Virtual power plants with electric vehicles

The benefits of integrating aggregated Electric Vehicles (EV) within the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) concept, are addressed. Two types of EV aggregators are identified: i) Electric Vehicle Residential Aggregator (EVRA), which is responsible for the management of dispersed and clustered EVs in a residential area and ii) Electric Vehicle Commercial Aggregator (EVCA), which is responsible for the management of EVs clustered in a single car park. A case study of a workplace EVCA is presented, providing an insight on its operation and service capabilities

Intra-abdominal pressure alterations after large pancreatic pseudocyst transcutaneous drainage

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Acute pancreatitis leads to abdominal hypertension and compartment syndrome. Weeks after the episodes pancreatic fluids sometimes organize to pseudocysts, fluid collections by or in the gland.</p> <p>Aims of the present study were to evaluate the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) induced by large pancreatic pseudocysts and to examine the effect of their transcutaneous drainage on IAP.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty seven patients with a pancreatic pseudocyst were included. Nine patients with pseudocysts greater than 1l (group A) had CT drainage and eighteen (volume less than 1l) were the control group. The measurements of group A were taken 6 hours before and every morning after the drainage, while for group B, two measurements were performed, one at the day of the initial CT and one 7 days after. Abdominal compliance (Cabd) was calculated. Data were analyzed using student's <it>t</it>-test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Baseline IAP for group A was 9.3 mmHg (S.D. 1.7 mmHg), while the first post-drainage day (PDD) IAP was 5.1 mmHg (S.D. 0.7 mmHg). The second PDD IAP was 5.6 mmHg (S.D. 0.8 mmHg), the third 6.4 mmH (S.D. 1.2 mmHg)g, the fourth 6.9 mmHg (S.D. 1.6 mmHg), the fifth 7.9 mmHg (S.D. 1.5 mmHg), the sixth 8.2 mmHg (S.D. 1.4 mmHg), and the seventh 8.2 mmHg (S.D. 1.5 mmHg). Group B had baseline IAP 8.0 mmHg (S.D. 1.2 mmHg) and final 8.2 mmHg (S.D. 1.4 mmHg). Cabd after drainage was 185.6 ml/mmHg (SD 47.5 ml/mmHg).</p> <p>IAP values were reduced between the baseline and all the post-drainage measurements in group A. IAPs seem to stabilize after the 5^thpost-drainage day. Baseline IAP was higher in group A than in group B, while the two values, at day 7, were equivalent.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The drainage of large pancreatic pseudocyst reduces IAP. Moreover, the IAP seems to rise shortly after the drainage again, but in a way that it remains inferior to the initial value. More chronic changes to the IAP are related to abdominal cavity's properties and have to be further studied.</p

Study on the effectiveness of commercial anti‐islanding algorithms in the prospect of mass penetration of PVs in low‐voltage distribution networks

In the coming years, distribution grids will be progressively flooded by renewable energy sources (RES) that will be interconnected with the main grid through power electronic converters. Photovoltaics (PVs) are one of the most promising renewable technologies even for densely built-up areas where space problems are inevitable. The high penetration prospect of PV facilities on low-voltage distribution networks raises questions regarding the necessity of advanced functions that will enable electronically coupled RES to support the operation of distribution grids and to enhance their reliability. In this context, the objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of various islanding prevention measures installed in commercial PV inverters, when multiple inverters are operating in parallel with a low-voltage distribution network (LVDN). Extensive experiments were performed under various PV penetration levels, linear/non-linear load and over/under voltage and over/under frequency conditions, as well as for various values of total harmonic distortion of the mains voltage. Further to the primary statistical analysis, the results were analysed in depth by advanced mathematical methods such as box plot and cluster analysis. The findings of this study indicate that commercial anti-islanding techniques present a high probability of failure in the case of multiple PV units at the same point of common coupling, calling for new and more advanced algorithms.European Commission, H2020, 65411

Comparing Health-Related Quality of Life of Cancer Patients under Chemotherapy and of Their Caregivers

Introduction. Cancer is a major disorder physically and psychologically affecting both patients and their caregivers. In this study, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patient-caregiver dyads during the period of chemotherapy was assessed. Material and Methods. Two hundred twenty-two cancer patient-caregiver dyads were enrolled in the study, which was conducted from October 2008 to March 2009. HRQoL was evaluated with EQ-5D. Results. The mean age of the sample was 57.4 and 48.9 for patients and caregivers, respectively. The EQ-5D descriptive system indicates that female patients more frequently experience anxiety and depression than male patients. Male and higher-education caregivers had higher VAS scores, while demographic factors did not seem to influence patients' HRQoL. Anxiety and depression of caregivers were correlated with patients' problems in self-care and usual activities. Conclusions. Quality of life is highly influenced during the period of chemotherapy for both patients and caregivers and is often under reported. Interventions that can improve HRQoL, especially in the domain of mental health for both cancer patients and their caregivers, need to be implemented

