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Purpose and experimental design: Despite the therapeutic utility of progestin in invasive and preinvasive endometrial neoplasias, the molecular mechanisms through which it exerts inhibitory effects on endometrial epithelial growth are largely unknown. The aim of the study was to clarify the molecular mechanisms of progestin action to endometrial epithelial cells using originally established in vitro and in vivo treatment models for immortalized and transformed endometrial epithelial cell lines that express progesterone receptor.Results: In this model, progestin effectively inhibited the cell growth, inducing G0/G1 arrest rather than apoptosis without p21/WAF-1 induction. Using DNA microarray analysis, we identified 24 genes whose expression increased more than 10-fold on progestin treatment. Of these genes, we paid special attention to forkhead box transcription factor FOXO1, known as a key gene for endometrial decidualization. Progestin markedly induced FOXO1 gene expression mainly in the nuclei in vitro and in vivo. This induction was not due to the canonical activation of FOXO1 via protein dephosphorylation but due to FOXO1 promoter activation and mRNA induction. siRNA inhibition of FOXO1 significantly attenuated the effects of progestin to inhibit endometrial epithelial cell growth. Disrupting Akt activity by the introduction of the dominant negative form of Akt increased nuclear FOXO1 accumulation and enhanced the effect of progestin.Conclusion: These findings suggest that FOXO1 is a direct target of progestin, implicating novel molecular mechanisms of progestin to eradicate endometrial neoplasia. Clin Cancer Res; 17(3); 525–37. ©2010 AACR.

Supplementary Figures S1-S3; Supplementary Table S1.

In this article, we develop a modular design method of decentralized controllers for linear dynamical network systems, where multiple subcontroller designers aim at individually regulating their local control performance with accessibility only to their respective subsystem models. First, we derive a constrained version of the Youla parameterization that characterizes all retrofit controllers for a single subcontroller, defined as an add-on-type subcontroller that manages a subsystem. The resultant feedback system is kept robustly stable for any variation in the neighboring subsystems, other than the subsystem of interest, provided that the original system is stable prior to implementing the retrofit control. Subsequently, we find out a unique internal structure of the retrofit controllers, assuming that the interaction input signal from the neighboring subsystems is measurable. Furthermore, we show that the simultaneous implementation of multiple retrofit controllers, designed by individual subcontroller designers, can improve the upper bound of the overall control performance. Finally, the practical significance of the method is demonstrated via an illustrative example of frequency regulation using the IEEE 68-bus power system model.

Purpose We aimed to gain insight into psychological barriers towards initiation of strong opioid analgesic use in patients with advanced, recurrent cancer. Methods This study included 46 patients who were prescribed with opioid analgesics for advanced, recurrent cancer. The primary outcome was psychological barriers assessed using the Japanese version of the Barriers Questionnaire-II (JBQ-II). The secondary outcomes were psychological changes and pain relief 1 week after the induction of strong opioid analgesics. Results The mean (S.D.) age of participants was 63.6 (11.1) years. Further, 26.1% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of ≥ 3. The mean JBQ-Ⅱ total score was 1.97 (95% confidence interval: 1.75, 2.19). At the initiation of opioid therapy, there was no difference in the total scores between the baseline and 1 week later. Nevertheless, there was a significant difference in the subscale “disease progression” score (mean 2.97 vs 2.59, difference in means 0.38, standard error 0.16, p = 0.026). Personalized Pain Goal (PPG) was achieved in about half of the participants, and a trend toward a higher score in the subscale “harmful effects” (concern about adverse events) was observed in those who did not achieve PPG. Conclusion This study showed that patients with advanced, recurrent cancer have psychological barriers to opioid induction. The relationship between the presence of psychological barriers before and after induction of opioid analgesics and the speed of pain improvement was determined. The results may provide fundamental information for prospective intervention studies to develop individualized education programs for patients with psychological barriers to opioids.

This letter addresses the modeling of a personal tendency by utilizing the data collected from a manned control system. In the control system, it is assumed that a control operator, namely a human controller, determines the control actions based on his/her tendency toward laziness. The tendency is described by a cost function that includes the $L_{2}$ norm of the state and the $L_{1}$ norm of the control action. Then, the operator behavior is modeled by the solution to the optimization problem formulated with the $L_{2}$ -state/ $L_{1}$ -action cost function and the plant model. The tendency modeling is reduced to the problem of estimating the cost function. The estimation problem is further extended by taking into account the operator dynamics caused by the recognition and motion to derive an MPC-based formulation. Finally, the estimation method is demonstrated via an actual manned control experiment with a toy game.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subpopulation of lymphocytes that play a role in suppressing and regulating immune responses. Recently, it was suggested that controlling the functions and activities of Tregs might be applicable to the treatment of human diseases such as autoimmune diseases, organ transplant rejection, and graft-versus-host disease. TNF receptor type 2 (TNFR2) is a target molecule that modulates Treg functions. In this study, we investigated the role of TNFR2 signaling in the differentiation and activation of mouse Tregs. We previously reported the generation of a TNFR2-selective agonist TNF mutant, termed R2agoTNF, by using our unique cytokine modification method based on phage display. R2agoTNF activates cell signaling via mouse TNFR2. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of R2agoTNF for the proliferation and activation of Tregs in mice. R2agoTNF expanded and activated mouse CD4+CD25+ Tregs ex vivo. The structural optimization of R2agoTNF by internal cross-linking or IgG-Fc fusion selectively and effectively enhanced Treg expansion in vivo. Furthermore, the IgG-Fc fusion protein suppressed skin-contact hypersensitivity reactions in mice. TNFR2 agonists are expected to be new Treg expanders.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Transoral surgery (TOS) has become increasingly popular for patients with superficial hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, the number of patients in whom metachronous multiple SCC of the head and neck (HNSCC) occurs has also increased. In this study, we investigated whether multiple lugol-voiding lesions (LVLs) in the pharyngeal background mucosa observed during TOS would be a biomarker of metachronous HNSCC. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. METHODS We examined 362 patients who underwent TOS for superficial hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Endoscopic images were reviewed in a blinded fashion by two endoscopists. LVLs in the pharyngeal mucosa were graded as follows: A, no lesions; B, 1 to 4 lesions; and C, ≥5 lesions per endoscopic view. RESULTS Cumulative incidence curves of secondary HNSCC in the groups of grades A, B, and C revealed 3-year incidence rates of 14.4%, 18.8%, and 29.3%, respectively (P = .001 for A vs. C and P = .002 for B vs. C). Cumulative incidence curves of third HNSCC in the groups of grades A, B. and C revealed 5-year incidence rates of 3.9%, 9.8%, and 19.6%, respectively (P = .001 for A vs. C and P = .006 for B vs. C). Cumulative incidence curves of fourth HNSCC in the groups of grades A, B, and C revealed 7-year incidence rates of 0%, 2.3%, and 13.2%, respectively (P = .025 for A vs. C and P = .009 for B vs. C). CONCLUSIONS Multiple LVLs in the pharyngeal mucosa increase the risk of development of metachronous multiple HNSCC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 (nonrandomized, controlled cohort/follow-up study) Laryngoscope, 131:2036-2040, 2021.

We present a new optimal power flow (OPF) design that not only optimizes fuel cost but also enhances dynamic performance of a power system. Performance is quantified by the $H_2$ -norm of the transfer matrix from any disturbance input to a set of performance outputs, which in this case are chosen as the frequencies of the generators. The $H_2$ -norm models the attenuation of the frequency amplitudes following the disturbance, and thereby quantifies the amount of damping torque induced on the tie-line flows. The method, referred to as $H_2$ -power flow modification ( $H_2$ -PFM) is carried out in two steps. First, the regular OPF is solved to obtain the optimal generator setpoints for active and reactive power dispatch. Second, the load setpoints are re-tuned to minimize the aforesaid $H_2$ -norm while keeping the generator setpoints fixed. In particular, manipulating the load reactive power in this way is found to reduce the norm remarkably, improving disturbance attenuation and damping. A gradient descent algorithm is proposed for this minimization. Results are validated using the 68-bus test system with a solar farm.

