Standard Control Research Articles

2016–2017年小浪底栓皮栎人工林碳水通量观测数据集

The concern about global change has brought more attention to the role of plantations in the regional carbon and water cycle recently. Quercus variabilis is one of the most widely distributed natural tree species in China. The southern foot of Taihang Mountain is one of the key areas of forestry engineering in China. The study on the observation of water and carbon fluxes in a Quercus variabilis plantation in this area is of great significance to the development of forestry ecological engineering and the evaluation of plantation carbon sink function in China. Henan Xiaolangdi Earth Critical Zone National Research Station on the Middle Yellow River (i.e. XLD) has carried out long-term observation of and research on the carbon and water fluxes in a Quercus variabilis plantation using the eddy covariance technique since 2005. This dataset contains carbon and water flux observations and meteorological data collected from XLD from 2016 to 2017, which have been processed in accordance with the standard quality control system of ChinaFLUX. It covers the data of gross ecosystem primary productivity, ecosystem respiration, net ecosystem carbon exchange, latent heat flux, sensible heat flux and other related meteorological factors, such as air temperature, air relative humidity, vapor pressure, wind speed, wind direction, radiation, soil temperature, soil moisture, precipitation, etc. The dataset is composed of the data collected at the scales of half-hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly intervals. This dataset can provide data support for the management of plantation ecosystems and the assessment of regional carbon budgets. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in promoting data sharing and standardization management of field stations in China.

Drinking Water Quality Assessment of Springs in Gokand Valley District Buner Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

Background: The quality of spring water in Gokand Valley, District Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, is a matter of public health importance due to its use as a primary source of drinking water. This study was initiated in response to concerns about potential environmental and anthropogenic contaminations that could affect the water quality. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the drinking water quality from six different springs in Gokand Valley, assessing their compliance with the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). Methods: Conducted from October 2019 to October 2020, the study involved the collection and subsequent chemical analysis of water samples from six springs in the valley. The parameters analyzed included Total Hardness as CaCO₃, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Chloride as Cl, Sulphate as SO₄, pH, Sodium as Na, Nitrite as NO₂, Total Alkalinity as CaCO₃, Calcium as CaCO₃, Magnesium as MgCO₃, Potassium as K, and Conductivity. Results: The results indicated a variation in water quality across the springs. Total Hardness as CaCO₃ ranged from 96.45 mg/L to 286.36 mg/L, and TDS values varied between 132.33 mg/L and 367.33 mg/L. Chloride levels were found to be between 5.36 mg/L and 14.28 mg/L. Sulphate concentrations ranged from 9.54 mg/L to 17.96 mg/L. The pH levels of all samples were close to neutral, ranging from 6.98 to 7.30. Sodium levels varied from 5.67 mg/L to 17.47 mg/L. Nitrite was not detected in any of the samples. Total Alkalinity as CaCO₃ ranged from 93.66 mg/L to 240.39 mg/L, Calcium as CaCO₃ from 53.73 mg/L to 200.68 mg/L, Magnesium as MgCO₃ from 41.42 mg/L to 109.40 mg/L, Potassium as K from 1.30 mg/L to 3.50 mg/L, and Conductivity values varied from 210.00 µS/cm to 596.67 µS/cm. Conclusion: The study concludes that the water from the six springs in Gokand Valley generally meets the WHO and PSQCA standards for drinking water. This finding underscores the importance of these natural springs as a viable source of potable water for the local population. However, continuous monitoring is recommended to ensure sustained water quality in the face of potential environmental changes and anthropogenic activities.

Genetic algorithm-enhanced linear quadratic control for balancing bicopter system with non-zero set point

Bicopter is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with the advantage of saving energy consumption. However, the unique two rotors design presents a challenge in designing a controller that achieves good stability, fast settling time, and the ability to overcome oscillations simultaneously. This article proposes a new control method for bicopter that uses a genetic algorithm optimization approach in the linear quadratic (LQ-GA) control method. The GA is used to search for the best weighting matrix parameters, Q and R, in the Linear Quadratic (LQ) control scheme. The proposed control method was tested on a balancing bicopter test platform with an input in the form of difference in pulse width modulation (PWM) signals for both rotors and an output in the form of roll angle. The control system was evaluated based on the stability of the transient response and the generated control signal. The results of the tests showed that the proposed LQ-GA control method has better stability, faster settling time, and smaller overshoot than the existing PI and standard LQ control methods. Therefore, the proposed LQ-GA control method is the most suitable for use in a balancing bicopter system with a non-zero setpoint.

