Optimal allocation of a wind turbine and battery energy storage systems in distribution networks based on the modified BES-optimizer

Recently, incorporating renewable energy resources (RERs) like wind turbines (WTs) in a distribution network is rapidly increased to meet the load growth. However, distribution networks have been facing many challenges to withstand the intermittent output power of RERs. Battery energy storage (BES) is used with RERs to smoothly inject the output power to the grid by RERs. Therefore, this paper proposes an effective strategy for optimal allocation of WT and BES in RDS to decrease the total system losses. In addition, a modified bald eagle search (BES-optimizer) is proposed to obtain the preferable allocations of WT and BES simultaneously in the radial distribution system (RDS) considering the probabilistic distribution of the WT and load demand. IEEE 69-bus RDS is utilized as a test system. Based on the obtained results, installing WTs with BES gives better results than installing WTs alone in the RDS. However, the proposed algorithm proved its efficiency to obtain the best global results compared with other well-known techniques

A Novel Approach Based on Honey Badger Algorithm for Optimal Allocation of Multiple DG and Capacitor in Radial Distribution Networks Considering Power Loss Sensitivity

Recently, the integration of distributed generators (DGs) in radial distribution systems (RDS) has been widely evolving due to its sustainability and lack of pollution. This study presents an efficient optimization technique named the honey badger algorithm (HBA) for specifying the optimum size and location of capacitors and different types of DGs to minimize the total active power loss of the network. The Combined Power Loss Sensitivity (CPLS) factor is deployed with the HBA to accelerate the estimation process by specifying the candidate buses for optimal placement of DGs and capacitors in RDS. The performance of the optimization algorithm is demonstrated through the application to the IEEE 69-bus standard RDS with different scenarios: DG Type-I, DG Type-III, and capacitor banks (CBs). Furthermore, the effects of simultaneously integrating single and multiple DG Type-I with DG Type-III are illustrated. The results obtained revealed the effectiveness of the HBA for optimizing the size and location of single and multiple DGs and CBs with a considerable decline in the system’s real power losses. Additionally, the results have been compared with those obtained by other known algorithms

Bioactive Potential of Several Actinobacteria Isolated from Microbiologically Barely Explored Desert Habitat, Saudi Arabia

Biomolecules from natural sources, including microbes, have been the basis of treatment of human diseases since the ancient times. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential bioactivity of several actinobacteria isolates form Al-Jouf Desert, Saudi Arabia. Twenty-one actinobacterial isolates were tested for their antioxidant (flavonoids, phenolics, tocopherols and carotenoids) content, and biological activities, namely FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, SOS and XO inhibition, anti-hemolytic and anti-lipid peroxidation as well as their antibacterial and antiprotozoal activities. Accordingly, five isolates (i.e., Act 2, 12, 15, 19 and 21) were selected and their 90% ethanolic extracts were used. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences indicated that the most active isolates belong to genus Streptomyces. The genus Streptomyces has been documented as a prolific producer of biologically active secondary metabolites against different cancer types. Thus, the anti-blood cancer activity and the possible molecular mechanisms by which several Streptomyces species extracts inhibited the growth of different leukemia cells, i.e., HL-60, K562 and THP-1, were investigated. In general, the five active isolates showed cytotoxic activity against the tested cell lines in a dose dependent manner. Among the potent isolates, isolate Act 12 significantly decreased the cell viability and showed maximum cytotoxic activities against both HL-60 and K562 cells, while isolate Act 15 exhibited maximum cytotoxic activity against THP-1 cells. Moreover, Act 2 and Act 12 reduced cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, which is involved in the proliferation and differentiation of cancer cells and may represent a possible molecular mechanism underlying leukemia growth inhibition. The bioactive antioxidant extracts of the selected Streptomyces species inhibited leukemia cell growth by reducing the COX-2 and LOX activity. Overall, our study not only introduced a promising natural alternative source for anticancer agents, but it also sheds light on the mechanism underlying the anticancer activity of isolated actinomycetes

A Novel Approach Based on Honey Badger Algorithm for Optimal Allocation of Multiple DG and Capacitor in Radial Distribution Networks Considering Power Loss Sensitivity

