Finite-Time Stability for Discrete-Time Systems with Time-Varying Delays and Nonlinear Perturbations Using Relaxed Summation Inequality

Producción CientíficaThis article deals with the problem of delay-dependent finite-time stability (FTS) for delayed discrete-time systems with nonlinear perturbations. First, based on a Lyapunov–Krasovskii Functional, delay-dependent FTS conditions are provided by introducing some free-weighting matrices. Then, a new reduced free-matrix-based inequality is established to estimate the single summation term. The dimensions of these free matrices integral in our results are less than those obtained in the literature. This reduction in the number of variables does not mean that our method is a particular case but simply that our approach is completely different from the others and therefore our method is more effective. Thus, less conservative design conditions are obtained in this paper in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) and solved using MATLAB’s LMI toolbox to achieve the desired performance. The purpose of this paper is to derive sufficient conditions that ensure the finite-time stability of the discrete-time system. Finally, numerical examples are examined to show the advantage and effectiveness of the proposed results.MICInn, PID2021-123654OB-C31MICInn, PID2020-112871RB-C2

Changes in Indian Summer Monsoon Using Neodymium (Nd) Isotopes in the Andaman Sea During the Last 24,000 years

Dramatic changes from a cold and dry last glacial to a warm and wet Holocene period intensified the Indian summer monsoon (ISM), resulting in vigorous hydrology and increased terrestrial erosion. Here we present seawater neodymium (Nd) data (expressed in εNd) from Andaman Sea sediments to assess past changes in the ISM and the related impact of Irrawaddy–Salween and Sittoung (ISS) river discharge into the Andaman Sea in the northeastern Indian Ocean. Four major isotopic changes were identified: (1) a gradual increase in εNd toward a more radiogenic signature during the Last Glacial Maximum (22–18 ka), suggesting a gradual decrease in the ISS discharge; (2) a relatively stable radiogenic seawater εNd between 17.2 and 8.8 ka, perhaps related to a stable reduced outflow; (3) a rapid transition to less radiogenic εNd signature after 8.8 ka, reflecting a very wet early–mid-Holocene with the highest discharge; and (4) a decrease in εNd signal stability in the mid–late Holocene. Taking into account the contribution of the ISS rivers to the Andaman Sea εNd signature that changes proportionally with the strengthening (less radiogenic εNd) or weakening (more radiogenic εNd) of the ISM, we propose a binary model mixing between the Salween and Irrawaddy rivers to explain the εNd variability in Andaman Sea sediments. We hypothesize that the Irrawaddy river mainly contributed detrital sediment to the northeastern Andaman Sea for the past 24 ka. Our εNd data shed new light on the regional changes in Indo-Asian monsoon systems when compared with the existing Indian and Chinese paleo-proxy records

Pulmonary Hyalinising Granuloma: A report of two cases

ABSTRACT: Pulmonary hyalinising granuloma (PHG) is a rare fibrosclerosing inflammatory lung condition of unknown aetiology. It is characterised by solitary or multiple pulmonary nodules that are usually found incidentally while imaging the chest for other reasons. We report two cases of histologically proven PHG diagnosed at the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman. The first case was a 71-year-old male patient who presented in 2010 with a dry cough, weight loss and bilateral pulmonary nodules. The second case was a 58-year-old male patient who presented in 2012 and was found to have incidental bilateral pulmonary nodules on chest X-ray. Both patients were started on prednisolone and on follow-up the PHG nodules remained stable. Although there is no definitive treatment, PHG generally has an excellent prognosis.Keywords: Granuloma; X-Ray Computed Tomography; Multiple Pulmonary Nodules; Lung; Case Report; Oman

PEMIKIRAN AL-FARUQI DAN SUMBANGANNYA DALAM TRANSFORMASI ISLAM DI MALAYSIA MELALUI ISLAMISASI ILMU

oai:mjis.www.journal.unisza.edu.my:article/1Artikel ini membincangkan sumbangan al-Faruqi dalam mentransformasi pemikiran Islam di Malaysia. Ia memfokuskan kepada manhajnya dalam menggerakkan perubahan dalam tradisi pemikiran dan intelek di Malaysia. Manhaj ini direalisasikan dalam gagasan Islamiyyat al-Ma‘rifat (Islamisasi Ilmu - Islamization of Knowledge) di Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM). Visi yang dirangkanya memberi kesan dan impak yang signifikan dalam mengilhamkan perubahan dan reformasi pendidikan dan usaha pengislaman Ilmu yang diterapkan secara komprehensif di UIAM. Perbincangan ini menfokuskan kepada peranan dan sumbangannya yang penting terhadap transformasi nilai dan praktik Islam di Malaysia dan hubungannya dengan UIAM, dengan melihat kepada tiga dasar pengislaman di UIAM yang terkesan dari fikrah dan idealismenya (1) Islamisasi ilmu, (2) integrasi ilmu dan nilai dan (3) metode pengajian agama yang dikembangkan di Kulliyyah. Hasil kajian menunjukkan al-Faruqi telah memberi sumbangan yang besar kepada transformasi Islam di Malaysia dengan kekuatan nilai dan aspirasi tauhid yang dibawanya dan usaha pengislaman ilmu yang membawa idealisme pembaharuan dalam manhaj pemikiran. Kata kunci: Al-Faruqi, UIAM, Islamisasi, nilai Islam

