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This paper considers the problem of randomly varying trial lengths of a class of two-dimensional (2D) linear systems represented by Roesser model, and two new iterative learning control (ILC) schemes are proposed. One is a conventional P-type control rule with a modified tracking error; the other is an ILC law with an iteration-average operator. Both learning control schemes are developed by a 2D stochastic variable to describe varying trial lengths. Under the Bernoulli distribution assumption and the initial state conditions, the convergence analysis is performed rigorously in the probability sense. Finally, illustrative examples have been provided to verify the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-ionic surfactant-based aqueous two-phase system had been investigated to extract aloe anthraquinones. It had the advantage of using a single auxiliary chemical to induce phase separation above cloud point at a low concentration. Non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114 was chosen for its excellent phase-separating ability and low cloud point. The main factors affecting the cloud point extraction were discussed such as equilibrium temperature and time, concentrations of surfactant and inorganic electrolytes, pH, etc. Under the optimised conditions, the highest extraction yield 96.93% was obtained. The reverse extraction of anthraquinones from surfactant-rich phase was achieved with a recovery of 70.35% by adjusting pH. Compared with conventional purification methods, this CPE technique can be completed in one operation; besides, it is a low-cost method and an environment friendly one. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Highlights: [•] Haloalkaliphilic microorganisms were used to reduce sulfate. [•] Sulfide concentration reached up to 1603mg/L. [•] There was no sulfide inhibition to haloalkaliphilic microorganisms. [•] Bacterial community of haloalkaliphilic bioreactor was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study assessed the importance of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pattern on an acupoint-specific effect., Design: This was a TCM pattern subdivision analysis of the first intervention data from a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial (ISRCTN24863192) (the main trial)., Settings: The main trial recruited participants from six hospitals in three provinces in China., Subjects: Five hundred and one (501) participants diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) were enrolled in the main trial., Interventions: The main trial randomly and equally divided participants into three treatment groups with bilateral electroacupuncture at three sites, respectively: Sanyinjiao (SP6), Xuanzhong (GB39), and an adjacent nonacupoint. Participants were diagnosed with TCM patterns before the treatment. The intervention was carried out when the visual analogue scale (VAS) score of participant's menstrual pain was ≥ 40 mm on the first day of menstruation and lasted for 30 minutes., Outcome Measures: The immediate improvement of pain was measured with a 100-mm VAS before the intervention, at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes during the intervention, and at 30 minutes after the completion of this intervention., Results: Three (3) TCM patterns (n=320) were eligible for analysis, including Cold and Dampness Stagnation pattern (n=184), Qi and Blood Stagnation pattern (n=84), and Qi and Blood Deficiency pattern (n=52). In Cold and Dampness Stagnation pattern, the SP6 group had a significant reduction in VAS scores compared with the GB39 group (mean difference -7.6 mm) and the nonacupoint group (mean difference -8.2 mm), respectively. There was no difference between the latter two groups. There were no group differences in VAS scores in the other two patterns., Conclusions: It suggested that TCM pattern might affect acupoint specific effect on the immediate pain relief obtained for participants with PD.

Background: The demand for effective intervention for subhealth conditions is growing with increasing numbers of people being in a state of subhealth with a poor quality of life. Future research and evaluation of the treatment methods for subhealth conditions from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may provide an important direction for developing effective management of these conditions., Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaopi Yishen herbal extract granules (XPYS-HEG), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine for relieving fatigue and promoting a cheerful spirit for the treatment of people with fatigue-predominant subhealth due to liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency. DESIGN, SETTING PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: A multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study was undertaken. The study period was 18 weeks, including 6 weeks for intervention and 12 weeks for follow-up. Participants were recruited from medical center and outpatient clinics of three hospitals in China, i.e. Xiaotangshan Hospital of Beijing, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of TCM and the Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of TCM. Two hundred participants who met the criteria of fatigue-predominant subhealth and liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency in TCM were allocated randomly to the treatment group (XPYS, n=100) and control group (placebo, n=100)., Main Outcome Measures: The total score of Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14) was used to evaluate the fatigue status of subjects and the extent of liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency syndrome was also recorded., Results: Three cases in the XPYS group withdrew from the trial. There were 200 subjects who entered to full analysis set (FAS) analysis and 197 subjects fitted in the per-protocol set (PPS) analysis. (1) According to the score changes of FS-14, the effectiveness rates in the XPYS and placebo group were as follows: 14.0% vs 9.0% (FAS) and 14.4% vs 9.0% (PPS) for complete remission, 19.0% vs 15.0% (FAS) and 19.6% vs 15.0% (PPS) for obvious effects, 39.0% vs 26.0% (FAS) and 39.2% vs 26.0% (PPS) for effective, and 72.0% vs 50.0% (FAS) and 73.2% vs 50.0% (PPS) for complete efficacy. The efficacy of XPYS-HEG was superior to the placebo statistically (P<0.05). (2) According to the score changes of TCM syndrome, the effectiveness rates in the XPYS group and placebo group were as follows: 1.0% vs 0.0% (FAS) and 1.0% vs 0.0% (PPS) for complete remission, 20.0% vs 7.0% (FAS) and 19.6% vs 7.0% (PPS) for obvious effects, 29.0% vs 24.0% (FAS) and 29.9% vs 24.0% (PPS) for effective, and 50.0% vs 31.0% (FAS) and 50.5% vs 31.0% (PPS) for complete efficacy. The efficacy of XPYS-HEG was superior to that of placebo statistically (P<0.05). (3) The follow-up results at 12 weeks and 18 weeks showed that the efficacy of XPYS-HEG was superior to that of placebo statistically (P<0.05). (4) No adverse effects were found in the XPYS group., Conclusion: It can be concluded that XPYS-HEG is effective and safe for the treatment of people with fatigue-predominant subhealth due to liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency.

