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Although pulmonary hypertension (PH) and Eisenmenger's syndrome (ES) are common complications in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), the frequency of diagnostic tests and the incidence of PH/ES in patients with ACHD in Japanese clinical practice are unclear. Therefore, we sought to clarify the frequency of diagnostic tests and incidence of PH/ES in patients with ACHD using the Medical Data Vision (MDV) database, the largest anonymized database of diagnosis procedure combination hospitals in Japan. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the MDV database (April 2008 to December 2021) of patients with ACHD (International Classificaiton of Diseases, 10th revision codes: Q203-204, Q210-213, Q250) aged ≥15 years. The frequency of laboratory/clinical tests and the incidence of PH/ES were calculated. Subgroup analyses were performed for the periods 2008–2015 and 2016–2021. Overall, 28219 ACHD patients were extracted from the MDV database (females 56.3%, males 43.7%; mean ± standard deviation age 44.7 ± 23.5 years). The mean ± standard deviation follow-up period was 2.5 ± 2.7 years. The frequencies of electrocardiography, ultrasonography, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP), right heart catheterization, and pulmonary function tests (DLCO) were 2149.8, 1054, 1233, 340, 40.0, and 6.0 per 1000 person-years, respectively. The incidence rate of PH/ES was 32.8 per 1000 person-years. The incidence rate of PH/ES increased from 24.6 to 46.7 per 1000 person-years from 2008–2015 to 2016–2021. We have clarified the frequency of diagnostic tests related to PH/ES and the incidence of PH/ES in patients with ACHD in clinical practice in Japan, including non-specialist institutions for PH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N -(4-hydroxyphenyl)-retinamide (4-HPR) inhibits the dihydroceramide Δ4-desaturase 1 (DEGS1) enzymatic activity. We previously reported that 4-HPR suppresses the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein-mediated membrane fusion through a decrease in membrane fluidity in a DEGS1-independent manner. However, the precise mechanism underlying the inhibition of viral entry by 4-HPR remains unclear. In this study, we examined the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the inhibition of membrane fusion by 4-HPR because 4-HPR is a well-known ROS-inducing agent. Intracellular ROS generation was found to be increased in the target cells in a cell–cell fusion assay after 4-HPR treatment, which was attenuated by the addition of the antioxidant, α-tocopherol (TCP). The reduction in membrane fusion susceptibility by 4-HPR treatment in the cell–cell fusion assay was alleviated by TCP addition. Furthermore, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis showed that the lateral diffusion of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein and SARS CoV-2 receptor was reduced by 4-HPR treatment and restored by TCP addition. These results indicate that the decrease in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated membrane fusion and membrane fluidity by 4-HPR was due to ROS generation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ROS production is associated with the 4-HPR inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgrids, which independently configure power supply and demand from large‐scale power grids, are attracting attention for improving resilience and increasing the rate of local production and consumption of renewable energy. The establishment of a protection system against ground fault phenomena to protect the public and equipment is a microgrid implementation challenge that has not been given sufficient attention. This study evaluated the applicability of zero‐phase potential devices (ZPDs) and earthed voltage transformers (EVTs) for real‐world ground fault detection. We evaluated the effect of the number of ZPDs and EVTs installed on the effectiveness of ground fault detection. In addition, we analyzed the dependencies of ground fault occurrence on variable ground fault resistances and ground capacitances to determine the feasibility of detecting ground faults using ZPDs and EVTs in the real world. Based on the results of this study, ground fault detection using ZPD and EVT is feasible when applied to existing distribution lines in microgrid systems. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short‐circuit accidents hinder the supply of electric power in distribution lines. If a short‐circuit occurs, the power supply is interrupted and can be resumed only after the short‐circuit point is repaired. Identifying the short‐circuit point is time consuming because it is necessary to confirm whether the overcurrent passage indicator is operating and visually confirm the short‐circuit point. Therefore, we propose a method of installing an abnormal detection line under the high‐voltage line and identifying the short‐circuit point based on the current ratio before and after the short‐circuit flowing to the current‐measuring devices installed at both ends of the abnormal detection line. Because the current flowing in a high‐voltage distribution line at the time of the short‐circuit depends on the short‐circuit resistance value, the range of application of the short‐circuit resistance value is also discussed. We show that the method using abnormal‐detection lines can be applied to estimate the high‐resistance ground faults and disconnection points, and the ability to estimate short‐circuit points leads to the efficient use of the method using abnormal detection lines. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a predictive voltage control scheme baseda on short‐time‐ahead voltage fluctuation estimation in a distribution system for achieving high penetration of photovoltaic generation. In the proposed control scheme, the short‐time‐ahead voltage fluctuation is estimated from the previously measured voltage of the sensor, and the voltage regulator operates to minimize the expected voltage violation risk in the entire distribution system. Because there is no requirement for real‐time sensor‐measured voltage values, as required in centralized voltage control schemes, the proposed scheme is an autonomous control scheme that uses only the present secondary voltage of the voltage regulator. The proposed control scheme was tested on a large‐scale distribution system model to which thousands of customers are connected, and the voltage control performance was evaluated using the monthly measurement data that was in terms of voltage violation amount and number of tap operations. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) is the etiological agent of leprosy, and the skin lesions of lepromatous leprosy are filled with numerous foamy or xanthomatous histiocytes that are parasitized by M. leprae. Lipids are an important nutrient for the intracellular survival of M. leprae. In this study, we attempted to determine the intracellular lipid composition and underlying mechanisms for changes in host cell lipid metabolism induced by M. leprae infection. Using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), we demonstrated specific induction of triacylglycerol (TAG) production in human macrophage THP-1 cells following M. leprae infection. We then used [14C] stearic acid tracing to show incorporation of this newly synthesized host cell TAG into M. leprae. In parallel with TAG accumulation, expression of host glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 3 (GPAT3), a key enzyme in de novo TAG synthesis, was significantly increased in M. leprae-infected cells. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing of GPAT3 in THP-1 cells (GPAT3 KO) dramatically reduced accumulation of TAG following M. leprae infection, intracellular mycobacterial load, and bacteria viability. These results together suggest that M. leprae induces host GPAT3 expression to facilitate TAG accumulation within macrophages to maintain a suitable environment that is crucial for intracellular survival of these bacilli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing distributed PV installation rate in distribution systems, voltage regulation difficulties such as local voltage violations and fluctuations have become common. To solve the voltage regulation problems, the local voltage regulation method using volt‐var (VV) function is effective for its high regulation speed, high accuracy, and flexibility. However, there are still hurdles on real application, such as parameter setting difficulties, insufficient voltage fluctuation mitigation effect, and unfairness of reactive power generation between PV customers. To further improve the VV function, this paper proposes a PID closed‐loop based VV function and mode‐switching function of PV smart inverter (SI). To validate the proposed methods, numerical simulations were conducted using a 6‐feeder distribution system model based on the JST‐CREST 126 distribution feeder model. According to the simulation result, the proposed method can better mitigate the local voltage violation compared to basic VV function based on the VV curve, also improve the fairness between PV customers, while the total reactive power generation and tap operations increases for the aim of more adequate voltage regulation. © 2024 The Authors. IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering published by Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a control method for step voltage regulators (SVRs) to avoid voltage violations in distribution systems with unbalanced voltages due to photovoltaic (PV) generation and electric vehicle (EV) charging. Distribution system operators must effectively address voltage problems resulting from the widespread installation of distributed energy resources under the optimizing the utilization of existing voltage regulators to establish an efficient and rational infrastructure. Therefore, this study focused on advancements in voltage control using SVR based on line‐drop compensator (LDC) control, which is widely used in actual operations. We propose a method that utilizes voltage data from information technology switches to detect and address voltage unbalances in the control section, allowing for the sequential adjustment of the monitoring target in LDC control to maintain appropriate voltage limits under unbalanced conditions. We conducted power flow calculations using a distribution system model that represents an actual distribution system in the Hokuriku area. The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated in terms of its impact on PV and EV hosting capacity, as well as the frequency of tap operations. © 2023 The Authors. IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering published by Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recently, a multiarea system operation utilized a tie‐line has been verified to resolve a shortage of a control capacity of frequency control generators output due to a widespread penetration of renewable energy systems (RES). In order to determine the proper dispatch of the generators output to compensate RES fluctuation in the multiarea system operation, the power system operators should consider power flow constrains and indexes of power system conditions such as the speed of dispatch, the balance of reserved control capacity in each area, and the stability of power supply. In this paper, we propose a methodology to determine multiobjective dispatch candidates of frequency control generators output to compensate RES fluctuation in multiarea system operation considering three indexes, a speed of dispatch, a reserved control capacity, and a transient stability based on optimal power flow and multiobjective particle swarm optimization. The methods determine the dispatch based on Euclidean norm of the indexes in the calculated candidates in order to consider all indexes well‐balanced. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is verified by a numerical simulation used IEEJ EAST 30‐Machine Grid Model with much RES, and the effectiveness of the dispatch minimized Euclidean norm is confirmed by comparison to single‐objective solution in each index among the calculated candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the amount of the photovoltaic (PV) system has been rapidly increasing from the viewpoint of carbon neutral. There are concerns about voltage rises and grid congestion in the electrical distribution network because of large‐scale PV increases. In order to address these issues, we focused on the control of water supply pumps in the water distribution system, which is infrastructure equipment for consumers. By controlling the start/stop of the water pump, it is expected to contribute to the power distribution system by increasing Demand Response (DR) and reduce CO2 emission from the electricity used by the pump. In this paper, with the aim of constructing an optimal operation planning method for water pumps that can evaluate DR and CO2 reduction effects, the optimal operation plan is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming problem. We numerical evaluated impact of water pump operation for CO2 emission and electrical distribution network. © 2023 The Authors. IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering published by Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY There is a danger of output suppression of high-penetration residential photovoltaic systems due to voltage increase. It is necessa1ry to install new technology to prevent the occurrence of such phenomenon. Therefore, we focused our attention on heat-pump water heaters (HPWHs). HPWHs are usually used to heat water during nighttime because electricity prices are cheaper than during the daytime for the load leveling in Japan. So they can be used as a countermeasure without additional cost if they are operated during the daytime. However, HPWHs do not have sufficient capacity to absorb inverse energy at each residence. Thus, HPWH operation must be optimized to minimize output suppression loss. In this research, we selected four typical sunny days in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The optimal HPWH operation was calculated by numerical simulation. The optimal monthly HPWH operation was investigated using the weather forecast assuming actual operation in each season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loop operation of distribution lines is expected to reduce power loss and increase the introduction of distributed energy resources as solar power generators and storage batteries. A significant problem during the failure of a section of a distribution line in loop operation is the extension of the failure to other sections due to the wideness of the power supply network area. Currently, there are no methods to easily identify a faulty section using the failure waveform during the loop operation of distribution lines and ground faults; consequently, short‐circuits or disconnections still occur. Therefore, when operating a loop of distribution lines, it is necessary to identify and isolate a faulty section. To solve this problem, we investigate and propose a method to identify the faulty section based on the voltage and current values measured using a switchgear with sensor at the waveform level. By applying the proposed method to identify and isolate faulty sections during distribution line loop operation, power can be transmitted to sections where no fault has occurred at an early stage. The proposed method has a significantly reliable fault detection capability and will help improve the stability of the power supply during loop operation. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific delivery of a gene to liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) could become a useful strategy for treating various liver diseases associated with such cells. We previously reported that the accumulation of KLGR peptide modified liposomes through liver sinusoidal blood vessels was enhanced after an intravenous administration. Here, we report on an attempt to develop an LSEC targeted nanocarrier system to deliver siRNA for the successful knockdown of LSEC specific gene expression. The system involved the development of a multifunctional envelop-type nano device (MEND) modified with the KLGR peptide for siRNA delivery targeting LSEC. Our developed carrier successfully lowered specific gene expression in LSEC. An in vivo study showed that at a lower density of ligand at the surface of the MEND resulted in the highest knockdown of gene expression in LSEC. This is the first report of the successful delivery of siRNA to LSECs. Further experiments suggest that not only a higher endosomal escape efficiency into the cytosol but also the uptake mechanism as a function of ligand density are two important factors to be considered for targeting LSEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY The Great East Japan Earthquake drastically changed the energy management scheme in the electric power grid in Japan. Nuclear power plants ceasing operation caused an increase in electricity costs. Demand side energy management schemes such as demand response are now needed to reduce the peaks in electric power demand by using the Home Energy Management System (HEMS) and Building Energy Management System (BEMS). This paper describes the trends in Japan for energy management based on demand response and international standardization of communications protocols, and points out future issues and possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over one hundred different phospholipid molecular species are known to be present in mammalian cells and tissues. Fatty acid remodeling systems for phospholipids including acyl-CoA:lysophospholipid acyltransferases, CoA-dependent and CoA-independent transacylation systems, are involved in the biosynthesis of these molecular species. Acyl-CoA:lysophospholipid acyltransferase system is involved in the synthesis of phospholipid molecular species containing sn-1 saturated and sn-2 unsaturated fatty acids. The CoA-dependent transacylation system catalyzes the transfer of fatty acids esterified in phospholipids to lysophospholipids in the presence of CoA without the generation of free fatty acids. The CoA-dependent transacylation reaction in the rat liver exhibits strict fatty acid specificity, i.e., three types of fatty acids (20:4, 18:2 and 18:0) are transferred. On the other hand, CoA-independent transacylase catalyzes the transfer of C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids from diacyl phospholipids to various lysophospholipids, especially ether-containing lysophospholipids, in the absence of any cofactors. CoA-independent transacylase is assumed to be involved in the accumulation of PUFA in ether-containing phospholipids. These enzymes are involved in not only the remodeling of fatty acids, but also the synthesis and degradation of some bioactive lipids and their precursors. In this review, recent progresses in acyltransferase research including the identification of the enzyme’s genes are described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Liver dysfunction is associated with a variety of liver diseases, including viral or alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and portal hypertension. A targeted drug delivery system would be very useful in the treatment of these diseases. We herein describe the development of a system comprised of a new peptide–lipid conjugate for the efficient delivery of molecules to LEC. The RLTRKRGLK sequence (3359–3367), which mediates the association of LDL with arterial CSPG and an LDL receptor, was utilized as a ligand for achieving this goal. The peptide modified PEG-LPs (RLTR-PEG-LPs) were efficiently taken up by primary liver endothelial cells (liver ECs) and other types of cells. In vivo biodistribution and confocal microscopy analysis showed that RLTR-PEG-LPs became widely accumulated in LECs within a short time. Distribution of RLTR-PEG-LPs was greatly reduced with a pretreatment of unlabeled RLTR-PEG-LPs, not cationic LPs, indicating that the sequence is important for LECs. The findings indicate that a reverse sequence of RLTR (KLGR) modified PEG-LPs (KLGR-PEG-LP) did the same pattern compared with RLTR-PEG-LPs, suggesting that the RKR or RXXR sequence might be essential for LECs targeting. Collectively RLTR-PEG-LPs and KLGR-PEG-LPs have the potential for delivering drugs to LECs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Emerging evidence indicates that the efficiency of siRNA loading into an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) is a major factor in gene silencing at low doses. In particular, the release of siRNA from components delivered to the cytoplasm could be a first step for achieving maximum gene knockdown effect in siRNA delivery vector. To test this hypothesis, we used a stearylated-octahistidine (STR-H8) as a pH responsive polycation that facilitates the efficient release of siRNA into the cytoplasm, while a stearylated-octaarginine (STR-R8) was used as a conventional cationic polycation. As a fundamental structure, we used octaarginine (R8) and GALA, as a pH-sensitive fusogenic peptide, modified lipid envelope-type nanoparticles (R8/GALA-MENDSUV), as reported previously. When STR-H8/siRNA condensed complexes were loaded in the R8/GALA-MENDSUV, the luciferase knockdown effect was significantly increased compared to STR-R8/siRNA condensed complexes in time and dose dependent manners. Quantification of the released siRNA from the condensed complexes demonstrated that only the STR-H8/siRNA released significant levels of siRNA at pH = 7.4, the pH of cytoplasmic, compared with STR-R8/siRNA condensed complexes. In addition, imaging studies indicated that STR-H8/siRNA facilitated siRNA release. Collectively, these data reveal the importance of the controlled release of siRNA to the cytoplasm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We previously reported that an octaarginine- and pH-sensitive fusogenic peptide-modified multifunctional envelope-type nano device (R8-GALA-MEND) produces a high level of gene expression in the liver. In this study, we report on an examination of whether this gene delivery system exerts potent hepatoprotective effects against lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine (LPS/D-GalN)-induced acute liver injury. In vivo-jetPEITM-Gal, a commercially available in vivo transfection reagent, was used as a reference. The systemic administration of the R8-GALA-MEND or in vivo-jetPEITM-Gal showed that the latter was more toxic than the R8-GALA-MEND, indicating that R8-GALA-MEND is a safer system than in vivo-jetPEITM-Gal. Pretreatment with R8-GALAMEND or in vivo-jetPEITM-Gal loaded with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) pDNA inhibited serum GPT and GOT levels from becoming elevated. However, the survival rate of the mice was significantly enhanced in the case of R8-GALA-MEND, but not for the in vivo-jetPEITM-Gal treatment. These results demonstrate that R8-GALA-MEND has the potential for use in the pretreatment of an acute liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A rational development of an efficient siRNA delivery system is important for streamlining the RNAi-based drug development process. However, a huge gap frequently exists between in vitro and in vivo activity, which is the rate‐limiting step for developing versatile nanoparticles. We report herein on a remarkable non-linearity in pharmacokinetics (PK), but not pharmacodynamics (PD) using octaarginine (R8) modified lipid nanoparticles in mice. A quantitative study of siRNA molecules between cultured cells and mouse liver revealed a high correlation between intracellular siRNA molecules and their RNAi activities, indicating that there was no significant difference in the efficiency in PD. In contrast, a remarkable difference was observed in the non-linearity in PK. Quantitative analysis of the time profile for siRNA showed that the percentage of siRNA accumulation in mice was severely decreased with decreasing input dose compared to in vitro data. These unexpected data reveal an important clue to bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We previously reported that octaarginine peptide modified liposomes (R8-liposomes) largely accumulated in the liver after intravenous administration and that this is dependent on the R8-density. We report herein on the development of a Multifunctional Envelope-type Nano Device modified with R8 and GALA, as a pH-sensitive fusogenic peptide (R8-GALA-MEND) for liver gene delivery. An R8-MEND encapsulating pDNA prepared using two different cores (negatively or positively charged pDNA/polyethylene imine condensed particles) failed to produce a high gene expression in the liver. Modification with GALA dramatically increased gene expression particularly in the liver only in the case of a negative core R8-MEND. Quantification of the number of gene copies delivered to liver cells and nuclei revealed that the amount of pDNA was significantly higher in the case of positive core R8-MENDs, regardless of the absence or presence of GALA. However, gene expression efficiencies per nucleus-delivered pDNA were much higher in the case of the negative core R8-MEND, especially the R8-GALA-MEND suggesting that the substantial improvement in gene expression can be explained by an improved gene expression efficiency per pDNA in the presence of GALA. A comparative study between the developed R8-GALA-MEND and a similar system containing DOTAP, a commonly used cationic lipid, instead of R8 showed that gene expression of the R8-GALA-MEND was 29 times higher than that of the DOTAP-GALA-MEND and is more selective for the liver. Collectively, these results suggest that the combination of a negatively charged core system and GALA modification of the R8-MEND is useful system for efficiently delivering genes to the liver. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) is one of the most attractive tools for efficiently delivering biomolecules to a target organelle. Here, we describe the use of octaarginine (R8)-modified lipid nanoparticles for the efficient and targeted in vivo delivery of siRNA to the liver. In this study, SR-BI (a scavenger receptor class B, member 1) was targeted by this nanoparticle. Our results demonstrate that R8-modified lipid nanoparticles can be used for the efficient and targeted delivery of liver siRNA to induce the specific knock-down of an endogenous gene with minimum liver toxicity and immune response, and that this CPP based technology holds considerable promise for further in vivo biological applications of siRNA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A distribution network has a huge number of configuration candidates because the network configuration is determined by the states of many sectionalizing switches (opened or closed) installed in terms of keeping power quality, reliability, and so on. Since the feeder current and voltage depend on the network configuration, the distribution loss, voltage imbalance, and bank efficiency can be controlled by changing the states of these switches. In addition, feeder currents and voltages change in response to the outputs of distributed generators (DGs) such as photovoltaic generation systems, wind turbine generation systems, and so on, that are connected to the feeder. Recently, the total number of DGs connected to distribution networks has increased drastically. Therefore, many configuration candidates of distribution networks must be evaluated multiply from various viewpoints such as distribution loss, voltage imbalance, bank efficiency, and so on, considering the power supply from the connected DGs. In this paper, the authors propose a multiobjective optimization method from three evaluation viewpoints, (1) distribution loss, (2) voltage imbalance, and (3) bank efficiency, using Pareto optimal solutions. In the proposed method, after several high-ranking candidates with small distribution loss are extracted by combinatorial optimization, each candidate is evaluated from the viewpoints of voltage imbalance and bank efficiency using the Pareto optimal solution, after which the minimum-loss configuration is chosen as the best configuration among these solutions. Numerical simulations were performed for a real-scale system model consisting of 72 distribution feeders and 234 sectionalizing switches in order to examine the validity of the proposed method. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 94(1): 7-16, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10271 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the total number of distributed generators (DGs) such as photovoltaic generation system and wind turbine generation system connected to an actual distribution network has increased drastically. The distribution network connected to many distributed generators must be operated keeping reliability of power supply, power quality, and loss minimization. In order to accomplish active distribution network operation to take advantage of many connections of DGs, a new coordinated operation of distribution system with many connections of DGs is necessary. In this paper, the authors propose a coordinated operation of distribution network system connected to many DGs by using newly proposed sectionalizing switch control, sending voltage control, and computation of available DG connection capability. In order to check the validity of the proposed coordinated operation of distribution system, numerical simulations using the proposed coordinated distribution system operation are carried out in a practical distribution network model. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 167(3): 46–57, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20655 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with an experimental investigation of a novel fault location method using air-gap flux distributions of a synchronous generator connected to a power system. Air-gap fluxes are the sum of field fluxes and armature reaction fluxes. Changes in armature current and field current at a fault contribute directly to the armature reaction fluxes and field fluxes, then resultant air-gap fluxes. Therefore, air-gap fluxes can be utilized to locate a fault. Wavelet analysis is applied to the induced voltages of search coils, which are wound around a stator tooth top for measurement of the air-gap flux. It is shown that the fault type and location can be estimated based on the change in the search coil voltages measured during the fault. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 167(3): 20–27, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20707 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonics bred from loads are mainly odd order because the current waveforms have half-wave symmetry. Since the even harmonics are negligibly small, they generally are not measured in electric power systems. However, even harmonics were measured at a 500/275/154 kV substation in Hokuriku Electric Power Company after a transmission line fault was corrected. The even harmonics caused malfunctions of protective digital relays because the relays used 4th harmonics at the input filter as the automatic supervisory signal. This paper describes mechanisms of generation of the even harmonics by comparing the measured waveforms with the ATP-EMTP simulation results. Analysis of these results has clearly shown that there are three different mechanisms of generation of even harmonics. The first mechanism is the appearance of a magnetizing current in transformers due to flux deviation by the DC component of the fault current. The second mechanism is harmonic conversion of a synchronous machine which generates even harmonics when the DC component or the even harmonic current flow into the machine. The third mechanism is an increase of harmonic impedance due to an isolated power system, thus producing the harmonic voltages. The design of the input filter of protective digital relays should take into account even harmonics generation in an isolated power system. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 167(2): 56–63, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20592 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the total number of distributed generation such as photovoltaic generation systems and wind turbine generation systems connected to a distribution network has drastically increased. Distributed generation using renewable energy can reduce the distribution loss and emission of CO2. However, the distribution network with the distributed generators must be operated while maintaining the reliability of the power supply and power quality. In this paper, the authors propose a computational method to determine the maximum output of a distributed generator under operational constraints [(1) voltage limit, (2) line current capacity, and (3) no reverse flow to bank] at arbitrary connection points and hourly periods. In the proposed method, a three-phase iterative load flow calculation is applied to evaluate the above operational constraints. The three-phase iterative load flow calculation has two simple procedures: (Procedure 1) addition of load currents from the terminal node of the feeder to root one, and (Procedure 2) subtraction of voltage drop from the root node of the feeder to terminal one. In order to check the validity of the proposed method, numerical simulations are performed for a distribution system model. Furthermore, the characteristics of locational and hourly maximum output of a distributed generator connected to a distribution feeder are analyzed using several numerical examples. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 167(2): 38–47, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20610 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a distribution system, in order to enhance the reliability of power supply, the distribution feeder is divided into several sections by installing sectionalizing switches, and then each of the sectionalized sections is connected to a different feeder. For example, one feeder is divided into three sections by two sectionalizing switches, and then each of the divided sections is connected to the other feeder through sectionalizing switch. Since a distribution system with many feeders has many sectionalizing switches, the system configuration is determined by states (opened or closed) of sectionalizing switches. Usually, a power utility tries to obtain distribution loss-minimum configuration among large numbers of configuration candidates. However, it is very difficult to determine the loss-minimum configuration such that the mathematical optimality is guaranteed, because it is well known that determination of a distribution system's configuration is to decide whether each sectionalizing switch is opened or closed by solving a combinatorial optimization problem. In this paper, the authors propose a determination method of loss-minimum configuration by which the mathematical optimality is guaranteed for a three-sectionalized three-connected distribution feeder network. A problem to determine the loss-minimum configuration is formulated as a combinatorial optimization problems with four operational constraints ( feeder capacity, voltage limit, radial structure, and three-sectionalization). In the proposed method, after picking up all partial configurations satisfied with radial structure constraint by using enumeration method, optimal combination of partial configurations is determined under the other operational constraints by using conventional optimization method. Numerical simulations are carried out for a distribution network model with 140 sectionalizing switches in order to examine the validity of the proposed algorithm in comparison with one of conventional meta-heuristics (tabu search). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 167(1): 56– 65, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20530 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The activity of lysosomal acid β-glucocerebrosidase (AGC, EC 3.2.1.45), which hydrolyzes the O-glycosidic linkage between d-glucose and ceramide of glucosylceramide (GlcCer), is a marker for the diagnosis of Gaucher disease because the disease is caused by dysfunction of AGC due to mutations in the gene. The activity of AGC is potently inhibited by conduritol B epoxide (CBE), whereas CBE-insensitive nonlysosomal neutral β-glucocerebrosidase (NGC) activities have been found in various vertebrates, including humans. We report here a new reliable method to determine AGC as well as NGC activities using normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and NBD (4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole)- or BODIPY (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene)-labeled GlcCer as a substrate. The reaction products of the enzymes, C6-NBD-ceramide and C12-BODIPY-ceramide, were clearly separated from the corresponding substrates on a normal-phase column within 5min using a different solvent system. Reaction products could be detected quantitatively at concentrations ranging from 50fmol to 50pmol for C6-NBD-ceramide and from 10fmol to 5pmol for C12-BODIPY-ceramide. V max/K m values of human fibroblast AGC for fluorescent GlcCer were much higher than those for 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glucoside (4MU-Glc), which is used prevalently for Gaucher disease diagnosis. As a result, AGC activity was detected quantitatively using fluorescent GlcCer, but not 4MU-Glc, using 5μl of human serum or 1×104 cultured human fibroblasts. The current method clearly showed the decrease of AGC activities in fibroblasts and serum from the patient with Gaucher disease compared with normal individuals, suggesting that the method is applicable for the diagnosis of Gaucher disease. Furthermore, this method was found to be useful for measuring the activities of nonlysosomal NGC of various cells and tissues in the presence of CBE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Parachiamydia acanthamoebae, belonging to the order Chiamydiales, is an obligately intracellular bacterium that infects free-living amoebae and is a potential human pathogen. However, no method exists to accurately quantify viable bacterial numbers. We present a novel quantification method for P. acantharnoebae based on coculture with amoebae. P. acanthamoebae was cultured either with Acanthamoeba spp. or with mammalian epithelial HEp-2 or Vero cells. The infection rate of P. acanthamoebae (amoeba-infectious dose [AID]) was determined by DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining and was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization. AIDs were plotted as logistic sigmoid dilution curves, and P. acanthamoebae numbers, defined as amoeba-infectious units (MU), were calculated. During culture, amoeba numbers and viabilities did not change, and amoebae did not change from trophozoites to cysts. Eight amoeba strains showed similar levels of P. acanthamoebae growth, and bacterial numbers reached Ca. 1,000-fold (10[sup9] AIU preculture) after 4 days. In contrast, no increase was observed for P. acanthamoebae in either mammalian cell line. However, aberrant structures in epithelial cells, implying possible persistent infection, were seen by transmission electron microscopy. Thus, our method could monitor numbers of P. acanthamoebae bacteria in host cells and may be useful for understanding chlamydiae present in the natural environment as human pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Human cytosolic β-glucosidase, also known as klotho-related protein (KLrP, GBA3), is an enzyme that hydrolyzes various β-d-glucosides, including glucosylceramide. We recently reported the crystal structure of KLrP in complex with glucose [Y. Hayashi, N. Okino, Y. Kakuta, T. Shikanai, M. Tani, H. Narimatsu, M. Ito, Klotho-related protein is a novel cytosolic neutral beta-glycosylceramidase, J. Biol. Chem. 282 (2007) 30889–30900]. Here, we report the crystal structure of a covalent intermediate of the KLrP mutant E165Q, in which glucose was covalently bound to a nucleophile, Glu373. The structure confirms the double displacement mechanism of the retaining β-glucosidase. In addition, the structure suggests that a water molecule could be involved in the stabilization of transition states through a sugar, 2-hydroxyl. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Distributed generators (DGs) such as fuel cells and solar cells are going to be installed in the demand side of distribution systems. The DGs can reduce distribution loss by appropriate allocation. However, there are several problems installing DGs such as service restoration of distribution system with DGs and so on. When one bank fault of distribution substation occurs in distribution system, since DGs are simultaneously disconnected from the system, it is not easy to restore isolated load by one bank switching in distribution substation. Therefore, a service restoration method to determine restoration configuration and restoration procedures (switching procedure from normal configuration to restoration configuration) taking into account simultaneous disconnection of DGs is needed. In this paper, the authors propose a computation method to determine the optimal restoration configuration and the restoration procedure considering simultaneous disconnection of DGs by one bank fault of distribution system. In the proposed algorithm, after all of the restoration configuration candidates are effectively enumerated under the operational constraints, the optimal configuration to restore the isolated load is selected among enumerated configuration candidates. After determining the optimal restoration configuration, the optimal restoration procedures are obtained by greedy algorithm. Numerical simulations are carried out for a real scale system model with 237 sectionalizing switches (configuration candidates are 2237) and 21 DGs (total output is 5250 kW which is 3% of total load) in order to examine the validity of the proposed algorithm. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 91(8): 44–55, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10133 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to devise countermeasures for harmonic disturbances and harmonic suppression in power systems effectively, it is necessary to develop a harmonic analysis approach with high accuracy. The major harmonic analysis approach is to re-create harmonic distribution in a power system model by using a simulation method. However, in order to carry out high-accuracy estimation of the harmonic distribution using the simulation method, after creating a load model which consists of several parameters associated with the measured harmonic impedance, the optimal load model parameters must be determined. So far, appropriate load model parameters have been determined by trial and error. Therefore, a systematic approach to determine the optimal load model parameters is needed to estimate the measured harmonic impedance with high accuracy. In this paper, a determination method for the optimal load model parameters to estimate the measured harmonic impedance is proposed. The proposed method is based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), which is one of the optimization methods using the concept of swarm intelligence. In order to check the validity of the proposed method, the load model parameters estimated by the proposed method are evaluated using test data and field data of Hokuriku Electric Power Co. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 164(2): 44–53, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20415 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sending voltage profile of distribution feeder is controlled by changing a tap of distribution transformer. In a distribution network with distributed generators, for reasons of effect of reversed flows from them and existence of a great number of sending voltage profile candidates, it is not easy to control sending voltage profile within the acceptable voltage limit. In this paper, in order to determine the optical sending voltage profile of distribution transformer in a distribution network with distributed generators, the authors propose a new method to determine the optimal sending voltage profile so as to minimize the total number of tap position's change per day under constraints of acceptable voltage limit. In the proposed method, after calculating acceptable range of three-phase voltage of distribution feeder, the optimal profile of tap position within the calculated acceptable voltage range is determined among these candidates by using reduced ordered binary decision diagram (ROBDD) which is an efficient enumeration algorithm. In order to check the validity of the proposed method, numerical simulations are carried out for a distribution network model with a distributed generator. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 161(2): 16–24, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20393 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of experimental study on the performance of a Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC), one of the FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) controllers. A laboratory-scale UPFC was manufactured and installed on a laboratory electric power system to investigate its multifunctional capabilities as a power flow controller. The UPFC consists of two 4.5-kVA, 200-V back-to-back voltage-sourced converters, labeled “Converter 1” and “Converter 2,” operated from a common DC link provided by a DC storage capacitor of 380 V. It can provide independent control of both the real and reactive power flow in the line. Tests were performed to examine the capabilities of the UPFC, under one-machine connected to an infinite-bus system. Steady-state responses under various kinds of operating conditions were measured and analyzed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 161(2): 8– 15, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20538 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using C6-NBD-glucosylceramide (GlcCer) as a substrate, we detected the activity of a conduritol B epoxide-insensitive neutral glycosylceramidase in cytosolic fractions of zebrafish embryos, mouse and rat brains, and human fibroblasts. The candidates for the enzyme were assigned to the Klotho (KL), whose family members share a β-glucosidase-like domain but whose natural substrates are unknown. Among this family, only the KL-related protein (KLrP) is capable of degrading C6-NBDGlcCer when expressed in CHOP cells, in which Myc-tagged KLrP was exclusively distributed in the cytosol. In addition, knockdown of the endogenous KLrP by small interfering RNA increased the cellular level of GlcCer. The purified recombinant KLrP hydrolyzed 4-methylumbelliferyl-glucose, C6-NBD-GlcCer, and authentic GlcCer at pH 6.0. The enzyme also hydrolyzed the corresponding galactosyl derivatives, but each kcat/Km was much lower than that for glucosyl derivatives. The x-ray structure of KLrP at 1.6 A resolution revealed that KLrP is a (β/α)8 TIM barrel, in which Glu165 and Glu373 at the carboxyl termini of β-strands 4 and 7 could function as an acid/base catalyst and nucleophile, respectively. The substrate-binding cleft of the enzyme was occupied with palmitic acid and oleic acid when the recombinant protein was crystallized in a complex with glucose. GlcCer was found to fit well the cleft of the crystal structure of KLrP. Collectively, KLrP was identified as a cytosolic neutral glycosylceramidase that could be involved in a novel nonlysosomal catabolic pathway of GlcCer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We herein describe the development of a Bacillus subtilis system that can be used to produce large quantities of recombinant (r-) human salivary cystatins, a cysteine protease inhibitor of family 2 in the cystatin superfamily. The B. subtilis that lacked the alkaline protease E gene (ΔaprE type mutant strain) was prepared by homologous recombination. The cDNA fragments coding for mature cystatins (S and SA) were ligated in frame to the DNA segment for the signal peptide of endoglucanase in the pHSP-US plasmid vector that was then use to transform the ΔaprE type mutant strain of B. subtilis. The transformants carrying the expression vectors were cultivated in 5-L jar fermenters for 3 days at 30°C. Both r-cystatin S and r-cystatin SA were successfully expressed and secreted into the culture broth, and were purified using a fast performance liquid chromatography system. The first use of ΔaprE type mutant strain of B. subtilis made it possible to obtain a high yield of secreted protein, which makes this system an improvement over expression in Escherichia coli. We conclude that this system has high utility for expression of commercial quantities of secreted proteins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3)–containing phospholipids are a ubiquitous component of the central nervous system and retina, however their physiological and pharmacological functions have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report a novel DHA-containing phosphatidylcholine (PC) in a marine single cell eukaryote, Schizochytrium sp. F26-b. Interestingly, 31.8% of all the fatty acid in F26-b is DHA, which is incorporated into triacylglycerols