A second order cone formulation of min-max MPC with zone control for LPV systems

This paper proposes a Second Order Cone Formulation of min-max MPC with zone control for LPV Systems. The min-max strategy in model predictive control (MPC) allows computing the optimal control actions where the worst-case performance to the system uncertainties is assumed. Zone control is used instead of a reference trajectory, as the MPC performance for several complex systems with uncertainty improves with a control range rather than a reference path. Unfortunately, min-max formulations of predictive controllers often produce intractable optimization problems as the number of states, inputs, and outputs of the system increase. Hence, in this paper uncertainty is treated in such a way that the min-max optimization problem can be solved through a second-order cone programming problem. This equivalent solution has a polynomial complexity for the min-max solution, a fact that constitutes the most remarkable feature of the proposed formulation. Performance of the method is verified in simulation through the application on a stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system

The antiplasmodium effects of a traditionnal South American remedy : Zanthoxylum chiloperone var. angustifolium against chloroquine resistant and chloroquine sensitive strains of Plasmodium falciparum

Zanthoxylum chiloperone var. angustifolium Engl., Rutaceae, is used in traditional medicine to treat fungal and protozoal infections in the central area of South America. Considering the increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in malarial ridden areas, we explored the anti-plasmodial effects of three compounds isolated from Z. chiloperone. The pyranocoumarin transavicennol and the canthinone alkaloids, canthin-6-one and 5-methoxycanthin-6-one, were found to have IC50 on chloroquine/mefloquine resistant and sensitive strains of P. falciparum of 0.5-2.7, 2.0-5.3 and 5.1-10.4 ƒÊg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the formation of heme adducts by these compounds is described by a novel alternative method based on MS-CID methods. The alkylamide sanshool was also identified, for first time in this plant, in the dichloromethanic and ethanolic extracts and the extracts were found to be notably non-toxic and displayed good anti-plasmodial effects