In this paper,fixed-time consensus tracking for mul-tiagent systems(MASs)with dynamics in the form of strict feed-back affine nonlinearity is addressed.A fixed-time antidistur-bance consensus tracking protocol is prop...In this paper,fixed-time consensus tracking for mul-tiagent systems(MASs)with dynamics in the form of strict feed-back affine nonlinearity is addressed.A fixed-time antidistur-bance consensus tracking protocol is proposed,which consists of a distributed fixed-time observer,a fixed-time disturbance observer,a nonsmooth antidisturbance backstepping controller,and the fixed-time stability analysis is conducted by using the Lyapunov theory correspondingly.This paper includes three main improvements.First,a distributed fixed-time observer is developed for each follower to obtain an estimate of the leader’s output by utilizing the topology of the communication network.Second,a fixed-time disturbance observer is given to estimate the lumped disturbances for feedforward compensation.Finally,a nonsmooth antidisturbance backstepping tracking controller with feedforward compensation for lumped disturbances is designed.In order to mitigate the“explosion of complexity”in the tradi-tional backstepping approach,we have implemented a modified nonsmooth command filter to enhance the performance of the closed-loop system.The simulation results show that the pro-posed method is effective.展开更多
This paper presents a risk-informed data-driven safe control design approach for a class of stochastic uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems.The nonlinear system is modeled using linear parameter-varying(LPV)syste...This paper presents a risk-informed data-driven safe control design approach for a class of stochastic uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems.The nonlinear system is modeled using linear parameter-varying(LPV)systems.A model-based probabilistic safe controller is first designed to guarantee probabilisticλ-contractivity(i.e.,stability and invariance)of the LPV system with respect to a given polyhedral safe set.To obviate the requirement of knowing the LPV system model and to bypass identifying its open-loop model,its closed-loop data-based representation is provided in terms of state and scheduling data as well as a decision variable.It is shown that the variance of the closedloop system,as well as the probability of safety satisfaction,depends on the decision variable and the noise covariance.A minimum-variance direct data-driven gain-scheduling safe control design approach is presented next by designing the decision variable such that all possible closed-loop system realizations satisfy safety with the highest confidence level.This minimum-variance approach is a control-oriented learning method since it minimizes the variance of the state of the closed-loop system with respect to the safe set,and thus minimizes the risk of safety violation.Unlike the certainty-equivalent approach that results in a risk-neutral control design,the minimum-variance method leads to a risk-averse control design.It is shown that the presented direct risk-averse learning approach requires weaker data richness conditions than existing indirect learning methods based on system identification and can lead to a lower risk of safety violation.Two simulation examples along with an experimental validation on an autonomous vehicle are provided to show the effectiveness of the presented approach.展开更多
The problem of prescribed performance tracking control for unknown time-delay nonlinear systems subject to output constraints is dealt with in this paper. In contrast with related works, only the most fundamental requ...The problem of prescribed performance tracking control for unknown time-delay nonlinear systems subject to output constraints is dealt with in this paper. In contrast with related works, only the most fundamental requirements, i.e., boundedness and the local Lipschitz condition, are assumed for the allowable time delays. Moreover, we focus on the case where the reference is unknown beforehand, which renders the standard prescribed performance control designs under output constraints infeasible. To conquer these challenges, a novel robust prescribed performance control approach is put forward in this paper.Herein, a reverse tuning function is skillfully constructed and automatically generates a performance envelop for the tracking error. In addition, a unified performance analysis framework based on proof by contradiction and the barrier function is established to reveal the inherent robustness of the control system against the time delays. It turns out that the system output tracks the reference with a preassigned settling time and good accuracy,without constraint violations. A comparative simulation on a two-stage chemical reactor is carried out to illustrate the above theoretical findings.展开更多
This article investigates the problem of robust adaptive leaderless consensus for heterogeneous uncertain nonminimumphase linear multi-agent systems over directed communication graphs. Each agent is assumed tobe of un...This article investigates the problem of robust adaptive leaderless consensus for heterogeneous uncertain nonminimumphase linear multi-agent systems over directed communication graphs. Each agent is assumed tobe of unknown nominal dynamics and also subject to external disturbances and/or unmodeled dynamics. Anovel distributed robust adaptive control strategy is proposed. It is shown that the robust adaptive leaderlessconsensus problem is solved with the proposed control strategy under some sufficient conditions. Two examplesare provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control strategy.展开更多
In this study,a novel equivalent damping ratio model that is suitable for reinforced concrete(RC)structures considering cyclic degradation behavior is developed,and a new equivalent linearization analysis method for i...In this study,a novel equivalent damping ratio model that is suitable for reinforced concrete(RC)structures considering cyclic degradation behavior is developed,and a new equivalent linearization analysis method for implementing the proposed equivalent damping ratio model for use in seismic damage evaluation is presented.To this end,Ibarra’s peak-oriented model,which incorporates an energy-based degradation rule,is selected for representing hysteretic behavior of RC structure,and the optimized equivalent damping for predicting the maximum displacement response is presented by using the empirical method,in which the effect of cyclic degradation is considered.Moreover,the relationship between the hysteretic energy dissipation of the inelastic system and the elastic strain energy of the equivalent linear system is established so that the proposed equivalent linear system can be directly integrated with the Park-Ang seismic model to implement seismic damage evaluation.Due to the simplicity of the equivalent linearization method,the proposed method provides an efficient and reliable way of obtaining comprehensive insight into the seismic performance of RC structures.The verification demonstrates the validity of the proposed method.展开更多
This paper discusses the design of resilient and event-triggered control for linear aperiodic sampled-data systems.The stability and stabilization problem of the aperiodic sampled-data systems under a dynamic event-tr...This paper discusses the design of resilient and event-triggered control for linear aperiodic sampled-data systems.The stability and stabilization problem of the aperiodic sampled-data systems under a dynamic event-triggered scheme and against a stochastic deception attack is addressed in a novel looped-functional framework.A quadratic event-triggered scheme with a discrete-time dynamic variable is proposed in which the system states are only evaluated at aperiodic sampling instants so that the Zeno phenomenon can be avoided consequently.The system is assumed to be intruded by a deception attack signal which is determined by a Bernoulli random variable.Our objective in this paper is to derive the stability conditions firstly and then provide the resilient and event-triggered controller design for the aperiodic sampled-data system.With a certain H∞attack and the control updates can be obviously reduced by the proposed dynamic event-triggered scheme,which means the system performance,the limited communication resources,and the system security can be well balanced in our design.Finally,the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by the simulations.展开更多
