Search

• Design and operation planning of hybrid renewable energy systems is established. • A stochastic approach is proposed to consider the uncertainty in energy profiles. • The model is formulated with mixed-integer linear programming. • Five scenario generation methods for stochastic model are conducted and compared. • A hypothetical system is analyzed for deterministic and stochastic models. Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) have been introduced globally with the increasing emphasis on sustainable energy and the environment. It is very challenging to manage HRESs due to the inherent uncertainty in energy supply and demand. Recently, Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) have been drawing increasing attention as a promising alternative to minimize the difference between varying supply and demand. The ESS should be designed and operated based on the explicit consideration of uncertainty because a deterministic approach only captures a fixed snapshot of the varying system. The resulting scheduling problem for ESS operation was formulated as a two-stage stochastic programming model in this study. The model was then transformed into a mixed integer linear programming problem based on multiple equivalent scenarios. Five different scenario-generation methodologies were employed to illustrate the applicability of the approach. A numerical example illustrates that the HRES design and operation cost according to a stochastic model (US$ 6981/day) was at least 9.1% more economical than deterministic model (US$ 7680/day). From the results, it is shown that the proposed approach results in intelligent ESS operation that can increase the applicability of the HRES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A superstructure-based approach was proposed for optimization of biorefineries that use Saccharina japonica as feedstock. The goal of this study was to determine the optimal flowsheet design to maximize the net present value by considering the mass and energy balance, capital and manufacturing costs. Multiple design alternatives reported in the literature were considered at each biorefinery processing stage, which transformed the superstructure optimization into a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem. In order to efficiently compute a solution for the resulting MINLP problem, the separable programming technique is employed by approximating the initial MINLP problem into a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problem. The results indicated that the minimum ethanol selling price for optimal design is $1.97/gal, whereas the net present value of $61.5 million is obtained based on the current wholesale prices for both products and raw materials. Sensitivity analysis was performed to identify potential for economic improvement. The developed framework has the capacity to efficiently scan through processing alternatives to identify an economically optimal design for different potential objective functions. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A superstructure-based optimization model is developed. • Optimal flowsheet of macroalgae biorefinery are determined. • Two different optimization scenarios are investigated. • Sensitivity analysis elaborates potential improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Neck discomfort and voice change are common complications after thyroidectomy. These symptoms might be due to damaged laryngeal nerves, intrinsic structures, or extralaryngeal muscles. They can also occur without injury to any structure as with wound adhesion after thyroidectomy. The objective of this study was to determine causes of neck discomfort and voice change after thyroidectomy and to evaluate the effect of wound massage on symptom relief. Methods Forty-five female patients who underwent total thyroidectomy were included (21 in the experimental group and 24 in the control group). Wound massage was used as an intervention to release surgical adhesion. After wound massage education, participants in the experimental group received wound massage from 4 to 12 weeks after thyroidectomy. Analysis was performed for both groups. Results No laryngeal pathology was found after thyroidectomy. The experimental group had significantly better recovery from surgical adhesion and subjective visual analog scale, voice impairment score, and swallowing impairment score (all P <.01) compared with the control group. Voice analysis results associated with laryngeal movement (speaking fundamental frequency, voice range profile maximum, voice range profile range) also indicated significant recovery (P <.01) in the experimental group. These results indicate that local adhesion after thyroidectomy might affect general movement of the larynx and that wound massage could help patients recover normal general movement of the larynx. Conclusion Neck discomfort and voice change after thyroidectomy are related to local wound adhesion, possibly associated with impairment of laryngeal vertical