/HbA1C) ratio is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and few studies have been conducted in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between GA/HbA1C ratio and MAFLD and to evaluate whether GA/HbA1C ratio can be used an indicator of MAFLD in Chinese patients with T2DM. Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of 7117 T2DM patients including 3296 men and 3821 women from real-world settings. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed to diagnose MAFLD. In addition to comparing the clinical characteristics among the GA/HbA1C ratio quartile groups, we also investigated the associations of GA/HbA1C ratio and quartiles with MAFLD in T2DM subjects. Results: There was a significantly decreased trend in the MAFLD prevalence across the GA/HbA1C ratio quartiles (56.3%, 47.4%, 37.8%, and 35.6% for the first, second, third, and fourth quartile, respectively, P < 0.001 for trend) after adjusting for gender, age, and diabetes duration. Fully adjusted Binary logistic regression indicated that both GA/HbA1C ratio (OR: 0.575, 95% CI: 0.471 to 0.702, P < 0.001) and quartiles (P < 0.001 for trend) were inversely associated with the presence of MAFLD among T2DM patients. Additionally, HOMA2-IR values were clearly increased in the T2DM subjects with MAFLD compared with those without MAFLD (P < 0.001), and markedly increased from the highest to the lowest GA/HbA1C ratio quartile (P < 0.001 for trend). Conclusions: GA/HbA1C ratio is closely and negatively associated with MAFLD in T2DM subjects, which may attribute to that GA/HbA1C ratio reflects the degree of insulin resistance. GA/HbA1C ratio may act as a simple and practical indicator to evaluate the risk of MAFLD in T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is still debatable whether glycated albumin/glycated hemoglobin A1C (GA/HbA1C) ratio is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and few studies have been conducted in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between GA/HbA1C ratio and MAFLD and to evaluate whether GA/HbA1C ratio can be used an indicator of MAFLD in Chinese patients with T2DM. Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of 7117 T2DM patients including 3296 men and 3821 women from real-world settings. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed to diagnose MAFLD. In addition to comparing the clinical characteristics among the GA/HbA1C ratio quartile groups, we also investigated the associations of GA/HbA1C ratio and quartiles with MAFLD in T2DM subjects. Results: There was a significantly decreased trend in the MAFLD prevalence across the GA/HbA1C ratio quartiles (56.3%, 47.4%, 37.8%, and 35.6% for the first, second, third, and fourth quartile, respectively, P < 0.001 for trend) after adjusting for gender, age, and diabetes duration. Fully adjusted Binary logistic regression indicated that both GA/HbA1C ratio (OR: 0.575, 95% CI: 0.471 to 0.702, P < 0.001) and quartiles (P < 0.001 for trend) were inversely associated with the presence of MAFLD among T2DM patients. Additionally, HOMA2-IR values were clearly increased in the T2DM subjects with MAFLD compared with those without MAFLD (P < 0.001), and markedly increased from the highest to the lowest GA/HbA1C ratio quartile (P < 0.001 for trend). Conclusions: GA/HbA1C ratio is closely and negatively associated with MAFLD in T2DM subjects, which may attribute to that GA/HbA1C ratio reflects the degree of insulin resistance. GA/HbA1C ratio may act as a simple and practical indicator to evaluate the risk of MAFLD in T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust super-hydrophobic ceramic membranes consisting of layered structure Si 2 N 2 O grains and organosilane-derived inorganic nanoparticles were successfully fabricated and employed for membrane distillation. First, phase inversion and sintering method were used to prepare porous Si 2 N 2 O membranes. The slurry composition and sintering temperature were optimized to obtain a pure phase Si 2 N 2 O membrane with high bending strength, tailored average pore size, and high permeability. Then, the Si 2 N 2 O membranes were modified with organosilane-derived inorganic nanoparticles through ammonolysis and pyrolysis reactions. Due to the micro and nano-hierarchical rough structures and the presence of -Si-CH 3 groups, the membranes showed super-hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 152 ± 1°. Finally, the membranes were applied to desalinate seawater by sweeping gas membrane distillation. A stable water flux of 76 ± 0.9 L/(m2 day) with a salt rejection of > 99% was recorded during 30 h distillation test at 75 °C, demonstrating the stability and durability of the membranes. [Display omitted] • Layered structure Si 2 N 2 O membrane with naturally rough grains was fabricated. • Super-hydrophobicity was obtained after modifying by the inorganic nanoparticles. • The super-hydrophobic membrane has micro and nano-hierarchical rough structures. • The membrane was successfully employed in membrane distillation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust hydrophobic membranes are promising for effective separation of water-in-oil emulsion, which is becoming extremely critical challenge in many sectors, including oil refinery and petrochemical industries. In this paper, robust hydrophobic ceramic membrane was fabricated and successfully applied for the water-in-oil emulsion separation process. First, porous β-silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4) membranes with unique rod-like grains and three-dimensional network structure were fabricated. The preparation procedure was optimized considering the morphological properties, porosity, permeability and mechanical characteristics. Then, the optimized membrane was converted to a hydrophobic structure with water contact angle of 136.1°. The hydrophobic modification was achieved using organosilane pyrolysis coating method, which resulted in the formation of a robust inorganic-organic hybrid hydrophobic coating layer on the membrane structure. The hydrophobic membrane was employed for the separation of water-in-oil emulsion. At a feed pressure of 1 bar, a permeate flow of 80 L/m2 h with a water rejection of 94.3% was obtained. The presented hydrophobic silicon nitride membrane in this study is promising for a range of water-in-oil emulsion separation applications, particularly in harsh conditions. [Display omitted] • β-Si 3 N 4 membrane with three-dimensional network structure were fabricated. • The membrane was converted to a hydrophobic by inorganic-organic hybrid coating. • The coating layer contains covalent internal structure and -CH 3 terminal groups. • The coated membrane was successfully applied in separation of water-in-oil emulsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is still