Search

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of 0.01% atropine eye drops in preventing myopia shift and myopia onset in premyopic children. A prospective, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, and crossover trial was conducted over 13 months. Sixty premyopic children aged 6–12 years with cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) > − 0.75 D and ≤ + 0.50 D in both eyes were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive one drop of 0.01% atropine or placebo once nightly for 6 months (period 1), followed by a 1-month recovery period. Then, the 0.01% atropine group was crossed over to the placebo group, and the latter was crossed over to the 0.01% atropine group for another 6 months (period 2). The primary outcomes were changes in SER and axial length (AL), and the secondary outcomes were the proportion of myopia onset (SER ≤ − 0.75D) and fast myopic shift (change in SER ≤ − 0.25D) in the two periods. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) model performed a statistically significant treatment effect of 0.01% atropine compared with placebo (pSER = 0.02, pAL < 0.001), with a mean SER and AL difference of 0.20D (− 0.15 ± 0.26D vs. − 0.34 ± 0.34D) and 0.11 mm (0.17 ± 0.11 mm vs. 0.28 ± 0.14 mm) in period 1, and 0.17D (− 0.18 ± 0.24D vs. − 0.34 ± 0.31D) and 0.10 mm (0.15 ± 0.15 mm vs. 0.24 ± 0.11 mm) in period 2. The GEE model showed that the proportion of myopia onset (p = 0.004) and fast myopic shift (p = 0.009) was significantly lower in the 0.01% atropine group than that in the placebo group. The period effect was not statistically significant (all p > 0.05). A total of 0.01% atropine significantly prevented myopic shift, axial elongation, and myopia onset in premyopic schoolchildren in central Mainland China. Conclusion: Within the limits of only two consecutive 6-month observation period, 0.01% atropine eye drops effectively prevented myopic shift, axial elongation, and myopia onset in premyopic children. Trial registration: This trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Registration number: ChiCTR2000034760). Registered 18 July 2020. What is Known: • Minimal studies on interventions for pre-myopia, despite the International Myopia Institute stating that preventing myopia is an "even more valuable target" for science and practice than reducing progression after onset. What is New: • A total of 0.01% atropine eye drops may safely and effectively reduce the proportion of myopia onset and fast myopic shift in premyopic schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To observe the correlation between nutritional status, bone age, and sexual development in children and adolescents. Methods. 895 children and adolescents who underwent physical examination in the growth and development clinic and height clinic of our hospital from 2019 to 2021 were selected as the research objects. The subjects were divided into emaciation group, normal group, overweight group, and obesity group. The bone age level, bone age assessment, sexual development, and early maturity rate of each group were compared. Results. The bone age difference (BAD) of the overweight and obesity groups was higher than that of the normal group, and the BAD of the obesity group was higher than that of the emaciation group (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group, the risk of advancement of bone age in the overweight group increased by 2.674 times (male) and 1.908 times (female), the risk of advancement of bone age in the obesity group increased by 6.376 times (male) and 14.687 times (female), the risk of retardation of bone age in the emaciation group increased by 2.150 times (male) and 3.092 times (female). Whether it was male or female, the sexual development of overweight and obese was higher than that of the normal weight group in the same age group. Among female children, the sexual precocious puberty rate of the overweight + obesity group is higher. Conclusion. The nutritional status of children and adolescents is closely related to their bone age and sexual development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the reliable extended dissipative control for a class of switched systems with time‐varying delay and actuator failure using an event‐triggered transmission mechanism. Under the proposed event‐triggered mechanism, there is a mismatch between subsystems and their corresponding controllers; a merged switching signal is thus introduced to obtain the closed‐loop switched systems. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional with the merged switching signal, some sufficient criteria are proposed to guarantee the extended dissipativity of the switched systems under asynchronous switching; thus, H∞, passivity, dissipativity, and L2 − L∞ performance of such switched system can be addressed in a unified framework. The reliable controller gains are achieved by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, numerical example and comparison results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' scores on the advanced placement exercise test are an important guide to the development of personalized instructional tutoring. Traditional exercise test systems only counts the total value of students' scores in each question and cannot analyze students' different levels of mastery of each aspect of knowledge and intelligence, which limits the accuracy of teaching and tutoring. By introducing the cognitive diagnosis theory, we designed and implemented a personalized online college entrance examination exercise test system, which realizes the functions of test management, course management, group paper management, and learning reports. Based on the college entrance examination score record and knowledge point correlation matrix, we can