movement. Release of wound adhesion could help patients recover from neck discomfort and voice changes after thyroidectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sn-based organic-inorganic perovskite is a promising light harvesting material to replace toxic problematic Pb-based perovskite. However, surface morphology of 3-dimensional (3D) or 2D/3D mixed Sn-based perovskite structure is difficult to control owing to its very fast crystal growth. Thus, it is necessary to control Sn-based perovskite crystal growth for an efficient photovoltaic performance. In this regard, this work mainly focused on highly oriented crystal growth of 2D/3D mixed Sn-based perovskite structure using antisolvent engineering approach. The various antisolvents including anisole (AS), chlorobenzene (CB), toluene (TL), and diethyl ether (DE) were employed for formation of 2D/3D Sn-based perovskite film. The evaporation rate of antisolvents plays a key role to control the morphology of 2D/3D Sn-based perovskite by altering the nucleation and crystal growth. As a result, TL assisted perovskite film having compact morphology that exhibited best PCE of 8.78%. However, in case of DE, CB, and AS assisted perovskite films exhibited poor morphology due to faster or slower the evaporation rate of these antisolvents compared to TL. Therefore, the introduced approach provides an interesting insight on development of high quality 2D/3D mixed Sn-based perovskite film. • 2D/3D mixed Sn based perovskite film is developed using antisolvent treatment. • AS, CB, TL and DE antisolvents are used for preparation of perovskite film. • Antisolvent Evaporation rate plays a key role to obtain high quality perovskite film. • TL assisted perovskite film exhibited a compact morphology with uniform surface. • The best PCE of 8.78% is achieved with TL assisted PSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a T cell-derived cytokine modulating T cell, B cell, and natural killer cell responses. To determine whether IL-21 contributes to pathologic processes, recombinant IL-21 receptor (R) fusion protein (rhIL-21R-Fc) was examined in mice models of autoimmune arthritis (collagen-induced arthritis). DBA/1J mice were immunized with chicken type II collagen and then treated intraperitoneally with rhIL-21R-Fc, which was initiated after the onset of arthritis symptoms in 20% of the cohort. The mice were assessed 3 times per week for signs of arthritis and histologic features as well as serum immunoglobulin. Cytokine messenger RNA levels in the spleen were also examined. STAT3 phosphorylation is dose dependently activated by IL-21 and inhibited by rhIL-21R-Fc in vitro using T cells. Treatment of DBA/1J mice with rhIL-21R-Fc reduced the clinical and histologic signs of CIA. The IL-17 and STAT3-expressing CD4 + splenocytes dramatically decreased in the rhIL-21R-Fc treated mice. IL-21R-Fc treated mice also decreased the production of IgG, STAT3 phosphorylation, and plasma cell transcription factor (Blimp1). These findings demonstrate a pathogenic role of IL-21 in animal models of RA, suggesting IL-21 as a promising therapeutic target among human RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Making an automatic inspection system for TFT-LCD glass substrates manufacturing. [•] Using wavelet co-occurrence signature from substrate images for feature extraction. [•] Comparing the performance of CART, optimized SVM and MLP classifiers using SA as the best classifier for proposed automatic inspection system. [•] The proposed SVM model turned out to be appropriate in the context of TFT-LCD glass substrates inspection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Midazolam is a widely used anesthetic of the benzodiazepine class that has shown cytotoxicity and apoptosisinducing activity in neuronal cells and lymphocytes. This study aims to evaluate the effect of midazolam on growth of K562 human leukemia cells and HT29 colon cancer cells. The in vivo effect of midazolam was investigated in BALB/c-nu mice bearing K562 and HT29 cells human tumor xenografts. The results show that midazolam decreased the viability of K562 and HT29 cells by inducing apoptosis and S phase cell-cycle arrest in a concentration-dependent manner. Midazolam activated caspase-9, capspase-3 and PARP indicating induction of the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Midazolam lowered mitochondrial membrane potential and increased apoptotic DNA fragmentation. Midazolam showed reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity through inhibition of NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) enzyme activity in K562 cells. Midazolam caused inhibition of pERK1/2 signaling which led to inhibition of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-X and XIAP and phosphorylation activation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bid. Midazolam inhibited growth of HT29 tumors in xenograft mice. Collectively our results demonstrate that midazolam caused growth inhibition of cancer cells via activation