controversy regarding the associations of urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, it is necessary to explore the correlation between them in T2DM patients. Methods: We conducted a survey involving 2565 T2DM patients from a single center. The study cohort was classified into three groups based on the levels of albuminuria: normal UAE (UAE < 30 mg/24 h), moderate UAE (UAE between 30 and 299 mg/24 h) and high UAE (UAE ≥ 300 mg/24 h). Additionally, the patients were divided into three separate groups according to eGFR levels, including low eGFR (eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2), intermediate eGFR (eGFR 60–89 ml/min/1.73 m2) and normal eGFR (eGFR ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m2) groups. Atherosclerotic lesions were compared among the three UAE and eGFR groups. Regression analyses were used to assess the associations of atherosclerotic lesions with UAE and eGFR in T2DM. Results: After controlling for age, sex and diabetes duration, the prevalence of atherosclerotic plaque and stenosis were significantly increased from the normal to high UAE groups (plaque: 72.2%, 78.6% and 87.3%, respectively, p = 0.016 for trend; stenosis: 14.0%, 25.5% and 37.3%, respectively, p < 0.001 for trend). Likewise, the values of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and femoral intima-media thickness (FIMT) were also obviously increased from the normal to high UAE groups (CIMT: p < 0.001 for trend; FIMT: p = 0.001 for trend). Conversely, only the FIMT value was clearly increased from the low to normal eGFR groups (p = 0.001 for trend). Fully adjusted regression analyses revealed that UAE was closely associated with the presence of atherosclerotic plaque (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03–1.40, p = 0.020) and stenosis (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.01–1.35, p = 0.036), and with the values of CIMT (β 0.05, 95% CI 0.01–0.10, p = 0.029) and FIMT (β 0.07, 95% CI 0.03–0.11, p = 0.001) in T2DM patients. However, there was no significant association between eGFR levels and atherosclerotic lesions in T2DM after adjustment for multiple confounding factors. Conclusions: Overall, albuminuria rather than low eGFR is closely associated with atherosclerotic lesions in T2DM patients. Albuminuria is an independent risk factor for carotid and femoral atherosclerotic lesions in T2DM. Therefore, albuminuria may be a potential early marker to predict the development of atherosclerosis in patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the problem of observer‐based feedback compensator design for a linear reaction–advection–diffusion equation subject to a time‐varying diffusion coefficient, a time‐varying advection coefficient, and a space‐time‐varying reaction coefficient. To solve such a problem, these coefficients are written in parametric forms under their boundedness assumptions. By considering these parametric forms of the coefficients and the distribution functions for control actuation and non‐collocated measurement, a parameter‐dependent observer‐based feedback compensator is constructed such that the resulting closed‐loop coupled equation exponentially converges to a bounded set of the equilibrium profile in the spatial L2 norm. With the aid of the Lyapunov technique and variants of Poincaré–Wirtinger's inequality, a sufficient condition for the existence of such feedback compensator is presented in the form of convex constraints. Finally, extensive simulation results for a numerical example and a class of steelmaking processes are presented to support the proposed design method. For the collocated measurement case, both theoretical and simulation results show that the proposed observer‐based feedback compensator can provide a better control performance than the static feedback compensator in the presence of measurement disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of dynamic compensator design for exponential stabilisation of linear parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with multiple actuation control inputs and multiple non-collocated observation outputs. Both in-domain control and boundary control are considered. A new observer-based dynamic compensator is constructed by the non-collocated observation outputs such that the resulting closed-loop coupled PDEs are exponentially stable. By constructing a Lyapunov function candidate and using Poincaré–Wirtinger inequality's variants, a sufficient condition for the existence of such dynamic compensator is presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The closed-loop well-posedness analysis result is also established by the method of C 0 -semigroup and its perturbations by bounded/unbounded linear operators. Finally, numerical simulation results are presented to support the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses dynamic feedback compensator design for a linear parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) with multiple inputs and multiple outputs. Actuating control inputs are provided by actuators distributed over partial areas (or active at specified positions) of the spatial domain, and observation outputs are taken from the non-collocated sensors distributed over partial areas of the spatial domain. An observer-based dynamic feedback compensator is constructed via the observer-based feedback control technique to exponentially stabilize the multi-input–multi-output PDE in the spatial |$\mathscr{L}^2$| norm. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov function candidate and using two variants of Poincaré–Wirtinger inequality, sufficient conditions on the existence of such observer-based dynamic feedback compensator are developed and presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities. The well posedness of the closed-loop coupled PDEs is also analyzed within the framework of |$C_0$| semigroup theory. Finally, numerical simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses fuzzy control design for a class of nonlinear systems which are described by nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) cascaded with an Euler-Bernoulli beam (EBB) equation. Two design difficulties are involved in the control design addressed in this paper. The first one is caused by the EBB equation whose spatiotemporal dynamics is affected by the output of the nonlinear ODE subsystem through its differential equation rather than boundary conditions. A state differential transformation is introduced for the EBB equation to bring the output of the ODE subsystem in the differential equation to its boundary conditions. The second one comes from the nonlinear ODE subsystem. To overcome this difficulty, it is assumed that an exact Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy ODE model is utilized by the sector