Hepatoprotective effect of Pippali Ghrita, an Ayurvedic Formulation against Anti-Tubercular Drug Induced Hepatotoxicity in Wistar Rats

Combination chemotherapy of Isoniazid, Rifampicin, and Pyrazinamide is the preferred regimen for successful treatment of Tuberculosis (TB). The major complication of otherwise useful Anti-tubercular treatment (ATT) drugs is hepatic damage. There is lack of a definite effective treatment for the same in modern medicine. In view of this, the hepatoprotective activity of an Ayurvedic formulation, Pippali Ghrita (PG), was evaluated in anti-tubercular drug induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. ATT drugs, viz., Isoniazid, Rifampicin, and Pyrazinamide were administered for 30 days to induce hepatotoxicity. Co-administration of PG in study group and Silymarin in standard control group was done for same duration. Hepatotoxicity was assessed on basis of ponderal parameters (body and liver weight) and biochemical parameters, viz., liver function parameters (Aspartate transaminase and Alanine transaminase), and oxidative stress parameters (Malondialdehyde and Superoxide dismutase). Results demonstrated significant increase in body weight and significant reduction in the liver weight, in study group and standard control group as compared to ATT control group. Likewise, significant reduction in liver function parameters and Malondialdehyde levels, with increase in Superoxide dismutase activity were observed, when compared to the ATT control group. The results indicated that co-administration of Pippali Ghrita for 30 days along with ATT prevented anti-tubercular drugs induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rat model.

Characterization of Different Inflammatory Skin Conditions in a Mouse Model of DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis

The mouse model of 2,4-dinitrochlorbenzene (DNCB)-induced human-like atopic dermatitis (hlAD) has been widely used to test novel treatment strategies and compounds. However, the study designs and methods are highly diverse, presenting different hlAD disease patterns that occur after sensitization and repeated challenge with DNCB on dorsal skin. In addition, there is a lack of information about the progression of the disease during the experiment and the achieved pheno- and endotypes, especially at the timepoint when therapeutic treatment is initiated. We here examine hlAD in a DNCB-induced BALB/cJRj model at different timepoints: (i) before starting treatment with dexamethasone, representing a standard drug control (day 12) and (ii) at the end of the experiment (day 22). Both timepoints display typical AD-associated characteristics: skin thickening, spongiosis, hyper- and parakeratosis, altered cytokine and gene expression, increased lipid mediator formation, barrier protein and antimicrobial peptide abnormalities, as well as lymphoid organ hypertrophy. Increased mast cell infiltration into the skin and elevated immunoglobulin E plasma concentrations indicate a type I allergy response. The DNCB-treated skin showed an extrinsic moderate sub-acute hlAD lesion at day 12 and an extrinsic mild sub-acute to chronic pheno- and endotype at day 22 with a dominating Th2 response. A dependency of the filaggrin formation and expression in correlation to the disease severity in the DNCB-treated skin was found. In conclusion, our study reveals a detailed classification of a hlAD at two timepoints with different inflammatory skin conditions and pheno- and endotypes, thereby providing a better understanding of the DNCB-induced hlAD model in BALB/cJRj mice.

Adaptive second order sliding mode control of an oscillating water column

AbstractThe energy from waves has a vast untapped potential to contribute to renewable energy supply and diversification. For that reason, wave energy conversion systems have been a topical research area in recent years. In particular, harnessing wave energy with an oscillating water column converter has proved to be one suitable solution, which has also seen a number of successful deployments. Nevertheless, additional research is required for this technology in order to reach full commercial maturity and economic performance. This paper proposes an adaptive second order sliding mode controller to maximise the converted energy. In particular, the proposed adaptive control setup maintains the sliding mode robust features, while reducing high frequency oscillations and abrupt control actions produced by fixed‐gain algorithms. A comparison of energy generation performance shows better energy conversion efficiency of the proposed control strategy over standard speed regulation control strategies, even considering air compression dynamics and hydrodynamics in the tests.

