Liver transplantation(LT)remains the optimal life-saving intervention for patients with end-stage liver disease.Despite the recent advances in LT several barriers,including organ allocation,donor-recipient matching,an...Liver transplantation(LT)remains the optimal life-saving intervention for patients with end-stage liver disease.Despite the recent advances in LT several barriers,including organ allocation,donor-recipient matching,and patient education,persist.With the growing progress of artificial intelligence,particularly large language models(LLMs)like ChatGPT,new applications have emerged in the field of LT.Current studies demonstrating usage of ChatGPT in LT include various areas of application,from clinical settings to research and education.ChatGPT usage can benefit both healthcare professionals,by decreasing the time spent on non-clinical work,but also LT recipients by providing accurate information.Future potential applications include the expanding usage of ChatGPT and other LLMs in the field of LT pathology and radiology as well as the automated creation of discharge summaries or other related paperwork.Additionally,the next models of ChatGPT might have the potential to provide more accurate patient education material with increased readability.Although ChatGPT usage presents promising applications,there are certain ethical and practical limitations.Key concerns include patient data privacy,information accuracy,misinformation possibility and lack of legal framework.Healthcare providers and policymakers should collaborate for the establishment of a controlled framework for the safe use of ChatGPT.The aim of this minireview is to summarize current literature on ChatGPT in LT,highlighting both opportunities and limitations,while also providing future possible applications.展开更多
In this paper,a nonlinear control approach for an unstable networked plant in the presence of actuator and sensor limitations using robust right coprime factorization is proposed.The actuator is limited by upper and l...In this paper,a nonlinear control approach for an unstable networked plant in the presence of actuator and sensor limitations using robust right coprime factorization is proposed.The actuator is limited by upper and lower constraints and the sensor in the feedback loop is subjected to network-induced unknown time-varying delay and noise.With this nonlinear control method,we first employ right coprime factorization based on isomorphism and operator theory to factorize the plant,so that bounded input bounded output(BIBO)stability can be guaranteed.Next,continuous-time generalized predictive control(CGPC)is utilized for the unstable operator of the right coprime factorized plant to guarantee inner stability and enables the closed-loop dynamics of the system with predictive characteristics.Meanwhile,a second-Do F(degrees of freedom)switched controller that satisfies a perturbed Bezout identity and a robustness condition is designed.By using the CGPC controller that possesses predictive behavior and the second-Do F switched stabilizer,the overall stability of the plant subjected to actuator limitations is guaranteed.To address sensor limitations that exist in networked plants in the form of delay and noise which often cause system performance degradation,we implement an identity operator definition in the feedback loop to compensate for these adverse effects.Further,a pre-operator is designed to ensure that the plant output tracks the reference input.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed design scheme is demonstrated by simulations.展开更多
Recently,information acquired at the canopy top,such as spectral and textural data,has been widely used to estimate plant nitrogen(N)accumulation(PNA).The response of crops to N uptake involves not only changes in hor...Recently,information acquired at the canopy top,such as spectral and textural data,has been widely used to estimate plant nitrogen(N)accumulation(PNA).The response of crops to N uptake involves not only changes in horizontal canopy top information but also an increase in vertical plant height(PH).It remains unclear whether the fusion of spectral indices with PH can improve the estimation performance of PNA models based on spectral remote sensing across different growth stages.展开更多
Tibetan alpine steppes are large and sensitive terrestrial carbon(C)reservoirs that are experiencing desertification due to global change and overgrazing,which can lead to stronger resource limitations for both above-...Tibetan alpine steppes are large and sensitive terrestrial carbon(C)reservoirs that are experiencing desertification due to global change and overgrazing,which can lead to stronger resource limitations for both above-and belowground communities.Soil nutrients,especially nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P),are the crucial resources for plant growth and microbial metabolism.However,whether both plant and soil microbial communities in the degraded alpine steppes are limited by these soil nutrients remains unclear,which limits our understanding of the mechanisms of desertification and subsequent ecosystem restoration.Here,we evaluated potential nutrient limitations of the plant and soil microbial communities in the alpine steppe across five stages of desertification using stoichiometry-based approaches.Our results showed that soil microbial metabolism was mainly limited by C and P,and the plant N limitation and microbial C limitation were intensified while the microbial P limitation was relieved during desertification.Plant-soil-microbe interactions had significant impacts on the microbial C and P limitations,explaining 72 and 61%of the variation,respectively.Specifically,desertification ultimately affected microbial metabolic limitations by regulating soil pH,soil nutrients,and the plant N limitation.Moreover,the microbial C limitation further reduced microbial C use efficiency(CUE)with desertification,which is detrimental for organic C retention in the degraded soil.Overall,this study revealed that microbial metabolic limitations through plant-microbe interactions were the key drivers affecting soil microbial CUE,and it provided insights that can advance our knowledge of the microbial regulation of nutrient cycles and C sequestration.展开更多
Body mass index(BMI),with its simple formula of weight divided by height squared,has become a cornerstone tool in global public health for assessing obesity and health risks.However,as populations aging and the demand...Body mass index(BMI),with its simple formula of weight divided by height squared,has become a cornerstone tool in global public health for assessing obesity and health risks.However,as populations aging and the demand for precise health evaluation grows,the limitations of this single metric have become increasingly apparent—it fails to distinguish between muscle and adipose tissue and cannot capture the complex relationship between inflammatory status and body composition.A recent study published in Biomedical and Environmental Sciences(BES)by Zhang et al.[1],which explores the association of white blood cell(WBC)count,platelet(PLT)count,and platelet-to-white blood cell ratio(PWR)with muscle mass among Chinese communitydwelling older adults,provides critical evidence for rethinking the role of BMI.Additionally,several studies published in BES,spanning from childhood nutrition to adult metabolism,further illuminate the complexity of health assessment[2−5].Building on these findings and integrating evidence from multiple Chinese population studies,this commentary revisits the historical context,utility,inherent limitations,and future directions of this classic indicator.展开更多