of the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway of apoptosis and inhibited HT29 tumor growth in xenograft mice. The mechanism underlying these effects of midazolam might be suppression of ROS production leading to modulation of apoptosis and growth regulatory proteins. These findings present possible clinical implications of midazolam as an anesthetic to relieve pain during in vivo anticancer drug delivery and to enhance anticancer efficacy through its ROS-scavenging and pro-apoptotic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper proposes a design methodology for energy infrastructure to address the recent economic and environmental challenges. The proposed energy infrastructure was based on the recognition that fossil fuels will be used for some time with renewable energy sources because renewables are currently unable to replace fossil fuels entirely. A two-fold strategy for the energy infrastructure design is proposed. One is to minimize the negative impact of fossil fuel systems by installing carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The other is to accelerate the introduction of renewable energy systems in their place. The design of integrated energy infrastructure is transformed as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem. Cases of installing CCS and H2 as a renewable energy source in Korea are illustrated with a discussion of the systematic design of energy infrastructure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare the bone thickness of the palatal areas in early and late mixed and early permanent dentitions according to dental age. Methods: Cone-beam computed tomography scans of 118 subjects were selected and divided into 38 early mixed (8.03 ± 0.93 years), 40 late mixed (11.51 ± 0.92 years), and 40 permanent (20.92 ± 1.17 years) dentition subjects. The measurements of palatal bone thickness were made at 49 sites by using InVivoDental5.0 software (Anatomage, San Jose, Calif). Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze intragroup and intergroup differences as well as sex dimorphism. Results: There was significantly lower bone thickness in the early mixed dentition group than in the 2 other groups (P <0.001). Bone thickness was higher in the anterior region than in the middle and posterior regions (P <0.001). Also, significant differences were found among the midline, medial, and lateral areas of the palate. Conclusions: Palatal bone thicknesses were significantly lower in the early mixed dentition group than in both the late mixed and permanent dentition groups. These findings might be helpful for clinicians to enhance the successful use of temporary anchorage devices in the palate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrogen draws increasing attention as an alternative energy source. In order to provide hydrogen to various sectors such as industry, transportation on a global scale, how to produce and distribute it economically is an essential issue not to be missed. This study thereby addresses mathematical modeling of hydrogen supply networks. The proposed model is concerned with how much H2 can be produced, where can be stored with the aim of maximizing the total net profit. Particularly the physical form of the hydrogen in the network is explicitly taken into account in terms of whether it is stored as a gas or a liquid. The applicability of the proposed model will be demonstrated by a case study of the Korean H2 supply network with some remarks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Zero-wait (ZW) is a special type of batch operation in which products are processed without being stored in order to produce a number of low volume high value-added chemical products. Because of its economic impact, there have been a number of studies on the scheduling of ZW processes. However, they are mainly focusing on formulating it into mathematical optimization problems assuming deterministic information. In reality, parameters in the ZW scheduling problem are subject to variation, which may make a fixed schedule suboptimal or even infeasible. Therefore, the scheduling problem has to be solved over and over again using the varying parameters. In order to overcome the inefficiency of such repeated computations, this paper introduces parametric programming technique for solving the ZW scheduling problem under uncertainty. The main advantage using the proposed technique is that a complete map of optimal schedules is obtained as a simple function of varying parameters. A new optimal schedule is thus obtained as a simple function evaluation instead of additional resource-expensive optimization computations. Computational experience with the proposed model and algorithm is presented in the form of two numerical examples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Enterprise-wide supply chain planning problems naturally exhibit a multi-level decision network structure, where for example, one level may correspond to a local plant control/scheduling/planning