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Background: The use of hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease has increased patient life span significantly. Infectious diseases caused by viruses that are commonly found in the liver include hepatitis C virus (HCV), SEN virus (SENV), and the Teno virus (TTV). This work aimed to find out the frequency of SENV & TTV infections and to correlate their viral load with their clinical condition among hemodialysis patients in Zagazig University Hospitals. Methods: In a case-control study we included 44 patients divided into 2 groups; 22 hemodialysis patients attending to hemodialysis unit and 22 apparently healthy individuals served as control group. Detection of anti HCV antibodies & anti HBsAg was done by ELISA. Detection of SENV DNA and TTV as done by nested PCR analysis. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the studied groups regarding prevalence of SEN D, SEN H, coinfection SEN D and H, TTV and combined SEN/TTV genotypes (p=0.048, 0.021, 0.048, 0.026, and 0.021 respectively). SEN D, SEN H, TTV prevailed in 22.7%, 45.5% and 50% of patients on HD. Combined SEN V D and H prevailed in 22.7% while 45.5% of HD patients had coinfection with SENV and TTV. Also, statistically significant differences were revealed between the studied groups regarding prevalence of combined SEN H/D and TTV genotypes among hemodialysis patients and comorbid hypertension, diabetes ALT, AST, and hemodialysis duration (p=0.004, <0.001, 0.002,0.002 and 0.008 respectively). Conclusions: We found a significantly higher prevalence of SEN virus D, SEN virus H, TTV, and concurrent infections involving combinations of these viruses among hemodialysis patients compared to healthy controls. The viral infections associated strongly with comorbid conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and liver enzyme abnormalities as well as longer duration on hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation and effectiveness of a solar-powered underground water pumping system are affected by many environmental and technical factors. The impact of these factors must be investigated to be considered when developing these systems and to ensure their dependability. This study evaluated the dependability and performance of photovoltaic water pumping system (PVWPS) under real operating conditions by examining the effects of solar irradiance, panels' temperature, and components' efficiency. From December 2020 to June 2021, experiments were conducted on a 10 hp PVWPS located in Bani Salamah, Al-Qanater-Giza Governorate, Egypt, at latitude 30.3° N, longitude 30.8° E, and 19 m above sea level. The irradiance values reached 755.7, 792.7, and 805.7 W/m2 at 12:00 p.m. in December, March, and June, respectively. Furthermore, the irradiance has a significant impact on the pump flow rate, as the amount of pumped water during the day reached 129, 164.1, and 181.8 m3/day, respectively. The panels' temperatures rose to 35.7 °C, 39.9 °C, and 44 °C, respectively. It was observed that when the temperature rises by 1 degree Celsius, efficiency falls by 0.48%. The average efficiency of photovoltaic solar panels reached its highest value in March (13.8%) and its lowest value in December (13%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new control of grid-connected doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) is introduced to attain lowvoltage ride-through capability. The grid-side converter is proposed to be a multilevel converter (MLC) controlled by conventional DC-link voltage controller. The MLC is designed and integrated into the grid-connected DFIG. The rotor-side converter is considered a two-level conventional converter controlled by the proposed virtual voltage strategy. The virtual strategy is to use the designed input control signal rather than the actual measured one during system disturbance. The system disturbance in this study is the voltage dip. The proposed virtual controller is designed to use busbar voltage during normal operation, whereas it utilizes the designed virtual voltage during wide range conditions of low grid voltages. The energy conversion system currents are increased due to voltage dip disturbances. The use of designed virtual voltage values is proposed as inputs to the controller to limit these currents at the rating values. These virtual voltages are extracted using direct-quadrature machine representation and fixed machine currents at the rated values or lower. On the basis of the proposed control concerning the virtual voltage concept, the generator currents are limited to the rated values, thereby protecting the energy conversion system during low grid voltages. Simulation results prove the validity of the proposed control scheme during extreme low voltages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indirect hyperbilirubinemia is frequently encountered during neonatal period. Although it has different causes, in some cases it can't be explained. Previous studies have illustrated that jaundice could be a major sign of urinary tract infection (UTI) in neonates. Aim of the work: We aimed to determine the association between UTI and significant unexplained neonatal indirect hyperbilirubinemia. Methods: This prospective controlled study was performed on 150 neonates divided in two groups (100 as cases and 50 as controls) to investigate the incidence of UTI in neonates with significant unexplained hyperbilirubinemia. Urine sample was obtained using urine catheterization technique from neonates and full urine analysis was done and cases with pyuria had urine culture to confirm UTI. Immediate renal ultrasonography (USG) was performed for neonates with UTI. Results: UTI incidence was 11% in cases while none of neonates in control