Impact of Resistant Starch on Body Fat Patterning and Central Appetite Regulation

Background: Adipose tissue patterning has a major influence on the risk of developing chronic disease. Environmental influences on both body fat patterning and appetite regulation are not fully understood. This study was performed to investigate the impact of resistant starch (RS) on adipose tissue deposition and central regulation of appetite in mice. Methodology and Principle Findings: Forty mice were randomised to a diet supplemented with either the high resistant starch (HRS), or the readily digestible starch (LRS). Using 1H magnetic resonance (MR) methods, whole body adiposity, intrahepatocellular lipids (IHCL) and intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) were measured. Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) was used to investigate neuronal activity in hypothalamic regions involved in appetite control when fed ad libitum. At the end of the interventional period, adipocytes were isolated from epididymal adipose tissue and fasting plasma collected for hormonal and adipokine measurement. Mice on the HRS and LRS diet had similar body weights although total body adiposity, subcutaneous and visceral fat, IHCL, plasma leptin, plasma adiponectin plasma insulin/glucose ratios was significantly greater in the latter group. Adipocytes isolated from the LRS group were significantly larger and had lower insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. MEMRI data obtained from the ventromedial and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei suggests a satiating effect of the HRS diet despite a lower energy intake. Conclusion and Significance: Dietary RS significantly impacts on adipose tissue patterning, adipocyte morphology and metabolism, glucose and insulin metabolism, as well as affecting appetite regulation, supported by changes in neuronal activity in hypothalamic appetite regulation centres which are suggestive of satiation

Kontrole zgodności sposobu montażu instalacji przystosowującej dany typ pojazdu do zasilania gazem propan-butan (LPG)

The paper presents procedures related to obtaining type approval certification for the installation method of the system adapting a given vehicle type to be powered by LPG and reviews current legislation concerning it. There is also some important information published, regarding installation of the vehicle CNG supply system, and methods of the gas storages. There are admissible values of the exhaust fumes pollutants emission content (emission standards EURO) presented in a tabulated form for comparison and also the information on the elements of LPG supply systems, whose installation on the vehicles is obligatory in order to meet the 67.01. UN-ECE Regulation requirements. Later on the paper presents, in the tabulated form, the number of conformity inspections of the installation method of the system adapting the given vehicle type to be powered by LPG, carried out by the Quality Control Department, and also most important physico-chemical properties offuels as like: CNG, diesel oil, petrol and LPG. At the same time, the essential conclusions are published, of the inspections carried out by Quality Control Department in the establishments dealing with the LPG systems installations, together with the analysis of the discrepancies observed during the inspections. Additionally there is a list of some possible consequences of an improper gas system installation. In the summery of the paper, there is a reference made to the UN-ECE Nr 115 Regulation, whose introduction could regulate the market of the vehicle LPG systems. But to make it binding, all states have to adopt it to their legislations. The most important changes, affecting the parties installing the vehicle LPG systems, that are introduced by the Nr 115 Regulation, are related to obtaining the type approval, as it will be necessary to have gas system type approval certification linked with a particular engine type of a given motor vehicle, i.e. a dedicated system. Obtaining type approval necessitates in the need to meet more stringent technical requirements than the current ones. New type approvals will concern only a narrow group of vehicle, as even within one vehicle make, there will be several type approval certificates.W artykule opisano procedury związane z uzyskaniem świadectwa homologacji sposobu montażu instalacji przystosowującej dany typ pojazdu do zasilania gazem LPG (propan-butan), dokonano przeglądu obecnie obowiązujących aktów prawnych w omawianym zakresie. Zamieszczono także kilka istotnych informacji nt. instalacji zasilania pojazdów gazem ziemnym CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) oraz sposoby jego magazynowania. W formie tabelarycznej zamieszczono i porównano dopuszczalne wartości emisji składu substancji zanieczyszczających spaliny (normy emisji EURO), a także zamieszczono informacje nt. elementów instalacji gazowych LPG, które obowiązkowo muszą być zamontowane w pojazdach, tak aby spełnione zostały wymagania Regulaminu EKG ONZ Nr 67.01. W dalszej części pracy zaprezentowano w formie wykresu ilość przeprowadzonych przez Zakład Kontroli Jakości kontroli zgodności sposobu montażu instalacji przystosowującej dany typ pojazdu do zasilania gazem LPG, oraz pokazano najważniejsze właściwości fizyko-chemiczne paliw takich jak gaz ziemny, olej napędowy, benzyna i gaz propan-butan. Jednocześnie zaprezentowano najważniejsze wnioski z kontroli przeprowadzonych przez ZKJ w zakładach zajmujących się montażem instalacji LPG, a także przeprowadzono analizę zauważonych podczas kontroli niezgodności. Ponadto przedstawiono w punktach, niektóre następstwa nieprawidłowego montażu instalacji gazowych. W podsumowaniu referatu odniesiono się także do Regulaminu EKG ONZ Nr 115, którego wejście w życie mogłoby uporządkować rynek samochodach instalacji gazowych LPG. Aby Regulamin 115 miał moc wiążącą, poszczególne kraje muszą wprowadzić go do swojego prawodawstwa. Najważniejsze zmiany dla instalatorów samochodowych instalacji LPG, jakie wprowadza Regulamin 115, wiążą się z uzyskaniem homologacji, bowiem zgodnie z Regulaminem 115, trzeba będzie posiadać świadectwo homologacji na instalacje gazowe w połączeniu z określonymi typami silnika w konkretnym typie pojazdu, a więc dedykowane systemy. Uzyskanie homologacji wiąże się z koniecznością spełnienia bardziej restrykcyjnych od obecnych warunków technicznych. Nowe homologacje dotyczą tylko wąskiej grupy pojazdów, gdyż w ramach nawet jednej marki funkcjonować będzie kilkanaście różnych świadectw

