Bearing-Based Target Entrapping Control of Multiple Uncertain Agents With Arbitrary Maneuvers

This paper is concerned with bearing-based cooperative target entrapping control of multiple uncertain agents with arbitrary maneuvers including shape deformation, rotations, scalings, etc. A leader-follower structure is used, where the leaders move with the predesigned trajectories, and the followers are steered by an estimation-based control method, integrating a distance estimator using bearing measurements and a stress matrix-based formation controller. The signum functions are used to compensate for the uncertainties so that the agents' accelerations can be piecewise continuous and bounded to track the desired dynamics. With proper design of the leaders' trajectories and a geometric configuration, an affine matrix is determined so that the persistently exciting conditions of the inter-agent relative bearings can be satisfied since the bearing rates are related to different weighted combinations of the affine matrix vectors. The asymptotic convergence of the estimation error and control error is proved using Filipov properties and cascaded system theories. A sufficient condition for inter-agent collision avoidance is also proposed. Finally, simulation results are given to validate the effectiveness of the method in both 2D and 3D cases.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, the paper has been accepted by IFAC WC 202

Characterization of cellulase production by carbon sources in two Bacillus species

The induction of cellulase production in two Bacillus spp. was studied by means of measuring cellulase activities under the condition of different carbon sources. The results indicate that cellulase could not be induced by cellulose material as a sole carbon source. Instead, they could be induced by monosaccharide or disaccharide with reducing group. Moreover, the expression of cellulase components was synergistic. When cell wall/envelope enzyme and endoenzyme from two Bacillus spp. acted on these inducers, analysis of reaction products by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that cell wall/envelope enzyme and endoenzyme from two Bacillus spp. were inactive on these inducers. It also indicated that these inducers entered cells directly and served function of induction.Keywords: Bacillus, cellulase, induction, carbon source

Real-time Monitoring for the Next Core-Collapse Supernova in JUNO

Core-collapse supernova (CCSN) is one of the most energetic astrophysical events in the Universe. The early and prompt detection of neutrinos before (pre-SN) and during the SN burst is a unique opportunity to realize the multi-messenger observation of the CCSN events. In this work, we describe the monitoring concept and present the sensitivity of the system to the pre-SN and SN neutrinos at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), which is a 20 kton liquid scintillator detector under construction in South China. The real-time monitoring system is designed with both the prompt monitors on the electronic board and online monitors at the data acquisition stage, in order to ensure both the alert speed and alert coverage of progenitor stars. By assuming a false alert rate of 1 per year, this monitoring system can be sensitive to the pre-SN neutrinos up to the distance of about 1.6 (0.9) kpc and SN neutrinos up to about 370 (360) kpc for a progenitor mass of 30$M_{\odot}$ for the case of normal (inverted) mass ordering. The pointing ability of the CCSN is evaluated by using the accumulated event anisotropy of the inverse beta decay interactions from pre-SN or SN neutrinos, which, along with the early alert, can play important roles for the followup multi-messenger observations of the next Galactic or nearby extragalactic CCSN.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figure

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival

Predicting structural, electronic, and optical properties of mixed-phase LiMg0.5X0.5PO4 (X = lanthanide) via first-principles study

Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) has emerged as the preferred technique for a wide range of applications in radiation dosimetry, including personal monitoring, environmental surveillance, retrospective dosimetry, space dosimetry, and more. Over recent decades, LiMgPO4, a phosphate material, has garnered significant attention due to its superior characteristics compared to commercially available OSL dosimeters like Al2O3: C and BeO. In this paper, we systematically investigate the structural, electronic, and optical properties of mixed-phase LiMg0.5X0.5PO4 (X = Dy, Eu, Nd, Gd, Pm, Sm, Tb, and Tm) using a first-principles method based on density functional theory. Our calculations reveal that both LiMgPO4 and LiMg0.5Eu0.5PO4 exhibit insulating characteristics with direct band gap values of 5.47 eV and 4.99 eV, respectively. In contrast, for the other seven LiMg0.5X0.5PO4 (X = Dy, Nd, Gd, Pm, Sm, Tb, and Tm), their band gap values converge to zero eV, indicating a transition from insulator to metal. The reduction in the bandgap has led to the emergence of smaller peaks in the absorption coefficient at lower energy ranges while maintaining enhanced performance in optical absorption at higher energy ranges. Our computational results demonstrate consistent trends with the incorporation of various lanthanides. These materials exhibit stable structures, and the reduction in band gap enhances sensitivity and expands the energy response range. These findings offer valuable insights for future experimental and theoretical investigations in radiation dosimetry using mixed-phase phosphate materials