group had UTI with statistical significance between cases and controls (P value < 0.05). The most common (36.4%) pathogen was Escherichia coli. Posterior urethral valve with mild hydronephrosis was diagnosed in 18.2% of UTI positive patients by renal ultrasonography. Conclusion: In neonates with unexplained indirect hyperbilirubinemia, UTI should be considered as a pathological cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large phages are characterized by genomes around 200 kbp or more. They can infect wide host ranges of bacteria and maintain long-lasting infection. There is no standard method for selective isolation of large phages. In this study, we developed a systemic method to isolate large phages and succeeded in isolating 11 large phages, named Escherichia phage E1∼E11. Electron microscopy observations revealed typical Myoviridae phages with big capsids and long contractile tails. Genome sizes of the isolated phages were determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and found to be in two groups, those around 200 kbp for E1, E2, E5, E6, E7, E9 and E10 phages, and others of approximately 450 kbp for E3, E4, E8 and E11 phages. The isolated large phages had wide host ranges: for example, E9 was effective against Shigella sonnei SH05001, Shigella bydii SH00007 , Shigella flexneri SH00006 , Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis SAL01078 and Escherichia coli C3000 (K-12 derivative), as well as its original host E. coli BL21. Screening of these jumbo phages was performed with non-pathogenic E. coli strains as hosts. Therefore, this method opens a way to isolate jumbo phages infecting wide ranges of pathogenic bacteria in a typical laboratory with standard laboratory strains as the hosts. The isolated large phages will be good candidates for biocontrol of various pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landau theory is used to investigate the behavior of a metallic magnet driven toward a quantum critical point by the application of pressure. The observed dependence of the transition temperature with pressure is used to show that the coupling of the magnetic order to the lattice diverges as the quantum critical point is approached. This means that a first order transition will occur in magnets (both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets) because of the coupling to the lattice. The Landau equations are solved numerically without further approximations. There are other mechanisms that can cause a first order transition so the significance of this work is that it will enable us to determine the extent to which any particular first order transition is driven by coupling to the lattice or if other causes are responsible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic model of the asymmetric Ising glass is presented: an Ising model with antiferromagnet bonds, -J, and ferromagnetic bonds, +J, with probabilities q and 1-q. The dynamics is introduced by changing the arrangement of the antiferromagnetic bonds after n Monte Carlo steps but keeping the same value of q and spin configuration. In the region where there is a second order transition between the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states at Tc(q) for qq0 where there is a first order transition between the ferromagnetic and spin glass states where it shows no effects of motional narrowing. The implications of this are discussed. This model is devised to explain the properties of doped ZnO where the magnetization is reduced when the exchange interactions change with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical, magnetoresistance, and thermoelectric properties of La1−xKxMnO3 (x = 0.05, 0.15, and 0.25) compounds have been investigated. The crystallography demonstrates that the samples x = 0.05 and 0.15 are a single‐phase rhombohedral (R3¯C$R \overset{\cdot}{3} C$) structure, while x = 0.25 is near to a single rhombohedral phase with a minor amount of Mn3O4 (with a ratio of ≈2%). The optical properties manifest that the reflectivity decreases slightly with increasing x‐doping, where the sample of x = 0.05 has the lowest reflection value, making it a promising material for photovoltaic applications. Electrical resistivity measurements show that the samples have a metal–semiconductor transition, and the transition temperature Tms decreases with the K content. The thermoelectric data show a remarkable coincidence behavior of the ρ–T relationship, which has a peak at a transition temperature (TS). Magnetic susceptibility data show that the samples undergo ferro‐paramagnetic transition at a certain temperature (Curie temperature). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eu 0.65 Sr 0.35 Fe x Mn 1− x O 3 ( x =0.1, 0.3 and 0.5) has been prepared using a standard solid state reaction method. The under-investigation compounds is found to crystallize in a single-phase orthorhombic structure in the P bnm space group (62). The adiabatic polaron electronic transfer was obtained for all samples and the activation energy of x =0.1 sample is equal to 1.013 meV and slightly increase at x =0.3 (1.289 meV) while is doubled for x =0.5 to be 2.1065 meV. The magnetization–temperature dependence measurements of Eu 0.65 Sr 0.35 Fe x Mn 1− x O 3 show the ferromagnetic ordering at low iron concentration x =0.1 and when iron concentration increase to x =0.5 the noncollinear magnetic ordering (the canted antiferromagnetic) is obtained. The magnetic phase transition (paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition) in the Eu 0.65 Sr 0.35 Fe 0.1 Mn 0.9 O 3 is observed at T c of 150 K. For Eu 0.65 Sr 0.35 Fe 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 3 the multi-magnetic phase transition is observed at T c of 200K and T N of 430 K. The resistivity at low temperature