Application of BIM technology in construction project cost refinement control and construction energy consumption control

Abstract In order to solve the problem of accurate cost control management in the process of engineering construction, this paper applies BIM technology to the whole process of cost management, covering the whole life cycle of the project. Through efficient sharing of information on the BIM collaborative platform, it carries out unimpeded process work and achieves refined management. Aiming at the complexity of the information characteristics that affect the cost and uncertainty of information transmission, an algorithm fusion scheme based on NCM-FPN has been designed. The TOPSIS method is used to integrate the case feature attributes into the cost case information database. By combining the clustering algorithm with practical management experience, the knowledge base of engineering cost control strategies can be established, and the logical relationship of strategy matching can be determined. The inverse cloud algorithm is used to establish the feature cloud, determine the fuzzy Petri network structure based on generative rules and design the inference algorithm to establish an intelligent model for strategy matching so as to realize the accurate mapping and rapid response from the target case features to the control strategies. Through the analysis of construction energy consumption, it is concluded that the construction energy consumption of different structure buildings is not the same; the construction energy consumption per unit area of brick structure, steel structure residence and frame office building is 0.1659GJ/m2, 0.2706GJ/m2 and 0.3104GJ/m2 respectively, and the largest is the shear-wall structure residence is 0.3381GJ/m2 for the 2.04 times of the brick structure. Based on BIM technology, the cost of dynamic control engineering for construction projects was reduced by 5.4 million. Therefore, BIM is an important technical means to promote the whole process control of project cost, from empirical control to informationization, standardization, and intelligent control.

Quality control in clinical raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy

Optoacoustic (photoacoustic) mesoscopy bridges the gap between optoacoustic microscopy and macroscopy and enables high-resolution visualization deeper than optical microscopy. Nevertheless, as images may be affected by motion and noise, it is critical to develop methodologies that offer standardization and quality control to ensure that high-quality datasets are reproducibly obtained from patient scans. Such development is particularly important for ensuring reliability in applying machine learning methods or for reliably measuring disease biomarkers. We propose herein a quality control scheme to assess the quality of data collected. A reference scan of a suture phantom is performed to characterize the system noise level before each raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) measurement. Using the recorded RSOM data, we develop a method that estimates the amount of motion in the raw data. These motion metrics are employed to classify the quality of raw data collected and derive a quality assessment index (QASIN) for each raw measurement. Using simulations, we propose a selection criterion of images with sufficient QASIN, leading to the compilation of RSOM datasets with consistent quality. Using 160 RSOM measurements from healthy volunteers, we show that RSOM images that were selected using QASIN were of higher quality and fidelity compared to non-selected images. We discuss how this quality control scheme can enable the standardization of RSOM images for clinical and biomedical applications.

Complexity of the effects of pre-fermentation oxygenation, skin contact and use of pectolytic enzymes in white winemaking as revealed by comprehensive proteomics and volatilomics analysis

Ion exchange chromatography and SDS-PAGE followed by identification by MALDI-TOF/TOF, and two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF-MS) were used for comprehensive proteomics and volatilomics evaluation of the effects of pre-fermentative oxygenation, skin contact and use of pectolytic enzymes in production of Malvazija istarska white wine, respectively. Many protein species and an unprecedented number of volatiles have been identified and (semi)quantified, revealing high complexity of the observed effects. Compared to a standard control wine, oxygenation treatment modulated the protein composition and resulted with a volatilome characterized by decreased levels of several important volatiles. Skin contact treatments, especially in combination with pectolytic enzymes, significantly increased the levels of a large number of proteins, but were also deprived of particular protein species found in other wines. Wines obtained by skin contact with exogenous enzymes exhibited the most complex volatile composition with increased levels of many key monoterpenoids, alcohols and esters.