and various phospholipids. In phospholipids, DHA was found to make up about 50% of total fatty acid. To identify phospholipid species containing DHA, the fraction of phospholipids from strain F26-b was subjected to normal phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It was found that DHA was incorporated into PC, lyso-PC, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol. The major DHA-containing phospholipid was PC in which 32.5% of the fatty acid was DHA. The structure of PC was analyzed further by phospholipase A2 treatment, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, and 1H- and 13C-NMR after purification of the PC with reverse phase HPLC. Collectively, it was clarified that the major PC contains pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) at sn-1 and DHA at sn-2; the systematic name of this novel PC is therefore “1-pentadecanoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine.” [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Open access to electric power transmission networks has been carried out in order to foster generation competition and customer choice worldwide. When several PPSs request to simultaneously supply power to customers based on bilateral contracts, it is expected that the transmission network accepts amounts of wheeled power requested by the PPSs as much as possible. It is possible to maximize total requested wheeled power by controlling power flow through transmission lines. It is well known that FACTS device is available to control line flow flexibly. In this paper, in order to maximize total wheeled power simultaneously requested by several PPSs, the authors propose an algorithm to determine the optimal reactance of TCSC (a type of FACTS device). The proposed algorithm is based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), which is an optimization method based on swarm intelligence. In the proposed algorithm, PSO is improved to enhance ability of searching global minimum by giving different characteristic to behavior of each agent. In order to check the validity of the proposed method, numerical results are shown for 6 and IEEE 30 bus system models. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 155(2): 17–26, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20085 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Glucosylceramide synthase (GlcT) and lactosylceramide synthase (GalT) are key enzymes for the synthesis of major glycosphingolipids of vertebrates. In this article, we report a new reliable method to determine GlcT and GalT activities using the fluorescent acceptor substrates C6-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD)-ceramide and C6-NBD-glucosylceramide, respectively, and a normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The reaction products, C6-NBD-glucosylceramide for GlcT and C6-NBD-lactosylceramide for GalT, could be separated from the corresponding acceptor substrates within 6min under the conditions used. Reaction products were able to be detected quantitatively at concentrations ranging from 50fmol to 50pmol, making it possible to determine both activities using the lysate from 1×104 cultured CHOP cells (Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing polyoma LT antigen) and one zebrafish embryo. This method was used successfully to evaluate the degree of knockdown of GlcT and GalT during zebrafish embryogenesis after injection of the morpholino-oligo-based antisense into one- to four-cell embryos. These results indicate that the fluorescence-based HPLC method is a highly sensitive, rapid, and reproducible assay for determining GlcT and GalT activities and is useful for evaluating the activities in gene knockdown experiments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In Japan, local power systems (77 kV) are served from the 275- or 154-kV substations. For enhancement of power supply reliability, the transmission lines are connected to several substations, and the operational configuration is radial. The local power system's configuration is determined by connecting and disconnecting transmission lines so as to keep the radial structure and satisfy the operation constraints. When a local power system has a number of transmission lines, many configuration candidates occur. Recently, an IEEJ committee made a practical scale local system model (IEEJ Local System Model). Since the IEEJ Local System Model has 76 transmission lines, the total number of configuration candidates is 276 (approximately 7.5 × 1022). In this paper, the authors try to strictly obtain the loss-minimum configuration under constraints such as substation capacity, line capacity, and radial structure in the IEEJ Local System Model. In order to obtain the optimal configuration, a new computation algorithm is proposed. In the proposed algorithm, the configuration determination problem is replaced as two combinatorial optimization problems based on the operational constraints [(1) substation capacity, (2) line capacity, and (3) radial structure]. One combinatorial optimization problem (subproblem 1) is to pick up all partial configurations so as to minimize total line loss under the substation capacity constraint. By using the enumeration method, subproblem 1 is solved. Subproblem 2 is solved by using the reduced ordered binary decision diagram (ROBDD). Since the proposed method is based on enumeration and Boolean function, the optimality of obtained solution is guaranteed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 146(4): 34–42, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10226 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dispersed generators (DGs), such as fuel cells and solar cells, etc., are going to be installed in the demand side of power systems. The dispersed facilities can reduce distribution system loss by the appropriate allocation. However, when a DG that has a large capacity is disconnected from a distribution network by fault, violation of operational constraints, such as line current capacity and voltage drop, may occur. From a viewpoint of system reliability, robust system configuration for suddenly disconnecting DG from the distribution network must be determined, since system operators cannot control DG connection to the distribution network online. In this paper, the authors propose an algorithm to determine loss minimum configuration of a distribution system with DGs while maintaining system reliability. Namely, in the proposed algorithm, N-1 contingencies for DGs are considered as an operational constraint, when the loss minimum configuration is determined under the constraints for line current capacity and voltage drop. In order to determine the loss minimum configuration effectively, an algorithm based on tabu search with strategic oscillation is proposed. Numerical simulations are carried out for a distribution system model with 118 sectionalizing switches in order to examine the validity of the proposed algorithm in comparison with the conventional approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We applied the geminal bond participation theory to cheletropic reactions. The interaction between σ-orbital of the inner bond and the π*-orbital of the N&z.tbnd6;N bond was predicted to be bonding, while that involving the outer bond should be antibonding. The difference in the bonding/antibonding character of these interactions is due to the cyclic orbital interaction between the π*-orbital of the N&z.tbnd6;N bond and the geminal bonds at the reaction center, which is influenced by the phase continuity between the π*–σ–σ orbitals. This prediction was confirmed by the bond model analysis of model compound 1a. These results suggest that reactivity could be enhanced by substituting the inwardly rotating σ-bond by a more electron-donating one, i.e. inward rotation of a substituent with a more electropositive atom. Theoretical calculations were performed for systematically substituted substrates. The prediction was confirmed except in the case of 1g, which was affected by the inductive effect of oxygen. Silyl/methyl-substituted 1e was subjected to the bond model analysis to confirm that the preferred inward rotation of the silyl group of 1e results from the geminal bond participation