is measured. Theoretical Calculations using Monte Carlo code have been done. The magnetization as function of temperature has been calculated using Monte Carlo simulations for Eu 0.65 Sr 0.35 Fe x Mn 1− x O 3 ( x =0.0, 0.1, 0,2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5). Ising model is a suitable model to study the magnetization for our compounds. The internal energy for x =0 is the highest value compared with the other x values which have nearly a ground state value equal to 2.7 J [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new single-phase asymmetrical cascaded multilevel DC-link inverter. The proposed inverter comprises two stages. The main stage of the inverter consists of multiple similar cells, each of which is a half-bridge inverter consisting of two switches and a single DC source. All cells are connected in a cascaded manner with a fixed neutral point. The DC source values are not made equal to increase the performance of the inverter. The second circuit is a folded cascaded H-bridge circuit operating at a line frequency. One of the main advantages of this proposed topology is that it is a modular type and can thus be extended to high stages without changing the configuration of the main stage circuit. Two control schemes, namely, low switching with selective harmonic elimination and sinusoidal pulse width modulation, are employed to validate the proposed topology. The detailed approach of each control scheme and switching pulses are discussed in detail. A 150W prototype of the proposed system is implemented in the laboratory to verify the validity of the proposed topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a single-phase five-level inverter controlled by two novel pulse width modulation (PWM) switching techniques. The proposed PWM techniques are designed based on minimum switching power loss and minimum total harmonic distortion (THD). In a single-phase five-level inverter employing six switches, the first proposed PWM technique requires four switches to operate at switching frequency and two other switches to operate at line frequency. The second proposed PWM technique requires only two switches to operate at switching frequency and the rest of the switches to operate at line frequency. Compared with conventional PWM techniques for single-phase five-level inverters, the proposed PWM techniques offer high efficiency and low harmonic components in the output voltage. The validity of the proposed PWM switching techniques in controlling single-phase five-level inverters to regulate load voltage is verified experimentally using a 100 V, 500 W laboratory prototype controlled by dspace 1103. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polymeric films composed of mixture of ethyl cellulose (EC) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) are prepared from casting combined solvent (methylene chloride and methanol in 1:1 ratio) containing 8% weight/volume of both polymers (EC to HPC in 1:3 weight ratio). The structural and optical studies of the films are carried out by X-ray diffraction and UV–vis spectrophotometer. The films are polycrystalline structure with an average grain size from 23.15 to 10.79nm. The possible optical transition in these films is found to be allowed direct transition. The optical band gap energy (E g ) is estimated to be 5.02eV for HPC–EC plain film and then decreases with increasing the filler content reaching to 4.24eV for the film filled with maximum Se80Te14Sn6 content of 1w%. This suggests that Se80Te14Sn6, as filler, is a good choice to control the optical properties of HPC–EC blend film. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this article, a new single-stage high boosting ratio converter for grid-connected photovoltaic systems is proposed. The proposed system consists of a high voltage gain switched inductor buck-boost inverter that employs a folded cascade H-bridge circuit and operates at line frequency. The proposed system has a single switch operated with a sine wave modulation control. This applied control achieves maximum power point tracking of the input photovoltaic system in addition to the required injected sinusoidal grid current. The proposed system achieves the highest voltage boosting ratio of transformer-less topologies to the authors' best knowledge—more than ten times. In addition, it lowers switching losses and reduces the ground leakage current. A 150-W prototype with input voltage of 20 V and output voltage of 240 V has been developed with the purpose of obtaining experimental results and validating the proposed topology. Results report a boosting voltage gain of about ten times and system efficiency above 85%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an accurate loss model based controller of an induction motor to calculate the optimal air gap flux. The model includes copper losses, iron losses, harmonic losses, friction and windage losses, and stray losses. These losses are represented as a function of the air gap flux. By using the calculated optimal air gap flux compared with rated flux for speed sensorless indirect vector controlled induction motor, an improvement in motor efficiency is achieved. The motor speed performance is improved using a fuzzy logic speed controller instead of a PI controller. The fuzzy logic speed controller was simulated using the fuzzy control interface block of MATLAB/SIMULINK program. The control algorithm is experimentally tested within a PC under RTAI-Linux. The simulation and experimental results show the improvement in motor efficiency and speed performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to prepare and evaluate dried yeast tablets using both direct compression and dry granulation techniques in comparison with the conventional wet