bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deciphering the Genetic Architecture of Plant Virus Resistance by GWAS, State of the Art and Potential Advances
Authors: Monnot Severine , Desaint Henri , Mary-Huard Tristan , Moreau Laurence , Schurdi-Levraud Valerie , Boissot Nathalie
Published: November 2021

Growing virus resistant varieties is a highly effective means to avoid yield loss due to infection by many types of virus. The challenge is to be able to detect resistance donors within plant species diversity and then quickly introduce alleles conferring resistance into elite genetic backgrounds. Until now, mainly monogenic forms of resistance with major effects have been introduced in crops. Polygenic resistance is harder to map and introduce in susceptible genetic backgrounds, but it is likely more durable. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) offer an opportunity to accelerate mapping of both monogenic and polygenic resistance, but have seldom been implemented and described in the plant–virus interaction context. Yet, all of the 48 plant–virus GWAS published so far have successfully mapped QTLs involved in plant virus resistance. In this review, we analyzed general and specific GWAS issues regarding plant virus resistance. We have identified and described several key steps throughout the GWAS pipeline, from diversity panel assembly to GWAS result analyses. Based on the 48 published articles, we analyzed the impact of each key step on the GWAS power and showcase several GWAS methods tailored to all types of viruses.
Neurohypophysial Hormones Associated with Osmotic Challenges in the Brain and Pituitary of the Euryhaline Black Porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegelii
Authors: Aruna Adimoolam , Lin Chien-Ju , Nagarajan Ganesan , Chang Ching-Fong
Published: November 2021

Our study showed differential expression of the arginine vasotocin (avt)/isotocin (it) in the brain and pituitary gland of the euryhaline black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) during osmotic stress. A decrease in serum osmolality and increased cortisol levels were observed after acute transfer from seawater (SW) to freshwater (FW). The increased expressions of avt, avt receptor (avtr: v1a), and isotocin receptor (itr: itr1) transcripts on day 1 and it and itr transcripts on days 7 and 30 were found in the brains and pituitary glands of FW fish. Increased levels of avt mRNA in the diencephalon and avtr mRNA in the pituitary together with serum cortisol on day 1 of FW exposure indicated activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–interrenal (HPI) axis. The expression levels of avtr and itr after FW transfer were increased in the pituitary on days 7 and 30. Furthermore, in situ hybridization demonstrated spatially differential expression of avt and itr transcripts in nucleus preopticus parvocellularis of pars gigantocellularis (PMgc), magnocellularis (PMmc), and parvocellularis (PMpc) of the preoptic area (POA). Positive signals for avt and it were highly abundant in PMpc after FW exposure. The data suggest involvement of neurohypophysial hormones in the brain (telencephalon and diencephalon) and pituitary for osmotic stress.
A Step-by-Step Refined Strategy for Highly Efficient Generation of Neural Progenitors and Motor Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Ren Jie , Li Chaoyi , Zhang Mengfei , Wang Huakun , Xie Yali , Tang Yu
Published: November 2021

Limited access to human neurons, especially motor neurons (MNs), was a major challenge for studying neurobiology and neurological diseases. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) could be induced as neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and further multiple neural subtypes, which provide excellent cellular sources for studying neural development, cell therapy, disease modeling and drug screening. It is thus important to establish robust and highly efficient methods of neural differentiation. Enormous efforts have been dedicated to dissecting key signalings during neural commitment and accordingly establishing reliable differentiation protocols. In this study, we refined a step-by-step strategy for rapid differentiation of hPSCs towards NPCs within merely 18 days, combining the adherent and neurosphere-floating methods, as well as highly efficient generation (~90%) of MNs from NPCs by introducing refined sets of transcription factors for around 21 days. This strategy made use of, and compared, retinoic acid (RA) induction and dual-SMAD pathway inhibition, respectively, for neural induction. Both methods could give rise to highly efficient and complete generation of preservable NPCs, but with different regional identities. Given that the generated NPCs can be differentiated into the majority of excitatory and inhibitory neurons, but hardly MNs, we thus further differentiate NPCs towards MNs by overexpressing refined sets of transcription factors, especially by adding human SOX11, whilst improving a series of differentiation conditions to yield mature MNs for good modeling of motor neuron diseases. We thus refined a detailed step-by-step strategy for inducing hPSCs towards long-term preservable NPCs, and further specified MNs based on the NPC platform.
The Challenging Melanoma Landscape: From Early Drug Discovery to Clinical Approval
Authors: Matias Mariana , Pinho Jacinta O. , Penetra Maria João , Campos Gonçalo , Reis Catarina Pinto , Gaspar Maria Manuela
Published: November 2021

