Road Quality Information Based Adaptive Semi-active Suspension Control

This paper introduces an adaptive semi-active suspension control by considering global positioning system-based and historical road information. The main idea of this study is to find a corresponding trade-off between comfort and stability at different road irregularities. The introduced semi-active controller is designed based on the Linear Parameter-Varying framework. The behavior of the designed controller can be modified by the use of a scheduling variable. This scheduling variable is selected by considering the various road category. TruckSim simulation environment is used in order to validate the introduced adaptive semi-active suspension control system by comparing it with the non-adaptive scenario. The results show that both driving comfort and vehicle stability have been improved with the proposed adaptive semi-active suspension control

Design of an LMI-based Polytopic LQR Cruise Controller for an Autonomous Vehicle towards Riding Comfort

In this paper, we present an LMI-based approach for comfort-oriented cruise control of an autonomous vehicle. First, vehicle longitudinal dynamics and a corresponding parameter-dependent state-space representation are explained and discussed. An LMI-based polytopic LQR controller is then designed for the vehicle speed to track the reference value in the presence of noise and disturbances, where the scheduling parameters are functions of the vehicle mass and the speed itself. An appropriate disturbance force compensation term is also included in the designed controller to provide a smoother response. Then we detail how the reference speed is calculated online, using polynomial functions of the given desired comfort level (quantified by the vertical acceleration absorbed by the human body) and of the road type characterized by road roughness. Finally, time-domain simulations illustrate the method’s effectiveness

WOˇˇ3ˇˇˇ photocatalysts: Influence of structure and composition

Hexagonal (h-) and monoclinic (m-) WO 3 nanoparticles with controlled composition (oxidized/yellow color or partially reduced/blue color) were prepared through annealing (NH 4) x WO 3- y . The formation, structure, composition, morphology, and optical properties of the samples were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with electron diffraction, and Raman, X-ray photoelectron, 1H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visual, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Their photocatalytic properties were tested by decomposing methyl orange in the aqueous phase and acetone in the gas phase. Oxidized m-WO 3 (m-WO 3 ox) was the most active photocatalyst both in the aqueous and in the gas phase, followed by the oxidized h-WO 3 (h-WO 3 ox) sample. Reduced h-WO 3 (h-WO 3 red) and m-WO 3 (m-WO 3 red) exhibited much lower activity. Thus, in contrast to TiO 2, where crystalline structure (rutile or anatase) plays a key effect in photocatalysis, for WO 3, it is the composition that is of greatest importance: the more oxidized the WO 3 sample, the better a photocatalyst it is. The crystal structure of WO 3 has only an indirect effect, in that it influences the composition of WO 3 samples. While oxidized m-WO 3 is completely oxidized, oxidized h-WO 3 is always in a partially reduced state due to the presence of stabilizing positive ions in its hexagonal channels. Consequently, an oxidized monoclinic WO 3 material will always provide better photocatalytic activity than an oxidized hexagonal one. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

A mutagenic PCR identifies isolates of Borrelia garinii responsible for Lyme borreliosis

Borrelia garinii is one of the three major Borreliae responsible for Lyme borreliosis in Europe. We have characterized a protein of B. garinii (VS102) and a genomic fragment from the gene encoding this protein was cloned. The DNA sequence of the fragment showed high homology with a known gene of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. The protein encoded by this gene in B. burgdorferi sensu stricto is a phosphocarrier protein (histidine-containing protein). A mutation T to G polymorphism at codon 57 was found to be specific to B. garinii. A PCR-based approach that allows the rapid detection of this mutation made it possible to specifically discriminate B. garinii from other B. burgdorferi genospecies with high sensitivity and specificit

Vector Competence of Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) for Three Genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi

The vector competence of 2 tick species, Ixodes ricinus (L.) and Ixodes scapularis Say, was determined and compared for 3 genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi. The 3 genospecies of B. burgdorferi used in the following experiments were Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (B-31 and B-31.D1 clone), Borrelia afzelii (strain Pgau.C3), and Borrelia garinii (strain VS286 and VSBP). Spirochetes from all 5 strains were inoculated intradermally into outbred mice; larval ticks of both species were subsequently fed on those mice and replete larvae were assayed for infection by culture in BSK-H media every 7 d for 4 wk. Infection frequencies in I. scapularis exposed to the 5 strains were as follows: B-31 (90%), B-31.D1 (83%), Pgau.C3 (87%), VS286 (10%), and VSBP (5%). The comparable infection frequencies for /. ricinus were B-31 (3%), B-31.D1 (3%), Pgau.C3 (90%), VS286 (5%), and VSBP (3%). Resultant nymphal /. scapularis successfully transmitted B-31, B-31.D1, Pgau.C3, and VS286 to outbred mice. /. ricinus nymphs transmitted Pgau.C3 and VS286. Both species failed to transmit strain VSB

