A survey on enhancing grid flexibility through bidirectional interactive electric vehicle operations

Smart grids (SG) constitute a revolutionary concept within the energy sector, enabling the establishment of a bidirectional communication infrastructure. This infrastructure significantly improves control, efficiency, and overall service quality in power systems. The study provides an in-depth survey on the classification of EVs, including both plug-in and non-plug-in EVs, and the integration process of V2G, including bidirectional power flow analysis. Moreover, various control strategies for EV integration are explored, ranging from centralized and decentralized to hierarchical control structures. Further, the research thoroughly examines the potential benefits of EV integration and addresses associated challenges, such as battery degradation, infrastructure requirements, cybersecurity and communication issues, grid congestion, and consumer behavior. The study goes beyond theoretical exploration and offers a comprehensive simulation analysis. This analysis leverages the storage capabilities of EVs to provide grid support services. A real-time dynamic dispatch strategy is formulated to integrate EVs into the automatic generation control of multi-energy systems. The findings demonstrate that EVs can effectively mitigate forecasting errors in a power network heavily reliant on wind energy sources. Consequently, the storage capabilities of EVs contribute to enhancing grid flexibility in managing the intermittency of renewable energy resources

Plant Secondary Metabolites and Abiotic Stress Tolerance: Overview and Implications

Plant secondary metabolites (PSM) are one of the major sources of industrially important products such as food additives due to their distinctive tastes, smells, and flavors. Unlike primary metabolites such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, these secondary chemicals are not involved in plant growth, development, and reproduction but play a significant role in ecosystem functioning. These secondary biochemicals also play a key role in plant communication and defense, particularly under different environmental stresses. Plants may exhibit a defense response to combat these abiotic environmental stressors by generating a variety of PSMs to minimize cell and tissue damage. Secondary metabolites are very diverse (almost more than 200,000) in nature, majorly classified into terpenoids, phenolic compounds, nitrogen, and sulfur-containing secondary metabolites, separated based on biosynthetic pathways (shikimate pathway, mevalonic pathway, and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway). This chapter summarizes the stimulating effects of different abiotic stressors (heavy metals, cold and high temperature, light, salinity, and drought) on secondary metabolite production. A major focus is given on the synthesis of secondary metabolite and accumulation in plants under stressful conditions, and their role in the regulation of plant defense

SMAD4 - Molecular gladiator of the TGF-β signaling is trampled upon by mutational insufficiency in colorectal carcinoma of Kashmiri population: an analysis with relation to KRAS proto-oncogene

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The development and progression of colorectal cancer has been extensively studied and the genes responsible have been well characterized. However the correlation between the <it>SMAD4 </it>gene mutations with <it>KRAS </it>mutant status has not been explored by many studies so far. Here, in this study we aimed to investigate the role of <it>SMAD4 </it>gene aberrations in the pathogenesis of CRC in Kashmir valley and to correlate it with various clinicopathological variables and <it>KRAS </it>mutant genotype.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We examined the paired tumor and normal tissue specimens of 86 CRC patients for the occurrence of aberrations in MCR region of <it>SMAD4 </it>and exon 1 of <it>KRAS </it>by PCR-SSCP and/or PCR-Direct sequencing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall mutation rate of mutation cluster region (MCR) region of <it>SMAD4 </it>gene among 86 patients was 18.6% (16 of 86). 68.75% (11/16) of the <it>SMAD4 </it>gene mutants were found to have mutations in <it>KRAS </it>gene as well. The association between the <it>KRAS </it>mutant genotype with <it>SMAD4 </it>mutants was found to be significant (P =< 0.05). Further more, we found a significant association of tumor location, tumor grade, node status, occupational exposure to pesticides and bleeding PR/Constipation with the mutation status of the <it>SMAD4 </it>gene (P =< 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study suggests that <it>SMAD4 </it>gene aberrations are the common event in CRC development but play a differential role in the progression of CRC in higher tumor grade (C+D) and its association with the <it>KRAS </it>mutant status suggest that these two molecules together are responsible for the progression of the tumor to higher/advanced stage.</p

Quantifying risks and interventions that have affected the burden of diarrhoea among children younger than 5 years : an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Many countries have shown marked declines in diarrhoea! disease mortality among children younger than 5 years. With this analysis, we provide updated results on diarrhoeal disease mortality among children younger than 5 years from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) and use the study's comparative risk assessment to quantify trends and effects of risk factors, interventions, and broader sociodemographic development on mortality changes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Methods This analysis for GBD 2017 had three main components. Diarrhoea mortality was modelled using vital registration data, demographic surveillance data, and verbal autopsy data in a predictive, Bayesian, ensemble modelling tool; and the attribution of risk factors and interventions for diarrhoea were modelled in a counterfactual framework that combines modelled population-level prevalence of the exposure to each risk or intervention with the relative risk of diarrhoea given exposure to that factor. We assessed the relative and absolute change in diarrhoea mortality rate between 1990 and 2017, and used the change in risk factor exposure and sociodemographic status to explain differences in the trends of diarrhoea mortality among children younger than 5 years. Findings Diarrhoea was responsible for an estimated 533 768 deaths (95% uncertainty interval 477 162-593 145) among children younger than 5 years globally in 2017, a rate of 78.4 deaths (70.1-87.1) per 100 000 children. The diarrhoea mortality rate ranged between countries by over 685 deaths per 100 000 children. Diarrhoea mortality per 100 000 globally decreased by 69.6% (63.1-74.6) between 1990 and 2017. Among the risk factors considered in this study, those responsible for the largest declines in the diarrhoea mortality rate were reduction in exposure to unsafe sanitation (13.3% decrease, 11.2-15.5), childhood wasting (9.9% decrease, 9.6-10.2), and low use of oral rehydration solution (6.9% decrease, 4-8-8-4). Interpretation Diarrhoea mortality has declined substantially since 1990, although there are variations by country. Improvements in sociodemographic indicators might explain some of these trends, but changes in exposure to risk factors-particularly unsafe sanitation, childhood growth failure, and low use of oral rehydration solution-appear to be related to the relative and absolute rates of decline in diarrhoea mortality. Although the most effective interventions might vary by country or region, identifying and scaling up the interventions aimed at preventing and protecting against diarrhoea that have already reduced diarrhoea mortality could further avert many thousands of deaths due to this illness