problem and another level to a corresponding plant-wide planning/network problem. Such a multi-level decision network structure can be mathematically represented by using multi-level programming principles.In this paper, we specifically address bilevel decision-making problems under uncertainty in the context of enterprise-wide supply chain optimization with one level corresponding to a plant planning problem, while the other to a distribution network problem. We first describe how such problems can be modelled as bilevel programming problems and then we present an effective solution strategy based on parametric programming techniques. An attractive feature of the proposed strategy is the fact that it transforms the bilevel problem into a family of single parametric optimization problems, which can be solved to global optimality. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the proposed framework. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Conventional IPA-rinsing method causes the formation of unfavorable Cs 4 PbBr 6 phase. • Ethanol-rinsed CsPbBr 3 shows a pure-phase with large grain size, and uniform film. • Average efficiency of solar cells increased from 4.77% to 6.56% by using ethanol-rinsing. • The device shows exceptional stability (no drop) under humid ambient air for 1030 h. CsPbBr 3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been extensively developing for high stability and open-circuit voltage applications. Typically, 2-propanol (IPA) is used as a rinsing solvent during the two-step dipping production process of CsPbBr 3. However, we evidenced that the conventional IPA-rinsing step caused the formation of an undesirable Cs 4 PbBr 6 phase resulting in poor surface topography and limited charge transport properties. Surface engineering using IPA-based rinsing was found to be inefficient owing to the poor solubility of CsBr in IPA. Alternative rinsing solvents such as ethanol and methanol were studied in this work. Notably, ethanol-rinsed CsPbBr 3 (E-CsPbBr 3) showed a pure-phase with a highly-compacted crystalline structure, based on suitable solubility. Because of the high purity of the perovskite crystal and large-size grains, charge extraction properties were improved, and the non-radiative recombination process was suppressed in E-CsPbBr 3. Device fabrication demonstrated that average power conversion efficiency (PCE) increased from 4.77% to 6.56% by using ethanol as a rinsing solvent. The best-performing cell showed PCE of 6.89%, with exceptional stability with practically constant PCE after aging for 1030 h under humid ambient air. These remarkable experimental findings enable us to suggest a new standard process for the development of stable and high-performance CsPbBr 3 -based PSCs. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The instability of organic/inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has motivated the development of the inorganic halide PSCs. However, the representative inorganic CsPbI 3 still suffers from phase instability in ambient air and an unfavorable wide bandgap (1.75 eV), thereby limiting its efficiency. In this study, a binary metal composition of Pb:Sn = 4:6 in CsPb 1-x Sn x I 3 is found to stabilize the cubic CsPbI 3 phase and reduce its bandgap. Based on the parental CsPb 0.4 Sn 0.6 I 3 , compositional engineering is further conducted for CsPb 0.4 Sn 0.6 I 3-y Br y perovskites. After introducing a suitable Br content (y = 0.6), there are remarkable improvements in the crystalline quality and a denser morphology in the perovskite films. Furthermore, in the novel inorganic CsPb 0.4 Sn 0.6 I 2.4 Br 0.6 perovskite, trap-assisted recombination is effectively suppressed, with a desirable narrow bandgap of 1.35 eV. As a result, the corresponding PSC delivered an unprecedented efficiency of 12.34%, which is the highest among the inorganic Sn-rich (Sn > 50%) PSCs reported to date. Additionally, the unencapsulated PSC demonstrates impressive long-term air stability, which exceeds the performance of 100% Pb-based inorganic CsPbI 3 and/or CsPbI 2 Br PSCs reported. This near-infrared absorbing (~930 nm) inorganic PSC with exceptional efficiency, durability and Pb-reduction generates a promising route for further progress of perovskite-based photovoltaics. Image 1 • All-inorganic CsPbI 3 suffers from phase instability, wide bandgap, and toxic-Pb. • The partial Pb-replacement by Sn (x = 0.6) stabilizes the cubic CsPbI 3 and reduces bandgap. • The suitable Br addition suppresses trap-assisted recombination of CsPb 0.4 Sn 0.6 I 3 with a narrow bandgap of 1.35 eV. • A record efficiency of 12.34% for inorganic Sn-rich perovskite solar cell is demonstrated based on CsPb 0.4 Sn 0.6 I 2.4 Br 0.