Objective: To observe the effects and side effects of Pentazocine for postoperative intravenous analgesia in patients with lumbar herniation, and to investigate the difference of Pentazocine with different doses., Methods: From January 2009 to December 2009, sixty patients undergone laminectomy and pedicle internal fixation, who using equal analgesic dosage of Pentazocine and Sulfentanil, were retrospectively analysed. The patients including 34 males and 26 females, aged 40 to 65 (average 59), weighted 60 to 80 kg (average 71 kg), ASA I-II, were divided into Sufentanil group and Pentazocine group I and Pentazocine group II, with 20 cases each. The regimens of the three groups included: Sufentanil of 2 g/kg; Pentazocine group I of 3 mg/kg; Pentazocine group II of 5 mg/kg. All were diluted with saline into 100 ml and were continuously infused at the rate of 2 ml/h. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Ramsay sedation scale and side effects were recorded at 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h postoperatively., Results: The three groups had no significant difference in analgesic effects, VAS of all groups were below 3. The sedation scale of Pentazocine group II at 4, 8, 12 h was higher than that at 4 h, significantly different than the other two groups. The incidence of nausea, vomiting and pruritus in Sufentanil group were higher than that in the other two groups. The incidence of respiratory depression in Sufentanil group and Pentazocine group II were higher than that in Pentazocine group II. The incidence of dizziness in Pentazocine group II were higher than that in the other two groups., Conclusion: Pentazocine can produce reliable postoperative analgesia for patients with lumbar herniation, as same as the effect of sulfentanil in equal dose. And Pentazocine has fewer adverse effects compared with sufentanil. 3 mg/kg of Pentazocine is an optimal dose for postoperative intravenous patient-control analgesia.

The conformational transition of poly gamma-glutamic acid (gamma-PGA) embedded with magnetite nanoparticles under various pH conditions was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The secondary structure content was determined through the analysis of amide I bands of Fourier deconvolution spectra, secondary derivative spectra and the Gaussian curve fitting of the original infrared spectra. The results showed that the conformation of the gamma-PGA was affected by solution pH. The total contents of beta-sheet and beta-turn were higher than 65%, while alpha-helix and random coil were low. The content of beta-turn increased with increasing pH, while the beta-sheet decreased. Additionally, the zeta potential results showed that the pH-sensitive secondary structure of gamma-PGA had influence on the stability of suspension of magnetic gamma-PGA nanospheres. The minimum value of zeta potential (-35. 4 mV) was obtained at pH 10.2.

Several bacteria, Bacillus brevis R-6, Pseudomonas delafleldii R-8, Nocardia globerula R-9, Bacillus sphaericus R-16, Rhodococcus erythropolis LSSE8-1 and Gordonia nitida LSSEJ-1, which can convert dibenzothiophene into 2-hydroxybiphenyl and sulfate, were investigated. Desulfurization products were quantitively determined by HPLC. Result revealed that each of these bacteria desulfurize DBT at a different rate. In order to obtain more information, the fragments encoding desulfurizing enzymes were studied. Desulfurization genes of R-6 and R-8 were separately amplified via PCR with specific primers based on the related sequences of Rhodococcus sp. IGTS8. Both sequences areminimally 99% related to IGTS8 sequence. Afterwards, dsz operon of LSSEJ-1 and R-9 were amplified and cloned. Sequences are also highly conservative. Data shows that identity of dszA between R-9 and IGTS8 is 99.6%, and identity of dszA between LSSEJ-1 and IGTS8 is 99.9%; dszB sequence of R-9 and LSSEJ-1 is 99.6% similarity to their counterpart sequence from IGTS8;Identity of dszC between R-9 and IGTS8 is 99.9%, and identity of dszC between LSSEJ-1 and IGTS8 is 99.1% . It may be deduced that the origins of desulfurization genes from mesophilic bacteria are the same.