analyze the students' knowledge mastery status comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Antimicrobial pharmacokinetics is an emerging area of gut microbiome research. • Omadacyline is a tetracycline-class antibiotic with potent activity against Clostridioides difficile and a low propensity to cause C. difficile infection. • This study developed and validated a LC-MS/MS method to quantify omadacycline and its epimerization in stool. • A remarkable epimerization of omadacycline was observed in stool samples. This study developed and validated a new liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to quantify omadacycline and its epimerization in stool to facilitate microbiome studies. Omadacycline was extracted in a methanol-water-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (ETDA) solvent containing deuterated omadacycline as internal standard, followed by dilution. In an optimal gradient elution mode, omadacycline and its C4 epimer were separated within 5 min on reversed-phase C18 column. The method showed a broad working range of 0.1–200 ng/ml with a limitation of detection (LOD) of 0.03 ng/ml, little fecal matrix effect, good intra-day and inter-day accuracy (90–101 %), precision (2–15 %), and recovery rate (99–105 %). The method was sufficiently sensitive to quantify omadacycline in human fecal samples (n = 82) collected during a 10-day therapy course and at follow-up (day 13 and day 30) that ranged from 1 to 4785 µg/g. Further analysis revealed that ∼9 % of omadacycline was epimerized in fecal matrix control while, on average, 37.4 % was epimerized in human fecal samples. This study developed and validated a novel, simple, sensitive, and accurate method utilizing LC-MS/MS to quantify omadacycline its epimerization in the human gut. This has important implications for future studies of omadacycline and other tetracycline-class antibiotics as part of gut microbiome studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the effect of acupoint application of Chinese medicine on children's height and bone age. Methods. Altogether, 120 children with a short stature treated in our hospital from September 2017 to September 2018 were divided into the control group (CG, n = 60) and the observation group (OG, n = 60) according to the random number table method. The children in CG were given healthy diet and exercise plans and supplemented with daily vitamin intake. The OG was treated with acupoint application of Chinese medicine on the basis of the CG. The clinical efficacy of the CG and the OG of children after treatment was observed. The height increment, growth rate, and bone age of children were compared before and after treatment. The levels of IGF-1 and 25-(OH)D in the serum of children before and after treatment were tested. According to the clinical curative effect after treatment, the children were divided into good curative effect group (markedly effective + effective) and poor curative effect group (ineffective). Logistics regression analysis was applied to analyze the risk factors. Results. Compared with the CG, the curative effect on the OG was evidently improved (P < 0.05). In addition, the height increment, the growth speed, and the bone age of the OG increased evidently (P < 0.05). Compared with the CG, the expression of IGF-1 and 25-(OH)D of the OG elevated (P < 0.05). Serum IGF-1 and 25-(OH)D concentrations were positively correlated with growth rate and bone age (P < 0.05). Risk factors analysis showed that disease course, IGF-1, 25-(OH)D expression, and heredity were the risk factors affecting the curative effect on children. Conclusion. Acupoint application of Chinese medicine has effect on the height and bone age of children with short stature, which is worthy of clinical promotion. In addition, early treatment should be carried out to improve the clinical efficacy of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the correlation between serum immune factor levels and allergic constitution in children with infectious mononucleosis. Methods. A total of 120 children who visited our hospital from March, 2019, to December, 2020, were selected as the research objects, and 40 children who came to our hospital for physical examination were included in the control group (CG). 40 children with IM were classified into the IM group (IG), and 40 IM children with allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis, asthma, and other allergic diseases were classified into the IM allergy group (AG). On the second day of admission, 5 ml of fasting venous blood was collected from all children in the early morning to observe the serum IgE level, the level of lymphocyte subsets, and the level of immunoglobulin of the patient. Results. The serum CD3, CD4, and CD8 levels of children in AG were significantly higher than those in IG and CG (P < 0.05). The serum IgE, IgA, IgM, and IgG levels of children in AG were significantly higher than those of IG and CG (P < 0.05). The serum IgE levels of children in AG were positively correlated with the serum CD3, CD4, and CD8 levels (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the serum IgE level and serum IgA, IgM, and IgG levels in children with AG (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The results of this study showed that there may be a certain relationship between allergic constitution and the incidence, clinical manifestations, and prognosis of infectious mononucleosis. IgE level can be used as a reference index for the early severity of IM clinical symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface Electromyography (sEMG) based human–robot interaction has been widely studied, where prediction of human voluntary torques is one of the key issues that have not been well addressed. In this article, a torque prediction