Quantifying risks and interventions that have affected the burden of lower respiratory infections among children younger than 5 years : an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Despite large reductions in under-5 lower respiratory infection (LRI) mortality in many locations, the pace of progress for LRIs has generally lagged behind that of other childhood infectious diseases. To better inform programmes and policies focused on preventing and treating LRIs, we assessed the contributions and patterns of risk factor attribution, intervention coverage, and sociodemographic development in 195 countries and territories by drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) LRI estimates. Methods We used four strategies to model LRI burden: the mortality due to LRIs was modelled using vital registration data, demographic surveillance data, and verbal autopsy data in a predictive ensemble modelling tool; the incidence of LRIs was modelled using population representative surveys, health-care utilisation data, and scientific literature in a compartmental meta-regression tool; the attribution of risk factors for LRI mortality was modelled in a counterfactual framework; and trends in LRI mortality were analysed applying changes in exposure to risk factors over time. In GBD, infectious disease mortality, including that due to LRI, is among HIV-negative individuals. We categorised locations based on their burden in 1990 to make comparisons in the changing burden between 1990 and 2017 and evaluate the relative percent change in mortality rate, incidence, and risk factor exposure to explain differences in the health loss associated with LRIs among children younger than 5 years. Findings In 2017, LRIs caused 808 920 deaths (95% uncertainty interval 747 286-873 591) in children younger than 5 years. Since 1990, there has been a substantial decrease in the number of deaths (from 2 337 538 to 808 920 deaths; 65.4% decrease, 61.5-68.5) and in mortality rate (from 362.7 deaths [3304-392.0] per 100 000 children to 118.9 deaths [109.8-128.3] per 100 000 children; 67.2% decrease, 63.5-70.1). LRI incidence dedined globally (32.4% decrease, 27.2-37.5). The percent change in under-5 mortality rate and incidence has varied across locations. Among the risk factors assessed in this study, those responsible for the greatest decrease in under-5 LRI mortality between 1990 and 2017 were increased coverage of vaccination against Haemophilus influenza type b (11.4% decrease, 0.0-24.5), increased pneumococcal vaccine coverage (6.3% decrease, 6.1-6.3), and reductions in household air pollution (8.4%, 6 8-9.2). Interpretation Our findings show that there have been substantial but uneven declines in LRI mortality among countries between 1990 and 2017. Although improvements in indicators of sociodemographic development could explain some of these trends, changes in exposure to modifiable risk factors are related to the rates of decline in LRI mortality. No single intervention would universally accelerate reductions in health loss associated with LRIs in all settings, but emphasising the most dominant risk factors, particularly in countries with high case fatality, can contribute to the reduction of preventable deaths

Quantifying risks and interventions that have affected the burden of diarrhoea among children younger than 5 years : an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Many countries have shown marked declines in diarrhoea! disease mortality among children younger than 5 years. With this analysis, we provide updated results on diarrhoeal disease mortality among children younger than 5 years from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) and use the study's comparative risk assessment to quantify trends and effects of risk factors, interventions, and broader sociodemographic development on mortality changes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Methods This analysis for GBD 2017 had three main components. Diarrhoea mortality was modelled using vital registration data, demographic surveillance data, and verbal autopsy data in a predictive, Bayesian, ensemble modelling tool; and the attribution of risk factors and interventions for diarrhoea were modelled in a counterfactual framework that combines modelled population-level prevalence of the exposure to each risk or intervention with the relative risk of diarrhoea given exposure to that factor. We assessed the relative and absolute change in diarrhoea mortality rate between 1990 and 2017, and used the change in risk factor exposure and sociodemographic status to explain differences in the trends of diarrhoea mortality among children younger than 5 years. Findings Diarrhoea was responsible for an estimated 533 768 deaths (95% uncertainty interval 477 162-593 145) among children younger than 5 years globally in 2017, a rate of 78.4 deaths (70.1-87.1) per 100 000 children. The diarrhoea mortality rate ranged between countries by over 685 deaths per 100 000 children. Diarrhoea mortality per 100 000 globally decreased by 69.6% (63.1-74.6) between 1990 and 2017. Among the risk factors considered in this study, those responsible for the largest declines in the diarrhoea mortality rate were reduction in exposure to unsafe sanitation (13.3% decrease, 11.2-15.5), childhood wasting (9.9% decrease, 9.6-10.2), and low use of oral rehydration solution (6.9% decrease, 4-8-8-4). Interpretation Diarrhoea mortality has declined substantially since 1990, although there are variations by country. Improvements in sociodemographic indicators might explain some of these trends, but changes in exposure to risk factors-particularly unsafe sanitation, childhood growth failure, and low use of oral rehydration solution-appear to be related to the relative and absolute rates of decline in diarrhoea mortality. Although the most effective interventions might vary by country or region, identifying and scaling up the interventions aimed at preventing and protecting against diarrhoea that have already reduced diarrhoea mortality could further avert many thousands of deaths due to this illness. Copyright (C) 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe