On observer-based controller design for Sugeno systems with unmeasurable premise variables

This paper considers the design of observer-based controller for a class of continuous-time nonlinear systems presented by Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) model with unmeasurable premise variables. This T–S structure can represent a larger class of nonlinear systems as compared to the measurable premise variable case but its analysis is more complicated. To reduce the design complexity, a common output model for subsystems is employed by the use of local nonlinear rules. As a result, the proposed T–S structure reduces the number of rules in the Sugeno model as well as the analysis complexity. The proposed controller guarantees exponential convergence of states based on the fuzzy Lyapunov function analysis and Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) formulation. Simulation results illustrate effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Stimulation of AMP‐activated protein kinase and enhancement of basal glucose uptake in muscle cells by quercetin and quercetin glycosides,active principles of the antidiabetic medicinal plant Vaccinium vitis‐idaea

Several medicinal plants that stimulate glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells were identified from among species used by the Cree of Eeyou Istchee of northern Quebec to treat symptoms of diabetes. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of action of one of these products, the berries of Vaccinium vitis idaea, as well as to isolate and identify its active constituents using a classical bioassay‐guided fractionation approach. Western immunoblot analysis in C2C12 muscle cells revealed that the ethanol extract of the berries stimulated the insulin‐independent AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. The extract mildly inhibited ADP‐stimulated oxygen consumption in isolated mitochondria, an effect consistent with metabolic stress and the ensuing stimulation of AMPK. This mechanism is highly analogous to that of Metformin. Fractionation guided by glucose uptake activity resulted in the isolation of ten compounds. The two most active, quercetin‐3‐O‐glycosides, enhanced glucose uptake by 38–59% (50 μM; 18 h treatment) in the absence of insulin. Quercetin aglycone, a minor constituent, stimulated uptake by 37%. The quercetin glycosides and the aglycone stimulated the AMPK pathway at concentrations of 25–100 μM, but only the aglycone inhibited ATP synthase in isolated mitochondria (by 34 and 79% at 25 and 100 μM, respectively). This discrepancy suggests that the activity of the glycosides may require hydrolysis to the aglycone form. These findings indicate that quercetin and quercetin 3‐O‐glycosides are responsible for the antidiabetic activity of V. vitis crude berry extract mediated by AMPK. These common plant products may thus have potential applications for the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance and other metabolic diseases.     

A low-power parametric integrator for wideband switched-capacitor ΣΔ modulators

This paper proposes a new low-power MOS parametric integrator (MPI) for the design of wideband discrete time sigma-delta (ΣΔ) modulators. The MPI is implemented with MOS capacitors, which provide the required gain by switching from inversion in the sampling phase into depletion in the amplification phase. Analysis along with simulation results illustrate that MPI consumes very low power dissipation compared to the conventional active integrators with some negligible performance changes. To verify this, the MPI is used in two wideband ΣΔ modulators, one with 8-bit resolution and the other with 13-bit resolution with input bandwidth and sampling frequency of 12.5 and 200 MHz, respectively. The first one is a second order single stage ΣΔ modulator and the second one is a MASH 2-2 modulator, both implemented in 0.18-μm CMOS technology. Simulation results indicate that these modulators save a significant amount of power consumption when their second integrator is replaced by MPI.     

A new approach in content-based image retrieval using fuzzy

Finding an image from a large set of images is an extremely difficult problem. One solution is to label images manually, but this is very expensive, time consuming and infeasible for many applications. Furthermore, the labeling process depends on the semantic accuracy in describing the image. Therefore many Content based Image Retrieval (CBIR) systems are developed to extract low-level features for describing the image content. However, this approach decreases the human interaction with the system due to the semantic gap between low-level features and high-level concepts. In this study we make use of fuzzy logic to improve CBIR by allowing users to express their requirements in words, the natural way of human communication. In our system the image is represented by a Fuzzy Attributed Relational Graph (FARG) that describes each object in the image, its attributes and spatial relation. The texture and color attributes are computed in a way that model the Human Vision System (HSV). We proposed a new approach for graph matching that resemble the human thinking process. The proposed system is evaluated by different users with different perspectives and is found to match users’ satisfaction to a high degree.     

A graph grammar programming style for recognition of music notation

Graph grammars are a promising tool for solving picture processing problems. However, the application of graph grammars to diagram recognition has been limited to rather simple analysis of local symbol configurations. This paper introduces the Build-Weed-Incorporate programming style for graph grammars and shows its application in determining the meaning of complex diagrams, where the interaction among physically distant symbols is semantically important. Diagram recognition can be divided into two stages: symbol recognition and high-level recognition. Symbol recognition has been studied extensively in the literature. In this work we assume the existence of a symbol recognizer and use a graph grammar to assemble the diagram's information content from the symbols and their spatial relationships. The Build-Weed-Incorporate approach is demonstrated by a detailed discussion of a graph grammar for high-level recognition of music notation. See Appendix A for an illustration of the terms for musical symbols used in this paper.     

