bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Therapeutic Implications of Tea Polyphenols against Dopamine (DA) Neuron Degeneration in Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
Authors: Zhou Zhi Dong , Xie Shao Ping , Saw Wuan Ting , Ho Patrick Ghim Hoe , Wang Hong Yan , Zhou Lei , Zhao Yi , Tan Eng King
Published: August 2019

Accumulative evidence indicated that the pathologically accumulated metal ions (iron species and Mn3+) and abnormally up-regulated monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) activity induced oxidation of endogenous dopamine (DA) can lead to mitochondria impairment, lysosome dysfunction, proteasome inhibition, and selective DA neuron vulnerability, which is implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The DA oxidation can generate deleterious reactive oxygen species (ROS) and highly reactive DA quinones (DAQ) to induce DA-related toxicity, which can be alleviated by DA oxidation suppressors, ROS scavengers, DAQ quenchers, and MAOB inhibitors. On the other hand, the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-Keap1 and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) anti-oxidative and proliferative signaling pathways play roles in anti-oxidative cell defense and mitochondria biogenesis, which is implicated in DA neuron protections. Therefore, agents with capabilities to suppress DA-related toxicity including inhibition of DA oxidation, scavenge of ROS, detoxification of DAQ, inhibition of MAOB, and modulations of anti-oxidative signaling pathways can be protective to DA neurons. Accumulative evidence shows that tea or coffee consumptions and smoking are related to deceased PD prevalence with unknown mechanisms. In this study, we investigate the protective capabilities of tea polyphenols and other PD relevant agents to inhibit DA-related toxicity and protect against environmental or genetic factors induced DA neuron degeneration in vitro and in vivo. We find that tea polyphenols can significantly suppress DA-related toxicity to protect DA neurons. The tea polyphenols can protect DA neurons via inhibition of DA oxidation, conjugation with DAQ, scavenge of ROS, inhibition of MAOB, and modulations of Nrf2-Keap1 and PGC-1α anti-oxidative signaling pathways. The tea polyphenols with more phenolic hydroxyl groups and ring structures have stronger protective functions. The protective capabilities of tea polyphenols is further strengthened by evidence that phenolic hydroxyl groups can directly conjugate with DAQ. However, GSH and other sulfhydyl groups containing agents have weaker capabilities to abrogate DA oxidation, detoxify ROS and DAQ and inhibit MAOB; whereas nicotine (NICO) and caffeine (CAF) can only modulate Nrf2-Keap1 and PGC-1α pathways to protect DA neurons weakly. The tea polyphenols are identified to protect against overexpression of mutant A30P α-synuclein (α-syn) induced DA neuron degeneration and PD-like symptoms in transgenic Drosophila. Based on achievements from current studies, the excellent and versatile protective capabilities of tea polyphenols are highlighted, which will contribute and benefit to future anti-PD therapy.
Functions and the Emerging Role of the Foetal Liver into Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Giancotti Antonella , Monti Marco , Nevi Lorenzo , Safarikia Samira , D’Ambrosio Valentina , Brunelli Roberto , Pajno Cristina , Corno Sara , Di Donato Violante , Musella Angela , Chiappetta Michele Francesco , Bosco Daniela , Benedetti Panici Pierluigi , Alvaro Domenico , Cardinale Vincenzo
Published: August 2019

During foetal life, the liver plays the important roles of connection and transient hematopoietic function. Foetal liver cells develop in an environment called a hematopoietic stem cell niche composed of several cell types, where stem cells can proliferate and give rise to mature blood cells. Embryologically, at about the third week of gestation, the liver appears, and it grows rapidly from the fifth to 10th week under WNT/β-Catenin signaling pathway stimulation, which induces hepatic progenitor cells proliferation and differentiation into hepatocytes. Development of new strategies and identification of new cell sources should represent the main aim in liver regenerative medicine and cell therapy. Cells isolated from organs with endodermal origin, like the liver, bile ducts, and pancreas, could be preferable cell sources. Furthermore, stem cells isolated from these organs could be more susceptible to differentiate into mature liver cells after transplantation with respect to stem cells isolated from organs or tissues with a different embryological origin. The foetal liver possesses unique features given the co-existence of cells having endodermal and mesenchymal origin, and it could be highly available source candidate for regenerative medicine in both the liver and pancreas. Taking into account these advantages, the foetal liver can be the highest potential and available cell source for cell therapy regarding liver diseases and diabetes.
The NAE Pathway: Autobahn to the Nucleus for Cell Surface Receptors
Authors: Shah Poonam , Chaumet Alexandre , Royle Stephen J. , Bard Frederic A.
Published: August 2019