Fractional flow reserve in below the knee arteries with critical limb ischemia and validation against gold-standard morphologic, functional measures and long term clinical outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of fractional flow reserve measurement (FFR) in below-the-knee (BTK) arteries and to evaluate its correlation with non-invasive functional parameters before and after angioplasty. METHODS: We enrolled 39 patients with severe BTK arterial lesions. Inclusion criteria were critical limb ischemia (Rutherford 4-6) and angiographically proven arterial stenosis of the distal lower limb (percent diameter stenosis >/=70%). Exclusion criteria were chronic total occlusion, diabetic foot syndrome and non-viable distal lower limb. The transstenotic distal/proximal pressure ratio was measured under resting (Pd/Pa) and hyperemic (FFR) conditions induced by 40mg intra-arterial Papaverin and was compared with quantitative angiography-, laser Doppler- and duplex ultrasound-derived measurements before and after percutaneous angioplasty (PTA). RESULTS: Comparing measurements before and after PTA, we found significant improvements in the resting Pd/Pa values (0.79 [0.67-0.90] vs 0.90 [0.85-0.97]; p<0.001) and FFR values (0.60+/-0.19 vs 0.76+/-0.15; p<0.001), respectively. At baseline, Pd/Pa ratio and FFR were significantly albeit weakly correlated with % area stenosis (r:-0.31, p=0.05 and r:-0.31, p=0.05, respectively). After PTA, neither Pd/Pa nor FFR remained correlated with % area stenosis. Similarly, prior PTA, Pd/Pa ratio and FFR were significantly correlated with TcO2% and perfusion unit change (r:0.48, p<0.01 and r:0.34, p<0.05, respectively), but after intervention, these significant correlations vanished. Pd/Pa and FFR values did not show correlation with duplex ultrasound-derived measurements. At 1year, major adverse events (MAEs) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular (MACCEs) were observed in 7 (17.9%) and in 9 (23.1%) patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: CLI due to severe BTK arterial disease was associated with several impediments of baseline pressure measurements which were significantly improved after successful PTA and stenting. Significant relationships between pressure data and functional and imaging parameters existed prior intervention but vanished after. Further studies are required to determine the clinical value of pre- and post-PTA pressure measurements in BTK arterial disease

OspA heterogeneity of Borrelia valaisiana confirmed by phenotypic and genotypic analyses

BACKGROUND: Although European Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates have been divided into five genospecies, specific tools for the serotype characterization of only three genospecies are available. Monoclonals antibodies (mAbs) H3TS, D6 and I17.3 identify B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss.), B. garinii and B. afzelii respectively, but no mAbs are available to identify B. valaisiana. In the same way, specific primers exist to amplify the OspA gene of B. burgdorferi ss., B. garinii and B. afzelii. The aim of the study was to develop species-specific mAb and PCR primers for the phenotypic and genetic identification of B. valaisiana. RESULTS: This study describes a mAb that targets OspA of B. valaisiana and primers targeting the OspA gene of this species. As the monoclonal antibody A116k did not react with strains NE231, M7, M53 and Frank and no amplification was observed with strains NE231, M7 and M53, the existence of two subgroups among European B. valaisiana species was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: The association of both monoclonal antibody A116k and primers Bval 1F and Bval 1R allows to specific identification of the B. valaisiana isolates belonging to subgroup 1

Synthesis and characterization of new polyaniline/nanotube composites

New polyaniline/nanotube (PANI/NT) composites have been synthesized by “in situ” polymerization processes using both multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in concentrations ranging from 2 to 50 wt.%. Although no structural changes are observed using MWNTs above a concentration of 20 wt.%, the in situ synthesis results in electronic interactions between nanotubes and the quinoid ring of PANI leading to enhanced electronic properties and thus to the formation of a genuine PANI/MWNT composite material. On the other hand, using SWNTs favors the formation of inhomogeneous mixtures rather than of a homogeneous composite materials, independent of the SWNT concentration. X-ray diffraction, Raman and transport measurements show the different behavior of both classes of nanotubes in PANI/NT materials. The difficulties in the formation of a true PANI/SWNT composite are related to the far more complex structure of the SWNT material itself, i.e. to the presence of entangled bundles of SWNTs, amorphous carbon and even catalytic metal particles.This work was supported by the EC RTN contract NANOCOMP (HPRN-CT-2000-00037).Peer reviewe