nonlinearity approach to describe the dynamics of nonlinear ODE subsystem. Based on the T-S fuzzy model, a composite Lyapunov function is constructed to develop a fuzzy controller via the ODE state feedback and boundary feedback of transformed EBB equation to exponentially stabilize the nonlinear ODE-EBB cascaded system. The design procedure is presented in terms of bilinear matrix inequalities (BMIs). Moreover, a simple design method is also provided in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) from the obtained design procedure. Finally, numerical simulations on flight control with vibration suppression of a flexible air-breathing hypersonic vehicle are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the problem of dynamic compensator design for exponential stabilisation of linear space‐varying parabolic multiple‐input–multiple‐output (MIMO) partial differential equations (PDEs) subject to periodic boundary conditions. With the aid of the observer‐based feedback control technique, an observer‐based dynamic feedback compensator, whose implementation requires only a few actuators and sensors active over partial areas of the spatial domain, is constructed such that the resulting closed‐loop coupled PDEs is exponentially stable. The spatial domain is divided into multiple subdomains according to the minimum of the actuators' number and the sensors' one. By Lyapunov direct method and two general variants of Poincaré‐Wirtinger inequality at each subdomain, sufficient conditions for the existence of such feedback compensator are developed and presented in terms of algebraic linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) in space. Based on the extreme value theorem, LMI‐based sufficient and necessary conditions are presented for the feasibility of algebraic LMIs in space. Finally, numerical simulation results are presented to support the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the problem of cooperative control of robotic sensor networks (RSNs) for monitoring dynamic pollutant plumes in two‐dimensional (2D) space is studied. The pollutant plume propagation dynamics is governed by a 2D advection‐diffusion partial differential equation (PDE), and the plume front is modelled by a level set with a pre‐specified threshold value. Distributed consensus Luenberger‐type PDE observers are first constructed using local concentration measurements from the RSNs for unanimous estimate of the dynamic concentration field over the entire spatial domain. With the aid of the distributed consensus observers, a leaderless cooperative control scheme is then developed for the RSNs to monitor the dynamic plume front expansion. It is proved using the Lyapunov stability method and set stability concept that the proposed cooperative control scheme guarantees tracking of the dynamic plume front expansion and coverage of the plume front. Extensive numerical simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and merit of the proposed cooperative control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Morphological engineering of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4) hollow fiber membrane was carried out by considering hydrodynamic viscous fingering phenomena, which govern the formation of the finger-like micro-voids layer in membranes. The influence of the solvent, the air gap, and the rate of internal coagulant on the finger-like/spongy layer thickness ratio, porosity, bending strength, pore size distribution, and water permeation, was thoroughly investigated. The viscosity of the suspension played an important role in the development of the microstructure. Membrane morphology can be controlled by optimizing fabrication parameters in order to achieve the desirable fiber structure for the final functional application. The membrane used in microfiltration tests was produced by using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent, with an air gap of 5 cm, and an internal coagulant rate of 10 mL⋅min−1. The membranes comprised a selective finger void-free spongy layer on the outer surface, and displayed high permeation features. The membranes successfully treated highly concentrated (21000 ppm) oil-field-produced-water, and an oil rejection of 95% as well as a stable permeate flux of 480 L m−2 h−1 were achieved. Highlights • Viscous fingering phenomena allowed morphological control of Si 3 N 4 membranes. • The type of solvent, air gap, and internal coagulant rate were influential factors on membrane morphology. • The optimized Si 3 N 4 membranes were successfully used in microfiltration water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper addresses distributed mixed H 2 ∕ H ∞ sampled-data output feedback control design for a semi-linear parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) with external disturbances in the sense of spatial L ∞ norm. Under the assumption that a finite number of local piecewise measurements in space are available at sampling instants, a static sampled-data output feedback controller is suggested, where the sampling interval in time is bounded. The local piecewise measurements bring additional difficulty for the exponential stability and performance analysis since the existing Poincaré-Wirtinger inequality in 1D spatial domain is not applicable. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional candidate and employing Wirtinger's inequalities, a variant of Poincaré-Wirtinger inequality in 1D spatial domain, as well as Agmon's inequality, it is shown that the suggested static sampled-data output feedback controller not only guarantees the output exponential stability of the resulting closed-loop PDE in the spatial L ∞ norm but also ensures the mixed H 2 ∕ H ∞ performance index defined in the spatial L ∞ norm, if the sufficient conditions presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) are fulfilled. The satisfactory and better performance of the suggested sampled-data feedback controller is demonstrated by numerical simulation results of an illustrative example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Aroma losing in 'Nanguo' pears was closely related to LOX and ethylene-related pathway. • Preharvest CaCl 2 treatment inhibited aroma losing in 'Nanguo' pears during shelf life after refrigerated storage. • Preharvest CaCl 2 treatment can kept higher expression level of aroma-related genes in LOX and ethylene-related pathway. Abstract Refrigerated storage postponed the post-ripening of 'Nanguo' pears (Pyrusussuriensis Maxim.), but the aromatic esters of the pears were apt to weaken when the fruit was transferred to room temperature. CaCl 2 treatment, in which the pears were sprayed with 4% CaCl 2 during the days before harvest, inhibited the appearance of aromatic weakening of the postharvest pears after long-term refrigerated