Search results for: Photovoltaic cell
648 Neuroblasts Micropatterning on Nanostructural Modified Chitosan Membranes
Authors: Chun-Yen Sung, Chung-Yao Yang, Tzu-Chun Liao, Wen-Shiang Chen, Chao-Min Cheng, J. Andrew Yeh
Abstract:
The study describes chitosan membrane platform modified with nanostructure pattern which using nanotechnology to fabricate. The cell-substrate interaction between neuro-2a neuroblasts cell lines and chitosan membrane (flat, nanostructure and nanostructure pattern types) was investigated. The adhered morphology of neuro-2a cells depends on the topography of chitosan surface. We have found that neuro-2a showed different morphogenesis when cells adhered on flat and nanostructure chitosan membrane. The cell projected area of neuro-2a on flat chitosan membrane is larger than on nanostructure chitosan membrane. In addition, neuro-2a cells preferred to adhere on flat chitosan surface region than on nanostructure chitosan membrane to immobilize and differentiation. The experiment suggests surface topography can be used as a critical mechanism to isolate group of neuro-2a to a particular rectangle area on chitosan membrane. Our finding will provide a platform to take patch clamp to record electrophysiological behavior about neurons in vitro in the future.Keywords: Chitosan membrane, neuro-2a, wet chemical etching, solvent casting.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1745647 Fermentation of Xylose and Glucose Mixture in Intensified Reactors by Scheffersomyces stipitis to Produce Ethanol
Authors: S. C. Santos, S. R. Dionísio, A. L. D. De Andrade, L. R. Roque, A. C. Da Costa, J. L. Ienczak
Abstract:
In this work, two fermentations at different temperatures (25 and 30ºC), with cell recycling, were accomplished to produce ethanol, using a mix of commercial substrates, xylose (70%) and glucose (30%), as organic source for Scheffersomyces stipitis. Five consecutive fermentations of 80 g L-1 (1º, 2º and 3º recycles), 96 g L-1 (4º recycle) and 120 g L-1 (5º recycle)reduced sugars led to a final maximum ethanol concentration of 17.2 and 34.5 g L-1, at 25 and 30ºC, respectively. Glucose was the preferred substrate; moreover xylose startup degradation was initiated after a remaining glucose presence in the medium. Results showed that yeast acid treatment, performed before each cycle, provided improvements on cell viability, accompanied by ethanol productivity of 2.16 g L-1 h- 1 at 30ºC. A maximum 36% of xylose was retained in the fermentation medium and after five-cycle fermentation an ethanol yield of 0.43 g ethanol/g sugars was observed. S. stipitis fermentation capacity and tolerance showed better results at 30ºC with 83.4% of theoretical yield referenced on initial biomass.Keywords: 5-carbon sugar, cell recycling fermenter, mixed sugars, xylose-fermenting yeast.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 2747646 Influence of Cell-free Proteins in the Nucleation of CaCO3 Crystals in Calcified Endoskeleton
Authors: M. Azizur Rahman, Tamotsu Oomori
Abstract:
Calcite aCalcite and aragonite are the two common polymorphs of CaCO3 observed as biominerals. It is universal that the sea water contents a high Mg2+ (50mM) relative to Ca2+ (10mM). In vivo crystallization, Mg2+ inhibits calcite formation. For this reason, stony corals skeleton may be formed only aragonite crystals in the biocalcification. It is special in case of soft corals of which formed only calcite crystal; however, this interesting phenomenon, still uncharacterized in the marine environment, has been explored in this study using newly purified cell-free proteins isolated from the endoskeletal sclerites of soft coral. By recording the decline of pH in vitro, the control of CaCO3 nucleation and crystal growth by the cellfree proteins was revealed. Using Atomic Force Microscope, here we find that these endoskeletal cell-free proteins significantly design the morphological shape in the molecular-scale kinetics of crystal