This paper proposes a three-stage procedure for parametric identification of piecewise affine autoregressive exogenous (PWARX) models. The first stage simultaneously classifies the data points and ...estimates the number of submodels and the corresponding parameters by solving the partition into a minimum number of feasible subsystems (MIN PFS) problem for a suitable set of linear complementary inequalities derived from data. Second, a refinement procedure reduces misclassifications and improves parameter estimates. The third stage determines a polyhedral partition of the regressor set via two-class or multiclass linear separation techniques. As a main feature, the algorithm imposes that the identification error is bounded by a quantity /spl delta/. Such a bound is a useful tuning parameter to trade off between quality of fit and model complexity. The performance of the proposed PWA system identification procedure is demonstrated via numerical examples and on experimental data from an electronic component placement process in a pick-and-place machine.
When two vortices cross, each of them breaks into two parts and exchanges part of itself for part of the other. This process, called vortex reconnection, occurs in classical and superfluids, and in ...magnetized plasmas and superconductors. We present the first experimental observations of reconnection between quantized vortices in superfluid helium. We do so by imaging micrometer-sized solid hydrogen particles trapped on quantized vortex cores and by inferring the occurrence of reconnection from the motions of groups of recoiling particles. We show that the distance separating particles on the just-reconnected vortex lines grows as a power law in time. The average value of the scaling exponent is approximately 1/2, consistent with the self-similar evolution of the vortices.
By analyzing trajectories of solid hydrogen tracers, we find that the distributions of velocity in decaying quantum turbulence in superfluid 4He are strongly non-Gaussian with 1/v(3) power-law tails. ...These features differ from the near-Gaussian statistics of homogenous and isotropic turbulence of classical fluids. We examine the dynamics of many events of reconnection between quantized vortices and show by simple scaling arguments that they produce the observed power-law tails.
Display omitted
An emerging strategy to improve adhesiveness of biomaterials in wet conditions takes inspiration from the adhesive features of marine mussel, which reside in the chemical reactivity ...of catechols. In this work, a catechol-bearing molecule (dopamine) was chemically grafted onto alginate to develop a polysaccharide-based membrane with improved adhesive properties. The dopamine-modified alginates were characterized by NMR, UV spectroscopy and in vitro biocompatibility. Mechanical tests and in vitro adhesion studies pointed out the effects of the grafted dopamine within the membranes. The release of HA from these resorbable membranes was shown to stimulate fibroblasts activities (in vitro). Finally, a preliminary in vivo test was performed to evaluate the adhesiveness of the membrane on porcine intestine (serosa). Overall, this functionalized membrane was shown to be biocompatible and to possess considerable adhesive properties owing to the presence of dopamine residues grafted on the alginate backbone.
This article describes the development of a mussels-inspired strategy for the development of an adhesive polysaccharide-based membrane for wound healing applications. Bioadhesion was achieved by grafting dopamine moieties on the structural component on the membrane (alginate): this novel biomaterial showed improved adhesiveness to the intestinal tissue, which was demonstrated by both in vitro and in vivo studies. Overall, this study points out how this nature-inspired strategy may be successfully exploited for the development of novel engineered biomaterials with enhanced bioadhesion, thus opening for novel applications in the field of general surgery.
Allium sativum
L. grown in Latium (central Italy) was shown to be infected by several common garlic viruses of the genera
Potyvirus
,
Carlavirus
and
Allexivirus
. Multiple viral infection with ...members of all three genera was found in most samples. In particular, the allexiviruses
Garlic virus B
(GarV-B),
Garlic virus D
(GarV-D) and
Garlic virus X
(GarV-X) were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay using both degenerate genus-specific and species-specific primer sets. Moreover, molecular phylogenetic relationships among the Italian isolates of GarV-B, GarV-D and GarV-X and isolates of the same and other allexivirus species were analyzed in a region including partial coat protein and nucleic acid binding protein (CP-NABP) genes. The present study reports the molecular characterization of one isolate of GarV-D and one isolate of GarV-X distantly related to those previously identified in Italy. Moreover, this is the first report of GarV-B in Italy.
Background. The ‘RISchio CArdiovascolare nei pazienti afferenti all’ Area Vasta In Dialisi' (RISCAVID) study is an observational and prospective trial including the whole chronic haemodialysis (HD) ...population in the northwest part of Tuscany (1.235 million people). The aim of the study was to elucidate the relevance of traditional and non-traditional risk factors of mortality and morbidity in HD patients as well as the impact of different HD modalities. Methods. A total of 757 HD patients (mean age 66 ± 14 years, mean dialytic age 70 ± 76 months, diabetes 19%) were prospectively followed up for 30 months and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and non-fatal CV events (acute myocardial infarction and stroke) were registered. At the time of the enrolment, demographic, clinical and laboratory data of the whole population were entered into a centralized database. Serum albumin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were centrally determined at the start of the study. Patients were stratified into three groups according to the HD modality: standard bicarbonate HD (BHD) (n = 424), haemodiafiltration (HDF) with sterile bags (n = 204) and online HDF (n = 129). The Cox proportional hazards regression assessed adjusted differences in CV morbidity and mortality risk; a multivariate analysis was also performed. Results. All-cause and CV mortality was 12.9%/year and 5.9%/year, respectively. Patients with combined high levels of CRP and pro-inflammatory cytokines showed an increased risk for CV (RR 1.9, P < 0.001) and all-cause mortality (RR 2.57, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis adjusted for comorbidity and demographic showed CRP as the most powerful mortality predictor (P < 0.001) followed by IL-6. The Cox proportional hazards regression assessed that online HDF and HDF patients had a significantly increased adjusted cumulative survival than BHD (P < 0.01). Conclusions. Data at 30 months from this study showed the synergic effect of CRP and pro-inflammatory cytokines as the strong predictors of all-cause and CV mortality. HDF was associated with an improved cumulative survival independent of the dialysis dose.
PDF