This paper revisits the problem of bumpless transfer control(BTC) for discrete-time nondeterministic switched linear systems. The general case of asynchronous switching is considered for the first time in the field of...This paper revisits the problem of bumpless transfer control(BTC) for discrete-time nondeterministic switched linear systems. The general case of asynchronous switching is considered for the first time in the field of BTC for switched systems. A new approach called interpolated bumpless transfer control(IBTC) is proposed, where the bumpless transfer controllers are formulated with the combination of the two adjacent modedependent controller gains, and are interpolated for finite steps once the switching is detected. In contrast with the existing approaches, IBTC does not necessarily run through the full interval of subsystems, as well as possesses the time-varying controller gains(with more flexibility and less conservatism) achieved from a control synthesis allowing for the stability and other performance of the whole switched system. Sufficient conditions ensuring stability and H_(∞) performance of the underlying system by IBTC are developed, and numerical examples verify the theoretical findings.展开更多
This paper investigates the robust cooperative output regulation problem for a class of heterogeneousuncertain linear multi-agent systems with an unknown exosystem via event-triggered control (ETC). By utilizingthe in...This paper investigates the robust cooperative output regulation problem for a class of heterogeneousuncertain linear multi-agent systems with an unknown exosystem via event-triggered control (ETC). By utilizingthe internal model approach and the adaptive control technique, a distributed adaptive internal model isconstructed for each agent. Then, based on this internal model, a fully distributed ETC strategy composed ofa distributed event-triggered adaptive output feedback control law and a distributed dynamic event-triggeringmechanism is proposed, in which each agent updates its control input at its own triggering time instants. It isshown that under the proposed ETC strategy, the robust cooperative output regulation problem can be solvedwithout requiring either the global information associated with the communication topology or the bounds ofthe uncertain or unknown parameters in each agent and the exosystem. A numerical example is provided toillustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.展开更多
Aiming at the tracking problem of a class of discrete nonaffine nonlinear multi-input multi-output(MIMO) repetitive systems subjected to separable and nonseparable disturbances, a novel data-driven iterative learning ...Aiming at the tracking problem of a class of discrete nonaffine nonlinear multi-input multi-output(MIMO) repetitive systems subjected to separable and nonseparable disturbances, a novel data-driven iterative learning control(ILC) scheme based on the zeroing neural networks(ZNNs) is proposed. First, the equivalent dynamic linearization data model is obtained by means of dynamic linearization technology, which exists theoretically in the iteration domain. Then, the iterative extended state observer(IESO) is developed to estimate the disturbance and the coupling between systems, and the decoupled dynamic linearization model is obtained for the purpose of controller synthesis. To solve the zero-seeking tracking problem with inherent tolerance of noise,an ILC based on noise-tolerant modified ZNN is proposed. The strict assumptions imposed on the initialization conditions of each iteration in the existing ILC methods can be absolutely removed with our method. In addition, theoretical analysis indicates that the modified ZNN can converge to the exact solution of the zero-seeking tracking problem. Finally, a generalized example and an application-oriented example are presented to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed process.展开更多
In this paper,a new optimal adaptive backstepping control approach for nonlinear systems under deception attacks via reinforcement learning is presented in this paper.The existence of nonlinear terms in the studied sy...In this paper,a new optimal adaptive backstepping control approach for nonlinear systems under deception attacks via reinforcement learning is presented in this paper.The existence of nonlinear terms in the studied system makes it very difficult to design the optimal controller using traditional methods.To achieve optimal control,RL algorithm based on critic–actor architecture is considered for the nonlinear system.Due to the significant security risks of network transmission,the system is vulnerable to deception attacks,which can make all the system state unavailable.By using the attacked states to design coordinate transformation,the harm brought by unknown deception attacks has been overcome.The presented control strategy can ensure that all signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally ultimately bounded.Finally,the simulation experiment is shown to prove the effectiveness of the strategy.展开更多
This article studies the fault detection filtering design problem for Roesser type two-dimensional(2-D)nonlinear systems described by uncertain 2-D Takagi-Sugeno(T-S)fuzzy models.Firstly,fuzzy Lyapunov functions are c...This article studies the fault detection filtering design problem for Roesser type two-dimensional(2-D)nonlinear systems described by uncertain 2-D Takagi-Sugeno(T-S)fuzzy models.Firstly,fuzzy Lyapunov functions are constructed and the 2-D Fourier transform is exploited,based on which a finite frequency fault detection filtering design method is proposed such that a residual signal is generated with robustness to external disturbances and sensitivity to faults.It has been shown that the utilization of available frequency spectrum information of faults and disturbances makes the proposed filtering design method more general and less conservative compared with a conventional nonfrequency based filtering design approach.Then,with the proposed evaluation function and its threshold,a novel mixed finite frequency H_(∞)/H_(-)fault detection algorithm is developed,based on which the fault can be immediately detected once the evaluation function exceeds the threshold.Finally,it is verified with simulation studies that the proposed method is effective and less conservative than conventional non-frequency and/or common Lyapunov function based filtering design methods.展开更多
