Solar District Cup Competition

The Solar District Cup is a two-semester design competition sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Energy in which teams from across the nation compete to design the most efficient and cost effective solar plus storage system for a unique district case. The Embry Riddle team was tasked with designing such a system for New Mexico State University in Las Cruses, NM

U.S. Department of Energy Competition: Solar District Cup

The Solar District Cup is a two-semester design competition sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Energy. For this competition, teams from across the nation are tasked with designing the most efficient and cost-effective solar plus storage system for a unique district case. The Embry Riddle team was tasked with designing such a system for New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruses, NM. During the first semester, the team\u27s primary focus was on selecting the photovoltaic panels and equipment used, placing/wiring that equipment across the campus, and developing a plan that would finish construction of the system within 6-months. For this second semester our focus has been on how to incorporate an energy storage system that will allow NMSU to lower their daily peak demand charges without affecting the 6-month construction period, and, per the competition requirements, ensure that the entire project will be fully paid back within 25 years. Our results showcase our proposed design, with a focus on the benefits associated with installing such a system

Aerosol scattering of vortex beams transmission in hazy atmosphere

Mie theory is widely used for the simulation and characterization of optical interaction with scattering media, such atmospheric pollutants. The complex refractive index of particle plays an important role in determining the scattering and absorption of light. Complex optical fields, such as vortex beams, will interact with scattering particulates differently to plane wave or Gaussian optical fields. By considering the three typical aerosol particles compositions that lead to haze in the atmosphere, distinctive scattering dynamic were identified for vortex beams as compared to Gaussian beams. Using parameters similar to real world atmospheric conditions, a new aerosol particle model is proposed to efficiently and concisely describe the aerosol scattering. Numerical simulations indicate unique signatures in the scattering dynamics of the vortex beams that can indicate particles composition and also suggest that potentially there is higher optical transmission of vortex beams propagating in certain hazy environments

Particle scattering induced orbital angular momentum spectrum change of vector Bessel–Gaussian vortex beam

In this paper, we obtain the intensity and phase distributions of the scattering and external fields of a vector Bessel–Gaussian vortex beam in the far-field region after being scattered by a particle. In our analysis, we use the Generalized Lorenz–Mie theory (GLMT) and the angular spectrum decomposition method (ASDM). The orbital angular momentum (OAM) spectra of the fields are analyzed by using the spiral spectrum expansion method, which is a frequently used tool for studying the propagation of vortex beams in turbulent atmospheres. Both scattered and external fields show a significant difference in spiral spectra for particles with different characteristic parameters, such as the size and complex refractive index. We also examine sampling the phase along with a circle and show that it is unable to fully express the information of the fields. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the inversion of characteristic parameters of the Bessel–Gaussian vortex beam and spherical particle by OAM spectra with applications in remote sensing engineering

Experimental study on LBL beams

Six specimens were made and tested to study the mechanical properties of LBL beams. The mean ultimate loading value is 68.39 MPa with a standard deviation of 6.37 MPa, giving a characteristic strength (expected to be exceeded by 95% of specimens) of 57.91 MPa, and the mean ultimate deflection is 53.3 mm with a standard deviation of 5.5 mm, giving the characteristic elastic modulus of 44.3 mm. The mean ultimate bending moment is 20.18 kN.m with a standard deviation of 1.88 kN.m, giving the characteristic elastic modulus of 17.08 kN.m. The mean elastic modulus is 9688 MPa with a standard deviation of 1765 MPa, giving the characteristic elastic modulus of 6785 MPa, and the mean modulus of rupture is 93.3 MPa with a standard deviation of 8.6 MPa, giving the characteristic elastic modulus of 79.2 MPa. The strain across the cross-section for all LBL beams is basically linear throughout the loading process, following standard beam theory

A Role for PREPL in Protein Trafficking and Endocytosis, with Implications in Alzheimer’s Disease