storage in the study. CaCl 2 -treated pears presented higher respiration rate, ethylene production and aliphatic acids during ripening in shelf life at room temperature. Higher genes expression of lipoxygenase (LOX), and hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), which were associated with LOX pathway, were found in the CaCl 2 -treated fruit during the ripening in shelf life. The expression levels of genes ACS, ACC, PuEIN4 and PuEIN2 were up-regulated, which were related to ethylene-related pathway. These results demonstrated that the aroma weakening of 'Nanguo' pears can be effectively inhibited by CaCl 2 treatment and the potential inherent mechanisms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper reports on the successful fabrication of γ-Y 2 Si 2 O 7 membranes with low thermal conductivity, which is an important membrane property for achieving high performance in membrane distillation process. Single-phase γ-Y 2 Si 2 O 7 powder was first synthesized by calcination of SiO 2 and Y 2 O 3 powders, with 3 wt% LiYO 2 as a sintering aid. The membrane was produced by tape-casting of a suspension of this powder. After sintering at 1300 °C for 4 h, a flat membrane was obtained, which had a thickness of 0.5 mm, 49% porosity, 0.9 μm pore diameter, and low thermal conductivity of 0.497 W/m⋅K at 32 °C, and 0.528 W/m⋅K at 100 °C. The obtained membrane presented hydrophobic features (water contact angle was 132°) after surface modification, which resulted in formation of a strongly adhered robust hydrophobic SiNCO nanoparticle layer on its surface. The resultant hydrophobic membrane was tested in water desalination experiments using a sweeping gas membrane distillation (SGMD) device. High water flux of 10.07 L⋅ m−2⋅ h−1 was achieved for a 20 wt% NaCl feeding solution and a temperature at the feed of 90 °C. Stable water flux and rejection rates were recorded in long-term experiments (>400 h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Browning in 'Nanguo' pears was closely related to the membrane metabolism. • CaCl 2 treatment inhibited browning in 'Nanguo' pears during shelf life after refrigerated storage. • Changes in enzymes of activity and expression involved in membrane metabolism were studied. Abstract The post-harvest ripening of 'Nanguo' pears (Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim.) can be effectively postponed by refrigerated storage. However, peel browning (PB) often appears in the pears after refrigerated storage during the shelf life at room temperature. In order to find an effective method to relieve PB of pears, 2% CaCl 2 was used to treat the fruit after low temperature. In the study, CaCl 2 treatment on the pears has efficiently restrained the appearance of PB. Higher firmness and polyphenol content were detected in CaCl 2 -treated fruit during the shelf life. Electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were lowered in CaCl 2 -treated fruit. Gene expression levels of phospholipase D (PLD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were inhibited by CaCl 2 treatment, and the activities of PLD and PPO were lower in CaCl 2 -treated fruit. The activity and gene expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were promoted under CaCl 2 treatment. Consequently, CaCl 2 treatment effectively alleviated the PB appearance of 'Nanguo' pears after refrigerated storage during the shelf life at room temperature and brown-related genes are regulated by CaCl 2 to varying degrees, which can help improve the quality of postharvest pears undergoing long term refrigeration and gene modification of brown pears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postharvest ripening and senescence of ‘Nanguo’ pears ( Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim. ) can be effectively delayed by low temperature storage. However, peel browning (PB) often occurs in pear fruit during shelf life at room temperature. In this study, ATP treatment on ‘Nanguo’ pears has efficiently inhibited the occurrence of PB. Higher flesh firmness, ATP concentration and energy charge (EC) were detected in ATP-treated fruit during shelf life. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and electrolyte leakage were lowered in ATP-treated fruit. Gene expression levels of ATP synthase ( ATPase ), NADH dehydrogenase ( NDA ) and vacuolar proton-inorganic pyrophosphatase ( VPP ) were promoted by ATP treatment, and the activities of ATPase , NDA and VPP were higher in ATP-treated fruit. The elevated activity and gene expression of phospholipase D ( PLD ) were restrained under ATP treatment. ATP treatment effectively alleviated the PB of ‘Nanguo’ pears and the possible mechanisms were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refrigeration delayed the ripening of ‘Nanguo’ pears ( Pyrusussuriensis Maxim.), but the aroma of the pears was apt to fade when the fruit was transferred to room temperature. ATP treatment, in which the pears were exposed to 1 mol/L ATP for 2 h on the day of removal from refrigeration for 150 d, alleviated the occurrence of aroma fading of the pears in this study. ATP-treated pears showed higher firmness, TSS, ethylene production, and respiration rate during the whole shelf life. Increasing ATP concentration and energy charge (EC) were found in ATP-treated fruit. The concentration of fatty acids was higher in the ATP-treated fruit. Higher enzymes activities and genes expression of transcripts for lipoxygenase ( LOX ), alcohol dehydrogenase ( ADH ), and alcohol acyltransferase ( AAT ), which were associated with LOX pathway, were detected in the treated fruit during the shelf life. These results indicated that the aroma fading of ‘Nanguo’ pears can be effectively alleviated by ATP treatment and the possible inherent mechanisms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red-emitting Sr[LiAl 3 N 4 ]:Eu 2+ (SLA) phosphor was synthesized under flowing N 2 gas. A thin organosilica layer (about 5–10 nm) was coated on the surface of SLA phosphors by a very simple method, which transformed the phosphor surface from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity. The contact angle of water droplets on the surface of the packed SLA phosphors was more than 140°. Compared with the unmodified sample, the modified SLA phosphors could keep at a high emission intensity for more than twice the time under an extremely high moisture level (at relative humidity of 100%, 85 °C). The hydrophobic modification could also improve the uniform dispersion of phosphors during assembly process of white LED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an observer‐based output feedback compensator design for a linear parabolic partial differential equation (PDE), where a finite number of actuators and sensors are active over partial areas and at specified points