method based on collaborative neuromusculoskeletal modeling and adaptive learning, is proposed to overcome the limitation of existing methods. First, an sEMG-torque model is designed in comprehensive consideration of the previous research results, the requirement for subject-specific adjustment and the coupling between the muscle or muscle-tendon length and the adjacent joint angles, where the latter two factors have rarely been considered in the literature. Then, by combining the advantages of the stochastic particle swarm optimization and conjugate gradient algorithms, a collaborative optimization method is designed to calibrate simultaneously the undetermined parameters. Moreover, an adaptive learning method based on Gaussian process regression is proposed to learn and predict the estimation errors in real time, by which it is supposed that the torque prediction accuracy can be improved efficiently. Finally, experiments were carried out to validate the performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to study the issue of event-triggered observer-based H ∞ control of switched linear systems subject to time-varying state delay and exogenous disturbance. Firstly, an observer-based event-triggered controller is provided under the proposed event-triggered mechanism. Then, based on the average dwell time scheme and Jensen's Inequality technique, delay-dependent less conservative sufficient conditions in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) are obtained to guarantee the resulting augmented switched systems is exponential stabilisation and satisfies a prescribed H ∞ control performance. Furthermore, observer-based event-triggered controller is designed, and it is shown that there exists a positive lower bound of inter-event intervals. Finally, numerical example and comparison results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, (reverse) mode-dependent average dwell time (MDADT) method combined with multiple incremental Lyapunov functions is utilized to investigate the stochastic incremental input-to-state stability (SIISS) of stochastic switched systems. The sufficient conditions in terms of the (reverse) MDADT scheme are extracted to ensure SIISS, while it is shown that the SIISS can still be achieved even if all subsystems are not stochastically incrementally input-to-state stable. In particular, an incremental supply rate is introduced to obtain sufficient conditions to ensure SIISS for stochastic feedback interconnected switched systems. Specifically, when the stochastic switched systems are composed of some SIISS and non-SIISS subsystems, the (reverse) MDADT method is employed to establish a relationship between these two kinds of subsystems to ensure SIISS for the stochastic switched systems. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the dissipative control problem for two-dimensional (2-D) switched discrete-time linear system represented by Fornasini–Marchesini local state-space (FMLSS) model via dwell-time-dependent Lyapunov function (DTDLF) approach. Consider the definition of (Q, S, R)- α -dissipativity for 2-D switched discrete FMLSS model in triangular region and based on the DTDLF approach, we first give the linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based sufficient condition on asymptotic stability for the 2-D switched discrete FMLSS model and then propose the LMI-based sufficient condition which can guarantee the given 2-D switched system to be asymptotically stable and strictly (Q, S, R)- α -dissipative. Furthermore, the dwell-time-dependent dissipative state-feedback controller is designed, and the LMI-based sufficient condition for designing such controller is proposed. Besides, dwell-time-dependent passive state-feedback controller and dwell-time-dependent H ∞ state-feedback controller could be derived as the special cases of dissipative control from the established result. Finally, illustrative examples are depicted to verify the efficiency and superiority of the proposed techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The robust exponential stabilization for a class of the uncertain switched neutral nonlinear systems with time‐varying delays based on the sampled‐data control is investigated in this paper. The closed‐loop system with sampled‐data control is modeled as a continuous time system with a time‐varying piecewise continuous control input delay. Considering the relationship between the sampling period and the dwell time of two switching instants, sampling interval with no switching and sampling interval with one switching are discussed, respectively. By Wirtinger‐based inequality, Wirtinger‐based double integral inequality, and free‐weighting matrix technique, some delay‐dependent sufficient conditions are given to guarantee the exponential stability of uncertain switched neutral nonlinear systems under asynchronous switching. In addition, sampled‐data controllers can also be designed by special operations of matrices. Finally, two numerical examples are used to show the effectiveness of the approach proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the exponentially incremental dissipativity for nonlinear stochastic switched systems by using the designed state-dependent switching law and multiple Lyapunov functions approach. Specifically, using incremental supply rate as well as a state dissipation inequality in expectation, a stochastic version of exponentially incremental dissipativity is presented. The sufficient conditions for nonlinear stochastic switched systems to be exponentially incrementally dissipative are given by the designed state-dependent switching law. Furthermore, the extended Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov conditions are derived by using two times continuously differentiable storage