Melanoma is recognized as the most dangerous type of skin cancer, with high mortality and resistance to currently used treatments. To overcome the limitations of the available therapeutic options, the discovery and development of new, more effective, and safer therapies is required. In this review, the different research steps involved in the process of antimelanoma drug evaluation and selection are explored, including information regarding in silico, in vitro, and in vivo experiments, as well as clinical trial phases. Details are given about the most used cell lines and assays to perform both two- and three-dimensional in vitro screening of drug candidates towards melanoma. For in vivo studies, murine models are, undoubtedly, the most widely used for assessing the therapeutic potential of new compounds and to study the underlying mechanisms of action. Here, the main melanoma murine models are described as well as other animal species. A section is dedicated to ongoing clinical studies, demonstrating the wide interest and successful efforts devoted to melanoma therapy, in particular at advanced stages of the disease, and a final section includes some considerations regarding approval for marketing by regulatory agencies. Overall, considerable commitment is being directed to the continuous development of optimized experimental models, important for the understanding of melanoma biology and for the evaluation and validation of novel therapeutic strategies.
Tumor Lymphatic Interactions Induce CXCR2-CXCL5 Axis and Alter Cellular Metabolism and Lymphangiogenic Pathways to Promote Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Roy Sukanya , Kumaravel Subhashree , Banerjee Priyanka , White Tori K. , O’Brien April , Seelig Catherine , Chauhan Rahul , Ekser Burcin , Bayless Kayla J. , Alpini Gianfranco , Glaser Shannon S. , Chakraborty Sanjukta
Published: November 2021

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), or cancer of bile duct epithelial cells, is a very aggressive malignancy characterized by early lymphangiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and lymph node (LN) metastasis which correlate with adverse patient outcome. However, the specific roles of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) that promote LN metastasis remains unexplored. Here we aimed to identify the dynamic molecular crosstalk between LECs and CCA cells that activate tumor-promoting pathways and enhances lymphangiogenic mechanisms. Our studies show that inflamed LECs produced high levels of chemokine CXCL5 that signals through its receptor CXCR2 on CCA cells. The CXCR2-CXCL5 signaling axis in turn activates EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) inducing MMP (matrix metalloproteinase) genes such as GLI, PTCHD, and MMP2 in CCA cells that promote CCA migration and invasion. Further, rate of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis of CCA cells was significantly upregulated by inflamed LECs and CXCL5 activation, indicating metabolic reprogramming. CXCL5 also induced lactate production, glucose uptake, and mitoROS. CXCL5 also induced LEC tube formation and increased metabolic gene expression in LECs. In vivo studies using CCA orthotopic models confirmed several of these mechanisms. Our data points to a key finding that LECs upregulate critical tumor-promoting pathways in CCA via CXCR2-CXCL5 axis, which further augments CCA metastasis.
Organic Thin Films Deposited by Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) for Photovoltaic Cell Applications: A Review
Authors: Socol Marcela , Preda Nicoleta , Socol Gabriel
Published: November 2021

Human society’s demand for energy has increased faster in the last few decades due to the world’s population growth and economy development. Solar power can be a part of a sustainable solution to this world’s energy need, taking into account that the cost of the renewable energy recently dropped owed to the remarkable progress achieved in the solar panels field. Thus, this inexhaustible source of energy can produce cheap and clean energy with a beneficial impact on the climate change. The considerable potential of the organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells was recently emphasized, with efficiencies exceeding 18% being achieved for OPV devices with various architectures. The challenges regarding the improvement in the OPV performance consist of the selection of the adequate raw organic compounds and manufacturing techniques, both strongly influencing the electrical parameters of the fabricated OPV devices. At the laboratory level, the solution-based techniques are used in the preparation of the active films based on polymers, while the vacuum evaporation is usually involved in the deposition of small molecule organic compounds. The major breakthrough in the OPV field was the implementation of the bulk heterojunction concept but the deposition of mixed films from the same solvent is not always possible. Therefore, this review provides a survey on the development attained in the deposition of organic layers based on small molecules compounds, oligomers and polymers using matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE)-based deposition techniques (MAPLE, RIR-MAPLE and emulsion-based RIR-MAPLE). An overview of the influence of various experimental parameters involved in these laser deposition methods on the properties of the fabricated layers is given in order to identify, in the forthcoming years, new strategies for enhancing the OPV cells performance.
Microencapsulation for Functional Textile Coatings with Emphasis on Biodegradability—A Systematic Review
Authors: Boh Podgornik Bojana , Šandrić Stipana , Kert Mateja
Published: November 2021