Various growth factors and full-length cell surface receptors such as EGFR are translocated from the cell surface to the nucleoplasm, baffling cell biologists to the mechanisms and functions of this process. Elevated levels of nuclear EGFR correlate with poor prognosis in various cancers. In recent years, nuclear EGFR has been implicated in regulating gene transcription, cell proliferation and DNA damage repair. Different models have been proposed to explain how the receptors are transported into the nucleus. However, a clear consensus has yet to be reached. Recently, we described the nuclear envelope associated endosomes (NAE) pathway, which delivers EGFR from the cell surface to the nucleus. This pathway involves transport, docking and fusion of NAEs with the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope. EGFR is then presumed to be transported through the nuclear pore complex, extracted from membranes and solubilised. The SUN1/2 nuclear envelope proteins, Importin-beta, nuclear pore complex proteins and the Sec61 translocon have been implicated in the process. While this framework can explain the cell surface to nucleus traffic of EGFR and other cell surface receptors, it raises several questions that we consider in this review, together with implications for health and disease.
Genes Controlled by DNA Methylation Are Involved in Wilms Tumor Progression
Authors: Guerra João Victor da Silva , Pereira Bruna Maria de Sá , Cruz Jéssica Gonçalves Vieira da , Scherer Nicole de Miranda , Furtado Carolina , Montalvão de Azevedo Rafaela , Oliveira Paulo Sergio Lopes de , Faria Paulo , Boroni Mariana , de Camargo Beatriz , Maschietto Mariana
Published: August 2019

To identify underlying mechanisms involved with metastasis formation in Wilms tumors (WTs), we performed comprehensive DNA methylation and gene expression analyses of matched normal kidney (NK), WT blastemal component, and metastatic tissues (MT) from patients treated under SIOP 2001 protocol. A linear Bayesian framework model identified 497 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) between groups that discriminated NK from WT, but MT samples were divided in two groups. Accordingly, methylation variance grouped NK and three MT samples tightly together and all WT with four MT samples that showed high variability. WT were hypomethylated compared to NK, and MT had a hypermethylated pattern compared to both groups. The methylation patterns were in agreement with methylases and demethylases expression. Methylation data pointed to the existence of two groups of metastases. While hierarchical clustering analysis based on the expression of all 2569 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) discriminated WT and MT from all NK samples, the hierarchical clustering based on the expression of 44 genes with a differentially methylated region (DMR) located in their promoter region revealed two groups: one containing all NKs and three MTs and one containing all WT and four MTs. Methylation changes might be controlling expression of genes associated with WT progression. The 44 genes are candidates to be further explored as a signature for metastasis formation in WT.
miR-263b Controls Circadian Behavior and the Structural Plasticity of Pacemaker Neurons by Regulating the LIM-Only Protein Beadex
Authors: Nian Xiaoge , Chen Wenfeng , Bai Weiwei , Zhao Zhangwu , Zhang Yong
Published: August 2019

Circadian clocks drive rhythmic physiology and behavior to allow adaption to daily environmental changes. In Drosophila, the small ventral lateral neurons (sLNvs) are primary pacemakers that control circadian rhythms. Circadian changes are observed in the dorsal axonal projections of the sLNvs, but their physiological importance and the underlying mechanism are unclear. Here, we identified miR-263b as an important regulator of circadian rhythms and structural plasticity of sLNvs in Drosophila. Depletion of miR-263b (miR-263bKO) in flies dramatically impaired locomotor rhythms under constant darkness. Indeed, miR-263b is required for the structural plasticity of sLNvs. miR-263b regulates circadian rhythms through inhibition of expression of the LIM-only protein Beadex (Bx). Consistently, overexpression of Bx or loss-of-function mutation (BxhdpR26) phenocopied miR-263bKO and miR-263b overexpression in behavior and molecular characteristics. In addition, mutating the miR-263b binding sites in the Bx 3′ UTR using CRISPR/Cas9 recapitulated the circadian phenotypes of miR-263bKO flies. Together, these results establish miR-263b as an important regulator of circadian locomotor behavior and structural plasticity.
Internalization Characterization of Si Nanorod with Camouflaged Cell Membrane Proteins Reveals ATXN2 as a Negative Regulator
Authors: Lu Yi , Dai Jing , Kong Na , Liu Jianghuai , Gong Jinkang , Yao Yuan
Published: August 2019

The fabrication of shape-controlled nanocarriers is critical for efficient delivery of biomolecules across the cell membrane. Surface coating of the nanocarrier can improve internalization efficiency. Here, we developed a facile method of silicon nanorod fabrication leading to a controlled size and shape. We then systematically evaluated five surface modifications with membrane proteins from different cancer cell lines including MCF7, MD231, Hela, Panc-PDX, and Panc-1. We demonstrated that silicon nanorods coated with either a homolytic or heterolytic membrane protein coating have significantly improved internalization efficiency as compared with uncoated Si nanorods. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of the improved efficiency associated with a modified coating, we analyzed the coating membrane proteins derived from five cell lines with proteomics and identified 601 proteins shared by different cell sources. These proteins may function as cell-substrate adhesion molecules that contribute to the enhanced internalization. We also tested the internalization efficiency of nanorods with different coatings in each of the five cell lines to determine the influencing factors from target cells. We found that the internalization efficiency varied among different target cells, and the ranking of the average efficiency was as follows: Hela > Panc-PDX > MD231 > MCF7 > Panc-1. The bioinformatics analysis suggested that the low internalization efficiency in Panc-1 cells might be associated with the upregulation of ATXN2, which is a negative regulator of endocytosis. We further demonstrated that ATXN2 knockdown with specific siRNA significantly improved nanorod internalization efficiency in Panc-1 cells suggesting that ATXN2 can be a reference for efficiency prediction of nanoparticle delivery to tumor cells. Thus, we studied the effect of different cancer cell membrane proteins on nanorod uptake efficiencies. These results can improve nanorod internalization to cancer cells, including a fundamental understanding of the internalization efficiency of cancer cells.
Estrogen and EGFR Pathways Regulate Notch Signaling in Opposing Directions for Multi-Ciliogenesis in the Fallopian Tube
Authors: Zhu Maobi , Iwano Tomohiko , Takeda Sen
Published: August 2019

