Position-sensorless control of permanent-magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motor

The sensorless control of permanent-magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance (PMASR) motors is investigated, in order to conjugate the advantages of the sensorless control with full exploitation of the allowed operating area, for a given inverter. An additional pulsating flux is injected in the d-axis direction at low and zero speed, while it is dropped out, at large speed, to save voltage and additional loss. A flux-observer-based control scheme is used, which includes an accurate knowledge of the motor magnetic behavior. This leads, in general, to good robustness against load variations, by counteracting the magnetic cross saturation effect. Moreover, it allows an easy and effective correspondence between the wanted torque and flux and the set values of the chosen control variables, that is d-axis flux and q-axis current. Experimental verification of the proposed method is given, both steady-state and dynamic performance are outlined. A prototype PMASR motor will be used to this aim, as part of a purposely assembled prototype drive, for light traction application (electric scooter

Mechanisms underlying of antiretroviral drugs in different cellular reservoirs with a focus on macrophages

Ongoing with current combinations of antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection can successfully maintain long-term suppression of HIV-1 replication in plasma. Still, none of these therapies is capable of extinguishing the virus from the long-lived cellular reservoir, including monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM), that means the principal obstacle to HIV cure. MDM are widely distributed in all tissues and organs, including central system nervous (CNS) where they represent the most frequent HIV-infected cells that means the principal obstacle to HIV cure. Current FDA-approved antiretroviral drugs target viral reverse transcriptase, protease, integrase, and entry processes (coreceptor or fusion blockade). It is desirable to continue to develop new antiretrovirals directed against alternative targets in the virus lifecycle in order to further optimize therapeutic options, overcome resistance to existing medications, and potentially contribute to the elimination of viral reservoirs.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the activity of antiretroviral drugs (classical and upcoming) in monocytes-derived macrophages (MDM). Defining the antiviral activity of these drugs in this important cellular HIV-1 reservoir provides crucial hints about their efficacy in HIV-1 infected patients

Crucial Role of Central Nervous System as a Viral Anatomical Compartment for HIV-1 Infection

The chronic infection established by the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) produces serious CD4+ T cell immunodeficiency despite the decrease in HIV-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) levels and the raised life expectancy of people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) through treatment with combined antiretroviral therapies (cART). HIV-1 enters the central nervous system (CNS), where perivascular macrophages and microglia are infected. Serious neurodegenerative symptoms related to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are produced by infection of the CNS. Despite advances in the treatment of this infection, HAND significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality globally. The pathogenesis and the role of inflammation in HAND are still incompletely understood. Principally, growing evidence shows that the CNS is an anatomical reservoir for viral infection and replication, and that its compartmentalization can trigger the evolution of neurological damage and thus make virus eradication more difficult. In this review, important concepts for understanding HAND and neuropathogenesis as well as the viral proteins involved in the CNS as an anatomical reservoir for HIV infection are discussed. In addition, an overview of the recent advancements towards therapeutic strategies for the treatment of HAND is presented. Further neurological research is needed to address neurodegenerative difficulties in people living with HIV, specifically regarding CNS viral reservoirs and their effects on eradication

Higher derivative corrections to string inflation

We quantitatively estimate the leading higher derivative corrections to N = 1 supergravity derived from IIB string compactifications and study how they may affect moduli stabilisation and LVS inflation models. Using the Kreuzer-Skarke database of 4D reflexive polytopes and their triangulated Calabi-Yau database, we present scanning results for a set of divisor topologies corresponding to threefolds with h1,1 between a and 5. In particular, we find several geometries suitable to realise blow-up inflation, fibre inflation and poly-instantons inflation, together with a classification of the divisors topologies for which the leading higher derivative corrections to the inflationary potential vanish. In all other cases, we instead estimate numerically how these corrections modify the inflationary dynamics, finding that they do not destroy the predictions for the main cosmological observables

