In this paper, automatic motion control is investigated for wheeled inverted pendulum (WIP) models, which have been widely applied for modeling of a large range of two wheeled modern vehicles. First, ...the underactuated WIP model is decomposed into a fully actuated second-order subsystem Σ a consisting of planar movement of vehicle forward motion and yaw angular motions, and a passive (nonactuated) first-order subsystem Σ b of pendulum tilt motion. Due to the unknown dynamics of subsystem Σ a and universal approximation ability of neural network (NN), an adaptive NN scheme has been employed for motion control of subsystem Σ a . Model reference approach has been used, whereas the reference model is optimized by finite time linear quadratic regulation technique. Inspired by human control strategy of inverted pendulum, the tilt angular motion in the passive subsystem Σ b has been indirectly controlled using the dynamic coupling with planar forward motion of subsystem Σ a , such that the satisfactory tracking of set tilt angle can be guaranteed. Rigorous theoretic analysis has been established, and simulation studies have been performed to demonstrate the developed method.
Tumor‐infiltrating monocytes can mature into Macrophages that support tumor survival or that display antitumor properties. To explore mechanisms steering Macrophage maturation, we assessed the ...effects of supernatants from squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (FaDu and SCC) on monocyte‐derived Macrophage maturation. Purified monocytes were incubated in medium or medium supplemented with supernatants from FaDu and SCC9 or the leukemia monocytic cell line, THP‐1. Macrophages were examined for markers of maturation (CD14, CD68), activation (HLA‐DR, CD86, IL15R), scavenger receptor (CD36), toll‐like receptor (TLR4), M2 marker (CD206), immune checkpoint (PD‐L1), and intracellular chemokine expression (IP‐10). Compared to other conditions, cells incubated with FaDu or SCC9 supernatants displayed enhanced survival, down‐regulation of cell surface HLA‐DR, CD86, IL‐15R, CD36, and intracellular IP‐10 expression, and increased cell surface PD‐L1, CD14, and CD206 expression. Despite expressing TLR4 and CD14, Macrophages matured in tumor supernatants failed to respond to stimulation with the canonical TLR4 agonist, LPS. These changes were accompanied by a decrease in intracellular phospho‐p38 expression in tumor supernatant conditioned Macrophages. Depletion of fatty acids from tumor supernatants or treatment of cell cultures with an inhibitor of fatty acid oxidation, Etomoxir, reversed a number of these phenotypic changes induced by tumor supernatants. Additionally, Macrophages incubated with either palmitic acid or oleic acid developed similar phenotypes as cells incubated in tumor supernatants. Together, these data suggest that fatty acids derived from tumor cells can mediate the maturation of Macrophages into a cell type with limited pro‐inflammatory characteristics.
Graphical
Fatty Acids from head and neck tumor cell lines mediate maturation of macrophages into cells with a limited pro‐inflammatory phenotype.
Cell expansion is a key determinant for the final size and shape of plant organ, and is regulated by various phytohormones. Zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) consist of a superfamily involved in multiple ...aspects of organ morphogenesis. However, little is known about WIP-type ZFP function in phytohormone-mediated organ growth.
Using reverse genetics, RNA-seq and phytohormone quantification, we elucidated the role of a new WIP-type ZFP from Gerbera hybrida, GhWIP2, in controlling organ growth via regulation of cell expansion.
GhWIP2 localizes to the nucleus and acts as a transcriptional repressor. Constitutive overexpression of GhWIP2 (GhWIP2OE) in both Gerbera and Arabidopsis thaliana caused major developmental defects associated with cell expansion, including dwarfism, short petals, scapes, and petioles. Furthermore, GhWIP2OE plants were hypersensitive to GA, but not to ABA, and showed a reduction in endogenous GA and auxin, but not ABA concentrations. Consistent with these observations, RNA-seq analysis revealed that genes involved in GA and auxin signaling were down-regulated, while those involved in ABA signaling were upregulated in GhWIP2OE plants.
Our findings suggest that GhWIP2 acts as a transcriptional repressor, suppressing cell expansion during organ growth by modulating crosstalk between GA, ABA, and auxin.
The typical problems facing garment manufacturers are long production lead time, bottlenecking, and low productivity. The most critical phase of garment manufacturing is the sewing phase, as it ...generally involves a number of operations or for the simple reason that it’s labor intensive. In assembly line balancing, allocation of jobs to machines is based on the objective of minimizing the workflow among the operators, reducing the throughput time as well as the work in progress and thus increasing the productivity. Sharing a job of work between several people is called division of labor. Division of labor should be balanced equally by ensuring the time spent at each station approximately the same. Each individual step in the assembly of product has to be analyzed carefully, and allocated to stations in a balanced way over the available workstations. Each operator then carries out operations properly and the work flow is synchronized. In a detailed work flow, synchronized line includes short distances between stations, low volume of work in process, precise of planning of production times, and predictable production quantity. This study deals with modeling of assembly line balancing by combining both manual line balancing techniques with computer simulation to find the optimal solution in the sewing line of Almeda textile plc so as to improve productivity. In this research arena software, is employed to model and measure the performance of the existing and proposed sewing line of the federal police trousers sewing line model. For each operation, the researchers have taken 15 sampling observations using stopwatch and recorded the result. All the collected data are statistically analyzed with arena input analyzer for statistical significance and determination of expressions to be used to the simulation modeling; SAM is also calculated for these operations to be used to the manual line balancing. An existing systems simulation model is developed and run for 160 replications by the researchers to measure the current performance of the system in terms of resource utilization, WIP, and waiting time. The existing systems average utilization is 0.53 with a line efficiency of 42%. This study has developed a new Sewing assembly line model which has increased the system utilization to 0.69 at a line efficiency of 58.42% without incurring additional cost.
