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To evaluate whether early skin-to-skin contact at the end of the second stage of labor could relieve perineal wound suture pain.From March 2020 to November 2020, a total of 241 parturients with full-term single fetuses delivered through the vagina and who underwent episiotomy suture (n = 120) or perineal laceration repair (n = 121) in our hospital were included in the study. Parturients were categorized according to whether they received episiotomy suture or perineal laceration repair. They were randomized into an early skin contact group and a traditional neonatal care group. The primary outcome was pain, which was quantified by the Numerical Rating Scale, Visual Analog Scale, Verbal Rating Scale, Faces Pain Scale-Revised. The secondary outcomes were healing of the perineal wound, the maternal cooperation rate and operation time. The confounding factors of severe pain were analyzed.Early skin-to-skin contact alleviated the pain of perineal laceration repair and episiotomy suture, shortened the operation time of episiotomy suture and improved the cooperation rate of parturients receiving suture. It had no effect on perineal wound healing, operation time, or the cooperation rate of perineal laceration repair. In addition to the operation and early skin contact, the occurrence of high-grade pain was also associated with prepregnancy body mass index, group B streptococcus (GBS) positive, and academic degree.Early skin-to-skin contact at the end of the second stage of labor can alleviate pain and improve the delivery experience of vaginal delivery.

© 2020 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Congeneric species may coexist at fine spatial scales through niche differentiation, however, the magnitude to which the effects of functional traits and phylogenetic relatedness contribute to their distribution along elevational gradients remains understudied. To test the hypothesis that trait and elevational range overlap can affect local speciesʼ coexistence, we first compared phylogenetic relatedness and trait (including morphological traits and leaf elements) divergence among closely related species of Rhododendron L. on Yulong Mountain, China. We then assessed relationships between the overlap of multiple functional traits and the degree of elevational range overlap among species pairs in a phylogenetic context. We found that phylogeny was a good predictor for most functional traits, where closely related species showed higher trait similarity and occupied different elevational niches at our study site. Species pairs of R. subgen. Hymenanthes (Blume) K. Koch showed low elevational range overlap and some species pairs of R. subgen. Rhododendron showed obvious niche differentiation. Trait divergence is greater for species in R. subgen. Rhododendron, and it plays an important role between species pairs with low elevational range overlap. Trait convergent selection takes place between co-occurring closely related species that have high elevational range overlap, which share more functional trait space due to environmental filtering or ecological adaptation in more extreme habitats. Our results highlight the importance of evolutionary history and trait selection for species coexistence at fine ecological scales along environmental gradients.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem that is caused by repeated injuries to the glomerulus or renal tubules. Renal fibrosis commonly accompanies CKD, and it is histologically characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, such as fibronectin and collagen I, in interstitial areas. Indirect in vivo experimental data suggest that renal asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) exerts antifibrotic activity in CKD. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate that renal ADMA has a direct effect on fibrosis in vivo. Normal saline, ADMA, nonsense control siRNA, Ddah1 siRNA or Ddah2 siRNA was administered into the kidney through the left ureter in a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). UUO kidneys were harvested at day 1 or 7. Western blotting was performed to assess the expression of ADMA, DDAH1 and DDAH2 and the expression of fibrotic markers, such as fibronectin, collagen I, α‐smooth muscle actin, phosphorylation of Smad3 and connective tissue growth factor. Masson’s trichrome staining was used to further evaluate renal fibrosis. We observed that intrarenal administration of ADMA increased the renal accumulation of ADMA and attenuated renal fibrosis at days 1 and 7. Knockdown of Ddah1 or Ddah2 increased the amount of ADMA in UUO kidneys and inhibited the expression of fibrotic proteins at days 1 and 7, which was further confirmed by Masson’s staining. Thus, our in vivo data suggest that renal ADMA exerts direct antifibrotic effects in a mouse model of UUO., Direct in vivo evidence regarding the effect of renal asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) on fibrosis is lacking. We demonstrate here that intrarenal administration of ADMA attenuates renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction mice. Knockdown of Ddah1 or Ddah2 in unilateral ureteral obstruction kidneys increased the amount of ADMA and inhibited the expression of fibrotic proteins. Thus, renal ADMA may exert antifibrotic effects in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