BACKGROUND Peri-implant tissue condition can result from prosthodontic, surgical and bacteriological factors. PURPOSE This study investigated the effects of prosthodontic factors on peri-implant tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects were 140 patients with 310 implants from Osaka University Dental Hospital. Prosthodontic factors examined were the connection type, the suprastructure retention type, the material of the abutment and the mesiodistal and buccolingual prosthetic form of the superstructure as emergence angle. The objective variables were the modified bleeding index (mBI) and marginal bone level (MBL). Statistical analysis was used as a generalized estimation equation. RESULTS The taper joint had a significantly smaller MBL than the butt joint (P

A man in his 50s presented with pitting edema of both lower legs and abdominal distension as his chief complaint. His personal medical history and family history were unremarkable, except that he was a heavy drinker consuming 66 g of alcohol per day and a heavy smoker. Blood tests upon admission showed slight hepatic dysfunction, thrombocytopenia, jaundice, hypoalbuminemia, and decreased coagulability. Tumor marker tests showed elevated levels of CA19-9 and PIVKA-II. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed enhancement of multiple masses predominantly in the right lobe of the liver in the early phase, followed by diffuse enhancement of the entire liver in the delayed phase. Hepatic arteriography demonstrated large hemangioma-like lesions corresponding to the masses revealed by computed tomography. That findings seemed to be cotton wool appearance. On magnetic resonance images, there were multiple mass-like lesions that showed homogeneous or heterogeneous low signal intensity on T1-weighted images, and clearly high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. The findings were atypical and no definite diagnosis could be made. Hepatic failure then rapidly worsened, and the patient died on hospital day 20. Autopsy led to the diagnosis of hepatic angiosarcoma.

Excessive activation of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is a major cause of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. TNFα induces immune responses via TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) and TNFR2. Signaling via TNFR1 induces proinflammatory responses, whereas TNFR2 signaling is suggested to suppress the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases. Therefore, selective inhibition of TNFR1 signaling and preservation of TNFR2 signaling activities may be beneficial for managing autoimmune diseases. To this end, we developed a TNFR1-selective, antagonistic TNFα mutant (R1antTNF). Here, we developed an R1antTNF derivative, scR1antTNF-Fc, which represents a single-chain form of trimeric R1antTNF with a human IgG-Fc domain. scR1antTNF-Fc had properties similar to those of R1antTNF, including TNFR1-selective binding avidity, TNFR1 antagonistic activity, and thermal stability, and had a significantly extended plasma t(1/2) in vivo. In a murine rheumatoid arthritis model, scR1antTNF-Fc and 40-kDa PEG-scR1antTNF (a previously reported PEGylated form) delayed the onset of collagen-induced arthritis, suppressed arthritis progression in mice, and required a reduced frequency of administration. Interestingly, with these biologic treatments, we observed an increased ratio of regulatory T cells to conventional T cells in lymph nodes compared with etanercept, a commonly used TNF inhibitor. Therefore, scR1antTNF-Fc and 40-kDa PEG-scR1antTNF indirectly induced immunosuppression. These results suggest that selective TNFR1 inhibition benefits the management of autoimmune diseases and that R1antTNF derivatives hold promise as new-modality TNF-regulating biologics.

Aim: To measure histological villous atrophy and to clarify the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic villous atrophy in gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease. Methods: Data for patients who underwent upper and/or lower endoscopic examinations after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were retrospectively collected. In study 1, group A included 56 patients in whom GI-GVHD was histologically confirmed and group B included 60 patients in whom GI-GVHD was not histologically confirmed. Group C included 59 patients before HSCT. The lengths of villi and crypts in the duodenum and terminal ileum were histologically measured. In study 2, the diagnostic accuracies of villous atrophy of the duodenum and of the terminal ileum using magnifying endoscopy were evaluated. Results: In study 1, the lengths of villi and the villi/crypt (V/C) ratios of the duodenum and terminal ileum in group A were significantly smaller than those in the other groups (p

This paper addresses a learning problem for nonlinear dynamical systems with incorporating any specified dissipativity property. The nonlinear systems are described by the Koopman operator, which is a linear operator defined on the infinite-dimensional lifted state space. The problem of learning the Koopman operator under specified quadratic dissipativity constraints is formulated and addressed. The learning problem is in a class of the non-convex optimization problem due to nonlinear constraints and is numerically intractable. By applying the change of variable technique and the convex overbounding approximation, the problem is reduced to sequential convex optimization and is solved in a numerically efficient manner. Finally, a numerical simulation is given, where high modeling accuracy achieved by the proposed approach including the specified dissipativity is demonstrated.

