Inducing sustained oscillations in feedback-linearizable single-input nonlinear systems

The present paper concerns the induction of stable sustained oscillation in feedback-linearizable single-input affine nonlinear dynamical systems via continuous-time state feedback control. The proposed application-oriented control approach is based on the conception of a state feedback controller that ensures the tracking of a limit cycle characterized in terms of the feedback-linearized system. Boundedness and convergence of the closed-loop trajectories are established following the Lyapunov theoretical framework and applying LaSalle׳s stability principle. The proposed approach is demonstrated with computer-simulated control experiments, showing that it ensures the convergence of the state trajectories of the controlled system to a designed limit cycle and that the methodology can, in principle, be applied to any single input feedback linearizable system.     

A Distribution‐freeCUSUMChart for Monitoring Variability of AutocorrelatedProcesses

We present a distribution‐free tabular cumulative sum chart for monitoring the variability of an autocorrelated process. A quantity known as the asymptotic variance parameter is employed as a measure of the variability, and a distribution‐free tabular cumulative sum chart is applied to variance estimates calculated from batches of nonoverlapping samples. The proposed chart is applicable to a stationary process with a general marginal distribution and a general autocorrelation structure. It also determines control limits analytically without trial‐and‐error simulations. The performance of the proposed chart is tested on stationary processes with both normal and nonnormal marginals with various autocorrelation structures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An iterative method for suboptimal control of linear time-delayed systems

This article presents a new approach for solving the Optimal Control Problem (OCP) of linear time-delay systems with a quadratic cost functional. The proposed method can also be used for designing optimal control time-delay systems with disturbance. In this study, the Variational Iteration Method (VIM) is employed to convert the original Time-Delay Optimal Control Problem (TDOCP) into a sequence of nonhomogeneous linear two-point boundary value problems (TPBVPs). The optimal control law obtained consists of an accurate linear feedback term and a nonlinear compensation term which is the limit of an adjoint vector sequence. The feedback term is determined by solving Riccati matrix differential equation. By using the finite-step iteration of a nonlinear compensation sequence, we can obtain a suboptimal control law. Finally, Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the technique.     

Anticancer activity of flavonoids accompanied by redox state modulation and the potential for a chemotherapeutic strategy

Since researchers began studying the mechanism of flavonoids’ anticancer activity, little attention has been focused on the modulation of redox state in cells as a potential chemotherapeutic strategy. However, recent studies have begun identifying that the anticancer effect of flavonoids occurs both in their antioxidative activity which scavenges ROS and their prooxidative activity which generates ROS. Against this backdrop, this study attempts to achieve a comprehensive analysis of the individual and separate study findings regarding flavonoids’ modulation of redox state in cancer cells. It focuses on the mechanism behind the anticancer effect, and mostly on the modulation of redox potential by flavonoids such as quercetin, hesperetin, apigenin, genistein, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), luteolin and kaempferol in both in vitro and animal models. In addition, the clinical applications of and bioavailability of flavonoids were reviewed to help build a treatment strategy based on flavonoids’ prooxidative potential.     

Enhanced transduction coefficient in piezoelectric PZT ceramics by mixing powders calcined at different temperatures

Large transduction coefficient ($d_{33}\times g_{33}$) is difficult to obtain in piezoelectric ceramics because these two parameters show opposite trends with compositional modifications. Herein, the Pb(Zr_0.53Ti_0.47)O₃ ceramic powders were calcinated under different temperatures (A:830 °C, B:860 °C, and C:890 °C), and then mixed together according to different weight ratios (1A:1B:1C, 1A:2B:1C, 1A:2B:3C and 3A:2B:1C) for ceramics preparation. Both d₃₃ and g₃₃ are improved successfully, and the transduction coefficient with the weight ratio of 1A:2B:3C reaches up to 17,500 × 10⁻¹⁵ m²/N, which is 60 % higher than that with the powders calcinated under 830 °C, and at least twice those of commercial PZT-4, PZT-5A and PZT-8 ceramics. The improved transduction coefficient is owing to the enhanced piezoelectric constant and spontaneous polarization resulted from the increased grain size, relative density and the fraction of tetragonal phase. These results indicate that this is a simple but effective way to tailor the transduction coefficient in piezoelectric ceramics.     

Adaptive fuzzy control for nontriangular form systems with time-varying full-state constraints

This article investigates an adaptive fuzzy tracking control problem for a class of nontriangular form systems with asymmetric time-varying full state constraints. Unknown functions are approximated by the fuzzy logic systems. A domination approach is employed to tackle the nontriangular form structure. Time-varying asymmetric barrier Lyapunov functions (ABLFs) are adopted to ensure full-state constraints satisfaction. Based on the backstepping technique and time-varying ABLFs, an adaptive controller is proposed and guarantees that all the signals in the closed-loop system are ultimately bounded and the time-varying full state constraints are met. Simulation examples are presented to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

基于感知评价的Internet语音终端流量控制

分析了影响因特网语音通信质量的主要因素，根据实时传输控制协议计算延迟、丢包率等网络参数，并利用RBF神经网络将参数映射为语音质量评分，根据评分值的变化动态地调整语音终端的编码速率，在保证一定语音质量的同时，缓解网络拥塞。实验证明了该方法的有效性。     

Dissociating uncertainty responses and reinforcement signals in the comparative study of uncertainty monitoring.

Although researchers are exploring animals' capacity for monitoring their states of uncertainty, the use of some paradigms allows the criticism that animals map avoidance responses to error-causing stimuli not because of uncertainty monitored but because of feedback signals and stimulus aversion. The authors addressed this criticism with an uncertainty-monitoring task in which participants completed blocks of trials with feedback deferred so that they could not associate reinforcement signals to particular stimuli or stimulus-response pairs. Humans and 1 of 2 monkeys were able to make cognitive, decisional uncertainty responses that were independent of feedback or reinforcement history within a task. This finding unifies the comparative literature on uncertainty monitoring. The dissociation of performance from reinforcement has theoretical implications, and the deferred-feedback technique has many applications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

现场总线在冶炼烟气制酸系统中的应用实践

分析了冶炼烟气制酸工艺的特点，介绍了由PROFIBUS-DP现场总线构建的冶炼厂烟气制酸监控系统，详细介绍了其硬件配置及相应的软件设计。     

浅议我国上市公司内部控制环境优化

控制环境是内部控制框架的基础,由于我国目前上市公司内部控制体系建设尚处于初级阶段,决定了其内部控制环境呈现出固有弊端.分析了我国上市公司在控制环境方面存在的缺陷,并提出了相应的优化措施,以期能对内部控制环境的完善起到一定的作用.