The lumen of the fallopian tube (FT) is lined with columnar epithelium composed of secretory and ciliated cells, both of which are important for reproduction. However, the molecular mechanism regulating cell fate remains controversial. In this study, we established a primary culture system using porcine fallopian tube epithelial cells (FTECs) to study the differentiation mechanism. We found that estrogen promoted the differentiation of multi-ciliated cells (MCCs) through estrogen receptor β, following the reduction of DLL1, a ligand of Notch. Meanwhile, epidermal growth factor (EGF), a regulator of epithelial homeostasis and differentiation, suppressed ciliogenesis by the activation of Notch signaling. However, the estrogen pathway did not affect the activation of the EGF pathway. Taken together, the differentiation of MMCs in FT depends on the balance of EGF and estrogen signaling, either of which inhibits or stimulates the Notch signaling pathway respectively.
Tissue Specific Differentiation of Human Chondrocytes Depends on Cell Microenvironment and Serum Selection
Authors: Ecke Annemarie , Lutter Anne-Helen , Scholka Jenny , Hansch Anna , Becker Roland , Anderer Ursula
Published: August 2019

Therapeutic options to cure osteoarthritis (OA) are not yet available, although cell-based therapies for the treatment of traumatic defects of cartilage have already been developed using, e.g., articular chondrocytes. In order to adapt cell-based therapies to treat OA, appropriate cell culture conditions are necessary. Chondrocytes require a 3-dimensional (3D) environment for redifferentiation after 2-dimensional (2D) expansion. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is commonly used as a medium supplement, although the usage of a xenogeneic serum could mask the intrinsic behavior of human cells in vitro. The aim of this study was to compare human articular chondrocytes cultivated as monolayers (2D) and the development of microtissues (3D) in the presence of FBS with those cultivated with human serum (HS). Evaluation of the expression of various markers via immunocytochemistry on monolayer cells revealed a higher dedifferentiation degree of chondrocytes cultivated with HS. Scaffold-free microtissues were generated using the agar overlay technique, and their differentiation level was evaluated via histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Microtissues cultivated in the medium with FBS showed a higher redifferentiation level. This was evidenced by bigger microtissues and a more cartilage-like composition of the matrix with not any/less positivity for cartilage-specific markers in HS versus moderate-to-high positivity in FBS-cultured microtissues. The present study showed that the differentiation degree of chondrocytes depends both on the microenvironment of the cells and the serum type with FBS achieving the best results. However, HS should be preferred for the engineering of cartilage-like microtissues, as it rather enables a "human-based" situation in vitro. Hence, cultivation conditions might be further optimized to gain an even more adequate and donor-independent redifferentiation of chondrocytes in microtissues, e.g., designing a suitable chemically-defined serum supplement.
Two-Dimensional SiP, SiAs, GeP and GeAs as Promising Candidates for Photocatalytic Applications
Authors: Mortazavi Bohayra , Shahrokhi Masoud , Cuniberti Gianaurelio , Zhuang Xiaoying
Published: August 2019

Group IV–V-type layered materials, such as SiP, SiAs, GeP and GeAs, are among the most attractive two-dimensional (2D) materials that exhibit anisotropic mechanical, optical and transport properties. In this short communication, we conducted density functional theory simulations to explore the prospect of SiP, SiAs, GeP and GeAs nanosheets for the water-splitting application. The semiconducting gaps of stress-free SiP, SiAs, GeP and GeAs monolayers were estimated to be 2.59, 2.34, 2.30 and 2.07 eV, respectively, which are within the desirable ranges for the water splitting. Moreover, all the considered nanomaterials were found to yield optical absorption in the visible spectrum, which is a critical feature for the employment in the solar water splitting systems. Our results furthermore confirm that the valence and conduction band edge positions in SiP, SiAs, GeP and GeAs monolayers also satisfy the requirements for the water splitting. Our results highlight the promising photocatalytic characteristics of SiP, SiAs, GeP and GeAs nanosheets for the application in solar water splitting and design of advanced hydrogen fuel cells.
The Plastics Sunset and the Bio-Plastics Sunrise
Authors: Porta Raffaele
Published: August 2019