Objective This study investigated whether the delayed umbilical cord clamping can influence the pain during suturing perineal tears. Design This randomised controlled study applied the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement. Methods The sample comprised 288 pregnant women who gave birth through vaginal delivery in our hospital from November 2019 to December 2019. They were randomly divided into 2 groups-early umbilical cord clamping (n = 147) and delayed umbilical cord clamping (n = 141)-without severe pregnancy complications. There was no intrauterine infection, neonatal asphyxia or premature birth in the 288 newborns. The pain scores of the Numerical Rating Scale, Visual Analogue Scale, Verbal Rating Scale and Faces Pain Scale-Revised were used as indicators to evaluate the mothers' pain. The Mann-Whitney U test was used, and the statistical significance was set to p Result All indicators suggest that perineal suture pain of delayed umbilical cord clamping was lower than that of the control group. For the experience group, the perception of pain for the mothers who received analgesia was less than that for those who did not. For the control group, the Verbal Rating Scale suggests a statistical difference in suturing pain between acceptable and unacceptable labour analgesia. The degree of cooperation of the experience group was higher than that of the control group, but labour analgesia did not affect cooperation degree in both groups. Conclusion Delayed umbilical cord clamping can alleviate maternal pain when suturing perineal tears and improve the delivery experience. Labour analgesia can enhance the pain relief effect. Trial registration was performed on www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR1900026797). Relevance to clinical practice As a part of perinatal nursing, delayed umbilical cord clamping can help alleviate the pain of perineal suture and improve the experience of parturient. The method is simple and can be used as a routine nursing operation.

The aim was to examine the reciprocal relationships of emotional labour strategies with emotional exhaustion and professional identity.This study adopted a four-wave cross-lagged panel design.Survey data were collected in 2018 from a sample of 171 newly hired nurses from 58 hospitals in 11 provinces of China. Nurses' emotional labour (i.e., deep acting and surface acting), emotional exhaustion and professional identity were repeatedly measured. Cross-lagged panel analyses were conducted to examine the reciprocal relationships we hypothesized.We found that emotional exhaustion was positively related to surface acting (but not vice versa); deep acting was negatively related to emotional exhaustion (but not vice versa); professional identity was positively related to deep acting (but not vice versa).Our findings suggest that deep acting and professional identity may decrease the level of emotional exhaustion, whereas emotionally exhausted nurses are more likely to employ surface acting strategies.This research finding will have an impact on the nursing management. Healthcare managers may consider workshops or training and development programs that promote nurses' professional identify to promote nurses' use of deep acting and consequently reduce their level of emotional exhaustion, which has been associated with a variety of negative consequences, such as low quality of patient service, high medical accidents, and turnover rate.目的: 研究情绪劳动策略与情绪枯竭和职业认同的相互关系。 设计: 本研究采用四波交叉滞后组设计。 方法: 2018年,对我国11个省份58家医院的171名新聘护士进行问卷调查,收集数据。反复测量护士的情绪劳动(即深层伪装和表层伪装)、情绪枯竭和职业认同。采用交叉滞后组分析来检验我们先前假设的相互关系。 结果: 我们发现,情绪枯竭与表层伪装呈显著正相关(反之不成立);深层伪装与情绪枯竭呈显著负相关(反之不成立);职业认同与深层伪装呈显著正相关(反之不成立)。 结论: 我们的研究结果表明,深层伪装和职业认同可能会降低情绪枯竭的程度,而面临情绪枯竭的护士更有可能采用表层伪装策略。 影响: 本项研究发现将对护理管理工作产生影响。医疗保健管理人员可能会考虑举办研讨会或开展培训和发展计划,以提高护士的职业认同感,从而促进护士采用深层伪装策略,降低他们的情绪枯竭程度。同时情绪枯竭还与各种负面影响有关,如患者服务质量低,医疗事故频发,人员流动率高。.

