Grey-box Modelling of a Household Refrigeration Unit Using Time Series Data in Application to Demand Side Management

This paper describes the application of stochastic grey-box modeling to identify electrical power consumption-to-temperature models of a domestic freezer using experimental measurements. The models are formulated using stochastic differential equations (SDEs), estimated by maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), validated through the model residuals analysis and cross-validated to detect model over-fitting. A nonlinear model based on the reversed Carnot cycle is also presented and included in the modeling performance analysis. As an application of the models, we apply model predictive control (MPC) to shift the electricity consumption of a freezer in demand response experiments, thereby addressing the model selection problem also from the application point of view and showing in an experimental context the ability of MPC to exploit the freezer as a demand side resource (DSR).Comment: Submitted to Sustainable Energy Grids and Networks (SEGAN). Accepted for publicatio

Heterogeneous A40926 self-resistance profile in nonomuraea gerenzanensis population informs strain improvement

5noopenNonomuraea gerenzanensis ATCC 39727 produces the glycopeptide antibiotic A40926, which is the natural precursor of the semi-synthetic, last-resort drug dalbavancin. To reduce the cost of dalbavancin production, it is mandatory to improve the productivity of the producing strain. Here, we report that the exposure of N. gerenzanensis wild-type population to sub-inhibitory concentrations of A40926 led to the isolation of differently resistant phenotypes to which a diverse A40926 productivity was associated. The most resistant population (G, grand colonies) represented at least the 20% of the colonies growing on 2 µg/mL of A40926. It showed a stable phenotype after sub-culturing and a homogeneous profile of self-resistance to A40926 in population analysis profile (PAP) experiments. The less resistant population (P, petit) was represented by slow-growing colonies to which a lower A40926 productivity was associated. At bioreactor scale, the G variant produced twice more than the wild-type (ca. 400 mg/L A40926 versus less than 200 mg/L, respectively), paving the way for a rational strain improvement based on the selection of increasingly self-resistant colonies.openElisa Binda, Francesca Berini, Flavia Marinelli, Adriana Bava, Fabrizio BeltramettiBinda, Elisa; Berini, Francesca; Marinelli, Flavia; Bava, Adriana; Beltrametti, Fabrizi

Zloporaba gama-hidroksibutirata – farmakologija, trovanje i liječenje ovisnosti

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a central nervous system depressant primarily used as a recreational drug of abuse, but also for the treatment of narcolepsy with cataplexy in adult patients and as an adjuvant for control of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The main aim of this review is to summarise updated knowledge about GHB pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, acute poisoning, and clinical features of GHB withdrawal syndrome, its diagnosis and medical treatment. The most common clinical signs and symptoms of acute poisoning include sleepiness to deep coma, bradycardia, hypotension, and respiratory failure. Therapy is essentially supportive and based on continuous monitoring of vital signs. GHB withdrawal syndrome shares patterns with other withdrawal syndromes such as alcohol withdrawal and is sometimes difficult to distinguish, especially if toxicological tests are GHB-negative or cannot be performed. There are no official detoxification protocols for GHB withdrawal syndrome, but its therapy is based on benzodiazepine. When benzodiazepine alone is not effective, it can be combined with barbiturates or antipsychotics. Information about abuse and distribution of GHB and its precursors/analogues among the general population is still limited. Their prompt identification is therefore crucial in conventional and non-conventional biological matrices, the latter in particular, to clarify all the issues around this complex molecule.Gama-hidroksibutirat (GHB) depresiv je središnjega živčanog sustava koji se ponajviše zlorabi kao rekreativna droga, ali se primjenjuje i za liječenje narkolepsije s katapleksijom u odraslih bolesnika te kao pomoćni lijek u kontroli sindroma odvikavanja od alkohola. Ljudi i endogeno proizvode GHB, budući da je on prekursor gama-aminomaslačne kiseline (GABA), jednoga od glavnih neurotransmitera s inhibicijskim učinkom na živčani sustav. GHB ima ulogu neuromodulatora u GABA sustavu i uglavnom djeluje preko GABAB receptora. Za zloporabu se čestu kupuju GBH prekursori/analozi gama-butirolakton (GBL) i 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) u obliku otapala namijenjenih legalnoj industrijskoj uporabi. Oni, međutim, nisu endogeni. Glavni je cilj ovoga preglednog rada bio sažeti najnovije spoznaje o farmakokinetici i farmakodinamici GHB-a, akutnom trovanju i o kliničkim značajkama sindroma odvikavanja od GHB-a, njegovoj dijagnozi i liječenju. Akutno je trovanje GHB-om donekle i dijagnostički izazov jer su znakovi i simptomi uobičajeni i za depresive središnjega živčanog sustava. Najčešći su klinički znakovi akutnoga trovanja pospanost (sve do duboke kome), bradikardija i hipotenzija te respiratorno zatajenje. Liječenje je u osnovi potporno, uz stalno praćenje vitalnih znakova. Sindrom odvikavanja od GHB-a dijeli značajke s drugim sindromima odvikavanja (npr. od alkohola ili benzodiazepina). Ponekad ih je vrlo teško razlikovati, ponajviše kada su testovi na GHB negativni ili nije moguće napraviti toksikološku analizu. Ne postoje službeni protokoli za detoksikaciju od GHB-a ili njegovih prekursora/analoga. Liječenje se temelji na primjeni benzodiazepina te, ovisno o težini simptoma, sekundarno barbituratima ili antipsihoticima

CRISPR-Cas and its wide-ranging applications: from human genome editing to environmental implications, technical limitations, hazards and bioethical issues

The CRISPR-Cas system is a powerful tool for in vivo editing the genome of most organisms, including man. During the years this technique has been applied in several fields, such as agriculture for crop upgrade and breeding including the creation of allergy-free foods, for eradicating pests, for the improvement of animal breeds, in the industry of bio-fuels and it can even be used as a basis for a cell-based recording apparatus. Possible applications in human health include the making of new medicines through the creation of genetically modified organisms, the treatment of viral infections, the control of pathogens, applications in clinical diagnostics and the cure of human genetic diseases, either caused by somatic (e.g., cancer) or inherited (mendelian disorders) mutations. One of the most divisive, possible uses of this system is the modification of human embryos, for the purpose of preventing or curing a human being before birth. However, the technology in this field is evolving faster than regulations and several concerns are raised by its enormous yet controversial potential. In this scenario, appropriate laws need to be issued and ethical guidelines must be developed, in order to properly assess advantages as well as risks of this approach. In this review, we summarize the potential of these genome editing techniques and their applications in human embryo treatment. We will analyze CRISPR-Cas limitations and the possible genome damage caused in the treated embryo. Finally, we will discuss how all this impacts the law, ethics and common sense