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We proposed carbon nanotube (CNT)-embedded nickel oxide (NiO x) hybrid hole collector. • The CNT addition maintained advantageous optical and morphological properties of NiO x. • The hybrid collector showed enhanced hole-extracting and highly conducting properties. • This hybrid hole collector enhanced power conversion efficiency from 14.6% to 16.9%. • It is promising for planar solar cells with inorganic charge transporters. As the conductivity of metal oxides is often insufficient for use in inverted planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs), a hybrid hole transporter consisting of carbon nanotube (CNT)-embedded nickel oxide (NiO x) is suggested to enhance the conductivity. Fully solution-processed NiO x /CNT composites are prepared by introducing CNTs (0–20 vol%) into a NiO x solution. Raman spectroscopy confirms successful incorporation of the CNTs in the NiO x -based hybrid material. Also, enhanced conductivity of NiO x by introducing CNTs is confirmed by conductance measurement and conductive atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the enhanced charge extraction properties of the NiO x /CNTs hybrid are evidenced by transient photocurrent, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals a reduction in charge recombination when the hybrid material is used as the hole transport layer (HTL) in PSCs. Interestingly, the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSCs is increased from 13.1% to 15.1% by applying this hybrid HTL. The best-performing cell, using NiO x /CNTs (7.5 vol%), exhibits a PCE of up to 16.9%. This unprecedented HTL provides a fundamental method for enhancing the performance of inorganic charge transporters for solution-processed inverted planar PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nervousness-aware rescheduling is essential in maximizing the profitability and stability of processes in manufacturing industries. It involves re-optimization to meet scheduling goals while minimizing deviations from the base schedule. However, conventional mathematical optimization becomes impractical due to high computational costs and the inability to handle real-time rescheduling. Here, we propose an online rescheduling agent trained by explorative reinforcement learning that autonomously optimizes schedules while considering schedule nervousness. In a static scheduling environment, our model consistently achieves over 90% of the cost objective with scalability and flexibility. A computational time comparison proves that the reinforcement learning methodology makes near-optimal decisions rapidly, irrespective of the complexity of the scheduling problem. Furthermore, we present several realistic rescheduling scenarios that demonstrate the capability of our methodology. Our study illustrates the significant potential of reinforcement learning methodology in expediting digital transformation and process automation within real-world manufacturing systems. • A real-time rescheduling agent trained by reinforcement learning is proposed. • Novel back-stepping inference allowed job allocation exploratively. • High-speed inferencing extracted Pareto front of schedule nervousness and cost in real time. • The environment for reinforcement learning and mathematical programming was finely discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) has been emerging as a promising renewable power system. It is still challenging to operate the MCFC to meet its varying demands because of its nonlinearity and complex dynamics. This paper proposes a novel MCFC operation framework based on PID auto-tuning control. A case study is presented to illustrate the applicability of the strategy with some comments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We define M -sequence non-squashing partitions, which specialize to m -ary partitions (studied by Andrews, Churchhouse, Erdös, Hirschhorn, Knuth, Mahler, Rødseth, Sellers, and Sloane, among others), factorial partitions, and numerous other general partition families of interest. We establish an exact formula, various combinatorial interpretations, as well as the asymptotic growth of M -sequence non-squashing partition functions, functions whose associated generating functions are non-modular. In particular, we obtain an exact formula for the m -ary partition function, and by new methods, we recover Mahler’s and Erdös’ asymptotic for the m -ary partition function. We also establish new results on factorial partitions, colored m -ary partitions, and many other general families which have not been well understood or systematically studied. Finally, we conjecture Ramanujan-like congruences for the M -sequence non-squashing partition functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the treatment efficacy and toxicity of postoperative simultaneous modulated accelerated radiotherapy (SMART) for patients with head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods and Materials: Between February 2003 and September 2008, 51 patients with histologically confirmed HNSCC received postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy (N = 33) or helical tomotherapy (N = 18) using SMART after curative surgical resection. The sites included were the oral cavity (OC), oropharynx (OP), larynx, and hypopharynx in 23, 20, 5, and 3 patients, respectively. Results: The median follow-up duration of all patients and surviving patients were 32 (range, 5–78 months) and 39 months (range, 9–77 months), respectively. The 3-year overall survival, cause-specific survival, disease-free survival, locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in all patients were 71%, 77%, 75%, 85%, and 82%, respectively. Although no significant difference in 3-year LRRFS were found between OC (82%) and OP (82%) carcinomas, the 3-year DMFS was worse in cases of OC (66%) carcinoma compared with OP carcinoma (95%; p = 0.0414). Acute Grade 3 dermatitis, mucositis, and esophagitis occurred in 10%, 10%, and 2% of patients, respectively. At the last follow-up, Grade 3 xerostomia was documented in 10% of the patients. Young age (≤40 years) (p < 0.001) and OC carcinoma primary (p = 0.0142) were poor risk factors on univariate analysis for DMFS. Conclusion: Postoperative SMART was observed to be effective and safe in patients with HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants require large amounts of energy to liquefy natural gas (NG). Therefore, many optimization studies have been conducted to minimize this energy consumption. Such studies have usually focused on optimization approaches to overcome the high nonlinearity of NG liquefaction process models. By contrast, decision variables and design bases have barely been investigated. In this study, an NG liquefaction process is modeled to perform sensitivity analysis of the design parameters and decision variables to determine their effects on the optimal operating conditions and process efficiency. A base case optimization is performed to investigate the convergence rate. Among 120 optimization runs, 57.5% are converged and 15.4% of the converged results show less than 0.1% difference in specific work compared to the best result. The effects of 11 decision variables and four design parameters are studied to obtain sensitivities. Among the decision variables, methane fraction and outlet temperature of a hot stream in an LNG heat exchanger strongly influence process efficiency. When changing the values of the design parameters within the ranges mentioned in the literature, specific work can vary from 724 kJ/kg LNG to 1509 kJ/kg LNG. Irreversibility in the coolers are the major reason to this variation. • A single mixed refrigerant process is modeled to identify optimal operating conditions. • Convergence rate of the model is investigated when using a deterministic algorithm. • Sensitivity analyses of design parameters and decision variables are performed. • Exergy analysis indicates that exergy losses in coolers are highly sensitive. • Specific work varied from 724 to 1509 kJ/kg LNG according to design basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a straightforward synthesis of UV-harvesting dyes featuring a fluorene donor with different anchoring groups, such as cyano acetic acid, amino benzoic acid, and 2-methyl-quinoline-6-carboxylic acid (designated as FCA, FAB, and FQA, respectively). We comprehensively investigate the spectroscopic, electrochemical and colorific properties of these dyes and evaluate their suitability as photosenstizers in visually transparent and colorless dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). FCA and FQA possessing planar geometries exhibit remarkably efficient collection of UV photons, leading to excellent power-conversion-efficiencies (PCEs) under UVA radiation. Furthermore, we explore the incorporation of the binary redox couple, ( I − , Br −) /(I 3 − , I 2 Br −), to enhance the ability to transmit visible light, positively impacting their color rendering properties, while preserving their light harvesting capacities. • Fluorene-based dyes with different anchoring groups are easily synthesized. • UV-absorbing dyes can be used as effective photosensitizers for UV-selective DSSCs. • Binary redox couple improves visible light transmission and enhances color rendering properties of the solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor that functions in cooperation with various cofactors to regulate gene expression. In the immune system, YY1 enhances cytokine production and T helper (Th) 2 effector cell differentiation, resulting in the activation of inflammation. However, no studies have reported the role of YY1 in Th17 cell regulation, which is implicated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated the expression of YY1 in Th17 cells in vitro and revealed increased levels of YY1 mRNA and protein. To elucidate the function of YY1 pathogenesis in RA, we used a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model with YY1 deficiency. Deficiency of YY1 reduced the severity of arthritis and joint destruction. Moreover, Th17 cells were dramatically reduced in YY1-deficient mice. The cytokine interleukin (IL)-17 was decreased in YY1-deficient CD4+ T cells ex vivo and in vivo . Interestingly, the level of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-17, IL-6, and