A novel real‐time state monitoring method is proposed to realize the real‐time energy management of the lithium‐ion battery packs, which is conducted in the iterative computational calculation process by introducing an improved weighting factor‐unscented Kalman filtering algorithm. The accurate state monitoring treatment is investigated by applying a new iterate calculation thought, in which the improved weight coefficient parameter is constructed and its numerical stability is improved. Meanwhile, the recursive calculation is derived by using the real‐time measured factors, according to which the state‐of‐charge estimation is realized accurately. Aiming to adapt the complex current variation working conditions, the nonlinear treatment is introduced to construct the mathematical unscented transforming function. As can be known from the experimental results, the state‐of‐charge estimation accuracy is 98.34% under the complex current charge‐discharge working conditions. Meanwhile, the effective closed‐circuit voltage trackage is also investigated accurately and its tracking error is within 3.51% in the complex working conditions, which provides a good security guarantee for the reliable energy supply of the lithium‐ion battery packs.

The state of charge (SoC) estimation is the safety management basis of the packing lithium‐ion batteries (LIB), and there is no effective solution yet. An improved splice equivalent modeling method is proposed to describe its working characteristics by using the state‐space description, in which the optimization strategy of the circuit structure is studied by using the aspects of equivalent mode, analog calculation, and component distribution adjustment, revealing the mathematical expression mechanism of different structural characteristics. A novel particle adaptive unscented Kalman filtering algorithm is introduced for the iterative calculation to explore the working state characterization mechanism of the packing LIB, in which the incorporate multiple information is considered and applied. The adaptive regulation is obtained by exploring the feature extraction and optimal representation, according to which the accurate SoC estimation model is constructed. The state of balance evaluation theory is explored, and the multiparameter correction strategy is carried out along with the experimental working characteristic analysis under complex conditions, according to which the optimization method is obtained for the SoC estimation model structure. When the remaining energy varies from 10% to 100%, the tracking voltage error is

The existing equivalent modeling methods reported in literature focuses mainly on the battery cells and do not take the packing consistency state into consideration, which exists on the internal connected cells of the lithium-ion battery pack. An improved equivalent circuit model is constructed and reported in this manuscript for the first time, which can be used to characterize the working characteristics of the packing lithium-ion batteries. A new equilibrium concept named as state of balance is proposed as well as the calculation process, which is realized by considering the real-time detected internal battery cell voltages. In addition, this new equilibrium concept aims to obtain more information on the real-time consistency characterization of the battery pack. The improved adaptive equivalent circuit model is investigated by using the improved splice modeling method, in which the statistical noise properties are corrected and the additional parallel resistance-capacitance circuit is introduced. The parameter correction treatment is carried out by comparing the estimated and experimental detected closed circuit voltages. Furthermore, the tracking error is found to be 0.005 V and accounts for 0.119% of the nominal battery voltage. By taking the packing consistency state and temperature correction into consideration, the accurate working characteristic expression is realized in the improved equivalent circuit modeling process. Finally, the model proposed in this manuscript presents a great number of advantages compared to other methods reported so far, like has the high accuracy, and the ability to protect the security of the lithium-ion battery pack in the power supply application.

KEY POINTS Fetoplacental vascular growth is critical to fetal growth. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) are two major regulators of fetoplacental vascular growth. G protein α subunit 11 (GNA11) transmits signals from many external stimuli to the cellular interior and may mediate endothelial function. It is not known whether GNA11 mediates FGF2- and VEGFA-induced endothelial cell responses under physiological chronic low O2 . In the present study, we show that knockdown of GNA11 significantly decreases FGF2- and VEGFA-induced fetoplacental endothelial cell migration but not proliferation and permeability. Such decreases in endothelial migration are associated with increased phosphorylation of phospholipase C-β3. The results of the present study suggest differential roles of GNA11 with respect to mediating FGF2- and VEGFA-induced fetoplacental endothelial function. ABSTRACT During pregnancy, fetoplacental angiogenesis is dramatically increased in association with rapidly elevated blood flow. Any disruption of fetoplacental angiogenesis may lead to pregnancy complications such as intrauterine growth restriction. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) are crucial regulators of fetoplacental angiogenesis. G protein α subunits q (GNAq) and 11 (GNA11) are two members of the Gαq/11 subfamily involved in mediating vascular growth and basal blood pressure. However, little is known about the roles of GNA11 alone with respect to mediating the FGF2- and VEGFA-induced fetoplacental endothelial function. Using a cell model of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells cultured under physiological chronic low O2 (3% O2 ), we showed that GNA11 small interfering RNA (siRNA) dramatically inhibited (P