granulation as well as commercial product. Wet granulation technique is not favorable for producing the yeast tablets due to the problems of color darkening and the reduction of the fermentation power of the yeast as a result of the early start of the fermentation process due to the presence of moisture. Twenty six formulae of dried yeast tablets were prepared and evaluated. Certain directly compressible vehicles were employed for preparing these tablets. The quality control tests (weight uniformity, friability, disintegration time and hardness) of the prepared dried yeast tablets were performed according to B.P. 1998 limits. All batches of the prepared tablets complied with the B.P. limits of weight uniformity. Moreover, small values of friability % (1% or less) were obtained for all batches of dried yeast tablets with acceptable hardness values, indicating good mechanical properties which can withstand handling. On the other hand, not all batches complied with the limit of disintegration test which may be attributed to various formulation component variables. Therefore, four disintegrating agents were investigated for their disintegrating effect. It was found that the method of preparation, whether it is direct compression, dry granulation or wet granulation, has an effect on disintegration time of these dried yeast tablets and short disintegration times were obtained for some of the formulae. The shortest disintegration time was obtained with those tablets prepared by direct compression among the other techniques. Therefore, the direct compression is considered the best technique for preparation of dried yeast tablets and the best formula (which showed shorter disintegration time and better organoleptic properties than the available commercial yeast tablets) was chosen. Drug content for dried yeast granular powder, and the chosen best prepared formula, was determined by gas chromatography (GC). It was found that this formula gave the same alcohol content produced by an equal amount of the dried yeast granular powder. This result in conjunction with weight uniformity indicated drug content uniformity of the prepared dried yeast tablets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The current work focused on studying the optical and structural properties of (CdS) 1-x (ZnS) x thin films fabricated by thermal vacuum evaporation approach. The evaporation was implemented at room temperature from bulk samples synthesis by sintering approach. The energy gap, index of refraction, extinction coefficient and absorption coefficient were estimated from the experiment and employed in our theoretical model to estimate quantitatively the solar cell efficiency and short-circuit current density of CdS:ZnS/CdTe structure. The calculations of cell efficiency as well as short-circuit current density were computed on the bases of the optical losses caused by reflection at interfaces and absorption process occurred in the frontal charge-collecting and window layers and the recombination losses at front and back surface of CdTe. The XRD analysis showed that the intensity and position of predominant peak of CdS gradually changes with increasing the ZnS content indicating a success of forming CdS:ZnS alloy. The films exhibited direct band-to-band transitions and the optical energy gap increased from 2.40 eV to 3.10 eV with increasing of ZnS content up to x = 0.50. The short-circuit current density increased from 16.50 mA/cm2 to 21 mA/cm2 and the cell efficiency increased from 13.10% to 17.10% due to the increase of the ZnS content from x = 0 to x = 0.50. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium Selenide, CdSe, thin films deposited on different substrate types; FTO/glass,/glass, and ITO/glass substrates were produced by thermal evaporation method in the room temperature. The influence of different types of substrates on the structural, optical and electrical properties of the films was studied by X-ray diffraction and absorption photo spectroscopy respectively. X-ray diffractions revealed that all the CdSe films have a polycrystalline with cubic structure having preferred orientation (111) at 2θ ≈ 25.1°. The optical energy band, E g , values support the fact that the films have semiconductor behavior which can be attributed to the quantum confinement effect. It was observed that the optical properties such as transmittance, reflectance, optical bandgap, and refractive index and some another parameters of CdSe films were strongly affected by types of substrates. The electrical properties were measured at room temperature using two probe methods. • Influence of the substrate on the structural, optical and electrical properties of CdSe thin films. • Swanepoel's involved methods were used to calculating the film thickness and refractive index. • Cauchy's equation used to fitting the refractive index in whole wavelength. • Electrical resistivity for CdSe films were measured in room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a classical control algorithm for solving the transcendental set of equations for the unequal DC sources of five-level multilevel inverters (MLIs). Such sources can be generated from renewable energy sources. Two DC sources with different values are used to produce an output voltage with five levels. Then, a set of two transcendental equations is formulated with two targeted functions to control the fundamental component and cancel the stipulated single harmonic order. The proposed solution uses a simple classical proportional control with two loops to generate two switching angles. The first switching angle is assigned with an initial value, whereas the second one is calculated from the inner loop. The outer loop is used to cancel the specified harmonic by sending the error signal to the proposed proportional control that tunes the switching angles. The proposed algorithm is easy, fast, and accurate, and has a wide-range solution in terms of modulation index ( MI ) and input DC source ratio ( x = V 1 V 2 ≤ 1 ). The proposed algorithm is tested for a wide range of MI and x to verify its feasibility. Moreover, several simulation and laboratory tests are presented to further validate the applicability of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Monte Carlo study for the charge ordering in half-doped manganites. • The dependence of the electrical and magnetoresistance and magnetization on the charge ordering. • The behavior of the manganites because of the charge ordering phase is semiconductor like. • These behaviors nominate the half-doped manganites to be used in diode junction applications. The Monte Carlo Antiferromagnetic Ising model was used to study the electrical properties and magnetoresistance of manganese oxides due to the charge ordering phase occurring at half doping, x = 0.5. The half-doped manganites have an insulator antiferromagnetic ground state. The internal energy, specific heat, resistivity, the magneto-resistance and magnetization have been investigated with different applied magnetic fields. Our simulation reveals that the resistivity decreases exponentially as the free charge increase to transport from the insulator to conductor phase. The magnetoresistance has positive high values with magnetic field. The obtained insulator–metal transition behavior candidates the half-doped manganites to be very good semiconductors diode junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microinverters are an essential part of the photovoltaic (PV) industry with significant exponential prevalence in new PV module architectures. However, electrolyte capacitors used to decouple double line frequency make the single-phase microinverters topologies the slightest unit in this promising industry. Three-phase microinverter topologies are the new trend in this industry because they do not have double-line frequency problems and they do not need the use of electrolyte capacitors. Moreover, these topologies can provide additional features such as four-wire operation. This paper presents a detailed discussion of the strong points of three-phase microinverters compared to single-phase counterparts. The developed topologies of three-phase microinverters are presented and evaluated based on a new classification based on the simplest topologies among dozens of existing inverters. Moreover, the paper considers the required standardized features of PV, grid, and the microinverter topology. These features have been classified as mandatory and essential. Examples of the considered features for classifications are Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking (DMPPT), voltage boosting gain, and four-wire operation. The developed classification is used to identify the merits and demerits of the classified inverter topologies. Finally, a recommendation is given based on the classified features, chosen inverter topologies, and associated features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future transportation will replace the current mechanical combustible engines with chargeable electric vehicles (EVs). The DC-Dc boost converter is an essential part of such systems that not only helps to generate the required level but also helps to regulate the load voltage. In conventional boost converter topologies, their gain, switching losses, and high voltage stress across switches are the main reason for limiting the output power. Coupled inductor-based isolated converters increase the system weight and cost. Therefore, in this paper, a transformerless adjustable gain and non-isolated DC-DC boost converter with multi-port flexible power supply, reduced switch voltage stress, and considerable good range efficiency is proposed. The proposed converter is tested with the 100 W resistive load to test the desired characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this report, we investigate the optical and electrical properties of aluminum zinc oxide (AZO) thin films using magnetron sputtering method in preparing the thin films and spectrophotometer to measure the optical characteristics. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the films are found to have amorphous structure. The optical band gap Eg, refractive index n, electronic α Ep polarizability, carrier concentration Nc, plasma frequency ω p , electrical resistivity ρ s , and sheet resistance R sh are found to decrease with increasing the RF power of Al2O3 target. The refractive index shows a normal dispersion. Urbach energy Eu and figure of merit are found to increase with increasing the RF power of Al2O3 target. Our results manifest that the change of the RF power of the Al2O3 target can improve the AZO thin films, which is appropriate for solar sell applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET models are application-specific. These are already defined by the manufacturers and their parameters are mostly partially accessible due to restrictions. The desired characteristic of any SiC model becomes highly important if an individual wants to visualize the impact of changing intrinsic parameters as well. Also, it requires a model prior knowledge to vary these parameters accordingly. This paper proposes the parameter extraction and its selection for Silicon Carbide (SiC) power N-MOSFET model in a unique way. The extracted parameters are verified through practical implementation with a small-scale high power DC-DC 5 to 2.5 output voltage buck converter using both hardware and software emphasis. The parameters extracted using the proposed method are also tested to verify the static and dynamic characteristics of