Plastics has been an integral part of our lives for the last century as the main material for various useful commodity items. Irony of fate, the same specific properties that make plastics ideal to create such a wide range of products are also responsible for the present dramatic environmental pollution. What suggestions do the technological innovations currently suggest to solve this worldwide problem? Among the others, one is to replace the traditional plastics with alternative materials derived from non-oil polymers capable of being degraded in months and not in years or centuries. But the research in this field is relatively new and undoubtedly there are still developments that need to be made. Thus, we must be aware that the plastic age is at sunset and the bio-plastics sun is just rising on the horizon.
Design and Implementation of a Microcontroller Based Active Controller for the Synchronization of the Petrzela Chaotic System
Authors: Rivera-Blas Raúl , Rodríguez Paredes Salvador Antonio , Flores-Herrera Luis Armando , Adrián Romero Ignacio
Published: August 2019

This paper presents an active control design for the synchronization of two identical Petrzela chaotic systems (Petrzela, J.; Gotthans, T. New chaotic dynamical system with a conic-shaped equilibrium located on the plane structure. Applied Sciences. 2017, 7, 976) on master-slave configuration. For the active control, the parameters of both systems are assumed to be a priori known, the control law by means of the dynamic of the error synchronization is designed to guarantee the convergence to zero of error states and the synchronization process is verified by numerical simulation. By taking advantage of the execution and implementation facilities of microcontroller based chaotic systems in digital devices, the active controller is implemented in a 32 bits ARM microcontroller. The experimental results were obtained by using the fourth order Runge-Kutta numerical method to integrate the differential equations of the controller, where the results were measured with a digital oscilloscope.
Reversible Data Hiding for DICOM Image Using Lifting and Companding
Authors: Phadikar Amit , Jana Poulami , Mandal Himadri
Published: August 2019

In this work, a reversible watermarking technique is proposed for DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) image that offers high embedding capacity (payload), security and fidelity of the watermarked image. The goal is achieved by embedding watermark based on companding in lifting based discrete wavelet transform (DWT) domain. In the embedding process, the companding technique is used to increase the data hiding capacity. On the other hand, a simple linear function is used in companding to make the scheme easy to implement, and content dependant watermark is used to make the scheme robust to collusion operation. Moreover, unlike previously proposed reversible watermarking techniques, this novel approach does not embed the location map in the host image that ultimately helps to achieve high fidelity of the watermarked image. The advantage of the proposed scheme is demonstrated by simulation results and also compared with selected other related schemes.
Band Tunability of Coupled Elastic Waves along Thickness in Laminated Anisotropic Piezoelectric Phononic Crystals
Authors: Li Qiangqiang , Guo Yongqiang , Wang Yajun , Zhang Haibo
Published: August 2019

Although the passively adjusting and actively tuning of pure longitudinal (primary (P-)) and pure transverse (secondary or shear (S-)) waves band structures in periodically laminated piezoelectric composites have been studied, the actively tuning of coupled elastic waves (such as P-SV, P-SH, SV-SH, and P-SV-SH waves), particularly as the coupling of wave modes is attributed to the material anisotropy, in these phononic crystals remains an untouched topic. This paper presents the analytical matrix method for solving the dispersion characteristics of coupled elastic waves along the thickness direction in periodically multilayered piezoelectric composites consisting of arbitrarily anisotropic materials and applied by four kinds of electrical boundaries. By switching among these four electrical boundaries—the electric-open, the external capacitance, the electric-short, and the external feedback control—and by altering the capacitance/gain coefficient in cases of the external capacitance/feedback-voltage boundaries, the tunability of the band properties of the coupled elastic waves along layering thickness in the concerned phononic multilayered crystals are investigated. First, the state space formalism is introduced to describe the three-dimensional elastodynamics of arbitrarily anisotropic elastic and piezoelectric layers. Second, based on the traveling wave solutions to the state vectors of all constituent layers in the unit cell, the transfer matrix method is used to derive the dispersion equation of characteristic coupled elastic waves in the whole periodically laminated anisotropic piezoelectric composites. Finally, the numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the dispersion properties of the coupled elastic waves, with their dependence on the anisotropy of piezoelectric constituent layers being emphasized. The influences of the electrical boundaries and the electrode thickness on the band structures of various kinds of coupled elastic waves are also studied through numerical examples. One main finding is that the frequencies corresponding to q H = n π (with q H the dimensionless characteristic wavenumber) are not always the demarcation between pass-bands and stop-bands for coupled elastic waves, although they are definitely the demarcation for pure P- and S-waves. The other main finding is that the coupled elastic waves are more sensitive to, if they are affected by, the electrical boundaries than the pure P- and S-wave modes, so that higher tunability efficiency should be achieved if coupled elastic waves instead of pure waves are exploited.
Wetting of Nematic Liquid Crystals on Crenellated Substrates: A Frank–Oseen Approach
Authors: Rojas-Gómez Óscar A. , Telo da Gama Margarida M. , Romero-Enrique José M.
Published: August 2019