Purpose: This paper summarizes the development of a high-power distributed x-ray source, or “multisource,” designed for inverse-geometry computed tomography (CT) applications [see B. De Man et al., “Multisource inverse-geometry CT. Part I. System concept and development,” Med. Phys. 43, 4607–4616 (2016)]. The paper presents the evolution of the source architecture, component design (anode, emitter, beam optics, control electronics, high voltage insulator), and experimental validation. Methods: Dispenser cathode emitters were chosen as electron sources. A modular design was adopted, with eight electron emitters (two rows of four emitters) per module, wherein tungsten targets were brazed onto copper anode blocks—one anode block per module. A specialized ceramic connector provided high voltage standoff capability and cooling oil flow to the anode. A matrix topology and low-noise electronic controls provided switching of the emitters. Results: Four modules (32 x-ray sources in two rows of 16) have been successfully integrated into a single vacuum vessel and operated on an inverse-geometry computed tomography system. Dispenser cathodes provided high beam current (>1000 mA) in pulse mode, and the electrostatic lenses focused the current beam to a small optical focal spot size (0.5 × 1.4 mm). Controlled emitter grid voltage allowed the beam current to be varied for each source, providing the ability to modulate beam current across the fan of the x-ray beam, denoted as a virtual bowtie filter. The custom designed controls achieved x-ray source switching in

Summary Integral inequalities have been widely used in stability analysis for systems with time-varying delay because they directly produce bounds for integral terms with respect to quadratic functions. This paper presents two general integral inequalities from which almost all of the existing integral inequalities can be obtained, such as Jensen inequality, the Wirtinger-based inequality, the Bessel–Legendre inequality, the Wirtinger-based double integral inequality, and the auxiliary function-based integral inequalities. Based on orthogonal polynomials defined in different inner spaces, various concrete single/multiple integral inequalities are obtained. They can produce more accurate bounds with more orthogonal polynomials considered. To show the effectiveness of the new inequalities, their applications to stability analysis for systems with time-varying delay are demonstrated with two numerical examples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper is concerned with a generalized theorem of Reichert for biquadratic minimum functions, which states that any biquadratic minimum function realizable as the impedance of networks with n reactive elements and an arbitrary number of resistors can be realized with n reactive elements and two resistors. First, a series of constraints on networks realizing minimum functions are presented. Furthermore, by discussing the possible resistor edges incident with vertices of the reactive-element graphs, it is proved that any minimum function realizable as the impedance of networks with three reactive elements and an arbitrary number of resistors can be realized with three reactive elements and two resistors, from which the validity of the case of n=3 follows. Similarly, the validity of the case of n=4 is proved. Together with the Bott-Duffin realizations, the generalized theorem of Reichert for biquadratic minimum functions is finally proved. The results of this paper are motivated by passive mechanical control. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

RATIONALE The oxygen exchange fraction between soil H(2)O and N(2)O precursors differs in soils depending on the responsible N(2)O-producing process: nitrification or denitrification. This study investigated the O-exchange between soil H(2)O and N(2)O precursors in a green tea field with high N(2)O emissions. METHODS The rainwater δ(18)O value was measured using cavity ring-down spectrometry (CRDS) and compared with that of soil water collected under the tea plant canopy and between tea plant rows. The intramolecular (15)N site preference in (β) N(α) NO (SP = δ(15)N(α) - δ(15)N(β)) was determined after measuring the δ(15)N(α) and δ(15)N(bulk) values using gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS), and the δ(18) O values of N(2)O and NO(3)(-) were also measured using GC/IRMS. RESULTS The range of δ(18)O values of rainwater (-11.15‰ to -4.91‰) was wider than that of soil water (-7.94‰ to -5.64‰). The δ(18)O value of soil water at 50 cm depth was not immediately affected by rainwater. At 10 cm and 20 cm depths of soil between tea plant rows, linear regression analyses of δ(18)O-N(2)O (relative to δ(18)O-NO(3)(-)) versus δ(18) O-H(2)O (relative to δ(18)O-NO(3)(-)) yielded slopes of 0.76-0.80 and intercepts of 31-35‰. CONCLUSIONS In soil between tea plant rows, the fraction of O-exchange between H(2)O and N(2)O precursors was approximately 80%. Assuming that denitrification dominated N(2)O production, the net (18)O-isotope effect for denitrification (NO(3)(-) reduction to N(2)O) was approximately 31-35‰, reflecting the upland condition of the tea field.

