Parameter bounds evaluation of Wiener models with noninvertible polynomial nonlinearities

In this paper a three stage procedure is presented for deriving parameters bounds of SISO Wiener models when the nonlinear block is modeled by a possibly noninvertible polynomial and the output measurement errors are bounded. First, using steady-state input-output data, parameters of the nonlinear part are bounded by a tight orthotope. Then, given the estimated uncertain nonlinearity and the output measurements collected exciting the system with an input dynamic signal, bounds on the unmeasurable inner signal are computed. Finally, such bounds, together with noisy output measurements, are used for bounding the parameters of the linear block.     

Epidemiology of musculoskeletal disorders due to biomechanical overload

The link between occupation and musculoskeletal disorders has been focused on in numerous research projects, ranging from those simply observing the different pathological findings reported among workers performing particular tasks, down to the latest studies actually quantifying the 'exposure' of workers to physical and psychosocial stimuli. For some disorders and certain tissues, it has been reported that specific types of work-related exposure are associated with the development of musculoskeletal pathologies, and that the relative risks for certain types of occupational exposure can be extremely high. This has been proven in relation to tendinitis of the shoulder and hand-wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as several localized aspecific musculoskeletal symptoms, such as pain. For other pathologies, the studies reported contradictory results. This is the case for lateral epicondylitis and cervical radiculopathy.     

Diesel particulate traps regenerated by catalytic combustion

The development of catalytic means for the regeneration of particulate-laden traps for diesel exhaust cleaning is the main topic of this paper. All the steps of the catalytic trap preparation are dealt with, including: the synthesis and choice of the proper catalyst and trap materials, the development ofin situ catalyst deposition, and the bench testing of the derived catalytic traps. Two different traps were considered (i.e., silicon carbide and cordierite wallflow monoliths operating via a shallow-bed filtration mechanism), whereas the best catalyst selected was the perovskite LaCr_0.9O₃. The filtration efficiency and the pressure drops of the catalytic and non-catalytic monoliths were evaluated on a diesel engine bench under various operating conditions. On the basis of the obtained results the catalysed SiC converter was found to be the most satisfactory converter to be placed on the exhaust line of the modern common rail diesel-engine cars.     

Role of the deposition parameters and aging on the optical and photoluminescence properties of C70 films

We have investigated the influence of the growth parameters (substrate temperature and deposition rate) and the aging process on the optical properties of C₇₀ thin films, by means of absorption and photoluminescence spectra. The Urbach energy, obtained from the absorption spectra, indicates that the substrate temperature influences the film optical properties more than the deposition rate. The luminescence spectra suggest the important role of the disorder in the radiative efficiency. The main structures of the emission spectra have been assigned to an intramolecular polaron-exciton. The analysis of the temperature dependence of the photoluminescence spectra of the as-deposited samples shows that the vibronic transitions are dominant at low temperature, whereas the singlet purely electronic recombination (due to Frenkel-type exciton) is visible at a sufficiently high temperature. On the contrary, in the aged samples this purely electronic transition is well resolved from low to high temperature. This anomalous behaviour is discussed and attributed to the disorder introduced in the film.     

Regulatory Noncoding and Predicted Pathogenic Coding Variants of CCR5 Predispose to Severe COVID-19

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) found locus 3p21.31 associated with severe COVID-19. CCR5 resides at the same locus and, given its known biological role in other infection diseases, we investigated if common noncoding and rare coding variants, affecting CCR5, can predispose to severe COVID-19. We combined single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that met the suggestive significance level (P ≤ 1 × 10⁻⁵) at the 3p21.31 locus in public GWAS datasets (6406 COVID-19 hospitalized patients and 902,088 controls) with gene expression data from 208 lung tissues, Hi-C, and Chip-seq data. Through whole exome sequencing (WES), we explored rare coding variants in 147 severe COVID-19 patients. We identified three SNPs (rs9845542, rs12639314, and rs35951367) associated with severe COVID-19 whose risk alleles correlated with low CCR5 expression in lung tissues. The rs35951367 resided in a CTFC binding site that interacts with CCR5 gene in lung tissues and was confirmed to be associated with severe COVID-19 in two independent datasets. We also identified a rare coding variant (rs34418657) associated with the risk of developing severe COVID-19. Our results suggest a biological role of CCR5 in the progression of COVID-19 as common and rare genetic variants can increase the risk of developing severe COVID-19 by affecting the functions of CCR5.     

Short-term effects of thyroid hormones on the Na/H antiport in L-6 myoblasts: high molecular specificity for 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine

The thyroid hormones L-T3 and L-T4 were shown to activate the Na/H antiport in L-6 cells from rat skeletal muscle by a rapid, nongenomic mechanism. Under pH equilibrium conditions, a significant rise in the intracellular pH, measured by the fluorescent pH indicator 2',7'-bis-(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein was observed after the addition of physiological concentrations (10(-10) M) of either L-T3 or L-T4, but with different time courses. L-T3 at all concentrations increased the pH after a delay of 2 min, whereas L-T4 showed a concentration-dependent lag time, going from 11 min at 10(-11) M down to 5 min for a hormone concentration of 10(-6) M. The effect of L-T4 was blocked in the presence of the 5'-deiodinase inhibitor 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil, suggesting that the difference in lag time between L-T3 and L-T4 was due to the 5'-deiodination process that transforms L-T4 into the bioactive L-T3. In short term studies (<5 min), a high molecular specificity for L-T3 was found, as L-T4, rT3, the D-isomer of T3, and the deaminated analogues were ineffective at physiological concentrations. In analogy with the results found at equilibrium, intracellular pH recovery from an acid load and set-point were increased after 2 min for L-T3 (10(-9) M) and after 10 min for L-T4 (10(-9) M). The effect of the hormones on the intracellular pH was completely blocked by the specific antiport inhibitor 5-(ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride. These findings suggest that thyroid hormones may play an active role in the recovery from muscular acidosis through direct stimulation of the Na/H antiport.     

Overcurrent Protection Criteria in Large AC to DC Thyristor Converters

The paper refers to thyristor ac to dc converters for industrial applications, nonreversing and reversing, in full-controlled three-phase bridge connection, as used for armature supply of dc motors and excitation of large ac generators. The possible causes of incorrect operation as well as the types of fault currents produced are investigated; the means available to interrupt or limit the value and the duration of these fault currents are recalled. Having in mind the performance required from the protective means in the various practical applications, a few different protection classes are defined. The criteria are then illustrated upon which selection of the protective means and their operating logic is based, in order to reach the targets put forward for each class of protection.