111,891 research outputs found
On the solution of the constrained multiobjective control problem with the receding horizon approach
No full textsummary:This paper deals with a multiobjective control problem for nonlinear discrete time systems. The problem consists of finding a control strategy which minimizes a number of performance indexes subject to state and control constraints. A solution to this problem through the Receding Horizon approach is proposed. Under standard assumptions, it is shown that the resulting control law guarantees closed-loop stability. The proposed method is also used to provide a robustly stabilizing solution to the problem of simultaneously minimizing a set of cost functions for a class of systems subject to bounded disturbances and/or parameter uncertainties. Numeric examples are reported to highlight the stabilizing action of the proposed control laws
Modelling the Volumetric Efficiency of IC Engines: Parametric, Non-Parametric and Neural Techniques
No full textThe volumetric efficiency (eta(v)) represents a measure of the effectiveness of an air pumping system, and is one of the most commonly used parameters in the characterization and control of four-stroke internal combustion engines. Physical models of eta(v) require the knowledge of some quantities usually not available in normal operating conditions, Hence, a purely black-box approach is often used to determine the dependence of eta(v) upon the main engine variables, like the crankshaft speed and the intake manifold pressure. Various black-box approaches for the estimation of eta(v) are reviewed, from parametric (polynomial-type) models, to non-parametric and neural techniques, like additive models, radial basis function neural networks and multi-layer perceptrons. The benefits and limitations of these approaches are examined and compared. The problem considered here can be viewed as a realistic benchmark for different estimation techniques
Kv1.3 K+ Channel Physiology Assessed by Genetic and Pharmacological Modulation
No full textPotassium channels are widespread over all kingdoms and play an important role in the maintenance of cellular ionic homeostasis. Kv1.3 is a voltage-gated potassium channel of the Shaker family with a wide tissue expression and a well-defined pharmacology. In recent decades, experiments mainly based on pharmacological modulation of Kv1.3 have highlighted its crucial contribution to different fundamental processes such as regulation of proliferation, apoptosis, and metabolism. These findings link channel function to various pathologies ranging from autoimmune diseases to obesity and cancer. In the present review, we briefly summarize studies employing Kv1.3 knockout animal models to confirm such roles and discuss the findings in comparison to the results obtained by pharmacological modulation of Kv1.3 in various pathophysiological settings. We also underline how these studies contributed to our understanding of channel function in vivo and propose possible future directions
author-bios-SRD-19-0063.R1 – Supplemental material for The Network Structure of Police Misconduct
No full textSupplemental material, author-bios-SRD-19-0063.R1 for The Network Structure of Police Misconduct by George Wood, Daria Roithmayr and Andrew V. Papachristos in Socius</p
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Interplay between gut microbiota and p66Shc affects obesity-associated insulin resistance
No full textThe 66 kDa isoform of the mammalian Shc gene promotes adipogenesis, and p66Shc2/2 mice accumulate less body weight than wild-type (WT) mice. As the metabolic consequences of the leaner phenotype of p66Shc2/2 mice is debated, we hypothesized that gut microbiota may be involved. We confirmed that p66Shc2/2 mice gained less weight than WT mice when on a high-fat diet (HFD), but they were not protected from insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. p66Shc deletion significantly modified the composition of gut microbiota and their modification after an HFD. This was associated with changes in gene expression of Il-1b and regenerating islet-derived protein 3 g (Reg3g) in the gut and in systemic trimethylamine N-oxide and branched chain amino acid levels, despite there being no difference in intestinal structure and permeability. Depleting gut microbiota at the end of HFD rendered both strains more glucose tolerant but improved insulin sensitivity only in p66Shc2/2 mice. Microbiota-depleted WT mice cohoused with microbiota-competent p66Shc2/2 mice became significantly more insulin resistant than WT mice cohoused with WT mice, despite no difference in weight gain. These findings reconcile previous inconsistent observations on the metabolic phenotype of p66Shc2/2 mice and illustrate the complex microbiome–host–genotype interplay under metabolic stress.—Ciciliot, S., Albiero, M., Campanaro, S., Poncina, N., Tedesco, S., Scattolini, V., Dalla Costa, F., Cignarella, A., Vettore, M., Di Gangi, I. M., Bogialli, S., Avogaro, A., Fadini, G. P. Interplay between gut microbiota and p66Shc affects obesity-associated insulin resistance. FASEB J. 32, 4004–4015 (2018). www.fasebj.or
Interplay between gut microbiota and p66Shc affects obesity-associated insulin resistance
No full textThe 66 kDa isoform of the mammalian Shc gene promotes adipogenesis, and p66Shc-/-mice accumulate less body weight than wild-type (WT) mice. As the metabolic consequences of the leaner phenotype of p66Shc-/-mice is debated, we hypothesized that gut microbiota may be involved. We confirmed that p66Shc-/-mice gained less weight than WT mice when on a high-fat diet (HFD), but they were not protected from insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. p66Shc deletion significantly modified the composition of gut microbiota and their modification after an HFD. This was associated with changes in gene expression of Il-1b and regenerating islet-derived protein 3 γ ( Reg3g) in the gut and in systemic trimethylamine N-oxide and branched chain amino acid levels, despite there being no difference in intestinal structure and permeability. Depleting gut microbiota at the end of HFD rendered both strains more glucose tolerant but improved insulin sensitivity only in p66Shc-/-mice. Microbiota-depleted WT mice cohoused with microbiota-competent p66Shc-/-mice became significantly more insulin resistant than WT mice cohoused with WT mice, despite no difference in weight gain. These findings reconcile previous inconsistent observations on the metabolic phenotype of p66Shc-/-mice and illustrate the complex microbiome-host-genotype interplay under metabolic stress.-Ciciliot, S., Albiero, M., Campanaro, S., Poncina, N., Tedesco, S., Scattolini, V., Dalla Costa, F., Cignarella, A., Vettore, M., Di Gangi, I. M., Bogialli, S., Avogaro, A., Fadini, G. P. Interplay between gut microbiota and p66Shc affects obesity-associated insulin resistance
Reduced interoceptive accuracy in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder : A case-control study
No full textAccording to traditional and recent literature, one of the core features of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is pathological doubt, defined as a lack of certitude or confidence in one's memory, attention, intuition, and perceptions. Recent studies have shown that uncertainty, amongst other cognitive and emotional processes, might be linked to an impairment in interoceptive abilities. Here we aimed to assess Interoceptive Accuracy (IA) in a population of OCD patients, and to determine whether alexithymia and symptoms of depression and anxiety would be associated with IA. We recruited 18 patients with OCD and 18 healthy controls (HC). Interoceptive accuracy was tested with the Heartbeat Counting Task. Participants also underwent a psychometric assessment for Obsessions and Compulsions (Y-BOCS), Alexithymia (TAS-20), Impulsivity (BIS-11), Anxiety and Depression (HAM-A and HAM-D). OCD patients had lower Interoceptive Accuracy than HC (p = 0.016) and presented more anxiety and depressive symptoms, along with more alexithymic features than HC. However, these psychological elements were not associated with the reduced IA. This study replicates previous findings and fits with the current literature investigating interoceptive abilities in patients with OCD, which might be used to design specific therapeutic interventions focused on internal bodily signals
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