Guaranteed cost control for discrete-time networked control systems with random Markov delays

The guaranteed cost control for a class of uncertain discrete-time networked control systems with random delays is addressed.The sensor-to-controller (S-C) and contraller-to-actuator (C-A) random network-induced delays are modeled as two Markov chains.The focus is on the design of a two-mode-dependent guaranteed cost controller,which depends on both the current S-C delay and the most recently available C-A delay.The resulting closed-loop systems are special jump linear systems.Sufficient conditions for existence of guaranteed cost controller and an upper bound of cost function are established based on stochastic Lyapunov-Krasovakii functions and linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach.A simulation example illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

抗战时期云南民族文化精神基本层面论析——从旅滇作家和马子华的散文说起

抗战时期,包括闻一多、朱自清等旅滇作家及马子华等本土作家都留下了不少的散文篇什,对云南和云南人的精神风貌、生活状况描绘颇多。通过对这些文章的分析,可以从中解读出云南民族文化精神的基本层面——强烈的家国(园)意识、坚韧的反抗精神、顽强的生存信念、迭变的狭隘思想,而这有助于人们更好地把握和领会抗战时期云南文化的多样性特质。     

浅谈标识的设计与方法

标识是有抽象性的、具象性的和非图案的字体标识,是视觉形象的核心,它构成了企业形象的基本特征,体现了企业的内在素质.标识不仅是调动所有视觉要素的主导力量,也是整合所有视觉要素的中心,更是社会大众认同企业品牌的代表.因此,标识设计在整个视觉识别系统设计中具有重要的意义.     

Different responses of two Mosla species to potassium limitation in relation to acid rain deposition

The increasingly serious problem of acid rain is leading to increased potassium (K) loss from soils, and in our field investigation, we found that even congenerically relative Mosla species show different tolerance to K-deficiency. A hydroponic study was conducted on the growth of two Mosla species and their morphological, physiological and stoichiometric traits in response to limited (0.35 mmol K/L), normal (3.25 mmol K/L) and excessive (6.50 mmol K/L) K concentrations. Mosla hangchowensis is an endangered plant, whereas Mosla dianthera a widespread weed. In the case of M. hangchowensis, in comparison with normal K concentration, K-limitation induced a significant reduction in net photosynthetic rate (P _n), soluble protein content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, but an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. However, leaf mass ratio (LMR) and root mass ratio (RMR) were changed little by K-limitation. In contrast, for M. dianthera, K-limitation had little effect on P _n, soluble protein content, SOD activity, and MDA concentration, but increased LMR and RMR. Critical values of N (nitrogen):K and K:P (phosphorus) ratios in the shoots indicated that limitation in acquiring K occurred under K-limited conditions for M. hangchowensis but not for M. dianthera. We found that low K content in natural habitats was a restrictive factor in the growth and distribution of M. hangchowensis, and soil K-deficiency caused by acid rain worsened the situation of M. hangchowensis, while M. dianthera could well acclimate to the increasing K-deficiency. We suggest that controlling the acid rain and applying K fertilizers may be an effective way to rescue the endangered M. hangchowensis.     

Carbon monoxide releasing molecules: New insights for anticoagulation strategy in sepsis

Sepsis is a common and serious medical condition caused by hemorrhage, trauma, or abdominal surgery. Despite new understanding and much progress in therapies that specifically interfere with an interesting target, sepsis remains the leading causes of death in critically ill patients. Various therapies have been studied, but the majority of these treatments fail in clinical trials. It is clear that all septic patients exhibit coagulation abnormalities. These abnormalities range from subtle to marked activation of coagulation system, and finally to fulminant DIC. Studies confirmed that carbon monoxide has important cytoprotective function and anti-inflammatory properties. Until now, the question of whether CO plays a critical role in improving the coagulation system and then decreasing mortality during sepsis has not yet been definitely answered. Attempts to confirm this strategy may lead to new directions in the study of treatment of sepsis and the development of a novel agent for this disorder. Received 13 August 2008; received after revision 29 October 2008; accepted 17 November 2008     

