Hybrid renewable energy microgrid for a residential community: A techno-economic and environmental perspective in the context of the SDG7

Energy, being a prime enabler in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), should be affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern. One of the SDGs (i.e., SDG7) suggests that it is necessary to ensure energy access for all. In developing countries like India, the progress toward SDG7 has somewhat stagnated. The aging conventional electric power system has its dominant share of energy from fossil fuels, plagued with frequent power outages, and leaves many un-electrified areas. These are not characteristics of a sustainable and modern system in the context of the SDG7. Promoting renewable-based energy systems, especially in the context of microgrids (MGs), is one of the promising advances needed to rejuvenate the progress toward the SDG7. In this context, a hybrid renewable energy microgrid (HREM) is proposed that gives assurance for energy access to all in an affordable, reliable, and sustainable way through modern energy systems. In this paper, a techno-economic and environmental modeling of the grid-independent HREM and its optimization for a remote community in South India are presented. A case of HREM with a proposed configuration of photovoltaic/wind turbine/diesel generator/battery energy storage system (PV/WT/DG/BESS) was modeled to meet the community residential electric load requirements. This investigation dealt with the optimum sizes of the different components used in the HREM. The results of this model presented numerous feasible solutions. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the best solution from the four optimized results. From the results, it was established that a PV + DG + BESS based HREM was the most cost-effective configuration for the specific location. In addition, the obtained optimum solutions were mapped with the key criteria of the SDG7. This mapping also suggested that the PV + DG + BESS configuration falls within the context of the SDG7. Overall, it is understood that the proposed HREM would provide energy access to households that is affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern

P09-15. Selection of higher avidity HLA-restricted T cell responses as a viral adaptation strategy

Loss of immune reactivity due to HIV mutational escape is well described. Data generated from a large population-based study (n>800) suggested that certain CD8 T cell epitopes are created as a result of HIV adaptation and are associated with enhanced viral replication. Here we sought to investigate the HLA-restricted T-cell responses associated with seven such adaptations

Haplotyping the human leukocyte antigen system from single chromosomes

We describe a method for determining the parental HLA haplotypes of a single individual without recourse to conventional segregation genetics. Blood samples were cultured to identify and sort chromosome 6 by bivariate flow cytometry. Single chromosome 6 amplification products were confirmed with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and verified by deep sequencing to enable assignment of both alleles at the HLA loci, defining the two haplotypes. This study exemplifies a rapid and efficient method of haplotyping that can be applied to any chromosome pair, or indeed all chromosome pairs, using a single sorting operation. The method represents a cost-effective approach to complete phasing of SNPs, which will facilitate a deeper understanding of the links between SNPs, gene regulation and protein function

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Exploiting knowledge of immune selection in HIV-1 to detect HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses

Since HLA-restricted cytotoxic T-cell responses select specific polymorphisms in HIV-1 sequences and HLA diversity is relatively static in human populations, we investigated the use of peptide epitopes based on sites of HLA-associated adaptation in HIV-1 sequences to stimulate and detect T-cell responses ex vivo. These "HLA-optimised" peptides captured more HIV-1 Nef-specific responses compared with overlapping peptides of a single consensus sequence, in interferon-γ enzyme linked immunospot assays. Sites of immune selection can reveal more immunogenic epitopes in HLA-diverse populations and offer insights into the nature of HLA-epitope targeting, which could be applied in vaccine design

An HLA-C*0702 restricted T-Cell response directed against an immune escaped HIV NEF KY11 epitope exhibits higher functional avidity but lesser cytolytic activity when compared with the anti-wild type response

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HLA-Restricted T-cell responses to Immune-escape variants are detectable in chronic HIV-infection

Background: HIV-1 mutational escape from a suppressive epitope- specific T-cell response has been well described. Analysis of HLA allele associated HIV polymorphism in a large populationbased study (n¼800) suggests that HIV adaptation may also lead to the creation of certain epitopes that induce responses favourable to the virus, rather than the host. We therefore sought to investigate the presence and functionality of the HLA-restricted T-cell responses against three such epitopes identified by the genetic analysis; pol (424–432) QIYPGIKVR (HLA-A*0301), pol (724– 734) QEEHEKYHSNW (HLA-B*4402) and Nef (105–115) KRQEILDLWVY (HLA-C*0702) in individuals drawn from the analysed population. Methods: Cryopreserved PBMC from 68 patients in the WA HIV Cohort Study [HLA-A*0301 (n¼12), HLA-B*4402 (n¼30) and HLA-C*0702 (n¼26)] were assayed for the presence of IFN-g responses upon stimulation with predicted adapted and nonadapted (‘wild type’) peptides by ELISpot assay. Functional avidity was ascertained by peptide dilution and autologous epitope sequences were determined from contemporaneous plasma samples in patients with detectable HIV viral load (n¼9). Results: IFN-g was detected in PBMC samples from all patients after stimulation with anti-CD3 or CEF. IFN-g responses to the predicted non-adapted and adapted HIV peptides were detected in 13 of 68 patients tested. Adapted peptides induced IFN-g responses in 8 HLA-C*0702 patients (median-500, range 150–1110 spots/ million cells), four HLA-B*4402 patients (median-310, range 160–480 spots/million cells) and one HLA-A*0301 patient. In 5 cases, the adapted peptide-specific response had greater functional avidity than the non-adapted peptide. Adapted autologous sequences were detected in 3 patients who concurrently demonstrated IFN-g responses. Conclusion: Despite modest levels of epitope-specific IFN-g overall in this treatment-experienced patient group, HLA-restricted responses against adapted epitopes were demonstrable, even displaying higher avidity than the non-adapted forms in 5 cases, suggesting a functional basis for adaptation driving creation of epitopes. These data have implications for epitope inclusion criteria in HIV vaccine design

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Not AvailableA field experiment with four irrigation and four nitrogen treatments was carried out with wheat (cv HD 2932) for two rabi seasons, 2009-10 and 2010-11 at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to quantify the water and nitrogen use efficiencies under differential water and nitrogen levels. Responses of water-use efficiency (WUE), nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) and wheat yield to variable water and nitrogen levels were investigated. Yield and NUE are significantly affected (P ≤ 0.05) by the different water and nitrogen levels. Under low water level condition along with no nitrogen stress resulted in only 5% decrease in yield compared to the highest yield but it had increased NUE from 34 to 38%. Therefore, low water stress can be allowed which can result in higher NUE and non-significant decrease in yield. The study revealed the lower water stress resulted in higher NUE, higher water stress resulted in decline in NUE.Not Availabl