A Fuzzy LQR PID Control for a Two-Legged Wheel Robot with Uncertainties and Variant Height

This paper proposes a fuzzy LQR PID control for a two-legged wheeled balancing robot for keeping stability against uncertainties and variant heights. The proposed control includes the fuzzy supervisor, LQR, PID, and two calibrations. The fuzzy LQR is conducted to control the stability and motion of the robot while its posture changes with respect to time. The fuzzy supervisor is used to adjust the LQR control according to the robotic height. It consists of one input and one output. The input and output have three membership functions, respectively, to three postures of the robot. The PID control is used to control the posture of the robot. The first calibration is used to compensate for the bias value of the tilting angle when the robot changes its posture. The second calibration is applied to compute the robotic height according to the hip angle. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control, a practical robot with the variant height is constructed, and the proposed control is embedded in the control board. Finally, two experiments are also conducted to verify the balancing and moving ability of the robot with the variant posture

Functional Complementation Studies and Analysis of Downstream Regulatory Gene Expression Networks of Trichome Trimeric Complex

In Arabidopsis, previous genetic analysis has revealed that trichome initiation is positively mediated by a trimeric activation complex comprised of an R2R3-MYB protein GLABRA1 (GL1), a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) GLABRA3 (GL3) which acts redundantly with its close homolog ENHANCER OF GLABRA3 (EGL3), and a WD40 protein TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA1 (TTG1). We studied the functionality of four individual cotton genes MYB2, TTG3, DEL65 and DEL61 from diploid cotton A and D genomes, which show high similarity in sequence with GL1, TTG1, GL3 and EGL3, respectively, in their respective Arabidopsis glabrous mutants. Our complementation assays proved that transgenic lines with MYB2, TTG3 from diploid genomes A and D could rescue the trichomeless phenotype of gl1-1 and ttg1-1, respectively. However, DEL61 from both the species could not rescue this phenotype of gl3-1 egl3-77439 double mutant. Interestingly, the DEL65 from A species rescued gl3-1 egl3-77439 double mutant but not from D diploid species. Comparative quantitative PCR analysis of the downstream regulatory network genes showed a similar pattern for MYB, TTG3 complemented lines from A- and D- diploid species. Comparative analysis of the DEL65 from A- (rescued the trichomeless phenotype) and D- (did not rescued the trichomeless phenotype) showed differential expression of regulatory network genes between these two lines. These results suggested that MYB2, TTG3 and DEL65, when expressed in Arabidopsis, regulated the regulatory network genes during the trichome initiation process

Effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine fixed-dose combination in the treatment of hypertension: a systematic review

Background: Uncontrolled blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy offers a promising approach to addressing this challenge by providing a convenient single-tablet solution that enhances the effectiveness of blood pressure control. In our systematic review, we assess the effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC in managing blood pressure.Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across four primary electronic databases, namely, PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Global Health Library (GHL), and Google Scholar, as of 8 February 2022. Additionally, we performed a manual search to find relevant articles. The quality of the selected articles was evaluated using the Study Quality Assessment Tools (SQAT) checklist from the National Institute of Health and the ROB2 tool from Cochrane.Results: Our systematic review included 17 eligible articles. The findings show that the use of perindopril/amlodipine FDC significantly lowers blood pressure and enhances the quality of blood pressure control. Compared to the comparison group, the perindopril/amlodipine combination tablet resulted in a higher rate of blood pressure response and normalization. Importantly, perindopril/amlodipine FDC contributes to improved patient adherence with minimal side effects. However, studies conducted to date have not provided assessments of the cost-effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC.Conclusion: In summary, our analysis confirms the effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC in lowering blood pressure, with combination therapy outperforming monotherapy and placebo. Although mild adverse reactions were observed in a small subset of participants, cost-effectiveness assessments for this treatment remain lacking in the literature

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Determination, Characterization, and Control Measures of the Agent Causing Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) also known as Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome (AHPNS) in Farmed Penaeid Shrimp