IL-1β were markedly decreased in YY1-deficient mice with CIA. The cytokine-inducing function of YY1 was more specific to IL-17 than to interferon-γ. YY1 plays a role in Th17 cell differentiation and RA pathogenesis. Our findings suggest that future RA therapies should target the regulatory mechanism involved in Th17 cell differentiation, in which YY1 may cooperate with the STAT3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the optimistic future of hydrogen energy in transition toward a low-carbon society, hydrogen subsystem and its role in the optimal energy management of multi-energy microgrids (MEMG) should be considered. Uncertainties of hydrogen vehicles (HVs), demands, wind turbine (WT) and photovoltaic (PV) power output, and prices associated within MEMG can impose regret to the optimality of solution. In this study, a stochastic p -robust optimization approach is developed to cope with uncertainties and obtain an optimal solution for the proposed MEMG while satisfying a robustness criterion. The proposed MEMG considers different energy conversions including power to hydrogen (P2H), hydrogen to power (H2P), hydrogen to gas (H2G), gas to power (G2P) and gas to power and heat (G2He). Additional energy transactions with the external electricity grid as well as liquified natural gas (LNG) are considered and application of renewables and hydrogen storage system (HSS) towards a sustainable isolated MEMG is investigated via the ϵ-constraint approach. The effectiveness and applicability of the proposed approach is evaluated on a case study and results verify that the proposed MEMG is scheduled to be robust and obtain the maximum profit. • Multiple energy carriers including electricity, hydrogen, gas and heat are considered. • The stochastic p -robust approach is developed to handle uncertainties. • The advantages of both the stochastic and robust optimization methods are yielded. • Sustainability of the proposed MEMG is studied via the ϵ-constraint approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The neural underpinnings of impaired consciousness and of the variable severity of behavioural deficits from one absence seizure to the next are not well understood. We aimed to measure functional MRI (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) changes in absence seizures with impaired task performance compared with seizures in which performance was spared.Methods: In this cross-sectional study done at the Yale School of Medicine, CT, USA, we recruited patients from 59 paediatric neurology practices in the USA. We did simultaneous EEG, fMRI, and behavioural testing in patients aged 6-19 years with childhood or juvenile absence epilepsy, and with an EEG with typical 3-4 Hz bilateral spike-wave discharges and normal background. The main outcomes were fMRI and EEG amplitudes in seizures with impaired versus spared behavioural responses analysed by t test. We also examined the timing of fMRI and EEG changes in seizures with impaired behavioural responses compared with seizures with spared responses.Findings: 93 patients were enrolled between Jan 1, 2005, and Sept 1, 2013; we recorded 1032 seizures in 39 patients. fMRI changes during seizures occurred sequentially in three functional brain networks. In the default mode network, fMRI amplitude was 0·57% (SD 0·26) for seizures with impaired and 0·40% (0·16) for seizures with spared behavioural responses (mean difference 0·17%, 95% CI 0·11-0·23; p<0·0001). In the task-positive network, fMRI amplitude was 0·53% (SD 0·29) for seizures with impaired and 0·39% (0·15) for seizures with spared behavioral responses (mean difference 0·14%, 95% CI 0·08-0·21; p<0·0001). In the sensorimotor-thalamic network, fMRI amplitude was 0·41% (0·25) for seizures with impaired and 0·34% (0·14) for seizures with spared behavioural responses (mean difference 0·07%, 95% CI 0·01-0·13; p=0·02). Mean fractional EEG power in the frontal leads was 50·4 (SD 15·2) for seizures with impaired and 24·8 (6·5) for seizures with spared behavioural responses (mean difference 25·6, 95% CI 21·0-30·3); middle leads 35·4 (6·5) for seizures with impaired, 13·3 (3·4) for seizures with spared behavioural responses (mean difference 22·1, 95% CI 20·0-24·1); posterior leads 41·6 (5·3) for seizures with impaired, 24·6 (8·6) for seizures with spared behavioural responses (mean difference 17·0, 95% CI 14·4-19·7); p<0·0001 for all comparisons. Mean seizure duration was longer for seizures with impaired behaviour at 7·9 s (SD 6·6), compared with 3·8 s (3·0) for seizures with spared behaviour (mean difference 4·1 s, 95% CI 3·0-5·3; p<0·0001). However, larger amplitude fMRI and EEG signals occurred at the outset or even preceding seizures with behavioural impairment.Interpretation: Impaired consciousness in absence seizures is related to the intensity of physiological changes in established networks affecting widespread regions of the brain. Increased EEG and fMRI amplitude occurs at the onset of seizures associated with behavioural