functions. Moreover, the incremental stability conditions in probability for nonlinear stochastic switched systems are derived based on exponentially incremental dissipativity. The exponentially incremental dissipativity is preserved for the feedback-interconnected nonlinear stochastic switched systems with the composite state-dependent switching law; meanwhile, the incremental stability in probability is preserved under some certain conditions. A numerical example is given to illustrate the validity of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the finite-region boundedness (FRB) and stabilization problems for two-dimensional continuous-discrete linear Roesser models subject to two kinds of disturbances. For two-dimensional continuous-discrete system, we first put forward the concepts of finite-region stability and FRB. Then, by establishing special recursive formulas, sufficient conditions of FRB for two-dimensional continuous-discrete systems with two kinds of disturbances are formulated. Furthermore, we analyze the finite-region stabilization issues for the corresponding two-dimensional continuous-discrete systems and give generic sufficient conditions and sufficient conditions that can be verified by linear matrix inequalities for designing the state feedback controllers which ensure the closed-loop systems FRB. Finally, viable experimental results are demonstrated by illustrative examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, problems covering finite-time stability and boundedness of switched systems with finite-time unstable subsystems are researched through the method of multi-Lyapunov function. On basis of the mode-dependent average dwell time method, the systems are required to meet the standards of remaining finite-time stable and finite-time bounded through the practice of designing the switching signal for finite-time stable and unstable subsystems respectively. Finally, stabilization conditions for switched linear systems based on linear matrix inequalities are presented to guarantee the finite-time stability of the closed-loop system. Numerical examples are put forward attempting to verify the efficiency through different methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the finite-region dissipative control of two-dimensional (2-D) linear discrete-time Roesser model. Firstly, we define a concept of finite-region -μ-dissipativity. Then, by using Lyapunov function and establishing special recursive formulas, a new sufficient condition with a simpler form is formulated which ensures the resulting closed-loop system is finite-region bounded. Based on this, we propose the sufficient condition for finite-region -μ-dissipativity of closed-loop system. Furthermore, the sufficient condition that can be verified by linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) for designing the finite-region -μ-dissipative state-feedback controller is given. Moreover, the finite-region passive control, finite-region control and mixed finite-region passive and control can be obtained as the special cases from the established result. Finally, numerical examples are presented to display the effectiveness of the proposed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is conducted to investigate stability and control problems within a finite-time interval for a 2D continuous-discrete system in Roesser model. The concepts of finite-time stability (FTS) and finite-time boundedness (FTB) are naturally extended to the 2D continuous-discrete system. Recursive relations between system states are first obtained, then sufficient conditions for FTS and FTB in the system are derived, and a finite-time controller is supplied to the system. Sufficient conditions for finite-time stabilization are also provided for the linear repetitive process. Examples of metal rolling operation are presented to illustrate the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the incremental H ∞ control for switched nonlinear systems by using a state-dependent switching law and an average dwell time approach incorporated with multiple Lyapunov functions. Even if all subsystems are unstable, a sufficient condition for the incremental H ∞ control problem to be solvable is derived based on the design state-dependent switching law. Furthermore, when all subsystems are incrementally globally asymptotically stable (IGAS), the switched nonlinear system under the average dwell time scheme is IGAS and possesses a weighted incremental L 2 -gain. Then, we extend this result to the case where both IGAS subsystems and unstable subsystems coexist, if the activation time ratio between IGAS subsystems and unstable ones is not less than a specified constant, sufficient conditions for the weighted incremental H ∞ performance of the switched system are guaranteed. Two numerical examples are given to illustrate the validity of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a geometrically incremental dissipativity is proposed for switched discrete‐time non‐linear systems using multiple storage functions and multiple supply rates. The uniform incremental stability conditions are derived for geometrically incrementally dissipative discrete‐time switched systems by using multiple Lyapunov functions approach and average dwell‐time technique. The geometrically incremental dissipativity is preserved for the feedback interconnected switched non‐linear systems with a composite switching law, while uniform incremental stability is preserved under some certain conditions. Two numerical examples are given to illustrate the validity of the authors' results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finite‐region stability (FRS), a generalization of finite‐time stability, has been used to analyze the transient behavior of discrete