Optimal Design of Fractional-Order PID Controllers for a Nonlinear AWS Wave Energy Converter Using Hybrid Jellyfish Search and Particle Swarm Optimization

In this study, a nonlinear Archimedes wave swing (AWS) energy conversion system was employed to enable the use of irregular sea waves to provide useful electricity. Instead of the conventional PI controllers used in prior research, this study employed fractional-order PID (FOPID) controllers to control the back-to-back configuration of AWS. The aim was to maximize the energy yield from waves and maintain the grid voltage and the capacitor DC link voltage at predetermined values. In this study, six FOPID controllers were used to accomplish the control goals, leading to an array of thirty parameters required to be fine-tuned. In this regard, a hybrid jellyfish search optimizer and particle swarm optimization (HJSPSO) algorithm was adopted to select the optimal control gains. Verification of the performance of the proposed FOPID control system was achieved by comparing the system results to two conventional PID controllers and one FOPID controller. The conventional PID controllers were tuned using a recently presented metaheuristic algorithm called the Coot optimization algorithm (COOT) and the classical particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). Moreover, the FOPID was also tuned using the well-known genetic algorithm (GA). The system investigated in this study was subjected to various unsymmetrical and symmetrical fault disturbances. When compared with the standard COOT-PID, PSO-PID, and GA-FOPID controllers, the HJSPSO-FOPID results show a significant improvement in terms of performance and preserving control goals during system instability

Evaluating Pfeiffer Circular Chromatography as a Qualitative Methodology of Viscum album Homeopathic Mother Tinctures: A Multicentric Collaborative Project Between Brazil and Switzerland

Viscum album (VA) is a peculiar semiparasitic plant with important role in cancer therapy. The differences in phytochemical composition as well as the influence of host tree in the metabolome of VA subspecies are already described1. Our goal is to use the Pfeiffer Circular Chromatography (PCC) as a qualitative methodology to differentiate V. album mother tinctures (VAMT). The assays were conducted in two countries: Brazil (São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) and Switzerland (Arlesheim). Three VA subspecies (abietis, album, austriacum) and five host trees (Malus domestica, Quercus sp., Ulmus carpinifolia, Pinus sylvestris, Abies alba) were harvested in Switzerland in summer and winter. The VAMTs were prepared following the Brazilian Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia and the PCC experiments were performed as previously published2. The preliminary analysis and the reproducibility of the three independent assays performed in each experimental set are being evaluated by Image J software. The qualitative standard features will be used to the VAMT differentiation regarding the following PCC characteristics: inner and outer-zones, coloration, size, the presence of radial lines, among others. Besides, the High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) was performed as standard quality control methodology using the CAMAG instruments to compare the phytochemical profile of V. album mother tinctures described in the French and German Homeopathic Pharmacopoeias. The samples have been characterized by the compounds retention factor (Rf) compared to the chemical standards (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, hyperoside and rutin). They present similar chemical markers when both methodologies were compared but with different intensities between season and host trees. Based on the hypothesis that the PCC patterns could be correlated with the chemical composition of VAMT, this multicentric research project will be useful to propose a low-cost and an easy methodology focused on the quality control parameters of these herbal raw materials.

Biochemical characterization of chamomile essential oil: Antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer and neuroprotective activity and potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes dementia among older adults, increasing the global burden of dementia. Therefore, this study investigates the potential neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anticancer effects of chamomile essential oil (CCO) in Alzheimer’s disease. CCO’s main volatile compounds (VOCs) were α-bisabolol, camazulene, and bisabolol oxide A, representing 81 % of all VOCs. CCO scavenged 93 % of DPPH free radicals and inhibited the pathogenic bacteria, i.e., Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi, besides reducing 89 % of brain cancer cell lines (U87). Eighty albino rats were randomized into four groups: standard control, Alzheimer’s disease group caused by AlCl3, and treated groups. The results indicated that the mean value of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), amyloid precursor protein (APP), amyloid beta (Aβ), caspase-3, & B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) was significantly elevated due to the harmful effect of AlCl3; however, CCO downregulated these values, and this effect was attributed to the considerable volatile compounds and phenolic compounds content. Additionally, CCO rats showed a significant increment in noradrenergic (NE), dopaminergic (DO), and serotoninergic systems with relative increases of 50, 50, and 14 % compared to diseased rats. The brain histology of CCO-treated rats showed a significant reduction in neuronal degeneration and improved brain changes, and its histology was close to that of the control brain. The results indicated that CCO offers a new strategy that could be used as an antioxidant and neuroprotective agent for AD due to its considerable contents of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Exploring Novel Herbal Compounds and Formulations for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Management.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, presents a complex and challenging clinical scenario characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Traditional herbal medicine has garnered increasing interest as a potential adjunctive or alternative therapy for IBD, owing to its perceived efficacy, safety profile, and holistic approach to health. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of herbal interventions for IBD, addressing scientific, regulatory, clinical, and patient-related considerations. Scientifically, the exploration of herbal interventions faces challenges related to the complexity of herbal formulations, standardization, and quality control. Regulatory hurdles encompass stringent requirements for safety, efficacy, and quality standards, necessitating adherence to robust preclinical and clinical protocols. Clinically, the heterogeneity of the patient population, potential interactions with conventional therapies, and patient preferences pose challenges in the integration of herbal interventions into clinical practice.

