Robust stability conditions for remote SISO DMC controller in networked control systems

A two level hierarchy is employed in the design of Networked Control Systems (NCSs) with bounded random transmission delay. At the lower level a local controller is designed to stabilize the plant. At the higher level a remote controller with the Dynamic Matrix Control (DMC) algorithm is implemented to regulate the desirable set-point for the local controller. The conventional DMC algorithm is not applicable due to the unknown transmission delay in NCSs. To meet the requirements of a networked environment, a new remote DMC controller is proposed in this study. Two methods, maximum delayed output feedback and multi-rate sampling, are used to cope with the delayed feedback sensory data. Under the assumption that the closed-loop local system is described by one FIR model of an FIR model family, the robust stability problem of the remote DMC controller is investigated. Applying Jury's dominant coefficient lemma and some stability results of switching discrete-time systems with multiple delays; several stability criteria are obtained in the form of simple inequalities. Finally, some numerical simulations are given to demonstrate the theoretical results

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Counterfeiting is a serious problem in many industries, and the annual profit and tax losses caused by counterfeit products in China have reached over 60 billion yuan. The focus of this paper is to study the effect of blockchain technology in terms of supervising counterfeit products as well as product quality and service decisions under blockchain from a dynamic optimization perspective. We consider the role of blockchain when disclosing product quality information and develop a dynamic optimization model before and after blockchain adoption using differential game theory. Meanwhile, we solve the model using the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation and backward induction and conduct parametric, comparative, and numerical analyses of the equilibrium solutions. The main findings are as follows: First, we find that in the absence of blockchain, counterfeit products can reduce brand goodwill and decrease the quality and service level of genuine products; however, supervising counterfeit product sales through blockchain can improve this problem under the critical conditions determined in this work. Second, in the direct sales mode, we find that if the unit operating cost and fixed cost of blockchain are small, the brand owner’s adoption of blockchain can not only combat the counterfeiter’s profit but also increase its own profit. Third, in the wholesale sales mode, we find that the best conditions in which a brand owner can establish blockchain are only related to the related costs of blockchain, while retailers also need to increase the selling price of genuine products when establishing blockchain. Fourth, we find that supply chain performance and blockchain supervisory effects are sensitive to key parameters through numerical analysis in a quantitative form. These findings have important implications for genuine enterprises in terms of determining the conditions for establishing blockchain to combat counterfeiting and for optimizing product quality and service decisions when using blockchain technology.</div

Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO_<i>x</i> with NH₃ over Novel Fe–Ni–Ti Catalyst

A novel Fe–Ni–Ti composite oxide prepared via the hydrothermal method has been developed for the selective catalytic reduction of NO_<i>x</i> with NH₃. This environmentally benign catalyst showed high activity and excellent selectivity to N₂, which is superior to that of Fe–Ti and Ni–Ti catalysts. Catalyst characterization results revealed that over Fe–Ni–Ti catalyst the dual redox cycles (Fe³⁺ + Ni²⁺ ↔ Fe²⁺ + Ni³⁺, Ti⁴⁺ + Ni²⁺ ↔ Ti³⁺ + Ni³⁺) are crucial for the enhanced activity. The synergetic effect among Fe, Ni, and Ti leads to not only the increased redox property, but also improved surface acidity. DRIFT experiments demonstrated that more reactive NH₃/NH₄⁺ and M-NO₂ nitro species formed over Fe–Ni–Ti catalyst, thus resulting in the efficiently catalytic removal of NO_<i>x</i>

NL03 specific IFN-γ secreting T cell responses in ferret PBMC on day 8 post vaccination stimulated with either NL03 HA or virus.

<p>The solid lines represent geometric mean ± standard error for the group.</p

Seasonal LAIV on NL03 L-S vaccine virus induced immune responses and protection against a heterologous virus challenge infection.

<p><b>A</b>. Ferrets were immunized with the indicated viruses and serum antibody titers on day 14 post the second vaccine were determined by the HI assay or MN assay with NL03 L-S vaccine virus. The data are expressed as log₂ HI or neutralizing antibody titers, respectively. <b>B</b>. HA- or virus-specific IFN-γ secreting cells in PBMC on day 8 post vaccination. The solid lines represent geometric mean ± SE for the group. <b>C</b>. The ferrets were challenged with BC04 wt 28 days post the second dose. Challenge virus titer in NT and lung tissues at 3 days post challenge was expressed as log ₁₀EID₅₀/g (GMT ± SE). The dashed line indicates limit of detection. * indicates statistically significant (P<0.05) difference by <i>t</i> test.</p

Glycan binding specificity of the H7 vaccine viruses to biotinylated 3'S-Di-LN-LC-LC (A) or 6'S-Di-LN-LC-LC (B).