Pelagic appendicularians,known for their rapid bloom capability,are important secondary producers and play essential roles in marine ecosystems.To assess the environmental adaptation of the most common appendicularian...Pelagic appendicularians,known for their rapid bloom capability,are important secondary producers and play essential roles in marine ecosystems.To assess the environmental adaptation of the most common appendicularian species Oikopleura dioica in Jiaozhou Bay,Shandong,China,its annual variations in abundance and body size were investigated monthly at 12 stations in 2011,and the relationship between somatic growth and gonadal development was compared with previously published laboratory data.Oikopleura dioica exhibited distinct seasonal abundance patterns,peaking in summer and autumn,particularly in the inner bay,reflecting its adaptation to the eutrophic conditions and high food availability.Compared to laboratory results,O.dioica in Jiaozhou Bay exhibited shorter body lengths,smaller gonad volumes,and earlier maturation at reduced body sizes,despite high natural chlorophyll-a concentration,suggesting that factors beyond food availability,such as resource competition and environmental stressors,may limit its growth in natural settings.Correlation analysis indicated that the somatic growth of natural O.dioica was primarily influenced by temperature,while gonadal development was related to chlorophyll-a concentration,and its population abundance was linked to food availability and the abundance of other zooplankton,such as copepods and jellyfish.It was suggested that the growth and recruitment of O.dioica were constrained by resource limitations in natural environments,further exacerbated by interactions with other zooplankton,including predation and competition.This study provides valuable data on the mechanisms underlying bio-environmental interactions and their spatiotemporal variations,offering critical insights into the ecological roles of appendicularians in marine ecosystems.展开更多
An integrated approach that considers the performance limitations of tracking control systems for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles is proposed. First, a set of ascent trajectories is obtained as candidates for tracki...An integrated approach that considers the performance limitations of tracking control systems for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles is proposed. First, a set of ascent trajectories is obtained as candidates for tracking control through a trajectory design method that considers the available acceleration. Second, the basic theory of performance limitations, which is adopted to calculate the limits on control performance through the trajectory, is integrated. The openloop dynamics of air-breathing hypersonic vehicles is responsible for these limits on the control system. Comprehensive specifications on stability, tracking accuracy, and robustness are derived, and the flight envelope with constraints and control specifications is identified. Simulation results suggest that trajectory design should consider restrictions on control performance to obtain reliable solutions.展开更多
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a critical role in food, agricultural, and clinical applications. The fast growing characteristics of LAB and their metabolic activity have been the key in most applications including f...Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a critical role in food, agricultural, and clinical applications. The fast growing characteristics of LAB and their metabolic activity have been the key in most applications including food production, agricultural industry, and probiotics. However, the biochemical and biophysical environments have significant effect on the growth and metabolic activity of LAB. While the biochemical conditions are most likely established, controlling and optimizing of biochemical conditions have many limitations and challenges. In addition to selecting the right strain, desirable metabolic processes required optimizing and controlling the available nutrients including sugars, peptides, free amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in addition to buffering agents. Thus, much of research was conducted to understand the impact of available nutrients on the growth and metabolic activities of LAB. However, only a few nutritional parameters could be controlled at a time while holding other parameters constant. The nutritional parameters may also interact with each other resulting in faulty results. Characteristics of LAB such as fastidiousness in their nutritional requirements, ability to produce acid and antimicrobial compounds, and variations in the nutritional requirements among strains have added additional limitations and challenges in this regard. Thus, chemically defined media (CDM) were suggested to deal with different limitations and challenges. However, due to differences in growth conditions, results obtained in CDM may face some obstacles when it comes to industrial applications. Thus, this paper aimed to review the recent data in regard to the role of the nutritional requirements of LAB in optimizing and controlling metabolic activities and to discuss the associated limitations and challenges.展开更多
The method of determining coal pillar strength equations from databases of stable and failed case histories is more than 50 years old and has been applied in different countries by different researchers in a range of ...The method of determining coal pillar strength equations from databases of stable and failed case histories is more than 50 years old and has been applied in different countries by different researchers in a range of mining situations. While common wisdom sensibly limits the use of the resultant pillar strength equations and methods to design scenarios that are consistent with the founding database, there are a number of examples where failures have occurred as a direct result of applying empirical design methods to coal pillar design problems that are inconsistent with the founding database. This paper explores the reasons why empirically derived coal pillar strength equations tend to be problem-specific and should be considered as providing no more than a pillar strength ‘‘index." These include the non-consideration of overburden horizontal stress within the mine stability problem, an inadequate definition of supercritical overburden behavior as it applies to standing coal pillars, and the non-consideration of overburden displacement and coal pillar strain limits. All of which combine to potentially complicate and confuse the back-analysis of coal pillar strength from failed cases. A modified coal pillar design representation and model are presented based on coal pillars acting to reinforce a horizontally stressed overburden, rather than suspend an otherwise unstable self-loaded overburden or section, the latter having been at the core of historical empirical studies into coal pillar strength and stability.展开更多
