Intensified peginterferon α-2a dosing increases sustained virologic response rates in heavy, high viral load hepatitis c genotype 1 patients with high low-density lipoprotein

BACKGROUND AND GOAL: Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) with elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels achieve higher sustained virologic response (SVR) rates after peginterferon (PegIFN)/ribavirin treatment versus patients with lower LDL. Our aim was to determine whether SVR rates in patients with low/elevated LDL can be improved by dose intensification. STUDY: In PROGRESS, genotype 1 patients with baseline HCV RNA≥400,000 IU/mL and body weight ≥85 kg were randomized to 48 weeks of 180 μg/wk PegIFN α-2a (40 kDa) plus ribavirin (A: 1200 mg/d; B: 1400/1600 mg/d) or 12 weeks of 360 μg/wk PegIFN α-2a followed by 36 weeks of 180 μg/wk, plus ribavirin (C: 1200 mg/d; D: 1400/1600 mg/d). This retrospective analysis assessed SVR rates among patients with low (<100 mg/dL) or elevated (≥100 mg/dL) LDL. Patients with high LDL (n=256) had higher baseline HCV RNA (5.86×10 IU/mL) versus patients with low LDL (n=262; 4.02×10 IU/mL; P=0.0003). RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analysis identified a significant interaction between PegIFN α-2a dose and LDL levels on SVR (P=0.0193). The only treatment-related SVR predictor in the nested multiple logistic regression was PegIFN α-2a dose among patients with elevated LDL (P=0.0074); therefore, data from the standard (A+B) and induction (C+D) dose arms were pooled. Among patients with low LDL, SVR rates were 40% and 35% in the standard and induction-dose groups, respectively; SVR rates in patients with high LDL were 44% and 60% (P=0.014), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Intensified dosing of PegIFN α-2a increases SVR rates in patients with elevated LDL even with the difficult-to-cure characteristics of genotype 1, high baseline viral load, and high body weight. Copyright © 2013 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Grip and load force coordination in cyclical isometric manipulation task is not affected by the feedback type

Background: The relationship between normal and tangential force components (grip force - GF and load force - LF, respectively) acting on the digits-object interface during object manipulation reveals neural mechanisms involved in movement control. Here, we examined whether the feedback type provided to the participants during exertion of LF would influence GF-LF coordination and task performance. Methods. Sixteen young (24.7 ±3.8 years-old) volunteers isometrically exerted continuously sinusoidal FZ (vertical component of LF) by pulling a fixed instrumented handle up and relaxing under two feedback conditions: targeting and tracking. In targeting condition, FZ exertion range was determined by horizontal lines representing the upper (10 N) and lower (1 N) targets, with frequency (0.77 or 1.53 Hz) dictated by a metronome. In tracking condition, a sinusoidal template set at similar frequencies and range was presented and should be superposed by the participants' exerted FZ. Task performance was assessed by absolute errors at peaks (AEPeak) and valleys (AEValley) and GF-LF coordination by GF-LF ratios, maximum cross-correlation coefficients (r max), and time lags. Results: The results revealed no effect of feedback and no feedback by frequency interaction on any variable. AE Peak and GF-LF ratio were higher and rmax lower at 1.53 Hz than at 0.77 Hz. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the type of feedback does not influence task performance and GF-LF coordination. Therefore, we recommend the use of tracking tasks when assessing GF-LF coordination during isometric LF exertion in externally fixed instrumented handles because they are easier to understand and provide additional indices (e.g., RMSE) of voluntary force control. © 2013 Pedão et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Multiobjective short-term planning of electric power distribution systems using NSGA-II

This paper presents a mixed integer nonlinear programming multiobjective model for short-term planning of distribution networks that considers in an integrated manner the following planning activities: allocation of capacitor banks; voltage regulators; the cable replacement of branches and feeders. The objective functions considered in the proposed model are: to minimize operational and investment costs and minimize the voltage deviations in the the network buses, subject to a set of technical and operational constraints. A multiobjective genetic algorithm based on a Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) is proposed to solve this model. The proposed mathematical model and solution methodology is validated testing a medium voltage distribution system with 135 buses. © 2013 Brazilian Society for Automatics - SBA.

