Metformin Preserves β-Cell Compensation in Insulin Secretion and Mass Expansion in Prediabetic Nile Rats

Prediabetes is a high-risk condition for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Pancreatic β-cells adapt to impaired glucose regulation in prediabetes by increasing insulin secretion and β-cell mass expansion. In people with prediabetes, metformin has been shown to prevent prediabetes conversion to diabetes. However, emerging evidence indicates that metformin has negative effects on β-cell function and survival. Our previous study established the Nile rat (NR) as a model for prediabetes, recapitulating characteristics of human β-cell compensation in function and mass expansion. In this study, we investigated the action of metformin on β-cells in vivo and in vitro. A 7-week metformin treatment improved glucose tolerance by reducing hepatic glucose output and enhancing insulin secretion. Although high-dose metformin inhibited β-cell glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vitro, stimulation of β-cell insulin secretion was preserved in metformin-treated NRs via an indirect mechanism. Moreover, β-cells in NRs receiving metformin exhibited increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperones and alleviated apoptotic unfold protein response (UPR) without changes in the expression of cell identity genes. Additionally, metformin did not suppress β-cell mass compensation or proliferation. Taken together, despite the conflicting role indicated by in vitro studies, administration of metformin does not exert a negative effect on β-cell function or cell mass and, instead, early metformin treatment may help protect β-cells from exhaustion and decompensation.     

感官代偿在药品盲用无障碍包装设计中的应用研究

目的 针对盲人难以精准、便捷、安全服药的问题，基于感官代偿原理，研究如何利用触觉、听觉等感官代偿的潜在优势设计“适盲性”药品无障碍包装，辅助盲人实现科学、合理、精准用药。方法 基于盲人的生理和心理特点，分析药品包装在适应盲人使用时的“痛点”，在把握盲人感官代偿机理的基础上，结合具体案例，研究药品包装适盲性无障碍设计的途径和方法。结论 在基于盲人特殊的感官代偿机制设计盲用无障碍药品包装时，要理性、深度地思考如何最大限度地激发触觉和听觉的代偿潜能来解决盲人的服药障碍问题。通过简洁规范的盲文标注设计、科学合理的适盲性结构设计、智能交互的语音指令设计等方式，改善药品包装的核心信息呈现方式，提升药品信息传递的便捷性和准确性，使盲人能够独立自主地识药、取药和服药。     

Photophysical investigation of the formation of defect levels in P doped ZnO thin films

Zinc oxide (ZnO) offers a major disadvantage of asymmetry doping in terms of reliability, stability, and reproducibility of p-type doping, which is the main hindrance in realization of optoelectronic devices. The problem is even more complicated due to formation of various native defects in unintentionally doped n-type ZnO. The realization of p-type conductivity in doped ZnO requires an in-depth understanding of the formation of an effective shallow acceptor, as well as donor-acceptor compensation. Photophysical properties such as photoconductivity along with photoluminescence (PL) studies have unprecedentedly and effectively been utilized in this work to monitor the evolution of various in-gap defects. Phosphorus (P) doped ZnO thin films have been grown by RF magnetron sputtering under various Ar to O₂ gas ratios to investigate the effect of O₂ on the donor-acceptor compensation by comprehensive photoconductivity measurements supported by the PL studies. Initial elemental analyses indicate presence of abundant zinc vacancies (V_Zn) in O-rich ambience. The results predict that P sits in the zinc (Zn) site rather than the oxygen (O) site causing the formation of P_Zn–2V_Zn acceptor-like defects, which compensates the donor defects in P doped ZnO films. Photocurrent spectra uniquely reveal presence of more oxygen vacancies (V_O) defects states in lower O₂ flow, which gets compensated with an increase in the O₂ flow. Successive photocurrent transients indicate probable presence of more V_O in the films grown with lower O₂ flow and more V_Zn in higher O₂ flow. Overall the photosensitivity measurements clearly present that O-rich ambience expedites the formation of acceptor defects which are compensated, thereby lowering the dark current and enhancing the ultraviolet photosensitivity.     

Steering feel improvement by mathematical modeling of the Electric Power Steering system

Currently, the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system is an essential component of the vehicle because it provides assistive steering torque to the driver. To ensure a faster steering response, the position of the EPS in some vehicles is moved closer to the tire rather than the steering wheel. The steering torque, which is provided by the EPS in the steering system, mainly affects the driver’s feel while steering. Therefore, the driver often feels uncomfortable owing to such positioning of the EPS in the steering system. In particular, the nonlinearity of the Universal Joint (UJ), which is one of parts of the steering system, can be felt at the steering wheel side.In this paper, we proposed an algorithm based on the mathematical model of the steering torque in the steering system to improve the steering feel. The mathematical model is structured using parameters that can be obtained from the information of the steering system. Moreover, the formulation of the steering torque consists of the two parts, namely the deformation part, which describes the propagation inside the steering system, and the friction part that describes the inherent friction in the UJ.Simulation and experiments were conducted to verify the proposed mathematical model with similar conditions to the real tire load during the steering motion. Furthermore, to improve the driver’s feel during steering, a torque compensation algorithm is proposed and verified through experiments.     

