Event-triggered consensus of multi-agent systems under directed topology based on periodic sampled-data

The event-triggered consensus problem of first-order multi-agent systems under directed topology is investigated. The event judgements are only implemented at periodic time instants. Under the designed consensus algorithm, the sampling period is permitted to be arbitrarily large. Another advantage of the designed consensus algorithm is that, for systems with time delay, consensus can be achieved for any finite delay only if it is bounded by the sampling period. The case of strongly connected topology is first investigated. Then, the result is extended to the most general topology which only needs to contain a spanning tree. A novel method based on positive series is introduced to analyze the convergence of the closed-loop systems. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained theoretical results

Possible inhibition of Arabidopsis VIP1-mediated mechanosensory signaling by streptomycin

VIP1 (VIRE2-INTERACTING PROTEIN 1) and its close homologues are Arabidopsis thaliana bZIP proteins regulating stress responses and root tropisms. They are present in the cytoplasm under steady conditions, but transiently accumulate in the nucleus when cells are exposed to mechanical stress such as hypo-osmotic stress and touch. This pattern of changes in subcellular localization is unique to VIP1 and its close homologues, and can be useful to further characterize mechanical stress signaling in plants. A recent study showed that calcium signaling regulates this pattern of subcellular localization. Here, we show that a possible calcium channel inhibitor, streptomycin, also inhibits the nuclear accumulation of VIP1. Candidates for the specific regulators of the mechanosensitive calcium signaling are further discussed

Event-Based Consensus for General Linear Multiagent Systems under Switching Topologies

In this paper, event-triggered leader-following consensus of general linear multiagent systems under both fixed topology and switching topologies is studied. First, centralised and decentralised event-triggered control strategies based on neighbors’ state estimation are proposed under fixed topology, in which the controller is only updated at the time of triggering. Obviously, compared with the continuous time control algorithms, the event-triggered control strategies can reduce the communication frequency among agents effectively. Meanwhile, event-triggering conditions are derived for systems to achieve consensus by using the Lyapunov stability theory and model transformation method. Then, the theoretical results obtained under the fixed topology are extended to the switching topologies, and the sufficient conditions for the system to achieve leader-following consensus under the switching topologies are given. However, different from fixed topology, the control input of each agent is updated both at event-triggering and topology switching time. Finally, Zeno behaviors can be excluded by proving that the minimum triggering interval of each agent is strictly positive, and the effectiveness of the event-triggered protocol is verified by simulation experiments

Bipartite Consensus of Heterogeneous Multiagent Systems Based on Distributed Event-Triggered Control

In this paper, the bipartite consensus problem of heterogeneous multiagent systems composed of first-order and second-order agents is considered by utilizing the event-triggered control scheme. Under structurally balanced directed topology, event-triggered bipartite consensus protocol is put forward, and event-triggering functions consisting of measurement error and threshold are designed. To exclude Zeno behavior, an exponential function is introduced in the threshold. The bipartite consensus problem is transformed into the corresponding stability problem by means of gauge transformation and model transformation. By virtue of Lyapunov method, sufficient conditions for systems without input delay are obtained to guarantee bipartite consensus. Furthermore, for the case with input delay, sufficient conditions which include an admissible upper bound of the delay are obtained to guarantee bipartite consensus. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained theoretical results

A Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism in an Endo-1,4-beta-Glucanase Gene Controls Seed Coat Permeability in Soybean

Physical dormancy, a structural feature of the seed coat known as hard seededness, is an important characteristic for adaptation of plants against unstable and unpredictable environments. To dissect the molecular basis of qHS1, a quantitative trait locus for hard seededness in soybean (Glycine max (L) Merr.), we developed a near-isogenic line (NIL) of a permeable (soft-seeded) cultivar, Tachinagaha, containing a hard-seed allele from wild soybean (G. soja) introduced by successive backcrossings. The hard-seed allele made the seed coat of Tachinagaha more rigid by increasing the amount of beta-1,4-glucans in the outer layer of palisade cells of the seed coat on the dorsal side of seeds, known to be a point of entrance of water. Fine-mapping and subsequent expression and sequencing analyses revealed that qHS1 encodes an endo-1,4-beta-glucanase. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) introduced an amino acid substitution in a substrate-binding cleft of the enzyme, possibly reducing or eliminating its affinity for substrates in permeable cultivars. Introduction of the genomic region of qHS1 from the impermeable (hard-seeded) NIL into the permeable cultivar Kariyutaka resulted in accumulation of beta-1,4-glucan in the outer layer of palisade cells and production of hard seeds. The SNP allele found in the NIL was further associated with the occurrence of hard seeds in soybean cultivars of various origins. The findings of this and previous studies may indicate that qHS1 is involved in the accumulation of beta-1,4-glucan derivatives such as xyloglucan and/or beta-(1,3)(1,4)-glucan that reinforce the impermeability of seed coats in soybean