This work presents the “n<sup>th</sup>-Order Feature Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems” (abbreviated as “n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N”), which will be shown to be the...This work presents the “n<sup>th</sup>-Order Feature Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems” (abbreviated as “n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N”), which will be shown to be the most efficient methodology for computing exact expressions of sensitivities, of any order, of model responses with respect to features of model parameters and, subsequently, with respect to the model’s uncertain parameters, boundaries, and internal interfaces. The unparalleled efficiency and accuracy of the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N methodology stems from the maximal reduction of the number of adjoint computations (which are considered to be “large-scale” computations) for computing high-order sensitivities. When applying the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N methodology to compute the second- and higher-order sensitivities, the number of large-scale computations is proportional to the number of “model features” as opposed to being proportional to the number of model parameters (which are considerably more than the number of features).When a model has no “feature” functions of parameters, but only comprises primary parameters, the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N methodology becomes identical to the extant n<sup>th</sup> CASAM-N (“n<sup>th</sup>-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems”) methodology. Both the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N and the n<sup>th</sup>-CASAM-N methodologies are formulated in linearly increasing higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces as opposed to exponentially increasing parameter-dimensional spaces thus overcoming the curse of dimensionality in sensitivity analysis of nonlinear systems. Both the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N and the n<sup>th</sup>-CASAM-N are incomparably more efficient and more accurate than any other methods (statistical, finite differences, etc.) for computing exact expressions of response sensitivities of any order with respect to the model’s features and/or primary uncertain parameters, boundaries, and internal interfaces.展开更多
This work highlights the unparalleled efficiency of the “n<sup>th</sup>-Order Function/ Feature Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems” (n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N) by con...This work highlights the unparalleled efficiency of the “n<sup>th</sup>-Order Function/ Feature Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems” (n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N) by considering the well-known Nordheim-Fuchs reactor dynamics/safety model. This model describes a short-time self-limiting power excursion in a nuclear reactor system having a negative temperature coefficient in which a large amount of reactivity is suddenly inserted, either intentionally or by accident. This nonlinear paradigm model is sufficiently complex to model realistically self-limiting power excursions for short times yet admits closed-form exact expressions for the time-dependent neutron flux, temperature distribution and energy released during the transient power burst. The n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N methodology is compared to the extant “n<sup>th</sup>-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems” (n<sup>th</sup>-CASAM-N) showing that: (i) the 1<sup>st</sup>-FASAM-N and the 1<sup>st</sup>-CASAM-N methodologies are equally efficient for computing the first-order sensitivities;each methodology requires a single large-scale computation for solving the “First-Level Adjoint Sensitivity System” (1<sup>st</sup>-LASS);(ii) the 2<sup>nd</sup>-FASAM-N methodology is considerably more efficient than the 2<sup>nd</sup>-CASAM-N methodology for computing the second-order sensitivities since the number of feature-functions is much smaller than the number of primary parameters;specifically for the Nordheim-Fuchs model, the 2<sup>nd</sup>-FASAM-N methodology requires 2 large-scale computations to obtain all of the exact expressions of the 28 distinct second-order response sensitivities with respect to the model parameters while the 2<sup>nd</sup>-CASAM-N methodology requires 7 large-scale computations for obtaining these 28 second-order sensitivities;(iii) the 3<sup>rd</sup>-FASAM-N methodology is even more efficient than the 3<sup>rd</sup>-CASAM-N methodology: only 2 large-scale computations are needed to obtain the exact expressions of the 84 distinct third-order response sensitivities with respect to the Nordheim-Fuchs model’s parameters when applying the 3<sup>rd</sup>-FASAM-N methodology, while the application of the 3<sup>rd</sup>-CASAM-N methodology requires at least 22 large-scale computations for computing the same 84 distinct third-order sensitivities. Together, the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N and the n<sup>th</sup>-CASAM-N methodologies are the most practical methodologies for computing response sensitivities of any order comprehensively and accurately, overcoming the curse of dimensionality in sensitivity analysis.展开更多
Distributed adaptive predefined-time bipartite containment for a class of second-order nonlinear multi-agent systems are studied with actuator faults.The communication topology of multi-agent systems is fixed and dire...Distributed adaptive predefined-time bipartite containment for a class of second-order nonlinear multi-agent systems are studied with actuator faults.The communication topology of multi-agent systems is fixed and directed.To ensure that followers can reach the convex hull spanned by leaders under the conditions of actuator faults,the sliding mode method is introduced.Control protocol for multi-agent systems demonstrates its effectiveness.Finally,simulations are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.展开更多
In this paper,we propose a neural network approach to learn the parameters of a class of stochastic Lotka-Volterra systems.Approximations of the mean and covariance matrix of the observational variables are obtained f...In this paper,we propose a neural network approach to learn the parameters of a class of stochastic Lotka-Volterra systems.Approximations of the mean and covariance matrix of the observational variables are obtained from the Euler-Maruyama discretization of the underlying stochastic differential equations(SDEs),based on which the loss function is built.The stochastic gradient descent method is applied in the neural network training.Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.展开更多
Maintaining the integrity and longevity of structures is essential in many industries,such as aerospace,nuclear,and petroleum.To achieve the cost-effectiveness of large-scale systems in petroleum drilling,a strong emp...Maintaining the integrity and longevity of structures is essential in many industries,such as aerospace,nuclear,and petroleum.To achieve the cost-effectiveness of large-scale systems in petroleum drilling,a strong emphasis on structural durability and monitoring is required.This study focuses on the mechanical vibrations that occur in rotary drilling systems,which have a substantial impact on the structural integrity of drilling equipment.The study specifically investigates axial,torsional,and lateral vibrations,which might lead to negative consequences such as bit-bounce,chaotic whirling,and high-frequency stick-slip.These events not only hinder the efficiency of drilling but also lead to exhaustion and harm to the system’s components since they are difficult to be detected and controlled in real time.The study investigates the dynamic interactions of these vibrations,specifically in their high-frequency modes,usingfield data obtained from measurement while drilling.Thefindings have demonstrated the effect of strong coupling between the high-frequency modes of these vibrations on drilling sys-tem performance.The obtained results highlight the importance of considering the interconnected impacts of these vibrations when designing and implementing robust control systems.Therefore,integrating these compo-nents can increase the durability of drill bits and drill strings,as well as improve the ability to monitor and detect damage.Moreover,by exploiting thesefindings,the assessment of structural resilience in rotary drilling systems can be enhanced.Furthermore,the study demonstrates the capacity of structural health monitoring to improve the quality,dependability,and efficiency of rotary drilling systems in the petroleum industry.展开更多
In this paper,we introduce TianXing,a transformer-based data-driven model designed with physical augmentation for skillful and efficient global weather forecasting.Previous data-driven transformer models such as Pangu...In this paper,we introduce TianXing,a transformer-based data-driven model designed with physical augmentation for skillful and efficient global weather forecasting.Previous data-driven transformer models such as Pangu-Weather,FengWu,and FuXi have emerged as promising alternatives for numerical weather prediction in weather forecasting.However,these models have been characterized by their substantial computational resource consumption during training and limited incorporation of explicit physical guidance in their modeling frameworks.In contrast,TianXing applies a linear complexity mechanism that ensures proportional scalability with input data size while significantly diminishing GPU resource demands,with only a marginal compromise in accuracy.Furthermore,TianXing proposes an explicit attention decay mechanism in the linear attention derived from physical insights to enhance its forecasting skill.The mechanism can reweight attention based on Earth's spherical distances and learned sparse multivariate coupling relationships,promptingTianXing to prioritize dynamically relevant neighboring features.Finally,to enhance its performance in mediumrange forecasting,TianXing employs a stacked autoregressive forecast algorithm.Validation of the model's architecture is conducted using ERA5 reanalysis data at a 5.625°latitude-longitude resolution,while a high-resolution dataset at 0.25°is utilized for training the actual forecasting model.Notably,the TianXing exhibits excellent performance,particularly in the Z500(geopotential height)and T850(temperature)fields,surpassing previous data-driven models and operational fullresolution models such as NCEP GFS and ECMWF IFS,as evidenced by latitude-weighted RMSE and ACC metrics.Moreover,the TianXing has demonstrated remarkable capabilities in predicting extreme weather events,such as typhoons.展开更多
Background:Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM)is a type of cardiomyopathy caused by long-term diabetes,characterized by abnormal myocardial structure and function,which can lead to heart failure.Berberine(BBR),a quaternary a...Background:Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM)is a type of cardiomyopathy caused by long-term diabetes,characterized by abnormal myocardial structure and function,which can lead to heart failure.Berberine(BBR),a quaternary ammonium alkaloid isolated from Coptidis Rhizoma,a traditional Chinese medicine,has superior anti-diabetic and heart-protective properties.The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of BBR on DCM.Methods:This study used a systems pharmacology approach to evaluate the related proteins and signalling pathways between BBR and DCM targets,combined with experimental validation using diabetic mouse heart sections.Microstructural and pathological changes were observed using Hematoxylin-eosin,Masson’s trichrome stain and wheat germ agglutinin staining.Immunofluorescence and western blot were used to determine protein expression.Results:The results indicate that BBR and DCM share 21 core relevant targets,with cross-targets predominantly located in mitochondrial,endoplasmic reticulum,and plasma membrane components.BBR exerts its main effects in improving DCM by maintaining mitochondrial integrity,particularly involving the PI3K-AKT-GSK3βand apoptosis signalling pathways.In addition,post-treatment changes in the key targets of BBR,including cysteine aspartate specific protease(Caspase)-3,phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)and mitochondria-related proteins,are suggestive of its efficacy.Conclusion:BBR crucially improves DCM by maintaining mitochondrial integrity,inhibiting apoptosis,and modulating PI3K-AKT-GSK3βsignaling.Further studies must address animal model limitations and validate clinical efficacy to understand BBR’s mechanisms fully and its potential clinical use.展开更多
Organic electrochemical transistors have emerged as a solution for artificial synapses that mimic the neural functions of the brain structure,holding great potentials to break the bottleneck of von Neumann architectur...Organic electrochemical transistors have emerged as a solution for artificial synapses that mimic the neural functions of the brain structure,holding great potentials to break the bottleneck of von Neumann architectures.However,current artificial synapses rely primarily on electrical signals,and little attention has been paid to the vital role of neurotransmitter-mediated artificial synapses.Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter associated with emotion regulation and cognitive processes that needs to be monitored in real time to advance the development of disease diagnostics and neuroscience.To provide insights into the development of artificial synapses with neurotransmitter involvement,this review proposes three steps towards future biomimic and bioinspired neuromorphic systems.We first summarize OECT-based dopamine detection devices,and then review advances in neurotransmitter-mediated artificial synapses and resultant advanced neuromorphic systems.Finally,by exploring the challenges and opportunities related to such neuromorphic systems,we provide a perspective on the future development of biomimetic and bioinspired neuromorphic systems.展开更多
Shen et al’s retrospective study aims to compare the utility of two separate scoring systems for predicting mortality attributable to gastrointestinal(GI)injury in critically ill patients[the GI Dysfunction Score(GID...Shen et al’s retrospective study aims to compare the utility of two separate scoring systems for predicting mortality attributable to gastrointestinal(GI)injury in critically ill patients[the GI Dysfunction Score(GIDS)and the Acute Gastroin-testinal Injury(AGI)grade].The authors note that this study is the first proposal that suggests an equivalence between the ability of both scores to predict mor-tality at 28 days from intensive care unit(ICU)admission.Shen et al retrospec-tively analysed an ICU cohort of patients utilising two physicians administering both the AGI grade and GIDS score,using electronic healthcare records and ICU flowsheets.Where these physicians disagreed about the scores,the final decision as to the scores was made by an associate chief physician,or chief physician.We note that the primary reason for the development of GIDS was to create a clear score for GI dysfunction,with minimal subjectivity or inter-operator variability.The subjectivity inherent to the older AGI grading system is what ultimately led to the development of GIDS in 2021.By ensuring consensus between physicians administering the AGI,Shen et al have controlled for one of this grading systems biggest issues.We have concerns,however,that this does not represent the real-world challenges associated with applying the AGI compared to the newer GIDS,and wonder if this arbitration process had not been instituted,would the two scoring systems remain equivalent in terms of predicted mortality?展开更多
基金supported by the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Project(JCKY2020130C025)the National Science and Technology Major Project(J2019-III-0020-0064,J2019-V-0014-0109)。
文摘In this paper,fixed-time consensus tracking for mul-tiagent systems(MASs)with dynamics in the form of strict feed-back affine nonlinearity is addressed.A fixed-time antidistur-bance consensus tracking protocol is proposed,which consists of a distributed fixed-time observer,a fixed-time disturbance observer,a nonsmooth antidisturbance backstepping controller,and the fixed-time stability analysis is conducted by using the Lyapunov theory correspondingly.This paper includes three main improvements.First,a distributed fixed-time observer is developed for each follower to obtain an estimate of the leader’s output by utilizing the topology of the communication network.Second,a fixed-time disturbance observer is given to estimate the lumped disturbances for feedforward compensation.Finally,a nonsmooth antidisturbance backstepping tracking controller with feedforward compensation for lumped disturbances is designed.In order to mitigate the“explosion of complexity”in the tradi-tional backstepping approach,we have implemented a modified nonsmooth command filter to enhance the performance of the closed-loop system.The simulation results show that the pro-posed method is effective.
基金supported in part by the Department of Navy award (N00014-22-1-2159)the National Science Foundation under award (ECCS-2227311)。
文摘This paper presents a risk-informed data-driven safe control design approach for a class of stochastic uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems.The nonlinear system is modeled using linear parameter-varying(LPV)systems.A model-based probabilistic safe controller is first designed to guarantee probabilisticλ-contractivity(i.e.,stability and invariance)of the LPV system with respect to a given polyhedral safe set.To obviate the requirement of knowing the LPV system model and to bypass identifying its open-loop model,its closed-loop data-based representation is provided in terms of state and scheduling data as well as a decision variable.It is shown that the variance of the closedloop system,as well as the probability of safety satisfaction,depends on the decision variable and the noise covariance.A minimum-variance direct data-driven gain-scheduling safe control design approach is presented next by designing the decision variable such that all possible closed-loop system realizations satisfy safety with the highest confidence level.This minimum-variance approach is a control-oriented learning method since it minimizes the variance of the state of the closed-loop system with respect to the safe set,and thus minimizes the risk of safety violation.Unlike the certainty-equivalent approach that results in a risk-neutral control design,the minimum-variance method leads to a risk-averse control design.It is shown that the presented direct risk-averse learning approach requires weaker data richness conditions than existing indirect learning methods based on system identification and can lead to a lower risk of safety violation.Two simulation examples along with an experimental validation on an autonomous vehicle are provided to show the effectiveness of the presented approach.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (62103093)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFB3305905)+6 种基金the Xingliao Talent Program of Liaoning Province of China (XLYC2203130)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (N2108003)the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (2023-MS-087)the BNU Talent Seed Fund,UIC Start-Up Fund (R72021115)the Guangdong Key Laboratory of AI and MM Data Processing (2020KSYS007)the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory IRADS for Data Science (2022B1212010006)the Guangdong Higher Education Upgrading Plan 2021–2025 of “Rushing to the Top,Making Up Shortcomings and Strengthening Special Features” with UIC Research,China (R0400001-22,R0400025-21)。
文摘The problem of prescribed performance tracking control for unknown time-delay nonlinear systems subject to output constraints is dealt with in this paper. In contrast with related works, only the most fundamental requirements, i.e., boundedness and the local Lipschitz condition, are assumed for the allowable time delays. Moreover, we focus on the case where the reference is unknown beforehand, which renders the standard prescribed performance control designs under output constraints infeasible. To conquer these challenges, a novel robust prescribed performance control approach is put forward in this paper.Herein, a reverse tuning function is skillfully constructed and automatically generates a performance envelop for the tracking error. In addition, a unified performance analysis framework based on proof by contradiction and the barrier function is established to reveal the inherent robustness of the control system against the time delays. It turns out that the system output tracks the reference with a preassigned settling time and good accuracy,without constraint violations. A comparative simulation on a two-stage chemical reactor is carried out to illustrate the above theoretical findings.
基金Research Grants Council of Hong Kong under Grant CityU-11205221.
文摘This article investigates the problem of robust adaptive leaderless consensus for heterogeneous uncertain nonminimumphase linear multi-agent systems over directed communication graphs. Each agent is assumed tobe of unknown nominal dynamics and also subject to external disturbances and/or unmodeled dynamics. Anovel distributed robust adaptive control strategy is proposed. It is shown that the robust adaptive leaderlessconsensus problem is solved with the proposed control strategy under some sufficient conditions. Two examplesare provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control strategy.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.51978125Open Fund Project of Research Center for Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Technology of Liaoning Province under Grant No.DLSZD2023[007]。
文摘In this study,a novel equivalent damping ratio model that is suitable for reinforced concrete(RC)structures considering cyclic degradation behavior is developed,and a new equivalent linearization analysis method for implementing the proposed equivalent damping ratio model for use in seismic damage evaluation is presented.To this end,Ibarra’s peak-oriented model,which incorporates an energy-based degradation rule,is selected for representing hysteretic behavior of RC structure,and the optimized equivalent damping for predicting the maximum displacement response is presented by using the empirical method,in which the effect of cyclic degradation is considered.Moreover,the relationship between the hysteretic energy dissipation of the inelastic system and the elastic strain energy of the equivalent linear system is established so that the proposed equivalent linear system can be directly integrated with the Park-Ang seismic model to implement seismic damage evaluation.Due to the simplicity of the equivalent linearization method,the proposed method provides an efficient and reliable way of obtaining comprehensive insight into the seismic performance of RC structures.The verification demonstrates the validity of the proposed method.
基金supported in part by the China Scholarship Council(No.202206030132)the European Union-NextGenerationEU。
文摘This paper discusses the design of resilient and event-triggered control for linear aperiodic sampled-data systems.The stability and stabilization problem of the aperiodic sampled-data systems under a dynamic event-triggered scheme and against a stochastic deception attack is addressed in a novel looped-functional framework.A quadratic event-triggered scheme with a discrete-time dynamic variable is proposed in which the system states are only evaluated at aperiodic sampling instants so that the Zeno phenomenon can be avoided consequently.The system is assumed to be intruded by a deception attack signal which is determined by a Bernoulli random variable.Our objective in this paper is to derive the stability conditions firstly and then provide the resilient and event-triggered controller design for the aperiodic sampled-data system.With a certain H∞attack and the control updates can be obviously reduced by the proposed dynamic event-triggered scheme,which means the system performance,the limited communication resources,and the system security can be well balanced in our design.Finally,the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by the simulations.
基金partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (62225305,12072088)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China (HIT.BRET.2022004,HIT.OCEF.2022047,JCKY2022603C016)China Scholarship Council (202306120113)。
文摘This paper revisits the problem of bumpless transfer control(BTC) for discrete-time nondeterministic switched linear systems. The general case of asynchronous switching is considered for the first time in the field of BTC for switched systems. A new approach called interpolated bumpless transfer control(IBTC) is proposed, where the bumpless transfer controllers are formulated with the combination of the two adjacent modedependent controller gains, and are interpolated for finite steps once the switching is detected. In contrast with the existing approaches, IBTC does not necessarily run through the full interval of subsystems, as well as possesses the time-varying controller gains(with more flexibility and less conservatism) achieved from a control synthesis allowing for the stability and other performance of the whole switched system. Sufficient conditions ensuring stability and H_(∞) performance of the underlying system by IBTC are developed, and numerical examples verify the theoretical findings.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)-Excellent Young Scientists Fund(Hong Kong and Macao)under Grant 62222318.
文摘This paper investigates the robust cooperative output regulation problem for a class of heterogeneousuncertain linear multi-agent systems with an unknown exosystem via event-triggered control (ETC). By utilizingthe internal model approach and the adaptive control technique, a distributed adaptive internal model isconstructed for each agent. Then, based on this internal model, a fully distributed ETC strategy composed ofa distributed event-triggered adaptive output feedback control law and a distributed dynamic event-triggeringmechanism is proposed, in which each agent updates its control input at its own triggering time instants. It isshown that under the proposed ETC strategy, the robust cooperative output regulation problem can be solvedwithout requiring either the global information associated with the communication topology or the bounds ofthe uncertain or unknown parameters in each agent and the exosystem. A numerical example is provided toillustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U21A20166)in part by the Science and Technology Development Foundation of Jilin Province (20230508095RC)+1 种基金in part by the Development and Reform Commission Foundation of Jilin Province (2023C034-3)in part by the Exploration Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Automotive Simulation and Control。
文摘Aiming at the tracking problem of a class of discrete nonaffine nonlinear multi-input multi-output(MIMO) repetitive systems subjected to separable and nonseparable disturbances, a novel data-driven iterative learning control(ILC) scheme based on the zeroing neural networks(ZNNs) is proposed. First, the equivalent dynamic linearization data model is obtained by means of dynamic linearization technology, which exists theoretically in the iteration domain. Then, the iterative extended state observer(IESO) is developed to estimate the disturbance and the coupling between systems, and the decoupled dynamic linearization model is obtained for the purpose of controller synthesis. To solve the zero-seeking tracking problem with inherent tolerance of noise,an ILC based on noise-tolerant modified ZNN is proposed. The strict assumptions imposed on the initialization conditions of each iteration in the existing ILC methods can be absolutely removed with our method. In addition, theoretical analysis indicates that the modified ZNN can converge to the exact solution of the zero-seeking tracking problem. Finally, a generalized example and an application-oriented example are presented to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed process.
基金supported in part by the National Key R&D Program of China under Grants 2021YFE0206100in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 62073321+2 种基金in part by National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program JCKY2019203C029in part by the Science and Technology Development Fund,Macao SAR under Grants FDCT-22-009-MISE,0060/2021/A2 and 0015/2020/AMJin part by the financial support from the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Project(JCKY2020130C025).
文摘In this paper,a new optimal adaptive backstepping control approach for nonlinear systems under deception attacks via reinforcement learning is presented in this paper.The existence of nonlinear terms in the studied system makes it very difficult to design the optimal controller using traditional methods.To achieve optimal control,RL algorithm based on critic–actor architecture is considered for the nonlinear system.Due to the significant security risks of network transmission,the system is vulnerable to deception attacks,which can make all the system state unavailable.By using the attacked states to design coordinate transformation,the harm brought by unknown deception attacks has been overcome.The presented control strategy can ensure that all signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally ultimately bounded.Finally,the simulation experiment is shown to prove the effectiveness of the strategy.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62373152,62333005,U21B6001,62073143,62273121)in part by the Natural Science Funds for Excellent Young Scholars of Hebei Province in 2022(F2022202014)+1 种基金in part by Science and Technology Research Project of Colleges and Universities in Hebei Province(BJ2020017)in part by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2022M711639,2023T160320).
文摘This article studies the fault detection filtering design problem for Roesser type two-dimensional(2-D)nonlinear systems described by uncertain 2-D Takagi-Sugeno(T-S)fuzzy models.Firstly,fuzzy Lyapunov functions are constructed and the 2-D Fourier transform is exploited,based on which a finite frequency fault detection filtering design method is proposed such that a residual signal is generated with robustness to external disturbances and sensitivity to faults.It has been shown that the utilization of available frequency spectrum information of faults and disturbances makes the proposed filtering design method more general and less conservative compared with a conventional nonfrequency based filtering design approach.Then,with the proposed evaluation function and its threshold,a novel mixed finite frequency H_(∞)/H_(-)fault detection algorithm is developed,based on which the fault can be immediately detected once the evaluation function exceeds the threshold.Finally,it is verified with simulation studies that the proposed method is effective and less conservative than conventional non-frequency and/or common Lyapunov function based filtering design methods.
文摘This work presents the “n<sup>th</sup>-Order Feature Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems” (abbreviated as “n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N”), which will be shown to be the most efficient methodology for computing exact expressions of sensitivities, of any order, of model responses with respect to features of model parameters and, subsequently, with respect to the model’s uncertain parameters, boundaries, and internal interfaces. The unparalleled efficiency and accuracy of the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N methodology stems from the maximal reduction of the number of adjoint computations (which are considered to be “large-scale” computations) for computing high-order sensitivities. When applying the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N methodology to compute the second- and higher-order sensitivities, the number of large-scale computations is proportional to the number of “model features” as opposed to being proportional to the number of model parameters (which are considerably more than the number of features).When a model has no “feature” functions of parameters, but only comprises primary parameters, the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N methodology becomes identical to the extant n<sup>th</sup> CASAM-N (“n<sup>th</sup>-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems”) methodology. Both the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N and the n<sup>th</sup>-CASAM-N methodologies are formulated in linearly increasing higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces as opposed to exponentially increasing parameter-dimensional spaces thus overcoming the curse of dimensionality in sensitivity analysis of nonlinear systems. Both the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N and the n<sup>th</sup>-CASAM-N are incomparably more efficient and more accurate than any other methods (statistical, finite differences, etc.) for computing exact expressions of response sensitivities of any order with respect to the model’s features and/or primary uncertain parameters, boundaries, and internal interfaces.
文摘This work highlights the unparalleled efficiency of the “n<sup>th</sup>-Order Function/ Feature Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems” (n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N) by considering the well-known Nordheim-Fuchs reactor dynamics/safety model. This model describes a short-time self-limiting power excursion in a nuclear reactor system having a negative temperature coefficient in which a large amount of reactivity is suddenly inserted, either intentionally or by accident. This nonlinear paradigm model is sufficiently complex to model realistically self-limiting power excursions for short times yet admits closed-form exact expressions for the time-dependent neutron flux, temperature distribution and energy released during the transient power burst. The n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N methodology is compared to the extant “n<sup>th</sup>-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems” (n<sup>th</sup>-CASAM-N) showing that: (i) the 1<sup>st</sup>-FASAM-N and the 1<sup>st</sup>-CASAM-N methodologies are equally efficient for computing the first-order sensitivities;each methodology requires a single large-scale computation for solving the “First-Level Adjoint Sensitivity System” (1<sup>st</sup>-LASS);(ii) the 2<sup>nd</sup>-FASAM-N methodology is considerably more efficient than the 2<sup>nd</sup>-CASAM-N methodology for computing the second-order sensitivities since the number of feature-functions is much smaller than the number of primary parameters;specifically for the Nordheim-Fuchs model, the 2<sup>nd</sup>-FASAM-N methodology requires 2 large-scale computations to obtain all of the exact expressions of the 28 distinct second-order response sensitivities with respect to the model parameters while the 2<sup>nd</sup>-CASAM-N methodology requires 7 large-scale computations for obtaining these 28 second-order sensitivities;(iii) the 3<sup>rd</sup>-FASAM-N methodology is even more efficient than the 3<sup>rd</sup>-CASAM-N methodology: only 2 large-scale computations are needed to obtain the exact expressions of the 84 distinct third-order response sensitivities with respect to the Nordheim-Fuchs model’s parameters when applying the 3<sup>rd</sup>-FASAM-N methodology, while the application of the 3<sup>rd</sup>-CASAM-N methodology requires at least 22 large-scale computations for computing the same 84 distinct third-order sensitivities. Together, the n<sup>th</sup>-FASAM-N and the n<sup>th</sup>-CASAM-N methodologies are the most practical methodologies for computing response sensitivities of any order comprehensively and accurately, overcoming the curse of dimensionality in sensitivity analysis.
基金2024 Jiangsu Province Youth Science and Technology Talent Support Project(funded by Yancheng Science and Technology Association)The 2024 Yancheng Key Research and Development Plan(Social Development)projects include“Research and Application of Multi-Agent Offline Distributed Trust Perception Virtual Wireless Sensor Network Algorithm”and“Research and Application of a New Type of Fishery Ship Safety Production Monitoring Equipment.”。
文摘Distributed adaptive predefined-time bipartite containment for a class of second-order nonlinear multi-agent systems are studied with actuator faults.The communication topology of multi-agent systems is fixed and directed.To ensure that followers can reach the convex hull spanned by leaders under the conditions of actuator faults,the sliding mode method is introduced.Control protocol for multi-agent systems demonstrates its effectiveness.Finally,simulations are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11971458,11471310)。
文摘In this paper,we propose a neural network approach to learn the parameters of a class of stochastic Lotka-Volterra systems.Approximations of the mean and covariance matrix of the observational variables are obtained from the Euler-Maruyama discretization of the underlying stochastic differential equations(SDEs),based on which the loss function is built.The stochastic gradient descent method is applied in the neural network training.Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
文摘Maintaining the integrity and longevity of structures is essential in many industries,such as aerospace,nuclear,and petroleum.To achieve the cost-effectiveness of large-scale systems in petroleum drilling,a strong emphasis on structural durability and monitoring is required.This study focuses on the mechanical vibrations that occur in rotary drilling systems,which have a substantial impact on the structural integrity of drilling equipment.The study specifically investigates axial,torsional,and lateral vibrations,which might lead to negative consequences such as bit-bounce,chaotic whirling,and high-frequency stick-slip.These events not only hinder the efficiency of drilling but also lead to exhaustion and harm to the system’s components since they are difficult to be detected and controlled in real time.The study investigates the dynamic interactions of these vibrations,specifically in their high-frequency modes,usingfield data obtained from measurement while drilling.Thefindings have demonstrated the effect of strong coupling between the high-frequency modes of these vibrations on drilling sys-tem performance.The obtained results highlight the importance of considering the interconnected impacts of these vibrations when designing and implementing robust control systems.Therefore,integrating these compo-nents can increase the durability of drill bits and drill strings,as well as improve the ability to monitor and detect damage.Moreover,by exploiting thesefindings,the assessment of structural resilience in rotary drilling systems can be enhanced.Furthermore,the study demonstrates the capacity of structural health monitoring to improve the quality,dependability,and efficiency of rotary drilling systems in the petroleum industry.
基金supported in part by the Meteorological Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant U2142211in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 42075141,42341202+2 种基金in part by the National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant 2020YFA0608000in part by the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project(2021SHZDZX0100)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities。
文摘In this paper,we introduce TianXing,a transformer-based data-driven model designed with physical augmentation for skillful and efficient global weather forecasting.Previous data-driven transformer models such as Pangu-Weather,FengWu,and FuXi have emerged as promising alternatives for numerical weather prediction in weather forecasting.However,these models have been characterized by their substantial computational resource consumption during training and limited incorporation of explicit physical guidance in their modeling frameworks.In contrast,TianXing applies a linear complexity mechanism that ensures proportional scalability with input data size while significantly diminishing GPU resource demands,with only a marginal compromise in accuracy.Furthermore,TianXing proposes an explicit attention decay mechanism in the linear attention derived from physical insights to enhance its forecasting skill.The mechanism can reweight attention based on Earth's spherical distances and learned sparse multivariate coupling relationships,promptingTianXing to prioritize dynamically relevant neighboring features.Finally,to enhance its performance in mediumrange forecasting,TianXing employs a stacked autoregressive forecast algorithm.Validation of the model's architecture is conducted using ERA5 reanalysis data at a 5.625°latitude-longitude resolution,while a high-resolution dataset at 0.25°is utilized for training the actual forecasting model.Notably,the TianXing exhibits excellent performance,particularly in the Z500(geopotential height)and T850(temperature)fields,surpassing previous data-driven models and operational fullresolution models such as NCEP GFS and ECMWF IFS,as evidenced by latitude-weighted RMSE and ACC metrics.Moreover,the TianXing has demonstrated remarkable capabilities in predicting extreme weather events,such as typhoons.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.82270892)Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province(Grant No.2022CFB287)+2 种基金Xianning City Science and Technology Plan Project(Grant No.2022ZRKX052)School projects of Hubei University of Science and Technology(Grant No.2022T01,2021WG05,2021TNB01)Hubei University of Science and Technology School-level Fund(Grant No.BK202122).
文摘Background:Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM)is a type of cardiomyopathy caused by long-term diabetes,characterized by abnormal myocardial structure and function,which can lead to heart failure.Berberine(BBR),a quaternary ammonium alkaloid isolated from Coptidis Rhizoma,a traditional Chinese medicine,has superior anti-diabetic and heart-protective properties.The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of BBR on DCM.Methods:This study used a systems pharmacology approach to evaluate the related proteins and signalling pathways between BBR and DCM targets,combined with experimental validation using diabetic mouse heart sections.Microstructural and pathological changes were observed using Hematoxylin-eosin,Masson’s trichrome stain and wheat germ agglutinin staining.Immunofluorescence and western blot were used to determine protein expression.Results:The results indicate that BBR and DCM share 21 core relevant targets,with cross-targets predominantly located in mitochondrial,endoplasmic reticulum,and plasma membrane components.BBR exerts its main effects in improving DCM by maintaining mitochondrial integrity,particularly involving the PI3K-AKT-GSK3βand apoptosis signalling pathways.In addition,post-treatment changes in the key targets of BBR,including cysteine aspartate specific protease(Caspase)-3,phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)and mitochondria-related proteins,are suggestive of its efficacy.Conclusion:BBR crucially improves DCM by maintaining mitochondrial integrity,inhibiting apoptosis,and modulating PI3K-AKT-GSK3βsignaling.Further studies must address animal model limitations and validate clinical efficacy to understand BBR’s mechanisms fully and its potential clinical use.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.62074163)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.JQ24030).
文摘Organic electrochemical transistors have emerged as a solution for artificial synapses that mimic the neural functions of the brain structure,holding great potentials to break the bottleneck of von Neumann architectures.However,current artificial synapses rely primarily on electrical signals,and little attention has been paid to the vital role of neurotransmitter-mediated artificial synapses.Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter associated with emotion regulation and cognitive processes that needs to be monitored in real time to advance the development of disease diagnostics and neuroscience.To provide insights into the development of artificial synapses with neurotransmitter involvement,this review proposes three steps towards future biomimic and bioinspired neuromorphic systems.We first summarize OECT-based dopamine detection devices,and then review advances in neurotransmitter-mediated artificial synapses and resultant advanced neuromorphic systems.Finally,by exploring the challenges and opportunities related to such neuromorphic systems,we provide a perspective on the future development of biomimetic and bioinspired neuromorphic systems.
文摘Shen et al’s retrospective study aims to compare the utility of two separate scoring systems for predicting mortality attributable to gastrointestinal(GI)injury in critically ill patients[the GI Dysfunction Score(GIDS)and the Acute Gastroin-testinal Injury(AGI)grade].The authors note that this study is the first proposal that suggests an equivalence between the ability of both scores to predict mor-tality at 28 days from intensive care unit(ICU)admission.Shen et al retrospec-tively analysed an ICU cohort of patients utilising two physicians administering both the AGI grade and GIDS score,using electronic healthcare records and ICU flowsheets.Where these physicians disagreed about the scores,the final decision as to the scores was made by an associate chief physician,or chief physician.We note that the primary reason for the development of GIDS was to create a clear score for GI dysfunction,with minimal subjectivity or inter-operator variability.The subjectivity inherent to the older AGI grading system is what ultimately led to the development of GIDS in 2021.By ensuring consensus between physicians administering the AGI,Shen et al have controlled for one of this grading systems biggest issues.We have concerns,however,that this does not represent the real-world challenges associated with applying the AGI compared to the newer GIDS,and wonder if this arbitration process had not been instituted,would the two scoring systems remain equivalent in terms of predicted mortality?