The review provides an overview of research findings on microencapsulation for functional textile coatings. Methods for the preparation of microcapsules in textiles include in situ and interfacial polymerization, simple and complex coacervation, molecular inclusion and solvent evaporation from emulsions. Binders play a crucial role in coating formulations. Acrylic and polyurethane binders are commonly used in textile finishing, while organic acids and catalysts can be used for chemical grafting as crosslinkers between microcapsules and cotton fibres. Most of the conventional coating processes can be used for microcapsule-containing coatings, provided that the properties of the microcapsules are appropriate. There are standardised test methods available to evaluate the characteristics and washfastness of coated textiles. Among the functional textiles, the field of environmentally friendly biodegradable textiles with microcapsules is still at an early stage of development. So far, some physicochemical and physical microencapsulation methods using natural polymers or biodegradable synthetic polymers have been applied to produce environmentally friendly antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory or fragranced textiles. Standardised test methods for evaluating the biodegradability of textile materials are available. The stability of biodegradable microcapsules and the durability of coatings during the use and care of textiles still present several challenges that offer many opportunities for further research.
Crystalline Micro- and Nano-Materials for Medical and Other Biochemical Applications
Authors: Tan Songwen , Chen Chuanpin , Chen Xuncai , Zhou Wenhu
Published: November 2021

The Special Issue on “Crystalline Micro- and Nano-Materials for Medical and Other Biochemical Applications” is a collection of seven original articles (including three research papers and four review papers) dedicated to theoretical and experimental research work that provides new insights and practical findings in the field of crystal-related biomedicine [...]
Evaluation of Ki-67 as a Prognostic Marker in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma—A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Huber Fabian , Zwickl-Traxler Elisabeth , Pecherstorfer Martin , Singer Josef
Published: November 2021

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma and prognostic information is essential in finding the right treatment. This study evaluated the prognostic significance of Ki-67 in patients with DLBCL. Methods: Patients with DLBCL, treated with first-line R-CHOP, were retrospectively analyzed in groups of high (>70%) and low (≤70%) Ki-67. Parameters of interest were the international prognostic index (IPI), treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). A chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test was conducted to analyze categorical variables. Kaplan–Meier and log-rank tests were applied for survival analyses. Finally, a multivariate linear regression analysis was performed, including gender, Ki-67 ≤ 70% or >70%, IPI and presence of B symptoms. Results: Overall, 58 patients were included. No significant association was found between Ki-67 status and IPI (p = 0.148) or treatment response (p = 0.373). Survival in patients with high Ki-67 was significantly inferior with respect to OS (p = 0.047) but not PFS (p = 0.138). Multivariate linear regression, however, yielded only IPI as a risk factor for OS. Conclusion: Future studies with larger patient cohorts are needed in order to elucidate the prognostic role of Ki-67 in patients with DLBCL treated with R-CHOP.
Canadian Consensus Recommendations on the Management of MET-Altered NSCLC
Authors: Cheema Parneet K. , Banerji Shantanu O. , Blais Normand , Chu Quincy S.-C. , Desmeules Patrice , Juergens Rosalyn A. , Leighl Natasha B. , Sheffield Brandon S. , Wheatley-Price Paul F. , Melosky Barbara L.
Published: November 2021

In Canada, the therapeutic management of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with rare actionable mutations differs between provinces, territories, and individual centres based on access to molecular testing and funded treatments. These variations, together with the emergence of several novel mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) factor-targeted therapies for the treatment of NSCLC, warrant the development of evidence-based consensus recommendations for the use of these agents. A Canadian expert panel was convened to define key clinical questions, review evidence, discuss practice recommendations and reach consensus on the treatment of advanced MET-altered NSCLC. Questions addressed by the panel include: 1. How should the patients most likely to benefit from MET-targeted therapies be identified? 2. What are the preferred first-line and subsequent therapies for patients with MET exon 14 skipping mutations? 3. What are the preferred first-line and subsequent therapies for advanced NSCLC patients with de novo MET amplification? 4. What is the preferred therapy for patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated NSCLC with acquired MET amplification progressing on EGFR inhibitors? 5. What are the potential strategies for overcoming resistance to MET inhibitors? Answers to these questions, along with the consensus recommendations herein, will help streamline the management of MET-altered NSCLC in routine practice, assist clinicians in therapeutic decision-making, and help ensure optimal outcomes for NSCLC patients with MET alterations.
PD-1 Inhibitor Maintenance Therapy Combined Iodine-125 Seed Implantation Successfully Salvage Recurrent Cervical Cancer after CCRT: A Case Report
Authors: Wei Guangchao , Guo Fuxin , Qu Ang , Jiang Weijuan , Jiang Yuliang , Wang Junjie , Jiang Ping
Published: November 2021

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in females worldwide. Patients with stage III and IV cervical cancer based on the Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification have higher recurrence rates. Because of organs at risk (OAR) protection and the low indication rate of salvage surgery, the choice of treatment is always challenging. Systemic chemotherapy is palliative and can be performed in conjunction with surgery or radiotherapy; however, it has no significant benefit to survival. Brachytherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) are characterized by extremely high radiation doses applied to tumor cells while sparing the normal tissues. Several studies have investigated the efficacy of these technologies in recurrent cervical cancer and showed promising results. The immune checkpoint inhibitors approach was also investigated and showed promising results too. Herein, we report a case of a patient with cervical cancer that recurred five months after adjuvant chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The disease prognosis after interstitial implantation brachytherapy (IIB) was determined. Then, the patient underwent radioactive 125I-seed implantation combined with PD-1 inhibitor treatment. The patient exhibited a partial response after seed implantation, and up to now, the duration of this partial response was 24 months.
Environment-Assisted Shortcuts to Adiabaticity
Authors: Touil Akram , Deffner Sebastian
Published: November 2021