Phase Field Simulations of Microstructures in Porous Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloy Ni₂MnGa

The magnetic domain structures and martensite microstructures of porous Ni2MnGa Heusler alloys with various circle-shaped and ellipse-shaped pores were systematically studied by the phase field method. The magnetization curves and magnetic field-induced strains (MFIS) at the external field were determined. A mesoscopic mechanism was proposed for simulation to reveal the influence of the pores on the microstructures and the MFIS of porous magnetic shape memory alloy. The stress concentration effect and the recovery strain of the porous alloy are studied. The results indicate the MFIS value increases when ellipse-shaped pores elongate along the twin boundary. The effects of porosity and pore size on MFIS for porous Ni-Mn-Ga alloys with randomly distributed pores were also explored. The present study is of guiding significance for understanding the role played by pores on the MFIS and may provide a possible way to adjust the functional properties of ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

Synthesis of FeOOH and FeOOH@ZnO by hydrothermal method and the adsorption of S2- in wastewater

FeOOH and FeOOH@ZnO were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, and their structures and adsorption properties toward S2− were studied. The results showed that too high hydrothermal temperature was not conducive to the adsorption of S2−. However, using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) for FeOOH preparation and adding nanometer ZnO (FeOOH@ZnO) could significantly improve the adsorption of S2− by FeOOH, and adsorption removal rate was close to 90.0% and adsorption amount was 87.5 mg·g−1. The structural analysis showed that the modification of FeOOH by SDS and the addition of nano-ZnO resulted in the reduction in size of the FeOOH particles, forming amorphous inclusion structure with ZnO present inside and FeOOH outside. The specific surface area of FeOOH@ZnO was found to be higher than that of FeOOH. Therefore, it is beneficial to the adsorption of S2−. XPS fitting results showed that ferrous deposits appeared in the process of adsorption of S2− by FeOOH@ZnO, and it was considered that the oxygen of Fe = O was replaced with sulfur

Clinical Effect and Rotational Stability of TICL in the Treatment of Myopic Astigmatism

Purpose. To investigate the clinical outcomes and possible risk factors associated with rotational stability after the implantation of a V4c toric implantable Collamer lens (TICL) for the correction of moderate to high myopic astigmatism. Methods. A total of 112 eyes of 66 patients with moderate to high myopic astigmatism underwent TICL implantation. All patients were followed up for more than 1 year. The uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity (UCVA and BCVA), astigmatism and spherical equivalent, intraocular pressure, vault, endothelial cell morphometry, and rotation of the TICL axis were assessed at l day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively. Postoperative rotation was defined as the angle between the intended axis and the achieved axis. Regression analysis was used to investigate the possible risk factors for TICL rotation postoperatively. Results. The mean efficacy index and safety index 12 months postoperatively were 1.03 ± 0.09 and 1.05 ± 0.10, respectively. All patients had the same or better visual acuity than preoperatively. The mean astigmatism value decreased from −1.86 ± 0.79 D preoperatively to −0.37 ± 0.35 D. The mean absolute axis deviation of the TICL at the last follow-up was 2.75 ± 2.04° (range, 0°∼11°). The mean manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) changed from -9.04 ± 2.67 D preoperatively to −0.67 ± 0.51 D postoperatively. The logistic regression demonstrated that the absolute degree of TICL rotation had a significant association with the fixation angle of the TICL and the size of the lens (P=0.003, P=0.026, resp.). Conclusion. The results of our study support that TICL implantation is safe, effective, and predictable in the treatment of moderate to high myopic astigmatism, with relatively good postoperative rotational stability