two‐dimensional (2‐D) systems. In this paper, we consider the problem of FRS for discrete 2‐D Roesser models via dynamic output feedback. First, a sufficient condition is given to design the dynamic output feedback controller with a state feedback‐observer structure, which ensures the closed‐loop system FRS. Then, this condition is reducible to a condition that is solvable by linear matrix inequalities. Finally, viable experimental results are demonstrated by an illustrative example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exponentially incremental (Q,S,R)-dissipativityand incremental stability for switched time-varying nonlinear systems are studied whose subsystems are not required to be exponentially incrementally (Q,S,R)-dissipative. The sufficient conditions for switched time-varying nonlinear systems to be exponentially incrementally (Q,S,R)-dissipative are presented by the design of state-dependent switching laws. Incremental stability for switched time-varying nonlinear systems are derived based on exponentially incremental (Q,S,R)-dissipativity. Exponentially incremental (Q,S,R)-dissipativity is shown to be preserved under feedback interconnection by the design of a composite state-dependent switching law. Two simulation examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the passivity issues of discrete-time two-dimensional switched systems in Roesser model under a state-dependent switching law. Conditions for passivity of discrete-time two-dimensional switched systems are obtained without the requirement of passivity of subsystems. When the system states are completely available, state feedback controllers and switching laws are designed. In the case of partial state measurements, dynamic output feedback controllers and switching laws depending only on the state of the output feedback controllers are constructed to guarantee passivity of the closed-loop switched system. Finally, numerical examples are provided to illustrate the efficiency of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper addresses the problems of stability and positive observation for positive two-dimensional (2D) discrete-time systems in Roesser model with multiple delays. A novel proof is provided for the necessary and sufficient conditions of asymptotic stability for the positive 2D systems. Based on the obtained results, necessary and sufficient conditions are proposed for the existence of a 2D positive observer. All the proposed conditions are in terms of linear matrix inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bactericidal activity of vancomycin and telavancin was compared against 4 clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates recently recovered from cancer patients, using minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC):MIC ratios and time-kill studies. All 4 isolates were susceptible to both agents based on individual MIC values. The 2 methodologies for assessing bactericidal activity produced variable results. Telavancin appeared to have somewhat better bactericidal activity than vancomycin based on narrower MBC:MIC ratios. However, based on the results of the time-kill studies, neither agent demonstrated reliable bactericidal activity (defined as a ≥3 log 10 reduction of the starting inoculum at the end of 24 hours) against these organisms. These findings might be of some therapeutic importance in certain clinical settings and/or specific patient populations (such as febrile neutropenic patients) in whom potent bactericidal activity is either desired or preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the concepts of finite-region stability (FRS) and finite-region boundedness (FRB) are formulated for discrete two-dimensional (2D) Fornasini–Marchesini second (FMII) models, and then the analysis methods for FRS and FRB are proposed to investigate the transient behaviour of such discrete 2D FMII models. First, by building special recursive formulas, we develop a sufficient condition which guarantees the FRS of the system under solvable linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) conditions. Next, the FRB problem is addressed for the FMII model with exogenous disturbances and the corresponding criteria and LMIs conditions are reported. Finally, we apply the proposed FRS analysis method to consider the finite-region stabilisation problem of a chemical reactor thermal process, as well as some other numerical examples, to illustrate the validity of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, finite-time stability and boundedness for continuous positive switched systems with time-varying delay under state-dependent switching are investigated. By using a co-positive-type Lyapunov function method, sufficient conditions for solving the above-mentioned problems are given. It is proved that the sliding motion caused by the state-dependent switching will not destroy the performance of the system. The above results are extended to the discrete case. All the obtained results are formulated in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), which are computationally tractable. Finally, an illustrative example is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fecal bile acid (BA) analysis is an emerging area of gut microbiome research. • Sample preparation procedures for fecal BA analysis are not standardized. • After correcting for water loss fecal BA analysis from original and lyophilized results were comparable. • A single aliquot or original or lyophilized sample can be used for fecal BA analysis. Fecal bile acid (BA) analysis is an emerging area of gut microbiome research. However, sample preparation procedures for fecal BA analysis are not standardized. Current fecal BA analysis often utilizes either original or lyophilized aliquot, and fecal BA result