and little affected by steric effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Our purpose was to evaluate a two-stage newborn hearing screening program using automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) before discharge and to describe our follow-up program. This study used 4085 infants born in the Seirei-Hamamatsu and Mikatahara General Hospitals during a 2-year period. The initial screening test was performed 2 or 3 days after birth at an intensity of 35 dBnHL. For the infants who were referred from this test, the re-screening test was performed 5 or 6 days after birth. Diagnostic work-up with auditory brainstem response (ABR), otoacoustic emissions (OAE), and a conditioned orientation reflex audiometry (COR) test were performed by the age of 3–6 months. The referral rate was 1.20% (49/4085 infants) in the first test and 0.71% (29/4085 infants) in the two-stage screening. The two-stage screening procedure was able to reduce the false-positive rate from 0.83 to 0.34%. The incidence of bilateral and unilateral congenital hearing loss diagnosed by ABR was 8/4085 (0.20%) infants and 7/4085 (0.17%) infants, respectively. One infant with congenital cytomegalovirus infection, who passed the two-stage AABR tests, was diagnosed with hearing loss 1 month after birth, using ABR. The two-stage measurement of AABR is effective and time efficient due to significant decreases in the referral rate and the false-positive rate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Interleukin-10 (IL-10), a potent antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive cytokine, plays an important role in the regulation of immune responses. To discover small molecules that stimulate IL-10 production, a cell-based screening assay was performed using a murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7. Imidocarb, (3,3′-bis-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-carbanilide, which has been used as an anti-protozoan drug for the prevention and treatment of babesiosis in cattle, was thus identified. Imidocarb markedly enhanced LPS-induced IL-10 production not only by RAW264.7 cells but also by murine peritoneal macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner. It also augmented IL-10 production in the presence of zymosan, a yeast cell wall component. In contrast, imidocarb inhibited LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production by peritoneal macrophages. In mice, intraperitoneal administration of imidocarb significantly increased serum IL-10 levels and lowered TNF-α levels. Our results suggest that a novel anti-inflammatory property of imidocarb could lead to new therapeutic approaches in inflammatory conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Proposes a new computation algorithm to determine the optimal configuration of secondary radial power system in normal and fault state in Japan, as of February 2003. Basis of the proposed algorithm; Determination configuration problem in normal and fault state; Operational constraints in the determination configuration problem.

Dispersed generators (DGs) such as fuel cells and solar cells will be installed on the demand side of power systems. Such dispersed facilities can reduce distribution system loss by appropriate allocation. Planning and operation of distribution systems with the dispersed facilities have already been discussed. In this paper, the authors discuss the extent to which distribution system loss can be reduced if DGs are optimally allocated on the demand side of the distribution system. In order to determine the optimal allocation and size of DGs so as to minimize the distribution system loss, an algorithm based on tabu search is employed. The proposed algorithm consists of iterated nested use of the tabu search algorithm. Namely, in the proposed algorithm, in one computational iteration, after the location of the DG is temporarily determined by tabu search, the size of the DG is also determined by tabu search so as to minimize the distribution system loss for the temporarily determined allocation. Numerical simulations are carried out for two system models in order to examine the validity of the algorithm. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 136(2): 1–8, 2001 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline α-amylase (AmyK38) from the alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. strain KSM-K38 is a unique enzyme in that it is highly chelator-resistant and oxidatively stable [Hagihara, H., Igarashi, K., Hayashi, Y., Endo, K., Ikawa-Kitayama, K., Ozaki, K., Kawai, S. & Ito, S. (2001) Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67, 1744–1750]. This enzyme was found to contain no Ca and require Na (or monovalent cations) for manifestation of activity. The nucleotide sequence of the gene for the novel enzyme was determined, and it harbored an ORF of 1503 bp encoding the enzyme of 501 amino acids, including a 21-amino-acid signal peptide. The deduced amino-acid sequence of the mature enzyme (55 097 Da) showed moderate homology to those of α-amylases from Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, with ≈ 63% identity. A methionine residue, which is conserved and susceptible to chemical oxidation, was replaced with leucine in AmyK38. Moreover, many conserved residues that are crucial ligands for Ca were replaced with other amino acids, thereby leading to loss of the Ca coordination geometries. By building a molecular model, we showed the calcium-independent, oxidatively stable active-site topology and structural integrity of AmyK38. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grid congestion is expected owing to the interconnection of massive renewable energies within the transmission system. Power system operators need to resolve the problem by controlling the output of thermal and renewable generators, such as curtailment, which should be the smallest possible for efficient utilization. Moreover, the equality of generation opportunities should be maintained among renewable energies. However, achieving the two objectives simultaneously is challenging, because the output curtailment effect on grid congestion in a loop system varies depending on its configuration. Further, the thermal generators are curtailed before renewable energies in the merit order scheme necessitating adjustments in the thermal generator output considering the renewable energy curtailment. This study proposed a method to determine the output curtailment ratio of thermal power and renewable energies employing sensitivity analysis, aiming to ensure equality, and maximize the power generation opportunities of renewable energies for the mitigation of grid congestion. The effectiveness of the proposed method was verified via numerical simulations using a power system model based on an actual power system in the northern Tohoku area of Japan. The results indicate that the proposed method can reduce the total amount of curtailment and improve the equality of generation opportunities. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In planning a distribution system for an urban area, when a feeder is newly installed, the route of the feeder must be determined among many candidates, considering investment cost and constraints. However, it is difficult for planners to find the optimal route of the newly installed feeder, because too many candidate routes exist which can be constructed along roads in the service area of the power company, and it must be considered whether the end part of an existing feeder can be used as a part of a newly installed feeder within specified loaded value. In this paper, in order to support planners' decision making in selecting an optimal route for newly installed feeders, the authors have formulated the problem mathematically, and propose a new solution algorithm to find the optimal route by the Dijkstra method. Through numerical examples, the authors demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 129(3): 40–50, 1999 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes a method for solving a large scale long term thermal unit maintenance scheduling problem. Maintenance scheduling problem; Brief description of the solution algorithm; Numerical results; Conclusions.