Reliability of disturbance rejection control based on the geometrical disturbance decoupling

In this note, a reliable disturbance decoupled control system based on the geometrical technique is proposed. For this purpose, first, the conditions for nominal disturbance detection and rejection is introduced by using invariant subspaces. Then, the fragility issue of the controller/observer is addressed with appropriate H_∞ constraints in the form of some linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). In contrast to conventional pole placement method suitable for systems by neglecting sources of uncertainty, in the presented method, the disturbance rejection problem reduces to a quadratic stability problem. It is observed that the proposed method has a better attenuation performance than classical observer-based non-fragile controller. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Sensitivity and stability in stochastic data envelopment analysis

Sensitivity and stability for Banker's model of Stochastic Data Envelopment Analysis (SDEA) is studied in this paper. In the case of the DEA model, necessary and sufficient conditions to preserve the efficiency of efficient decision-making units (DMUs) and the inefficiency of inefficient DMUs are obtained for different perturbations of data in the model. The cases of perturbations of all inputs, of perturbations of output and of the simultaneous perturbations of output and all inputs are considered. An illustrative example is provided.     

Combining size-exclusion chromatography and fully automated chip-based nanoelectrospray quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry for structural analysis of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate in human decorin

Chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) chain of decorin (DCN) from human skin fibroblasts (HSk) was released by reductive β-elimination reaction and digested with chondroitin AC I lyase. Enzymatic hydrolysis mixture of CS/DS chains was separated by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Collected octasaccharide fraction was subjected to fully automated chip-based nanoelectrospray (nanoESI) quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) MS and tandem MS (MS/MS). MS of human skin fibroblasts DCN CS/DS displayed a high complexity due to the large variety of glycoforms, which under chip-nanoESI MS readily ionized to form multiply charged ions. Except for the regularly tetrasulfated octasaccharide, the investigated fraction contained four additional octasaccharides of atypical sulfation status. Two new oversulfated glycoforms and two undersulfated species were identified. Remarkably, the series of decasaccharides discovered in the same SEC pool was found to encompass a trisulfated and a novel hexasulfated [4,5-Δ-GlcAGalNAc(IdoAGalNAc)?] species. MS/MS by collision-induced dissociation (CID) on the [M-4H]? ion corresponding to the previously not reported [4,5-Δ-GlcAGalNAc(IdoAGalNAc)?](5S) corroborated for a novel motif in which three N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) moieties are monosulfated, 4,5-Δ-GlcA and the first IdoA from the non-reducing end bear one sulfate group each, while the second N-acetylgalactosamine from the reducing end is unsulfated.     

Comparative analysis of CE‐SSCP to standard RFLP‐CE‐FLA method in quantification of known viral variants within an RNA virus quasispecies

RNA viruses display the highest replication error rate in our biosphere, leading to highly diverse viral populations termed quasispecies. The gold standard method for detection and quantification of variants in a quasispecies is cloning and sequencing, but it is expensive, laborious and time consuming. Therefore, other mutation detection approaches, including SSCP, are often used. In this study, we demonstrate development and the usage of a CE‐SSCP method for quantification of two nearly identical viral variants in heterogenic population of a mumps virus strain and its comparison to RFLP‐CE‐fragment length analysis (RFLP‐CE‐FLA). Analyzed PCR fragments were of the same size (245 bp) with one difference in their nucleotide sequence. The limit of detection of both methods was at 5% of the minor variant. When PCR amplicons of the two variants were pooled, methods' results were very similar. On the contrary, the quantification results of samples in which variants were mixed prior to PCR showed substantial difference between the two methods. Our results indicate that although both methods can be used for detection and monitoring of a specific mutation within a viral population, caution should be taken when quantitative analysis of complex samples is based solely on results of one method.     

Exact treatment of generalized modifications of finite-dimensional systems by the LRM approach

LRM (Low Rank Modification) is a mathematical method that produces eigenvalues and eigenstates of generalized eigenvalue equations. It is similar to the perturbation expansion in that it assumes the knowledge of the eigenvalues and eigenstates of some related (unperturbed) system. However, unlike perturbation expansion, LRM produces correct results however large the modification of the original system. LRM of finite-dimensional systems is here generalized to the combined (external and internal) modifications. Parent n-dimensional system A _n containing n eigenvalues λ _i and n eigenstates \({| {\Phi_i}\rangle}\) is described by the generalized n × n eigenvalue equation. In an external modification system A _n interacts with another ρ-dimensional system B _ρ which is situated outside the system A _n . In an internal modification relatively small σ-dimensional subsystem of the parent system A _n is modified. Modified system C _n+ρ that contains external as well as internal modifications is described by the generalized (n + ρ) × (n + ρ) eigenvalue equation. This system has (n + ρ) eigenvalues \({\varepsilon_s}\) and (n + ρ) corresponding eigenstates \({| {\Psi_s}\rangle}\) . In LRM this generalized (ρ + n) × (ρ + n) eigenvalue equation is replaced with a (nonlinear) (ρ + σ) × (ρ + σ) equation which produces all eigenvalues \({\varepsilon_s \notin \left\{ {\lambda_i}\right\}}\) and all the corresponding eigenstates \({| {\Psi_s}\rangle }\) of C _{n + ρ}. Another equation produces remaining solutions (if any) that satisfy \({\varepsilon_s \in \left\{ {\lambda_i}\right\}}\) . Those two equations produce exact solution of the modified system C _{n + ρ}. If (ρ + σ) is small with respect to n, this approach is numerically much more efficient than a standard diagonalization of the original generalized eigenvalue equation. Unlike perturbation expansion, LRM produces exact results, however large modification of the parent system A _n .     

Semiquinol and phenol compounds from seven <Emphasis Type="Italic">Senecio</Emphasis> species

In this paper, examination of the aerial parts of seven Senecio species from Serbia and Montenegro is reported. Phytochemical investigation of Senecio erucifolius led to the isolation and characterization of semiquinol butyl 2-(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetate (I), along with methyl 2-(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetate (jacaranone, II), and methyl 2-(4-hidroxyphenyl)acetate (III). The structure of I was established based on spectroscopic studies (¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, IR, and CI-MS). Compound II was also isolated from S. carpathicus and S. subalpinus. The presence of jacaranone in the methanol extracts of S. wagneri, S. othonnae, and S. paludosus was confirmed by LC/ESI-TOF MS.     

Controlling the dynamics of molecular encapsulation and gating

This critical review describes mechanisms by which guest molecules enter and depart molecular capsules. The discussion focuses on presenting gated molecular encapsulation, i.e., trapping and releasing of guest molecules at rates that are controlled by conformational changes in the host's structure. Developing quantitative rules that describe the gating are, at present, a matter of scientific curiosity but could play an important role in building more effective catalysts, drug-delivery devices or membranes (105 references).     

Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite core-shell nanosphere. Part 2: Simultaneous release of a drug and a prodrug (clindamycin and clindamycin phosphate)

The novel concept of a simultaneous, controlled release of a drug and a prodrug with different physico-chemical properties was applied in order to prolong the release period of antibiotics and estimate their high local concentrations, which are the necessary preconditions for the treatment of some chronic infection diseases. For this purpose poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite (PLGA/HAp) core-shell nanostructures were used as the carrier of clindamycin-base, as a drug, and clindamycin-2-phosphate, as a prodrug model. As a result, a two-step release was observed: the controlled release of the more soluble phosphate form and the sustained release of the less-soluble base form of clindamycin, resulting in a high overall concentration of the released drug during the period of 30 days in vitro. The HAp phase within the PLGA core-shells, applied as a drug carrier, delayed the process of the degradation of the polymer; however, the presence of the drug affected the process of degradation and this influence was the dominant factor in the control over the degradation of the polymer phase of PLGA/HAp and the consequent kinetics of the drug release.     

Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite core-shell nanospheres. Part 3: properties of hydroxyapatite nano-rods and investigation of a distribution of the drug within the composite

A step-by-step analysis of the formation and the drug loading of the poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite (PLGA/HAp) composite was carried out in a perspective of the following parameters: the structure, the morphology and the adsorption/desorption properties of the composite's bioceramic part. The authors demonstrated the importance of the material's capacity to form a fine dispersion of solid HAp particles, as an initial step, for the further loading of the drug and for the formation of the core-shell structures. The nanometer-sized rods of HAp have the capacity of ensuring a rapid adsorption and a controlled desorption of the drug from their surface, and they can act as a nucleating site for the formation of polymeric cores. Each component of this material was labeled with fluorescence dye, which enabled an insight into the distribution of the components in the core-shells that were obtained as the final outcome. Such an analysis showed a high level of uniformity among the cores enclosed within polymeric shells. From a practical perspective, the labeling of each component of the composite can be regarded as an additional functionality of the material: labeling can enable us to monitor its action during the healing process. This ability to be easily detected is expected to enhance the procedure for the controlled delivery of antibiotics after their local implantation of carriers loaded with the antibiotic and to provide more careful control over this process.