difference between these two processing steps remains not systematically investigated. Moreover, the distribution pattern of fecal BA in the collected stool sample also remains unclear but affects interpretation of fecal BA for downstream experiments. To address these two questions regarding effect of lyophilization on fecal BA and fecal heterogeneity, fourteen separate BAs were quantified from 60 aliquots obtained from 10 clinical fecal samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). BA concentrations in the lyophilized sample were typically 2–4 folds higher than those in the original sample, but were almost identical using a water-adjusted lyophilized BA concentration. The fecal BA compositional profile and four BA ratios were similar utilizing either the original or lyophilized samples. BA concentrations were similar among different aliquots of differing starting mass except for the relatively trace-level BA. Therefore, it is suggested that fecal BA concentrations should be presented as the original sample concentration or water-adjusted lyophilization concentration to allow comparisons between studies. A single aliquot (20–100 mg) of stool can be used to reflect the concentrations in the entire sample. These results help to standardize analyses in this emerging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we establish finite-region stability (FRS) and finite-region boundedness analysis methods to investigate the transient behavior of discrete two-dimensional Roesser models. First, by building special recursive formulas, a sufficient FRS condition is built via solvable linear matrix inequalities constraints. Next, by designing state feedback controllers, the finite-region stabilization issue is analyzed for the corresponding two-dimensional closed-loop system. Similar to FRS analysis, the finite-region boundedness problem is addressed for Roesser models with exogenous disturbances and corresponding criteria, and linear matrix inequalities conditions are reported. To conclude the paper, we provide numerical examples to confirm the validity of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Curcumin (capable of inhibiting angiogenic growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells [ HUVECs]), can be employed in vitro as a model of pathogenesis of corneal neovascularization ( CRNV). The aim of this study was to explore regulatory mechanisms of micro RNA (miR) levels after curcumin treatment. Materials and methods Expression profiles of miRs in curcumin-treated HUVECs were investigated by miR microassay. Specific mimics and inhibitors of miR-1275 or miR-1246 were transfected into HUVECs. Then, their target genes, vascular endothelial growth factor B ( VEGFB) and nuclear transcription factor kappa B acting protein ( NKAP) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting assay or immunofluorescence assay. Cell proliferation and cell cycle parameters were measured with the help of CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Results MiR-1275 and miR-1246 expression levels were up-regulated by curcumin. Administration of the specific mimics and inhibitors of the two miRs led to significant changes in expression of VEGFB and NKAP as well as the indicators related to angiogenesis. Anti-angiogenic effect of curcumin depended on expression patterns of the two miRs in that inhibition of either miR interfered with the effect of curcumin. Furthermore, overexpression of NKAP interrupted effects of curcumin on the cells. Conclusion Collectively, our findings demonstrate that curcumin inhibited HUVEC proliferation by up-regulation of miR-1275 and miR-1246. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to implement model-based recognition of human motion intention, dynamics modeling and identification of a lower limb rehabilitation robot named iLeg is investigated. Due to the relatively strong motion constraints, the traditional identification methods become insufficient for iLeg in three aspects: 1) the coupling factors among joints have not been considered in the traditional joint friction models, which makes the structural error and the torque estimation errors relatively large; 2) because of the small and complicated feasible region caused by the motion constraints, the traditional initialization strategy, for searching the valid initial solutions of the optimization problem for the exciting trajectories, becomes very inefficient; and 3) the condition number of the observation matrix, calculated from the preliminary dynamic model and the associated optimized exciting trajectory, is too large for the identification, and, however, further reduction of the condition number has not been considered in the literature. Therefore, corresponding contributions are presented to overcome the limitation. First, the coupling factors among joints are considered in the joint friction model by using the Palmgren empirical formulation and a polynomial fitting method. Then, an indirectly generating strategy is designed, by which the valid initial solutions of the optimization problem can be found with good efficiency. Moreover, a recursive optimization method based on the optimization of the dynamic model and the exciting trajectories, is proposed to further reduce the condition number. Finally, the performance of the proposed methods is demonstrated by several experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study is concerned with the problem of generalised Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov (GKYP) lemma and its application to two‐dimensional (2D) continuous‐discrete systems described by Roesser model. On the basis of the feature of states in the system, a rectangular finite frequency range is characterised by a linear matrix inequality and then combined with 𝒮‐procedure, the GKYP lemma is developed for 2D continuous‐discrete systems in Roesser model. As special cases of this lemma, 2D continuous‐discrete case finite frequency bounded realness and positive realness are investigated as well. Furthermore, the finite frequency 2D positive realness control problem via state‐feedback controllers are considered based on the developed lemma. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problem ofH∞control for 2-D non-linear system with stochastic perturbation. Based on spatial fuzzy set and inference mechanism, 2-D T-S fuzzy FMII model with stochastic perturbation is established first. Then the results for stability analysis and bounded real lemma are obtained. Moreover, anH∞fuzzy controller is designed. In order to reduce the computational demand of the conditions for the existence ofH∞fuzzy controller, the control inputs are regarded as the variables independent of the states, and some free matrices are introduced to reduce the conservatism of this method. Then, a newH∞fuzzy controller is derived. Two simulation examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective To study the therapeutic effect of Erxian decoction on secondary osteoporosis of spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods Modified Allen's method was used to establish the SCI model. Then the rats were divided into SCI model group, SCI Erxian decoction group, and SCI Fosamax group randomly. The treatment with the corresponding drug lasted for 8 weeks. The change of body weight and BBB scales were recorded. Serum ALP and calcium were examined on 4 and 8 weeks of the experiment. The organ coefficients were calculated after the experiment. Results The BBB scales of the established animal model were 0 or 1. Erxian decoction could improve the back limb movement, adjust the hepatic and testicle index of SCI rats, but the effect was weaker than Fosamax. After 4-week of the operation, the serum ALP level decreased but calcium content increased. After 8-week of the operation, the levels of ALP and calcium were close to the normal level. The calcium content significantly reduced after treatment with Erxian decoction. Conclusion Erxian decoction has a therapeutic effect on secondary osteoporosis of SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel leg orthosis for lower limb rehabilitation robots of the sitting/lying type. It consists of three joint mechanisms: hip, knee and ankle, and two sets of links: thigh and crus. Each driving motor is located close to the associated joint and the rotational axis of each joint mechanism is unique and stable. These features make it outperform the similar mechanisms in stability and dynamic performance. Different forms of eccentric slider-crank mechanisms are applied in the three joint mechanisms, respectively, such that they can be optimized independently. The optimization problems for the hip and knee joint mechanisms, characterized as strongly nonlinear, are developed respectively. Then, a particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to obtain the optimal solutions, which are subsequently validated by comprehensive comparisons. Moreover, the kinematics necessary for motion control and trajectory tracking are investigated, which denote the relationships between the displacements and velocities of the joint mechanisms, lead screws and the end effector. Finally, this paper illustrates the feasibility of the application of the leg orthosis to actual rehabilitation exercises by a simulation example. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SUMMARY This paper is concerned with the H ∞ filtering problem for two-dimensional T-S fuzzy systems. Sufficient conditions for the solvability of this problem are obtained by using basis-dependent Lyapunov functions. By considering the measured output as an independent variable with respect to the state variable and the disturbance input, a new method for designing two-dimensional H ∞ filters is presented. Moreover, it has been shown that the proposed method is equivalent to the conventional one. Therefore, the proposed method does not lead to any conservativeness that may be caused by separately considering the measured output, the state variable, and the disturbance input. In converting the parameterized linear matrix inequalities (PLMI) into LMI constraints, attention is focused on the reduction of the number of LMI-based conditions. On the basis of the proposed theorem, the number of LMI-based conditions is reduced to r3 from r3( r + 1)2 ∕ 4 by the conventional method. Thus, the computational advantage is obvious for fuzzy systems with large number of fuzzy rules. Simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates control for general 2D nonlinear systems based on a 2D Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy model. The system under consideration is an extension of the general 2D linear system to a nonlinear case. Taking the spatial and structural features into consideration, a 2D T–S fuzzy model is first established. In designing the controller, the inputs are regarded as variables independent from the states and then basis-dependent free matrices are introduced. It has been shown that separation of the input and state variables does not lead to any conservativeness compared with the commonly used method. Thus, a fuzzy controller is designed using a common free matrix, resulting in only r linear matrix inequalities. The computational advantage is obvious for fuzzy systems with a large number of fuzzy rules. We also demonstrate that the proposed method is less computationally expensive than the approach in which the input variable, state variable and its forward-stepping state are all separately considered, although these two methods can achieve the same optimal performance. Simulation