Grid-connected cabin preheating of Electric Vehicles in cold climates – A non-flexible share of the EV energy use

The number of EVs is increasing globally. In cold climates, it is generally recommended to use electricity from the grid to preheat the EV cabin before using the car, to extend driving ranges, to ensure comfort, and for safety. A majority of such preheating sessions are happening in the morning hours during the winter, when there is also a high demand for other energy use. It is thus important to understand the power loads for grid-connected preheating of EV cabins. This work presents an experimental study, with 51 preheating sessions of five typical EV models during different outdoor temperatures. The results of the study showed that during the preheating sessions, most of the EVs had a power use of between 3 and 8 kW initially, which was reduced to about 2 to 4 kW after a 10 to 20 min initial period. For most of the sessions, the preheating lasted between 15 and 45 min. The preheating energy use was found to be up to 2 kWh for most EVs, with a maximum of 5 kWh. Multiple linear regression models were developed, to investigate the relationship between various variables and the energy use for preheating. Finally, hourly energy loads for EV cabin preheating were compared to other energy loads in apartment buildings. The power and energy loads for preheating EV cabins are affected by a number of parameters, such as the specific EV, charge point, preheating duration, temperature levels, and user habits.publishedVersio

Quality assessment of butter cookies applying multispectral imaging

A method for characterization of butter cookie quality by assessing the surface browning and water content using multispectral images is presented. Based on evaluations of the browning of butter cookies, cookies were manually divided into groups. From this categorization, reference values were calculated for a statistical prediction model correlating multispectral images with a browning score. The browning score is calculated as a function of oven temperature and baking time. It is presented as a quadratic response surface. The investigated process window was the intervals 4–16 min and 160–200°C in a forced convection electrically heated oven. In addition to the browning score, a model for predicting the average water content based on the same images is presented. This shows how multispectral images of butter cookies may be used for the assessment of different quality parameters. Statistical analysis showed that the most significant wavelengths for browning predictions were in the interval 400–700 nm and the wavelengths significant for water prediction were primarily located in the near-infrared spectrum. The water prediction model was found to correctly estimate the average water content with an absolute error of 0.22%. From the images it was also possible to follow the browning and drying propagation from the cookie edge toward the center

In Vitro Comparisons of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Oximeters: Impact of Slow Changes in Scattering of Liquid Phantoms

Several cerebral oximeters based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) are commercially available that determine tissue oxygen saturation (StO). One problem is an inconsistency of StO readings between different brands of instruments. Liquid blood phantoms mimicking optical properties of the neonatal head enable quantitative device comparisons. However, occasionally, the reduced scattering coefficient (μ') of these phantoms decreases over time. AIM To investigate whether this decrease in μ' affects the validity of comparison of these devices. StO was measured by several NIRS oximeters simultaneously on a phantom, which exhibited a particularly strong decrease in μ'. We found that a decrease in μ' by ≤16% from baseline led to deviations in StO of ≤3%

Cerebral oxygenation and blood flow in normal term infants at rest measured by a hybrid near-infrared device (BabyLux)

Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and interferon‐α increase tunneling nanotube (TNT) formation and cell adhesion in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell lines (

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a stem cell disease of the bone marrow where mechanisms of inter‐leukemic communication and cell‐to‐cell interactions are proposed to be important for optimal therapy response. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are novel intercellular communication structures transporting different cargos with potential implications in therapy resistance. Here, we have investigated TNTs in CML cells and following treatment with the highly effective CML therapeutics tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and interferon‐α (IFNα). CML cells from chronic phase CML patients as well as the blast crisis phase cell lines, Kcl‐22 and K562, formed few or no TNTs. Treatment with imatinib increased TNT formation in both Kcl‐22 and K562 cells, while nilotinib or IFNα increased TNTs in Kcl‐22 cells only where the TNT increase was associated with adherence to fibronectin‐coated surfaces, altered morphology, and reduced movement involving β1integrin. Ex vivo treated cells from chronic phase CML patients showed limited changes in TNT formation similarly to bone marrow cells from healthy individuals. Interestingly, in vivo nilotinib treatment in a Kcl‐22 subcutaneous mouse model resulted in morphological changes and TNT‐like structures in the tumor‐derived Kcl‐22 cells. Our results demonstrate that CML cells express low levels of TNTs, but CML therapeutics increase TNT formation in designated cell models indicating TNT functionality in bone marrow derived malignancies and their microenvironment.publishedVersio

Current clinical criteria for Lynch syndrome are not sensitive enough to identify MSH6 mutation carriers

Background: Reported prevalence, penetrance and expression of deleterious mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2, may reflect differences in the clinical criteria used to select families for DNA testing. The authors have previously reported that clinical criteria are not sensitive enough to identify MMR mutation carriers among incident colorectal cancer cases. Objective: To describe the sensitivity of the criteria when applied to families with a demonstrated MMR mutation. Methods: Families with an aggregation of colorectal cancers were examined for deleterious MMR mutations according to the Mallorca guidelines. All families with a detected MMR mutation as of November 2009 were reclassified according to the Amsterdam and Bethesda criteria. Results: Sixty-nine different DNA variants were identified in a total of 129 families. The original Amsterdam clinical criteria were met by 38%, 12%, 78% and 25% of families with mutations in MSH2, MSH6, MLH1 and PMS2, respectively. Corresponding numbers for the revised Amsterdam criteria were 62%, 48%, 87% and 38%. Similarly, each of the four clinical Bethesda criteria had low sensitivity for identifying MSH6 or PMS2 mutations. Conclusion: Amsterdam criteria and each of the Bethesda criteria were inadequate for identifying MSH6 mutation-carrying kindreds. MSH6 mutations may be more common than currently assumed, and the penetrance/expression of MSH6 mutations, as derived from families meeting current clinical criteria, may be misleading. To increase detection rate of MMR mutation carriers, all cancers in the Lynch syndrome tumour spectrum should be subjected to immunohistochemical analysis and/or analysis for microsatellite instability