China Scholarship Council

This paper describes a novel control technique to deal with networked control systems with random communication time delay, which is known to highly degrade the control performance of the controlled system. This problem can be solved using a modified model predictive control, which uses the future control sequence to compensate for the forward communication time delay. Also, using a model predictor, the time delay in the backward channel can be compensated as well. Another key part of this paper is to analyse the stability of the networked control systems. The analytical criteria are obtained for both fixed and random communication time delays. The simulation results and practical experiments illustrate that the proposed controller design is realistic.

Regular monitoring of drug regulatory agency web sites and similar resources for information on new drug approvals and changes to legal status of marketed drugs is impractical. It requires navigation through several resources to find complete information about a drug as none of the publicly accessible drug databases provide all features essential to complement in silico drug discovery. Here, we propose SuperDRUG2 (http://cheminfo.charite.de/superdrug2) as a comprehensive knowledge-base of approved and marketed drugs. We provide the largest collection of drugs (containing 4587 active pharmaceutical ingredients) which include small molecules, biological products and other drugs. The database is intended to serve as a one-stop resource providing data on: chemical structures, regulatory details, indications, drug targets, side-effects, physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interactions. We provide a 3D-superposition feature that facilitates estimation of the fit of a drug in the active site of a target with a known ligand bound to it. Apart from multiple other search options, we introduced pharmacokinetics simulation as a unique feature that allows users to visualise the 'plasma concentration versus time' profile for a given dose of drug with few other adjustable parameters to simulate the kinetics in a healthy individual and poor or extensive metabolisers.

Drug-induced inhibition of the human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG)-encoded potassium ion channels can lead to fatal cardiotoxicity. Several marketed drugs and promising drug candidates were recalled because of this concern. Diverse modeling methods ranging from molecular similarity assessment to quantitative structure–activity relationship analysis employing machine learning techniques have been applied to data sets of varying size and composition (number of blockers and nonblockers). In this study, we highlight the challenges involved in the development of a robust classifier for predicting the hERG end point using bioactivity data extracted from the public domain. To this end, three different modeling methods, nearest neighbors, random forests, and support vector machines, were employed to develop predictive models using different molecular descriptors, activity thresholds, and training set compositions. Our models demonstrated superior performance in external validations in comparison with those reported in the previous studies from which the data sets were extracted. The choice of descriptors had little influence on the model performance, with minor exceptions. The criteria used to filter bioactivity data, the activity threshold settings used to separate blockers from nonblockers, and the structural diversity of blockers in training data set were found to be the crucial indicators of model performance. Training sets based on a binary threshold of 1 μM/10 μM to separate blockers (IC50/Ki ≤ 1 μM) from nonblockers (IC50/Ki > 10 μM) provided superior performance in comparison with those defined using a single threshold (1 μM or 10 μM). A major limitation in using the public domain hERG activity data is the abundance of blockers in comparison with nonblockers at usual activity thresholds, since not many studies report the latter.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Botanicals used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are a rich source for drug discovery and provide models for multi-component drug development. To facilitate the studies of the actions of TCM drugs and expand their applications, a comprehensive database is urgently required. METHODS: One online resource connects all the relevant data from multiple scientific sources and languages. Drug information from published TCM databases and the official Chinese Pharmacopoeia as well as specialized meta-websites such as Kew's Medicinal Plant Names Service was integrated on a higher level. RESULTS: Our database, SuperTCM, covers the aspects of TCM derived from medicinal plants, encompassing pharmacological recipes up to chemical compounds. It provides the information for 6516 TCM drugs (or "herbs") with 5372 botanical species, 55,772 active ingredients against 543 targets in 254 KEGG pathways associated with 8634 diseases. SuperTCM is freely available at http://tcm.charite.de/supertcm.

Abstract. The evaluation of the seismic fragility of buildings is one key task of earthquake safety and loss assessment. Many research reports and papers have been published over the past four decades that deal with the vulnerability of buildings to ground motion caused by earthquakes in China. We scrutinize 69 papers with studies of building damage for magnitude ≥ 4.7 events occurred in densely populated areas starting with the 1975 M7.5 Haicheng earthquake. They represent observations where macroseismic intensities have been determined according to the Chinese Official Seismic Intensity Scale. From these many studies we derive the most representative fragility functions (dependent on intensity) for 4 damage limit states of two most widely distributed building types: masonry and reinforced concrete. We also inspect 18 papers that provide analytical fragility curves (dependent on PGA) for the same damage classes and building categories. Finally, we check the consistency of fragilities as functions of intensity and PGA and derive corresponding relationships between macroseismic intensity and PGA. The intensity-PGA relationship developed in this study is fully compatible with results of previous research.

Introduction. At present, video data acquired in narrow spectral bands are widely used to improve the efficiency of diagnostics in various medical fields, laparoscopy in particular. Conventional laparoscopy uses images obtained in the white light. Images obtained in the visible range suitably depict the color and textural features of tissues. However, it is difficult for a physician to use visible images for distinguishing between lesion areas and normal tissues, largely due to their proximity in color and texture. The efficiency of lesion detection can be improved using fluorescence images, which clearly differentiate lesion areas from normal tissues. However, the use multispectral data implies the need to present the images obtained both in the white and fluorescence light to the physician. In this paper, we propose an image composition method based on visible and fluorescence images, which facilitates their analysis by physicians. A distinctive feature of the method is the use of CIEDE 2000 metric for image fusion, which takes the properties of human vision into account. Aim. Development of a method for multispectral data visualization, which provides a physician with an image that combines white light data and a color-highlighted area of lesions. Materials and methods. The proposed method consists of the following steps: preprocessing of images obtained in visible and fluorescence light; segmentation of the lesion area in the fluorescence images; generation of a pseudo-color image of the segmented lesion area; and fusion of the pseudo-color image with the image obtained in the white light. Results. The proposed method forms an image that includes an image of the operation area obtained in the white light and a separated lesion area based on fluorescence information in the near infrared range. The image composite takes the properties of human vision into account. An experimental study of the method was carried out on actual laparoscopic images, involving endoscopists who were experts in subjective evaluation of video images. The method of paired comparisons was used to evaluated the presented images. The majority of experts preferred the fused image formed by the proposed method to those visualized simultaneously in the white and fluorescence light. Conclusion. The developed method ensures generation of images with an increased diagnostic value.

Introduction<br/>Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT)—most commonly involving estradiol combined with either cyproterone or spironolactone—plays a central role in gender affirmation. However, its expanding use has raised concerns regarding potential health implications, particularly in relation to breast and prostate cancer. This study examines the association between GAHT and the incidence of these cancers in individuals with gender incongruence.<br/>Methods<br/>We conducted a retrospective analysis using clinical data from TriNetX, a federated health research network. Individuals diagnosed with gender incongruence (ICD-10-CM: F64) were divided into two groups: the GAHT group, who received estradiol with or without cyproterone or spironolactone, and the non-GAHT group, who received none of these agents. Propensity score matching was performed based on age and sex (as recorded in electronic health records) to balance the groups. Data on confounding lifestyle risk factors such as smoking and alcohol use were not available. Breast and prostate cancer incidence was then compared using risk differences (RD) and risk ratios (RRs).<br/>Results<br/>After matching, 18,332 trans individuals (mean age: 30.0 ± 12.5 years) were included in the breast cancer analysis. Breast cancer was diagnosed in 1.0% of the GAHT group and 0.3% of the non-GAHT group, corresponding to an RD of 0.7% (95% CI: 0.6–0.9%) and an RR of 3.57 (95% CI: 2.64–4.84). For prostate cancer, a separate matched cohort of approximately 22,338 individuals was analyzed. Incidence was 0.13% in the GAHT group and 0.06% in the non-GAHT group, with an RD of 0.06% (95% CI: 0.01–0.12%) and an RR of 2.00 (95% CI: 1.05–3.80); however, this difference did not reach statistical significance.<br/>Conclusions<br/>While the absolute incidence rates of both breast and prostate cancer were very low in this cohort, we observed modestly higher rates among trans individuals receiving GAHT compared to those who did not. However, in the absence of data on key confounders such as smoking and alcohol use, these associations should be interpreted with caution, as residual confounding cannot be excluded. The results highlight the need for ongoing cancer surveillance, individualized risk-table assessment, and the development of inclusive clinical guidelines to ensure safe and equitable care for gender-diverse populations.