formation and those proteins act as surfactants to promote ion attachment at calcite steps.nd aragonite are the two common polymorphs of CaCO3 observed as biominerals. It is universal that the sea water contents a high Mg2+ (50mM) relative to Ca2+ (10mM). In vivo crystallization, Mg2+ inhibits calcite formation. For this reason, stony corals skeleton may be formed only aragonite crystals in the biocalcification. It is special in case of soft corals of which formed only calcite crystal; however, this interesting phenomenon, still uncharacterized in the marine environment, has been explored in this study using newly purified cell-free proteins isolated from the endoskeletal sclerites of soft coral. By recording the decline of pH in vitro, the control of CaCO3 nucleation and crystal growth by the cell-free proteins was revealed. Using Atomic Force Microscope, here we find that these endoskeletal cell-free proteins significantly design the morphological shape in the molecular-scale kinetics of crystal formation and those proteins act as surfactants to promote ion attachment at calcite steps. KeywordsBiomineralization, Calcite, Cell-free protein, Soft coralKeywords: Biomineralization, Calcite, Cell-free protein, Soft coral
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1544645 The Role and Importance of Genome Sequencing in Prediction of Cancer Risk
Authors: M. Sadeghi, H. Pezeshk, R. Tusserkani, A. Sharifi Zarchi, A. Malekpour, M. Foroughmand, S. Goliaei, M. Totonchi, N. Ansari–Pour
Abstract:
The role and relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors in the development of complex diseases such as cancer still remains a controversial issue. Determining the amount of variation explained by these factors needs experimental data and statistical models. These models are nevertheless based on the occurrence and accumulation of random mutational events during stem cell division, thus rendering cancer development a stochastic outcome. We demonstrate that not only individual genome sequencing is uninformative in determining cancer risk, but also assigning a unique genome sequence to any given individual (healthy or affected) is not meaningful. Current whole-genome sequencing approaches are therefore unlikely to realize the promise of personalized medicine. In conclusion, since genome sequence differs from cell to cell and changes over time, it seems that determining the risk factor of complex diseases based on genome sequence is somewhat unrealistic, and therefore, the resulting data are likely to be inherently uninformative.
Keywords: Cancer risk, extrinsic factors, genome sequencing, intrinsic factors.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1102644 Endothelial-Cell-Mediated Displacement of Extracellular Matrix during Angiogenesis
Authors: Yue Du, Sahan C. B. Herath, Qing-Guo Wang, Harry Asada, Peter C. Y. Chen
Abstract:
Mechanical interaction between endothelial cells (ECs) and the extracellular matrix (or collagen gel) is known to influence the sprouting response of endothelial cells during angiogenesis. This influence is believed to impact on the capability of endothelial cells to sense soluble chemical cues. Quantitative analysis of endothelial-cell-mediated displacement of the collagen gel provides a means to explore this mechanical interaction. Existing analysis in this context is generally limited to 2D settings. In this paper, we investigate the mechanical interaction between endothelial cells and the extracellular matrix in terms of the endothelial-cellmediated displacement of the collagen gel in both 2D and 3D. Digital image correlation and Digital volume correlation are applied on confocal reflectance image stacks to analyze cell-mediated displacement of the gel. The skeleton of the sprout is extracted from phase contrast images and superimposed on the displacement field to further investigate the link between the development of the sprout and the displacement of the gel.