Envariance is a symmetry exhibited by correlated quantum systems. Inspired by this “quantum fact of life,” we propose a novel method for shortcuts to adiabaticity, which enables the system to evolve through the adiabatic manifold at all times, solely by controlling the environment. As the main results, we construct the unique form of the driving on the environment that enables such dynamics, for a family of composite states of arbitrary dimension. We compare the cost of this environment-assisted technique with that of counterdiabatic driving, and we illustrate our results for a two-qubit model.
Analysis and Output Power Control of Unidirectional Secondary-Resonant Single-Active-Half-Bridge DC-DC Converter
Authors: Tuan Cao Anh , Takeshita Takaharu
Published: November 2021

Development of high-frequency-isolated DC-DC converters is underway for charging and discharging electric vehicle batteries. As a charger, a Single Active Bridge (SAB) converter, which is composed of a primary full-bridge converter, a high-frequency transformer, and a secondary full-bridge diode rectifier circuit, has been proposed as a unidirectional high frequency isolated DC-DC converter. In this paper, as a simple circuit configuration, a Secondary-Resonant Single-Active-Half-Bridge (SR-SAHB) converter, in which the primary and secondary circuits of the SAB converter are both half-bridge circuits, and a resonant capacitor connected in parallel to each secondary diode, is created. Due to the partial resonance on the secondary side, power transmission with unity transformer turn ratio and unity voltage conversion ratio can be realized, and a high total input power factor of the transformer can be achieved. As a result, the maximum voltage and current of the switching devices and the transformer voltage can be reduced. Moreover, soft switching in all commutations can be realized. The operation waveform is analyzed, and output power control is derived using the variable frequency control method. The effectiveness of the proposed SR-SAHB has been verified by experimental results using a 2.4 kW 20 kHz, 265 V laboratory prototype.
Review of Data and Data Sources for the Assessment of the Potential of Utility-Scale Hybrid Wind–Solar PV Power Plants Deployment, under a Microgrid Scope
Authors: Arribas Luis , Lechón Yolanda , Perula Alberto , Domínguez Javier , Ferres Manuel , Navarro Jorge , Zarzalejo Luis F. , García Barquero Carolina , Cruz Ignacio
Published: November 2021

Utility-scale hybrid wind–solar PV power plants (which might include some storage as well) are an attractive option for the transition of conventional grids to incorporate high renewable energy (RE) shares. Along with lower generation costs, they offer increased dispatch capabilities and flexible operation. However, when assessing their potential, they present higher needs in terms of input data, as they are forced to consider both spatial and temporal variations to evaluate their techno-economic viability, as well as other common inputs such as economic, social or environmental data. The availability of the different data influences the type of analysis to be implemented. The microgrid approach of segmenting the information into layers will be adopted for the classification of data. Three different levels of analysis are sought: long-term energy scenarios, geo-spatial planning, and production cost estimation. The analysis of necessary data for each planning stage, and the available data sources for the assessment of utility-scale hybrid power plants, under this microgrid approach, is the main focus of this review.
Fault-Tolerant Cooperative Control of Large-Scale Wind Farms and Wind Farm Clusters
Authors: Jadidi Saeedreza , Badihi Hamed , Zhang Youmin
Published: November 2021

Large-scale wind farms and wind farm clusters with many installed wind turbines are increasingly built around the world, and especially in offshore regions. The reliability and availability of these assets are critically important for cost-effective wind power generation. This requires effective solutions for online fault detection, diagnosis and fault accommodation to improve the overall reliability and availability of wind turbines and entire wind farms. To meet this requirement, this paper proposes a novel active fault-tolerant cooperative control (FTCC) scheme for large-scale wind farms and wind farm clusters (WFCs). The proposed scheme is based on a signal correction method at wind turbine level that is augmented with two innovative “control reallocation” mechanisms at wind farm and network operator levels. Applied to a WFC, this scheme detects, identifies and accommodates the effects of both mild and severe power-loss faults in wind turbines. Various simulation studies on an advanced WFC benchmark indicate the high efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed solutions.
Robust Control Design for Autonomous Vehicles Using Neural Network-Based Model-Matching Approach
Authors: Fényes Dániel , Hegedus Tamás , Németh Balázs , Gáspár Péter
Published: November 2021