in the spatial domain, respectively. In the proposed design method, a Luenberger‐type PDE observer is first constructed by using the non‐collocated pointwise observation to exponentially track the PDE state. Based on the estimated state, a collocated local piecewise state feedback controller is then proposed. By employing a Lyapunov direct method, integration by parts, Wirtinger's inequality and first mean value theorem for definite integrals, sufficient conditions on the exponential stability of the resulting closed‐loop coupled PDEs are presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities. Furthermore, both open‐loop and closed‐loop well‐posedness analysis results are also established by the C0 ‐semigroup method. Numerical simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problem of exponential stabilization for a linear distributed parameter system (DPS) using pointwise control and non-collocated pointwise observation, where the system is modeled by a parabolic partial differential equation (PDE). The main objective of this paper is to construct an output feedback controller for pointwise exponential stabilization of the linear parabolic PDE system using the non-collocated pointwise observation. The observer-based output feedback control technique is utilized to overcome the design difficulty caused by the non-collocation pointwise observation. We construct a Luenberger-type PDE state observer to exponentially track the state of the PDE system. A collocated pointwise feedback controller is proposed based on the estimated state. A variation of Poincaré – Wirtinger inequality is derived and the spatial domain is decomposed into multiple sub-domains according to the number of the actuators and sensors. By using Lyapunov’s direct method, integration by parts, and the variation of Poincaré – Wirtinger inequality at each sub-domain, sufficient conditions for the existence of the observer-based out feedback controller are developed such that the resulting closed-loop system is exponentially stable, and presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Furthermore, the closed-loop well-posedness analysis is also provided by the C 0 -semigroup approach. Extensive numerical simulation results are presented to show the performance of the proposed output feedback controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a thermal energy storage medium (TESM) at moderate-high temperature of concentrating solar power (CSP), the molten NaCl-MgCl 2 has sharp corrosive action on a metal container. The influence of MgCl 2 content on a metal corrosion behavior is not clear. The corrosion behavior of a Fe based alloy (GH1140) in molten NaCl-MgCl 2 (at 1123 K) with different content of MgCl 2 (wt%：0.0，48.9，61.0，93.6) were studied by the submergence corrosion experience. Results show that: after corrosion for 5 h, there is a negative correlation between the weight loss of samples and the content of MgCl 2 . In the molten salt without MgCl 2 , the sample was corroded according to the mechanism of “dissolution as anode- oxidizing- peeling off of oxide film”. After adding a little MgCl 2 in the molten salt, an unprotected MgO shell was formed on the sample surface. The samples weight decreased and obeyed a line law. The elements of Fe and Cr deplete in the corrosion layer. Corrosion mechanism is “dissolution as anode- oxidizing- reduction- chlorination”. When the content of MgCl 2 is very high in the molten salt, partial pressure of Cl 2 increases. The corrosion mechanism is similar to what in the molten salt with a little MgCl 2 , but the chlorination reaction is more severe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs the observer‐based output feedback control technique to study the problem of local piecewise control for a linear parabolic partial differential equation(PDE) using non‐collocated local piecewise observation. By the non‐collocated local piecewise observation, a Luenberger‐type PDE observer is first constructed to exponentially track the state of the PDE in the sense of both L2 norm and H1 norm. Based on the estimated state, a collocated local piecewise state feedback controller is then proposed for exponential stabilisation of the PDE. Sufficient conditions on exponential stabilisation of the PDE by the suggested feedback controller in the sense of both L2 norm and H1 norm are developed by utilising Lyapunov direct method, integration by parts, Wirtinger's inequality, and first mean value theorem for definite integrals, and presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities. The well‐posedness is also analysed for both open‐loop and resulting closed‐loop PDE by using C0 ‐semigroup approach. Finally, numerical simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vessel disease is a kind of severe complication in diabetic patients. However, few pharmacologic agents can directly recover diabetic vascular function. Salidroside (SAL), a major ingredient from Rhodiola rosea, has been found to have an obvious hypoglycemic effect and a beneficial protection on vascular function in diabetes. However, whether SAL is a suitable treatment for diabetes has not so far been evaluated and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The present work aims to (1) investigate the potential effects of SAL on cerebrovascular relaxation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats or when exposed to acute hyperglycemia condition and (2) examine whether function of the BK channel is involved in SAL treatment for diabetic vascular relaxation. Our results indicate that chronic administration of 100 mg/kg/day SAL not only improves cerebrovascular relaxation but also increases BK β1-subunit expressions at both protein and mRNA levels and enhances BK whole-cell and single-channel activities in cerebral VSMCs of diabetic rats. Correspondingly, acute application of 100 μM SAL induces cerebrovascular relaxation by activation of the BK channel. Furthermore, SAL activated the BK channel mainly through acting on the β1-subunit in HEK293 cells transfected with hSloα+β1 constructs. We concluded that SAL improved vasodilation in diabetic rats through restoring the function of the BK-β1 subunit in cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells, which may be the underlying mechanism responsible for the vascular protection of SAL in diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the design problem of distributedH∞Luenberger-type partial differential equation (PDE) observer for state estimation of a linear unstable parabolic distributed parameter system (DPS) with external disturbance and measurement disturbance. Both pointwise measurement in space and local piecewise uniform measurement in space are considered; that is, sensors are only active at some specified points or applied at part