Objective To study the risk environmental and psycho-social factors associated to prostate cancer （PCa） in Chinese population. Methods 250 PCa patients and 500 controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Info...Objective To study the risk environmental and psycho-social factors associated to prostate cancer （PCa） in Chinese population. Methods 250 PCa patients and 500 controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Information was collected and logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios （OR） and 95% confidence intervals （95% CI） for relationship between lifestyle, eating habits and psycho-social factors with PCa risk. Results Green vegetables and green tea were associated with a decreased risk of PCa （0R=0.39, 95% CI： 0.28-0.53; 0R=0.59, 95% Cl： 0.40-0.87, respectively）. Family history of PCa （0R=7.16, 95% CI： 2.01-25.49）, history of prostate diseases （0R=2.28, 95% Cl： 1.53-3.41）, alcohol consumption （0R=1.97, 95% CI： 1.33-2.90）, red meat consumption （0R=1.74, 95% CI： 1.20-2.52）, barbecued （0R=2.29, 95% CI： 1.11-4.73） or fried （0R=2.35, 95% CI： 1.24-4.43） foods were related with increased PCa risk. Negative psycho-social factors including occupational setbacks （0R=1.61, 95% CI： 2.00-2.59）, marital separation （0R=1.94, 95% CI： 1.29-2.91）, self-contained suffering {0R=2.37, 95% CI： 1.58-3.55）, and high sensitivity to the personal comments （0R=1.73, 95% CI： 1.18-2.54） were related to PCa. Conclusion Regular consumption of green vegetables and green tea may suggest protective effects on PCa. Alcohol consumption, red meat consumption and barbecued or fried foods were associated with PCa. Negative psycho-social factors may also play a role in the incidence of PCa in Chinese population.展开更多
This paper explores the problem of distributed Nash equilibrium seeking in games, where players have limited knowledge on other players' actions. In particular, the involved players are considered to be high-order...This paper explores the problem of distributed Nash equilibrium seeking in games, where players have limited knowledge on other players' actions. In particular, the involved players are considered to be high-order integrators with their control inputs constrained within a pre-specified region. A linear transformation for players' dynamics is firstly utilized to facilitate the design of bounded control inputs incorporating multiple saturation functions. By introducing consensus protocols with adaptive and time-varying gains, the unknown actions for players are distributively estimated. Then, a fully distributed Nash equilibrium seeking strategy is exploited, showcasing its remarkable properties: (1) ensuring the boundedness of control inputs;(2) avoiding any global information/parameters;and (3) allowing the graph to be directed. Based on Lyapunov stability analysis, it is theoretically proved that the proposed distributed control strategy can lead all the players' actions to the Nash equilibrium. Finally, an illustrative example is given to validate effectiveness of the proposed method.展开更多
Existence of intraparticle mass transfer limitations under typical Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has been reported previously,but there is no suitable study on the existence of intraparticle diffusion limitations under pr...Existence of intraparticle mass transfer limitations under typical Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has been reported previously,but there is no suitable study on the existence of intraparticle diffusion limitations under pretreatment steps (reduction and activation) and their effect on catalytic performance for iron based catalysts.In this study,Fe-Cu-La-SiO2 catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation method.To investigate the intraparticle mass transfer limitation under reduction,activation and reaction steps,and its effect on catalytic performance,catalyst pellets with different sizes of 6,3,1 and 0.5 mm have been prepared.All catalysts were calcined,pretreated and tested under similar conditions.The catalysts were activated in hydrogen (5%H2in N2) at 450℃ for 3 h and exposed to syngas (H2/CO=1) at 270℃ and atmospheric pressure for 40 h.Afterwards,FTS reaction tests were performed for approximately 120 h to reach steady state conditions at 290℃,17 bar and a feed flow (syngas H2/CO=1) rate of 3 L/h (STP).Using small pellets resulted in higher CO conversion,FT reaction rate and C5+ productivity as compared with larger pellets.The small pellets reached steady state conditions just 20 h after starting the reaction.Whereas for larger pellets,CO conversion,FT reaction rate and C5+ productivity increased gradually,and reached steady state and maximum values after 120 h of operation.The results illustrate that mass transfer limitations exist not only for FTS reaction but also for the reduction and carburization steps which lead to various phase formation through catalyst activation.Also the results indicate that some effects of mass transfer limitations in activation step,can be compensated in the reaction step.The results can be used for better design of iron based catalyst to improve the process economy.展开更多
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors(PNETs)are known to be the second most common epithelial malignancy of the pancreas.PNETs can be listed among the slowest growing as well as the fastest growing human cancers.The preval...Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors(PNETs)are known to be the second most common epithelial malignancy of the pancreas.PNETs can be listed among the slowest growing as well as the fastest growing human cancers.The prevalence of PNETs is deceptively low;however,its incidence has significantly increased over the past decades.According to the American Cancer Society’s estimate,about 4032(>7%of all pancreatic malignancies)individuals will be diagnosed with PNETs in 2020.PNETs often cause severe morbidity due to excessive secretion of hormones(such as serotonin)and/or overall tumor mass.Patients can live for many years(except for those patients with poorly differentiated G3 neuroendocrine tumors);thus,the prevalence of the tumors that is the number of patients actually dealing with the disease at any given time is fairly high because the survival is much longer than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Due to significant heterogeneity,the management of PNETs is very complex and remains an unmet clinical challenge.In terms of research studies,modest improvements have been made over the past decades in the identification of potential oncogenic drivers in order to enhance the quality of life and increase survival for this growing population of patients.Unfortunately,the majority of systematic therapies approved for the management of advanced stage PNETs lack objective response or at most result in modest benefits in survival.In this review,we aim to discuss the broad challenges associated with the management and the study of PNETs.展开更多