Cascaded position-flux controller for an AMB system operating at zero bias

The paper reports on the implementation and the design of a controller for a fuel cell blower (FCB) with active magnetic bearings (AMBs). The cascaded position-fluxcentralized controller is comprised of a centralized position control loop and an inner flux control loop. The last one is based on state estimation without explicit flux measurements. As the position control is not dependent on the magnetic field nonlinearities, such a control structure enables operation under a zero bias. The practical working implementation of a flux control for the industrial levitated rotor is shown for the first time. The flux control gives better results than current control for both normal and zero bias operation. The system is analyzed fully, combining rotor dynamics and power amplifier analyses simultaneously. The importance of using the coil voltage in addition to current and practical treatment of the flux control is revealed. The centralized position-flux controller is compared with a state-of-the-art cascaded position-current control, which has inner current control loops. The proposed control solution with a zero bias can achieve a dynamic performance comparable that of a controller with the classical bias current

Thermal Analysis and Heat Management Strategies for an Induction Motor, a Review

Induction motors have gained a renewed interest due to this new shift from conventional power sources to electric power. These motors are known for their high commencing torque, adequate speed control and reasonable overload capacity. However, induction motors have an innate thermal issue wherein their lifespan and performance are strongly temperature dependent. Hence, it is highly essential to focus on the thermal management aspect of these motors to ensure reliability and enhance performance. Thus, the major purpose of the paper is to comprehensively review various approaches and methods for thermal analysis, including finite element analysis, lumped parameter thermal network and computational fluid dynamics tools. Moreover, it also presents various cooling strategies commonly adopted in induction motors. Furthermore, this study also suggests an integrated approach with two or more cooling strategies to be the need of the hour. These will combine the benefits of the individual system while helping to counter their drawbacks. This study will help to serve members of the scientific community, manufacturers or motors users who are interested in the thermal management of induction motors

Integracja łożyskowanego ma gnetycznie zasobnika energii kinetycznej z układem paneli fotowoltaicznych dla zastosowań w gospodarstwach domowych – modelowanie i analiza