Experimental Identification of the Magnetic Model of Synchronous Machines

This paper proposes and formalizes a comprehensive experimental approach for the identification of the magnetic model of synchronous electricalmachines of all kinds. The identification procedure is based on controlling the current of the machine under test while this is driven at constant speed by another regenerative electric drive. Compensation of stator resistance and inverter voltage drops, iron loss, and operating temperature issues are all taken into account. A road map for implementation is given, on different types of hardware setups. Experimental results are presented, referring to two testmotors of small size, and references of larger motors identified with the same technique are given from the literature

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Seed Coating on Grain Protein and Mineral Composition of Old and Modern Bread Wheat Genotypes

The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on yield and quality was investigated on a set of seven bread wheat genotypes with varying years of release, including five old genotypes and two modern varieties. A two-year field trial was conducted in central Italy under rainfed con- ditions. The effect of AM fungal seed coating was proved by assessing the AM fungal root colonization and studied on agronomic and quality traits, and in particular on gluten-forming proteins and grain mineral composition. AMF seed coating led to a general yield improvement in old geno- types (+24%). Concerning the effects on grain quality, while modern genotypes showed an increase in protein content (+16%), in the old ones an improvement of gluten quality was observed, with an increased proportion of HMW-GS from +17% to +92%. The gluten index results were mostly influenced by HMW-GS allelic configuration and amount, showing a significant correlation with gliadin- to-glutenin ratio and HMW-GS to LMW-GS. Concerning mineral uptake, AM fungal treatment de- termined a general increase in P content, which was more marked in the modern group (+44%). Furthermore, AMF significantly increased mean Fe concentration in Verna (+53%) and Bologna (+45%). Finally, phytate content did not increase with AMF, without affecting mineral bioavailability

Proteolytic Activity of Human Lymphoid Tumor Cells. Correlation with Tumor Progression

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and production are associated with advanced-stage tumor and contribute to tumor progression, invasion and metastases. The current study was designed to determine the expression and production of MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B) by human lymphoid tumor cells. Changes in expression and production were also investigated during tumor progression of multiple myeloma and mycosis fungoides. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that lymphoblastic leukemia B cells (SB cell line), multiple myeloma (MM) cells (U266 cell line) and lymphoblastic leukemia T cells (CEM and Jurkat cell lines) express constitutively the mRNA for MMP-2 and/or MMP-9. We demonstrated by gelatin-zymography of cell culture medium that both enzymes were secreted in their cleaved (activated) form. In situ hybridization of bone marrow plasma cells and gelatin- zymography of the medium showed that patients with active MM (diagnosis, relapse, leukemic progression) express higher levels of MMP-2 mRNA and protein than patients with non-active MM (complete/objective response, plateau) and with monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS). MMP-9 expression and secretion was similar in all patient groups. In patients with mycosis fungoides (MF), the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNAs was significantly upregulated with advancing stage, in terms of lesions both positive for one of two mRNAs and with the greatest intensity of expression. Besides MF cells, the MMP-2 and/or MMP-9 mRNAs were expressed by some stromal cell populations (microvascular endothelial cells, fibroblasts, macrophages), suggesting that these cells cooperate in the process of tumor invasion. Our studies identify MMPs as an important class of proteinases involved in the extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation by human lymphoid tumors, and suggest that MMPs inhibitors may lead to important new treatment for their control

Oesophageal stenosis due to heterotopy of gastric mucosa: a rare case of dysphagia in paediatric age

We describe the case of a three-year-old child who presents recurrent vomiting, dysphagia for solids, and weight deficit. Besides the poor general clinical conditions, the kid presents also retrosternal pyrosis. The laboratory tests show the presence of sideropenic anaemia, but it is possible to make a diagnosis only after endoscopy of the superior gastrointestinal tract, which reveals a chronic inflammation due to heterotopy of gastric mucosa. In the suspect of this kind of disease, this test should always be performed, and, if the proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) aren't effective enough, the Savary-Gilliard® dilators provide a safe and effective therapeutic solution