Robust Control Synthesis for Gust Load Alleviation from Large Aeroelastic Models with Relaxation of Spatial Discretisation

This paper introduces a methodology for the design of gust load control systems directly from large aeroelastic models with relaxation of spatial discretisation. A convenient state-space representation of the vortex-panel unsteady aerodynamics suitable for control synthesis is presented. This allows a full understanding of the dynamics of the linearized vortex aeroelastic model and is suitable for control system design. Through the use of robust controllers, large reductions in loading could be achieved. Comparisons are also made between robust and classical control methods. It further demonstrates that controllers synthesized from models of coarse spatial discretizations and of an order of magnitude smaller in size were capable of rejecting disturbances on fully converged models, with performances comparable to expensive higher order controllers developed from full models

Effects of Leading-Edge Tubercles on Wing Flutter Speeds

The dynamic aeroelastic effects on wings modified with bio-inspired leading-edge (LE) tubercles are examined in this study. We adopt a state-space aeroelastic model via the coupling of unsteady vortex-lattice method and a composite beam to evaluate stability margins as a result of LE tubercles on a generic wing. The unsteady aerodynamics and spanwise mass variations due to LE tubercles have counteracting effects on stability margins with the former having dominant influence. When coupled, flutter speed is observed to be 5% higher, and this is accompanied by close to 6% decrease in reduced frequencies as an indication of lower structural stiffness requirements for wings with LE tubercles. Both tubercle amplitude and wavelength have similar influences over the change in flutter speeds, and such modifications to the LE would have minimal effect on stability margins when concentrated inboard of the wing. Lastly, when used in sweptback wings, LE tubercles are observed to have smaller impacts on stability margins as the sweep angle is increased

Aeroservoelastic modelling and active control of very large wind turbine blades for gust load alleviation.

The increased flexibility of wind turbine blades necessitates not only accurate predictions of the aeroelastic effects, but also requires active control techniques to overcome potentially damaging loadings and oscillations. An aeroservoelastic model, capturing the structural response and the unsteady aerodynamics of very large rotors, will be used to demonstrate the potential of closed-loop load alleviation using aerodynamic control surfaces. The structural model is a geometrically-nonlinear composite beam, which is linearised around equilibrium rotating conditions and coupled with a linearised 3D Unsteady Vortex Lattice Method (UVLM) with prescribed helicoidal wake. This provides a direct higher fidelity solution to BEM for the dynamics of deforming rotors in attached flow conditions. The resulting aeroelastic model is in a state-space formulation suitable for control synthesis. Flaps are modeled directly in the UVLM formulation and LQG controllers are finally designed to reduce fatigue by about 26% in the presence of continuous turbulence. Trade-offs between reducing root-bending moments (RBM) and suppressing the negative impacts on torsion due to flap deployment will also be investigated

Identification of 2-Aminothiazole-4-Carboxylate Derivatives Active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and the β-Ketoacyl-ACP Synthase mtFabH

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease which kills two million people every year and infects approximately over one-third of the world's population. The difficulty in managing tuberculosis is the prolonged treatment duration, the emergence of drug resistance and co-infection with HIV/AIDS. Tuberculosis control requires new drugs that act at novel drug targets to help combat resistant forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and reduce treatment duration. Methodology/Principal Findings Our approach was to modify the naturally occurring and synthetically challenging antibiotic thiolactomycin (TLM) to the more tractable 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylate scaffold to generate compounds that mimic TLM's novel mode of action. We report here the identification of a series of compounds possessing excellent activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv and, dissociatively, against the β-ketoacyl synthase enzyme mtFabH which is targeted by TLM. Specifically, methyl 2-amino-5-benzylthiazole-4-carboxylate was found to inhibit M. tuberculosis H37Rv with an MIC of 0.06 µg/ml (240 nM), but showed no activity against mtFabH, whereas methyl 2-(2-bromoacetamido)-5-(3-chlorophenyl)t​hiazole-4-carboxylateinhibited mtFabH with an IC50 of 0.95±0.05 µg/ml (2.43±0.13 µM) but was not active against the whole cell organism. Conclusions/Significance These findings clearly identify the 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylate scaffold as a promising new template towards the discovery of a new class of anti-tubercular agents

Types of Control in Acupuncture Clinical Trials Might Affect the Conclusion of the Trials: A Review of Acupuncture on Pain Management

published_or_final_versio

Assessing the adequacy of self-reported alcohol abuse measurement across time and ethnicity: cross-cultural equivalence across Hispanics and Caucasians in 1992, non-equivalence in 2001–2002

