Preparation and biological activity of the monoclonal antibody against the second extracellular loop of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor

The current study was to prepare a mouse-derived antibody against the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-mAb) based on monoclonal antibody technology, to provide a foundation for research on AT1-AA-positive diseases. Balb/C mice were actively immunized with the second extracellular loop of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R-ECII). Then, mouse spleen lymphocytes were fused with myeloma cells and monoclonal hybridomas that secreted AT1-mAb were generated and cultured, after which those in logarithmic-phase were injected into the abdominal cavity of mice to retrieve the ascites. Highly purified AT1-mAb was isolated from mouse ascites after injection with 1 × 107 hybridomas. A greater amount of AT1-mAb was purified from mouse ascites compared to the cell supernatant of hybridomas. AT1-mAb purified from mouse ascites constricted the thoracic aorta of mice and increased the beat frequency of neonatal rat myocardial cells via the AT1R, identical to the effects of AT1-AA extracted from patients’ sera. Murine blood pressure increased after intravenous injection of AT1-mAb via the tail vein. High purity and good biological activity of AT1-mAb can be obtained from mouse ascites after intraperitoneal injection of monoclonal hybridomas that secrete AT1-mAb. These data provide a simple tool for studying AT1-AA-positive diseases

Two-settlement electric power markets with dynamic-price customers

This study will report both analytical and computational testbed findings regarding the effects of retail dynamic-price contracting on power system operations. The key issue under study is the extent to which the introduction of dynamic price contracts for retail consumers affects the efficiency of both retail and wholesale power market operations through changes in price volatility and load profiles at wholesale, and through re-allocations of risk between load-serving entities and retail consumers

Intelligent Residential Air-Conditioning System With Smart-Grid Functionality

This paper sets forth a novel intelligent residential air-conditioning (A/C) system controller that has smart grid functionality. The qualifier “intelligent” means the A/C system has advanced computational capabilities and uses an array of environmental and occupancy parameters in order to provide optimal intertemporal comfort/cost trade-offs for the resident, conditional on anticipated retail energy prices. The term “smart-grid functionality” means that retail energy prices can depend on wholesale energy prices. Simulation studies are used to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed A/C system controller

Agent-based simulation of distribution systems with high penetration of photovoltaic generation

This paper discusses the development of an agent-based test bed permitting the integrated study of retail and wholesale power markets operating over realistically rendered transmission and distribution systems. A key issue to be addressed using this test bed is the dynamic effect of increased penetration of consumer-owned distributed energy resources, such as PV generation, particularly when coupled with increased price-sensitivity of demand as realized through demand response, demand dispatch, and/or price-sensitive demand bidding.© 2011 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. DOI: 10.1109/PES.2011.6039269</p

Casein kinase 2 attenuates brain injury induced by intracerebral hemorrhage via regulation of NR2B phosphorylation

ObjectiveIntracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a common cerebrovascular disease with high incidence, disability, and mortality. Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a serine/threonine kinase with hundreds of identified substrates and plays an important role in many diseases. This study aimed to explore whether CK2 plays protective roles in ICH-induced neuronal apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress through regulation NR2B phosphorylation.MethodsCK2 expression level of brain tissues taken from ICH patients was determined by immunoblotting. Neurons from embryonic rat and astrocytes from newborn rats were cultured and treated by Hemoglobin chloride (Hemin). The proliferation of astrocytes, the apoptosis and oxidative stress of neurons and the inflammatory factors of astrocytes were detected. CK2 expression was determined in ICH model rats. The effects of CK2 overexpression plasmid (pc-CK2) on neurobehavioral defects and brain water content in ICH rats were observed.ResultsCK2 expression in ICH patients was down-regulated. Overexpression of CK2 promoted the astrocyte proliferation, inhibited neuronal apoptosis, and reduced astrocyte-mediated inflammation. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B (NR2B) reversed the effects of pc-CK2 on neurons and astrocytes. CK2 phosphorylated NR2B at the S1480 site, down-regulated the expression of NR2B and interfered with the interaction between NR2B and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95). In vivo experiments showed that the expression of CK2 decreased and the expression of NR2B increased in ICH rats. Furthermore, pc-CK2 attenuated neurobehavioral defects, brain water content and neuronal damage in ICH rats.ConclusionCK2 phosphorylated NR2B, down-regulated the expression of NR2B, interfered with the interaction between NR2B and PSD95, alleviated inflammatory reactions, inhibited neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress after ICH. CK2 and NR2B may be new potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of ICH. However, the limitation of this study is that we only investigated the regulation of NR2B by CK2

Search Assistant: Effect of Chatbot on User's Collaborative Search Behavior

Collaborative search is "the retrieval and sensemaking of information by multiple users with the same information need". The experience of collaborative search can be improved by employing a chatbot which is "a program designed to counterfeit a smart communication". Chatbot makes it easier for the users to be aware of each other's activities and to share, communicate and reach consensus during collaborative search and makes it more enjoyable. However, the prior research has been limited by using a single-user web search engine and a dedicated messaging platform. It is unknown whether the observed benefits are maintained in a collaborative search system where several collaborative tools exist, such as shared query history, bookmark, and built-in messaging capability. Hence, here we aim to explore how chatbot affects users' behavior on a collaborative search system and users' perceptions of the chatbot. We implemented ChatX, a chatbot agent that monitors the group chat and guides users through the search tasks. To evaluate it, we conducted a user study with X users in the domain of restaurant recommendations and local attraction searching. We found that ChatX does not significantly reduce users' search effort, but it improves the overall collaborative search experience and gives the user a highly favorable impression.CSE3000 Research ProjectComputer Science and Engineerin

Gas Kinetic Scheme Coupled with High-Speed Modifications for Hypersonic Transition Flow Simulations

The issue of hypersonic boundary layer transition prediction is a critical aerodynamic concern that must be addressed during the aerodynamic design process of high-speed vehicles. In this context, we propose an advanced mesoscopic method that couples the gas kinetic scheme (GKS) with the Langtry–Menter transition model, including its three high-speed modification methods, tailored for accurate predictions of high-speed transition flows. The new method incorporates the turbulent kinetic energy term into the Maxwellian velocity distribution function, and it couples the effects of high-speed modifications on turbulent kinetic energy within the computational framework of the GKS solver. This integration elevates both the transition model and its high-speed enhancements to the mesoscopic level, enhancing the method’s predictive capability. The GKS-coupled mesoscopic method is validated through a series of test cases, including supersonic flat plate simulation, multiple hypersonic cone cases, the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE)-1 flight test, and the HIFiRE-5 case. The computational results obtained from these cases exhibit favorable agreement with experimental data. In comparison with the conventional Godunov method, the new approach encompasses a broader range of physical mechanisms, yielding computational results that closely align with the true physical phenomena and marking a notable elevation in computational fidelity and accuracy. This innovative method potentially satisfies the compelling demand for developing a precise and rapid method for predicting hypersonic boundary layer transition, which can be readily used in engineering applications