thereof of the spatial domain. The spatial domain is decomposed into multiple subdomains according to the location of the sensors such that only one sensor is located at each subdomain. By using Lyapunov technique, Wirtinger's inequality at each subdomain, and integration by parts, a Lyapunov-based design of Luenberger-type PDE observer is developed such that the resulting estimation error system is exponentially stable with anH∞performance constraint, and presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). For the case of local piecewise uniform measurement in space, the first mean value theorem for integrals is utilised in the observer design development. Moreover, the problem of optimalH∞observer design is also addressed in the sense of minimising the attenuation level. Numerical simulation results are presented to show the satisfactory performance of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The α-Si 3 N 4 membrane was prepared by tape casting of silicon slurry, followed by calcination at 1300 °C in flowing NH 3 gas. It comprised of α-Si 3 N 4 nanowire of diameter 70 nm which were converted from silicon powder via the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth mechanism. The surface of the obtained membrane was transformed from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic, with a high water contact angle of ~ 160°, by coating with a vesicular SiNCO nano-layer. The experimental results showed that nanowire structure also favored superhydrophobicity. Water desalination performance of the membrane was tested with a sweeping gas membrane distillation (SGMD) device. High water flux of 8.09 l m −2 h −1 was achieved for 20 wt% NaCl aqueous solution in the feed at 90 °C, which was maintained for more than 500 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method of fabricating an all-ceramic hydrophobic membrane is proposed. First, porous β-Sialon planar ceramic membrane was prepared by a phase inversion and sintering method. Then, the β-Sialon ceramic membrane was coated with a uniform polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer through a poly-condensation reaction. Finally, through post-heat treatment in N 2 atmosphere, the polymer layer was transformed into a tough hydrophobic vesicular ceramic layer with strong covalent Si-O and Si-N skeleton and Si-CH 3 terminal groups in the surface. High contact angles were measured between the water and the modified hydrophobic membrane, ~140°, attributed to the presence of terminal Si-CH 3 groups, which were derived from the polymer, and the micro- and nano-hierarchical lotus leaf-like structure of the surface. The high hydrophobicity was perfectly maintained after a 24 h exposure of the produced membranes to humic acid, boiling water, aqueous solution of HCl, and benzene. Membrane distillation water desalination tests were also conducted. A water flux of 14.08 l/m 2 h was obtained at 90 °C, while the rejection rate was over 99% over the duration of the test that lasted for more than 70 h, which supports that the produced membrane had excellent long-term stability and good recovery ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resection of giant pituitary adenomas is one of the most challenging brain surgeries, especially when the giant pituitary adenomas have an irregular shape or irregular growth position. The purpose of the present study is to propose staged surgery for irregular giant pituitary adenomas through a retrospective analysis of two cases. The cases of two patients with irregular giant pituitary adenomas who underwent staged surgery are retrospectively analyzed. In one case, a 51-year-old male was hospitalized after 2 months of memory loss. Brain MRI showed that the pituitary adenoma was paginated and located in the sellar and right suprasellar regions, with a size of ~6.15×6.11×5.69 cm. In the second case, a 60-year-old male had a history of intermittent vertigo for 10 years and paroxysmal amaurosis for 1 year. Brain MRI showed that the pituitary adenoma grew laterally and eccentrically, and was located in the sellar region, with a size of ~4.35×3.96×3.07 cm. Both patients underwent staged surgery; more specifically, the tumors were totally removed through two-stage surgery. In the first-stage operation, most of the tumor was removed by the microscopic transcranial approach, while in the second-stage operation, the residual tumor was removed by the endoscopic transsphenoidal approach. Both patients recovered well without obvious postoperative complications after staged surgery. There was no recurrence during the follow-up. Staged surgery is characterized by only treating tumors in the visual field and achieving a total tumor resection, which has the advantages of a high tumor resection rate, high safety and fewer postoperative complications. Staged surgery is especially suitable for irregular giant pituitary adenomas with an irregular shape or irregular growth position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives a membership-function-dependent approach to solve the design problem of fuzzy pointwise state feedback controller for a class of nonlinear distributed parameter systems modeled by semilinear parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs), where only a few actuators are discretely distributed in space. In the proposed design method, a Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy PDE model obtained by using the sector nonlinearity method is first utilized to accurately describe the nonlinear spatiotemporal dynamics of the PDE system. As only the state information at some known specified points in the spatial domain (i.e., the pointwise state information) is available for the controller design, the favorable property offered by sharing all the same premises in the fuzzy PDE plant model and fuzzy controller cannot be employed to develop the fuzzy control design method. To overcome this drawback, a linear matrix inequality (LMI) relaxation technique is developed to enhance the stabilization ability of the fuzzy controller. Based on the T–S fuzzy PDE model, a membership-function-dependent fuzzy pointwise state feedback control design is then proposed by employing the Lyapunov technique, integration by parts, the vector-valued Wirtinger’s inequality and the LMI relaxation technique, and presented in term of standard LMIs. Finally, the satisfactory and better performance of the proposed design method are demonstrated by the extensive numerical simulation results of two numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Postharvest ripening of the 'Nanguo' pear ( Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim.) can be impeded by low-temperature storage. However, pears after long-term refrigeration are prone to peel browning when returned to room temperature