Effect of resistive load on the performance of an organic Rankine cycle with a scroll expander

An experimental investigation is performed for an organic Rankine cycle system with different electrical resistive loads. The test rig is set up with a small scroll expander-generator unit, a boiler and a magnetically coupled pump. R134a is used as the working fluid in the system. The experimental results reveal that the resistive load coupled to the scroll expander-generator unit affects the expander performance and power output characteristics. It is found that an optimum pressure ratio exists for the maximum power output. The optimal pressure ratio of the expander decreases markedly as the resistive load gets higher. The optimum pressure ratio of the scroll expander is 3.6 at a rotation speed of 3450 r/min for a resistive load of 18.6 Ω. The maximum electrical power output is 564.5 W and corresponding isentropic and volumetric efficiencies are 78% and 83% respectively

An Augmented Interface to Display Industrial Robot Faults

Technology advancement is changing the way industrial factories have to face an increasingly complex and competitive market. The fourth industrial revolution (known as industry 4.0) is also changing how human workers have to carry out tasks and actions. In fact, it is no longer impossible to think of a scenario in which human operators and industrial robots work side-by-side, sharing the same environment and tools. To realize a safe work environment, workers should trust robots as well as they trust human operators. Such goal is indeed complex to achieve, especially when workers are under stress conditions, such as when a fault occurs and the human operators are no longer able to understand what is happening in the industrial manipulator. Indeed, Augmented Reality (AR) can help workers to visualize in real-time robots’ faults. This paper proposes an augmented system that assists human workers to recognize and visualize errors, improving their awareness of the system. The system has been tested using both an AR see-through device and a smartphone

Exciton Spin Dynamics in Semiconductor Quantum Wells

In this paper we will review Exciton Spin Dynamics in Semiconductor Quantum Wells. The spin properties of excitons in nanostructures are determined by their fine structure. We will mainly focus in this review on GaAs and InGaAs quantum wells which are model systems.Comment: 55 pages, 27 figure

Work-Unit Absenteeism: Effects of Satisfaction, Commitment, Labor Market Conditions, and Time

Prior research is limited in explaining absenteeism at the unit level and over time. We developed and tested a model of unit-level absenteeism using five waves of data collected over six years from 115 work units in a large state agency. Unit-level job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and local unemployment were modeled as time-varying predictors of absenteeism. Shared satisfaction and commitment interacted in predicting absenteeism but were not related to the rate of change in absenteeism over time. Unit-level satisfaction and commitment were more strongly related to absenteeism when units were located in areas with plentiful job alternatives

CD4 + T cells recognize conserved influenza A epitopes through shared patterns of V-Gene usage and complementary biochemical features

T cell recognition of peptides presented by human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) is mediated by the highly variable T cell receptor (TCR). Despite this built-in TCR variability, individuals can mount immune responses against viral epitopes by using identical or highly related TCRs expressed on CD8+ T cells. Characterization of these TCRs has extended our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern the recognition of peptide-HLA. However, few examples exist for CD4+ T cells. Here, we investigate CD4+ T cell responses to the internal proteins of the influenza A virus that correlate with protective immunity. We identify five internal epitopes that are commonly recognized by CD4+ T cells in five HLA-DR1+ subjects and show conservation across viral strains and zoonotic reservoirs. TCR repertoire analysis demonstrates several shared gene usage biases underpinned by complementary biochemical features evident in a structural comparison. These epitopes are attractive targets for vaccination and other T cell therapies

Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 Mediates the Unfavorable Systemic Impact of Local Irradiation on Pharmacokinetics of Anti-Cancer Drug 5-Fluorouracil

Concurrent chemoradiation with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely accepted for cancer treatment. However, the interactions between radiation and 5-FU remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the influence of local irradiation on the pharmacokinetics of 5-FU in rats. The single-fraction radiation was delivered to the whole pelvic fields of Sprague-Dawley rats after computerized tomography-based planning. 5-FU at 100 mg/kg was prescribed 24 hours after radiation. A high-performance liquid chromatography system was used to measure 5-FU in the blood. Matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) inhibitor I was administered to examine whether or not RT modulation of 5-FU pharmacokinetic parameters could be blocked. Compared with sham-irradiated controls, whole pelvic irradiation reduced the area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) of 5-FU in plasma and, in contrast, increased in bile with a radiation dose-dependent manner. Based on protein array analysis, the amount of plasma MMP-8 was increased by whole pelvic irradiation (2.8-fold by 0.5 Gy and 5.3-fold by 2 Gy) in comparison with controls. Pretreatment with MMP-8 inhibitor reversed the effect of irradiation on AUC of 5-FU in plasma. Our findings first indicate that local irradiation modulate the systemic pharmacokinetics of 5-FU through stimulating the release of MMP-8. The pharmacokinetics of 5-FU during concurrent chemoradiaiton therapy should be rechecked and the optimal 5-FU dose should be reevaluated, and adjusted if necessary, during CCRT

Exploring the role of moral disengagement and counterproductive work behaviours in information security awareness

As security breaches in organisations are on the rise, developing an understanding of factors enabling and preventing such breaches is crucial. Even though previous studies have examined organisational aspects of information security, not much focus has been placed on human factors. In the present work we examined the tendency to morally disengage (MD), information security awareness (ISA), and counterproductive work behaviours (CWB), in a sample of 718 employees who used computers on daily basis, in order to establish predictors of CWB and the behavioural outcomes of ISA. The results showed that the propensity to morally disengage plays an important role in ISA, particularly the aspect of diffusion of responsibility. Secondly, ISA knowledge and ISA attitude, as expected, were part of a mediating mechanism underlying the relationship between MD and ISA behaviours, as well as MD and CWB. This demonstrates that ISA and CWB constructs overlap to a certain degree, and thus affecting one, should have effects also on the other. Targeted interventions need to consider ways of improving ISA knowledge and attitudes, as well as employees’ sense of responsibility for the information they work with

Cancer antigen discovery is enabled by RNA-sequencing of highly purified malignant and non-malignant cells

Purpose: Broadly expressed, highly differentiated tumor-associated antigens (TAA) can elicit anti-tumor immunity. However, vaccines targeting TAAs have demonstrated disappointing clinical results, reflecting poor antigen selection and/or immunosuppressive mechanisms. Experimental design: Here, a panel of widely expressed, novel colorectal TAAs were identified by performing RNA sequencing of highly purified colorectal tumor cells in comparison to patient-matched colonic epithelial cells; tumor cell purification was essential to reveal these genes. Candidate TAA protein expression was confirmed by immunohistochemistry, and pre-existing T cell immunogenicity towards these antigens tested. Results: The most promising candidate for further development is DNAJB7 [DnaJ heat shock protein family (Hsp40) member B7], identified here as a novel cancer-testis antigen. It is expressed in many tumors and is strongly immunogenic in patients with cancers originating from a variety of sites. DNAJB7-specific T cells were capable of killing colorectal tumor lines in vitro, and the IFN-gamma+ response was markedly magnified by control of immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide in cancer patients. Conclusion: This study highlights how prior methods that sequence whole tumor fractions (i.e. inclusive of alive/dead stromal cells) for antigen identification may have limitations. Through tumor cell purification and sequencing, novel candidate TAAs have been identified for future immunotherapeutic targeting

Thiazolidinedione insulin sensitizers alter lipid bilayer properties and voltage-dependent sodium channel function: implications for drug discovery

The thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2. Their canonical effects are mediated by activation of the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ (PPARγ) transcription factor. In addition to effects mediated by gene activation, the TZDs cause acute, transcription-independent changes in various membrane transport processes, including glucose transport, and they alter the function of a diverse group of membrane proteins, including ion channels. The basis for these off-target effects is unknown, but the TZDs are hydrophobic/amphiphilic and adsorb to the bilayer–water interface, which will alter bilayer properties, meaning that the TZDs may alter membrane protein function by bilayer-mediated mechanisms. We therefore explored whether the TZDs alter lipid bilayer properties sufficiently to be sensed by bilayer-spanning proteins, using gramicidin A (gA) channels as probes. The TZDs altered bilayer elastic properties with potencies that did not correlate with their affinity for PPARγ. At concentrations where they altered gA channel function, they also altered the function of voltage-dependent sodium channels, producing a prepulse-dependent current inhibition and hyperpolarizing shift in the steady-state inactivation curve. The shifts in the inactivation curve produced by the TZDs and other amphiphiles can be superimposed by plotting them as a function of the changes in gA channel lifetimes. The TZDs’ partition coefficients into lipid bilayers were measured using isothermal titration calorimetry. The most potent bilayer modifier, troglitazone, alters bilayer properties at clinically relevant free concentrations; the least potent bilayer modifiers, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, do not. Unlike other TZDs tested, ciglitazone behaves like a hydrophobic anion and alters the gA monomer–dimer equilibrium by more than one mechanism. Our results provide a possible mechanism for some off-target effects of an important group of drugs, and underscore the importance of exploring bilayer effects of candidate drugs early in drug development