Application of particle swarm optimization for solving optimal generation plant location problem

The global demand for energy especially-in-developing-countries,-has-been witnessing a tremendous growth due to rapid population growth, economic growth and developing industrial sectors. Therefore, it is necessary to forecast the future energy needs and expand generation capacity to meet the increasing peak demand.-This-paper-presents-an-optimization approach to determine the optimal location for installing a new generator in which the technical, economic and environmental aspects are all taken into consideration. The location that yields the minimum fuel costs, total emission and system loss is considered as the optimal generation plant location. The- formulated- objective- function- and- its constraints compose an optimization problem is solved using particle swarm optimization (PSO). The proposed PSO based optimization approach is tested on IEEE 14-bus system and IEEE 30-bus system to illustrate the potential of the new approach. The simulation results have shown that the proposed approach is indeed capable of determining the optimal generation location that can save much overall fuel cost as well as reduce the total emissions of generators and losses in the network

An approach to optimize process parameter for peptides extraction from Zophobas morio (Fabricius) using antifungal activity as the response

Antifungal peptides have been successfully extracted from whole body larvae of Zophobas morio (Fabricius) by using acidified isopropanol. To ensure that the extraction is cost effective for maximum yield, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) using a Central Composite Design (CCD) strategy was adopted to optimize the extraction process parameters. The effect of independent parameters, namely, the homogenization temperature (°C), homogenization time (min) and solid (g) to the solvent (ml) ratio of the extraction process on the fungal growth was studied. The extracted samples obtained by conducting runs accorded by the experimental design showed varying degree of antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, the selected fungal strain, as assayed by the ‘‘Poisoned agar technique’. The investigation showed that the optimum values of the extraction parameters for the maximum antifungal peptides were 5 minutes homogenization time, 4°C homogenization temperature and 3.5:1 solid to solvent ratio. This study reports the development of an extraction process that allows careful recovery of antifungal peptides from insect larvae. In the validation of the experimental model, the error between the actual value and the predicted value was determined to be 3.57%

Determination of Level of Food Additives in Labisia pumila (LP) Beverages Consumed in Kuantan, Malaysia

The content levels of several food additives (gallic acid, benzoic acid and caffeine) in commercial Labisia pumila (LP) beverage samples in Kuantan, Malaysia were determined by high performances liquid chromatography (HPLC). These analytical measurements were undertaken primarily to assess the compliance of content levels of the investigated food additives and their daily intake doses with permissible levels. The results obtained from this study indicated that the average levels of GA, caffeine and benzoic acid in the analyzed beverages were 37.62-229.35 ppm, 43.46 -168.00 ppm and 98.10-241.13 ppm, respectively. In addition, the concentrations of these food additives have been converted into daily intake doses based on beverage consumption. It was estimated that the mean daily intake of GA, caffeine and benzoic acid  by the adult population of Kuantan through the consumption of the analyzed beverages  were 0.39 mg/kg body weight/day for GA, 0.59 mg/kg body weight/day for caffeine (19.6 % ADI) and 0.43 mg/kg body weight/day for benzoic acid (8.6%ADI). None of the analyzed beverage sample was found to violate the current legal limits as stipulated in Malaysian food regulation

Negotiating Muslim women’s rights and identity in American diaspora space: an Islamic feminist study of Kahf’s the girl in the tangerine scarf

This paper addresses the narrative of a Muslim woman who struggles to negotiate her rights, identity and sense of belonging in an American diaspora space. Despite the difficulties and obstacles of being regarded as an “other” in her adopted homeland, Khadra Shamy, the protagonist in Mohja Kahf’s The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf, chooses to maintain her Islamic identity with a new interpretation of her faith while attempting to build a hybrid identity as an American Muslim. The narrative implies that not all Muslims interpret their religion in the same way and that Muslims identify themselves with Islam to differing degrees. Hence, the media and critics of Islam clearly distort social reality when they depict all Muslims as extremists and all Muslim women as abject individuals. In addition, the employment of Islamic feminism in the analysis of the novel is an approach that can help enhance our knowledge concerning problems connected to the patriarchy that are pertinent in many Muslim communities, including ones in the West. The diaspora space in America has become a platform for Muslim women to gain more freedom, particularly the freedom to negotiate their rights and identities and to reinterpret religious teachings in a new light, a freedom that they may not be able to achieve in some Muslim-majority countries