Coronary artery calcium data and reporting system(CAC-DRS)is a recently introduced standardized reporting system for calcium scoring on computed tomography.CAC-DRS provides four risk categories(0,1,2 and 3)along with ...Coronary artery calcium data and reporting system(CAC-DRS)is a recently introduced standardized reporting system for calcium scoring on computed tomography.CAC-DRS provides four risk categories(0,1,2 and 3)along with treatment recommendations for each category.As with any other new reporting platform,CAC-DRS has both advantages and disadvantages.Improved communication,better clarity of details,organized management recommendations and utility in future research and education are the major strengths of CAC-DRS.It has many limitations such as questionable need for a new system,few missing components,use of a less accurate visual method and treatment suggestions based on expert opinion instead of clinical trials.In this contemporary review,we discuss the new reporting system CAC-DRS,its application,strengths and limitations and conclude with some remarks for the future.展开更多
The safety limitation of large new-built seagoing ves- sel design and operation is investigated to ensure safety of the new vessels towed through bridge area. We analyze the maneuverabil- ity characteristics of a towi...The safety limitation of large new-built seagoing ves- sel design and operation is investigated to ensure safety of the new vessels towed through bridge area. We analyze the maneuverabil- ity characteristics of a towing fleet, and develop a mathematical drift model of ship motion for the fleet. Based on this drift model and the hydro-meteorological conditions in bridge area, we pro- pose a method to systematically ascertain the safety limitations of water stages, current, wind, speed and visibility. This method is conducive to the safety of both navigation and bridges when large towing fleets transit through bridges.展开更多
Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells（pE SCs）, as ＂seed cells＂ for regenerative medicine, are an effective way to build patient-specific pluripotent stem cells, due to the fact that characteristics of self-renewal ...Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells（pE SCs）, as ＂seed cells＂ for regenerative medicine, are an effective way to build patient-specific pluripotent stem cells, due to the fact that characteristics of self-renewal and pluripotent are similar to embryonic stem cells（ESCs）. Parthenogenetic activation can be performed at meiosis I or meiosis II describing the embryos with distinct patterns of homozygosity and heterozygosity.Heterozygous pE SCs are expected to be used for autologous transplantation, while homozygous pE SCs enable to be used for allogeneic gene therapy in theory but is hampered by immunological barriers defined by the recognition of natural killer（NK）cells. In this review, we describe the mechanism of deriving heterozygous and homozygous pE SCs, and summarize the advantages and limitations of pE SCs in the area of cell therapy.展开更多
Worldwide,more than one million people die each year from hepatitis C virus(HCV)related diseases,and over 300 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B or C.Egypt used to be on the top of the countries ...Worldwide,more than one million people die each year from hepatitis C virus(HCV)related diseases,and over 300 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B or C.Egypt used to be on the top of the countries with heavy HCV burden.Some countries are making advances in elimination of HCV,yet multiple factors preventing progress;remain for the majority.These factors include lack of global funding sources for treatment,late diagnosis,poor data,and inadequate screening.Treatment of HCV in Egypt has become one of the top national priorities since 2007.Egypt started a national treatment program intending to provide cure for Egyptian HCV-infected patients.Mass HCV treatment program had started using Pegylated interferon and ribavirin between 2007 and 2014.Yet,with the development of highly-effective direct acting antivirals(DAAs)for HCV,elimination of viral hepatitis has become a real possibility.The Egyptian National Committee for the Control of Viral Hepatitis did its best to provide Egyptian HCV patients with DAAs.Egypt adopted a strategy that represents a model of care that could help other countries with high HCV prevalence rate in their battle against HCV.This review covers the effects of HCV management in Egyptian real life settings and the outcome of different treatment protocols.Also,it deals with the current and future strategies for HCV prevention and screening as well as the challenges facing HCV elimination and the prospect of future eradication of HCV.展开更多
Olfactory ensheathing cells(OECs)are crucial players in the continuous regeneration of the olfactory nervous system that occurs through out life and are thought to have unique growth-promoting properties.For this reas...Olfactory ensheathing cells(OECs)are crucial players in the continuous regeneration of the olfactory nervous system that occurs through out life and are thought to have unique growth-promoting properties.For this reason,OEC transplantation has been thoroughly explored for the potential to promote neural repair after both central and peripheral nervous system injuries.Numerous studies have shown that OEC transplantation is safe and can promote recovery after spinal cord injury(SCI),both in animal models and in human clinical trials.To date,a variety of injury types and time-points after injury,as well as different delivery methods,have been tested.Outcomes have been encouraging(in rodent models including,for example,restoration of locomotion,breathing and climbing ability along with induction of axonal sprouting and some axonal regeneration)but highly variable(Barnett and Riddell,2007;Gomez et al.,2018).展开更多
The original data of Nilsson-Ehle experiment in wheat were analyzed with existent genetic knowledge. It indicated that the core of polygenic hypothesis from this experiment was that a character similarity produced by ...The original data of Nilsson-Ehle experiment in wheat were analyzed with existent genetic knowledge. It indicated that the core of polygenic hypothesis from this experiment was that a character similarity produced by additive effect of multiple genes was the basis of continuous variation. Its precondition was for effective genes to have equal effect, to show merodominance and binomial distribution and to inherit independently. In fact, quantitative characters were determined by many genes with different property, effect and behavior. So it was difficult to solve all problems of continuous variation by the aid of polygenic hypothesis. The researchers should seek new ways. With Mendelian group as research object and by means of Lyapunov central limit theorem it was proved that both genotypic value G and the environmental effect in a niche E were subordinated to the normal distribution and respectively. According to additivity of the normal distribution the phenotype P = G + E also obeyed the normal distribution P = G + E ~ and quantitative characters showed continuous variation, whether or not the linkage was presented, whether or not every gene effect was equal, whether or not there were dominance and what kind of dominance between alleles. Moreover it was discussed that the quantitative characters in self-fertilized organism and clone were submitted to the normal distribution and presented continuous variation too.展开更多
The primary objectives of medical safety education are to provide the public with essential knowledge about medications and to foster a scientific approach to drug usage.The era of using artificial intelligence to rev...The primary objectives of medical safety education are to provide the public with essential knowledge about medications and to foster a scientific approach to drug usage.The era of using artificial intelligence to revolutionize medical safety education has already dawned,and ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence models have immense potential in this domain.Notably,they offer a wealth of knowledge,anonymity,continuous availability,and personalized services.However,the practical implementation of generative artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT in medical safety education still faces several challenges,including concerns about the accuracy of information,legal responsibilities,and ethical obligations.Moving forward,it is crucial to intelligently upgrade ChatGPT by leveraging the strengths of existing medical practices.This task involves further integrating the model with real-life scenarios and proactively addressing ethical and security issues with the ultimate goal of providing the public with comprehensive,convenient,efficient,and personalized medical services.展开更多
文摘Liver transplantation(LT)remains the optimal life-saving intervention for patients with end-stage liver disease.Despite the recent advances in LT several barriers,including organ allocation,donor-recipient matching,and patient education,persist.With the growing progress of artificial intelligence,particularly large language models(LLMs)like ChatGPT,new applications have emerged in the field of LT.Current studies demonstrating usage of ChatGPT in LT include various areas of application,from clinical settings to research and education.ChatGPT usage can benefit both healthcare professionals,by decreasing the time spent on non-clinical work,but also LT recipients by providing accurate information.Future potential applications include the expanding usage of ChatGPT and other LLMs in the field of LT pathology and radiology as well as the automated creation of discharge summaries or other related paperwork.Additionally,the next models of ChatGPT might have the potential to provide more accurate patient education material with increased readability.Although ChatGPT usage presents promising applications,there are certain ethical and practical limitations.Key concerns include patient data privacy,information accuracy,misinformation possibility and lack of legal framework.Healthcare providers and policymakers should collaborate for the establishment of a controlled framework for the safe use of ChatGPT.The aim of this minireview is to summarize current literature on ChatGPT in LT,highlighting both opportunities and limitations,while also providing future possible applications.
文摘In this paper,a nonlinear control approach for an unstable networked plant in the presence of actuator and sensor limitations using robust right coprime factorization is proposed.The actuator is limited by upper and lower constraints and the sensor in the feedback loop is subjected to network-induced unknown time-varying delay and noise.With this nonlinear control method,we first employ right coprime factorization based on isomorphism and operator theory to factorize the plant,so that bounded input bounded output(BIBO)stability can be guaranteed.Next,continuous-time generalized predictive control(CGPC)is utilized for the unstable operator of the right coprime factorized plant to guarantee inner stability and enables the closed-loop dynamics of the system with predictive characteristics.Meanwhile,a second-Do F(degrees of freedom)switched controller that satisfies a perturbed Bezout identity and a robustness condition is designed.By using the CGPC controller that possesses predictive behavior and the second-Do F switched stabilizer,the overall stability of the plant subjected to actuator limitations is guaranteed.To address sensor limitations that exist in networked plants in the form of delay and noise which often cause system performance degradation,we implement an identity operator definition in the feedback loop to compensate for these adverse effects.Further,a pre-operator is designed to ensure that the plant output tracks the reference input.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed design scheme is demonstrated by simulations.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan Project Sub-Topic of China(Grant Nos.2022YFD1901500 and 2022YFD1901505-07)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32260531)+1 种基金the Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding for Grain and Oil Crops in Guizhou Province,China(Grant No.Qiankehezhongyindi[2023]8)the Key Laboratory of Functional Agriculture of Guizhou Provincial Higher Education Institutions,China(Grant No.Qianjiaoji[2023]007).
文摘Recently,information acquired at the canopy top,such as spectral and textural data,has been widely used to estimate plant nitrogen(N)accumulation(PNA).The response of crops to N uptake involves not only changes in horizontal canopy top information but also an increase in vertical plant height(PH).It remains unclear whether the fusion of spectral indices with PH can improve the estimation performance of PNA models based on spectral remote sensing across different growth stages.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2023YFF1304304)。
文摘Tibetan alpine steppes are large and sensitive terrestrial carbon(C)reservoirs that are experiencing desertification due to global change and overgrazing,which can lead to stronger resource limitations for both above-and belowground communities.Soil nutrients,especially nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P),are the crucial resources for plant growth and microbial metabolism.However,whether both plant and soil microbial communities in the degraded alpine steppes are limited by these soil nutrients remains unclear,which limits our understanding of the mechanisms of desertification and subsequent ecosystem restoration.Here,we evaluated potential nutrient limitations of the plant and soil microbial communities in the alpine steppe across five stages of desertification using stoichiometry-based approaches.Our results showed that soil microbial metabolism was mainly limited by C and P,and the plant N limitation and microbial C limitation were intensified while the microbial P limitation was relieved during desertification.Plant-soil-microbe interactions had significant impacts on the microbial C and P limitations,explaining 72 and 61%of the variation,respectively.Specifically,desertification ultimately affected microbial metabolic limitations by regulating soil pH,soil nutrients,and the plant N limitation.Moreover,the microbial C limitation further reduced microbial C use efficiency(CUE)with desertification,which is detrimental for organic C retention in the degraded soil.Overall,this study revealed that microbial metabolic limitations through plant-microbe interactions were the key drivers affecting soil microbial CUE,and it provided insights that can advance our knowledge of the microbial regulation of nutrient cycles and C sequestration.