impairment. These finding suggest that a vulnerable state might exist at the initiation of some absence seizures leading them to have more severe physiological changes and altered consciousness than other absence seizures.Funding: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Center for Advancing Translational Science, the Loughridge Williams Foundation, and the Betsy and Jonathan Blattmachr Family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic cations help in executing better crystal growth of halide perovskites. Herein, we have realized improved all-inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite film quality with reduced pinholes and high crystallinity in phenylethylammonium (PEA+) assisted perovskite. Additionally, PEA+ cation acts as an additive to control intermediate perovskite phase and executes pure phase perovskite crystal growth as compared to MA+ and FA+ cations assisted perovskite films. X-ray photoelectron and UV–vis spectroscopy results revealed that adding PEA+ in the perovskite helps in almost uniform distribution of Br− ion after post-annealing process. Furthermore, depth profiling analysis reveals that PEA+ in the intermediate phase perovskite interacts more with the ZnO layer beneath perovskite, which helps in the fabrication of compact film. PEA+ sublimates after post-annealing treatment of 300 °C, as no evidence of PEA+ existence was found in characterizations for post-annealed perovskite films. This brings multiple benefits to inorganic mixed halide perovskite film formation. The best performing perovskite solar cell (PSC) exhibits a high conversion efficiency of 14.75% as well as enhanced stability of maintaining almost 83% of its initial efficiency for 400 h. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and space-charge-limited current results suggests reduced recombination loss and defect densities in PEA+ assisted PSC. • Cesium lead halide perovskite film quality improved by intermediate phase control. • New application of PEA facilitating intermediate phase control has been discovered. • PEA cations are ultimately sublimated after annealing process. • The film exhibit pinhole-free, improved crystallinity, and lower defect density. • Power conversion efficiency enhanced from 11.68% to 14.75%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mother glass production for liquid crystal displays involves the cutting of small rectangles from a large rectangle (strip) to minimize the length of the strip used. This is called the strip packing problem. The main concept for formulating this problem is to generate cutting patterns that can be used to produce items from the strip. This problem is a non-convex mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem due to the bilinear terms in the demand and objective function. To obtain global optimal solutions, this problem should be transformed into several linear forms. Numerical examples based on the strip packing problem in LCD mother glass production are provided. Different objective functions for two problems are presented and compared. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Encapsulated stem cells in various biomaterials have become a potentially promising cell transplantation strategy in the treatment of various neurologic disorders. However, there is no ideal cell delivery material and method for clinical application in brain diseases. Here we show silk fibroin (SF)-based hydrogel encapsulated engineered human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to overproduce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (BDNF-hMSC) is an effective approach to treat brain injury through trans-septal cell transplantation in the rat model. In this study, we observed SF induced sustained BDNF production by BDNF-hMSC both in 2D (9.367 ± 1.969 ng/ml) and 3D (7.319 ± 0.1025 ng/ml) culture conditions for 3 days. Through immunohistochemistry using α-tubulin, BDNF-hMSCs showed a significant increased average neurite length of co-cultured neuro 2a (N2a) cells, suggested that BDNF-hMSCs induced neurogenesis in vitro. Encapsulated BDNF-hMSC, pre-labeled with the red fluorescent dye PKH-26, exhibited intense fluorescence up to 14 days trans-septal transplantation, indicated excellent viability of the transplanted cells. Compared to the vehicle-treated, encapsulated BDNF- hMSC demonstrated significantly increased BDNF level both in the sham-operated and injured hippocampus (Hip) through immunoblot analysis after 7 days implantation. Transplantation of the encapsulated BDNF-hMSC promoted neurological functional recovery via significantly reduced neuronal death in the Hip 7 days post-injury. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis, we demonstrated that encapsulated BDNF-hMSC reduced lesion area significantly at 14 and 21 days in the damaged brain following trans-septal implantation. This stem cell transplantation approach represents a critical set up towards brain injury treatment for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]