Advanced Metering Infrastructure Based on Smart Meters in Smart Grid

Due to lack of situational awareness, automated analysis, poor visibility, and mechanical switches, today\u27s electric power grid has been aging and ill‐suited to the demand for electricity, which has gradually increased, in the twenty‐first century. Besides, the global climate change and the greenhouse gas emissions on the Earth caused by the electricity industries, the growing population, one‐way communication, equipment failures, energy storage problems, the capacity limitations of electricity generation, decrease in fossil fuels, and resilience problems put more stress on the existing power grid. Consequently, the smart grid (SG) has emerged to address these challenges. To realize the SG, an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) based on smart meters is the most important key

Binary solvent extraction system and extraction time effects on phenolic antioxidants from kenaf seeds (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) extracted by a pulsed ultrasonic-assisted extraction

The aim of this study was to determine the best parameter for extracting phenolic-enriched kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seeds by a pulsed ultrasonic-assisted extraction. The antioxidant activities of ultrasonic-assisted kenaf seed extracts (KSE) were determined by a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity assay, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assay, β-carotene bleaching inhibition assay, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) evaluations were carried out to determine the phenolic and flavonoid contents in KSE. The KSE from the best extraction parameter was then subjected to high performance l.quid chromatography (HPLC) to quantify the phenolic compounds. The optimised extraction condition employed 80% ethanol for 15 min, with the highest values determined for the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assay. KSE contained mainly tannic acid (2302.20 mg/100 g extract) and sinapic acid (1198.22 mg/100 g extract), which can be used as alternative antioxidants in the food industry

Cardiotoxicity Associated with Trastuzumab Therapy in Taiwan: A Single Medical Center's 5-Year Experience

AbstractIntroductionTrastuzumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, targets the external domain of HER2 to improve the efficacy of HER2-positive breast cancer treatment and inhibit carcinoma cellular proliferation. The purpose of this study was to identify early changes in cardiac function and dimensional changes in heart size in patients treated with trastuzumab.Materials and MethodsSeventy three female patients with Her2/neu overexpression (IHC 3+/Fish +) in breast cancer underwent echocardiography before and after trastuzumab therapy.ResultsCardiac complications developed in 14 patients (19.2%), including asymptomatic left ventricle systolic dysfunction (n = 12), symptomatic heart failure (n = 2), new asymptomatic left bundle branch block (n = 1), new negative T waves on electrocardiogram (n = 2), pericardial effusion (n = 1), and death (n = 1). No significant deterioration in diastolic function was noted, and right heart diameters and function did not change significantly. Most patients remained in an asymptomatic stage of cardiac disease. A significant decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was observed in 14 patients (19.2%), and new mitral regurgitation (≥ grade 1) was noted after 3 months of trastuzumab therapy in 7 patients (9.6%).ConclusionsTrastuzumab led to measurable decreases in LVEF (but only 2.7% was symptomatic heart failure) and new mitral regurgitation. Therefore, regular follow-up with echocardiography is essential for early detection and prevention of trastuzumab-induced cardiomyopathy

Estimation of diameter growth parameters for Cryptomeria Plantations in� Taiwan Using the Local Yield Table Construction System

We applied the Local Yield Table Construction System (LYCS), a computer program that estimates stand growth as a function of various density control strategies, to Cryptomeria plantations in Taiwan. Parameters of the growth model were estimated from permanent plot data on Cryptomeria stands stored in a database at the Experimental Forest of National Taiwan University. The diameter at breast height (DBH) and the number of trees measured in permanent plots were used as parameters to estimate the curve of the DBH growth rate, the effects of stand density on diameter growth, growth in terms of DBH, and diameter distribution. The estimated stand growth could be adapted to the observed values in the permanent plots. Based on these results, yield tables for various stand density control strategies can now be constructed for Cryptomeria stands in Taiwan

