19 research outputs found

    Investigation and evaluation of the hybrid system of energy storage for renewable energies

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    The system presented in this paper can change the energy storage landscape by having the advantages of a compressed air storage system and pump storage, as well as minimizing the disadvantages of these two systems. One of the advantages of this system compared to similar systems is the lack of combustion of natural gas. Correspondingly, for construction, it does not require specific specifications for the executive site, and control of the energy and heat of the system (due to the use of water as an operational fluid) is easier than similar systems. In addition, this system is very scalable and can be designed in low capacities to high capacities, energy analysis of this research to identify the basic and effective parameters of the system and determine the limitations and relationships between them. The amount of energy saved in the current research system compared to previous research is significant, and 92% efficiency can be achieved. The energy analysis of this research determined the effect of the parameters on each other and their limitations so that the path of its feasibility design was paved.Web of Science165art. no. 233

    Impact of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations on sustained virologic response in HCV-infected patients: Results from the GUARD-C Cohort

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    BACKGROUND: Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, peginterferon alfa/ribavirin remains relevant in many resource-constrained settings. The non-randomized GUARD-C cohort investigated baseline predictors of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations (sr-RD) and their impact on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients receiving peginterferon alfa/ribavirin in routine practice. METHODS: A total of 3181 HCV-mono-infected treatment-naive patients were assigned to 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa/ribavirin by their physician. Patients were categorized by time-to-first sr-RD (Week 4/12). Detailed analyses of the impact of sr-RD on SVR24 (HCV RNA <50 IU/mL) were conducted in 951 Caucasian, noncirrhotic genotype (G)1 patients assigned to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin for 48 weeks. The probability of SVR24 was identified by a baseline scoring system (range: 0-9 points) on which scores of 5 to 9 and <5 represent high and low probability of SVR24, respectively. RESULTS: SVR24 rates were 46.1% (754/1634), 77.1% (279/362), 68.0% (514/756), and 51.3% (203/396), respectively, in G1, 2, 3, and 4 patients. Overall, 16.9% and 21.8% patients experienced 651 sr-RD for peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, respectively. Among Caucasian noncirrhotic G1 patients: female sex, lower body mass index, pre-existing cardiovascular/pulmonary disease, and low hematological indices were prognostic factors of sr-RD; SVR24 was lower in patients with 651 vs. no sr-RD by Week 4 (37.9% vs. 54.4%; P = 0.0046) and Week 12 (41.7% vs. 55.3%; P = 0.0016); sr-RD by Week 4/12 significantly reduced SVR24 in patients with scores <5 but not 655. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, sr-RD to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin significantly impacts on SVR24 rates in treatment-naive G1 noncirrhotic Caucasian patients. Baseline characteristics can help select patients with a high probability of SVR24 and a low probability of sr-RD with peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin

    House Prices and Government Spending Shocks

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    We show that dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models with housing and collateralized borrowing predict a fall in house prices following positive government spending shocks. By contrast, we show that house prices in the United States rise persistently after identified positive government spending shocks. We clarify that the incorrect house price response is due to a general property of DSGE models—approximately constant shadow value of housing—and that modifying preferences and production structure cannot help in obtaining the correct house price response. Properly accounting for the empirical evidence on government spending shocks and house prices using a DSGE model therefore remains a significant challenge

    Focused Delivery of Chemotherapy to Augment Surgical Management of Brain Tumors

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    Chemotherapy as an adjuvant therapy that has largely failed to significantly improve outcomes for aggressive brain tumors; some reasons include a weak blood brain barrier penetration and tumor heterogeneity. Recently, there has been interest in designing effective ways to deliver chemotherapy to the tumor. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of focused chemotherapies that are currently under investigation. Nanoparticle delivery demonstrates both a superior permeability and retention. However, thus far, it has not demonstrated a therapeutic efficacy for brain tumors. Convection-enhanced delivery is an invasive, yet versatile method, which appears to have the greatest potential. Other vehicles, such as angiopep-2 decorated gold nanoparticles, polyamidoamine dendrimers, and lipid nanostructures have demonstrated efficacy through sustained release of focused chemotherapy and have either improved cell death or survival in humans or animal models. Finally, focused ultrasound is a safe and effective way to disrupt the blood brain barrier and augment other delivery methods. Clinical trials are currently underway to study the safety and efficacy of these methods in combination with standard of care

    Technical, Economic, and Environmental Analysis and Comparison of Different Scenarios for the Grid-Connected PV Power Plant

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    Today, using systems based on renewable resources is a suitable alternative to fossil fuels. However, due to problems such as the lack of access in all the times needed to supply cargo and high-investment cost, it has not been well-received. Therefore, in this research, the modeling of the photovoltaic system with battery storage has been done to supply the required load, and various scenarios have been evaluated in terms of economic parameters and reliability indicators of the studied system for a better understanding of the comparison indicators. It has been evaluated from two modes, one connected to the network and one disconnected from the network. One of the important results is the supply of 56% of the load by the photovoltaic cell in the presence of the grid, which, in this scenario, the electrical load is supplied by the photovoltaic cell and the grid is 164.155 kWh/yr and 128.504 kWh/yr, respectively

    Technical, Economic, and Environmental Analysis and Comparison of Different Scenarios for the Grid-Connected PV Power Plant

