A multivariable optimal energy management strategy for standalone DC microgrids

Due to substantial generation and demand fluctuations in standalone green microgrids, energy management strategies are becoming essential for the power sharing and voltage regulation purposes. The classical energy management strategies employ the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms and rely on batteries in case of possible excess or deficit of energy. However, in order to realize constant current-constant voltage (IU) charging regime and increase the life span of batteries, energy management strategies require being more flexible with the power curtailment feature. In this paper, a coordinated and multivariable energy management strategy is proposed that employs a wind turbine and a photovoltaic array of a standalone DC microgrid as controllable generators by adjusting the pitch angle and the switching duty cycles. The proposed strategy is developed as an online nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) algorithm. Applying to a sample standalone dc microgrid, the developed controller realizes the IU regime for charging the battery bank. The variable load demands are also shared accurately between generators in proportion to their ratings. Moreover, the DC bus voltage is regulated within a predefined range, as a design parameter

Sox2 Is Essential for Formation of Trophectoderm in the Preimplantation Embryo

In preimplantation mammalian development the transcription factor Sox2 (SRY-related HMG-box gene 2) forms a complex with Oct4 and functions in maintenance of self-renewal of the pluripotent inner cell mass (ICM). Previously it was shown that Sox2-/- embryos die soon after implantation. However, maternal Sox2 transcripts may mask an earlier phenotype. We investigated whether Sox2 is involved in controlling cell fate decisions at an earlier stage.We addressed the question of an earlier role for Sox2 using RNAi, which removes both maternal and embryonic Sox2 mRNA present during the preimplantation period. By depleting both maternal and embryonic Sox2 mRNA at the 2-cell stage and monitoring embryo development in vitro we show that, in the absence of Sox2, embryos arrest at the morula stage and fail to form trophectoderm (TE) or cavitate. Following knock-down of Sox2 via three different short interfering RNA (siRNA) constructs in 2-cell stage mouse embryos, we have shown that the majority of embryos (76%) arrest at the morula stage or slightly earlier and only 18.7-21% form blastocysts compared to 76.2-83% in control groups. In Sox2 siRNA-treated embryos expression of pluripotency associated markers Oct4 and Nanog remained unaffected, whereas TE associated markers Tead4, Yap, Cdx2, Eomes, Fgfr2, as well as Fgf4, were downregulated in the absence of Sox2. Apoptosis was also increased in Sox2 knock-down embryos. Rescue experiments using cell-permeant Sox2 protein resulted in increased blastocyst formation from 18.7% to 62.6% and restoration of Sox2, Oct4, Cdx2 and Yap protein levels in the rescued Sox2-siRNA blastocysts.We conclude that the first essential function of Sox2 in the preimplantation mouse embryo is to facilitate establishment of the trophectoderm lineage. Our findings provide a novel insight into the first differentiation event within the preimplantation embryo, namely the segregation of the ICM and TE lineages

Improving metabolic health in obese male mice via diet and exercise restores embryo development and fetal growth

Paternal obesity is now clearly associated with or causal of impaired embryo and fetal development and reduced pregnancy rates in humans and rodents. This appears to be a result of reduced blastocyst potential. Whether these adverse embryo and fetal outcomes can be ameliorated by interventions to reduce paternal obesity has not been established. Here, male mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity were used, to determine if early embryo and fetal development is improved by interventions of diet (CD) and/or exercise to reduce adiposity and improve metabolism. Exercise and to a lesser extent CD in obese males improved embryo development rates, with increased cell to cell contacts in the compacting embryo measured by E-cadherin in exercise interventions and subsequently, increased blastocyst trophectoderm (TE), inner cell mass (ICM) and epiblast cell numbers. Implantation rates and fetal development from resulting blastocysts were also improved by exercise in obese males. Additionally, all interventions to obese males increased fetal weight, with CD alone and exercise alone, also increasing fetal crown-rump length. Measures of embryo and fetal development correlated with paternal measures of glycaemia, insulin action and serum lipids regardless of paternal adiposity or intervention, suggesting a link between paternal metabolic health and subsequent embryo and fetal development. This is the first study to show that improvements to metabolic health of obese males through diet and exercise can improve embryo and fetal development, suggesting such interventions are likely to improve offspring health.Nicole O. McPherson, Hassan W. Bakos, Julie A. Owens, Brian P. Setchell, Michelle Lan

Multi-objective design under uncertainties of hybrid renewable energy system using NSGA-II and chance constrained programming

The optimum design of Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRES) depends on different economical, environmental and performance related criteria which are often conflicting objectives. The Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) provides a decision support mechanism in solving multi-objective problems and providing a set of non-dominated solutions where finding an absolute optimum solution is not possible. The present study uses NSGA-II algorithm in the design of a standalone HRES comprising wind turbine, PV panel and battery bank with the (economic) objective of minimum system total cost and (performance) objective of maximum reliability. To address the uncertainties in renewable resources (wind speed and solar irradiance), an innovative method is proposed which is based on Chance Constrained Programming (CCP). A case study is used to validate the proposed method, where the results obtained are compared with the conventional method of incorporating uncertainties using Monte Carlo simulation

Effects of light on development of mammalian zygotes

It is generally assumed that light has no effect on the physiology of oocytes, zygotes, or early embryos. Therefore, little or no attention has been paid to lighting conditions during the handling of these cells in vitro. Here we show that cool white fluorescent light, rich in short-wavelength visible light and commonly used in research and clinical laboratories, produces more reactive oxygen species in mouse and hamster zygotes than does warm white fluorescent light. Mouse blastocysts that developed from zygotes shielded from light best developed to term fetuses followed by those exposed to warm white fluorescent light and then by those exposed to cool white fluorescent light. We hypothesized that light is one of the physical factors affecting embryonic environment and that its effects on cultured mammalian zygotes and embryos should not be overlooked