文摘Body mass index(BMI),with its simple formula of weight divided by height squared,has become a cornerstone tool in global public health for assessing obesity and health risks.However,as populations aging and the demand for precise health evaluation grows,the limitations of this single metric have become increasingly apparent—it fails to distinguish between muscle and adipose tissue and cannot capture the complex relationship between inflammatory status and body composition.A recent study published in Biomedical and Environmental Sciences(BES)by Zhang et al.[1],which explores the association of white blood cell(WBC)count,platelet(PLT)count,and platelet-to-white blood cell ratio(PWR)with muscle mass among Chinese communitydwelling older adults,provides critical evidence for rethinking the role of BMI.Additionally,several studies published in BES,spanning from childhood nutrition to adult metabolism,further illuminate the complexity of health assessment[2−5].Building on these findings and integrating evidence from multiple Chinese population studies,this commentary revisits the historical context,utility,inherent limitations,and future directions of this classic indicator.
基金Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2023YFC3108205,2023YFC3108201)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42306153)。
文摘Pelagic appendicularians,known for their rapid bloom capability,are important secondary producers and play essential roles in marine ecosystems.To assess the environmental adaptation of the most common appendicularian species Oikopleura dioica in Jiaozhou Bay,Shandong,China,its annual variations in abundance and body size were investigated monthly at 12 stations in 2011,and the relationship between somatic growth and gonadal development was compared with previously published laboratory data.Oikopleura dioica exhibited distinct seasonal abundance patterns,peaking in summer and autumn,particularly in the inner bay,reflecting its adaptation to the eutrophic conditions and high food availability.Compared to laboratory results,O.dioica in Jiaozhou Bay exhibited shorter body lengths,smaller gonad volumes,and earlier maturation at reduced body sizes,despite high natural chlorophyll-a concentration,suggesting that factors beyond food availability,such as resource competition and environmental stressors,may limit its growth in natural settings.Correlation analysis indicated that the somatic growth of natural O.dioica was primarily influenced by temperature,while gonadal development was related to chlorophyll-a concentration,and its population abundance was linked to food availability and the abundance of other zooplankton,such as copepods and jellyfish.It was suggested that the growth and recruitment of O.dioica were constrained by resource limitations in natural environments,further exacerbated by interactions with other zooplankton,including predation and competition.This study provides valuable data on the mechanisms underlying bio-environmental interactions and their spatiotemporal variations,offering critical insights into the ecological roles of appendicularians in marine ecosystems.
基金supported by Aerospace Science and Technology Innovation Fund of China (No. CASC2016)Six Talent Peaks Project in Jiangsu Province of China (KTHY025)+3 种基金Funding of Jiangsu Innovation Program for Graduate Educationthe National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61403191, 11572149)the Funding of Jiangsu Innovation Program for Graduate Education of China (Nos. KYLX_0281, KYLX15_0318 and NZ2015205)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China
文摘An integrated approach that considers the performance limitations of tracking control systems for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles is proposed. First, a set of ascent trajectories is obtained as candidates for tracking control through a trajectory design method that considers the available acceleration. Second, the basic theory of performance limitations, which is adopted to calculate the limits on control performance through the trajectory, is integrated. The openloop dynamics of air-breathing hypersonic vehicles is responsible for these limits on the control system. Comprehensive specifications on stability, tracking accuracy, and robustness are derived, and the flight envelope with constraints and control specifications is identified. Simulation results suggest that trajectory design should consider restrictions on control performance to obtain reliable solutions.
文摘Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a critical role in food, agricultural, and clinical applications. The fast growing characteristics of LAB and their metabolic activity have been the key in most applications including food production, agricultural industry, and probiotics. However, the biochemical and biophysical environments have significant effect on the growth and metabolic activity of LAB. While the biochemical conditions are most likely established, controlling and optimizing of biochemical conditions have many limitations and challenges. In addition to selecting the right strain, desirable metabolic processes required optimizing and controlling the available nutrients including sugars, peptides, free amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in addition to buffering agents. Thus, much of research was conducted to understand the impact of available nutrients on the growth and metabolic activities of LAB. However, only a few nutritional parameters could be controlled at a time while holding other parameters constant. The nutritional parameters may also interact with each other resulting in faulty results. Characteristics of LAB such as fastidiousness in their nutritional requirements, ability to produce acid and antimicrobial compounds, and variations in the nutritional requirements among strains have added additional limitations and challenges in this regard. Thus, chemically defined media (CDM) were suggested to deal with different limitations and challenges. However, due to differences in growth conditions, results obtained in CDM may face some obstacles when it comes to industrial applications. Thus, this paper aimed to review the recent data in regard to the role of the nutritional requirements of LAB in optimizing and controlling metabolic activities and to discuss the associated limitations and challenges.