Recently, the integration of distributed generators (DGs) in radial distribution systems (RDS) has been widely evolving due to its sustainability and lack of pollution. This study presents an efficient optimization technique named the honey badger algorithm (HBA) for specifying the optimum size and location of capacitors and different types of DGs to minimize the total active power loss of the network. The Combined Power Loss Sensitivity (CPLS) factor is deployed with the HBA to accelerate the estimation process by specifying the candidate buses for optimal placement of DGs and capacitors in RDS. The performance of the optimization algorithm is demonstrated through the application to the IEEE 69-bus standard RDS with different scenarios: DG Type-I, DG Type-III, and capacitor banks (CBs). Furthermore, the effects of simultaneously integrating single and multiple DG Type-I with DG Type-III are illustrated. The results obtained revealed the effectiveness of the HBA for optimizing the size and location of single and multiple DGs and CBs with a considerable decline in the system’s real power losses. Additionally, the results have been compared with those obtained by other known algorithms

Synergetic effect of Egyptian propolis in immunization of BALB/c mice against bovine cysticercosis

Objective: To evaluate the synergetic effect of an ethanolic extract of Egyptian propolis in immunization of BALB/c mice with Taenia saginata (T. saginata) crude antigen against bovine cysticercosis, with reference to its effects on liver and kidney functions. Methods: Sixty female mice BALB/c strain weighing 20 to 25 g and 6-8 weeks old were randomly allocated into six groups of ten mice each. Mice in groups 1 and 2 (G1 and G2) were immunized intraperitoneally with 100 µg of T. saginata crude antigen in 100 µL phosphate buffer saline emulsified in Freund's adjuvant. Besides, the mice in G2 were administered with propolis extract simultaneously with immunization. Control mice were either administered with propolis extract (G3) or injected with the same volume of phosphate buffer saline emulsified in Freund's adjuvant (G4). The mice in G5 were non-immunized infected control while, those in G6 were non-immunized non-infected control. Two weeks after the last immunization, each mouse was challenged intraperitoneally with 5 000 oncospheres except those of G6. Ethanolic extract of propolis was prepared at a dose 50 mg/kg body weight. Results: After 24 weeks of challenge, the mice in G2 showed the highest level of protection (100%), with no cyst being detected rather than mice in G1 (33.3% protection). Additionally, the ELISA results, in this study, showed higher antibody titer in G2 with reduction the alteration in liver and kidney functions compared to G1. Conclusions: Egyptian propolis could increase the level of protection against experimental challenge infection with T. saginata eggs when administered simultaneously with immunization. Furthermore, it could enhance the production of antibodies to immunized antigen and decrease the alteration in liver and kidney functions

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as an effective approach to enhance the growth and metabolism of soybean plants under thallium (TI) toxicity

Abstract: Thallium (TI) is a toxic metal that can trigger harmful impacts on growth and metabolism of plants. Utilizing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) proves to be an effective strategy for alleviating heavy metal toxicity in plants. To this end, AMF were applied to mitigate TI toxic effects on the growth, primary and secondary metabolism of soybean plants. Here, TI stress inhibited the growth and photosynthetic parameters of soybean plants. It also increased the oxidative damage as demonstrated by increased levels of oxidative markers, (MDA and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity). However, AMF could mitigate the reduction in growth and photosynthesis induced by TI, as well as the induction of oxidative damage. To overcome TI toxicity, AMF increased the levels and metabolism of osmolytes such as proline in soybean plants. This was in line with the increased activities of key enzymes that involved in proline biosynthesis (e.g., P5CS (pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase), P5CR (pyr-roline-5-carboxylate reductase) and OAT (ornithine aminotransferase) under the AMF and/or TI treatments. Furthermore, soybean plants could benefit from the synergism between AMF and TI to enhance the contents of individual (e.g., spermine and spermidine) and total polyamines as well as their metabolic enzymes (e.g., arginine decarboxylase and ornithine decarboxylase). Overall, the combined application of AMF emerges as a viable approach for alleviating TI toxicity in soybean plants