Anticancer peptides derived from supermeal worm (Zophobas morio) larvae

Cancer still presents enormous challenges in the medical world. Currently, the search for anticancer compounds has garnered a lot of interest, especially in finding them from the natural sources. In this study, by using Sulforhodamine B (SRB) colorimetric assay, compounds, extracted from supermeal worm (Zophobas morio) larvae using two types of acidified organic solvent (ethanol and isopropanol), were shown to inhibit the growth of a breast cancer line, MCF-7. A comparative study of the effect was carried out on a normal cell line, Vero. Results showed that, the two types of extracts inhibits growth of MCF-7 cell at varying degrees, on the other hand, have much less effect on Vero cell. Extracts analysed by UV-vis spectroscopy, showed peaks in the range of 260 to 280 nm, inferring the presence of aromatic amino acids, whereas the highest peak of 3.608 AU at 230 nm indicates the presence of peptide bonds. By Raman spectroscopy, peaks are observed at 1349 cm-1, 944 cm-1 and 841 cm-1 indicating the presence of Tyr, Try and Gly, confirming the UV-vis analyses. All results of analyses implied that the anticancer compounds contain peptides

HDL-structure and function in relation to cardiovascular disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause of death in Western societies. This disease affects both men and women and accounts for approximately 500,000 deaths annually in the U.S.A. alone. For a number of years, plasma concentration of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) was found to correlate inversely with the incidence of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. In addition, other studies in humans showed that higher plasma HDL-C levels correlates with slower progression of atherosclerotic lesions and possible stabilization of unstable atherosclerotic plaque. These findings have led to the suggestion that raising HDL-C will protect from the disease. One of the first trials demonstrating the potential benefit of raising HDL-C levels was the Helsinki Heart Study. In this randomized trial, 4081 men with dyslipidemia received gemfibrozil or placebo and five years later it was seen that the drug reduced CHD risk. Gemfibrozil treatment increased HDL-C levels by 11% but also reduced total plasma cholesterol levels by 10%, LDL-C cholesterol levels by 11% and triglyceride levels by 35%. Although all fibrates have been revealed to raise HDL-C significantly, their overall effect on all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality remains debatable. More recent studies have suggested that the relationship between HDL and cardiovascular risk is more complex than first thought and extends beyond consideration of levels of total HDL-C in plasma. In particular, Mendelian randomization studies challenged the existing view on HDL-C and cardiovascular risk and prompted a discussion as to whether low HDL-C is a causal risk factor for the development of heart disease. In parallel, research interest has intensified in studies aimed at better understanding the many biological functions of HDL and the partner proteins and receptors with which it interacts. There have been a number of studies over recent years indicating that HDL can fail to function effectively in subjects at risk for coronary diseases. It is important therefore to attempt to understand if abnormalities in HDL function are associated with variation in CVD risk. This is especially true in light of the failure of recent trials that raise total HDL to reduce risk of myocardial infarction and CVD. A feature that appears to be related to the atheroprotective functions of HDL is the relative level and distribution of HDL subpopulations in different individuals. Although HDL is unusually regarded as a single entity in clinical settings, studies using non- denaturing two-dimensional electrophoresis have revealed a number of HDL particles with distinct shape, size and composition. Along the same lines, administration of statins - a medication proven to reduce CHD risk - to patients increases specific subpopulation of HDL suggesting that some of the atheroprotective properties of statins may be mediated by increasing selected HDL subpopulations. The overall objective of the present work was to examine in details the relationship of HDL oxidation potential, the ability of HDL to protect LDL from oxidation, and the abundance of the major antioxidant enzyme, PON1, to atherosclerosis in a cross section of subjects recruited from across the social economic spectrum in the West of Scotland (the pSoBid study). PSoBid is valuable as a means of testing these properties of HDL because of its mix of males and females, wide age range, and the fact that it focused in recruiting people at extremes of social deprivation with widely varying lifestyles. The population has been well characterized in terms of classical risk factors and this thesis takes the investigation to a new level of detail with respect to HDL. The major questions addressed were: 1. Is HDL oxidation (measured by three factors; time at half maximum (T1/2max), maximum velocity of oxidation (Vmax), or maximum amount of oxidized HDL measured by optical density) related to a commonly used index of atherosclerosis? 2. Is HDL antioxidant potency to protect LDL from oxidation related to its protective effect in atherosclerosis risk? 3. Is HDL PON1 activity related to atherosclerotic marker? 4. If some HDL subclasses, rather than HDL-C, are particularly related to atherosclerosis? Our major findings revealed that: 1. HDL is more readily oxidized in those subgroups associated with less atherosclerosis. 2. The susceptibility of HDL to oxidation was also related to lifestyle factors associated with less atherosclerotic disease such as moderate alcohol intake, not smoking, active exercise habit and high intake of fruits and vegetables. 3. For HDL structure, %HDL2b was inversely associated with atherosclerosis while %HDL3b was directly associated with atherosclerosis. 4. Comparing the two factors which were inversely associated with atherosclerosis, HDL oxidation and the distribution of HDL subpopulations, our results revealed that HDL oxidation potential was more important than the percentage HDL subfraction distribution in relation to atherosclerosis. 5. HDL mediated inhibition of LDL oxidation was not found to be associated with carotid atherosclerosis nor did it appear to be related to major risk factors. Our interpretation for atherosclerosis is that HDL particles, which are very abundant in the circulation, might play a sacrificial role in that they are oxidized first and therefore have the capacity to prevent LDL oxidation in vivo