文摘The method of determining coal pillar strength equations from databases of stable and failed case histories is more than 50 years old and has been applied in different countries by different researchers in a range of mining situations. While common wisdom sensibly limits the use of the resultant pillar strength equations and methods to design scenarios that are consistent with the founding database, there are a number of examples where failures have occurred as a direct result of applying empirical design methods to coal pillar design problems that are inconsistent with the founding database. This paper explores the reasons why empirically derived coal pillar strength equations tend to be problem-specific and should be considered as providing no more than a pillar strength ‘‘index." These include the non-consideration of overburden horizontal stress within the mine stability problem, an inadequate definition of supercritical overburden behavior as it applies to standing coal pillars, and the non-consideration of overburden displacement and coal pillar strain limits. All of which combine to potentially complicate and confuse the back-analysis of coal pillar strength from failed cases. A modified coal pillar design representation and model are presented based on coal pillars acting to reinforce a horizontally stressed overburden, rather than suspend an otherwise unstable self-loaded overburden or section, the latter having been at the core of historical empirical studies into coal pillar strength and stability.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81072377)
文摘Objective To study the risk environmental and psycho-social factors associated to prostate cancer （PCa） in Chinese population. Methods 250 PCa patients and 500 controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Information was collected and logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios （OR） and 95% confidence intervals （95% CI） for relationship between lifestyle, eating habits and psycho-social factors with PCa risk. Results Green vegetables and green tea were associated with a decreased risk of PCa （0R=0.39, 95% CI： 0.28-0.53; 0R=0.59, 95% Cl： 0.40-0.87, respectively）. Family history of PCa （0R=7.16, 95% CI： 2.01-25.49）, history of prostate diseases （0R=2.28, 95% Cl： 1.53-3.41）, alcohol consumption （0R=1.97, 95% CI： 1.33-2.90）, red meat consumption （0R=1.74, 95% CI： 1.20-2.52）, barbecued （0R=2.29, 95% CI： 1.11-4.73） or fried （0R=2.35, 95% CI： 1.24-4.43） foods were related with increased PCa risk. Negative psycho-social factors including occupational setbacks （0R=1.61, 95% CI： 2.00-2.59）, marital separation （0R=1.94, 95% CI： 1.29-2.91）, self-contained suffering {0R=2.37, 95% CI： 1.58-3.55）, and high sensitivity to the personal comments （0R=1.73, 95% CI： 1.18-2.54） were related to PCa. Conclusion Regular consumption of green vegetables and green tea may suggest protective effects on PCa. Alcohol consumption, red meat consumption and barbecued or fried foods were associated with PCa. Negative psycho-social factors may also play a role in the incidence of PCa in Chinese population.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62222308,62173181,62073171,62221004)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20220139,BK20200744)+3 种基金Jiangsu Specially-Appointed Professor(RK043STP19001)the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by China Association for Science and Technology(CAST)(2021QNRC001)1311 Talent Plan of Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunicationsthe Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(30920032203)。
文摘This paper explores the problem of distributed Nash equilibrium seeking in games, where players have limited knowledge on other players' actions. In particular, the involved players are considered to be high-order integrators with their control inputs constrained within a pre-specified region. A linear transformation for players' dynamics is firstly utilized to facilitate the design of bounded control inputs incorporating multiple saturation functions. By introducing consensus protocols with adaptive and time-varying gains, the unknown actions for players are distributively estimated. Then, a fully distributed Nash equilibrium seeking strategy is exploited, showcasing its remarkable properties: (1) ensuring the boundedness of control inputs;(2) avoiding any global information/parameters;and (3) allowing the graph to be directed. Based on Lyapunov stability analysis, it is theoretically proved that the proposed distributed control strategy can lead all the players' actions to the Nash equilibrium. Finally, an illustrative example is given to validate effectiveness of the proposed method.
文摘Existence of intraparticle mass transfer limitations under typical Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has been reported previously,but there is no suitable study on the existence of intraparticle diffusion limitations under pretreatment steps (reduction and activation) and their effect on catalytic performance for iron based catalysts.In this study,Fe-Cu-La-SiO2 catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation method.To investigate the intraparticle mass transfer limitation under reduction,activation and reaction steps,and its effect on catalytic performance,catalyst pellets with different sizes of 6,3,1 and 0.5 mm have been prepared.All catalysts were calcined,pretreated and tested under similar conditions.The catalysts were activated in hydrogen (5%H2in N2) at 450℃ for 3 h and exposed to syngas (H2/CO=1) at 270℃ and atmospheric pressure for 40 h.Afterwards,FTS reaction tests were performed for approximately 120 h to reach steady state conditions at 290℃,17 bar and a feed flow (syngas H2/CO=1) rate of 3 L/h (STP).Using small pellets resulted in higher CO conversion,FT reaction rate and C5+ productivity as compared with larger pellets.The small pellets reached steady state conditions just 20 h after starting the reaction.Whereas for larger pellets,CO conversion,FT reaction rate and C5+ productivity increased gradually,and reached steady state and maximum values after 120 h of operation.The results illustrate that mass transfer limitations exist not only for FTS reaction but also for the reduction and carburization steps which lead to various phase formation through catalyst activation.Also the results indicate that some effects of mass transfer limitations in activation step,can be compensated in the reaction step.The results can be used for better design of iron based catalyst to improve the process economy.
文摘Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors(PNETs)are known to be the second most common epithelial malignancy of the pancreas.PNETs can be listed among the slowest growing as well as the fastest growing human cancers.The prevalence of PNETs is deceptively low;however,its incidence has significantly increased over the past decades.According to the American Cancer Society’s estimate,about 4032(>7%of all pancreatic malignancies)individuals will be diagnosed with PNETs in 2020.PNETs often cause severe morbidity due to excessive secretion of hormones(such as serotonin)and/or overall tumor mass.Patients can live for many years(except for those patients with poorly differentiated G3 neuroendocrine tumors);thus,the prevalence of the tumors that is the number of patients actually dealing with the disease at any given time is fairly high because the survival is much longer than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Due to significant heterogeneity,the management of PNETs is very complex and remains an unmet clinical challenge.In terms of research studies,modest improvements have been made over the past decades in the identification of potential oncogenic drivers in order to enhance the quality of life and increase survival for this growing population of patients.Unfortunately,the majority of systematic therapies approved for the management of advanced stage PNETs lack objective response or at most result in modest benefits in survival.In this review,we aim to discuss the broad challenges associated with the management and the study of PNETs.
