Using three actuators, in this article, we construct a control system for rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes to track three actuated outputs and stabilize two unactuated outputs. The controller is ...designed by utilizing the fast-terminal sliding mode, fractional calculus, and backstepping. Considering that RTG cranes encounter with uncertainties and random winds, an adaptive mechanism is constituted using neural networks to estimate uncertain parameters and unknown winds. A neural observer that reduces the number of sensors by half is also proposed for approximating feedback velocities. By applying these advanced techniques, the control system is endowed with adaptive and robust features. The quality and effectiveness of the control system are investigated by simulation and experimentation.
Heat activates persulfate (S2O82−) into sulfate radical (SO4−), a powerful oxidant capable of transforming a wide variety of contaminants. Previous studies have shown that an increase in temperature ...accelerates the rates of persulfate activation and contaminant transformation. However, few studies have considered the effect of temperature on contaminant transformation pathway. The objective of this study was to determine how temperature (T = 22–70 °C) influences the activation of persulfate, the transformation of benzoic acid (i.e., a model compound), and the distribution of benzoic acid oxidation products. The time-concentration profiles of the products suggest that benzoic acid was transformed via decarboxylation and hydroxylation mechanisms, with the former becoming increasingly important at elevated temperatures. The pathway through which the products were further oxidized was also influenced by the temperature of persulfate activation. Our findings suggest that the role of temperature in the persulfate-based treatment systems is not limited only to controlling the rates of sulfate and hydroxyl radical generation. The ability of sulfate radical to initiate decarboxylation reactions and, more broadly, fragmentation reactions, as well as the effect of temperature on these transformation pathways could be important to the transformation of a number of organic contaminants.
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•The degradation of benzoic acid by heat-activated persulfate was studied.•Temperature affects the distribution of benzoic acid transformation products.•The mechanism through which benzoic acid is transformed was established.•The roles of temperature in heat-activated persulfate systems are discussed.
The use of high-throughput next-generation sequencing techniques in multiple tumor types during the last few years has identified NTRK1, 2, and 3 gene rearrangements encoding novel oncogenic fusions ...in 19 different tumor types to date. These recent developments have led us to revisit an old oncogene, Trk (originally identified as OncD), which encodes the TPM3-NTRK1 gene fusion and was one of the first transforming chromosomal rearrangements identified 32 years ago. However, no drug has yet been approved by the FDA for cancers harboring this oncogene. This review will discuss the biology of the TRK family of receptors, their role in human cancer, the types of oncogenic alterations, and drugs that are currently in development for this family of oncogene targets.
Precision oncology approaches have accelerated recently due to advancements in our ability to detect oncogenic mutations in tumor samples. Oncogenic alterations, most commonly gene fusions, have now been detected for the genes encoding the TRKA, TRKB, and TRKC receptor tyrosine kinases across multiple tumor types. The scientific rationale for the targeting of the TRK oncogene family will be discussed here.
•Used fuels including preheated and unpreheated Jatropha oil, diesel fuel.•Impacts of triple-physical properties of fuel on atomization, breakup, and combustion.•Trilateral correlation of deposits, ...spray characteristics, and engine performance.•Thorough analysis on the relation of accumulated deposits and pollutant emissions.•Dependence of spray penetration and cone angle on formed deposits and fuel properties.
The benefits and advantages of bio-based fuels according to the research results of scientists and researchers related to the stable maintenance and sustainable development for the purpose of harmonizing the environment and life is an indisputable fact. Experimental studies on the use of bio-based fuels for engines in the long term should be thus thoroughly conducted to obtain the fullest results of economic-technical features and emissions, to name just a few. In this paper, a state-of-the-art analysis on the core correlation based on the trilateral relationship of spray characteristics, combustion, and emissions of a high-speed four-stroke diesel engine running on Jatropha oil (JO) in two cases of preheated and unpreheated in comparison to diesel fuel was investigated and carried out. Tests included two phases: (i)-tests of spray characteristics, analysis of combustion and emissions for engine fueled with preheated JO, unpreheated JO, and DF at the first hour and after 300 h of endurance test for engine, (ii)-analysis of formed deposits in the nozzle orifices and piston crown after 300 h of operation. As a result, huge deposits formed in the injector orifices and piston crown based on optical observation by SEM in case of using unpreheated JO as fuel were found, followed by preheated JO and DF. In addition, a sharp increase in spray penetration length and a significant decrease of cone angle for unpreheated JO compared to preheated JO and DF were also indicated, whereas thermal efficiency of the test engine for preheated JO, unpreheated JO, and DF was reduced by respectively 1.68%, 4.38%, and 0.98% after 300 h of operation. For emission data, negative changes such as a more reduction of NOx along with a higher augment of CO, HC, and smoke with unpreheated JO than those of preheated JO and DF were reported. In closing, core correlation as well as trilateral impacts of accumulated deposits, spray characteristics, and combustion were thoroughly demonstrated and deeply analyzed.
State and local governments imposed social distancing measures in March and April 2020 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). These measures included bans on large social ...gatherings; school closures; closures of entertainment venues, gyms, bars, and restaurant dining areas; and shelter-in-place orders. We evaluated the impact of these measures on the growth rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases across US counties between March 1, 2020, and April 27, 2020. An event study design allowed each policy's impact on COVID-19 case growth to evolve over time. Adoption of government-imposed social distancing measures reduced the daily growth rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases by 5.4 percentage points after one to five days, 6.8 percentage points after six to ten days, 8.2 percentage points after eleven to fifteen days, and 9.1 percentage points after sixteen to twenty days. Holding the amount of voluntary social distancing constant, these results imply that there would have been ten times greater spread of COVID-19 by April 27 without shelter-in-place orders (ten million cases) and more than thirty-five times greater spread without any of the four measures (thirty-five million cases). Our article illustrates the potential danger of exponential spread in the absence of interventions, providing information relevant to strategies for restarting economic activity.
This study aimed to measure the exposure of residents to health education messages about non-communicable diseases (NCD)-related risk factors, and activities of village health workers (VHWs) in NCDs ...prevention and control in the mountainous setting of Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was performed in Dap Thanh commune (Ba Che, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam), a mountainous area. There were 151 residents aged 18 years or above recruited for this study. Information regarding exposure to messages about risk factors of NCDs, and activities of VHWs was collected via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify associated factors with exposing messages about NCD-related risk factors. The majority of participants heard about messages related to risk factors of NCDs in the last 30 days, from 56.3% (physical inactivity message), 59.6% (diet message), 75.5% (alcohol use message) to 79.5% (smoking message). Radio/television was the most common source of the messages (from 91.8% to 95.8%) and the majority of participants heard these messages from one source (from 77.1% to 80.9%). Most of sample reported the unavailability of VHWs in their locals (53.6%). Among locals having VHWs, health communication and education was the most common service provided (54.3%); however, only 30% received NCD management services. Participants who had other jobs were less likely to hear about diet-related messages (OR = 0.32; 95%CI = 0.11-0.92), and those ever smoking were more likely to hear these messages in the last 30 days (OR = 6.86; 95%CI = 1.06-44.51). People who had diabetes mellitus were more likely to hear physical activity-related messages in the last 30 days (OR = 2.55; 95%CI = 1.20-5.41). Our findings indicated that health communication regarding risk factors of NCDs in mountainous areas in Vietnam was insufficient, and the role of health workers as formal information source was not recognized. Efforts should be made to increase the capacity and involvement of VHWs in health education and NCD prevention in mountainous regions.
Objective
HLA alleles affect susceptibility to more than 100 diseases, but the mechanisms that account for these genotype–disease associations are largely unknown. HLA alleles strongly influence ...predisposition to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Both AS and RA patients have discrete intestinal and fecal microbiome signatures. Whether these changes are the cause or consequence of the diseases themselves is unclear. To distinguish these possibilities, we examined the effect of HLA–B27 and HLA–DRB1 RA risk alleles on the composition of the intestinal microbiome in healthy individuals.
Methods
Five hundred sixty‐eight stool and biopsy samples from 6 intestinal sites were collected from 107 healthy unrelated subjects, and stool samples were collected from 696 twin pairs from the TwinsUK cohort. Microbiome profiling was performed using sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA bacterial marker gene. All subjects were genotyped using the Illumina CoreExome SNP microarray, and HLA genotypes were imputed from these data.
Results
Associations were observed between the overall microbial composition and both the HLA–B27 genotype and the HLA–DRB1 RA risk allele (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.00001, respectively). These associations were replicated using the stool samples from the TwinsUK cohort (P = 0.023 and P = 0.033, respectively).
Conclusion
This study shows that the changes in intestinal microbiome composition seen in AS and RA are at least partially due to effects of HLA‐B27 and HLA–DRB1 on the gut microbiome. These findings support the hypothesis that HLA alleles operate to cause or increase the risk of these diseases through interaction with the intestinal microbiome and suggest that therapies targeting the microbiome may be effective in preventing or treating these diseases.
Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to study the localizations of the wave functions at donor and acceptor ground states in the P–B codoped silicon (Si) nanostructures. In bulk ...Si, the wave function extension at the ground state is characterized by the Bohr radius, which is significantly reduced in Si nanostructures due to quantum confinement. I show that, in addition to quantum confinement, the P–B codoping further localizes the electron wave function at the dopant site by the charge transfer between the P-donor and the B-acceptor. On the other hand, proximity between the P-donor and B-acceptor delocalizes the electron wave function at the dopant ground state. This effect becomes dominant when the P–B separation approaches direct coupling, suggesting the importance of P–B distance in nanoscale P–B codoped Si nanostructures in controlling the optical and electronic properties.
The development of spinel ferrite nanomaterial (SFN)-based hybrid architectures has become more popular owing to the fascinating physicochemical properties of SFNs, such as their good electro-optical ...and catalytic properties, high chemothermal stability, ease of functionalization, and superparamagnetic behaviour. Furthermore, achieving the perfect combination of SFNs and different nanomaterials has promised to open up many unique synergistic effects and advantages. Inspired by the above-mentioned noteworthy properties, numerous and varied applications have been recently developed, such as energy storage in lithium-ion batteries, environmental pollutant monitoring, and, especially, biomedical applications. In this review, recent development efforts relating to SFN-based hybrid designs are described in detail and logically, classified according to 4 major hybrid structures: SFNs/carbonaceous nanomaterials; SFNs/metal-metal oxides; SFNs/MS
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; and SFNs/other materials. The underlying advantages of the additional interactions and combinations of effects, compared to the standalone components, and the potential uses have been analyzed and assessed for each hybrid structure in relation to lithium-ion battery, environmental, and biomedical applications.
We have summarized recent developments in SFN-based hybrid designs. The additional interactions, combination effects, and important changes have been analyzed and assessed for LIB, environmental monitoring, and biomedical applications.
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