Secure control for remote networked stochastic systems via integral sliding mode.

This paper deals with the secure control problem for a class of networked stochastic systems with false data injection attacks via an integral sliding mode control technique. The networked control system is with a hierarchical structure, and the main controller and a remote controller are considered to realize the secure control against false data injection attacks on the network between a main controller and the plant. A mode-shared event-triggering controller is designed as the main controller, by utilizing a time delay approach. An input-output model based on a two-term approximation is applied to cope with the formulated time-varying delay. Then, the scaled small gain theory is employed to analyze the stability of the resulting system. Sufficient conditions on ensuring the desired system performance are derived and then the controller parameters are synthesized. Moreover, an elaborated sliding mode control law is proposed for the desired secure control action. Finally, two simulation examples are permitted to verify the effectiveness of the theoretical derivations.

Serum metabolomics strategy for investigating the hepatotoxicity induced by different exposure times and doses of Gynura segetum (Lour.) Merr. in rats based on GC-MS.

Gynura segetum (Lour.) Merr. (GS), has been widely used in Chinese folk medicine and can promote circulation, relieve pain and remove stasis. In recent years, the hepatotoxicity caused by GS has been reported, however its mechanism is not fully elucidated. Metabolomic techniques are powerful means to explore the toxicological mechanism and therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of this study was to establish a serum metabolomics method based on Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to explore the hepatotoxicity mechanism of different exposure times and doses of GS in rats. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were administered daily with distilled water, 7.5 g kg-1 GS, or 15 g kg-1 GS by intragastrical gavage for either 10 or 21 days. The methods adopted included enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining and GC-MS-based serum metabolomics. Serum biochemistry analysis showed that the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglycerides (TG), total bilirubin (TBIL) and total bile acid (TBA) significantly (P < 0.05) increased while the levels of albumin (ALB) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in GS-treated groups, compared with the control group. Interestingly, the ALT, AST, TG and ALB levels changed in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The results of H&E staining showed the degree of liver damage after administration of GS gradually deepened with the extension of administration time and the increase of the dose. According to the results of metabolomics analysis, 26 differential metabolites were identified, which were involved in 8 metabolic pathways including phenylalanine metabolism, glyoxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid metabolism and so on. Meanwhile, the number of differential metabolites in different GS-treated groups was associated with GS exposure time and dose. Therefore, we concluded that GS might induce hepatotoxicity depending on the exposure time and dose.

Fecal Carriage of Escherichia coli Harboring the tet(X4)-IncX1 Plasmid from a Tertiary Class-A Hospital in Beijing, China.

The emergence of the mobile tigecycline-resistance gene, tet(X4), poses a significant threat to public health. To investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of the tet(X4)-positive Escherichia coli in humans, 1101 human stool samples were collected from a tertiary class-A hospital in Beijing, China, in 2019. Eight E. coli isolates that were positive for tet(X4) were identified from clinical departments of oncology (n = 3), hepatology (n = 2), nephrology (n = 1), urology (n = 1), and general surgery (n = 1). They exhibited resistance to multiple antibiotics, including tigecycline, but remained susceptible to meropenem and polymyxin B. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the clonal spread of four tet(X4)-positive E. coli from different periods of time or departments existed in this hospital, and three isolates were phylogenetically close to the tet(X4)-positive E. coli from animals and the environment. All tet(X4)-positive E. coli isolates contained the IncX1-plasmid replicon. Three isolates successfully transferred their tigecycline resistance to the recipient strain, C600, demonstrating that the plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer constitutes another critical mechanism for transmitting tet(X4). Notably, all tet(X4)-bearing plasmids identified in this study had a high similarity to several plasmids recovered from animal-derived strains. Our findings revealed the importance of both the clonal spread and horizontal gene transfer in the spread of tet(X4) within human clinics and between different sources.

Clinical Impact of Colistin Banning in Food Animal on mcr-1-Positive Enterobacteriaceae in Patients From Beijing, China, 2009-2019: A Long-Term Longitudinal Observational Study.