文摘Coronary artery calcium data and reporting system(CAC-DRS)is a recently introduced standardized reporting system for calcium scoring on computed tomography.CAC-DRS provides four risk categories(0,1,2 and 3)along with treatment recommendations for each category.As with any other new reporting platform,CAC-DRS has both advantages and disadvantages.Improved communication,better clarity of details,organized management recommendations and utility in future research and education are the major strengths of CAC-DRS.It has many limitations such as questionable need for a new system,few missing components,use of a less accurate visual method and treatment suggestions based on expert opinion instead of clinical trials.In this contemporary review,we discuss the new reporting system CAC-DRS,its application,strengths and limitations and conclude with some remarks for the future.
基金Supported by the Key Projects of Golden Waterway Transit Capacity Improving Technologies(201132822430)
文摘The safety limitation of large new-built seagoing ves- sel design and operation is investigated to ensure safety of the new vessels towed through bridge area. We analyze the maneuverabil- ity characteristics of a towing fleet, and develop a mathematical drift model of ship motion for the fleet. Based on this drift model and the hydro-meteorological conditions in bridge area, we pro- pose a method to systematically ascertain the safety limitations of water stages, current, wind, speed and visibility. This method is conducive to the safety of both navigation and bridges when large towing fleets transit through bridges.
文摘Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells（pE SCs）, as ＂seed cells＂ for regenerative medicine, are an effective way to build patient-specific pluripotent stem cells, due to the fact that characteristics of self-renewal and pluripotent are similar to embryonic stem cells（ESCs）. Parthenogenetic activation can be performed at meiosis I or meiosis II describing the embryos with distinct patterns of homozygosity and heterozygosity.Heterozygous pE SCs are expected to be used for autologous transplantation, while homozygous pE SCs enable to be used for allogeneic gene therapy in theory but is hampered by immunological barriers defined by the recognition of natural killer（NK）cells. In this review, we describe the mechanism of deriving heterozygous and homozygous pE SCs, and summarize the advantages and limitations of pE SCs in the area of cell therapy.
文摘Worldwide,more than one million people die each year from hepatitis C virus(HCV)related diseases,and over 300 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B or C.Egypt used to be on the top of the countries with heavy HCV burden.Some countries are making advances in elimination of HCV,yet multiple factors preventing progress;remain for the majority.These factors include lack of global funding sources for treatment,late diagnosis,poor data,and inadequate screening.Treatment of HCV in Egypt has become one of the top national priorities since 2007.Egypt started a national treatment program intending to provide cure for Egyptian HCV-infected patients.Mass HCV treatment program had started using Pegylated interferon and ribavirin between 2007 and 2014.Yet,with the development of highly-effective direct acting antivirals(DAAs)for HCV,elimination of viral hepatitis has become a real possibility.The Egyptian National Committee for the Control of Viral Hepatitis did its best to provide Egyptian HCV patients with DAAs.Egypt adopted a strategy that represents a model of care that could help other countries with high HCV prevalence rate in their battle against HCV.This review covers the effects of HCV management in Egyptian real life settings and the outcome of different treatment protocols.Also,it deals with the current and future strategies for HCV prevention and screening as well as the challenges facing HCV elimination and the prospect of future eradication of HCV.
基金supported by a Clem Jones Foundation grant to JS and JEa Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation grant to JE and JS+1 种基金a Motor Accident Insurance Commission grant to JS and JEa Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to RR
文摘Olfactory ensheathing cells(OECs)are crucial players in the continuous regeneration of the olfactory nervous system that occurs through out life and are thought to have unique growth-promoting properties.For this reason,OEC transplantation has been thoroughly explored for the potential to promote neural repair after both central and peripheral nervous system injuries.Numerous studies have shown that OEC transplantation is safe and can promote recovery after spinal cord injury(SCI),both in animal models and in human clinical trials.To date,a variety of injury types and time-points after injury,as well as different delivery methods,have been tested.Outcomes have been encouraging(in rodent models including,for example,restoration of locomotion,breathing and climbing ability along with induction of axonal sprouting and some axonal regeneration)but highly variable(Barnett and Riddell,2007;Gomez et al.,2018).
文摘The original data of Nilsson-Ehle experiment in wheat were analyzed with existent genetic knowledge. It indicated that the core of polygenic hypothesis from this experiment was that a character similarity produced by additive effect of multiple genes was the basis of continuous variation. Its precondition was for effective genes to have equal effect, to show merodominance and binomial distribution and to inherit independently. In fact, quantitative characters were determined by many genes with different property, effect and behavior. So it was difficult to solve all problems of continuous variation by the aid of polygenic hypothesis. The researchers should seek new ways. With Mendelian group as research object and by means of Lyapunov central limit theorem it was proved that both genotypic value G and the environmental effect in a niche E were subordinated to the normal distribution and respectively. According to additivity of the normal distribution the phenotype P = G + E also obeyed the normal distribution P = G + E ~ and quantitative characters showed continuous variation, whether or not the linkage was presented, whether or not every gene effect was equal, whether or not there were dominance and what kind of dominance between alleles. Moreover it was discussed that the quantitative characters in self-fertilized organism and clone were submitted to the normal distribution and presented continuous variation too.
文摘The primary objectives of medical safety education are to provide the public with essential knowledge about medications and to foster a scientific approach to drug usage.The era of using artificial intelligence to revolutionize medical safety education has already dawned,and ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence models have immense potential in this domain.Notably,they offer a wealth of knowledge,anonymity,continuous availability,and personalized services.However,the practical implementation of generative artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT in medical safety education still faces several challenges,including concerns about the accuracy of information,legal responsibilities,and ethical obligations.Moving forward,it is crucial to intelligently upgrade ChatGPT by leveraging the strengths of existing medical practices.This task involves further integrating the model with real-life scenarios and proactively addressing ethical and security issues with the ultimate goal of providing the public with comprehensive,convenient,efficient,and personalized medical services.
