Design of bang-bang controller based on a fuzzy-neuro approach

A fuzzy-neuro approach for the design of bang-bang controller is presented in this paper. The approach has been used with success for the time optimal bang-bang control of a heating system. The improved bang-bang controller suppresses the oscillations often observed at the output of an on-off controller. A fuzzy system is used for the implementation of the on-off control. An extension of the fuzzy control is provided by an equivalent neural network of the fuzzy system. A test application, that of a house heating with a two-state furnace, is developed and evaluated with standard hysteresis switching, fuzzy control, and fuzzy-neuro control.published_or_final_versio

An optimization model for a battery swapping station in Hong Kong

In this paper, a battery swapping station (BSS) model is proposed as an economic and convenient way to provide energy for the batteries of the electric vehicles (EVs). This method would overcome some drawbacks to the use of electric vehicles like long charging time and insufficient running distance. On the economic concern of a battery swapping station, the station would optimize the availability of the batteries in stock, and at the same time determine the best strategy for recharging the batteries on hand. By optimizing the charging method of the batteries, an optimization model of BSS with the maximum number of batteries in stock has been developed for the bus terminal at the Hong Kong International Airport. The secondary objective would be to minimize a cost on the batteries due to the use of different charging schemes. The genetic algorithm (GA) has been used to implement the optimization model, and simulation results are shown.published_or_final_versio

Prediction on energy yields of PV systems

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Alterations in lipid metabolism gene expression and abnormal lipid accumulation in fibroblast explants from giant axonal neuropathy patients

BACKGROUND: Giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is a hereditary neurological disorder that affects both central and peripheral nerves. The main pathological hallmark of the disease is abnormal accumulations of intermediate filaments (IFs) in giant axons and other cell types. Mutations in the GAN gene, encoding gigaxonin, cause the disease. Gigaxonin is important in controlling protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The goal of this study was to examine global alterations in gene expression in fibroblasts derived from newly identified GAN families compared with normal cells. RESULTS: We report the characterization of fibroblast explants obtained from two unrelated GAN patients. We identify three novel putative mutant GAN alleles and show aggregation of vimentin IFs in these fibroblasts. By microarray analysis, we also demonstrate that the expression of lipid metabolism genes of the GAN fibroblasts is disrupted, which may account for the abnormal accumulations of lipid droplets in these cells. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that aberrant lipid metabolism in GAN patients may contribute to the progression of the disease

What factors influence UK medical students' choice of foundation school?

Background: We aimed to identify the factors influencing UK medical student applicants’ choice of foundation school. We also explored the factors that doctors currently approaching the end of their 2-year program believe should be considered. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the 2013–2014 academic year. An online questionnaire was distributed to 2092 final-year medical students from nine UK medical schools and 84 foundation year-2 (FY2) doctors from eight foundation schools. Participants were asked to rank their top 3 from a list of 12 factors that could potentially influence choice of foundation school on a 5-point Likert scale. Collated categorical data from the two groups were compared using a chi-square test with Yates correction. Results: Geographic location was overwhelmingly the most important factor for medical students and FY2 doctors with 97.2% and 98.8% in agreement, respectively. Social relationships played a pivotal role for medical student applicants. Clinical specialties within the rotations were of less importance to medical students, in comparison to location and social relationships. In contrast, FY2 doctors placed a significantly greater importance on the specialties undertaken in their 2-year training program, when compared to medical students (chi-square; p=0.0001). Conclusion: UK medical schools should make their foundation program applicants aware of the importance of choosing rotations based on specialties that will be undertaken. Individual foundation schools could provide a more favorable linked application system and greater choice and flexibility of specialties within their 2-year program, potentially making their institution more attractive to future applicants

Effect of an advocacy intervention on mental health in Chinese women survivors of intimate partner violence: A randomized controlled trial