This paper mainly is concerned with the finite frequency H∞ control for the discrete-time singularly perturbed systems. A state feedback controller is designed to stabilize the whole system and to satisfy the desired design specifications. The generalized Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov (GKYP) lemma is used to convert the related frequency domain inequalities in finite frequency ranges to feasible linear matrix inequalities. Based on the Lyapunov stability method, stable conditions are obtained for discrete-time singularly perturbed systems. A bounded real lemma then is derived, which characterizes the H∞ norm performance in specific frequency ranges. Furthermore, the approach for the design of a composite state feedback controller is put forward combined with the unique frequency characteristics of singularly perturbed systems. Detailed analysis of the performance achieved by the piecewise composite controller is provided when it is applied to the original system, and the effectiveness and merits of the proposed controller are illustrated with a numerical result.

It has been previously demonstrated that genistein exhibits anticancer activity against breast cancer. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the anticancer effect of genistein, in particular the epigenetic basis, remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether genistein could modulate the DNA methylation status and expression of cancer-related genes in breast cancer cells. We treated MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells with genistein in vitro. We found that genistein decreased the levels of global DNA methylation, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity and expression of DNMT1. Yet, the expression of DNMT3A and DNMT3B showed no significant change. Using molecular modeling, we observed that genistein might directly interact with the catalytic domain of DNMT1, thus competitively inhibiting the binding of hemimethylated DNA to the catalytic domain of DNMT1. Furthermore, genistein decreased DNA methylation in the promoter region of multiple tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) such as ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), mammary serpin peptidase inhibitor (SERPINB5), and increased the mRNA expression of these genes. However, we detected no significant changes in the DNA methylation status or mRNA expression of stratifin (SFN). These results suggest that the anticancer effect of genistein on breast cancer may be partly due to its ability to demethylate and reactivate methylation-silenced TSGs through direct interaction with the DNMT1 catalytic domain and inhibition of DNMT1 expression.

Summary This paper presents a new insight into the delay-dependent stability for time-delay systems. Because of the key observation that the positive definiteness of a chosen Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional does not necessarily require all the involved symmetric matrices in the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional to be positive definite, an improved delay-dependent asymptotic stability condition is presented in terms of a set of LMIs. This fact has been overlooked in the development of previous stability results. The importance of the present method is that a vast number of existing delay-dependent results on analysis and synthesis of time-delay systems derived by the Lyapunov–Krasovskii stability theorem can be improved by using this observation without introducing additional variables. The reduction of conservatism of the proposed result is both theoretically and numerically demonstrated. It is believed that the proposed method provides a new direction to improve delay-dependent results on time-delay systems. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

SUMMARY This paper proposes an improvement to the delay-dependent stability of discrete systems with time-varying delays. The approach is based on the observation that the positive definiteness of a chosen Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional does not necessarily require all the involved symmetric matrices to be positive definite, which has been overlooked in the literature. The derived delay-dependent stability conditions are in terms of linear matrix inequalities. It is theoretically proved that our results are less conservative than the corresponding ones obtained by requiring the positive definiteness of all the symmetric matrices in a chosen Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional. The importance of the present approach is that a great number of delay-dependent analysis and synthesis results obtained by the aforementioned requirement in the literature can be improved by the present approach without introducing any new decision variables. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper deals with the problem of stability analysis for a class of delayed neural networks described by nonlinear delay differential equations of the neutral type. A new and simple sufficient condition guaranteeing the existence, uniqueness and global asymptotic stability of an equilibrium point of such a kind of delayed neural networks is developed by the Lyapunov–Krasovskii method. The condition is expressed in terms of a linear matrix inequality, and thus can be checked easily by recently developed standard algorithms. When the stability condition is applied to the more commonly encountered delayed neural networks, it is shown that our result can be less conservative. Examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed criteria. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper deals with the problem of decentralized output feedback stabilization for a class of large-scale stochastic time-delay systems with Markovian jumping parameters. Attention is focused on the design of a decentralized dynamic output feedback controller, which is also with Markovian jumping parameters, such that the closed-loop system is exponentially mean-square stable. A sufficient condition for the solvability of this problem is proposed in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society