Extended Fer‐CIP4 homology (EFC)/FCH‐BAR (F‐BAR) domains generate and bind to tubular membrane structures of defined diameters that are involved in the formation and fission of endocytotic vesicles. ...Formin‐binding protein 17 (FBP17) and Toca‐1 contain EFC/F‐BAR domains and bind to neural Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (N‐WASP), which links phosphatidylinositol (4,5)‐bisphosphate (PIP2) and the Rho family GTPase Cdc42 to the Arp2/3 complex. The N‐WASP–WASP‐interacting protein (WIP) complex, a predominant form of N‐WASP in cells, is known to be activated by Toca‐1 and Cdc42. Here, we show that N‐WASP–WIP complex‐mediated actin polymerization is activated by phosphatidylserine‐containing membranes depending on membrane curvature in the presence of Toca‐1 or FBP17 and in the absence of Cdc42 and PIP2. Cdc42 further promoted the activation of actin polymerization by N‐WASP–WIP. Toca‐1 or FBP17 recruited N‐WASP–WIP to the membrane. Conserved acidic residues near the SH3 domain of Toca‐1 and FBP17 positioned the N‐WASP–WIP to be spatially close to the membrane for activation of actin polymerization. Therefore, curvature‐dependent actin polymerization is stimulated by spatially appropriate interactions of EFC/F‐BAR proteins and the N‐WASP–WIP complex with the membrane.
Mass-customization production (MCP) companies must fight with shop-floor uncertainty and complexity caused by wide variety of product components. The research is motivated by a typical MCP company ...that has experienced inefficient scheduling due to paper-based identification and manual data collection. This paper presents an RFID-enabled real-time manufacturing execution system (RT-MES). RFID devices are deployed systematically on the shop-floor to track and trace manufacturing objects and collect real-time production data. Disturbances are identified and controlled within RT-MES. Planning and scheduling decisions are more practically and precisely made and executed. Online facilities are provided to visualize and manage real-time dynamics of shop-floor WIP (work-in-progress) items. A case study is reported in a collaborating company which manufactures large-scale and heavy-duty machineries. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed RT-MES are evaluated with real-life industrial data for shop-floor production management in terms of workers, machines and materials.
► RFID technology is deployed to MCP concerned manufacturing objects to capture real-time data. ► Disturbances are captured by RFID to form a real-time adaptive decision mode. ► Any movements of materials are captured by RFID and WIP inventory level is reduced finally.
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, WAS/WAVE, is a rare, X-linked immune-deficiency disease caused by mutations in the
gene, which together with its homolog, N-
, regulates actin cytoskeleton remodeling and ...cell motility. WAS patients suffer from microthrombocytopenia, characterized by a diminished number and size of platelets, though the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we identified FLI1 as a direct transcriptional regulator of
and its binding partner
. Depletion of either
or
in human erythroleukemic cells accelerated cell proliferation, suggesting tumor suppressor function of both genes in leukemia. Depletion of
also led to a significant reduction in the percentage of CD41 and CD61 positive cells, which mark committed megakaryocytes. RNAseq analysis revealed common changes in megakaryocytic gene expression following FLI1 or WASP knockdown. However, in contrast to FLI1, WASP depletion did not alter expression of late-stage platelet-inducing genes. N-WASP was not regulated by FLI1, yet its silencing also reduced the percentage of CD41+ and CD61+ megakaryocytes. Moreover, combined knockdown of WASP and N-WASP further suppressed megakaryocyte differentiation, indicating a major cooperation of these related genes in controlling megakaryocytic cell fate. However, unlike WASP/WIP, N-WASP loss suppressed leukemic cell proliferation. WASP, WIP and N-WASP depletion led to induction of FLI1 expression, mediated by GATA1, and this may mitigate the severity of platelet deficiency in WAS patients. Together, these results uncover a crucial role for FLI1 in megakaryocyte differentiation, implicating this transcription factor in regulating microthrombocytopenia associated with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
Geochemical parameters obtained from the analysis of sediments and sedimentary rocks are widely used to infer weathering and paleo-weathering conditions in source areas. Chemical indices of ...weathering, however, may not reflect weathering only, or even principally. The concentration of chemical elements in terrigenous sediments is constrained by the original mineralogy of source rocks, and is thus provenance-dependent. Moreover, the mineralogy and consequently the geochemistry of sediments may undergo substantial modifications by diverse physical processes during transport and deposition, including recycling and hydraulic sorting by size, density or shape, and/or by chemical dissolution and precipitation during diagenesis.