Keywords: Angiogenesis, digital image correlation, digital volume correlation, interaction between ECs and ECM.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1705643 Attribute Selection Methods Comparison for Classification of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Helyane Bronoski Borges, Júlio Cesar Nievola
Abstract:
The most important subtype of non-Hodgkin-s lymphoma is the Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. Approximately 40% of the patients suffering from it respond well to therapy, whereas the remainder needs a more aggressive treatment, in order to better their chances of survival. Data Mining techniques have helped to identify the class of the lymphoma in an efficient manner. Despite that, thousands of genes should be processed to obtain the results. This paper presents a comparison of the use of various attribute selection methods aiming to reduce the number of genes to be searched, looking for a more effective procedure as a whole.Keywords: Attribute selection, data mining.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1409642 Energy Production from Marine Biomass: Fuel Cell Power Generation Driven by Methane Produced from Seaweed
Authors: Shinya Yokoyama, Katsunari Jonouchi, Kenji Imou
Abstract:
This paper discusses the utilization of marine biomass as an energy resource in Japan. A marine biomass energy system in Japan was proposed consisting of seaweed cultivation (Laminaria japonica) at offshore marine farms, biogas production via methane fermentation of the seaweeds, and fuel cell power generation driven by the generated biogas. We estimated energy output, energy supply potential, and CO2 mitigation in Japan on the basis of the proposed system. As a result, annual energy production was estimated to be 1.02-109 kWh/yr at nine available sites. Total CO2 mitigation was estimated to be 1.04-106 tonnes per annum at the nine sites. However, the CO2 emission for the construction of relevant facilities is not taken into account in this paper. The estimated CO2 mitigation is equivalent to about 0.9% of the required CO2 mitigation for Japan per annum under the Kyoto Protocol framework.Keywords: CO2 mitigation, Fuel cell power generation, Laminaria japonica, Marine biomass, Seaweed.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 4728641 A Stochastic Approach of Mitochondrial Dynamics
Authors: Athanasios T. Alexiou, Maria M. Psiha, John A. Rekkas, Panayiotis M. Vlamos
Abstract:
Mitochondria are dynamic organelles, capable to interact with each other. While the number of mitochondria in a cell varies, their quality and functionality depends on the operation of fusion, fission, motility and mitophagy. Nowadays, several researches declare as an important factor in neurogenerative diseases the disruptions in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics. In this paper a stochastic model in BioAmbients calculus is presented, concerning mitochondrial fusion and its distribution in the renewal of mitochondrial population in a cell. This model describes the successive and dependent stages of protein synthesis, protein-s activation and merging of two independent mitochondria.Keywords: Mitochondrial Dynamics, P-Calculus, StochasticModeling.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1469640 A Grid Synchronization Method Based on Adaptive Notch Filter for SPV System with Modified MPPT
Authors: Priyanka Chaudhary, M. Rizwan
Abstract:
This paper presents a grid synchronization technique based on adaptive notch filter for SPV (Solar Photovoltaic) system along with MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) techniques. An efficient grid synchronization technique offers proficient detection of various components of grid signal like phase and frequency. It also acts as a barrier for harmonics and other disturbances in grid signal. A reference phase signal synchronized with the grid voltage is provided by the grid synchronization technique to standardize the system with grid codes and power quality standards. Hence, grid synchronization unit plays important role for grid connected SPV systems. As the output of the PV array is fluctuating in nature with the meteorological parameters like irradiance, temperature, wind etc. In order to maintain a constant DC voltage at VSC (Voltage Source Converter) input, MPPT control is required to track the maximum power point from PV array. In this work, a variable step size P & O (Perturb and Observe) MPPT technique with DC/DC boost converter has been used at first stage of the system. This algorithm divides the dPpv/dVpv curve of PV panel into three separate zones i.e. zone 0, zone 1 and zone 2. A fine value of tracking step size is used in zone 0 while zone 1 and zone 2 requires a large value of step size in order to obtain a high tracking speed. Further, adaptive notch filter based control technique is proposed for VSC in PV generation system. Adaptive notch filter (ANF) approach is used to synchronize the interfaced PV system with grid to maintain the amplitude, phase and frequency parameters as well as power quality improvement. This technique offers the compensation of harmonics current and reactive power with both linear and nonlinear loads. To maintain constant DC link voltage a PI controller is also implemented and presented in this paper. The complete system has been designed, developed and simulated using SimPower System and Simulink toolbox of MATLAB. The performance analysis of three phase grid connected solar photovoltaic system has been carried out on the basis of various parameters like PV output power, PV voltage, PV current, DC link voltage, PCC (Point of Common Coupling) voltage, grid voltage, grid current, voltage source converter current, power supplied by the voltage source converter etc. The results obtained from the proposed system are found satisfactory.
Keywords: Solar photovoltaic systems, MPPT, voltage source converter, grid synchronization technique.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1960639 Automation of Packing Cell in Fresh Fish Facilities
Authors: Omid Mirmotahari, Yngvar Berg, Mats Hovin
Abstract:
The problem discussed in this paper involves packing fresh fish fileet of the northern Cod into a standard square container. The fish is first cleaned and split and then collected on a belt ready to be stacked in a container. The aim of our work is to pack the fish into the container with constraints on the amount of overlap allowed for the fileets. The current focus is to design a packing cell that can be real-time and of practical use, while finding the optimal solution to the degree of overlap and minimise the unused space of the container.
Keywords: Facilities Planning and Management, Intelligent Systems, Manufacturing Systems, Operations Research, Production Planning and Control.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1628638 An Efficient Tool for Mitigating Voltage Unbalance with Reactive Power Control of Distributed Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems
Authors: Malinwo Estone Ayikpa
Abstract:
With the rapid increase of grid-connected PV systems over the last decades, genuine challenges have arisen for engineers and professionals of energy field in the planning and operation of existing distribution networks with the integration of new generation sources. However, the conventional distribution network, in its design was not expected to receive other generation outside the main power supply. The tools generally used to analyze the networks become inefficient and cannot take into account all the constraints related to the operation of grid-connected PV systems. Some of these constraints are voltage control difficulty, reverse power flow, and especially voltage unbalance which could be due to the poor distribution of single-phase PV systems in the network. In order to analyze the impact of the connection of small and large number of PV systems to the distribution networks, this paper presents an efficient optimization tool that minimizes voltage unbalance in three-phase distribution networks with active and reactive power injections from the allocation of single-phase and three-phase PV plants. Reactive power can be generated or absorbed using the available capacity and the adjustable power factor of the inverter. Good reduction of voltage unbalance can be achieved by reactive power control of the PV systems. The presented tool is based on the three-phase current injection method and the PV systems are modeled via an equivalent circuit. The primal-dual interior point method is used to obtain the optimal operating points for the systems.Keywords: Photovoltaic generation, primal-dual interior point method, three-phase optimal power flow, unbalanced system.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1080637 Five-Phase Induction Motor Drive System Driven by Five-Phase Packed U Cell Inverter: Its Modeling and Performance Evaluation
Authors: Mohd Tariq
Abstract:
The three phase system drives produce the problem of more torque pulsations and harmonics. This issue prevents the smooth operation of the drives and it also induces the amount of heat generated thus resulting in an increase in power loss. Higher phase system offers smooth operation of the machines with greater power capacity. Five phase variable-speed induction motor drives are commonly used in various industrial and commercial applications like tractions, electrical vehicles, ship propulsions and conveyor belt drive system. In this work, a comparative analysis of the different modulation schemes applied on the five-level five-phase Packed U Cell (PUC) inverter fed induction motor drives is presented. The performance of the inverter is greatly affected with the modulation schemes applied. The system is modeled, designed, and implemented in MATLAB®/Simulink environment. Experimental validation is done for the prototype of single phase, whereas five phase experimental validation is proposed in the future works.Keywords: Packed U-Cell inverter, pulse width modulation, five-phase system, induction motor.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 717636 Switching Behaviors of HfO2/NiSix Based RRAM
Authors: Z. X. Chen, Z. Fang, X. P. Wang, G. -Q. Lo, D. -L. Kwong, Y. H. Wu
Abstract:
This paper presents a study of Ni-silicides as the bottom electrode of HfO2-based RRAM. Various silicidation conditions were used to obtain different Ni concentrations within the Ni-silicide bottom electrode, namely Ni2Si, NiSi, and NiSi2. A 10nm HfO2 switching material and 50nm TiN top electrode was then deposited and etched into 500nm by 500nm square RRAM cells. Cell performance of the Ni2Si and NiSi cells were good, while the NiSi2 cell could not switch reliably, indicating that the presence of Ni in the bottom electrode is important for good switching.
Keywords: HfO2-based, Ni-silicide, NiSi, resistive RAM (RRAM).