This paper studies robust stability for a class of uncertain nonlinear stochastic time-delay systems. In terms of a linear matrix inequality, an improved delay-dependent condition guaranteeing that a stochastic delay system will be exponentially stable in the mean square is proposed. This condition is less conservative than existing ones in the literature and is demonstrated by means of an example.

This paper is concerned with the problem of robust H∞ control for uncertain stochastic systems with Markovian jump parameters and time-varying state delays. A linear matrix inequality approach is developed and state feedback controllers are designed, which guarantee mean square asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system and a prescribed H∞ performance level for all modes and admissible uncertainties. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the application of the proposed method.

This paper provides improved delay-dependent conditions for the robust stability and robust stabilization of discrete time-delay systems with norm-bounded parameter uncertainties. It is theoretically established that the proposed conditions are less conservative than those discussed in the literature. The new approach proposed in this paper in a derivation of delay-dependent conditions and involves the use of neither model transformation nor bounding techniques for some cross terms. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the reduced conservatism of the proposed conditions.

The security threat posed by worms has steadily increased in recent years. This paper discusses the application of the optimal and sub-optimal Internet worm control via Pontryagin's maximum principle. To this end, a control variable representing the optimal treatment strategy for infectious hosts is introduced into the two-factor worm model. The numerical optimal control laws are implemented by the multiple shooting method and the sub-optimal solution is computed using genetic algorithms. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed optimal and sub-optimal strategies. It also provides a theoretical interpretation of the practical experience that the maximum implementation of treatment in the early stage is critically important in controlling outbreaks of Internet worms. Furthermore, our results show that the proposed sub-optimal control can lead to performance close to the optimal control, but with much simpler strategies for long periods of time in practical use.