The colistin resistance gene mcr-1 is emerging as a global public health concern, altering the regulation of colistin usage globally since 2017, especially in China. However, few studies have revealed the impact of policy change on the epidemiology of mcr-positive Enterobacteriaceae (MCRPE) in patients. Here, we describe a molecular epidemiological study to investigate the MCRPE in patients in China from 2009-2019. During the surveillance period, 26,080 non-duplicated Enterobacteriaceae isolates were collected in Beijing. Colistin-resistant isolates were screened by enrichment culture supplemented with colistin, and the presence of the mcr gene was determined by PCR amplification. MCRPE isolates were then analyzed by susceptibility testing, genotyping, and risk factor analysis. Of the 26,080 isolates, mcr-1 was detected in 171 (1.1%) of 15,742 Escherichia coli isolates and 7 (0.1%) of 10,338 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. The prevalence of mcr-1-positive E. coli (MCRPEC) showed an increasing trend from 2009 to 2016, while a decreasing trend was observed since 2017. Multi-locus sequence typing analysis showed that MCRPEC isolates had extremely diverse genetic backgrounds, and most of these isolates were non-clonal. The prevalence of MCRPE in China remained at a low level, and even showed a declining trend over the last 3 years after the banning of colistin usage as feed additive in food animal in 2017. However, colistin permission in clinical therapy could still increase the risk of MCRPE transmission and intractable infections, active surveillance and monitoring strategies of MCRPE are recommended to prolong the clinical longevity of colistin.

Presence of Mobile Tigecycline Resistance Gene tet(X4) in Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The recently emerged plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance gene tet(X4) has mainly been detected in Escherichia coli but never in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Herein, we identified a clinical K. pneumoniae isolate that harbored the tet(X4) gene located on a non-self-transferable IncFII-type plasmid, which could be cotransferred with a conjugative plasmid to E. coli C600. The extending of bacterial species carrying tet(X4) suggested the increasing risk of spreading mobile tigecycline resistance genes among important pathogens in clinical settings. IMPORTANCE Tigecycline, the first member of glycylcycline class antibiotic, is often considered one of the effective antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections. However, the emergence and wide distribution of two novel plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance genes, tet(X3) and tet(X4), pose a great threat to the clinical use of tigecycline. The newly tet(X) variants have been identified from multiple different bacterial species, but the tet(X) variant in the Klebsiella pneumoniae strain has been reported only once before. In this study, we identified a clinical K. pneumoniae isolate that harbored a non-self-transferable tet(X4)-carrying plasmid. This plasmid has never been found in other tet(X4)-harboring strains and could be cotransferred with a conjugative plasmid to the recipient strain. Our findings indicate that the tet(X4) gene breaks through its original bacterial species and spreads to some important nosocomial pathogens, which posed a serious threat to public health.

Realization of Low Latent Heat of a Solar Evaporator via Regulating the Water State in Wood Channels.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation with heat localization is an efficient method for large-scale water purification. However, due to the high latent heat of water evaporation and dilute solar flux (1 kW m-2), the solar steam productivity is low. Here, the latent heat of water evaporation was reduced because of the capillary water state in wood channels. We constructed a wood-based 3D solar evaporator via regulating the hydrophilicity of a surface of burnt wood and adjusting the height of the wood above a water surface. Capillary water was formed in the light absorption layer, resulting in the latent heat decrease from 2444 to 1769 J g-1. A high evaporation rate of 1.93 kg m-2 h-1 under one sun irradiation (1 kW m-2) was achieved. Together with the environmental energy-harvesting ability, the evaporation rate reached 3.91 kg m-2 h-1 (per occupied area), which is among the best values ever reported. More importantly, the 3D solar evaporator works efficiently in a water collection device, yielding 2.2 times more water than that of a common interfacial evaporator.

Modeling and prediction of methanol air release from bleached chemi-thermo mechanical pulp board.

This paper reports on the modeling, prediction and evaluation approaches of methanol release from bleached chemi-thermo mechanical pulp (BCTMP) board during storage. A pseudo-first order desorption kinetics model of methanol release was established for describing the desorption behavior of methanol from BCTMP, i.e., , in which the desorption constant (K) and rate constant (k des) were well described by van't Hoff and Arrhenius equations. Based on the simulation experiments at various temperatures, the desorption activation energy of methanol and its adsorption enthalpy is calculated and is 53.7 and -86.2 kJ mol-1 K-1, respectively. With the developed model, the risk of methanol release for the storage of BCTMP board can be examined by either the time-dependent kinetics model or a two-step thermodynamic approach using the equilibrium concentration of methanol in indoor air. This paper provides a valuable tool to assess the risk of methanol release for the paper industry and related warehouse departments.

[A Method for Determination of Migratable Fluorescent Whitening Agents in Paper Products by Dual-Wavelength UV Spectroscopy].

