An integrated system to remote monitor and control anaerobic wastewater treatment plants through the internet.

The TELEMAC project brings new methodologies from the Information and Science Technologies field to the world of water treatment. TELEMAC offers an advanced remote management system which adapts to most of the anaerobic wastewater treatment plants that do not benefit from a local expert in wastewater treatment. The TELEMAC system takes advantage of new sensors to better monitor the process dynamics and to run automatic controllers that stabilise the treatment plant, meet the depollution requirements and provide a biogas quality suitable for cogeneration. If the automatic system detects a failure which cannot be solved automatically or locally by a technician, then an expert from the TELEMAC Control Centre is contacted via the internet and manages the problem.     

Global adaptive output feedback controllers with application to non‐linear friction compensation

In this paper, we consider a class of non‐linear systems in which a set of constant parameters is unknown and some state variables are not available for measurement. For such systems we provide a constructive procedure for the solution of the global adaptive tracking problem with dynamic partial state feedback. We illustrate an application of the control strategy to the adaptive non‐linear friction compensation of a DC motor servomechanism. We improve previous results in tow directions: we allow for a subset of the unmeasurable states to enter in a system non‐linearly; we consider systems which are linearly parametrized with respect to a set of unknown constant parameters. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polarisation transformer on Ti:LiNbO3 with reset-free optical operation for heterodyne/homodyne receivers

Experimental results for an integrated-optical state-of-polarisation (SOP) controller device on Ti:LiNbO3 for continuous broadband optical operation, with small temperature sensitivity and the possibility of integration with polarisation- insensitive directional couplers, are presented.     

VLDL receptor mediates the uptake of human chylomicron remnants in vitro

The VLDL receptor has been described as a new member of the LDL receptor supergene family that specifically binds VLDL in vitro via apolipoprotein E and lipoprotein lipase. Both apolipoprotein E and lipoprotein lipase are constituents of chylomicron remnants, another triglyceride-rich lipoprotein which has been proposed as a physiological ligand for the VLDL receptor. We used human chylomicron remnants to study their uptake into LDL, receptor-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing the human VLDL receptor. The uptake into these cells was compared to that into cells transfected with an empty transfection vector. Human chylomicron remnants were produced in vitro by hydrolysis with lipoprotein lipase, and were labeled with 125I. The uptake of these remnants into the cells overexpressing the VLDL receptor was found to be about 3-fold higher than the uptake into the control cells. The addition of a surplus of either apolipoprotein E or inactivated lipoprotein lipase to the remnants led to an increase in particle uptake. The chylomicron remnant uptake was inhibited by addition of the 39 kDa receptor associated protein These in vitro experiments strongly support the idea that the VLDL receptor is a physiological receptor for chylomicron remnants. The increase of receptor-mediated uptake induced by the addition of apoE or lipoprotein lipase underlines the role of these two proteins in this process.     

Proteomics and Extracellular Vesicles as Novel Biomarker Sources in Peritoneal Dialysis in Children

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) represents the dialysis modality of choice for pediatric patients with end-stage kidney disease. Indeed, compared with hemodialysis (HD), it offers many advantages, including more flexibility, reduction of the risk of hospital-acquired infections, preservation of residual kidney function, and a better quality of life. However, despite these positive aspects, PD may be associated with several long-term complications that may impair both patient’s general health and PD adequacy. In this view, chronic inflammation, caused by different factors, has a detrimental impact on the structure and function of the peritoneal membrane, leading to sclerosis and consequent PD failure both in adults and children. Although several studies investigated the complex pathogenic pathways underlying peritoneal membrane alterations, these processes remain still to explore. Understanding these mechanisms may provide novel approaches to improve the clinical outcome of pediatric PD patients through the identification of subjects at high risk of complications and the implementation of personalized interventions. In this review, we discuss the main experimental and clinical experiences exploring the potentiality of the proteomic analysis of peritoneal fluids and extracellular vesicles as a source of novel biomarkers in pediatric peritoneal dialysis.     

He ION BOMBARDMENT OF C60 FULLERENE: AN FT-IR AND RAMAN STUDY

C₆₀ fullerene films have been bombarded with He⁺ ions at 30 keV at room temperature in vacuum. The structural changes undergone by C₆₀ have been followed by both FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy was the most useful tool for this scope. It has been clearly discovered that at low radiation dose C₆₀ forms oligomers but at higher radiation doses it is converted into an amorphous carbonaceous matter. The implications of these results on the possible survival of C₆₀ fullerene in the interstellar space have been discussed briefly in connection with the previous results on the effects of various types of electromagnetic radiation over C₆₀.     

Epigenetic and Genetic Factors Related to Curve Progression in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Scoping Review of the Current Literature

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a progressive deformity of the spine. Scoliotic curves progress until skeletal maturity leading, in rare cases, to a severe deformity. While the Cobb angle is a straightforward tool in initial curve magnitude measurement, assessing the risk of curve progression at the time of diagnosis may be more challenging. Epigenetic and genetic markers are potential prognostic tools to predict curve progression. The aim of this study is to review the available literature regarding the epigenetic and genetic factors associated with the risk of AIS curve progression. This review was carried out in accordance with Preferential Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was carried out in January 2022. Only peer-reviewed articles were considered for inclusion. Forty studies were included; fifteen genes were reported as having SNPs with significant association with progressive AIS, but none showed sufficient power to sustain clinical applications. In contrast, nine studies reporting epigenetic modifications showed promising results in terms of reliable markers. Prognostic testing for AIS has the potential to significantly modify disease management. Most recent evidence suggests epigenetics as a more promising field for the identification of factors associated with AIS progression, offering a rationale for further investigation in this field.