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Do estimates of alcohol abuse reflect true levels across United States Hispanics and non-Hispanic Caucasians, or does culturally-based, systematic measurement error (i.e., measurement bias) affect estimates? Likewise, given that recent estimates suggest alcohol abuse has increased among US Hispanics, the field should also ask, "Does cross-ethnic change in alcohol abuse across time reflect true change or does measurement bias influence change estimates?"</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To address these questions, I used confirmatory factor analyses for ordered-categorical measures to probe for measurement bias on two large, standardized, nationally representative, US surveys of alcohol abuse conducted in 1992 and 2001–2002. In 2001–2002, analyses investigated whether 10 items operationalizing DSM-IV alcohol abuse provided equivalent measurement across Hispanic (<it>n </it>= 4,893) and non-Hispanic Caucasians (<it>n </it>= 16,480). In 1992, analyses examined whether a reduced 6 item item-set provided equivalent measurement among 834 Hispanic and 14,8335 non-Hispanic Caucasians.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 1992, findings demonstrated statistically significant measurement bias for two items. However, sensitivity analyses showed that item-level bias did not appreciably bias item-set based alcohol abuse estimates among this cohort. For 2001–2002, results demonstrated statistically significant bias for seven items, suggesting caution regarding the cross-ethnic equivalence of alcohol abuse estimates among the current US Hispanic population. Sensitivity analyses indicated that item-level differences <it>did </it>erroneously impact alcohol abuse rates in 2001–2002, underestimating rates among Hispanics relative to Caucasians.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>1992's item-level findings suggest that estimates of drinking related social or legal problems may underestimate these specific problems among Hispanics. However, impact analyses indicated no appreciable effect on alcohol abuse estimates resulting from the item-set. Efforts to monitor change in alcohol abuse diagnoses among the Hispanic community can use 1992 estimates as a valid baseline. In 2001–2002, item-level measurement bias on seven items did affect item-set based estimates. Bias underestimated Hispanics' self-reported alcohol abuse levels relative to non-Hispanic Caucasians. Given the cross-ethnic equivalence of 1992 estimates, bias in 2001–2002 speciously minimizes current increases in drinking behavior evidenced among Hispanics. Findings call for increased public health efforts among the Hispanic community and underscore the necessity for cultural sensitivity when generalizing measures developed in the majority to minorities.</p

How do animal territories form and change? Lessons from 20 years of mechanistic modelling

Territory formation is ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom. At the individual level, various behaviours attempt to exclude conspecifics from regions of space. At the population level, animals often segregate into distinct territorial areas. Consequently, it should be possible to derive territorial patterns from the underlying behavioural processes of animal movements and interactions. Such derivations are an important element in the development of an ecological theory that can predict the effects of changing conditions on territorial populations. Here, we review the approaches developed over the past 20 years or so, which go under the umbrella of ‘mechanistic territorial models’. We detail the two main strands to this research: partial differential equations and individual-based approaches, showing what each has offered to our understanding of territoriality and how they can be unified. We explain how they are related to other approaches to studying territories and home ranges, and point towards possible future directions

Gut microbiota-derived propionate reduces cancer cell proliferation in the liver

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Communication style and exercise compliance in physiotherapy (CONNECT). A cluster randomized controlled trial to test a theory-based intervention to increase chronic low back pain patients’ adherence to physiotherapists’ recommendations: study rationale, design, and methods

Physical activity and exercise therapy are among the accepted clinical rehabilitation guidelines and are recommended self-management strategies for chronic low back pain. However, many back pain sufferers do not adhere to their physiotherapist’s recommendations. Poor patient adherence may decrease the effectiveness of advice and home-based rehabilitation exercises. According to self-determination theory, support from health care practitioners can promote patients’ autonomous motivation and greater long-term behavioral persistence (e.g., adherence to physiotherapists’ recommendations). The aim of this trial is to assess the effect of an intervention designed to increase physiotherapists’ autonomy-supportive communication on low back pain patients’ adherence to physical activity and exercise therapy recommendations. \ud \ud This study will be a single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. Outpatient physiotherapy centers (N =12) in Dublin, Ireland (population = 1.25 million) will be randomly assigned using a computer-generated algorithm to either the experimental or control arm. Physiotherapists in the experimental arm (two hospitals and four primary care clinics) will attend eight hours of communication skills training. Training will include handouts, workbooks, video examples, role-play, and discussion designed to teach physiotherapists how to communicate in a manner that promotes autonomous patient motivation. Physiotherapists in the waitlist control arm (two hospitals and four primary care clinics) will not receive this training. Participants (N = 292) with chronic low back pain will complete assessments at baseline, as well as 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after their first physiotherapy appointment. Primary outcomes will include adherence to physiotherapy recommendations, as well as low back pain, function, and well-being. Participants will be blinded to treatment allocation, as they will not be told if their physiotherapist has received the communication skills training. Outcome assessors will also be blinded. \ud \ud We will use linear mixed modeling to test between arm differences both in the mean levels and the rates of change of the outcome variables. We will employ structural equation modeling to examine the process of change, including hypothesized mediation effects. \ud \ud This trial will be the first to test the effect of a self-determination theory-based communication skills training program for physiotherapists on their low back pain patients’ adherence to rehabilitation recommendations. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN63723433\u