Around the island of Taiwan, temperature and rainfall are consistently high and relatively homogeneous, and no significant correlation is observed between geochemical and climatic parameters. Physical erosion, fostered by landslides induced by frequent earthquakes and typhoons, prevails because of high relief and extreme rates of tectonic uplift. In such a dynamic orogenic setting, all chemical indices of weathering are controlled principally by the geology of source terranes. Sedimentaclastic and metasedimentaclastic sands carried by western Taiwan rivers draining the pro-wedge display the strongest depletion in Na, Ca, Mg and Sr relative to average upper continental crust, and no depletion or even enrichment in K, Rb and Ba. Low WIP indices reflect erosion of phyllosilicate-dominated rocks in the Slate Belt and extensive recycling of clastic rocks exposed in the Western Foothills. Instead, metamorphiclastic sands carried by eastern Taiwan rivers draining the retro-wedge show no depletion or even enrichment in Mg and Ca, and low CIA and PIA, reflecting contributions from the Tailuko Belt and Coastal Range. Volcaniclastic sands have the same CIA values of their andesitic source rocks (47±1 versus 47±7), indicating that weathering is subordinate both along the eastern side of the island and at its northern edge where annual rainfall is double.
Full caution is required when chemical weathering indices are used to extract climatic and paleoclimatic information from the sedimentary archive, especially in the case of diagenized sandstones where commonly massive precipitation of authigenic carbonate is very difficult to accurately correct for, especially in the absence of detailed petrographic and mineralogical data.
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•Mechanical strengths improve by up to 1215% for tensile, 1280% for compressive, and 535% for flexural.•Up to 195.2% increase in the infiltration volume of epoxy resin is ...reported.•High density of parts through clear reduction of voids is achieved.•Appropriate considerations for infiltrants for infiltration and warm isostatic pressing are taken.
Binder jetting (BJ) leads to low mechanical properties and high porosity because it uses binders to selectively bind powder materials. To overcome the poor characteristics of BJ parts, infiltration is a generally applied post-process; however, it results in a low infiltration volume and large number of residual voids in the uninfiltrated section. This study aims to effectively improve the mechanical properties, microstructure, and density of polymer-based BJ parts by overcoming limitations of infiltration process via warm isostatic pressing (WIP) that applies heat and pressure. The infiltrated specimens with epoxy are vacuum-packed, and the WIP process is performed at a target temperature of 130 °C and pressure of 8 MPa. Consequently, the infiltration volume increases by up to 195.2%, and the number of residual voids in the uninfiltrated section, where the infiltrants do not reach, is significantly reduced. Further, in terms of the mechanical properties, the tensile strength increases by 1215%, compressive strength by 1280%, and flexural strength by 535%. In addition, the results of transmission, scanning electron microscopy, and microcomputer X-ray tomography reveal a clear decrease in the number of voids.
•Total porosity measurement for gas shales without using crushed rock is presented.•The method uses a modified saturation – immersion technique with deionized water.•Porosity values are reproducible ...within a low average absolute uncertainty.•Swelling in gas shales during saturation with deionized water is not significant.•Solvent extraction pretreatment can remove solid organic matter.
Over the past decade interest in shale properties has increased due to the commercial success of gas shale plays. Despite their commercial importance, porosity measurement from gas shale samples is still challenging due to their extremely low permeability and complex pore structure. This leads to a significant uncertainty in the economic assessment of these plays. The current energy industry standard technique for measuring porosity in gas shales is based on methodology developed by the Gas Research Institute (GRI) that involves crushing a rock and aggressive pretreatment. The objective of this study is to develop an alternative method of measuring total porosity in gas shales. A porosity measurement using a liquid saturation and immersion technique with deionized water was adopted and modified for such applications. The water immersion porosimetry (WIP) technique was used to measure total porosity of shale samples from an Eastern Europe Silurian gas shale play and the Haynesville Shale from East Texas, USA. The samples were characterized for whole rock quantitative mineral and elemental composition, along with cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic matter. The results from the WIP measurements are compared with other standard techniques including the GRI method and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). An assessment of the advantages, potential errors, pitfalls and reproducibility of this method are also presented.
The experimental results indicate that WIP provides (i) highly reproducible porosity, grain density, and bulk density measurements for gas shales, (ii) the average absolute experimental uncertainty is ±0.22 porosity unit (p.u.), compared to the reported uncertainty level of 0.5p.u. for GRI measurements, (iii) standard MIP techniques systematically underestimate the porosity and grain density compared to WIP, because mercury cannot access the entire pore structure in shales, and (iv) grain density values obtained by the GRI method in samples with high organic matter content are higher compared to WIP measurements, probably because of dissolution of solid organic matter during solvent extraction pretreatment.
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