Context: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women can have negative mental health consequences for survivors; however, the effect of interventions designed to improve survivors' depressive symptoms is unclear. Objective: To determine whether an advocacy intervention would improve the depressive symptoms of Chinese women survivors of IPV. Design, Setting, and Participants: Assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial of 200 Chinese women 18 years or older with a history of IPV, conducted from February 2007 to June 2009 in a community center in Hong Kong, China. Intervention: The intervention group (n=100) received a 12-week advocacy intervention comprising empowerment and telephone social support. The control group (n=100) received usual community services including child care, health care and promotion, and recreational programs. Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome was change in depressive symptoms (Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory II) between baseline and 9 months. Secondary outcomes were changes in IPV (Chinese Revised Conflict Tactics Scales), health-related quality of life (12-Item Short Form Health Survey), and perceived social support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List) between baseline and 9 months. Usefulness of the intervention and usual community services was evaluated at 9 months. Results: At 3 months, themeanchange in depressive symptom score was 11.6(95%CI, 9.5 to 13.7) in the control group and 14.9(95%CI, 12.4 to 17.5) in the intervention group; respective changes at 9 months were 19.6 (95% CI, 16.6 to 22.7) and 23.2 (95% CI, 20.4 to 26.0). Intervention effects at 3 and 9 months were not significantly different (P=.86). The intervention significantly reduced depressive symptoms by 2.66(95%CI, 0.26 to 5.06; P=.03) vs the control, less than the 5-unit minimal clinically important difference. Statistically significant improvement was found in partner psychological aggression (-1.87[95% CI, -3.34 to -0.40]; mean change at 3 months, 1.5 [95% CI, -1.0 to 3.9] in the control group and 0.3 [95% CI, -0.7 to 1.4] in the intervention group; mean change at 9 months, -6.4 [95% CI, -7.8 to -5.0] and -8.9 [95% CI, -10.6 to -7.2]) and perceived social support (2.18[95%CI, 0.48 to 3.89]; meanchange at 3 months, 6.4[95%CI, 4.9 to 7.8] and 9.2 [95% CI, 7.7 to 10.8]; mean change at 9 months, 12.4 [95% CI, 10.5 to 14.3] and 14.4 [95% CI, 12.7 to 16.1]) but not in physical assault, sexual coercion, or health-related quality of life. By end of study, more women in the intervention group found the advocacy intervention useful or extremely useful in improving intimate relationships vs those in the control group receiving usual community services (93.8%vs81.7%;difference,12.1% [95% CI, 2.1% to 22.0%]; P=.02) and in helping them to resolve conflicts with their intimate partners (97.5% vs 84.1%; difference,13.4%[95%CI,4.7%to 22.0%];P=.001). Conclusion: Among community-dwelling abused Chinese women, an advocacy intervention did not result in a clinically meaningful improvement in depressive symptoms. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01054898. ©2010 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.postprin

Clinical outcome of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis among Hong Kong Chinese

PosterBACKGROUND: Many relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients develop irreversible progressive neurological disability. Reported clinical outcome varied. We aimed to study clinical outcome of Chinese RRMS patients. METHODS: Only RRMS patients …published_or_final_versio

Central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating disorders in Hong Kong Chinese

Poster PresentationBACKGROUND: Classical multiple sclerosis (CMS) must be differentiated from neuromyelitis optica (NMO) as treatments are different. Serum aquaporin-4 autoantibodies (AQP4 Ab) are specific for NMO spectrum disorders (NMOSD). We aimed to study the diagnoses of CNS inflammatory demyelinating disorder (IDD) patients presenting to a hospital over 29 years. METHODS: Chinese patients presenting with CNS IDD to our hospital from 1981 to 2009 were studied. Patients referred from other centres were excluded. Since 2008, patients had yearly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain and cord for 3 years even without relap…published_or_final_versio

Brainstem encephalitis in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders

Poster: abstract no. 41published_or_final_versionThe 17th Medical Research Conference (MRC), Department of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 14 january 2012. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2012, v. 18 suppl. 1, p. 3

Avalanche criticality during compression of porcine cortical bone of different ages.

Crack events developed during uniaxial compression of cortical bones cut from femurs of developing pigs of several ages (4, 12, and 20 weeks) generate avalanches. These avalanches have been investigated by acoustic emission analysis techniques. The avalanche energies are power-law distributed over more than four decades. Such behavior indicates the absence of characteristic scales and suggests avalanche criticality. The statistical distributions of energies and waiting times depend on the pig age and indicate that bones become stronger, but less ductile, with increasing age. Crack propagation is equally age-dependent. Older pigs show, on average, larger cracks with a time distribution similar to those of aftershocks in earthquakes, while younger pigs show only statistically independent failure events.The group from Barcelona acknowledges financial support from CICyT (Spain), Projects No. MAT2013-40590-P and No. MAT2015-69777-REDT. E.K.H.S. is grateful to EPSRC for support under Grant No. EP/K009702/1. I.J. gratefully acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) the DMR Program Grant No. 15-07169