In this paper, a novel neural network-based robust control method is presented for a vehicle-oriented problem, in which the main goal is to ensure stable motion of the vehicle under critical circumstances. The proposed method can be divided into two main steps. In the first step, the model matching algorithm is proposed, which can adjust the nonlinear dynamics of the controlled system to a nominal, linear model. The aim of model matching is to eliminate the effects of the nonlinearities and uncertainties of the system to increase the performances of the closed-loop system. The model matching process results in an additional control input, which is computed by a neural network during the operation of the control system. Furthermore, in the second step, a robust H∞ is designed, which has double purposes: to handle the fitting error of the neural network and ensure the accurate tracking of the reference signal. The operation and efficiency of the proposed control algorithm are investigated through a complex test scenario, which is performed in the high-fidelity vehicle dynamics simulation software, CarMaker.
Day-Ahead Forecasting of the Percentage of Renewables Based on Time-Series Statistical Methods
Authors: Basmadjian Robert , Shaafieyoun Amirhossein , Julka Sahib
Published: November 2021

Forecasting renewable energy sources is of critical importance to several practical applications in the energy field. However, due to the inherent volatile nature of these energy sources, doing so remains challenging. Numerous time-series methods have been explored in literature, which consider only one specific type of renewables (e.g., solar or wind), and are suited to small-scale (micro-level) deployments. In this paper, the different types of renewable energy sources are reflected, which are distributed at a national level (macro-level). To generate accurate predictions, a methodology is proposed, which consists of two main phases. In the first phase, the most relevant variables having impact on the generation of the renewables are identified using correlation analysis. The second phase consists of (1) estimating model parameters, (2) optimising and reducing the number of generated models, and (3) selecting the best model for the method under study. To this end, the three most-relevant time-series auto-regression based methods of SARIMAX, SARIMA, and ARIMAX are considered. After deriving the best model for each method, then a comparison is carried out between them by taking into account different months of the year. The evaluation results illustrate that our forecasts have mean absolute error rates between 6.76 and 11.57%, while considering both inter- and intra-day scenarios. The best models are implemented in an open-source REN4Kast software platform.
Paleoenvironment and Organic Matter Accumulation Mechanism of Marine–Continental Transitional Shales: Outcrop Characterizations of the Carboniferous–Permian Strata, Ordos Basin, North China
Authors: Zhang Leifu , Zhao Qun , Peng Sizhong , Qiu Zhen , Feng Congjun , Zhang Qin , Wang Yuman , Dong Dazhong , Zhou Shangwen
Published: November 2021

In the Carboniferous–Permian period, several organic-rich black shales were deposited in a marine–continental transitional environment in the Linfen area on the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin. Integrated sedimentological and organic geochemical analyses are performed on an outcrop in order to clarify the relationship between paleoenvironment and organic matter accumulation. The results of this study show that the marine–continental transitional strata of the Upper Carboniferous Benxi Formation to Lower Permian Taiyuan and Shanxi Formation exposed in the Linfen area are composed of sandstone, shale, coal, and limestone. Total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the studied samples were mainly distributed in the range of 0.59%–35.4%, with an average of 7.32%. From Benxi Formation to Shanxi formation, the humidity gradually increased, and the climate gradually changed from hot and humid to warm and humid during Carboniferous to Permian. The deposition of the Shanxi Formation ended with the climate returning to hot and humid, having an oxic-suboxic conditions and a high paleoproductivity. Paleoredox conditions and paleoproductivity are the two vital factors controlling the formation of organic matter in black shales. The transitional environment characterized by oxic-suboxic, relatively high deposition rate, and various source of organic matter, although different from the marine environment, provides a good material basis for the deposition of organic-rich shales.
Analysis of Energy Efficient Scheduling of the Manufacturing Line with Finite Buffer Capacity and Machine Setup and Shutdown Times
Authors: Kampa Adrian , Paprocka Iwona
Published: November 2021

The aim of this paper is to present a model of energy efficient scheduling for series production systems during operation, including setup and shutdown activities. The flow shop system together with setup, shutdown times and energy consumption are considered. Production tasks enter the system with exponentially distributed interarrival times and are carried out according to the times assumed as predefined. Tasks arriving from one waiting queue are handled in the order set by the Multi Objective Immune Algorithm. Tasks are stored in a finite-capacity buffer if machines are busy, or setup activities are being performed. Whenever a production system is idle, machines are stopped according to shutdown times in order to save energy. A machine requires setup time before executing the first batch of jobs after the idle time. Scientists agree that turning off an idle machine is a common measure that is appropriate for all types of workshops, but usually requires more steps, such as setup and shutdown. Literature analysis shows that there is a research gap regarding multi-objective algorithms, as minimizing energy consumption is not the only factor affecting the total manufacturing cost—there are other factors, such as late delivery cost or early delivery cost with additional storage cost, which make the optimization of the total cost of the production process more complicated. Another goal is to develop previous scheduling algorithms and research framework for energy efficient scheduling. The impact of the input data on the production system performance and energy consumption for series production is investigated in serial, parallel or serial–parallel flows. Parallel flow of upcoming tasks achieves minimum values of makespan criterion. Serial and serial–parallel flows of arriving tasks ensure minimum cost of energy consumption. Parallel flow of arriving tasks ensures minimum values of the costs of tardiness or premature execution. Parallel flow or serial–parallel flow of incoming tasks allows one to implement schedules with tasks that are not delayed.
Frequency Support Markets and Wind Power Integration
Authors: Ivanova Anzhelika , Domínguez-García José Luis , Corchero Cristina
Published: November 2021