SiC MOSFET. These parameters include intrinsic, junction and overlapping capacitance. The parameters thus extracted for the SiC MOSFET are analyzed by device performance. This includes input, output transfer characteristics and transient delays under different temperature conditions and loading capabilities. The simulation and experimental results show that the parameters are highly accurate. With its development, researchers will be able to simulate and test any change in intrinsic parameters along with circuit emphasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an enhanced version of whale optimization algorithm (EWOA) is presented to be applied in adaptive control techniques as a parameter tuner. One weakness point in this control scheme is the low efficiency of its objective function. Balloon effect (BE) is a modification introduced to increase the efficiency of the objective function of the optimization method and the ability of the controller to deal with system problems increase consequently. Controlling of the temperature of electric furnaces is considered as one of the important issues in several industrial applications. Conventional controllers such as PID controller cannot deal efficiently with the problem of parameters variations and step disturbance. This paper proposes an adaptive controller, in which the gain of the temperature controller is tuned online using EWOA supported by balloon effect. System responses obtained by the proposed adaptive control scheme using EWOA + BE have been compared with an electric furnace temperature control (EFTC) scheme response using both the PID controller-based modified flower pollination algorithm (MoFPA) and PID-accelerated PIDA-based MoFPA. From the results, it can be observed that the proposed controller tuned by the EWOA + BE method improves the time performance compared with the other techniques (PID and PIDA-based MoFPA) in case of EFTC application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerating skin lesions are manifestations of human ISG15 deficiency, a type I interferonopathy. However, chronic inflammation may not be their exclusive cause. We describe two siblings with recurrent skin ulcers that healed with scar formation upon corticosteroid treatment. Both had a homozygous nonsense mutation in the ISG15 gene, leading to unstable ISG15 protein lacking the functional domain. We characterized ISG15-/- dermal fibroblasts, HaCaT keratinocytes, and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived vascular endothelial cells. ISG15-deficient cells exhibited the expected hyperinflammatory phenotype, but also dysregulated expression of molecules critical for connective tissue and epidermis integrity, including reduced collagens and adhesion molecules, but increased matrix metalloproteinases. ISG15-/- fibroblasts exhibited elevated ROS levels and reduced ROS scavenger expression. As opposed to hyperinflammation, defective collagen and integrin synthesis was not rescued by conjugation-deficient ISG15. Cell migration was retarded in ISG15-/- fibroblasts and HaCaT keratinocytes, but normalized under ruxolitinib treatment. Desmosome density was reduced in an ISG15-/- 3D epidermis model. Additionally, there were loose architecture and reduced collagen and desmoglein expression, which could be reversed by treatment with ruxolitinib/doxycycline/TGF-β1. These results reveal critical roles of ISG15 in maintaining cell migration and epidermis and connective tissue homeostasis, whereby the latter likely requires its conjugation to yet unidentified targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interruption in the power system has a substantial social and economic effect, especially during natural disasters and faults causing a massive outage. Therefore, the appropriate and fast diagnosis of the fault locations and service restoration should be conducted quickly to restore power to as many undamaged sections as possible. In this context, self‐healing service restoration can restore power systems and enhance distribution networks' resilience. This paper proposes a novel self‐healing topology to maintain the power system's balance while prioritizing the critical loads in a micro‐grid system. The micro‐grid system is operated in two different modes, which are the normal mode and self‐healing mode. In the normal mode, the energy management system (EMS) solves the economic power dispatch function to minimize the cost while satisfying the load demand. The self‐healing mode is triggered once a fault occurred in any of the distributed energy resources (DERs). This mode aims to maximize the undamaged DERs power generation to meet the total prioritized critical loads. The metaheuristic binary teaching‐learning‐based optimization (BTLBO) technique is utilized to obtain the service restoration problem's optimal switching action sequence and avoid tuning the parameters to handle the problem of premature convergence. The micro‐grid model is based on the IEEE 37 bus, where several disturbance scenarios have been simulated to evaluate the proposed self‐healing topology's performance. The results show the proposed technique outperforms traditional self‐healing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) can provide numerous benefits including increased renewable energy penetration, improvements in power quality and reliability, reduction of demand peaks, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. During the implementation of BESS, one of the most crucial factors is to determine the optimal size of the BESS to permit the balance between the technical characteristics of the BESS and the additional overall cost including the economic operation of the microgrid (MG). Therefore, the optimal sizing of the BESS allows the storage of sufficient