Primal and Dual Methods for Unit Commitment in a Hydro-Thermal Power System

The unit commitment problem in a power generation system comprising thermal and pumped-storage hydro units is adressed. A large-scale mixed-integer optimization model for unit commitment in a real power system is developed and solved by primal and dual approaches. Both solution methods employ state-of-the-art algorithms and software. Results of test runs are reported

Cellular distribution of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and B (VEGFB) and VEGF receptors 1 and 2 in focal cortical dysplasia type IIB

Members of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family are key signaling proteins in the induction and regulation of angiogenesis, both during development and in pathological conditions. However, signaling mediated through VEGF family proteins and their receptors has recently been shown to have direct effects on neurons and glial cells. In the present study, we immunocytochemically investigated the expression and cellular distribution of VEGFA, VEGFB, and their associated receptors (VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2) in focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type IIB from patients with medically intractable epilepsy. Histologically normal temporal cortex and perilesional regions displayed neuronal immunoreactivity (IR) for VEGFA, VEGFB, and VEGF receptors (VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2), mainly in pyramidal neurons. Weak IR was observed in blood vessels and there was no notable glial IR within the grey and white matter. In all FCD specimens, VEGFA, VEGFB, and both VEGF receptors were highly expressed in dysplastic neurons. IR in astroglial and balloon cells was observed for VEGFA and its receptors. VEGFR-1 displayed strong endothelial staining in FCD. Double-labeling also showed expression of VEGFA, VEGFB and VEGFR-1 in cells of the microglia/macrophage lineage. The neuronal expression of both VEGFA and VEGFB, together with their specific receptors in FCD, suggests autocrine/paracrine effects on dysplastic neurons. These autocrine/paracrine effects could play a role in the development of FCD, preventing the death of abnormal neuronal cells. In addition, the expression of VEGFA and its receptors in glial cells within the dysplastic cortex indicates that VEGF-mediated signaling could contribute to astroglial activation and associated inflammatory reactions

The interactive multiobjective package IMPROVE with application to strategic planning of carbochemical industry

In the field of chemical engineering and large-scale economic planning the classical approaches of single-objective thinking with an economic efficiency criterion only have shown to be inadequate for several reasons (Grauer, Lewandowski and Wierzbicki, 1983). The increasing awareness of the finiteness of natural resources and of the urgent necessity to protect the environment from hazardous emissions led to the requirement to consider in decision problems as well as economic efficiency and also resources and energy conservation and environmental protection criteria