A simple braking method for six-phase induction motor drives with unidirectional power flow in the base-speed region

Induction motor drives supplied from diode front-end rectifiers are commonly used in industrial applications due to their low cost and reliability. However, the two-quadrant operation of such a topology makes the regenerative braking impossible. Braking resistors can be used to dissipate the braking power and provide enhanced braking capability, but additional hardware is then necessary. Alternatively, the braking power can be dissipated within the inverter/motor by control software reconfiguration. In this scenario, the additional degrees of freedom of multiphase drives can be used to increase the system losses without disturbing the flux and torque production. Experimental results confirm the possibility to enhance the braking capability of six-phase drives with only few changes in the control scheme

L’argomentazione delle decisioni della Cassazione: tra autorevolezza del precedente ed esigenze di semplificazione.

La relazione mira ad approfondire il ruolo dell'argomentazione nel ragionamento dei giudici della Corte di Cassazione italiana e processo decisionale, indicando la funzione del vincolo dello stare decisis (precedente) in un sistema di civil law, quale quello italiano, e tenendo conto del carico di ricorsi che ogni anno la Corte deve gestire

Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Dendrimers: The Role of Generation and Alkyl Chain Length in siRNA Interaction

Citation: Marquez-Miranda, V., Araya-Duran, I., Camarada, M. B., Comer, J., Valencia-Gallegos, J. A., & Gonzalez-Nilo, F. D. (2016). Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Dendrimers: The Role of Generation and Alkyl Chain Length in siRNA Interaction. Scientific Reports, 6, 15. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep29436An ideal nucleic-acid transfection system should combine the physical and chemical characteristics of cationic lipids and linear polymers to decrease cytotoxicity and uptake limitations. Previous research described new types of carriers termed amphiphilic dendrimers (ADs), which are based on polyamidoamine dendrimers (PAMAM). These ADs display the cell membrane affinity advantage of lipids and preserve the high affinity for DNA possessed by cationic dendrimers. These lipid/dendrimer hybrids consist of a low-generation, hydrophilic dendron (G2, G1, or G0) bonded to a hydrophobic tail. The G2-18C AD was reported to be an efficient siRNA vector with significant gene silencing. However, shorter tail ADs (G2-15C and G2-13C) and lower generation (G0 and G1) dendrimers failed as transfection carriers. To date, the self-assembly phenomenon of this class of amphiphilic dendrimers has not been molecularly explored using molecular simulation methods. To gain insight into these systems, the present study used coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to describe how ADs are able to self-assemble into an aggregate, and, specifically, how tail length and generation play a key role in this event. Finally, explanations are given for the better efficiency of G2/18-C as gene carrier in terms of binding of siRNA. This knowledge could be relevant for the design of novel, safer ADs with well-optimized affinity for siRNA

Memory-based Model Predictive Control for Parameter Detuning in Multiphase Electric Machines

Model predictive control (MPC) is a popular control technique to regulate multiphase electric drives (ED). Despite the well-known advantages of MPC, it is sensitive to parameter detuning and lacks the capability to eliminate steady-state errors. The appearance of an offset between the reference and measured currents can significantly jeopardize the performance of the electric drive. This work suggests the use of a memory-based model predictive control (MB-MPC) that activates a compensation term when the parameter mismatch is detected. The suggested MB-MPC is universal for any multiphase machine if spatial harmonics are neglected since the proposed method does not consider any of the secondary x-y planes. Experimental results in two different rigs with six- and nine-phase induction motors prove this universality as well as its capability to eliminate current and speed offsets

Development of an optimized AAV2/5 gene therapy vector for Leber congenital amaurosis owing to defects in RPE65

Leber congenital amaurosis is a group of inherited retinal dystrophies that cause severe sight impairment in childhood; RPE65-deficiency causes impaired rod photoreceptor function from birth and progressive impairment of cone photoreceptor function associated with retinal degeneration. In animal models of RPE65 deficiency, subretinal injection of recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) 2/2 vectors carrying RPE65 cDNA improves rod photoreceptor function, and intervention at an early stage of disease provides sustained benefit by protecting cone photoreceptors against retinal degeneration. In affected humans, administration of these vectors has resulted to date in relatively modest improvements in photoreceptor function, even when retinal degeneration is comparatively mild, and the duration of benefit is limited by progressive retinal degeneration. We conclude that the demand for RPE65 in humans is not fully met by current vectors, and predict that a more powerful vector will provide more durable benefit. With this aim we have modified the original AAV2/2 vector to generate AAV2/5-OPTIRPE65. The new configuration consists of an AAV vector serotype 5 carrying an optimized hRPE65 promoter and a codon-optimized hRPE65 gene. In mice, AAV2/5-OPTIRPE65 is at least 300-fold more potent than our original AAV2/2 vector