power during the change of dispatch from the distributed energy resources (DERs) or in critical events such as natural disasters. The proposed framework determines the optimal size of the BESS based on forecasting the natural disasters or the outage cases, to enhance the reliability and economic operation of the MG. In this study, two stages are proposed to determine the optimal size of BESS in the MG. The first stage is the forecasting stage, which predicts the location of the outage or the faults that may occur. In the second stage, obtain the optimal size of the BESS to minimize the total operation cost for an economic operation of the MG. The teaching‐learning‐based optimization (TLBO) combined with quadratic programming (QP) is applied to solve the proposed objective formulation proposed to minimize the total operation cost of the MG. This study has been investigated in a group of customers with a single type of MG using various fault scenarios. The obtained results are compared with the state of the art. The proposed technique yields very promising results and robust performance compared with the available methods in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this work was the maximization of the energy saving of balanced and unbalanced distribution power systems via system reconfiguration and the optimum capacitor's bank choice, which were estimated by using a new algorithm: modified Tabu search and Harper sphere search (MTS-HSSA). The results demonstrated that the proposed method is appropriate for energy saving and improving performance compared with other methods reported in the literature for IEEE 33-bus adopted systems, including large scale systems such as IEEE 119 and the IEEE 123 unbalanced distribution system. Moreover, it can be used for unbalanced distribution systems distributed generators (DGs). The results demonstrated that the proposed method (the optimal choice of shunt capacitor (SC) banks and the optimal reconfiguration via the proposed algorithm) is appropriate for energy saving compared with different strategies for energy saving, which included distributed generation (DG) at different cost levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin films of CdTe/CdS were prepared using the thermal evaporation technique with pressure 2 × 10−5 mbar on substrate from glass. The thickness of CdCl2 layer around 150 nm was deposited making as-deposited CdTe/CdS films. The films covered by cadmium chloride (CdCl2) layer were annealed in atmosphere of (O2 + Ar) at different temperatures of 400 °C, 450 °C and 480 °C for 15 min. The effect of CdCl2 as a top layer on morphological, structural and optical properties was studied, and the results were compared with as-deposited films and also with (O2 + Ar) annealing process. The refractive index in whole wavelength and film thickness was estimated by Cauchy dispersion relation and Swanepoel's envelope method, respectively. Furthermore, many optical parameters such as transmittance, absorbance, reflectance, and optical band gap, Urbach energy, film thickness, electronic polarizability, lattice dielectric constant were calculated also in this study. The heat treatment of our films with depositing CdCl2 layer in (O2 + Ar) flow lowered the energy gap which led CdTe/CdS films to be a candidate to work in thin-film solar cells as an absorber layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new three-phase modular multilevel inverter (MMLI). The proposed inverter consists of repeated modular primary cells that are connected in series configuration. Therefore, the proposed topology can be extended to get more output voltage levels by adding additional cells without increasing voltage stresses across power switches. Both sinusoidal pulsewidth modulation (SPWM) and staircase modulation are successfully applied to the proposed inverter. The proposed inverter features many advantages such as reduced number of semiconductor power switches, driver circuits, dc-voltage sources, simplified control algorithm, and reduced voltage stresses across the switches independent of output voltage level. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed inverter is studied under both open-loop and closed-loop operations for highly inductive load. Beside the obtained simulation results, a laboratory prototype has been carried out and tested to verify the control techniques and performances of the topology. Simulation and experimental results are compared together to highlight the similarity and consistence of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A special cascaded configuration of asymmetric multilevel inverter is presented in this paper. This configuration cancels the redundancy of output voltage steps and maximizes the number of levels in the output voltage. This structure is built by using series connected stages, which minimize the number of semiconductor switches, gate drive arrangements, occupying area, and cost. It is a modular type inverter model and the number of voltage levels can be increased by adding new stages without changing the previous connection. Space vector modulation has been applied as the control strategy. A prototype of the proposed inverter topology has been built in the laboratory. The attached hardware results indicate the accuracy of the proposed model, which include the topology as well as the control technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unit commitment problem (UCP) is classified as a mixed-integer, large combinatorial, high-dimensional and nonlinear optimization problem. This paper suggests solving the UCP under deterministic and stochastic load demand using a hybrid technique that includes the modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO) along with equilibrium optimizer (EO), termed