A Review of Herbal Regulations and Approval Process in India and Europe

The main suppliers of herbal plants and medications are India and Europe. People prefer using plants and herbs as remedies over synthetic ones since they have fewer adverse effects. In India, AYUSH, CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization), AND D&C Act 1940 & 1945(amendment) all control herbal medications. In India, AYUSH systems have been developed to house almost 8000 herbal medications. While in Europe, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Herbal Medicinal Products Committee (HMPC) are in charge of overseeing herbal medications. The regulation of herbal goods in India and Europe is the subject of this essay.

Comparision of pap stained smears by using auto fluorescence method with ziehl-neelsen method for detection of acid fast bacilli (AFB)

The Ziehl-Neelsen staining method though it plays an important role in detecting acid fast bacilli (AFB) by direct microscopy its low sensitivity makes to look for the other alternatives. : This study was undertaken to evaluate the utility of auto fluorescence method on Papanicolaou stain (Pap) in comparison tothe traditional Ziehl-Neelsen stain (ZN) method in detection of AFB from lymph node aspirates. Fine needle aspirations (FNAs) were done in 153 patients with clinical suspicion of tubercular lymphadenitis. Smears from aspirate were processed for routine cytology for Hematoxyllin & Eosin (H&E), Giemsa, Pap, Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) and Auramine (AR) staining. Pap stained smears were examined for AFB for their autofluorescence under fluorescent microscope using the blue excitation filter. ZN stained smears are examined for AFB under oil immersion of compound microscope. The efficacy of the autofluorescence method by Pap in detection of acid fast bacilli (AFB) over the conventional Ziehl-Neelsen stain was analyzed by taking AR as a standard control for AFB.Tuberculous lymphadenitis was diagnosed in 36 cases out of 153 clinicall suspected cases by cytology, culture and microscopyThe sensitivity of ZN was 57.14% and specificity was 99.15% while the sensitivity of AF was 96.5% and the specificity was 91.8%. : It was a novel method of detection of AFB, cheaper, easily available and less time consuming than other methods. AR also had high sensitivity rates as AF.

Efficacy of Dashmool Vasti as an adjuvant therapy with the standard of care (modern + physiotherapy) in the rehabilitation of stroke as compared to standard of care – a clinical trial protocol

Background Stroke is ischemia and neurological dysfunction caused by acute brain circulation loss. It causes acute localized neurological abnormalities such as weakness, sensory deficit, or language issues that require long-term treatment. These deficiencies harm the patient and their family psychologically, socially, and economically. Thus, combination treatment can rapidly rehabilitate such patients. Detoxification methods like Ayurvedic medicated enema help stroke pathophysiology. Physical modalities in physiotherapy have been shown to facilitate normal movement and function on the stroke patient’s affected side, increasing independence with everyday duties. A stroke patient may benefit from Dashmoola Niruha Vasti, Function Electrical Stimulation (FES), and Motor Relearning Programme (MRP). Aim & Objectives This study compares the adjuvant role of Dashmoola Vasti with MRP and FES in stroke recovery. The main goals of this study are to assess and compare the adjuvant role of Dashmoola Vasti with standard control over sensorimotor function of lower extremities; static & dynamic balance in stroke patients; gait parameters; resistance experienced during passive range of motion; quality of life of patients; Barthel Index; Modified Ashworth Scale; and Fuglmeyer assessment, Single Limb Stance Test, Functional Reach Test. Methods A total of 40 patients will be enrolled and divided randomly into two equal groups. In Group A (control), standard treatment (modern + physiotherapy) will be prescribed for one month. In Group B (interventional group), Dashmoola Vasti will be added to the afore-said standard treatment for one month. Expected results Improvement in Fuglmeyer assessment, Single Limb Stance Test, Functional reach test, quality of life of patients, Barthel Index, Modified Ashworth scale and National Institute of Health (NIH) stroke-scale-score, will be observed and recorded. Conclusions Results and conclusions will be derived according to the data collected in case record form and assessment sheets filled at baseline and follow-up visits. Trial registration CTRI/2021/10/037445 dated 21.10.2021.

