Mechanical Engineering - Research Publications
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ItemMulti-agent source seeking via discrete-time extremum seeking control(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2014-09)Recent developments in extremum seeking theory have established a general framework for the methodology, although the specific implementations, particularly in the context of multi-agent systems, have not been demonstrated. In this work, a group of sensor-enabled vehicles is used in the context of the extremum seeking problem using both local and global optimisation algorithms to locate the extremum of an unknown scalar field distribution. For the former, the extremum seeker exploits estimates of gradients of the field from local dithering sensor measurements collected by the mobile agents. It is assumed that a distributed coordination which ensures uniform asymptotic stability with respect to a prescribed formation of the agents is employed. An inherent advantage of the frameworks is that a broad range of nonlinear programming algorithms can be combined with a wide class of cooperative control laws to perform extreme source seeking. Semi-global practical asymptotically stable convergence to local extrema is established in the presence of field sampling noise. Subsequently, global extremum seeking with multiple agents is investigated and shown to give rise to robust practical convergence whose speed can be improved via computational parallelism. Nonconvex field distributions with local extrema can be accommodated within this global framework.
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ItemUnified frameworks for sampled-data extremum seeking control: Global optimisation and multi-unit systems(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2013-09)Two frameworks are proposed for extremum seeking of general nonlinear plants based on a sampled-data control law, within which a broad class of nonlinear programming methods is accommodated. It is established that under some generic assumptions, semi-global practical convergence to a global extremum can be achieved. In the case where the extremum seeking algorithm satisfies a stronger asymptotic stability property, the converging sequence is also shown to be stable using a trajectory-based proof, as opposed to a Lyapunov-function- type approach. The former is more straightforward and insightful. This allows for more general optimisation algorithms than considered in existing literature, such as those which do not admit a state-update realisation and/or Lyapunov functions. Lying at the heart of the analysis throughout is robustness of the optimisation algorithms to additive perturbations of the objective function. Multi-unit extremum seeking is also investigated with the objective of accelerating the speed of convergence.
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ItemMultidimensional global extremum seeking via the DIRECT optimisation algorithm(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2013-07-01)DIRECT is a sample-based global optimisation method for Lipschitz continuous functions defined over compact multidimensional domains. This paper adapts the DIRECT method with a modified termination criterion for global extremum seeking control of multivariable dynamical plants. Finite-time semi-global practical convergence is established based on a periodic sampled-data control law, whose sampling period is a parameter which determines the region and accuracy of convergence. A crucial part of the development is dedicated to a robustness analysis of the DIRECT method against bounded additive perturbations on the objective function. Extremum seeking involving multiple units is also considered within the same context as a means to increase the speed of convergence. Numerical examples of global extremum seeking based on DIRECT are presented at the end.
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ItemA non-gradient approach to global extremum seeking: An adaptation of the Shubert algorithm(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2013-03-01)The main purpose of this paper is to adapt the so-called Shubert algorithm for extremum seeking control of general dynamic plants. This algorithm is a good representative of the "sampling optimization methods" that achieve global extremum seeking on compact sets in the presence of local extrema. The algorithm applies to Lipschitz mappings; the model of the system is assumed unknown but the knowledge of its Lipschitz constant is assumed. The controller depends on a design parameter, the "waiting time", and tuning guidelines that relate the design parameter and the region of convergence and accuracy of the algorithm are presented. The analysis shows that semi-global practical convergence (in the initial states) to the global extremum can be achieved in presence of local extrema if compact sets of inputs are considered. Numerical simulations for global optimization in the presence of local extrema are provided to demonstrate the proposed approach.
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Itemp38β, A Novel Regulatory Target of Pokemon in Hepatic Cells(MDPI AG, 2013-07)Pokemon is an important proto-oncogene involved in various biological processes and cancer development, such as cell differentiation, tumorigenesis and metastasis. Pokemon is recognized as a transcription factor localized upstream of several oncogenes, regulating their expression. p38MAPKs act as key regulatory factors in cellular signaling pathways associated with inflammatory responses, cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. p38β, a member of p38MAPK family, is closely correlated with tumorigenesis, but the mechanism of activation remains unclear. In this study, we found overexpression of Pokemon promoted the growth, migration and invasion of HepG2 cells. However, a p38 inhibitor SB202190 efficiently attenuated the promoting effect of Pokemon in the HepG2 cells. Targeted expression or silencing of Pokemon changed cellular p38β protein level and phosphorylation of downstream ATF2 in the p38 signaling pathway. Both dual luciferase report assay and ChIP assay suggested that p38β is a novel regulatory target of the transcription factor Pokemon and positively regulated by Pokemon in hepatic cells.
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ItemHost cell transcriptome profile during wild-type and attenuated dengue virus infection.(Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2013)Dengue viruses 1-4 (DENV1-4) rely heavily on the host cell machinery to complete their life cycle, while at the same time evade the host response that could restrict their replication efficiency. These requirements may account for much of the broad gene-level changes to the host transcriptome upon DENV infection. However, host gene function is also regulated through transcriptional start site (TSS) selection and post-transcriptional modification to the RNA that give rise to multiple gene isoforms. The roles these processes play in the host response to dengue infection have not been explored. In the present study, we utilized RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to identify novel transcript variations in response to infection with both a pathogenic strain of DENV1 and its attenuated derivative. RNAseq provides the information necessary to distinguish the various isoforms produced from a single gene and their splice variants. Our data indicate that there is an extensive amount of previously uncharacterized TSS and post-transcriptional modifications to host RNA over a wide range of pathways and host functions in response to DENV infection. Many of the differentially expressed genes identified in this study have previously been shown to be required for flavivirus propagation and/or interact with DENV gene products. We also show here that the human transcriptome response to an infection by wild-type DENV or its attenuated derivative differs significantly. This differential response to wild-type and attenuated DENV infection suggests that alternative processing events may be part of a previously uncharacterized innate immune response to viral infection that is in large part evaded by wild-type DENV.