as MPSO-EO. The proposed approach is tested firstly on 15 benchmark test functions, and then it is implemented to solve the UCP under two test systems. The results are basically compared to that of standard EO and previously applied optimization techniques in solving the UCP. In test system 1, the load demand is deterministic. The proposed technique is in the best three solutions for the 10-unit system with cost savings of 309.95 USD over standard EO and for the 20-unit system it shows the best results over all algorithms in comparison with cost savings of 1951.5 USD over standard EO. In test system 2, the load demand is considered stochastic, and only the 10-unit system is studied. The proposed technique outperforms the standard EO with cost savings of 40.93 USD. The simulation results demonstrate that MPSO-EO has fairly good performance for solving the UCP with significant total operating cost savings compared to standard EO compared with other reported techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sr 1−x Co x Fe 12 O 19 compounds with different doping were prepared using microwave digestion system. • A hexagonal phase of SrFe 12 O 19 existing as a main phase for all samples. • Magnetic properties were measured. • These dielectric properties suggest the validity of these hexaferrites compounds to work as a capacitor. Co substitution in hexaferrites Sr 1−x Co x Fe 12 O 19 compounds with doping values x = 0.0, 0.075, 0.15, 0.225 and 0.30 were prepared using microwave digestion system. Structural, morphological, magnetic and dialectic properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction pattern proved a hexagonal phase (SrFe 12 O 19) existing as a main phase for all samples. The lattice parameters, crystallites size and other parameters such as microstrain and direct cell volume and dislocation density were calculated from the Rietveld refinement of the X-ray results. The SEM and TEM results confirmed a hexagonal structure existing. The histogram of the particle size distribution showed variation of the grain size with nano range between 90 nm and 178 nm. Magnetic results showed that the magnetization (M), saturation magnetization (M s), and remnant magnetization (M r) increased with increasing of Co substitution while the coercive magnetic field, H c , fluctuated with increase of Co substitution because of the irregular change of the grain size of the samples. The sample x = 0.15 has a low coercive field because of the uniformity of the crystal grains. Such magnetic properties recommend this sample to be used in magnetic applications. The dielectric study of these samples revealed that the AC conductivity, σ, increases with increasing the frequency while impedance (Z), dielectric constant (ε), dielectric loss, and tan δ decrease exponentially with F(Hz). The dissipation factor was found to have a convert frequency point at low F(Hz) after its starting to decrease slowly to the end of F-range. These dielectric properties suggest the validity of these hexaferrites compounds to be used as a capacitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, most transportation systems have used an integrated electrical machine in their traction scheme, resulting in a hybrid electrified vehicle. As a result, an energy source is required to provide the necessary electric power to this traction portion. However, this cannot be efficient without a reliable recharging method and a practical solution. This study discusses the wireless recharge solutions and tests the system's effectiveness under various external and internal conditions. Moreover, the Maxwell tool is used in this research to provide a complete examination of the coils' position, size, number, and magnetic flux evolution when the coils are translated. In addition, the mutual inductance for each of these positions is computed to determine the ideal conditions for employing the wireless recharge tool for every charging application. A thorough mathematical analysis is also presented, and the findings clearly demonstrate the relationship between the magnet flux and the various external conditions employed in this investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy demand has been overgrowing in developing countries. Moreover, the fluctuation of fuel prices is a primary concern faced by many countries that highly rely on conventional power generation to meet the load demand. Hence, the need to use alternative resources, such as renewable energy, is crucial in order to mitigate fossil fuel dependency, while ensuring reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Algeria—being the largest county in Africa—has experienced a rapid growth in energy demand over the past decade due to the significant increase in residential, commercial, and industry sectors. Currently, the hydrocarbon-rich nation is highly dependent on fossil fuels for electricity generation, with renewable energy only having a small contribution to the country's energy mix. However, the country has massive potential for renewable energy generation, such as solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower. Therefore, the government aims to diversify away from fossil fuels and promote renewable energy generation through policies and renewable energy-related programs. The country's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Development Plan focuses on large scale solar, wind generation as well as geothermal and biomass technologies. This paper provides an update on the current energy position and renewable energy status in Algeria. Moreover, this paper discusses renewable energy (RE) policies and programs that aim to increase the country's renewable energy generation and its implementation status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]