This paper presents the design and investigation of a photovoltaic‒flywheel system for household purposes. The main goal of this work is the electrical and mechanical integration of the electromechanical high speed kinetic energy storage as UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) with photovoltaic solar system. The paper contains calculation and division of photovoltaic panels system according to its integration with active magnetic bearing (AMB) flywheel and external electric grid. The photovoltaic solar installation costs as well as its size were considered. The composite shell AMB flywheel prototype configuration design (using CAD-software) and two different material variants are investigated and presented. In particularly, the structural composite shell stress calculations of two different materials vs rotational speed are performed using a direct coupling of SolidWorks and Matlab software. The analytical calculations of PV‒flywheel system are provided in order to choose optimal type of photovoltaic panels according to motor/generator flywheel and household energy system requirements. All elements of PV‒flywheel system as transducers, bridges, wiring diagrams, etc., are optimized using Simscape tools. Finally, short- and long-time simulations results of PV‒AMB‒flywheel system and initial experimental results are presented and discussed.W artykule przedstawiono wstępne badania zintegrowanego układu paneli fotowoltaicznych z łożyskowanym magnetycznie zasobnikiem energii kinetycznej. Głównym celem pracy jest próba integracji elementów elektrycznych i mechanicznych wysokoobrotowego elektromechanicznego magazynu energii kinetycznej jako urządzenia UPS z układem paneli fotowoltaicznych. W szczególności przeprowadzono obliczenia najważniejszych parametrów elektrycznych łożyskowanego magnetycznie zasobnika energii połączonego z układem paneli fotowoltaicznych celem jego integracji z trakcją sieci elektrycznej niskiego napięcia. Wykorzystując pakiety oprogramowania: CAD, SolidWorks i Matlab, wykonano badania symulacyjne wskaźników wytrzymałości koła zamachowego zasobnika energii kinetycznej w szerokim zakresie prędkości obrotowej dla dwóch różnych typów materiałów kompozytowych. Następnie, wykorzystując między innymi narzędzia Simscape, przeprowadzono optymalizację elementów systemu celem dopasowania jego głównych parametrów do wymagań stawianym domowym instalacjom fotowoltaicznym z akumulatorami energii elektrycznej. Wyniki badań symulacyjnych, przeprowadzone w cyklach krótko‒ i długo‒ czasowych, układu paneli fotowoltaicznych zintegrowanych z elektromechanicznym akumulatorem energii potwierdziły wstępne obliczenia i założenia

Analytical method for design and thermal evaluation of a long-term flywheel energy storage system

This paper presents a novel analytical method for electro-mechanical design of a high speed long-term flywheel energy storage system and thermal evaluation of possible operating modes of the system. Flywheel’s composite shell rotor along with the motor/generator unit are assumed to be placed into a sealed vacuum chamber, which presents a challenge of heat transfer, produced by rotor losses. Developed method takes into account thermal radiation properties of the rotor and is realised using Mathcad software, which allows for quick investigation of any flywheel configuration. The method involves calculations for preliminary rotor sizing and determining achievable operation modes, while keeping the rotor under a specified temperature limit. Results of using this method for studying dependencies of thermal performance on initial system parameters are presented and conclusions are drawn. Based on the conducted study, recommendations on system design considerations are given.Peer reviewe

Thermal management analyses of induction motor through the combination of air-cooling and an integrated water-cooling system

Abstract The correct strategy of heat management in electric machines is extremely important due to their operating costs and length of operation. In this paper, the thermal management element strategies of the induction motors are developed to assure better endurance and boost efficiency. Additionally, an extensive review of the literature was carried out in terms of cooling methods for electrical machines. As the main result, the thermal analysis of an air-cooled and large-capacity induction motor is given, considering well-known heat distribution problems. Moreover, this study also presents an integrated approach with two or more cooling strategies to be the need of the hour. A model of a 100-kW air-cooled induction motor and an improved thermal management model of the same motor were both numerically investigated, using a combination of air cooling and integrated water cooling systems to achieve a significant improvement in motor efficiency. The integrated system comprising air- and water-cooled systems are investigated using SolidWorks 2017 and ANSYS Fluent version 2021. Three different flow rates of water 5 LPM, 10 LPM and 15 LPM are analyzed and compared with a conventional air-cooled induction motor, which was validated with the available published resources. Performed analyses indicate that for different flow rates of 5 LPM, 10 LPM and 15 LPM respectively, we have obtained a reduction of temperature accordingly of 2.94%, 4.79% and 7.69%. Hence, the results indicated that an integrated induction motor is efficient in bringing down the temperature compared to air cooled induction motor

Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone and estrogen-induced weight loss.

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is an orexigenic neuropeptide produced by neurons of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). Because genetic MCH deficiency induces hypophagia and loss of body fat, we hypothesized that MCH neurons may represent a specific LHA pathway that, when inhibited, contributes to the pathogenesis of certain anorexia syndromes. To test this hypothesis, we measured behavioral, hormonal, and hypothalamic neuropeptide responses in two models of hyperestrogenemia in male rats, a highly reproducible anorexia paradigm. Whereas estrogen-induced weight loss engaged multiple systems that normally favor recovery of lost weight, the expected increase of MCH mRNA expression induced by energy restriction was selectively and completely abolished. These findings identify MCH neurons as specific targets of estrogen action and suggest that inhibition of these neurons may contribute to the hypophagic effect of estrogen