Europe’s initiative to reduce the emissions of harmful gases has significantly increased the integration of renewable sources into power networks, particularly wind power. Variable renewable sources pose challenges to sustain the balance between generation and demand. Thus, the need for ancillary services to cope with this problem has increased. In this regard, the integration of larger shares of wind generation would have a clear system benefit when wind generators are able to provide these ancillary services. This would also have implications for electricity markets, enabling these services from wind power plants. This article gives an overview of several European markets for frequency support (FS) services, also referred to as FS markets. It identifies the changes in national regulations of 10 European countries to standardize these services based on the ENTSO-E guidelines. However, most of the countries still use their national service definitions, which presents a problem for researchers to understand the national regulations in relation to the ENTSO-E guidelines. This article provides a classification of the national FS services under the definitions of the ENTSO-E guidelines to facilitate research on this topic. Furthermore, it highlights the main requirements for the market practices that would encourage the participation of wind power generation in the provision of these services. An estimation of the economic benefits for wind producers from the provision of FS services is provided as well to show a possible outcome if changes are not made in national policies.
Bragg Mirrors for Thermal Waves
Authors: Camacho de la Rosa Angela , Becerril David , Gómez-Farfán María Guadalupe , Esquivel-Sirvent Raúl
Published: November 2021

We present a numerical calculation of the heat transport in a Bragg mirror configuration made of materials that do not obey Fourier’s law of heat conduction. The Bragg mirror is made of materials that are described by the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation. By analyzing the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation’s solutions, we define the thermal wave surface impedance to design highly reflective thermal Bragg mirrors. Even for mirrors with a few layers, very high reflectance is achieved (>90%). The Bragg mirror configuration is also a system that makes evident the wave-like nature of the solution of the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation by showing frequency pass-bands that are absent if the materials obey the usual Fourier’s law.
Advanced Controlled Road Lighting System Concurrent with Users
Authors: Zalewski Sławomir
Published: November 2021

The operation of a concurrent lighting system using LED luminaires is based on the detection of individual road users, the recognition of their lighting needs and adjusting the operating state of the individual lighting devices that make up the system to the expectations of each user. The luminaire’s lighting divided into three independently controlled parts allows reducing electrical energy consumption up to 33% in comparison to a conventional concurrent road lighting system.
A Robust Optimization Model to the Day-Ahead Operation of an Electric Vehicle Aggregator Providing Reliable Reserve
Authors: Jiménez-Marín Antonio , Pérez-Ruiz Juan
Published: November 2021

This paper presents a robust optimization model to find out the day-ahead energy and reserve to be scheduled by an electric vehicle (EV) aggregator. Energy can be purchased from, and injected to, the distribution network, while upward and downward reserves can be also provided by the EV aggregator. Although it is an economically driven model, the focus of this work relies on the actual availability of the scheduled reserves in a future real-time. To this end, two main features stand out: on one hand, the uncertainty regarding the EV driven pattern is modeled through a robust approach and, on the other hand, a set of non-anticipativity constraints are included to prevent from unavailable future states. The proposed model is posed as a mixed-integer robust linear problem in which binary variables are used to consider the charging, discharging or idle status of the EV aggregator. Results over a 24-h case study show the capability of the proposed model.
A Compensated Peak Current Mode Control PWM for Primary-Side Controlled Flyback Converters
Authors: Wu Chia-Hsuan , Huang Guan-Rong , Chou Cheng-Chih , Lai Ching-Ming , Chen Liang-Rui
Published: November 2021

In this paper, a feedback compensator (FBC) and a Feedforward compensator (FFC) are proposed to construct a novel compensated peak current mode control pulse width modulation (CPC-PWM) for primary-side controlled flyback converters. Using the proposed FBC, the PWM duty cycle of an abnormal operating flyback converter would be descended to limit the output current for reducing power dissipation. Using the proposed FFC, the effect of delay time would be descended to reduce the over-flow current for increasing the current accuracy. In this paper, the operating principle and mathematical model are described and analyzed. Then, the component values are well designed to satisfy the electrical specifications. Finally, a prototype is designed and realized to access system performance. The experimental results show that the proposed CPC-PWM can validate in a wide input voltage range and output short conditions, which also has good current accuracy and reduces power dissipation by about 68%.
A Novel Model of Electromechanical Contactors for Predicting Dynamic Characteristics
Authors: Wang Gongrun , Wang Yongxing , Zhang Lifan , Xue Shutian , Dong Enyuan , Zou Jiyan
Published: November 2021