conditions. This study investigated the browning mechanism of 'Nanguo' pear stored at a low temperature by analysing the differentially expressed proteins between healthy fruit and fruit with peel browning. RESULTS The results showed that 181 proteins underwent statistically significant changes. A categorisation of the disparately accumulated proteins was performed using gene ontology annotation. The results showed that the 'metabolic process', 'cellular process', 'catalytic activity', and 'binding' proteins were the most affected after low-temperature storage. Further analysis revealed that the differentially expressed proteins, which are related to peel browning, are primarily involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway, linoleic acid pathways, fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, glutathione metabolism pathway, photosynthesis pathway, oxidative phosphorylation pathway, and glycolysis pathway. CONCLUSION This study reveals that there are variations in key proteins in 'Nanguo' pear after low-temperature storage, and the identification of these proteins will be valuable in future functional genomics studies, as well as provide protein resources that can be used in the efforts to improve pear quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a solar energy storage medium at moderate-to-high temperature, molten chlorate severally corrodes metal vessels. The corrosion behavior and mechanisms of pure nickel (Ni), GH4033 and GH4169 in 793 K molten eutectic NaCl-MgCl 2 were studied. During the initial stage of corrosion, pure Ni and GH4033 gain weight from the many plate-like shells formed on the sample surface. After corrosion for 40 h, all sample surfaces were rather porous and loosened. MgO nuclei that were attached to the loosened microstructure surface fell off with the microstructures, which led to a continual decrease in the sample weight. The three sample surfaces were mainly composed of MgO and Ni or (Ni, Fe) from the sample substrate. Al and Ti were preferentially oxidized and stably excited on the GH4033 surface, which inhibits the corrosion process. The corrosion rate of GH4169 was the highest for the δ phase, which is rich in Nb, and phase boundaries were corroded preferentially. In the anode reaction, metal atoms escape from the corrosion system in the form of chlorides or aqueous chlorides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the biggest problems in white light-emitting diodes ( WLEDs) is the moisture-induced degradation of phosphors. This paper proposes a simple and feasible surface modification method to solve it, whereby a hydrophobic surface layer is developed on the surface of the phosphors. The particular case of orange-red-emitting Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ ( SSN) phosphor was investigated. The mechanism to develop the hydrophobic layer involves hydrolysis and polymerization of tetraethylorthosilicate ( TEOS) and polydimethylsiloxane ( PDMS). The experimental results showed that the surface layer of SSN phosphor was successfully modified to a hydrophobic nanolayer (8 nm) of amorphous silicon dioxide that contains CH3 groups in the surface. This hydrophobic surface layer gives the modified phosphor superior stability in high-pressure water steam conditions at 150°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a fuzzy feedback control design problem with a mixed H 2 / H ∞ performance is addressed by using the distributed proportional-spatial integral (P-sI) control approach for a class of nonlinear distributed parameter systems represented by semi-linear parabolic partial differential-integral equations (PDIEs). The objective of this paper is to develop a fuzzy distributed P-sI controller with a mixed H 2 / H ∞ performance index for the semi-linear parabolic PDIE system. To do this, the semi-linear parabolic PDIE system is first assumed to be exactly represented by a Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy parabolic PDIE model in a given local domain of Hilbert space. Then, based on the T–S fuzzy PDIE model, a distributed fuzzy P-sI state feedback controller is proposed such that the closed-loop PDIE system is locally exponentially stable with a mixed H 2 / H ∞ performance. The sufficient condition on the existence of the fuzzy controller is given by using the Lyapunov's direct method, the technique of integration by parts, and vector-valued Wirtinger's inequalities, and presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Moreover, by using the existing LMI optimization techniques, a suboptimal H ∞ fuzzy controller is derived in the sense of minimizing an upper bound of a given H 2 performance function. Finally, the developed design methodology is successfully applied to feedback control of a semi-linear reaction–diffusion system with spatial integral terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fuzzy guaranteed cost sampled-data control problem is addressed in this paper for a class of nonlinear coupled systems of an n -dimensional lumped parameter system modeled by ordinary differential equation (ODE) with a scalar reaction–diffusion process represented by parabolic partial differential equation (PDE). A Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy coupled ODE–PDE model is initially proposed to accurately represent the nonlinear coupled ODE–PDE system. Based on the T–S fuzzy coupled ODE–PDE model, a fuzzy sampled-data controller is subsequently developed via the Lyapunov's direct method to not only locally exponentially stabilize the nonlinear coupled system, but also provide an upper bound of the given cost function. Moreover, a suboptimal fuzzy sampled-data control design is also addressed in the sense of minimizing the upper bound of the cost function. The main contribution of this study lies in that a new parameterized linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique is proposed to reduce the conservativeness of the method, and an LMI-based fuzzy suboptimal sampled-data control design is developed for the nonlinear coupled ODE–PDE system based on this parameterized LMI technique. Simulation results on the sampled-data control of hypersonic rocket car are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and merit of the design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have attracted great attention due to their potential applications in gas adsorption, catalytic membrane reactors, chemical sensing and gas separation. To achieve the massive industrial application, a number of attempts have been made to prepare supported-ZIF membranes. We successfully synthesized a well-intergrown continuous ZIF-8 membrane on the outer surface of silicon nitride hollow fibers by a one-step hydrothermal method. Through controlling ZIF-8 nucleation and growth rates, the membranes were