Decision tree-based approach for online management of PEM fuel cells for residential application

This thesis demonstrates a new intelligent technique for the online optimal management of PEM fuel cells units for onsite energy production to supply residential utilizations. Classical optimization techniques are based on offline calculations and cannot provide the necessary computational speed for online performance. In this research, a Decision Tree (DT) algorithm is employed to obtain the optimal, or quasioptimal, settings of the fuel cell online and in a general framework. The main idea is to employ a classification technique, trained on a sufficient subset of data, to produce an estimate of the optimal setting without repeating the optimization process. A database is extracted from a previously-performed Genetic Algorithm (GA)-based optimization has been used to create a suitable decision tree, which was intended for generalizing the optimization results. The approach provides the flexibility of adjusting the settings of the fuel cell online according to the observed variations in the tariffs and load demands. Results at different operating conditions are presented to confirm the high accuracy of the proposed generalization technique. The accuracy of the decision tree has been tested by evaluating the relative error with respect to the optimized values. Then, the possibility of pruning the tree has been investigated in order to simplify its structure without affecting the accuracy of the results. In addition, the accuracy of the DTs to approximate the optimal performance of the fuel cell is compared to that of the Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) used for the same purpose. The results show that the DTs can somewhat outperform the ANNs with certain pruning levels

Prefoldin 5 and Anti-prefoldin 5 Antibodies as Biomarkers for Uveitis in Ankylosing Spondylitis

Objective: Uveitis is the most common extra-articular manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), for which no diagnostic biomarkers have been identified. This study was conducted to identify biomarker for uveitis in AS.Methods: To identify autoantibodies associated with uveitis in AS, we performed human protein microarray analysis using sera derived from various autoimmune diseases and ELISA analysis of sera derived from AS and rheumatoid arthritis patients. In the curdlan-induced SKG mice model, ophthalmic examination was performed at week 8 post-immunization and histologic examination of the ocular lesions performed at week 16 post-immunization. Serum levels of target antibodies were assessed at various time-points. To evaluate the functional role of specific autoantibodies, an in vitro apoptosis assay using ARPE-19 cells was performed.Results: Reactivity against prefoldin subunit 5 (PFDN5) was identified in AS with uveitis. Levels of anti-PFDN5 antibodies and PFDN5 in sera from AS with uveitis patients were significantly higher than those in AS without uveitis. At week 8, half of curdlan-treated SKG mice developed anterior uveitis, while all of them developed histologically confirmed uveitis at week 16. The levels of anti-PFDN5 antibodies increased over time in the sera of curdlan-treated SKG mice along with increased expression of PFDN5 and apoptosis in the ocular lesions. Knockdown of PFDN5 in ARPE19 cells resulted in increased apoptosis, suggesting a protective role of PFDN5 against cell death in uveitis.Conclusion: AS patients with uveitis have increased levels of anti-PFDN5 antibodies, and our findings suggest that anti-PFDN5 antibodies could provide a biomarker for uveitis in AS

Unwritten Life (and Death) of a “Pharmacist” in Song China: Decoding Hancheng Tomb Murals

En 2009, des archéologues ont découvert à Hancheng, dans la province du Shaanxi, un tombeau richement décoré qu’ils ont daté de l’ère Xining (1068-1077) de la dynastie des Song, ou peu après cette période. Le tombeau contenait deux occupants, apparemment un couple marié, ainsi que trois remarquables peintures murales : sur le mur nord, on peut voir ce qui paraît être un atelier de préparation et de conditionnement de substances médicinales ; sur le mur est, une peinture de Bouddha entrant au nirvāṇa et sur le mur ouest, un tableau théâtral figurant musiciens et saltimbanques. Une inscription apparaît sur le mur nord, composée d’un poème écrit sur un paravent en caractères de style cursif, de trois étiquettes de materia medica, ainsi que du titre d’un recueil de recettes médicales. Le tombeau ne comporte pas d’indications écrites permettant d’identifier les occupants ; les auteurs estiment que le tombeau était probablement celui d’un marchand qui confectionnait des médicaments pour la vente. Cet article analyse le contenu des trois peintures murales en rapport avec leur orientation spatiale dans le tombeau, en les comparant avec celles d’autres tombeaux de la même époque, et en les replaçant dans leur contexte historique, afin de montrer que le tombeau et ses peintures murales permettent de mettre en lumière les habitudes rituelles et la culture funéraire des élites non lettrées de la période des Song du Nord.Hong Jeehee, Hinrichs TJ. Unwritten Life (and Death) of a “Pharmacist” in Song China: Decoding Hancheng Tomb Murals. In: Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie, vol. 24, 2015. Kingship, Ritual, and Narrative in Tibet and the Surrounding Cultural Area / Royauté, rituel et narration au Tibet et dans l'aire culturelle alentour. pp. 231-278