To ensure the reliability of power supply, a dual power supply structure appears in the power distribution system. Power supply switching is a complex physical process. This paper presents a novel model of electromechanical contactors. This model can simulate the multi-physics process of power switching. This article completes the simulation framework for power switching through contactors for the first time. Among them, the structural topology for contactors is also proposed. On the basis of the novel structure topology, an equivalent magnetic circuit model is established to calculate the relationship between driving force, flux linkage, current, and displacement. Then, a co-simulation model is established between the above equations and Adams to obtain the speed characteristics and flight time of the contactor. Subsequently, through the use of Fluent and its secondary development, a magnetohydrodynamic model is established, and the above-mentioned velocity characteristics are imported into it to analyze the arcing characteristics of the contacts under the conditions of the transverse magnetic field and the insulating grid. The effectiveness of power switching is judged by comparing the flight time of the electromechanical model and the arcing time of the magnetohydrodynamic model. The prototype is manufactured and tested on the basis of simulation. Through experimental waveforms and high-speed photography, the accuracy of the simulation model and the practicability of the contactor are verified.
Indoor Comfort, Thermal Indices, and Energy Assessment of Multi-Family Colonial Revival Style Buildings
Authors: Adekunle Timothy O.
Published: November 2021

Colonial Revival style residences have unique architectural features amongst others. They are common multi-family residences in the United States with no or limited information about their performance. The research purpose is to assess indoor comfort, energy performance, and thermal indices in multi-family Colonial Revival style residences. The research questions include (i) Do Colonial Revival style buildings perform better than other old buildings? (ii) Do the buildings consume additional electricity than typical and other old buildings? The research examined four case studies in Hartford County, Connecticut. The investigation explored comfort surveys, monitoring, collection of actual electricity usage, and assessed thermal indices using mathematical models. The average indoor temperature of 25.4 °C and relative humidity (RH) of 61.3% are reported. About 67% of the residents are thermally comfortable. The research noted significance between thermal sensation and other variables, excluding how occupants feel about the air movement. The average number of hours of temperature exceeds 28.0 °C and 30.0 °C marks for over 11.4% and 2.5% of the time, respectively, except in one of the buildings. The mean indoor temperatures are within the applicable bands of the adaptive comfort models. The averages of actual thermal sensation vote (TSV) ranged from 3.32 to 4.37 on a 7-point sensation scale. The mean neutral temperatures varied from 24.2–25.6 °C. The average monthly electricity bill is within the national average for residences in summer, excluding in August. The mean wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 21.1–22.3 °C and summer simmer index (SSI) of 30.1–32.4 °C are calculated as feasible bands for thermal indices in the buildings. The basements are more comfortable than other spaces within the case studies. The research outcomes can be used for future developments of Colonial Revival style and other similar buildings. The study recommends interventions such as retrofit to improve the performance of some existing Colonial Revival style buildings, especially the older ones that are less insulated with outdated equipment and appliances.
Effects of Electro-Magnetic Properties of Obstacles in Magnetic Resonant Wireless Power Transfer
Authors: Lee Ho-Yeong , Im Sang-Hyeon , Park Gwan-Soo
Published: November 2021

Magnetic resonant wireless power transmission (MRWPT) is a method of transmitting power over a long distance at a specific frequency. Because this system uses an alternating magnetic field, if an object with electrical/magnetic properties is placed between the transmit and receive coils, this will have a significant impact on the power transfer. In this paper, the effect of an obstacle located between two coils on the resonance frequency and transmission power is analyzed. A wireless power transmission system with a resonant frequency of 20 kHz was designed, and ferrite, aluminum, and carbon steel were selected as obstacles with permeability or conductivity. After simulating the system with finite element analysis (FEA) with these obstacles, the results were verified through actual experiments. The results show that the permeability of the obstacle decreases the resonant frequency, and the conductivity increases the resonant frequency and greatly reduces the output power. In addition, part of reduced output could be recovered by adjusting the frequency.
Structure of Remuneration as Assessed by Employees of the Energy Sector—Multivariate Correspondence Analysis
Authors: Barczak Agnieszka , Dembińska Izabela , Rostkowski Tomasz , Szopik-Depczyńska Katarzyna , Rozmus Dorota
Published: November 2021

Remuneration policy is an element of company management. Remuneration systems should be flexible and evolutionary. They must consider not only the changes in the external environment but, most of all, the changing needs of the internal environment. In practice, this means aligning the company’s strategy and goals with the remuneration system. What is more, the remuneration policy must be consistent with all personnel substrategies, which should systematically create integrated human capital management. The aim of our research was to determine how employees perceive the appropriate structure of remuneration and how the relationships between the elements that make up the structure of remuneration are perceived. Energy sector employees were selected for the study, dividing the group of respondents by gender, age and level of education. The obtained data were submitted to multivariate correspondence analysis. The analysis of the perception map for the variables of gender, age and education, as well as the subjective assessment of the components of remuneration, allows the general assertion that both men and women believe that the amount of the fixed part of remuneration should be influenced by such elements as: work efficiency, education, seniority in the current place of employment, position in the hierarchy of the position held, as well as the level of salaries in the labor market. But people aged 60 and over with a vocational education tend to believe that the amount of the fixed part of remuneration should be influenced by collective agreements. Moreover, people aged 25–34 with higher education believe that the granting of additional benefits should not be affected by collective labor agreements.
The Impact of Poland’s Energy Transition on the Strategies of Fossil Fuel Sector Companies—The Example of PKN Orlen Group
Authors: Wiśniewska Joanna , Markiewicz Joanna
Published: November 2021

Sustainability and decarbonisation are buzzwords in today’s economy. The fossil fuel sector has had a great impact on development of many countries and it is interesting how this sector is going to survive in the era of climate neutrality imposed by the European and national decarbonisation policies. PKN Orlen is one of the largest industrial corporations in Poland and Central Europe representing the energy and fossil fuel sector. The article sets out to identify the main areas of PKN Orlen’s strategic plans resulting from the energy transition process in Poland. For this reason, the research question posed in this study is: to what extent and in what direction has Poland’s energy policy influenced the new strategy of PKN Orlen? Poland’s most recent energy policy was adopted in 2021, therefore an attempt to assess the impact of this policy on the strategy of a large player in the fossil fuel sector in such a short time horizon proves the originality of the study. The applied methodological approach, including case study, comparative analysis, and in-depth interview, was determined by the specific nature of the research problem and the fact that the analyzed sector and entity are strategic from the point of view of the country’s economy, which imposes the confidentiality of some data related to the study and determines the possibility of making them public. As shown by the research, PEP2040 had an indirect impact on shaping the strategy of PKN Orlen, while the main source of knowledge about the current and future trends is the analysis, evaluation and synthesis of various sources of information, including those from consulting companies.
Full-Stress Anchoring Technology and Application of Bolts in the Coal Roadway
Authors: Guo Xiaowei , Zheng Xigui , Li Peng , Lian Rui , Liu Cancan , Shahani Niaz Muhammad , Wang Cong , Li Boyang , Xu Wenjie , Lai Guowei
Published: November 2021

The traditional anchoring method of bolts has insufficient control over the surrounding rock of the coal roadway. Based on this background, full-stress anchoring technology of bolts was proposed. Firstly, a mechanical relationship model of a bolt-drawing, anchoring interface was established to obtain the equations of the axial force and obtain shear stress distribution as well as the decreasing-load transfer law of the anchoring section of bolts. Through studying the prestress-loading experimental device of bolts, we found that increasing the initial preload could increase the axial force under the same conditions and the retarded anchoring section could control the axial-force loss of bolts in the middle of the anchoring section. Under the full-stress anchoring mode, the effect of applying a pre-tightening force was better than that of applying a pre-tightening force under traditional anchoring methods. Moreover, FLAC3D (Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua 3D; ITASCA (Ita sca International Inc), Minnesota, USA) numerical simulation calculation was performed. Under the full-stress anchoring mode of bolts, the increased anchoring length reduced the damage of the anchoring section, with a wider control range of the rock formation and higher strength of the compressive-stress anchoring zone. Based on the above research, four methods for applying the full-stress anchoring technology of bolts in engineering were proposed. The full-stress anchoring technology of bolts in the coal roadway has been applied in the support project of the return-air roadway at working face 3204 of the Taitou Coking Coal Mine of the Xiangning Coking Coal Group, Shanxi. The maximum moving distance of the roof and floor of the roadway was reduced from 200 to 42 mm, and the maximum moving distance on both coal sides was reduced from 330 to 86 mm. The full-stress anchoring technology of bolts was able to control the surrounding rock in the coal roadway.
Analysis of Available Components and Performance Estimation of Optical Multi-Band Systems
Authors: Uzunidis Dimitris , Apostolopoulou Fotini , Pagiatakis Gerasimos , Stavdas Alexandros
Published: November 2021

Optical multi-band (OMB) systems exploit the low-loss spectrum of the single mode fiber (SMF) and are key enablers to increase the transportation capacity and node connectivity of already deployed systems. The realization of OMB systems is mainly based on the technological advances on the component and system level, and for this purpose, a broad gamut of various structural elements, such as transceivers, amplifiers, filters, etc. have been commercialized already or are close to commercialization. This wide range of options, which aid in unlocking the concurrent transmission in all amplification bands, is reviewed here for the first time, whilst their pros and cons as well as their limitations are discussed. Furthermore, the needs for additional components in order to fully exploit the ≈390 nm low-loss wavelength range of SMF, which spans from 1260 to 1650 nm, are highlighted. Finally, based on a physical layer formalism, which incorporates the impact of the most important physical layer constraints for an OMB system, the attainable capacity and transparent reach of each amplification band are quantified.