Optimal charging of electric vehicles considering constraints of the medium voltage distribution network

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Advanced network reconfiguration system applied to CEMIG-D system

In the network reconfiguration context, the challenge nowadays is to improve the system in order to get intelligent systems that are able to monitor the network and produce refined information to support the operator decisions in real time, this because the network is wide, ramified and in some places difficult to access. The objective of this paper is to present the first results of the network reconfiguration algorithm that has been developed to CEMIG-D. The algorithm's main idea is to provide a new network configuration, after an event (fault or study case), based on an initial condition and aiming to minimize the affected load, considering the restrictions of load flow equations, maximum capacity of the lines as well as equipments and substations, voltage limits and system radial operation. Initial tests were made considering real data from the system, provided by CEMIG-D and it reveals very promising results. © 2013 IEEE.

Analysis of efficiency and rationality in a sugar-alcohol mill using hyperboloid a-load and potency

Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugar cane and which in the state of São Paulo concentrate the greatest amount of sugar cane field of the country. The sugar-alcohol sector has the capacity to produce sufficient thermal and electrical energy to be used in their process of production and commercialize of surplus in electricity distribution network. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate the energy efficiency and rationality within the mill. Accordingly this research proposed analyze the sugar-alcohol mill's sectors globally and individually, located in the west center of the São Paulo state, using the valuation methodology employed by the Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (ANEEL) in the industries that do not have systems of cogeneration. In this analysis, the hyperboloids of load and potency were applied based on the indexes of potency factor and load factor that allow estimate the efficiency and rationality. © 2013 IEEE.

Impact of Epstein-Barr virus load, virus genotype, and frequency of the 30bp deletion in the viral BNLF-1 gene in patients harboring the human immunodeficiency virus

Patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at higher risk of developing Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated lymphomas. The usefulness of monitoring EBV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients infected with HIV has not been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the EBV viral load in PBMCs, the frequency of viral genotypes, and the presence of the 30-bp deletion in the BNLF-1 gene. DNA samples from 156 patients attending the HIV/AIDS Day Clinic at Botucatu School of Medicine, Sao Paulo State University were evaluated. The EBV viral load was detectable by real time PCR in 123/156 (78.8%) cases and was higher in patients not receiving antiretroviral treatment or under therapeutic failure than in patients under successful highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) (P=0.0076). Overall, the profile of patients with high EBV viral load included elevated HIV viremia (P=0.0005), longer time of HIV diagnosis (P=0.0026), and increased levels of T CD8 + lymphocytes (P=0.0159). The successful amplification of the EBNA-2 gene by nested-PCR was achieved in 95 of 123 (77.2%) cases, of which 75.8% were EBV-1, 9.5% EBV-2, and 14.7% were co-infected with both EBV-1 and -2. The analysis of the BNLF-1 gene was possible in 99 of 123 (80.5%) cases, of which 50.5% had the 30-bp deletion. EBV-1 was more common than EBV-2, which may reflect the fact that the cohort was predominantly Caucasian and heterosexual. J. Med. Virol. 85:2110-2118, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessment of branch outage contingencies using the continuation method

This paper provides a contribution to the contingency analysis of electric power systems under steady state conditions. An alternative methodology is presented for static contingency analyses that only use continuation methods and thus provides an accurate determination of the loading margin. Rather than starting from the base case operating point, the proposed continuation power flow obtains the post-contingency loading margins starting from the maximum loading and using a bus voltage magnitude as a parameter. The branch selected for the contingency evaluation is parameterised using a scaling factor, which allows its gradual removal and assures the continuation power flow convergence for the cases where the method would diverge for the complete transmission line or transformer removal. The applicability and effectiveness of the proposed methodology have been investigated on IEEE test systems (14, 57 and 118 buses) and compared with the continuation power flow, which obtains the post-contingency loading margin starting from the base case solution. In general, for most of the analysed contingencies, few iterations are necessary to determine the post-contingency maximum loading point. Thus, a significant reduction in the global number of iterations is achieved. Therefore, the proposed methodology can be used as an alternative technique to verify and even to obtain the list of critical contingencies supplied by the electric power systems security analysis function. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problems of load dispatching in interconnected systems

Includes bibliography

Economic considerations governing the choice of voltage for power supply systems

Includes bibliography

Projeto de um oscilador controlado por corrente com configuração em anel, tecnologia CMOS e melhoria no ruído de fase

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Retificador boost entrelaçado com elevado fator de potência e sem ponte de diodos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Utilização de redes neurais recorrentes na caracterização de cargas não lineares em sistemas elétricos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeitos das distorções harmônicas (tensões e correntes) e desequilíbrios (tensões) em medidores eletrônicos trifásicos de energia elétrica ativa

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)