Anakinra Removal by Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy: An Ex Vivo Analysis.

Patients with sepsis are at significant risk for multiple organ dysfunction, including the lungs and kidneys. To manage the morbidity associated with kidney impairment, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) may be required. The extent of anakinra pharmacokinetics in CRRT remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to investigate the anakinra-circuit interaction and quantify the rate of removal from plasma. The anakinra-circuit interaction was evaluated using a closed-loop ex vivo CRRT circuit. CRRT was performed in three phases based on the method of solute removal: 1) hemofiltration, 2) hemodialysis, and 3) hemodiafiltration. Standard control samples of anakinra were included to assess drug degradation. University research laboratory. None. Anakinra was administered to the CRRT circuit and serial prefilter blood samples were collected along with time-matched control and hemofiltrate samples. Each circuit was run in triplicate to assess inter-run variability. Concentrations of anakinra in each reference fluid were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Transmembrane filter clearance was estimated by the product of the sieving coefficient/dialysate saturation constant and circuit flow rates. Removal of anakinra from plasma occurred within minutes for each CRRT modality. Average drug remaining (%) in plasma following anakinra administration was lowest with hemodiafiltration (34.9%). The average sieving coefficient was 0.34, 0.37, and 0.41 for hemodiafiltration, hemofiltration, and hemodialysis, respectively. Transmembrane clearance was fairly consistent across each modality with the highest during hemodialysis (5.53 mL/min), followed by hemodiafiltration (4.99 mL/min), and hemofiltration (3.94 mL/min). Percent drug remaining within the control samples (93.1%) remained consistent across each experiment, indicating negligible degradation within the blood. The results of this analysis are the first to demonstrate that large molecule therapeutic proteins such as anakinra, are removed from plasma with modern CRRT technology. Current dosing recommendations for patients with severe renal impairment may result in subtherapeutic anakinra concentrations in those receiving CRRT.

Soft switching multiple model predictive control with overlapping cross-over time strategy in an industrial high speed pick and place application

In industrial machinery, position-controlled systems executing repetitive tasks are of significant importance. In such mechanisms, the load-side inertia and torque vary with the angular position of the driven axis, thus imposing a significant nonlinearity in the system dynamics. Linear controllers have a relatively low computational time, but are unable to achieve the required performance over the whole operating region. Nonlinear controllers, such as nonlinear model predictive control (NLMPC), demand an extensive computational time that is difficult to bound. The current Soft Switching Multiple MPC (SSM-MPC) techniques rely solely on the gap metric or weighting techniques to guarantee soft switching between controllers. However, in nonlinear systems with fast dynamics, it may result in poor performance and/or high computational time. In this work, we have addressed these issues by introducing an overlapping cross-over time strategy in the switching unit of the SSM-MPC to ensure a smooth transition when switching in adjacent regions. The key idea behind the overlapping cross-over time strategy is introducing a delay i.e. cross-over time during switching. The cross-over time helps to improve the completeness and non-redundancy of the model bank. The closed loop system stability is guaranteed using Lyapunov theory and a general switching stability proof is provided. The proposed SSM-MPC performance is benchmarked against the available SSM-MPC method and a single linear MPC on a high speed industrial pick and place machine through simulations and experiments. The results verify the superior performance of the presented SSM-MPC with 37.67% reduction in tracking error and 20.36% decrease in control signal oscillations at the highest operating speed of the machine compared to the available SSM-MPC technique without cross-over time. Moreover, in contrast to the nonlinear MPC, it is proven that the computational load of the SSM-MPC is 77.5% lower, which allows implementation in a standard industrial controller.