We revisit the wetting of nematic liquid crystals in contact with crenellated substrates, studied previously using the Landau–de Gennes formalism. However, due to computational limitations, the characteristic length scales of the substrate relief considered in that study limited to less than 100 nematic correlation lengths. The current work uses an extended Frank–Oseen formalism, which includes not only the free-energy contribution due to the elastic deformations but also the surface tension contributions and, if disclinations or other orientational field singularities are present, their core contributions. Within this framework, which was successfully applied to the anchoring transitions of a nematic liquid crystal in contact with structured substrates, we extended the study to much larger length scales including the macroscopic scale. In particular, we analyzed the interfacial states and the transitions between them at the nematic–isotropic coexistence.
A Review of the Effects of Climate Change on Chelonians
Authors: Butler Christopher J.
Published: August 2019

Climate change is occurring at an unprecedented rate and has begun to modify the distribution and phenology of organisms worldwide. Chelonians are expected to be particularly vulnerable due to limited dispersal capabilities as well as widespread temperature-dependent sex determination. The number of papers published about the effects of climate change on turtles has increased exponentially over the last decade; here, I review the data from peer-reviewed publications to assess the likely impacts of climate change on individuals, populations, and communities. Based upon these studies future research should focus on: (1) Individual responses to climate change, particularly with respect to thermal biology, phenology, and microhabitat selection; (2) improving species distribution models by incorporating fine-scale environmental variables as well as physiological processes; (3) identifying the consequences of skewed sex ratios; and (4) assessments of community resilience and the development of methods to mitigate climate change impacts. Although detailed management recommendations are not possible at this point, careful consideration should be given regarding how to manage low vagility species as habitats shift poleward. In the worst-case scenario, proactive management may be required in order to ensure that widespread losses do not occur.
Process Modelling of Geothermal Drilling System Using Digital Twin for Real-Time Monitoring and Control
Authors: Osinde Nahashon O. , Byiringiro Jean B. , Gichane Michael M. , Smajic Hasan
Published: August 2019

Currently, Kenya supplies its energy demand predominantly through hydroelectric power, which fluctuates due to poor and unpredictable rainfall in particular years. Geothermal energy is proposed as a clean and reliable energy source in meeting Kenya’s increasing energy demand. During geothermal drilling operations, disruptions due to tool wear and breakages increases the cost of operation significantly. Some of these causes can be mitigated by real-time monitoring of the tool head during operations. This paper presents the design and implementation of a digital twin model of a drilling tool head, represented as a section of a mechatronic assembly system. The system was modelled in Siemens NX and programmed via the TIA portal using S7 1200 PLC. The digital model was programmed to exactly match the operations of the physical system using OPC (open platform communications) standards. These operations were verified through the motion study by simultaneous running of the assembly system and digital twin model. The study results substantiate that a digital twin model of a geothermal drilling operation can closely mimic the physical operation.
Differential Expression Profiles of the Transcriptome and miRNA Interactome in Synovial Fibroblasts of Rheumatoid Arthritis Revealed by Next Generation Sequencing
Authors: Tseng Chia-Chun , Wu Ling-Yu , Tsai Wen-Chan , Ou Tsan-Teng , Wu Cheng-Chin , Sung Wan-Yu , Kuo Po-Lin , Yen Jeng-Hsien
Published: August 2019

Using next-generation sequencing to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying aberrant rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASF) activation, we performed transcriptome-wide RNA-seq and small RNA-seq on synovial fibroblasts from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) subject and normal donor. Differential expression of mRNA and miRNA was integrated with interaction analysis, functional annotation, regulatory network mapping and experimentally verified miRNA–target interaction data, further validated with microarray expression profiles. In this study, 3049 upregulated mRNA and 3552 downregulated mRNA, together with 50 upregulated miRNA and 35 downregulated miRNA in RASF were identified. Interaction analysis highlighted contribution of miRNA to altered transcriptome. Functional annotation revealed metabolic deregulation and oncogenic signatures of RASF. Regulatory network mapping identified downregulated FOXO1 as master transcription factor resulting in altered transcriptome of RASF. Differential expression in three miRNA and corresponding targets (hsa-miR-31-5p:WASF3, hsa-miR-132-3p:RB1, hsa-miR-29c-3p:COL1A1) were also validated. The interactions of these three miRNA–target genes were experimentally validated with past literature. Our transcriptomic and miRNA interactomic investigation identified gene signatures associated with RASF and revealed the involvement of transcription factors and miRNA in an altered transcriptome. These findings help facilitate our understanding of RA with the hope of serving as a springboard for further discoveries relating to the disease.
Gas-Vapor Mixture Temperature in the Near-Surface Layer of a Rapidly-Evaporating Water Droplet
Authors: Antonov Dmitry , Volkov Roman , Strizhak Pavel
Published: August 2019