<p>The binding ability of the 2-fold serial diluted virus in HA unit to immobilized glycan was detected by ELISA assay using NL03 HA specific sheep antiserum. The data are presented as geometric mean of optical density (OD) at 450 nm ± standard error (SE) of two independent samples.</p

original data for all figures

The original data for all figures in the manuscript

Supplementary material from Copper-doped ZnO-ZrO₂ solid solution catalysts for promoting methanol synthesis from CO₂ hydrogenation

Copper-doped ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution catalysts were synthesized via co-precipitation for promoting CH3OH synthesis via hydrogenation of CO2. Various testing methods were applied to investigate the effect of various copper contents on the catalysts. The catalytic performance was evaluated by a fixed bed reactor. XRD, HRTEM and Raman spectra collectively indicated that a ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution catalyst with 3% Cu had a higher Cu dispersion, while the H2-TPR results confirmed that a catalyst with 3% Cu had more Cu active sites under low temperature H2 pretreatment. When the copper content increased to 5% and 10%, the catalyst showed a better Cu crystallinity and a worse Cu dispersion, which could have a negative effect. Therefore, the CO2 conversion and methanol yield with a 3% CuZnO-ZrO2 catalyst at 5 MPa, 250°C and 12 000 ml/(g h) increased by 8.6% and 7.6%, respectively. Moreover, the CH3OH selectivity and catalytic stability of the solid solution catalyst were better than those of the traditional CZA catalyst

Effects of pyriproxyfen treatment on the ultrastructure of follicle cells and oocytes in the ovary.

<p>The transmission electron micrographs (TEM) images of the pyriproxyfen-treated and control females were compared. The first and second columns represent the TEM of the follicle cells and oocytes of control female <i>S</i>. <i>litura</i>; the third and fourth columns represent the TEM of the follicle cells and oocytes of pyriproxyfen-treated female <i>S</i>. <i>litura</i>. The fifth line represents the developed eggs. The oocytes (Oo) in the stage 5 of the controls were entirely surrounded by follicle cells (Fc) with numerous microvilli (Mv) (A), whereas fewer microvilli were observed in the ovaries of the pyriproxyfen-treated insects (a). FcN = the follicular epithelium cell nucleus. ON = oocyte nucleus. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can be observed in the control group (B), and yolk granules (YG) and glycogenosomes (GG) can be observed in pyriproxyfen-treated female <i>S</i>. <i>litura</i> (b). Follicle cells (Fc) and oocytes of control and pyriproxyfen-treated female in stage 6 (C, c), spaces appear between follicle cells. The pyriproxyfen treatment increased the amount of ER or rough ER (RER), the number of mitochondria (Mt), and the accumulation of lipids (L) in stage 6 and stage 7 (D, E and F; d, e and f). In stage 8 and stage 9 oocytes reduced numbers of YG and Mt were observed (G, H and I; g, h and i), and a comb-like dentate structure was observed in the mature oocytes (stage 9) of both groups (J and j). Scale Bars showed on down-left of each Figure.</p

Effects of Pyriproxyfen on Female Reproduction in the Common Cutworm, <i>Spodoptera litura</i> (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

<div><p>The common cutworm, <i>Spodoptera litura</i>, is a rapidly reproducing pest of numerous agricultural ecosystems worldwide. The use of pesticides remains the primary means for controlling <i>S</i>. <i>litura</i>, despite their negative ecological impact and potential threat to human health. The use of exogenous hormone analogs may represent an alternative to insecticides. Juvenile hormones (JHs) play an important role in the reproductive systems of female insects, but the effects of pyriproxyfen, a JH analog, on reproduction in <i>S</i>. <i>litura</i> were poorly understood. In this paper, we topically treated the newly emerged females with 20, 60, or 100 μg of pyriproxyfen to determine its effects on reproduction. Then, we examined the expression of vitellogenin (<i>Vg</i>) and three hormone receptors, <i>USP</i>, <i>HR3</i>, and <i>EcR</i>, using quantitative reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and found that pyriproxyfen up-regulated the expression of <i>Vg</i>, <i>USP</i>, and <i>HR3</i>, whereas the expression of <i>EcR</i> was unaffected. An analysis of fecundity showed that the peak oviposition day, lifespan, and oviposition period were progressively shortened as the pyriproxyfen dosage increased. We also found that pyriproxyfen decreased egg laying amount, whereas the number of mature eggs that remained in the ovarioles of dead females increased as the pyriproxyfen dosage increased. We examined oocytes using transmission electron microscopy and found that treatment with 100 μg of pyriproxyfen increased the metabolism by increasing the amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in the primary oocytes. Our results suggest that the topical application of pyriproxyfen on newly emerged females can efficiently reduce reproduction in <i>S</i>. <i>litura</i> and may represent an alternative to the use of insecticides for controlling the agricultural pest.</p></div