New molecular approaches in adipogenesis regulation: The connexin 43 role

Indexación: Scopus; Redalyc.La prevalencia de la obesidad a nivel mundial se ha incrementado rápidamente durante los últimos años debido principalmente a los cambios en el estilo de vida de la población con un aumento significativo en el consumo de energía y disminución de los niveles de actividad física. Es por esto que la comunidad científica está interesada en comprender de forma más profunda los mecanismos que regulan la fisiopatología de la obesidad. Dentro de los diferentes blancos de estudio se encuentra la adipogénesis, cuyo entendimiento es fundamental para comprender el desarrollo de la obesidad y las patologías asociadas a esta. Recientemente ha surgido importantes evidencias que involucran a la proteína de canales de “Gap Junction” conexina 43 (Cx43) en la regulación de los procesos relacionados con adipogénesis, cuyo papel es básicamente anti-adipogénico, sin embargo, nuevas funciones de Cx43 en la regulación de la formación del tejido adiposo siguen descubriéndose.The global prevalence of obesity has been increased rapidly over the past few years mainly due to changes in the lifestyle of the population with a significant increase in energy consumption and decreased levels of physical activity. As a result, the scientific community is interested in a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the pathophysiology of obesity. In this context, adipogenesis process is an important target of study to understand the obesity and associated pathologies. Recently has been emerged important evidence that involve gap junction channel protein connexin 43 (Cx43) in the regulation of processes related to adipogenesis, whose role is fundamentally anti-adipogenic. However, new functions of Cx43 in the regulation of adipose tissue function also continued to emerge.http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=5594990800

Modelled agroforestry outputs at field and farm scale to support biophysical and environmental assessments

This report, comprising Deliverable 6.17, in the AGFORWARD project brings together examples of modelled outputs at field and farm scale to support the biophysical, social, and environmental assessment of the innovations selected from work-packages 2 to 5.N/

The highly prevalent BRCA2 mutation c.2808_2811del (3036delACAA) is located in a mutational hotspot and has multiple origins

BRCA2-c.2808_2811del (3036delACAA) is one of the most reported germ line mutations in non-Ashkenazi breast cancer patients. We investigated its genetic origin in 51 Spanish carrier families that were genotyped with 11 13q polymorphic markers. Three independent associated haplotypes were clearly distinguished accounting for 23 [west Castilla y León (WCL)], 20 [east Castilla y León (ECL)] and 6 (South of Spain) families. Mutation age was estimated with the Disequilibrium Mapping using Likelihood Estimation software in a range of 45–68 and 45–71 generations for WCL and ECL haplotypes, respectively. The most prevalent variants, c.2808_2811del and c.2803G > A, were located in a double-hairpin loop structure (c.2794–c.2825) predicted by Quikfold that was proposed as a mutational hotspot. To check this hypothesis, random mutagenesis was performed over a 923 bp fragment of BRCA2, and 86 DNA variants were characterized. Interestingly, three mutations reported in the mutation databases (c.2680G > A, c.2944del and c.2957dup) were replicated and 20 affected the same position with different nucleotide changes. Moreover, five variants were placed in the same hairpin loop of c.2808_2811del, and one affected the same position (c.2808A > G). In conclusion, our results support that at least three different mutational events occurred to generate c.2808_2811del. Other highly prevalent DNA variants, such as BRCA1-c.68_69delAG, BRCA2- c.5946delT and c.8537delAG, are concentrated in hairpin loops, suggesting that these structures may represent mutational hotspots

Recapitulation of Human Retinal Development from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Generates Transplantable Populations of Cone Photoreceptors

Transplantation of rod photoreceptors, derived either from neonatal retinae or pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), can restore rod-mediated visual function in murine models of inherited blindness. However, humans depend more upon cone photoreceptors that are required for daylight, color, and high-acuity vision. Indeed, macular retinopathies involving loss of cones are leading causes of blindness. An essential step for developing stem cell-based therapies for maculopathies is the ability to generate transplantable human cones from renewable sources. Here, we report a modified 2D/3D protocol for generating hPSC-derived neural retinal vesicles with well-formed ONL-like structures containing cones and rods bearing inner segments and connecting cilia, nascent outer segments, and presynaptic structures. This differentiation system recapitulates human photoreceptor development, allowing the isolation and transplantation of a pure population of stage-matched cones. Purified human long/medium cones survive and become incorporated within the adult mouse retina, supporting the potential of photoreceptor transplantation for treating retinal degeneration