Mineral supplementation in biofloc influences growth and haemato-biochemical indices of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia reared in inland saline ground water

An experiment for a period of 60 days was performed with species specific mineral supplementation in biofloc system for GIFT tilapia reared in inland saline water. Four different concentrations of formulated mineral mixture (10, 15, 20, 25 g L−1) were supplemented in the subculture of biofloc inoculum for different treatments (T1, T2, T3, and T4). In contrast, two control groups (conventional culture system (C) and a standard biofloc control (BC) devoid of mineral supplements) were maintained. Major water quality parameters were optimal except alkalinity and pH, which were fluctuated in the treatment groups, and higher turbidity was noticed only in the T4 group. The minerals supplemented groups had lower levels of TAN, nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3) than conventional biofloc system (BC). Floc parameters such as floc volume, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS) and total solids (TS) were higher than the control. Haematological parameters Hb (haemoglobin) and WBC (white blood corpuscles) of fish reared in treatments were higher, ranging from (8.2 ± 0.64 −10.47 ± 0.66 g dL−1) and (187.83–215.17 ± 6.58 per cumm) respectively (P < 0.05) compared to both the controls. Serum parameters of fish was recorded to be higher in T2. The proximate composition analysis revealed an enhanced crude protein content (33.22 ± 1.00%, 67.68 ± 0.2%) and crude lipid (5.24 ± 0.22% & 15.18 ± 0.58%) (P > 0.05) content from BC, but ash content (39.11 ± 0.1% & 20.35 ± 0.21%) from T4 in both dried biofloc and fish samples were higher than rest of the groups. Specific growth rate (SGR) and weight gain (WG) were recorded to be significantly higher in the T2 group. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed to be better in all the treatments and the BC group than conventional control. The current investigation showed that subculture of biofloc inoculum supplemented with formulated mineral mix of 15 g L−1 could be effective in terms of water quality maintenance, feed utilization, growth, survival and biochemical parameters of GIFT tilapia reared in inland saline ground water.

Heterogeneous Treatment Effects of Intensive Glycemic Control on Kidney Microvascular Outcomes and Mortality in ACCORD.

Identifying and quantifying treatment effect variation across patients is the fundamental challenge of precision medicine. Here we quantify heterogeneous treatment effects of intensive glycemic control in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, considering three outcomes of interest-a composite kidney outcome (driven by macroalbuminuria), all-cause mortality, and first assisted hypoglycemic event. We demonstrate that the effects of intensive glycemic control vary with risk of kidney failure, as predicted by the kidney failure risk equation (KFRE). Participants at highest risk of kidney failure gain the largest absolute kidney benefit of intensive glycemic control but also experience the largest absolute risk of death and hypoglycemic events. Our findings illustrate the value of identifying clinically meaningful treatment heterogeneity, particularly when treatments have different effects on multiple end points. Clear criteria to individualize glycemic targets in patients with type II diabetes are lacking. In this post hoc analysis of the ACCORD, we evaluate whether the KFRE can identify patients for whom intensive glycemic control confers more benefit in preventing kidney microvascular outcomes. We divided the ACCORD trial population into quartiles on the basis of 5-year kidney failure risk using the KFRE. We estimated conditional treatment effects within each quartile and compared them with the average treatment effect in the trial. The treatment effects of interest were the 7-year restricted mean survival time (RMST) differences between intensive and standard glycemic control arms on ( 1 ) time-to-first development of severely elevated albuminuria or kidney failure and ( 2 ) all-cause mortality. We found evidence that the effect of intensive glycemic control on kidney microvascular outcomes and all-cause mortality varies with baseline risk of kidney failure. Patients with elevated baseline risk of kidney failure derived the most from intensive glycemic control in reducing kidney microvascular outcomes (7-year RMST difference of 114.8 [95% confidence interval 58.1 to 176.4] versus 48.4 [25.3 to 69.6] days in the entire trial population) However, this same patient group also experienced a shorter time to death (7-year RMST difference of -56.7 [-100.2 to -17.5] v. -23.6 [-42.2 to -6.6] days). We found evidence of heterogenous treatment effects of intensive glycemic control on kidney microvascular outcomes in ACCORD as a function of predicted baseline risk of kidney failure. Patients with higher kidney failure risk experienced the most pronounced reduction in kidney microvascular outcomes but also experienced the highest risk of all-cause mortality.