The backreaction of anti-D3 branes on the Klebanov-Strassler geometry

We present the full numerical solution for the 15-dimensional space of linearized deformations of the Klebanov-Strassler background which preserve the SU(2) X SU(2) X Z_2 symmetries. We identify within this space the solution corresponding to anti-D3 branes, (modulo the presence of a certain subleading singularity in the infrared). All the 15 integration constants of this solution are fixed in terms of the number of anti-D3 branes, and the solution differs in the UV from the supersymmetric solution into which it is supposed to decay by a mode corresponding to a rescaling of the field theory coordinates. Deciding whether two solutions that differ in the UV by a rescaling mode are dual to the same theory is involved even for supersymmetric Klebanov-Strassler solutions, and we explain in detail some of the subtleties associated to this.Comment: 41 pages, 5 figures, LaTe

On the Existence of Meta-stable Vacua in Klebanov-Strassler

We solve for the complete space of linearized deformations of the Klebanov-Strassler background consistent with the symmetries preserved by a stack of anti-D3 branes smeared on the $S^3$ of the deformed conifold. We find that the only solution whose UV physics is consistent with that of a perturbation produced by anti-D3 branes must have a singularity in the infrared, coming from NS and RR three-form field strengths whose energy density diverges. If this singularity is admissible, our solution describes the backreaction of the anti-D3 branes, and is thus likely to be dual to the conjectured metastable vacuum in the Klebanov-Strassler field theory. If this singularity is not admissible, then our analysis strongly suggests that anti-D3 branes do not give rise to metastable Klebanov-Strassler vacua, which would have dramatic consequences for some string theory constructions of de Sitter space. Key to this result is a simple, universal form for the force on a probe D3-brane in our ansatz.Comment: 35 pages, LaTeX. v2: further details provided regarding the IR singularity and the discussion modified accordingly. typos corrected, refs adde

Live-Cell Imaging of the Contractile Velocity and Transient Intracellular Ca²⁺ Fluctuations in Human Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Live-cell imaging techniques are essential for acquiring vital physiological and pathophysiological knowledge to understand and treat heart disease. For live-cell imaging of transient alterations of [Ca²⁺]i in human cardiomyocytes, we engineered human-induced pluripotent stem cells carrying a genetically-encoded Ca²⁺-indicator (GECI). To monitor sarcomere shortening and relaxation in cardiomyocytes in real-time, we generated a alpha-cardiac actinin (ACTN2)-copepod (cop) green fluorescent protein (GFP⁺)-human-induced pluripotent stem cell line by using the CRISPR-Cas9 and a homology directed recombination approach. The engineered human-induced pluripotent stem cells were differentiated in transgenic GECI-enhanced GFP⁺-cardiomyocytes and ACTN2-copGFP⁺ -cardiomyocytes, allowing real-time imaging of [Ca²⁺]i transients and live recordings of the sarcomere shortening velocity of ACTN2-copGFP⁺ -cardiomyocytes. We developed a video analysis software tool to quantify various parameters of sarcoplasmic Ca²⁺ fluctuations recorded during contraction of cardiomyocytes and to calculate the contraction velocity of cardiomyocytes in the presence and absence of different drugs affecting cardiac function. Our cellular and software tool not only proved the positive and negative inotropic and lusitropic effects of the tested cardioactive drugs but also quantified the expected effects precisely. Our platform will offer a human-relevant in vitro alternative for high-throughput drug screenings, as well as a model to explore the underlying mechanisms of cardiac diseases

On N = 2 Truncations of IIB on T^{1,1}

We study the N=4 gauged supergravity theory which arises from the consistent truncation of IIB supergravity on the coset T^{1,1}. We analyze three N=2 subsectors and in particular we clarify the relationship between true superpotentials for gauged supergravity and certain fake superpotentials which have been widely used in the literature. We derive a superpotential for the general reduction of type I supergravity on T^{1,1} and this together with a certain solution generating symmetry is tantamount to a superpotential for the baryonic branch of the Klebanov-Strassler solution.Comment: 32 pages, v2:references adde

Anterior chest wall tuberculous abscess: a case report

The granulomatous inflammation of tuberculosis usually involves the lungs and the hilar lymph nodes. Musculoskeletal tuberculosis (TB) occurs in 1–3% of patients with TB, while TB of the chest wall constitutes 1% to 5% of all cases of musculoskeletal TB. Furthermore, nowadays it is rarer to find extrapulmonary TB in immunocompetent rather that non-immunocompetent patients. The present case reports a fifty-six-year-old immunocompetent man with an anterior chest wall tuberculous abscess. The rarity of the present case relates both to the localization of the tuberculous abscess, and to the fact that the patient was immunocompetent. The diagnosis of musculoskeletal tuberculous infection remains a challenge for clinicians and requires a high index of suspicion. The combination of indolent onset of symptoms, positive tuberculin skin test, and compatible radiographic findings, strongly suggests the diagnosis. TB, however, must be confirmed by positive culture or histologic proof. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent serious bone and joint destruction