The height of 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Center Tower is 492m above ground making it possible the tallest building in the world when completed. Three parallel structural systems including mega-frame structure, reinforced concrete and braced steel services core and outrigger trusses, are combined to resist vertical and lateral loads. The building could be classified as a vertically irregular structure due to a number of stiffened and transfer stories in the building. Complexities related to structural system layout are mainly exhibited in the design of services core, mega-diagonals and outrigger trusses. According to Chinese Code, the height 190 m of the building clearly exceeds the stipulated maximum height of for a composite frame/reinforced concrete core building. The aspect ratio of height to width also exceeds the stipulated limit of 7 for seismic design intensity 7. A 1/50 scaled model is made and tested on shaking table under a series of one and two-dimensional base excitations with gradually increasing acceleration amplitudes. This paper presents the dynamic characteristics, the seismic responses and the failure mechanism of the structure. The test results demonstrate that the structural system is a good solution to withstand earthquakes. The inter-storey drift and the overall behaviour meet the requirements of Chinese Design Code. Furthermore, weak positions under seldom-occurred earthquakes of seismic design intensity 8 are found based on the visible damages on the testing model, and some corresponding suggestions are proposed for the engineering design of the structure under extremely strong earthquake. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper is concerned with establishing a delay-dependent bounded real lemma (BRL) for singular systems with a time delay. Without resorting to any bounding techniques for some cross terms and model transformation, a new version of BRL for such systems is proposed, which guarantees a singular system to be regular, impulse free and stable while satisfying a prescribed H∞ performance level for any delays smaller than a given upper bound. Based on this, an H∞ state feedback controller is designed via a linear matrix inequality approach. The BRL, stability as well as H∞ results developed in this paper are less conservative than existing ones in the literature, which is demonstrated by providing some numerical examples. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper deals with the problem of robust stability analysis for uncertain neutral systems. In terms of a linear matrix inequality (LMI), an improved delay-dependent asymptotic stability criterion is developed without using bounding techniques on the related cross product terms. Based on this, a new delay-dependent LMI condition for robust stability is obtained. Numerical examples are provided to show that the proposed results significantly improve the allowed upper bounds of the delay size over some existing ones in the literature. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Adult rats intubated with a single dose of ethanol (alcohol; approximately 5 g/kg) for 5 to 10 successive days incur neurodegeneration in the entorhinal cortex, dentate gyrus, and olfactory bulbs accompanied by cerebrocortical edema and electrolyte (Na+, K+) accumulation. The brain damage is not lessened by cotreatment with the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801; also, as reported elsewhere, MK-801 as well as non-NMDA receptor and Ca2+ channel antagonists are not neuroprotective in a similar, but more compressed, intoxication protocol. However, cotreatment with the electrolyte transport inhibitor/diuretic furosemide reduces alcohol-dependent cerebrocortical damage by 75-85% while preventing brain hydration and electrolyte elevations; olfactory bulb neurodegeneration is not attenuated. In parallel in vitro studies, rat organotypic entorhinal/hippocampal slice cultures exposed to alcohol (50-200 mM) 15 h/day for 6 days, mirroring episodic intoxication in vivo, demonstrate concentration-related release of the cytotoxic indicator, lactate dehydrogenase. Analogous to the in vivo findings, furosemide blocks this alcohol-induced in vitro cytotoxicity. Our results showing neuroprotection by furosemide indicate that brain edema and swelling are essential events in the brain damage induced by episodic alcohol exposure. Furosemide and related agents might be useful as neuroprotective agents in alcohol abuse. We suggest that the neurodegeneration is elicited in part by edema-dependent oxidative stress, but the regional selectivity of the damage may be best explained by physical (mechanical) compression of the limbic cortex against the adjacent tympanic bulla and subsequent neuronal cytoskeletal collapse. A scheme for these apparently nonexcitotoxic metabolic and mechanical pathways initiated by repeated alcohol exposure is proposed.

This paper deals with a synchronization problem of a class of neutral-type complex dynamic networks with interval time-varying coupling delays under a pair of nonlinear constraints. Some delay-dependent synchronization criteria are derived in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) based on a modified Lyapunov-Krasovskii (LK) functional approach. By a convexity analysis of the matrix function, a free-weighting matrix method is employed for the purpose of reducing the conservatism of the existing results. Two illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

This series of experiments measured ethanol-induced changes in levels of free intracellular calcium. Cerebellar macroneurons, harvested from rat embryos on embryonic day 17, were cultured in the presence of 75 mM ethanol for 24, 48, or 96 hr. Intracellular calcium concentrations in control and ethanol-exposed neurons did not differ after 24 hr, but they were significantly elevated in the neurons exposed to ethanol for 48 or 96 hr. Similarly, increases in intracellular calcium elicited by stimulation with 50 microM NMDA were not significantly different in control and ethanol-exposed neurons after 24 hr. After 48 and 96 hr, however, NMDA-stimulated increases in intracellular calcium levels in control neurons were significantly greater than in the ethanol-exposed neurons. These results showed that, when calcium levels were elevated by prolonged exposure to ethanol, the neurons were significantly less responsive to NMDA stimulation. Increases in intracellular calcium elicited by stimulation with 30 mM KCI were not significantly different in the control and treated neurons after 24 and 48 hr of ethanol exposure. After 96 hr of exposure to ethanol, however, there was a significant increase in intracellular calcium levels in control neurons following KCI stimulation, but not in the ethanol-exposed neurons. The fact that neuronal responses to KCI stimulation were depressed only following 96 hr of exposure to ethanol makes it unlikely that voltage-regulated channels were the primary mediators of the ethanol-induced elevations in intracellular calcium in chronically exposed neurons.

