Recurrent fuzzy neural network control for piezoelectric ceramic linear ultrasonic motor drive

In this study, a recurrent fuzzy neural network (RFNN) controller is proposed to control a piezoelectric ceramic linear ultrasonic motor (LUSM) drive system to track periodic reference trajectories with robust control performance. First, the structure and operating principle of the LUSM are described in detail. Second, because the dynamic characteristics of the LUSM are nonlinear and the precise dynamic model is difficult to obtain, a RFNN is proposed to control the position of the moving table of the LUSM to achieve high precision position control with robustness. The back propagation algorithm is used to train the RFNN on-line. Moreover, to guarantee the convergence of tracking error for periodic commands tracking, analytical methods based on a discrete-type Lyapunov function are proposed to determine the varied learning rates of the RFNN. Then, the RFNN is implemented in a PC-based computer control system, and the LUSM is driven by a unipolar switching full bridge voltage source inverter using LC resonant technique. Finally, the effectiveness of the RFNN-controlled LUSM drive system is demonstrated by some experimental results. Accurate tracking response and superior dynamic performance can be obtained because of the powerful on-line learning capability of the RFNN controller. Furthermore, the RFNN control system is robust with regard to parameter variations and external disturbances     

Gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow assay for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B

The lateral flow assay (LFA), a rapid, sensitive, and reproducible technique, was successfully applied to detect staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). The assay was based on a double-antibody sandwich format on a porous nitrocellulose membrane. When SEB-containing samples were applied to the LFA-device, the toxin initially reacted with polyclonal antibody (Pab)-coated colloidal gold particles and then reacted with the fixed Pab on the membrane. These reactions resulted in a red line at the detection zone, with intensity proportional to the SEB concentration (under 100 ng/ml). With this method, 1 ng/ml of SEB can be detected in less than 5 min and was highly reproducible. Signal can be amplified to 10 pg/ml by silver enhancement. This assay also showed no cross-reaction with other SEs, such as SEA, SEC, SED and SEE. The assay was significantly faster than the ELISA or real-time PCR assay and should facilitate early and rapid SEB detection in clinical and food samples.     

The Mutation Hotspots at UGT1A Locus May Be Associated with Gilbert’s Syndrome Affecting the Taiwanese Population

Gilbert’s syndrome is mainly diagnosed through genetic analysis and is primarily detected through a mutation in the promoter region of the UGT1A1 gene. However, most of the research has been conducted on Caucasian populations. In this study, we studied the Han population in Taiwan to investigate the possibility of other mutations that could cause Gilbert’s syndrome. This study comprised a test group of 45 Taiwanese individuals with Gilbert’s syndrome and 180 healthy Taiwanese individuals as a control group. We extracted DNA from the blood samples and then used Axiom Genome-Wide TWB 2.0 array plates for genotyping. Out of 302,771 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 225 subjects, we detected 57 SNPs with the most significant shift in allele frequency; 27 SNPs among them were located in the UGT1A region. Most of the detected SNPs highly correlated with each other and are located near the first exon of UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A6, and UGT1A7. We used these SNPs as an input for the machine learning algorithms and developed prediction models. Our study reveals a good association between the 27 SNPs detected and Gilbert’s syndrome. Hence, this study provides a reference for diagnosing Gilbert’s syndrome in the Taiwanese population in the future.     

Enhancement of photoluminescence intensity of sintered CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ red phosphor-bismuthate glass composites

Wavelength converters in white light-emitting diodes are usually made by sintering of phosphor-glass powder compacts. An issue is that the sintering process usually results in the reduction of phosphor amount. In the present study, composites containing CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ red phosphor and Bi₂O₃-B₂O₃-ZnO-Sb₂O₅ glass were fabricated by sintering method. Influences of CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ phosphor content (10 vol%–30 vol%) and sintering temperature (410–430°C) on the residual amount of the phosphor phase and the resulting luminescence intensity of the composites were investigated. The change of CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ content due to sintering was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The interdiffusion between the CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ and glass matrix was examine by scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. This paper focuses on the change of luminescence intensity after sintering. It was found that although the content of phosphor CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ reduces after sintering; the luminescent intensity of the composites anomalously increases. The optimum luminescence intensity is 14% higher than that of the as-mixed, unfired powder. It is proposed that the incorporation of Bi³⁺ ions from the glass matrix into the phosphor CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ during sintering improves the luminescence ability of the phosphor particles.     

Enhancement of γ-aminobutyric acid content in shells of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) under anoxic vacuum conditions

Passiflora edulis, commonly known as passion fruit, is a popular all-weather fruit eaten fresh or processed. Its shells, which currently are mostly discarded as waste and hurt the environment, account for more than half of the passion fruit. The shells contain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter and has many proven medical values such as antidepressant, anti-anxiety, etc. Many studies have shown that GABA production in plants can be significantly increased by reverse stress. Taking Tainong 1 as a typical passion fruit cultivar, this study explored the optimal anoxic vacuum treatment for increasing the GABA content of passion fruit shells. The content increased to 2139.25 ± 26.69 mg/100 g on day 4 of chill storage after vacuum packing (63.68% higher than the control). The activities of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and diamine oxidase (DAO) were significantly higher in the vacuum-treated group than in the control group after 4 days of vacuum-chill storage. On day 5 of vacuum-chill storage, the activities of all measured enzymes decreased except for the increase of GABA transaminase (GABA-T), which was accompanied by a decrease in GABA content. Vacuum treatment and subsequent chill storage increased the content of GABA, thereby increasing functional value of passion fruit shells.