固体火箭喷管烧蚀控制机制的判别

固体火箭喷管喉衬材料的烧蚀是化学反应与传热、传质相耦合的过程．基于气动热力学、热化学动力学和传热学,建立了热化学烧蚀模型;并对H2含量、频率因子、活化能引起喷管内热流场与化学烧蚀的变化进行了数值模拟．计算结果表明：在高温高压燃烧环境下,H2频率因子与活化能的变化引起烧蚀机制的改变,但H2频率因子的变化影响并不明显;固体火箭喷管烧蚀控制机制的判别应由喷管内燃气中H2的含量与烧蚀环境下H2活化能来决定．该研究结果为固体火箭的热防护设计提供参考．     

Identification of cancer stem cell-like cells from human epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell line

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in the development, invasion, and drug resistance of carcinoma, but the exact phenotype and characteristics of ovarian CSCs are still disputable. In this study, we identified cancer stem cell-like cells (CSC-LCs) and investigated their characteristics from the ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line 3AO. Our results showed that CSC-LCs were enriched in sphere-forming test and highly expressed CD44⁺CD24⁻. The spheres and CD24⁻ cells possessed strong tumorigenic ability by transplantation into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice. CD44⁺CD24⁻ cells expressed stem cell markers and differentiated to CD44⁺CD24⁺ cells by immunofluorescence assay and fluorescence-activated cell-sorting analysis. In vitro experiments verified that CD44⁺CD24⁻ cells were markedly resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxol. In conclusion, our study identifies the CD44⁺CD24⁻ phenotype, self-renewal, high tumorigenicity, differentiation potential, and drug resistance of ovarian CSC-LCs. Our findings may provide the evidence needed to explore a new strategy in the treatment of ovarian cancer.     

Cell surface adenylate kinase activity regulates the F1-ATPase/P2Y13-mediated HDL endocytosis pathway on human hepatocytes

We have previously demonstrated on human hepatocytes that apolipoprotein A-I binding to an ecto-F₁-ATPase stimulates the production of extracellular ADP that activates a P2Y₁₃-mediated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) endocytosis pathway. Therefore, we investigated the mechanisms controlling the extracellular ATP/ADP level in hepatic cell lines and primary cultures to determine their impact on HDL endocytosis. Here we show that addition of ADP to the cell culture medium induced extracellular ATP production that was due to adenylate kinase and nucleoside diphosphokinase activities, but not to ATP synthase activity. We further observed that in vitro modulation of both ecto-NDPK and AK activities could regulate the ADP-dependent HDL endocytosis. But interestingly, only AK appeared to naturally participate in the pathway by consuming the ADP generated by the ecto-F₁-ATPase. Thus controlling the extracellular ADP level is a potential target for reverse cholesterol transport regulation. Received 13 July 2006; received after revision 29 August 2006; accepted 19 September 2006     

Human and yeast ζ-crystallins bind AU-rich elements in RNA

ζ-crystallins constitute a family of proteins with NADPH:quinone reductase activity found initially in mammalian lenses but now known to be present in many other organisms and tissues. Few proteins from this family have been characterized, and their function remains unclear. In the present work, ζ-crystallins from human and yeast (Zta1p) were expressed, purified and characterized. Both enzymes are able to reduce ortho-quinones in the presence of NADPH but are not active with 2-alkenals. Deletion of the ZTA1 gene makes yeast more sensitive to menadione and hydrogen peroxide, suggesting a role in the oxidative stress response. The human and yeast enzymes specifically bind to adenine-uracil rich elements (ARE) in RNA, indicating that both enzymes are ARE-binding proteins and that this property has been conserved in ζ-crystallins throughout evolution. This supports a role for ζ-crystallins as trans-acting factors that could regulate the turnover of certain mRNAs. Received 21 February 2007; received after revision 16 April 2007; accepted 23 April 2007 M. R. Fernández, S. Porté: These authors contributed equally to this work.