Ceramic samples of Li[sub 2+x]Y[sub x]Zr[sub 1-x]O[sub 3] with x=0, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 were prepared by conventional methods. The crystal structures and microstructures of the ceramic samples were studied using x-ray diffraction, infrared spectra, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that a solid solution of Li[sub 2+x]Y[sub x]Zr[sub 1-x]O[sub 3] was formed when x was not larger than 0.05 and a second phase appeared in the solid solution when x was equal to 0.1. The sinterability of Li[sub 2]ZrO[sub 3] improved greatly with addition of yttrium from 80.8% theoretical density (T.D.) for the sample without yttrium to 94.6% T.D. for the sample with x=0.05; the grain size decreased significantly with the formation of the solid solution. The total lithium ion conductivity increased slightly, from 3.9x10[sup [minus]6] S/cm for pure Li[sub 2]ZrO[sub 3] to 5.0 x 10[sup [minus]6] S/cm for the sample with x=0.05 at 400 C and the corresponding conduction activation energy decreased form 0.99 to 0.92 eV. Based on the effective medium theory, the conductivity increase in the solid solution crystal was estimated to be 3% for x= 0.05 compared with the pure Li[sub 2]ZrO[sub 3] crystal.

A new family of chiral bis(1-ferrocenylethyl)amine-derived monodentate phosphoramidite ligands has been prepared and successfully applied in the Cu-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-conjugate addition of diethylzinc to a variety of α,β-unsaturated compounds, in which up to 99% ee was obtained for nitroalkenes at −78 °C and >98% ee for cyclohexenone at −30 °C, comparable to or higher than those obtained with the most efficient monophosphoramidite ligands reported so far.

This paper deals with the problem of robust H∞ filter design for Markovian jump systems with norm-bounded time-varying parameter uncertainties and mode-dependent distributed delays. Both the state and the measurement equations are assumed to be with distributed delays. Sufficient conditions for the existence of robust H∞ filters are obtained. Via solving a set of linear matrix inequalities, a desired filter can be constructed. The developed theory is illustrated by a simulation example. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper deals with the problem of robust non-fragile H∞ filtering for neutral stochastic systems with distributed delays and norm-bounded parameter uncertainties. Attention is focused on the design of a filter which is subject to gain variations, such that the filtering error system is robustly stochastically stable with a prescribed H∞ performance level for all admissible uncertainties. A delay-dependent sufficient condition for the solvability of this problem is obtained in terms of a linear matrix inequality. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society

This paper considers the problem of robust delay-dependent L2–L∞ filtering for a class of Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy systems with time-varying delays. The purpose is to design a fuzzy filter such that both the robust stability and a prescribed L2–L∞ performance level of the filtering error system are guaranteed. A delay-dependent sufficient condition for the solvability of the problem is obtained and a linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach is developed. A desired filter can be constructed by solving a set of LMIs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This work is funded in part by NTH grant R01EB006837 and General Electric Global Research. Distributed x‐ray sources have unique capabilities, which can enable break‐through medical imaging system performance. In particular, the distributed x‐ray source or “multisource” from GE has high instantaneous power, fast source switching, consistent focal spot sizes, large angular coverage, and high reliability [1]. This multisource is scalable from 1 to 2 rows of sources with source spacing in each row at 25mm currently with potential reduction down to 10mm. The multisource is being scaled up from 8 to 32 sources for the Inverse Geometry Computed Tomography (IGCT) application [2,3], which offers up to 70% x‐ray dose reduction, cone‐beam artifact reduction, and higher temporal resolution compared to conventional CT systems. Another multisource application is digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). Today's DBT systems rely on physically moving a conventional x‐ray source over an arced path to obtain views at the required angles. A multisource not only eliminates mechanical motion and provides a faster scan, it also allows for multiple x‐ray spectrums (W, Rh, Re) at interleaved positions. Lastly, an x‐ray multisource enables vascular surgeons to see a real‐time 3D view of an interventional tool inside the blood vessels that they are navigating through. The ability to adjust electron beam current for each source (i.e, virtual bow‐tie) provides the precise amount of x‐ray dose required at each view for a particular patient's size thus eliminating excess dose in both IGCT and vascular tomography. This paper summarizes the current multisource development work, challenges, and application benefits. Learning Objectives: 1. understand x‐ray multisource architecture and performance 2. understand medical imaging system benefits from x‐ray multisource