Prolyl endopeptidase-like protein (PREPL) is a putative oligopeptidase with a notable sequence homology with prolyl endopeptidase. Although the precise PREPL functions are unknown, PREPL is identified as one of the most downregulated proteins in Alzheimer’s Disease. As PREPL interacts with cytoskeletal and adaptor proteins, it is hypothesized to play a role in protein processing and trafficking pathways. My thesis aims to investigate how PREPL knockdown affects protein processing and intracellular transport, which may ultimately contribute to AD pathogenesis. Using mouse neuroblastoma and hippocampal cell models, we found PREPL knockdown decreases cell proliferation and reduces expressions of proteins related to the secretory pathway. Our proteomic analysis indicated a decreased level of proteins in the secretory pathway and an increased expression of mitochondrial proteins related to lipid metabolism. Using G-protein coupled receptor internalization assay, PREPL knockdown was demonstrated to attenuate agonist-induced receptor endocytosis. As a potential mechanism of PREPL function, protein palmitoylation was examined in control and PREPL knockdown condition. The results from palmitoylation assay shed light on the potential involvement of PREPL in protein lipidation and trafficking. Overall, our study suggests PREPL as a novel player in protein processing and trafficking, a critical pathway underlying the AD pathogenesis

A Blind Calibration Model for I/Q Imbalances of Wideband Zero-IF Receivers

Frequency-dependent I/Q imbalance and frequency-independent I/Q imbalance are the major impairments in wideband zero-IF receivers, and they both cannot be ignored. In this paper, a blind calibration model is designed for compensating these I/Q imbalances. In order to accurately estimate the imbalance parameters with low cost, a classification rule is proposed according to the frequency-domain statistical characteristics of the received signal. The calibration points in the frequency-domain are divided into two groups. Then, the amplitude imbalance and the frequency-dependent phase imbalance are derived from the group of signal points and, separately, the frequency-independent phase imbalance is calculated from the group of noise points. In the derivation of the frequency-dependent phase imbalance, a general fitting model suitable for all signal points is proposed, which does not require special calculations for either DC point or fs/2 point. Then, a finite impulse response (FIR) real-valued filter is designed to correct the impairments of received signal. The performances of the proposed calibration model are evaluated through both simulations and experiments. The simulation results show the image rejection ratio (IRR) improvement to around 35–45 dBc at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Based on the mismatched data of the ADRV9009 evaluation board, the experimental results exhibit the IRR improvement of both multi-tone and wideband signals to about 30 dBc

Salvianolic Acid A Protects Against Diabetic Nephropathy through Ameliorating Glomerular Endothelial Dysfunction via Inhibiting AGE-RAGE Signaling

Background/Aims: Glomerular endothelium dysfunction leads to the progression of renal architectonic and functional abnormalities in early-stage diabetic nephropathy (DN). Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and receptor for AGEs (RAGE) are proved to play important roles in diabetic nephropathy. This study investigated the role of Salvianolic acid A (SalA) on early-stage DN and its possible underlying mechanism. Methods: In vitro AGEs formation and breaking rate were measured to illustrate the effect of SalA on AGEs. Type 2 diabetic nephropathy rats were induced by high-fat diet and low-dose streptozocin (STZ). After eight-week treatment with SalA 1 mg/kg/day, 24h-urine protein, creatinine clearance was tested and renal structural injury was assessed by PAS and PASM staining. Primary glomerular endothelial cell permeability was evaluated after exposed to AGEs. AGEs-induced RhoA/ROCK and subsequently activated disarrange of cytoskeleton were assessed by western blot and immunofluorescence. Results: Biochemical assay and histological examination demonstrated that SalA markedly reduced endothelium loss and glomerular hyperfiltration, suppressed glomerular hypertrophy and mesangial matrix expansion, eventually reduced urinary albumin and ameliorated renal function. Further investigation suggested that SalA exerted its renoprotective effects through inhibiting AGE-RAGE signaling. It not only inhibited formation of AGEs and increased its breaking in vitro, but also reduced AGEs accumulation in vivo and downregulated RAGE expression. SalA restored glomerular endothelial permeability through suppressing AGEs-induced rearrangement of actin cytoskeleton via AGE-RAGE-RhoA/ ROCK pathway. Moreover, SalA attenuated oxidative stress induced by AGEs, subsequently alleviated inflammation and restored the disturbed autophagy in glomerular endothelial cell and diabetic rats via AGE-RAGE-Nox4 axis. Conclusion: Our study indicated that SalA restored glomerular endothelial function and alleviated renal structural deterioration through inhibiting AGE-RAGE, thus effectively ameliorated early-stage diabetic nephropathy. SalA might be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy