An H∞non‐fragile observer‐based adaptive sliding mode controller design for uncertain fractional‐order nonlinear systems with time delay and input nonlinearity

In this paper the problem of non‐fragile adaptive sliding mode observer design is addressed for a class of nonlinear fractional‐order time‐delay systems with uncertainties, external disturbance, exogenous noise, and input nonlinearity. An H_∞ observer‐based adaptive sliding mode control considering the non‐fragility of the observer is proposed for this system. The sufficient asymptotic stability conditions are derived in the form of linear matrix inequalities. It is proven that the sliding surface is reachable in finite time. An illustrative example is provided which corroborates the effectiveness of the theoretical results.     

Numerical investigation of the configuration of the pools on the flow pattern passing over pooled stepped spillway in skimming flow regime

Spillways are hydraulic structures which transfer water to the downstream. Stepped spillways areseriously attended to, since they are highly efficient regarding energy dissipation. In this study, the flow pattern over stepped spillways was simulated with five different pool configurations. The VOF method was used to simulate the flow free surface, and K??(RNG) was employed to model turbulence. The results obtained fromthe numerical model were fairly consistent with the experimental results. The results demonstrated that theflow velocity and the residual head showed significant differences in the spillway width with regard to different pool configurations. The pool configuration in which the pools were installed as staggered configuration of flat and pooled steps showed the least residual head at the downstream and as a result the greatest energy dissipation.     

Comparative evaluation of the antioxidant potential of some Iranian medicinal plants

Medicinal plants are a source for a wide variety of natural antioxidants. In the study reported here, we have conducted a comparative study between five medicinal plants having the same geographic origin: the Hamadan region in the west of Iran and growing in the same natural conditions. The amount of total phenolics and total flavonoids for parts of these plants used in Iranian popular medicine were evaluated. Furthermore, antioxidant activities for these parts using vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) test were also evaluated. The results show that the antioxidant activities varied greatly among the different plant parts used in this study and some plants are rich in natural antioxidants especially leaves of Lavandula officinalis and of Melissa officinalis. A positive correlation between total phenolic or flavonoid contents and VCEAC was found with a correlation coefficient of R² = 0.961 and R² = 0.817, respectively. These findings show that phenolics in these plants provide substantial antioxidant activity.     

Optimization of peroxidase-catalyzed oxidative coupling process for phenol removal from wastewater using response surface methodology

Hydroxylated aromatic compounds (HACs) are considered to be primary pollutants in a wide variety of industrial wastewaters. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is suitable for the removal of these toxic substances. However, development of a mathematical model and optimization of the HRP-based treatment considering the economical issues by novel methods is a necessity. In the present study, optimization of phenol removal from wastewater by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD). As the initial experimental design, 2(4-1) half-fraction factorial design (H-FFD) is accomplished in triplicate at two levels to select the most significant factors and interactions in the phenol removal procedure. Temperature (degrees C), pH, concentration of enzyme (unit mL(-1)), and H202 (mM) were determined as the most effective independent variables. Finally, a fourfactor-five coded level CCD, 30 runs, was performed in order to fit a second-order polynomial function to the results and calculate the economically optimum conditions of the reaction. The goodness of the model was checked by different criteria including the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.93), the corresponding analysis of variance ((Pmodel > F) < 0.0001) and parity plot (r = 0.96). These analyses indicated that the fitted model is appropriate for this enzymatic system. With the assumption that the minimum enzyme concentration was 0.26 unit mL(-1), the analysis of the response surface contour and surface plots defined the optimum conditions as follows: pH = 7.12, hydrogen peroxide concentration 1.72 mM, and 10 degrees C. This work improves phenol removal operation economically by applying minimum enzyme concentration and highest removal in comparison with previous studies.     

A 24-channel implantable neural recording based on time and frequency-division multiplexing

This paper presents a novel approach to encapsulate prerecorded neural signals in implantable neural recording microsystems. We have increased the number of channels and the reconstructed neural signal quality in the receiver by combining time-division-multiplexing (TDM) and frequency-division-multiplexing (FDM) method. Reducing the number of channels in each TDM module is the fundamental advantage of this method that leads to reduced crosstalk noise. We evaluate some possible configurations and propose an optimized system that has less power dissipation and area occupation than other configurations. A 24-channel implantable neural recording based on the optimized system is designed in both system and circuit level. In this system, first, channels are divided into three 8-channel groups then after multiplexing in the time domain, they are combined together by FDM method. Finally, a frequency modulator wirelessly transmits neural signals to an external setup. In addition, we adjust local carrier frequencies and the bandwidth of TDM to synchronize detection without transmitting pilot carrier. To justify the system operation, using 0.18 μm CMOS technology, we design the system in circuit level. The designed circuit consumes a power of 1.39 mW at a supply voltage of 1.8 V. This leads to a power consumption of 58 μW per channel.     

The odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells on hydroxyapatite-coated biodegradable nanofibrous scaffolds

The authors aimed to design nanofibrous (NF) scaffolds that facilitate odontogenic and osteogenic differentiation of human dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DPSCs) in vitro. For this purpose, hydroxyapatite (HA)–loaded poly (L-lactic acid)/poly (?-caprolactone) (PLLA:PCL 2;1) blend NFs were prepared using the electrospinning method. Alizarin red activity and cell viability were evaluated by MTT assay, and SEM revealed the proliferation properties of NF scaffolds. QRT-PCR results demonstrated that HA-loaded PLLA/PCL can lead to osteoblast/odontoblast differentiation in DPSCs through the up-regulation of related genes, thus indicating that electrospun biodegradable PCL/PLA/HA has remarkable prospects as scaffolds for bone and tooth tissue engineering.     

Synthesis and Characterization of the Antibacterial Activity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles against Salmonella typhi

Metal oxides can be used as a series of new and effective anti-bacterial agents.In this study,four concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles(0.2,0.5,0.7 and 1.0 mol/L) were synthesized using a low-temperature sol-gel method annealed at400 and 550 °C.The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTER).XRD results show the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the nanoparticles with the grain size in the range of 38-43 nm.TEM micrographs exhibit a polyhedral form of the synthesized nanoparticles.The antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of nanoparticles against Salmonella typhi PTCC 1609 was determined by disk diffusion and agar dilution method at five concentrations of 10,5,2.5,1.25 and 0.625 mg/mL.Analysis shows that the prepared ZnO nanoparticles have a very effective antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhi.This activity increases by reducing the size of nanoparticles and increasing their content in the bacterial growth medium.     

Effects of ultrasonic treatment on microstructure and tensile strength of AZ91 magnesium alloy

In this study, the effects of ultrasonic treatment on microstructural features and tensile strength of AZ91 magnesium alloy were investigated. AZ91 melts were subjected to ultrasonic waves of different power levels for 5 min using an ultrasonic device with frequency of about 20 kHz and maximum power of 600 W and cast in sand moulds. The results showed that ultrasonic treatment of the melt prior to casting had a significant effect on the size and sphericity of α-Mg dendrites as well as on the size, continuity, sphericity and distribution of intermetallic particles formed during cooling and solidification of the alloy. Increasing the applied ultrasonic power resulted in smaller, more rounded and better distributed grains and particles. The microstructural effects were mainly attributed to the cavitation and streaming phenomena which took place during ultrasonic treatment in the melt. Tensile strength of the alloy was significantly improved by ultrasonic treatment of the melt. Discontinuity and refinement of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ particles in the ultrasonically treated samples is thought to be the main reason for this improvement. The paper also examines different possible mechanisms responsible for microstructural modification of different phases under ultrasonic treatment conditions.     

Development of optimal water supply plan using integrated fuzzy Delphi and fuzzy ELECTRE III methods—Case study of the Gamasiab basin

This paper presents a novel method for the development of an optimal water supply plan showcased using data from the Gamasiab basin, located in Kermanshah province, Iran, concerning new dams that are being constructed in this semi-arid region. In this paper, a new group multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) plan is proposed by combining two MCDM methods based on the fuzzy Delphi and fuzzy ELECTRE III methods that convert the experts' opinions to triangular fuzzy numbers based on the level of uncertainty associated with various quantitative and qualitative criteria. Considering the opinions of four non-stakeholder experts and data analysis using the fuzzy Delphi method, the criteria were evaluated. Then, by analysing the results using the fuzzy ELECTRE III method, the final ranking of scenarios is obtained. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the effect of uncertainty on the performance of the decision-making system in scenarios ranking. The total expense, flood control, reservoir capacity and diversion and water transfer played a significant role in selecting the optimal scenario. Additionally, a hydrologic model was developed to evaluate the performance of the optimal scenario in terms of qualitative criteria. The data indicated that there was a good agreement between the results obtained from the hydrological model and the scenario ranking by the employed method. Altogether, a comparison of the proposed method with other MCDM methods, including fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy technique for order preference by simulation of ideal solution, indicated that the results of the employed method matched more closely to the local experts' opinion.