    No full text
    Today, using systems based on renewable resources is a suitable alternative to fossil fuels. However, due to problems such as the lack of access in all the times needed to supply cargo and high-investment cost, it has not been well-received. Therefore, in this research, the modeling of the photovoltaic system with battery storage has been done to supply the required load, and various scenarios have been evaluated in terms of economic parameters and reliability indicators of the studied system for a better understanding of the comparison indicators. It has been evaluated from two modes, one connected to the network and one disconnected from the network. One of the important results is the supply of 56% of the load by the photovoltaic cell in the presence of the grid, which, in this scenario, the electrical load is supplied by the photovoltaic cell and the grid is 164.155 kWh/yr and 128.504 kWh/yr, respectively

    Modeling and investigating electric power output maximization for piezoelectric energy harvester

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    In this study, energy harvesting using a two-layer piezoelectric sensor in non-linear single-mode mode was investigated, and the optimal performance conditions for power extraction were investigated. Non-linear equations or non-linear electric enthalpy proposal were obtained using Lagrange’s method. In addition, the model was identified with the help of perturbation methods and based on experimental results. The results indicate the presence of second-order damping and third-order stiffness with magnitudes of 2.8 × 106 and −3.9 × 1021. Finally, non-linear energy harvesting was investigated, and the electrical resistance for an optimal electrical power of 185.2 was obtained

    Role of DNA methylation in expression control of the IKZF3-GSDMA region in human epithelial cells.

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    Chromosomal region 17q12-q21 is associated with asthma and harbors regulatory polymorphisms that influence expression levels of all five protein-coding genes in the region: IKAROS family zinc finger 3 (Aiolos) (IKZF3), zona pellucida binding protein 2 (ZPBP2), ORMDL sphingolipid biosynthesis regulator 3 (ORMDL3), and gasdermins A and B (GSDMA, GSDMB). Furthermore, DNA methylation in this region has been implicated as a potential modifier of the genetic risk of asthma development. To further characterize the effect of DNA methylation, we examined the impact of treatment with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) that causes DNA demethylation, on expression and promoter methylation of the five 17q12-q21 genes in the human airway epithelium cell line NuLi-1, embryonic kidney epithelium cell line 293T and human adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7. 5-aza-dC treatment led to upregulation of expression of GSDMA in all three cell lines. ZPBP2 was upregulated in NuLi-1, but remained repressed in 293T and MCF-7 cells, whereas ORMDL3 was upregulated in 293T and MCF-7 cells, but not NuLi-1. Upregulation of ZPBP2 and GSDMA was accompanied by a decrease in promoter methylation. Moreover, 5-aza-dC treatment modified allelic expression of ZPBP2 and ORMDL3 suggesting that different alleles may respond differently to treatment. We also identified a polymorphic CTCF-binding site in intron 1 of ORMDL3 carrying a CG SNP rs4065275 and determined its methylation level. The site's methylation was unaffected by 5-aza-dC treatment in NuLi-1 cells. We conclude that modest changes (8-13%) in promoter methylation levels of ZPBP2 and GSDMA may cause substantial changes in RNA levels and that allelic expression of ZPBP2 and ORMDL3 is mediated by DNA methylation

    Polymorphic CTCF binding site rs4065275 (C9b) shows genotype dependent CTCF-binding, FAIRE enrichment and variable methylation levels.

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    <p>(A) Effect of genotype on CTCF-enrichment at the rs4065275 SNP region. Cell lines that carry the rs4065275-G allele show CTCF enrichment, whereas cell lines that carry the rs4065275-A allele do not. (B) Allelic bias in FAIRE enrichment in LCLs. In 3 out of 4 cell lines the rs4065275-G (C in the diagram) is enriched in the nucleosome-free fraction. (C) Methylation levels of the two putative CBS within the C9 CTCF-enriched region, rs4065275 CG (C9b) and the adjacent non-polymorphic CG (C9a), in human epithelial cells were determined using a pyrosequencing methylation assay. Name of cell line and rs4065275 genotype are shown below the x-axis.</p

    5-aza-dC treatment enhances gene expression.

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    <p>(A) 5-aza-dC treated NuLi-1 cells show reduced proliferation and apoptosis four days after treatment. Arrowheads point to dying/dead cells. (B) Changes in expression levels of 17q12-q21 genes after 5-aza-dC treatment. The y-axis shows fold change in 5-aza-dC treated cells compared to controls. Error bars show standard deviation. Asterisks indicate statistically significant change in expression in 5-aza-dC treated cells compared to controls (* p < 0.05). (C) Allelic expression in 17q12-q21 genes after 5-aza-dC treatment. Arrows show positions of transcribed SNPs in those genes where allelic expression changed post 5-aza-dC treatment. In <i>ZPBP2</i>, 5-aza-dC treatment causes reactivation of the HapA allele. In <i>ORMDL3</i> it causes a switch in allelic preference. (D) Positions of 51 CGs in the <i>ZPBP2</i> promoter region that were assayed using the sodium bisulfite sequencing assay are shown in the context of the UCSC browser. The red box indicates the position of the 11 CGs assayed using the pyrosequencing methylation assay. (E) DNA methylation profiles of the <i>ZPBP2</i> promoter region in control (DMSO) and 5-aza-dC treated cells. Filled circles represent methylated CGs, open circles represent unmethylated CGs. Each row represents a clone. Data are divided by haplotype; allelic percent methylation is shown below the diagram. Type of treatment and average methylation levels are shown on top. Arrow points to CG31 (CG6 in pyrosequencing assays) that has one of the most pronounced allelic differences in methylation.</p
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