Mathematical modeling of the heat and mass transfer processes in the evaporating droplet–high-temperature gas medium system is difficult due to the need to describe the dynamics of the formation of the quasi-steady temperature field of evaporating droplets, as well as of a gas-vapor buffer layer around them and in their trace during evaporation in high-temperature gas flows. We used planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) and laser-induced phosphorescence (LIP). The experiments were conducted with water droplets (initial radius 1–2 mm) heated in a hot air flow (temperature 20–500 °C, velocity 0.5–6 m/s). Unsteady temperature fields of water droplets and the gas-vapor mixture around them were recorded. High inhomogeneity of temperature fields under study has been validated. To determine the temperature in the so called dead zones, we solved the problem of heat transfer, in which the temperature in boundary conditions was set on the basis of experimental values.
A Single-Stage LED Streetlight Driver with Soft-Switching and Interleaved PFC Features
Authors: Cheng Chun-An , Chang Chien-Hsuan , Cheng Hung-Liang , Chang En-Chih , Chung Tsung-Yuan , Chang Man-Tang
Published: August 2019

This paper presents a single-stage driver with soft-switching and interleaved power-factor correction (PFC) features suitable for light-emitting diode (LED) energy-saving streetlight applications. The proposed LED streetlight driver integrates an interleaved buck-boost PFC converter with coupled inductors and a half-bridge LLC resonant converter into a single-stage power-conversion circuit with reduced voltage stress on the DC-linked capacitor and power switches, and it is suitable for operating at high utility-line voltages. Furthermore, coupled inductors in the interleaved buck-boost PFC converter are operated in discontinuous-conduction mode (DCM) for accomplishing PFC, and the half-bridge LLC resonant converter features zero-voltage switching (ZVS) to reduce switching losses of power switches, and zero-current switching (ZCS) to decrease conduction losses of power diodes. Operational modes and design considerations for the proposed LED streetlight driver are introduced. Finally, a 144 W (36V/4A)-rated LED prototype driver is successfully developed and implemented for supplying a streetlight module and operating with a utility-line input voltage of 220 V. High power factor, low output-voltage ripple factor, low output-current ripple factor, and high efficiency are achieved in the proposed LED streetlight driver.
Smartphone Camera-Based Optical Wireless Communication System: Requirements and Implementation Challenges
Authors: Shahjalal Md. , Hasan Moh. Khalid , Chowdhury Mostafa Zaman , Jang Yeong Min
Published: August 2019

Visible light and infrared bands of the optical spectrum used for optical camera communication (OCC) are becoming a promising technology nowadays. Researchers are proposing new OCC-based architectures and applications in both indoor and outdoor systems using the embedded cameras on smartphones, with a view to making them user-friendly. Smartphones have useful features for developing applications using the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor cameras, which can receive data from optical transmitters. However, several challenges have arisen in increasing the capacity and communication range, owing to the limitations of current cameras and implementation complexities. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the OCC technology requirements and opportunities using smartphone cameras from an implementation point of view. Furthermore, we demonstrate an OCC system using a low frame rate smartphone camera to particularly analyze the requirements and critical implementation challenges. Also, some possible solutions are provided with a view to improving the overall system capacity, communication distance, and stability.
High Throughput Screening and Characterization Methods of Jordanian Oil Shale as a Case Study
Authors: Abu El-Rub Ziad , Kujawa Joanna , Albarahmieh Esra’a , Al-Rifai Nafisah , Qaimari Fathieh , Al-Gharabli Samer
Published: August 2019

Oil shale is an important possible solution to the problem of energy in Jordan. To explore the technical and the economic feasibility of oil shale deposits, numerous samples are analyzed using the standard Fischer Assay (FA) method. However, it would be useful to develop faster, cheaper, and reliable methods for determining the oil content of oil shale. Therefore, the aim of this work was to propose and investigate rapid analytical techniques for the screening of oil shale deposits and to correlate them with the FA method. The Omari deposit located east of Jordan was selected as a case study for analysis using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) coupled with Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), elemental analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Results obtained from the TGA method were linearly correlated with FA with high regression factor (R2 = 0.99); a quadratic correlation (R2 = 0.98) was maintained between the FA and the elemental hydrogen mass content, and a quadratic correlation (R2 = 0.97) was found between the FA and the aliphatic hydrocarbons (FTIR peak at 2927 cm−1) produced in the pyrolysis zone. Although other techniques were less correlated, further investigation might lead to better results. Subsequently, these correlated techniques can be a practical alternative to the conventional FA method when, in particular, specific correlation is made for each deposit.
Smart Microgrids Operation Considering a Variable Neighborhood Search: The Differential Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Garcia-Guarin Julian , Rodriguez Diego , Alvarez David , Rivera Sergio , Cortes Camilo , Guzman Alejandra , Bretas Arturo , Aguero Julio Romero , Bretas Newton
Published: August 2019

Increased use of renewable energies in smart microgrids (SMGs) present new technical challenges to system operation. SMGs must be self-sufficient and operate independently; however, when more elements are integrated into SMGs, as distributed energy resources (DER), traditional explicit mathematical formulations will demand too much data from the network and become intractable. In contrast, tools based on optimization with metaheuristics can provide near optimal solutions in acceptable times. Considering this, this paper presents the variable neighborhood search differential evolutionary particle swarm optimization (VNS-DEEPSO) algorithm to solve multi-objective stochastic control models, as SMGs system operation. The goal is to control DER while maximizing profit. In this work, DER considered the bidirectional communication between energy storage systems (ESS) and electric vehicles (EVs). They can charge/discharge power and buy/sell energy in the electricity markets. Also, they have elements such as traditional generators (e.g., reciprocating engines) and loads, with demand response/control capability. Sources of uncertainty are associated with weather conditions, planned EV trips, load forecasting and the market prices. The VNS-DEEPSO algorithm was the winner of the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation/The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (IEEE-CEC/GECCO 2019) smart grid competition (with encrypted code) and also won the IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IEEE-WCCI) 2018 smart grid competition (these competitions were developed by the group GECAD, based at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, in collaboration with Delft University and Adelaide University). In the IEEE-CEC/GECCO 2019, the relative error improved between 32% and 152% in comparison with other algorithms.
A Coherency Identification Method of Active Frequency Response Control Based on Support Vector Clustering for Bulk Power System
Authors: Jin Cuicui , Li Weidong , Liu Liu , Li Ping , Wu Xian
Published: August 2019

Active frequency response (AFR) control is needed in current power systems. To solve the over-frequency problems of generators connected to non-disturbed buses during the AFR control period, the generators should be clustered into coherent groups. Thus, the control efficiency can be improved on the premise of ensuring control accuracy. Since the influencing factors (such as the model parameters, operation modes, and disturbance locations, etc.) of power system operation can be comprehensively reflected by the generator frequency, which is easily collected and calculated, the generator frequency can be used as the coherency identification input. In this paper, we propose a coherency identification method of AFR control based on support vector clustering for a bulk power system. By mapping data samples from the initial space to the high-dimensional feature space, the radius of the minimal enclosing sphere that can envelop all the data samples is obtained. Moreover, the coherency identification of generators is determined for AFR control according to the evaluating method of AFR clustering control effects and the evaluating index of cluster compactness and separation. The simulation results for the modified New England IEEE 10-generator 39-bus system and Henan power grid show that the proposed method is feasible and effective.
Comparison and Design of Resonant Network Considering the Characteristics of a Plasma Generator
Authors: Koo Geun Wan , Sung Won-Young , Lee Byoung Kuk
Published: August 2019

This paper presents a theoretical analysis and experimental study on the resonant network of the power conditioning system (PCS) for a plasma generator. In order to consider the characteristics of the plasma load, the resonant network of the DC-AC inverter is designed and analyzed. Specifically, the design of an LCL resonant network and an LCCL resonant network, which can satisfy the output current specification in consideration of plasma characteristics, is explained in detail. Moreover, the inverter current and phase angle between the inverter voltage and current is derived for evaluating inverter performance. Based on these analysis results, the DC-AC inverter can be designed for a plasma generator considering plasma load characteristics. The theoretical analysis of both networks is validated through the simulation and experimental results.
Evaluation of Contribution of PV Array and Inverter Configurations to Rooftop PV System Energy Yield Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Le Ngoc Thien , Benjapolakul Watit
Published: August 2019

Rooftop photovoltaics (PV) systems are attracting residential customers due to their renewable energy contribution to houses and to green cities. However, customers also need a comprehensive understanding of system design configuration and the related energy return from the system in order to support their PV investment. In this study, the rooftop PV systems from many high-volume installed PV systems countries and regions were collected to evaluate the lifetime energy yield of these systems based on machine learning techniques. Then, we obtained an association between the lifetime energy yield and technical configuration details of PV such as rated solar panel power, number of panels, rated inverter power, and number of inverters. Our findings reveal that the variability of PV lifetime energy is partly explained by the difference in PV system configuration. Indeed, our machine learning model can explain approximately 31 % ( 95 % confidence interval: 29–38%) of the variant energy efficiency of the PV system, given the configuration and components of the PV system. Our study has contributed useful knowledge to support the planning and design of a rooftop PV system such as PV financial modeling and PV investment decision.
Study on Fault Current Characteristics and Current Limiting Method of Plug-In Devices in VSC-DC Distribution System
Authors: Gao Yuqun , Han Yongxia , Zhang Jinghan , Xiao Fanglei , Zhao Yuming , Li Licheng
Published: August 2019