Adaptive compensation of persistent actuator failures of nonlinear systems

In this article, adaptive compensation designs are developed for nonlinear systems with uncertainties from the system functions and persistent actuator failures of characterizations that (i) some unknown system inputs are stuck at some unknown fixed or varying values at unknown time instants and (ii) the failure pattern always switches from one to another and the switching does not stop. Such a controlled plant is described by an uncertain time-varying nonlinear system, and some robust adaptive feedback linearization based failure compensation results are studied for closed-loop system stabilization and bounded output tracking for some specific conditions. To improve the tracking performance in the presence of persistent actuator failures, a new adaptive control scheme is developed, using the failure indicator function which contains the failure pattern and failure time in the formulation. Detailed stability and tracking performance are shown. Simulation results are shown to verify the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive actuator failure compensation method.     

Design and validation of robotic bionic eye with multiple flexible ropes parallel mechanism inspired by oculomotor law

Producing a stable and agile bionic eye for visual image acquisition in robotics is a challenging task. In this paper, we design a bionic eye with mirror-symmetric distribution and cross-connection of flexible ropes. This mechanism is based on oculomotor law and the physiological structure of the extraocular muscles (EOMs). Specifically, the basic structural parameters are determined by Listing’s law, and the unique connection of the flexible ropes can realize the functions of the recti and oblique muscles. Furthermore, to mimic the trochlea structure, a pulley mechanism is constructed to permit the free movement of the flexible ropes. Through simulation and physical experiments, it is demonstrated that the bionic eye mechanism can move with agility under the structural parameters. The experimental results indicate that the proposed bionic eye mechanism has a superior motion accuracy of 2.798 mm, which is 6.7% of the maximum motion distance, and the repeatable accuracy of the mechanism can up to 0.210 mm.     

可变磁路式永磁悬浮系统的防跌落防吸附控制

永磁悬浮系统是一种典型的非线性系统,随着导磁体与悬浮物之间的气隙变化,控制特性发生变化,影响系统的稳定性。为防止外界干扰引起系统偏离平衡点时,悬浮物跌落或吸附到导磁体上,提出一种基于气隙变化的防跌落防吸附控制方法。在整个悬浮气隙内选取多点预设悬浮力,基于各设计点预设的悬浮力计算控制参数,并依据插值原理得到完整的防跌落防吸附控制律,有效补偿悬浮物运动时不均匀变化的悬浮力,提高系统的可控性,稳定性和鲁棒性。仿真和实验表明,防跌落防吸附控制方法能缓和冲击,提高防跌落性能,当外扰使气隙变大时悬浮力迅速变大,防止悬浮物跌落,当外扰使气隙变小时悬浮力迅速变小,防止悬浮物吸附于导磁体上。     

基于STM32的开环霍尔电流传感器的温度补偿研究

研究了一种基于软件补偿结合恒流源补偿的改进温度补偿方法,应用单片机、恒流源、数字温度传感器、乘法器等硬件电路,对传统软件补偿进行了优化,补偿效果较传统恒流源补偿有了明显提升,“温漂”整体下降了约13.7%。在传统的温度补偿方法如热敏元件补偿、恒流源补偿、软件补偿等方式上做了补充,对于霍尔电流传感器精度的提升及实际生产需求的满足有重要意义。     

定子分段式永磁直线同步电机速度波动抑制方法研究

为了解决定子分段式永磁直线同步电机(PMLSM)存在的因磁阻效应、负载阻力、摩擦力、参数摄动以及动子进出定子时耦合面积变化所造成的控制性能下降的难题,根据动子和定子的耦合状态,提出一种在完全耦合阶段和动子退出定子阶段的分段式控制方法。首先,在动子与定子完全耦合阶段采用改进滑模控制器减小推力波动导致的速度波动,再通过加入扰动观测器降低滑模切换项所带来的抖振现象;在动子退出定子阶段,建立相关电磁参数与动子位置的函数关系,实时补偿由耦合面积变化引起的动子失速,使动子速度在退出时接近给定值。仿真及实验结果表明动定子完全耦合过程中的速度稳态误差为0.005 m/s,收敛时间为0.3 s,动子退出定子阶段的速度波动不超过0.04 m/s,满足定子分段式PMLSM用于长行程自动运输系统对平稳性及快速性的需求。