The current national standard method GB/T 27741-2011, i.e., "quantitative determination of migratable fluorescent whitening agents-UV spectroscopy", overestimates the migratable fluorescent whitening agents (FWA) in the paper based products because of the spectral interference of the leached lignin from the cellulose fibers. To minimize such interference, a spectroscopic method based on dual-wavelength (305 and 348 nm) measurement was proposed. It was observed that the dual-wavelength spectroscopy can effectively subtract the spectral absorption contributed by the leached lignin in the extraction medium, thus more accurately determination of migratable FWA can be performed. The results showed that the present method has a relative standard deviation of 2.17%, the quantitative detection limit of 16.9 mg x kg(-1), and recovery of 98%-103%. Compared with the current alternative standard-HPLC method, the present method possesses advantages of low operation and maintenance costs, simple, and practical in application. Therefore, it is more suitable for the rapid determination of migratable FWA in the product quality control in the production process and sample examination in the commercial market.

Transformation of sexually transmitted infection-causing serovars of chlamydia trachomatis using Blasticidin for selection.

Plasmid-free Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2 organisms have been transformed with chlamydial plasmid-based shuttle vectors pGFP::SW2 and pBRCT using ß-lactamase as a selectable marker. However, the recommendation of amoxicillin, a ß-lactam antibiotics, as one of the choices for treating pregnant women with cervicitis due to C. trachomatis infection has made the existing shuttle vectors unsuitable for transforming sexually transmitted infection (STI)-causing serovars of C. trachomatis. Thus, in the current study, we modified the pGFP::SW2 plasmid by fusing a blasticidin S deaminase gene to the GFP gene to establish blasticidin resistance as a selectable marker and replacing the ß-lactamase gene with the Sh ble gene to eliminate the penicillin resistance. The new vector termed pGFPBSD/Z::SW2 was used for transforming plasmid-free C. trachomatis serovar D organisms. Using blasticidin for selection, stable transformants were obtained. The GFP-BSD fusion protein was detected in cultures infected with the pGFPBSD/Z::SW2-trasnformed serovar D organisms. The transformation restored the plasmid property to the plasmid-free serovar D organisms. Thus, we have successfully modified the pGFP::SW2 transformation system for studying the biology and pathogenesis of other STI-causing serovars of C. trachomatis.

A new headspace gas chromatographic method for the determination of methanol content in paper materials used for food and drink packaging.

This study reports on a method for determination of methanol in paper products by headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC). The method is based on the hydrolysis of the pulp or paper matrix, using a phosphoric acid solution (42.5%) as the medium at 120 °C in 5 h (excluding air contact) in order to release matrix-entrapped methanol, which is then determined by HS-GC. Data show that, under the given conditions of hydrolysis, no methanol was formed from the methoxyl groups in the material. Reproducibility tests of the method generated a relative standard deviation of <3.5%, with recovery in the range of 93.4-102%. The present method is reliable, accurate, and suitable for use in batch testing of the methanol content in paper-related materials. The method can play an important role in addressing food safety concerns that may be raised regarding the use of paper materials in food and beverage packaging.

A new method for the determination of biological oxygen demand in domestic wastewater by headspace gas chromatography.

A headspace gas chromatographic method (HS-GC) has been developed for the determination of biological oxygen demand (BOD) in the water samples from domestic wastewater treatment plants. The method is based on measuring the remaining oxygen in the headspace of the sample (that has been seeded with microorganisms) in a closed container after a period of incubation. The relative standard deviation of the method in replicate testing was <4.9%. Further, the results differed by less than 6% when compared with the widely used reference method (the ISO standard) for determining BOD5. The limit of quantification in BODn testing was about 1.8 mg/L. The new method is simple and suitable for use in the batch sample testing for BODn measurement.

Rapid determination of formaldehyde in sanitary paper napkins for product quality control by headspace gas chromatography.

This study reports on a headspace gas chromatographic method (HS-GC) for the determination of formaldehyde in sanitary napkin samples. The method is based on the reaction of formaldehyde and sodium borohydride in a concentrated potassium carbonate solution (824 g/L), in which formaldehyde is quantitatively converted to methanol at 105°C in 45 min. The methanol from the conversion is determined by HS-GC. The repeatability of the method had a relative standard deviation of less than 4.5%; the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 1.17 µg, and the recovery ranged from 96.8 - 106%. The present method is simple, rapid, and accurate. It is suitable for use in the batch testing for product quality control of tissue papers during the manufacturing process and in analysis of point-of-sale samples from commercial markets.