Fractional-Order Analysis of Modified Chua’s Circuit System with the Smooth Degree of 3 and Its Microcontroller-Based Implementation with Analog Circuit Design

In the paper, we futher consider a fractional-order system from a modified Chua’s circuit system with the smooth degree of 3 proposed by Fu et al. Bifurcation analysis, multistability and coexisting attractors in the the fractional-order modified Chua’s circuit are studied. In addition, microcontroller-based circuit was implemented in real digital engineering applications by using the fractional-order Chua’s circuit with the piecewise-smooth continuous system

Energy Consumption and Economic Growth Nexus: Evidence from Developed Countries in Europe

This paper analyzes the relationship between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and economic growth for a panel of fifteen European Union countries over the period 1990-2011 within a multivariate framework. The heterogeneous panel cointegration tests present a long-run equilibrium relationship between real GDP, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and research and development. The Granger-causality results demonstrate unidirectional causality between non-renewable energy consumption and economic growth. Keywords: renewable energy consumption; non-renewable energy consumption; growth JEL Classifications: C23; O11; O13

Evidence for the gastric cytoprotective effect of centrally injected agmatine

Agmatine (decarboxylated arginine) exerts cytoprotective action in several tissues, such as in the brain, heart or kidneys, but there is still controversy over the effects of agmatine on the gastric mucosa. The aim of the present study was to reveal the potential gastroprotective action of agmatine by using an acid-independent ulcer model to clarify which receptors and peripheral factors are involved in it. Gastric mucosal damage was induced by acidified ethanol. Mucosal levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and somatostatin were determined by radioimmunoassay. For analysis of gastric motor activity the rubber balloon method was used. It was found that agmatine given intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v., 0.044-220nmol/rat) significantly inhibited the development of ethanol-induced mucosal damage, while in the case of intraperitoneal injection (0.001-50mg/kg i.p.) it had only a minor effect. The central gastroprotective action of agmatine was completely antagonized by mixed alpha2-adrenoceptor and imidazoline I1 receptor antagonists (idazoxan, efaroxan), but only partially by yohimbine (selective alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist) and AGN 192403 (selective I1 receptor ligand, putative antagonist). It was also inhibited by the non-selective opioid-receptor antagonist naloxone and the selective δ-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole, but not by β-funaltrexamine and nor-Binaltorphimine (selective μ- and κ-opioid receptor antagonists, respectively). Furthermore, the effect of agmatine was antagonized by bilateral cervical vagotomy and by pretreatment with indomethacin and NG-nitro-l-arginine. Agmatine also reversed the ethanol-induced reduction of gastric mucosal CGRP and somatostatin content, but did not have any significant effect on gastric motor activity. These results indicate that agmatine given centrally induces gastric cytoprotection, which is mediated by central imidazoline I1 receptors, alpha2-adrenoceptors and δ-opioid receptors. Activation of these receptors induces the release of different mucosal protective factors, such as NO, prostaglandins, CGRP and somatostatin by a vagal-dependent mechanism. Alterations of gastric motility are not likely to contribute to the observed protective effect