PEMULIAAN PINUS BOCOR GETAH: KORELASI GENETIK PRODUKSI GETAH PADA TIGA SUB GALUR UJI KETURUNAN PINUS MERKUSII DI KPH BANYUMAS BARAT

This study aims to determine the genetic correlation of resin yield to growth (height, diameter and branch-free height) in three sub-lines of the progeny test Pinus merkusii. The research was conducted on the 11-year-old P. merkusii with high resin yield half-sib, using an Incomplete Block with a Row Column Design sub-line system, namely sub-lines (KBS Sumedang, KBS Jember, and East Java). The genetic correlation between resin yield with height, diameter and free-branch height generally has a relatively small value. The resin yield with diameter growth in the sub-line of KBS Jember has a positive correlation and is moderate (0.526), but this is different in the genetic correlation of resin yield with moderate branch-free height but negative (-0.498). In the sub-line of East Java, the correlation of resin yield characteristic with diameter growth was moderate but negative (-0.434). Further selection in the Jember KBS sub-line could be aimed at wood and resin yield, however for the Sumedang and East Java KBS sub-lines, further selection was only intended for resin yield. Key words: Genetic correlation, resin yield, Pinus merkusii, sub-line, progeny tes

Generator Revenue Adequacy in the Competitive Electricity Markets: The case of Malaysia

Malaysia, like many other developing countries, is reforming its electric supply industry into a more transparent, efficient and competitive environment. The introduction of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in 1992 was the first step taken to encourage the private investors to participate in the generation sector. The adoption of the single buyer market model in 2001 was a step further to create competition in generation. However, these efforts invite the financial crisis due to IPP generation capacity price obligation and generation surplus as stated in the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). As the PPA is coming towards the end, the pool market model was  initially identified as a possible model to overcome the weaknesses of the single buyer market. However, this model could invite a lot of denials from the power producers if it is not implemented properly. This paper proposes a hybrid market model to satisfy the generator revenue adequacy in Malaysian electricity markets under a competitive environment. A case study of Malaysia’s electricity market system is used to illustrate the proposed market. The result shows that the proposed market model has merit over a pool market model in the context of guaranteed revenue remuneration for each generator. The hybrid model proposed in this paper could effectively be used by ESI in developing countries as a first step of introducing a competition in their electricity marke

Comparison of new and previous Net Energy Metering (NEM) scheme in Malaysia

Net Energy Metering (NEM) scheme was introduced in Malaysia in 2016 to replace the previous Feed in Tariff (FIT) scheme. NEM allows electricity consumers to generate, use and export the net excess energy to the grid. For the net excess energy exported to the grid, the consumer will be paid base on the displaced cost per kWh unit. However, after two years of implementation, not many consumers engaged with the NEM scheme as compared to the previous FIT scheme due to the poor financial return. Beginning 2019, new NEM scheme (NEM 2019) is introduced to replace the previous NEM 2016 scheme. This paper will investigate the potential financial return of the new NEM 2019 in term of net present cost (NPC) and electricity cost savings. The analysis is conducted by using HOMER software on three different size of residential customers; large, medium and small. Different photovoltaic (PV) panel sizes ranging from 1kWp to 8kWp were used in the analysis. The results show that the NEM 2019 produced lower NPC as compared to NEM 2016 for most cases