The DC (Direct Current) distribution system based on the voltage source converter (VSC-DC) has become a research hotspot due to its various advantages. There are many plug-in devices in the VSC-DC distribution system, which may be damaged by the fault current. Therefore, studying the fault current characteristics and current limiting method is one of the key methods to ensure the safe and stable operation of the VSC-DC distribution system. Based on theoretical analysis and simulation calculations, this paper studies the causes, influencing factors, and current limiting methods of the fault current when the pole-to-pole fault occurs at the line side of plug-in devices in a ±10 kV VSC-DC distribution system. Firstly, based on the system topology, the decisive fault condition of fault current and the design principle of current limiting reactor value are analyzed. Secondly, the theoretical calculation methods of fault current and current limiting reactor value which satisfies the breaking capacity of DC circuit breaker are proposed. Finally, the accuracy of theoretical calculation methods is verified by simulation in PSCAD/EMTDC (Power Systems Computer Aided Design/Electromagnetic Transients including DC). The research results could provide the theoretical calculation methods of the fault current and the current limiting reactor value of plug-in devices in the ±10 kV VSC-DC distribution system.
Study of a Low-Power-Consumption Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Circuit Based on Synchronized Switching Technology
Authors: Hong Jianfeng , Chen Fu , He Ming , Wang Sheng , Chen Wenxiang , Guan Mingjie
Published: August 2019

This paper presents a study of a piezoelectric energy harvesting circuit based on low-power-consumption synchronized switch technology. The proposed circuit includes a parallel synchronized switch harvesting on inductor interface circuit (P-SSHI) and a step-down DC-DC converter. The synchronized switch technology is applied to increase the conversion efficiency of the circuit. The DC-DC converter is used to accomplish the impedance matching for different loads. A low-power-consumption microcontroller and discrete components are used to build the P-SSHI interface circuit. The study starts with theoretical analysis and simulations of the P-SSHI interface circuit. Simulations and experiments were conducted to validate the theoretical analysis. The experimental results show that the maximum energy harvested by the system with a P-SSHI interface circuit is 231 μW, which is 2.89 times that of a system without the P-SSHI scheme. The power consumption of the P-SSHI interface circuit can be as low as 10.6 μW.
Vehicle Optimal Control Design to Meet the 1.5 °C Target: A Control Design Framework for Vehicle Subsystems
Authors: Hu Xu , Chen Yisong , Ding Zhensen , Gu Liang
Published: August 2019

Current studies have achieved energy savings of vehicle subsystems through various control strategies, but these control strategies lack a benchmark to measure whether these energy savings are sufficient. This work proposes a control design framework that uses the 1.5 °C target in the Paris Agreement as a benchmark to measure the adequacy of energy savings of vehicle subsystems. This control design framework involves two points. One is the conversion of the 1.5 °C target into a constraint on the energy consumption of a vehicle subsystem. The other is the optimal control design of the vehicle subsystem under this constraint. To describe the specific application of this control design framework, we conduct a case study concerning the control design of active suspension in a battery electric light-duty vehicle. By comparison with a widely used linear quadratic regulator (LQR) method, we find that this control design framework can both ensure the performance comparable to the LQR method and help to meet the 1.5 °C target in the Paris Climate Agreement. In addition, a sensitivity analysis shows that the control effect is hardly changed by battery electric vehicle market share and electricity CO2 intensity. This work might provide insight on ways that the automotive industry could contribute to the Paris Agreement.
Robust Integral Backstepping Based Nonlinear MPPT Control for a PV System
Authors: Ali Kamran , Khan Laiq , Khan Qudrat , Ullah Shafaat , Ahmad Saghir , Mumtaz Sidra , Karam Fazal , Naghmash
Published: August 2019

A photovoltaic system generates energy that depends on the environmental conditions such as temperature, irradiance and the variations in the load connected to it. To adapt to the consistently increasing interest of energy, the photovoltaic (PV) system must operate at maximum power point (MPP), however, it has the issue of low efficiency because of the varying climatic conditions. To increase its efficiency, a maximum power point technique is required to extract maximum power from the PV system. In this paper, a nonlinear fast and efficient maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique is developed based on the robust integral backstepping (RIB) approach to harvest maximum power from a PV array using non-inverting DC-DC buck-boost converter. The study uses a NeuroFuzzy network to generate the reference voltage for MPPT. Asymptotic stability of the whole system is verified using Lyapunov stability criteria. The MATLAB/Simulink platform is used to test the proposed controller performance under varying meteorological conditions. The simulation results validate that the proposed controller effectively improves the MPPT in terms of tracking speed and efficiency. For further validation of the proposed controller performance, a comparative study is presented with backstepping controller, integral backstepping, robust backstepping and conventional MPPT algorithms (PID and P&O) under rapidly varying environmental conditions.
Active Fluidic Turn-Down Rectifier
Authors: Tesař Václav
Published: August 2019

Paper discusses a device belonging into an interesting and yet little-known family of no-moving-part active fluidic rectifiers. The generated steady component of flow and pressure are driven by input alternating flow from an external source. The absence of moving components results in the unique capability of unlimited life and reliability, especially useful for safety devices. In the experiment, the rectifier generated a pressure keeping dangerous liquid in the active zone. When the driving oscillation stops (like, e.g., due to coolant loss), the liquid leaves the zone under gravity, stopping the performed reaction. This safety facility is simple, inexpensive, and extremely reliable.