High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation at dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for migraine prevention: A protocol for a systematic review of controlled trials

Migranya; Estimulació magnètica transcranial; Escorça prefrontalMigraña; Estimulación magnética transcraneal; Corteza prefrontalMigraine; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Prefrontal cortexBackground Migraine may lead to a negative impact on the patients’ quality of life with a subsequent substantial burden to society. Therapy options for treatment and prevention of migraine have progressed over the years and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is one of the promising non-pharmacological options. It induces and alters electric current in the brain via repetitive non-invasive brain stimulation in high frequency. In migraine patients, two common stimulation sites are the M1 cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The mechanism on how rTMS exerts therapeutic effects on migraine is not fully established, but the main postulation is that the neuromodulation via high-frequency rTMS (hf-rTMS) might inhibit pain perception. However, evidence from studies has been conflicting, thus the usefulness of hf-rTMS as migraine preventive treatment is still uncertain at this moment. Methods This is a systematic review protocol describing essential reporting items based on the PRISMA for systematic review protocols (PRISMA-P) (Registration number: CRD42020220636). We aim to review the effectiveness, tolerability, and safety of hf-rTMS at DLPFC in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) as migraine prophylactic treatment. We will search Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Biomed Central for relevant articles from randomised controlled clinical trials that used hf-rTMS applied at DLPFC for the treatment of migraine. The risk of bias will be assessed using the version 2 “Risk of bias” tool from Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 6.1. We will investigate the evidence on efficacy, tolerability and safety and we will compare the outcomes between the hf-rTMS intervention and sham groups. Discussion This systematic review will further determine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of hf-rTMS applied at DLPFC for migraine prophylaxis. It will provide additional data for health practitioners and policymakers about the usefulness of hf-rTMS for migraine preventive treatment.This work is funded by Research Management Centre of Universiti Putra Malaysia under research grant number GPB/2017/9585500

Burden of waterpipe smoking and chewing tobacco use among women of reproductive age group using data from the 2012-13 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey

Background: Despite the general decline in cigarette smoking, use of alternative forms of tobacco has increased particularly in developing countries. Waterpipe (WP) and Chewing Tobacco (CT) are two such alternative forms, finding their way into many populations. However, the burden of these alternative forms of tobacco and their socio demographic determinants are still unclear. We assessed the prevalence of WP and CT use among women of reproductive age group in Pakistan. Methods: Data from the most recent Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012–13 (n = 13,558) was used for this analysis. Information obtained from ever married women, aged between 15 and 49 years were analyzed using two separate data subgroups; exclusive WP smokers (total n = 12,995) and exclusive CT users (total n = 12,771). Univariate and Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted and results were reported as crude and adjusted Odds Ratio with 95 % confidence intervals. Results: Prevalence of WP smoking and CT were 4 % and 2 %, respectively. After multivariate adjustments, ever married women who were: older than 35 years (OR; 4.68 95 % CI, 2.62–8.37), were poorest (OR = 4.03, 95 % CI 2.08–7.81), and had no education (OR = 9.19, 95 % CI 5.10–16.54), were more likely to be WP smokers. Similarly, ever married women who were: older than 35 years (OR = 3.19, 95 % CI 1.69–6.00), had no education (OR = 4.94, 95 % CI 2.62–9.33), were poor (OR = 1.64, 95 % CI 1.07–2.48) and had visited health facility in last 12 months (OR = 1.81, 95 % CI 1.22–2.70) were more likely to be CT users as well. Conclusion: Older women with lower socio-economic profile were more likely to use WP and CT. Focused policies aiming towards reducing the burden of alternate forms of tobacco use among women is urgently needed to control the tobacco epidemic in the country

A Locked Nucleic Acid Antisense Oligonucleotide (LNA) Silences PCSK9 and Enhances LDLR Expression In Vitro and In Vivo

The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is an important factor in the etiology of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and is also an attractive therapeutic target to reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. PCSK9 accelerates the degradation of hepatic low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and low levels of hepatic PCSK9 activity are associated with reduced levels of circulating LDL-cholesterol.The present study presents the first evidence for the efficacy of a locked nucleic acid (LNA) antisense oligonucleotide (LNA ASO) that targets both human and mouse PCSK9. We employed human hepatocytes derived cell lines HepG2 and HuH7 and a pancreatic mouse beta-TC3 cell line known to express high endogenous levels of PCSK9. LNA ASO efficiently reduced the mRNA and protein levels of PCSK9 with a concomitant increase in LDLR protein levels after transfection in these cells. In vivo efficacy of LNA ASO was further investigated in mice by tail vein intravenous administration of LNA ASO in saline solution. The level of PCSK9 mRNA was reduced by approximately 60%, an effect lasting more than 16 days. Hepatic LDLR protein levels were significantly up-regulated by 2.5-3 folds for at least 8 days and approximately 2 fold for 16 days. Finally, measurement of liver alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels revealed that long term LNA ASO treatment (7 weeks) does not cause hepatotoxicity.LNA-mediated PCSK9 mRNA inhibition displayed potent reduction of PCSK9 in cell lines and mouse liver. Our data clearly revealed the efficacy and safety of LNA ASO in reducing PCSK9 levels, an approach that is now ready for testing in primates. The major significance and take home message of this work is the development of a novel and promising approach for human therapeutic intervention of the PCSK9 pathway and hence for reducing some of the cardiovascular risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome