Fast electromagnetic balance

Instead of reading the equilibrium value, the deflection of the balance as a function time can be measured and the equation of motion can be used to calculate the unknown torque T and to relate the other quantities in the equation to the actual instrument-constants. In this way, balance reading could be much faster and weighing errors due to faulty instrument and environmental influences can be smaller than those in equilibrium position. This enables the use of microbalances for the observation of fast chemical or thermal processes and to use it as fast checkweigher for control of sorting machines. In the present paper we present results from calculations of a simulation procedure

Power-Scalable Dynamic Element Matching for a 3.4-GHz 9-bit ΔΣ RF-DAC in 16-nm FinFET

This letter presents a hardware-efficient technique to scale the power consumption of dynamic element matching (DEM) DACs with the static back-off level of the digital input signal. Unlike previous DEM techniques, the proposed power-scalable approach disables parts of the DEM encoder and DAC elements when the digital signal level is decreased from full-scale, thus resulting in reduced power consumption and lower mismatch noise at the DAC output. Power-scalable DEM is particularly useful in digital-intensive RF transmitters, where 30–50 dB of signal power control may be performed in the digital domain. The concept is demonstrated for a 3.4-GHz 9-bit I/Q RF-DAC, utilizing bandpass delta–sigma modulation and DEM with programmable center frequency. The circuit is fabricated in a 16-nm FinFET process. When changing the digital back-off level of an LTE20 carrier from 0 to −18 dB, measurement results show a 72% reduction in total power consumption and 4.5-dB lower mismatch noise, achieved without performing any biastuning or gain control in the analog domain. The digital delta–sigma modulator and DEM encoder consume less than 20 mW in full-scale mode.Peer reviewe

Premature age-related comorbidities among HIV-infected persons compared with the general population HIV/AIDS

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)\u2013infected patients may have a greater risk of noninfectious comorbidities (NICMs) compared with the general population. We assessed the prevalence and risk factors for NICMs in a large cohort of HIV-infected adults and compared these findings with data from matched control subjects. We performed a case-control study involving antiretroviral therapy (ART)\u2013experienced HIV-infected patients treated at Modena University, Italy, from 2002 through 2009. These patients were compared with age-, sex-, and race-matched adults (control subjects) from the general population included in the CINECA ARNO database. NICMs included cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, bone fractures, and renal failure. Polypathology (Pp) was defined as the concurrent presence of 652 NICMs. Logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate associated predictors of NICMs and Pp. Conclusions: Specific age-related NICMs and Pp were more common among HIV-infected patients than in the general population. The prevalence of Pp in HIV-infected persons anticipated Pp prevalence observed in the general population among persons who were 10 years older, and HIV-specific cofactors (lower nadir CD4 cell count and more prolonged ART exposure) were identified as risk factors. These data support the need for earlier screening for NICMs in HIV-infected patients

Life Expectancy in the Immune Recovery Era

INTRODUCTION: National cohort and intercohort studies have been set to describe the differences of life expectancy (LE) of HIV-infected individuals. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of immune recovery (IR) on LE of patients with HIV undergoing combination antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, outcome measure was LE of patients with HIV compared with LE of northern Italian population. Group categorizations were as follows: patients with no immune recovery (nIR), patients with IR, patients who are immune maintained, and pre-highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and post-HAART. Abridged life tables were constructed from age-specific mortality rates (per 1000 person years) to estimate LE from the age of 20-55 years. RESULTS: A total of 9671 patients, 71% men, were included. After 2005, we assisted to a rapid increase in the overall rate of patients attaining IR in the community coupled with a progressive decrease of AIDS death, but not of non-AIDS deaths. In a 40-year-old patient, LE was 38.10 years [standard error (SE) = 2.60], 30.08 years (SE = 0.98), and 22.9 (SE = 0.69) in the IR, post-HAART group and nIR, respectively, compared with 41.38 years of the general Italian population. An approximately 5-year gap in LE was observed in IR patients. DISCUSSION: We describe IR at a "community" level, related to calendar year and apparent 10 years after HAART introduction. HAART community IR is significantly influencing LE and is associated with the changing clinical picture of HIV disease. An increasing gradient of LE exists between nIR, post-HAART, and IR groups, with the latter, above the age of 40 years only, reaching LE of general population

Life expectancy in the immune recovery era : the evolving scenario of the HIV epidemic in northern Italy

INTRODUCTION: National cohort and intercohort studies have been set to describe the differences of life expectancy (LE) of HIV-infected individuals. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of immune recovery (IR) on LE of patients with HIV undergoing combination antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, outcome measure was LE of patients with HIV compared with LE of northern Italian population. Group categorizations were as follows: patients with no immune recovery (nIR), patients with IR, patients who are immune maintained, and pre-highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and post-HAART. Abridged life tables were constructed from age-specific mortality rates (per 1000 person years) to estimate LE from the age of 20-55 years. RESULTS: A total of 9671 patients, 71% men, were included. After 2005, we assisted to a rapid increase in the overall rate of patients attaining IR in the community coupled with a progressive decrease of AIDS death, but not of non-AIDS deaths. In a 40-year-old patient, LE was 38.10 years [standard error (SE) = 2.60], 30.08 years (SE = 0.98), and 22.9 (SE = 0.69) in the IR, post-HAART group and nIR, respectively, compared with 41.38 years of the general Italian population. An approximately 5-year gap in LE was observed in IR patients. DISCUSSION: We describe IR at a "community" level, related to calendar year and apparent 10 years after HAART introduction. HAART community IR is significantly influencing LE and is associated with the changing clinical picture of HIV disease. An increasing gradient of LE exists between nIR, post-HAART, and IR groups, with the latter, above the age of 40 years only, reaching LE of general population

Polypharmacology for polypathology in HIV infected patients.

We hypothesized that age-related non-infectious comorbidities (cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis and renal failure), aggregating in polypathology, need a polypharmacology approach in HIV-infected patients. The objective was to compare, in HIV-infected patients and matched controls, the distribution of drug groups and daily pill burden in different age strata

Premature Age-Related Comorbidities Among HIV-Infected Persons Compared With the General Population.

Background. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients may have a greater risk of noninfectious comorbidities (NICMs) compared with the general population. We assessed the prevalence and risk factors for NICMs in a large cohort of HIV-infected adults and compared these findings with data from matched control subjects.Methods. We performed a case-control study involving antiretroviral therapy (ART)-experienced HIV-infected patients treated at Modena University, Italy, from 2002 through 2009. These patients were compared with age-, sex-, and race-matched adults (control subjects) from the general population included in the CINECA ARNO database. NICMs included cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, bone fractures, and renal failure. Polypathology (Pp) was defined as the concurrent presence of ≥2 NICMs. Logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate associated predictors of NICMs and Pp.Results. There were 2854 patients and 8562 control subjects. The mean age was 46 years, and 37% were women. Individual NICM and Pp prevalences in each age stratum were higher among patients than among controls (all P <.001). Pp prevalence among patients aged 41-50 years was similar to that among controls aged 51-60 years (P value was not statistically significant); diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, bone fractures, and renal failure were statistically independent after adjustment for sex, age, and hypertension. Logistic regression models showed that independent predictors of Pp in the overall cohort were (all P < .001) age (odds ratio [OR], 1.11), male sex (OR, 1.77), nadir CD4 cell count <200 cells/μL (OR, 4.46), and ART exposure (OR, 1.01).Conclusions. Specific age-related NICMs and Pp were more common among HIV-infected patients than in the general population. The prevalence of Pp in HIV-infected persons anticipated Pp prevalence observed in the general population among persons who were 10 years older, and HIV-specific cofactors (lower nadir CD4 cell count and more prolonged ART exposure) were identified as risk factors. These data support the need for earlier screening for NICMs in HIV-infected patients