A series of studies were conducted on an emerging disease in farmed penaeid shrimp. This disease was first named as Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) or more descriptively as Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome (AHPNS). As part of the outcome of this research, the etiology of EMS/AHPNS was demonstrated. EMS was first classified as an idiopathic disease because no causative agent had been identified. Preliminary studies conducted in Vietnam in 2012 by the University of Arizona Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory (UAZ-APL) indicated that EMS is infectious (Tran et al., 2013). The agent was identified as a unique strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Hence, EMS has a bacterial etiology confirmed by satisfying Koch's Postulates. Further studies focusing on the bacterial isolate causing EMS revealed that the agent could produce toxin(s), which is responsible for the primary pathology in affected shrimp. Since the causative agent has been identified, we propose a new name for EMS as Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND). Characterizations of the AHPND-causing Vibrio parahaemolyticus: Biochemical methods and molecular methods were used. Based on these results, various diagnostic methods were developed including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and biochemical tests. Other aspects of the AHPND causing V. parahaemolyticus were also run to determine such as antibiogram and the development of resistance mechanism of the bacteria exposed to farm conditions with antibiotic medications, pathogenicity, and infection dose of the bacteria, mode of infection, mechanisms governing the toxin production, and effects of environmental parameters on the invasion of the agent. Some proposed control measures for AHPND: Several antibiotic-free approaches were tested to determine viable control methods for AHPND. The principle proposed control method is to increase biosecurity. With the PCR method that has been developed, potential sources of the pathogen such as post-larvae and broodstock can be tested. As more and more insights of the pathogen were explored, the behavior of the pathogen was further elucidated. Based on this, control methods such as using polyculture with tilapia, probiotics, and bioflocs system were also tested. Several improvements in shrimp farming practices that may reduce the outbreak of the disease were also proposed.Release 09-Dec-201

Investigation on influence of cutting parameters on spindle vibration of CNC wood milling machine

In machining operation, the cutting parameters greatly influences on the spindle vibration of a CNC wood milling machine. The paper presents the effect of the cutting parameters such as feed rate, cutting speed, and cutting depth on the vibration amplitude of the spindle when machined on CNC milling machine using Box-Hunter method of experimentation. The lowest natural frequency of this machine is 250 Hz. Experimental results have established a second-order regression equation that demonstrates the effect of three parameters such as feed rate, cutting speed, and cutting depth on the vibration amplitude of the spindle. From that base, determine the most reasonable cutting parameters when machining on CNC wood milling machines so that the spindle vibration amplitudes is minimal. In addition, The comparison results show that the spindle head vibration amplitude of the machine using the bolt joint is larger than the spindle head vibration amplitude of the machine using the weld joint

Soil and Water Quality Indicators of Diversified Farming Systems in a Saline Region of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Saltwater intrusion, a consequence of climate change and decreased water levels, has been increasingly severe in the Mekong Delta region. Thanh Phu District, Ben Tre Province, Vietnam, is a coastal region where agricultural production and local livelihood have been impaired by saltwater intrusion, resulting in the adoption of multiple coping strategies, including rotations and intercropping. This study aims to measure and evaluate soil and water quality indicators of multiple farming systems in Thanh Phu district and contributes to developing suitable cropping patterns. Soil indicators were pH, electrical conductivity, and exchangeable Na+. Water quality characteristics include pH, salinity, dissolved N and P, alkalinity, H2S, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The results indicated that water pH and salinity were at suitable levels to support the growth of prawn but were below the critical level required to grow black tiger shrimp and white-legged shrimp. Water alkalinity, dissolved N, P, and COD were not constraining for the growth of shrimps. However, a significant concentration of H2S may cause disadvantages for shrimp growth

Study on evaluating the effectiveness of compost fertilizer from jackfruit peel and fiber with various local agricultural materials on Green Mustard (

In recent years, jackfruit production in Vietnam has been growing very strongly in both quantity and quality. However, most of the jackfruit is harvested and processed for meat, the rest is the jackfruit peels, and fibers are discarded, which will affect environmental sanitation. The study aims to enhance the value of jackfruit by taking advantage of nutrient ingredients in the peel and fiber of jackfruit to blend into organic fertilizer. Initial results show that the compost substrate samples mixed with rice husk ash and coir and the organic substrate sample mixed with coconut fiber had the best quality. Tested nutritional ingredients include including humidity is 76.1%, total organic carbon content is 27.3%, fulvic acid is 0.9%, humid acid is 0.9%, total nitrogen is 0.85%, total phosphorus is 0.57% after 35 days of incubation. Their quality meets the national standards of QCVN 01-189: 2019/BNNPTNT on fertilizer quality. After testing all three samples of organic substrates on the green mustard with germination rate (%), a number of branches, and total fresh weight (g), the results showed that test plants are grown with the compost from the shell - jackfruit fiber mixed with coconut fiber developed better than the control sample