The complete mitochondrial genome of Hipparchia autonoe (Esper, 1783) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): investigation of intraspecific variations on mitochondrial genome

Hipparchia autonoe (Esper, 1783) is a protected butterfly species found in Mt. Halla in South Korea. We have determined mitochondrial genome of H. autonoe collected in Mt. Halla. The circular mitogenome of H. autonoe is 15,300 bp long, which is shorter than previously sequenced mitogenome by 189 bp due to differences of tandem repeats. It includes 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNAs. The base composition was AT-biased (78.9%). Nineteen single nucleotide polymorphisms and one insertion and deletion were identified between the two individuals of H. autonoe captured in Mt. Halla, presenting enough genetic diversity of H. autonoe within population

Acetylated Diacylglycerol 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol in Autoimmune Arthritis and Interstitial Lung Disease in SKG Mice

Acetylated diacylglycerol 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (PLAG) is a lipid molecule from the antlers of sika deer that might reduce inflammation by effectively controlling neutrophil infiltration, endothelial permeability and inflammatory chemokine production. Therefore, we evaluated the modulatory effect of PLAG on arthritis and interstitial lung disease (ILD) in an autoimmune arthritis model. We injected curdlan into SKG mice and PLAG was orally administered every day from 3 weeks to 20 weeks after the curdlan injection. The arthritis score was measured every week after the curdlan injection. At 20 weeks post-injection, the lung specimens were evaluated with H&E, Masson’s trichrome and multiplexed immunofluorescent staining. Serum cytokines were also analyzed using a Luminex multiple cytokine assay. PLAG administration decreased the arthritis score until 8 weeks after the curdlan injection. However, the effect was not sustained thereafter. A lung histology revealed severe inflammation and fibrosis in the curdlan-induced SKG mice, which was attenuated in the PLAG-treated mice. Furthermore, immunofluorescent staining of the lung tissue showed a GM-CSF+ neutrophil accumulation and a decreased citrullinated histone 3 expression after PLAG treatment. PLAG also downregulated the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α and upregulated the level of sIL-7Rα, an anti-fibrotic molecule. Our results indicate that PLAG might have a preventative effect on ILD development through the resolution of NETosis in the lung

image_1_IL-17A+GM-CSF+ Neutrophils Are the Major Infiltrating Cells in Interstitial Lung Disease in an Autoimmune Arthritis Model.TIFF

Objective<p>To gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis of autoimmune arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), we sought to identify the characteristics of lung-infiltrating cells in SKG mice with ILD.</p>Methods<p>We injected curdlan in SKG mice at 8 weeks of age, and identified the presence of ILD by PET-MRI at 20 weeks post-injection and histological analysis at 22 weeks post-injection. Lung-infiltrating cells were examined by flow cytometry. Analysis of serum cytokines by the Luminex multiplex cytokine assay was performed at 14 and 22 weeks post-injection, and cytokine profiles before and after the development of ILD were compared. Opal multiplexed immunofluorescent staining of lung tissue was also performed.</p>Results<p>At 20 weeks post-injection, curdlan-treated SKG mice developed not only arthritis but also lung inflammation combined with fibrosis, which was identified by PET-MRI and histological analysis. The majority of inflammatory cells that accumulated in the lungs of curdlan-treated SKG mice were CD11b⁺Gr1⁺ neutrophils, which co-express IL-17A and GM-CSF, rather than TNF-α. Compared with 14 weeks post-injection, serum levels of GM-CSF, MCP1, IL-17A, IL-23, TSLP, and soluble IL-7Rα had increased at 22 weeks post-injection, whereas those of IFN-γ, IL-22, IL-6, and TNF-α remained unchanged. Furthermore, IL-23, CXCL5, IL-17A, and GM-CSF, but not TNF-α, were observed in immunofluorescent-stained lung tissue.</p>Conclusion<p>We found that IL-17A⁺GM-CSF⁺ neutrophils represented the major inflammatory cells in the lungs of curdlan-treated SKG mice. In addition, GM-CSF and IL-17A appear to play a more important role than TNF-α in ILD development.</p