Quantum Speedup for the Maximum Cut Problem

Given an undirected, unweighted graph with $n$ vertices and $m$ edges, the maximum cut problem is to find a partition of the $n$ vertices into disjoint subsets $V_1$ and $V_2$ such that the number of edges between them is as large as possible. Classically, it is an NP-complete problem, which has potential applications ranging from circuit layout design, statistical physics, computer vision, machine learning and network science to clustering. In this paper, we propose a quantum algorithm to solve the maximum cut problem for any graph $G$ with a quadratic speedup over its classical counterparts, where the temporal and spatial complexities are reduced to, respectively, $O(\sqrt{2^n/r})$ and $O(m^2)$. With respect to oracle-related quantum algorithms for NP-complete problems, we identify our algorithm as optimal. Furthermore, to justify the feasibility of the proposed algorithm, we successfully solve a typical maximum cut problem for a graph with three vertices and two edges by carrying out experiments on IBM's quantum computer.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, The 28th Workshop on Compiler Techniques and System Software for High-Performance and Embedded Computing (CTHPC 2023), May 25-26 2023, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. v2: indicated corresponding authors, included a link to the GitHub repository in Section "Code availability

Relationship between teaching quality factors and employability among Technology Management students

Education system within higher education institution (HEI) is constantly evolved to enhance students’ employability in respond to the change of social-economy and technological revolution. Empirical research revealed that teaching quality is extremely important for the development of students’ employability attributes. Hence, one of the biggest challenges for HEI is to continuously improve teaching quality with the aim to enhance student employability. This study examined the influence of teaching quality on the employability of Technology Management students. Three important factors for teaching quality are identified from literature review comprising of learner quality, learning environment quality and content quality. This study used quantitative method to collect data via online questionnaire with 60 Technology Management students from a Business School within Malaysia responded. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS in term of normality, reliability, descriptive and Pearson correlation test. Finding from this study reveals that learning environment quality, content quality and learner quality are important, significant and positively correlated with employability. The main implication of this study is students’ employability could be assessed based on teaching quality directly instead of via students’ academic performance or employability attribute

Purification and Characterization of Hemagglutinating Proteins from Poker-Chip Venus (Meretrix lusoria) and Corbicula Clam (Corbicula fluminea)

Hemagglutinating proteins (HAPs) were purified from Poker-chip Venus (Meretrix lusoria) and Corbicula clam (Corbicula fluminea) using gel-filtration chromatography on a Sephacryl S-300 column. The molecular weights of the HAPs obtained from Poker-chip Venus and Corbicula clam were 358 kDa and 380 kDa, respectively. Purified HAP from Poker-chip Venus yielded two subunits with molecular weights of 26 kDa and 29 kDa. However, only one HAP subunit was purified from Corbicula clam, and its molecular weight was 32 kDa. The two Poker-chip Venus HAPs possessed hemagglutinating ability (HAA) for erythrocytes of some vertebrate animal species, especially tilapia. Moreover, HAA of the HAP purified from Poker-chip Venus was higher than that of the HAP of Corbicula clam. Furthermore, Poker-chip Venus HAPs possessed better HAA at a pH higher than 7.0. When the temperature was at 4°C–10°C or the salinity was less than 0.5‰, the two Poker-chip Venus HAPs possessed better HAA compared with that of Corbicula clam

Relationship between teaching quality factors and employability among technology management students

Education system within higher education institution (HEI) is constantly evolved to enhance students’ employability in respond to the change of social-economy and technological revolution. Empirical research revealed that teaching quality is extremely important for the development of students’ employability attributes. Hence, one of the biggest challenges for HEI is to continuously improve teaching quality with the aim to enhance student employability. This study examined the influence of teaching quality on the employability of Technology Management students. Three important factors for teaching quality are identified from literature review comprising of learner quality, learning environment quality and content quality. This study used quantitative method to collect data via online questionnaire with 60 Technology Management students from a Business School within Malaysia responded. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS in term of normality, reliability, descriptive and Pearson correlation test. Finding from this study reveals that learning environment quality, content quality and learner quality are important, significant and positively correlated with employability. The main implication of this study is students’ employability could be assessed based on teaching quality directly instead of via students’ academic performance or employability attribute