No association between Parkinson's disease and low-activity alleles of catechol O-methyltransferase

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) is characterised by the loss of pigmented neurones in the substantia nigra, leading to reduced tyrosine hydroxylase activity and depletion of dopamine. Treatments attempt to correct this deficit by the use of levodopa and inhibitors of dopamine metabolising enzymes such as catechol-O-methytransferase (COMT). A common amino-acid polymorphism in COMT, valine-108-methionine, results in a low activity form of the enzyme which we hypothesised may influence susceptibility to IPD. We examined this polymorphism in 139 Caucasian subjects with IPD and 173 control subjects, using a PCR-RFLP and a novel Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) assay. Allele and genotype frequencies were similar in the affected and control subjects, indicating that variation of COMT activity is not an aetiological factor in IPD. We have also characterised a new polymorphism, 256C/G, which is not associated with IPD. However it remains possible that allelic variation in COMT influences severity, type of pathology or treatment response to levodopa or COMT inhibitors.     

Multifunctional leather surface embedded with zinc oxide nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation method

A simple procedure was used to generate and decorate leather structures with different amounts from zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles to produce multifunctional leather structure by pulsed laser ablation method in liquid media based on changing the ablation time in just one-pot method. The impact of varying concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles embedded on the surface of leather on water resistance, water vapor permeability, mechanical characteristics, and UV-shielding efficiency was examined by different characterization techniques like X-ray diffraction, surface area, UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the combination between the external functional groups of leather with ZnO nanoparticles was discovered. ZnO nanoparticles effectively coated the surface of leather tissue, as seen by SEM images, and their form a spherical morphology. Leather with ZnO nanoparticles added had the highest capacity to kill Escherichia coli bacteria, exceeding leather without modification and ZnO nanoparticles alone in 50-hr incubation. In addition, the incubation period had a substantial impact on the suppression of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria growth by leather samples.     

On the general Kalman filter for discrete time stochastic fractional systems

In this paper the derivation of Kalman filter for discrete time-stochastic fractional system is investigated. Based on a novel cumulative vector form model for fractional systems, a general Kalman filter is introduced. The validity of the proposed method has been compared with a previously presented method via simulation results. It is shown that this method can be better applied for discrete time stochastic fractional systems with slower dynamics.     

Surfactant-Alumina-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles as an Efficient Aldehydes Adsorbent Prior Their Determination by HPLC

Separation and determination of trace levels of low-molecular weight aldehydes are very important from water suppliers’ point of view. Modified magnetic nanoparticles can be used for this propose. Alumina-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS/Al₂O₃/Fe₃O₄) are used for extraction of formaldehyde (FA) and acetaldehyde (AA) from drinking water samples. In this manner, the aldehydes were converted to their corresponding hydrazones by the reaction with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH). After preconcentration, the HPLC technique was used for the determination of the aldehydes and the results were compared with the commercial C₁₈ solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns. The results showed that the extraction with SDS/Al₂O₃/Fe₃O₄ is more efficient and faster than the commercial columns. A very good repeatability (RSD was 3.3 and 2.4% for FA and AA, respectively, n = 7, C = 50 ppb) was obtained. Linear regression analysis indicated that the responses for two investigated compounds were linear over about two orders of magnitude above the LOD (LOD was 3.6 ppb for FA and 3.2 ppb for AA), with correlation coefficients >0.9990. Determination of FA and AA in tap water and various brands of bottled waters were carried out using the modified nanoparticles. Based on the obtained results, the aldehyde content of the commercial bottled waters was particularly apparent after exposure to direct sunlight.     

Prevalence of aflatoxins in blood and urine of Egyptian infants with protein-energy malnutrition

The aim of the present work was to study the presence of aflatoxins in blood and urine of infants with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). The study was conducted on 60 infants, 30 with kwashiorkor and 30 with marasmus, with 10 age-matched healthy infants studied as a control group. Complete blood count, liver function tests, and determination of the level of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2, M1, M2, G2a, B3, GM1, P, and aflatoxicol R0) in blood and urine were carried out in all studied infants. Serum aflatoxins were detected in more infants with kwashiorkor (80%) than in those with marasmus (46.7%). The mean serum levels of total aflatoxins, AFB1, AFG1, and AFB2a, were significantly higher in infants with kwashiorkor (p <.001). Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was the most commonly detected type. The prevalence of aflatoxin excretion in the urine of infants with kwashiorkor was 80%, a higher value than that in infants with marasmus (46.7%). The mean urinary concentration of total aflatoxins followed the same pattern of distribution (p < .052). There were no significant differences between groups in the mean urinary concentrations of AFB1, AFG1, AFB2a, AFM1, and AFG2a. Aflatoxins were not detected in any of the serum or urine samples of the control group. Aflatoxins are highly prevalent in this study population and show a high degree of correlation with severe PEM.