Electrical and Electronic Engineering - Research Publications
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 10 of 57
-
ItemOn the use of switched linear controllers for stabilizability of implicit recursive equations(IEEE, 1998-01-01)Stabilizability of implicit recursive equations is investigated. These equations arise naturally in the context of output dead-beat control for systems described by NARMAX models. Due to non-uniqueness of the solutions of these equations a special kind of a constrained stabilizability problem is considered. We take a hybrid switching control approach in testing the existence of a locally stabilizing controller. A method for the design of a stabilizing switching controller is also presented.
-
ItemAnalysis of minimum phase properties for non-affine nonlinear systems(IEEE, 1997)A system can be termed non-minimum phase according to some definitions available in the literature and yet the same system may exhibit stable zero output constrained dynamics. We show that for non-affine nonlinear systems there may not exist a continuous control law which would keep the output identically equal to zero and for which the zero output constrained dynamics are stable, whereas a discontinuous controller which achieves this exists. We give conditions for existence and present a method for design of discontinuous switching controllers which yield stable zero dynamics. In this sense, the results of this paper enlarge the class of non-affine nonlinear systems that can be termed minimum-phase.
-
ItemMinimum phase properties for input nonaffine nonlinear systems(IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC, 1999-04)For input nonaffine nonlinear control systems, the minimum phase property of the system in general depends on the control law. Switching or discontinuous controllers may offer advantages in this context. In particular, there may not exist a continuous control law which would keep the output identically equal to zero and for which the zero output constrained dynamics are locally stable, whereas a discontinuous controller which achieves this exists. For single-input/single-output input nonaffine nonlinear systems we give sufficient conditions for existence and present a method for the design of discontinuous switching controllers which yield locally stable zero dynamics.
-
ItemLetter: improved parsimony of genetic risk scores for coeliac disease through refined HLA modelling(WILEY, 2021-03)LINKED CONTENT This article is linked to Sharp et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15826
-
ItemMeander Thin-Film Biosensor Fabrication to Investigate the Influence of Structural Parameters on the Magneto-Impedance Effect(MDPI, 2021-10)Thin-film magneto-impedance (MI) biosensors have attracted significant attention due to their high sensitivity and easy miniaturization. However, further improvement is required to detect weak biomagnetic signals. Here, we report a meander thin-film biosensor preparation to investigate the fabrication parameters influencing the MI effect. Specifically, we hypothesized that an optimal film thickness and sensing area size ratio could be achieved to obtain a maximum MI ratio. A meander multilayer MI biosensor based on a NiFe/Cu/NiFe thin-film was designed and fabricated into 3-, 6-, and 9-turn models with film thicknesses of 3 µm and 6 µm. The 9-turn biosensor resembled the largest sensing area, while the 3- and 6-turn biosensors were designed with identical sensing areas. The results indicated that the NiFe film thickness of 6 µm with a sensing area size of 14.4 mm2 resembling a 9-turn MI biosensor is the optimal ratio yielding the maximum MI ratio of 238%, which is 70% larger than the 3- and 6-turn structures. The 3- and 6-turn MI biosensors exhibited similar characteristics where the MI ratio peaked at a similar value. Our results suggest that the MI ratio can be increased by increasing the sensing area size and film thickness rather than the number of turns. We showed that an optimal film thickness to sensing area size ratio is required to obtain a high MI ratio. Our findings will be useful for designing highly sensitive MI biosensors capable of detecting low biomagnetic signals.
-
ItemNo Preview AvailableIndoor infrared optical wireless localization system with background light power estimation capability(Optica Publishing Group, 2017-09-18)The indoor user localization function is in high demand for high-speed wireless communications, navigations and smart-home applications. The optical wireless technology has been used to localize end users in indoor environments. However, its accuracy is typically very limited, due to the ambient light, which is relatively strong. In this paper, a novel high-localization-accuracy optical wireless based indoor localization system, based on the use of the mechanism that estimates background light intensity, is proposed. Both theoretical studies and demonstration experiments are carried out. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the proposed optical wireless indoor localization system is independent on the localization light strength, and that an average localization error as small as 2.5 cm is attained, which is 80% better than the accuracy of previously reported optical wireless indoor localization systems.
-
ItemUtility of Pan-Family Assays for Rapid Viral Screening: Reducing Delays in Public Health Responses During Pandemics( 2020)
Summary
Background
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted deficiencies in the testing capacity of many developed countries during the early stages of emerging pandemics. Here we describe the potential for pan-family viral assays to improve early accessibility of large-scale nucleic acid testing.Methods
Coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 were used as a case-study for investigating the utility of pan-family viral assays during the early stages of a novel pandemic. Specificity of a pan-coronavirus (Pan-CoV) assay for viral detection was assessed using the frequency of common human coronavirus (HCoV) species in key populations. A reported Pan-CoV assay was assessed to determine sensitivity to SARS-CoV-2 and 59 other coronavirus species. The resilience of the primer target regions of this assay to mutation was assessed in 8893 high quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes to predict ongoing utility during pandemic progression.Findings
Due to infection with common HCoV species, a Pan-CoV assay would return a false positive for as few as 1% of asymptomatic adults, but up to 30% of immunocompromised patients displaying symptoms of respiratory disease. Two of the four reported pan-coronavirus assays would have identified SARS-CoV-2 and we demonstrate that with small adjustments to the primers, these assays can accommodate novel variation observed in animal coronaviruses. The assay target region of one well established Pan-CoV assay is highly resistant to mutation compared to regions targeted by other widely applied SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assays.Interpretation
Pan-family assays have the potential to greatly assist management of emerging public health emergencies through prioritization of high-resolution testing or isolation measures, despite limitations in test specificity due to cross-reactivity with common pathogens. Targeting highly conserved genomic regions make pan-family assays robust and resilient to mutation of a given virus. This approach may be applicable to other viral families and has utility as part of a strategic stockpile of tests maintained to better contain spread of novel diseases prior to the widespread availability of specific assays. -
ItemSilicon nanowire photodetector enhanced by a bow-tie antenna(SPRINGER, 2014-05)
-
ItemHeater Integrated Lab-on-a-Chip Device for Rapid HLA Alleles Amplification towards Prevention of Drug Hypersensitivity(MDPI, 2021-05)HLA-B*15:02 screening before administering carbamazepine is recommended to prevent life-threatening hypersensitivity. However, the unavailability of a point-of-care device impedes this screening process. Our research group previously developed a two-step HLA-B*15:02 detection technique utilizing loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) on the tube, which requires two-stage device development to translate into a portable platform. Here, we report a heater-integrated lab-on-a-chip device for the LAMP amplification, which can rapidly detect HLA-B alleles colorimetrically. A gold-patterned micro-sized heater was integrated into a 3D-printed chip, allowing microfluidic pumping, valving, and incubation. The performance of the chip was tested with color dye. Then LAMP assay was conducted with human genomic DNA samples of known HLA-B genotypes in the LAMP-chip parallel with the tube assay. The LAMP-on-chip results showed a complete match with the LAMP-on-tube assay, demonstrating the detection system's concurrence.
-
ItemDetection of voluntary dehydration in paediatric populations using non-invasive point-of-care saliva and urine testing(WILEY, 2021-06)AIM: Voluntary dehydration, or lack of fluid intake despite water availability, is common in otherwise healthy children, and can lead to adverse effects. Most dehydration biomarkers are impractical for routine assessment in paediatric populations. This study aimed to assess two non-invasive hydration assessment tools, urine specific gravity (USG ) and a novel point-of-care (POC) salivary osmolarity (SOSM) sensor, in healthy children. METHODS: Volunteers were tested by colorimetric USG and a handheld SOSM system. Observed values were compared against previous studies to determine hydration status, as was the concordance between parameters. RESULTS: At the common USG threshold of 1.020, 42.4% of the 139 healthy children were dehydrated. The same prevalence was found using the 70-mOSM cut-off value. Comparative analysis of SOSM at varying USG thresholds demonstrated significantly higher SOSM in dehydrated children with a USG ≥ 1.030 (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: At the USG threshold of 1.020 and SOSM threshold of 70 mOSM, 42.4% of healthy children were found to be voluntarily dehydrated. Significantly higher SOSM was observed in dehydrated children (USG ≥ 1.030). As the first study on the utility of POC SOSM measurements for detecting dehydration, these results provide a foundation for future POC characterisation of SOSM in other populations and clinical contexts.