examples are used to demonstrate the technique and its advantages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The problem of non-fragile robust guaranteed cost control for a class of two-dimensional (2-D) discrete systems in the general model (GM) with norm-bound uncertainties is investigated. The purpose is to design a non-fragile state feedback controller such that the closed-loop system is asymptotically stable and the cost function value is not more than an upper bound for all admissible uncertainties. The cost function is proposed and an upper bound of the cost function is given. By using a linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) approach, a sufficient condition for the solvability of the problem is obtained. A desired non-fragile state feedback controller can be constructed by solving a set of LMIs. An example is provided to demonstrate the application of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with stability analysis and stabilisation problems for a class of two-dimensional (2-D) nonlinear discrete systems. First, the stability condition is derived for 2-D systems with nonlinearity by exploiting the Lyapunov method. Based on this result, a state feedback controller and an output feedback controller are designed to achieve stability for the closed-loop system. Next, H∞ controllers are given in terms of the linear matrix inequality (LMI). Finally, some numerical examples are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Differential gel electrophoresis (DIGE) is a technology widely used for protein expression analysis. It is based on labelling with fluorescent Cy dyes. In comparative fluorescence gel electrophoresis experiments, however, unspecific labelling using N-hydroxy-succinimide-ester-based labelling protocols was recently detected. Cross-talk was observed due to failure of the quenching process. Here, the impact of this effect for DIGE experiments was investigated. Methodology/Principal Findings: Experiments to test quenching efficiency were performed in replicate using Escherichia coli lysate. Parameters such as the amount of dye and quencher were varied. Labelling and quenching were reversed in one experiment. Differences in protein spot volumes due to limited quenching were determined. For some spots twice the volume was detected underscoring the importance of proper control of silencing of active dye. Conclusions/Significance: It could be demonstrated that uncontrolled labelling increased protein spot volume, even doubling it in some cases. Moreover, proteins responded differently to the protocol. Such unpredictable and unspecific processes are not acceptable in protein regulation studies so that it is necessary to validate the correct amount of quencher for individual samples before the DIGE experiment is performed. Increase of the concentration of lysine, which is used as quencher, from 10 mM to 2500 mM, was sufficient to silence the dye. Alternatively, active dye molecules can be removed by filtration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weight control via dietary caloric restriction and/or physical activity has been demonstrated in animal models for cancer prevention. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Body weight loss due to negative energy balance significantly reduces some metabolic growth factors and endocrinal hormones such as IGF-1, leptin, and adiponectin, but enhances glucocorticoids, that may be associated with anti-cancer mechanisms. In this review, we summarized the recent studies related to weight control and growth factors. The potential molecular targets focused on those growth factors- and hormones-dependent cellular signaling pathways are further discussed. It appears that multiple factors and multiple signaling cascades, especially for Ras-MAPK-proliferation and PI3K-Akt-anti-apoptosis, could be involved in response to weight change by dietary calorie restriction and/or exercise training. Considering prevalence of obesity or overweight that becomes apparent over the world, understanding the underlying mechanisms among weight control, endocrine change and cancer risk is critically important. Future studies using "-omics" technologies will be warrant for a broader and deeper mechanistic information regarding cancer prevention by weight control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper considers the problem of structural stability of 2-D singular systems. Firstly, some properties of structural stability of 2-D general singular systems are presented. Sufficient and necessary conditions for the structural stability of the 2-D singular systems are given. Then, by extending the Lyapunov approach for the structural stability of 1-D continuous singular systems to the discrete case, a generalized Lyapunov equation approach to the analysis of the structural stability of 2-D singular Roesser models (2-D SRM) is proposed. The existence of a solution to the generalized Lyapunov equation gives a sufficient condition for the structural stability of the 2-D SRM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper considers the problems of regular observer and compensator design for 2-D acceptable singular systems. First, the notions of jump mode reconstructability and jump mode reachability for 2-D acceptable singular systems are proposed. Necessary and sufficient conditions are presented for the jump mode reconstructability and reachability, respectively. Then, we show that there exists a reduced order regular observer for a 2-D acceptable singular system if the system is detectable and jump mode reconstructable, while there exists a reduced order regular compensator for a 2-D acceptable singular system if the system is stabilizable and jump mode reachable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]