compact and well-coated. Single gas permeation of H 2 , N 2 and CO 2 at 25 °C, 0.25 MPa indicated the sieving behavior of the obtained membranes. N 2 permeance did not change with permeation time, while H 2 permeance increased in the beginning and keep steady at 8.35×10 −7 mol/m 2 Pa s due to the high storage properties of ZIF-8, and CO 2 permeance decreased in the first hour, then maintained at 1.15×10 −7 mol/m 2 Pa s due to the strong CO 2 adsorption in the ZIF-8 and the cooperative interactions of adsorbed CO 2 molecules with CO 2 passing through. The H 2 /CO 2 separation factor of 11.67 could be achieved in the separation of 50%H 2 /50%CO 2 mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel microporous β-Sialon (Si 6– z Al z O z N 8– z , z = 1–4) ceramic hollow fiber membranes have been successfully prepared by a combined phase-inversion and sintering method. The influence of dispersant concentrations on the viscosity curve was first studied to obtain a stable precursor suspension. Different z value and sintering temperature were studied to get asymmetric hollow fibers with a good combination of high bending strength (369 MPa), suitable pore size (0.8 μm), large gas and water flux, which are suitable for membrane distillation (MD). The membranes also exhibited a much lower thermal conductivity. After modified to hydrophobic by grafting fluoroalkylsilane (FAS), the membranes were applied to vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) and direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). They exhibited satisfactory water flux and a salt rejection rate of 99–100% for both methods. Most importantly, the permeate flux in DCMD reaches 63% of that in VMD due to the lower thermal conductivity, indicating their potential industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localized drug delivery strategies for cancer therapy have been introduced for decades as a means of increasing drug concentration at tumor target site and minimizing systemic toxicities. In this paper, a combination of microspheres (MSs) and sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB) in situ -forming implants (ISFIs) was evaluated for improving antitumor efficacy via intratumoral injection. Monodispersed cucurbitacin (Cuc)-loaded Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) MSs with mean diameter of about 5 μm were fabricated by Shirasu porous Glass (SPG) membrane emulsification technique, and their properties were investigated. The in vitro drug release pattern, antimelanoma efficiency, and drug distribution in tumor of three different intratumoral injection systems, that is, MSs, SAIB ISFIs, and combination of MSs and SAIB ISFIs (SAIB-MSs), was investigated. The Cuc-loaded MSs prepared by PLGA (LA/GA = 50:50, inherent viscosity = 0.87 dL/g), has an appropriate release pattern with lower initial burst and delayed drug release. SAIB-MSs have a much slower drug release rate than that of MSs or SAIB ISFIs. SAIB-MSs showed the best antitumor efficacy in melanoma-bearing mice model, and the results of drug distribution in tumor revealed that the incorporation MSs in SAIB solution obviously extended the residence of drug in tumor. The low Cuc concentration in tumor periphery region after intratumoral administration of SAIB-MSs demonstrated poor drug penetration of this system. For further improving the antitumor efficacy of intratumoral chemotherapy, elegant designing to carriers with both extended residency and wide drug distribution in tumor is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new copper(I) cyanide coordination polymer [Cu 4 (CN) 4 (tib)] n ( 1 ) (tib = 1,3,5-tris(1-imidazolyl)benzene) has been solvothermally synthesized through a synchronous redox and self-assembly reaction of copper(II) utilized as starting material, and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, PXRD and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The result shows complex 1 possesses a novel two-level hierarchical entangled 3D framework coordination polymer with multiform helical features and an unprecedented self-penetrated subnet, which belongs to the Class IIa interpenetration. The 3D subnet of complex 1 can be classified as a (10 2 .12)(10 3 ) 3 topology. Moreover, the thermal and luminescent properties and the nature of coordinate bonds of complex 1 have also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of feedback control design for a class of linear cascaded ordinary differential equation (ODE)–partial differential equation (PDE) systems via a boundary interconnection, where the ODE system is linear time-invariant and the PDE system is described by an Euler–Bernoulli beam (EBB) equation with variable coefficients. The objective of this paper is to design a static output feedback (SOF) controller via EBB boundary and ODE measurements such that the resulting closed-loop cascaded system is exponentially stable. The Lyapunov’s direct method is employed to derive the stabilization condition for the cascaded ODE–beam system, which is provided in terms of a set of bilinear matrix inequalities (BMIs). Furthermore, in order to compute the gain matrices of SOF controllers, a two-step procedure is presented to solve the BMI feasibility problem via the existing linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimization techniques. Finally, the numerical simulation is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the design problem of a fuzzy output tracking controller via a finite number of actuators for a class of nonlinear distributed parameter systems with unknown matched perturbations described by semi-linear first-order hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs). Firstly, a T–S fuzzy hyperbolic PDE model is assumed to be used to accurately represent the semi-linear first-order hyperbolic PDE system. Subsequently, based on the T–S fuzzy PDE model, the classic variable structure control technique is adopted to develop a fuzzy output tracking controller such that the output of the semi-linear PDE system exponentially tracks a desired reference and the state of the system is uniformly bounded in the Filippov sense. By constructing a strict Lyapunov function, the sufficient condition on the existence of the fuzzy output tracking controller is derived and presented in terms of algebraic linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) in space with an equality constraint. It has been shown that when these algebraic LMIs with an equality constraint are feasible, fuzzy tracking control design can be obtained via the existing convex optimization techniques. Finally, the developed design methodology is successfully applied to the control of a semi-linear Lotka–Volterra PDE system and the achieved results illustrate its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]