Background Therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) improves symptoms of H. pylori-associated dyspepsia (HPD), but the effects of eradication in elderly patients are unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate dyspepsia symptoms and long-term effects of eradication in elderly patients. Methods This retrospective study included 496 patients who received H. pylori eradication therapy. The patients were divided into a group of elderly patients (group E: ≧ 65 years old) and a group of non-elderly patients (group N: Results There were no differences in abdominal symptoms before eradication between the two groups. Successful eradication improved symptoms in patients with dyspepsia within 2 months (in 75.6% (56/74) of the patients in group N and in 64.5% (20/31) of the patients in group E). The questionnaire showed that 80% (32/40) of the patients in group N and 60% (12/20) of the patients in group E had long-term relief of dyspepsia. The scores for abdominal symptoms in group E continued to improve for a mean period of 54.8 months after eradication. Conclusions Eradication of H. pylori age-independently improved dyspepsia symptoms for the long term.

This paper investigates a method to improve operability and stability of cooperative work using haptic communication under communication delay. The operability improvement of haptic communication is generalized to find the appropriate conversion of the signals exchanged between the master and the slave. This paper proposes a method to improve the operability by feedback of the predicted value of reaction force and evaluates the effect theoretically and experimentally.

In this letter, we propose a control framework for human-in-the-loop systems, in which many human decision makers are involved in the feedback loop composed of a plant and a controller. The novelty of the framework is that the decision makers are weakly controlled; in other words, they receive a set of admissible control actions from the controller and choose one of them in accordance with their private preferences. For example, the decision makers can decide their actions to minimize their own costs or by simply relying on their experience and intuition. A class of controllers which output set-valued signals is proposed, and it is shown that the overall control system is stable independently of the decisions made by the humans. Finally, a learning algorithm is applied to the controller that updates the controller parameters to reduce the achievable minimal costs for the decision makers. Effective use of the algorithm is demonstrated in a numerical experiment.

The prolyl isomerase Pin1 expression level is reportedly increased in most malignant tissues and correlates with poor outcomes. On the other hand, acetyl CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), the rate limiting enzyme of lipogenesis is also abundantly expressed in cancer cells, to satisfy the demand for the fatty acids (FAs) needed for rapid cell proliferation. We found Pin1 expression levels to correlate positively with ACC1 levels in human prostate cancers, and we focused on the relationship between Pin1 and ACC1. Notably, it was demonstrated that Pin1 associates with ACC1 but not with acetyl CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2) in the overexpression system as well as endogenously in the prostate cancer cell line DU145. This association is mediated by the WW domain in the Pin1 and C-terminal domains of ACC1. Interestingly, Pin1 deficiency or treatment with Pin1 siRNA or the inhibitor juglone markedly reduced ACC1 protein expression without affecting its mRNA level, while Pin1 overexpression increased the ACC1 protein level. In addition, chloroquine treatment restored the levels of ACC1 protein reduced by Pin1 siRNA treatment, indicating that Pin1 suppressed ACC1 degradation through the lysosomal pathway. In brief, we have concluded that Pin1 leads to the stabilization of and increases in ACC1. Therefore, it is likely that the growth-enhancing effect of Pin1 in cancer cells is mediated at least partially by the stabilization of ACC1 protein, corresponding to the well-known potential of Pin1 inhibitors as anti-cancer drugs.

Narrow-band imaging (NBI) classifications for Barrett’s esophagus have been proposed for the detection of early esophageal adenocarcinoma. We developed a simplified classification system with demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility among experienced endoscopists, but the feasibility of this system among novice endoscopists was unclear. In the present study, eight novice endoscopists with no experience of magnification endoscopy were asked to review 248 images of Barrett’s esophagus (72 dysplastic, 176 non-dysplastic) obtained using high-definition magnification endoscopy with NBI 6 weeks before (1st test), immediately after (2nd test), and 6 weeks after (3rd test) being taught the simplified classification system. The primary outcomes were differences in diagnostic accuracy for dysplasia among the three tests. The specificity and overall accuracy improved significantly in the 2nd vs. 1st test [97% vs. 80% (p

We propose a deterministic identification method that involves a priori information characterized as moments of a transfer function. The moments are expressed in terms of the solution to a Sylvester matrix equation . The Sylvester equation is incorporated with a conventional subspace identification method, and a problem for moment-constrained subspace identification is formulated. Since the identification problem is in a class of nonlinear optimization problems, it cannot be efficiently solved in numerical computation. Application of a change-of-variable technique reduces the problem to least squares optimization, and the solution provides a state-space model that involves the prespecified moments. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated in numerical simulations.

In this paper, we propose a trajectory planning of aircraft to ensure the reduction and fair-sharing of aircraft noise. The fair-sharing of noise is realized by dispersing aircraft trajectories. The proposed trajectory planning consists of two stages. In the first stage, a performance index, which evaluates the accumulated noise for all areas, is calculated. The index, which takes into account noise accumulation, plays an essential role for trajectory dispersion. In the second stage, using the index, an optimization problem of planning aircraft trajectories is solved. Repeating these stages in a day, we realize to reduce and spatially share the noise. The effectiveness of the method is verified in a numerical experiment with actual flight data.

We investigated the Ge-composition (γ) dependence of the saturation magnetization of Co2Fe(Ga, Ge) (CFGG) thin films and the magnetoresistance (MR) ratio of CFGG-based current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) devices together with first-principles calculations of the electronic states of CFGG. Theoretical calculations showed that spin polarization is highest at the stoichiometric composition γ = 0.56 in Co2Fe1.03Ga0.41Ge γ and that it decreases in off-stoichiometric CFGG, mainly due to the formation of CoFe antisites for Ge-deficient compositions and FeCo antisites for Ge-rich compositions, where CoFe (FeCo) indicates that Co (Fe) atoms replace the Fe (Co) sites. The saturation magnetic moment (μ s) per formula unit decreased monotonically as γ increased from 0.24 to 1.54 in Co2Fe1.03Ga0.41Ge γ . The μ s was closest to the Slater–Pauling value predicted for half-metallic CFGG at the stoichiometric composition γ = 0.56, indicating that stoichiometric CFGG has a half-metallic nature. This is consistent with the result for the theoretical spin polarization. In contrast, the MR ratio of CFGG-based CPP-GMR devices increased monotonically as γ increased from 0.24 to 1.10 and reached an MR ratio of 87.9% at the Ge-rich composition γ = 1.10. Then, the MR ratio decreased rapidly as γ increased from 1.10 to 1.48. Possible origins for the slight difference between the Ge composition at which the highest MR ratio was obtained (γ = 1.10) and that at which the highest spin polarization was obtained (γ = 0.56) are improved atomic arrangements in a Ge-rich CFGG film and the reduction of effective Ge composition due to Ge diffusion in the GMR stacks.

PURPOSE This study investigated the relationship between peri-implant tissue health and the presence of keratinized mucosa (≥ 2 mm) using multivariate analysis. METHODS A total of 334 dental implants placed in 111 partially edentulous patients (34 males, 77 females) and restored with fixed prostheses were included in this study. The patients were recalled 12-146 months after completion of the prosthodontic treatment. Clinical parameters included modified plaque index (mPI), modified bleeding index (mBI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and radiographic bone loss (BL). The effects of the following potential explanatory variables on these parameters were analyzed: the presence of keratinized mucosa, age, sex, oral hygiene status, history of periodontitis, cigarette smoking, implant site, and time elapsed since prosthesis delivery. Statistical analysis included multivariate ordinal logistic regression and generalized estimating equations. Significance wa s established when two-sided p-values were less than 0.05. RESULTS The mPI, mBI, and PPD in the presence or absence of keratinized mucosa did not show statistically significant differences. However, the presence of keratinized mucosa was significantly related to BL (odds ratio 4.33, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The results of our study suggest that the presence of keratinized mucosa is useful for reducing bone resorption and can help to maintain peri-implant tissue health.

BackgroundTherapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) improves symptoms of H. pylori-associated dyspepsia (HPD), but the effects of eradication in elderly patients are unclear. AimsTo evaluate the outcomes of eradication therapy and effects of eradication on dyspepsia symptoms in elderly patients.MethodsThis retrospective study included 496 patients who received H. pylori eradication therapy. The patients were divided into a group of elderly patients (group E: ≧ 65 years old) and a group of non-elderly patients (group N: < 65 years old). Abdominal symptoms were evaluated using a questionnaire about 12 abdominal symptoms before eradication and after eradication (1-2 months and more than one year). Dyspepsia was defined as a score of 4 points or more score for at least one of 4 items (postprandial fullness, early satiety, epigastric pain, and hunger pain).ResultsSuccesful H. pylori eradication rate in group E was significantly lower than that in group N (74.7 % vs. 84.4 %, P < 0.05) and it was remarkable in the 3rd-line therapy (59.7 % vs. 76.5 %, P < 0.05). Serious adverse events did not occur in either groups. Successful eradication improved symptoms in patients with dyspepsia in both groups within 2 months (70.3% of the patients in group N, 76.2% of the patients in group E) and decrease of GOS score lasted for more than 1 year.ConclusionsH. pylori eradication would be recommend for elderly patients with dyspepsia symptoms.

One of the typical autonomous driving systems is a human-machine cooperative system that intervenes in the driver operation. The autonomous driving needs to make consideration of the driver individuality in addition to safety. This paper considers a human-machine cooperative system balancing safety with the driver individuality using the Human-In-The-Loop System (HITLS) for rear-wheel steering control. This paper assumes that it is safe for HITLS to follow the target side-slip angle and target angular velocity without conflicts between the controller and driver operations. We propose HITLS using the primal-dual algorithm and the internal model control (IMC) type I-PD controller. In HITLS, the signal expander delimits the human-selectable operating range and the controller cooperates stably the human operation and automated control in that range. The primal-dual algorithm realizes the driver and the signal expander. Our outcomes are the making of the rear-wheel steering system which converges to the target value while reflecting the driver individuality.

Model predictive control (MPC) is one of the methods which optimizes the trajectory of the system with the constraints from predicted states of the system. A number of researches have studied its applications, for example, online optimization methods and fast solvers for nonlinear systems, because of its effectiveness. We propose one of the methods to apply online MPC to nonlinear systems based on instant MPC (iMPC). We recast iterative learning MPC (ILMPC) for nonlinear systems as iMPC via the primal-dual gradient algorithm, which we name "i-ILMPC". Finally, a numerical simulation is performed to demonstrate its effectiveness.

A synthetic route to liphagal, a natural PI3Kα inhibitor isolated from Aka coralliphaga, was established. The present route features an organic redox process where an alkynylquinone undergoes reduc...

Distributed optimal control has emerged as an exciting possibility; however, existing algorithms tend to require excessive computational time and thus may not be able to stabilize systems with fast dynamics. We develop instant distributed model predictive control (iDMPC) with a realization of the primal-dual algorithm embedded in the controller dynamics. Under assumptions on fast communication, we show that the input and state trajectories of iDMPC are equivalent to a centralized suboptimal MPC scheme. We utilize a dissipativity analysis to show that the closed-loop system trajectories asymptotically converge to a desired reference.

This paper focuses on the reinforcement of the quantitative performance in interconnected dynamical systems. The following problem is addressed that concerns dissipativity reinforcement via interconnection: Find a class of subsystems and their interconnection rule such that the L 2 gain bound of the entire interconnected system is reduced compared with that of each individual subsystem. We assume that each subsystem has a special passivity property that is characterized by two parameters, and has a bounded L 2 gain. Then, the feedback connection and the more general interconnection of the subsystems are expressed by the transition of the two parameters inheriting the same passivity property. In addition, the L 2 gain bound of the entire interconnected system, estimated with the parameters, is strictly reduced and becomes less than that of each subsystem. Finally, special interconnection rules are considered to show that the scale-expansion of the interconnected system, i.e., increasing the number of subsystems, gradually reduces the L 2 gain bound.

In this letter, we propose concepts of persistence and persistent control for uncertain dynamical systems. Motivated from their application to local controller design for expanding huge-scale systems, a problem of persistent control is formulated. A controller is designed such that for any arbitrarily large uncertainty the overall control system is stable. In addition, the performance of the overall system, measured by some norm, can be deteriorated for the large uncertainty, but is persistently prevented from being collapsed. Then, the control problem is solved via controller parametrization, and the characterization of the persistent controllers is given. Finally, a numerical example with some design guideline of the controller is illustrated.

In this paper, we propose an identification method to construct a state-space model that inherits steady-state characteristics from an existing model. It is assumed that in prior to an iden...

This paper presents the results of experimental trials carried out on a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) that uses a stator core made of a nanocrystalline magnetic material (FINEMET). It is demonstrated that the manufactured stator can reduce the PMSM total iron loss by 64% to 75% compared with an equivalent motor using a stator made of conventional non-oriented silicon steel. The experimental results are confirmed by 2-D finite-element analysis.