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1911635 Minimizing Grid Reliance: A Power Model Approach for Peak Hour Demand Based on Hybrid Solar Systems
Authors: Almutasim Billa A. Alanazi, Hal S. Tharp
Abstract:
Electrical energy demands have increased due to population growth and the variety of new electrical load technologies. This increase demand has nearly doubled during peak hours. Consequently, that necessitates the construction of new power plant infrastructures, which is a costly approach due to the expense of construction building, future preservation like maintenance, and environmental impact. As an alternative approach, most electrical utilities increase the price of electrical usage during peak hours, encouraging consumers to use less electricity during peak periods under Time-Of-Use programs, which may not be universally suitable for all consumers. Furthermore, in some areas, the excessive demand and the lack of supply cause an electrical outage, posing considerable stress and challenges to electrical utilities and consumers. However, control systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and renewable energy (RE), when effectively integrated, provide new solutions to mitigate excessive demand during peak hours. This paper presents a power model that reduces the reliance on the power grid during peak hours by utilizing a hybrid solar system connected to a residential house with a power management controller, that prioritizes the power drives between Photovoltaic (PV) production, battery backup, and the utility electrical grid. As a result, dependence on utility grid was from 3% to 18% during peak hours, improving energy stability safely and efficiently for electrical utilities, consumers, and communities, providing a viable alternative to conventional approaches such as Time-Of-Use programs.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence, AI, control system, photovoltaic, PV, renewable energy.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 81634 Methods for Manufacture of Corrugated Wire Mesh Laminates
Authors: Jeongho Choi, Krishna Shankar, Alan Fien, Andrew Neely
Abstract:
Corrugated wire mesh laminates (CWML) are a class of engineered open cell structures that have potential for applications in many areas including aerospace and biomedical engineering. Two different methods of fabricating corrugated wire mesh laminates from stainless steel, one using a high temperature Lithobraze alloy and the other using a low temperature Eutectic solder for joining the corrugated wire meshes are described herein. Their implementation is demonstrated by manufacturing CWML samples of 304 and 316 stainless steel (SST). It is seen that due to the facility of employing wire meshes of different densities and wire diameters, it is possible to create CWML laminates with a wide range of effective densities. The fabricated laminates are tested under uniaxial compression. The variation of the compressive yield strength with relative density of the CWML is compared to the theory developed by Gibson and Ashby for open cell structures [22]. It is shown that the compressive strength of the corrugated wire mesh laminates can be described using the same equations by using an appropriate value for the linear coefficient in the Gibson-Ashby model.Keywords: cellular solids, corrugation, foam, open-cell, metal mesh, laminate, stainless steel
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 2192633 Macular Ganglion Cell Inner Plexiform Layer Thinning in Patients with Visual Field Defect that Respects the Vertical Meridian
Authors: Hye-Young Shin, Chan Kee Park
Abstract:
Background: To compare the thinning patterns of the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) as measured using Cirrus high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) in patients with visual field (VF) defects that respect the vertical meridian. Methods: Twenty eyes of eleven patients with VF defects that respect the vertical meridian were enrolled retrospectively. The thicknesses of the macular GCIPL and pRNFL were measured using Cirrus HD-OCT. The 5% and 1% thinning area index (TAI) was calculated as the proportion of abnormally thin sectors at the 5% and 1% probability level within the area corresponding to the affected VF. The 5% and 1% TAI were compared between the GCIPL and pRNFL measurements. Results: The color-coded GCIPL deviation map showed a characteristic vertical thinning pattern of the GCIPL, which is also seen in the VF of patients with brain lesions. The 5% and 1% TAI were significantly higher in the GCIPL measurements than in the pRNFL measurements (all P < 0.01). Conclusions: Macular GCIPL analysis clearly visualized a characteristic topographic pattern of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in patients with VF defects that respect the vertical meridian, unlike pRNFL measurements. Macular GCIPL measurements provide more valuable information than pRNFL measurements for detecting the loss of RGCs in patients with retrograde degeneration of the optic nerve fibers.Keywords: Brain lesion, Macular ganglion cell-Inner plexiform layer, Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1768632 Battery Grading Algorithm in 2nd-Life Repurposing Li-ion Battery System
Authors: Ya Lv, Benjamin Ong Wei Lin, Wanli Niu, Benjamin Seah Chin Tat
Abstract:
This article presents a methodology that improves reliability and cyclability of 2nd-life Li-ion battery system repurposed as energy storage system (ESS). Most of the 2nd-life retired battery systems in market have module/pack-level state of health (SOH) indicator, which is utilized for guiding appropriate depth of discharge (DOD) in the application of ESS. Due to the lack of cell-level SOH indication, the different degrading behaviors among various cells cannot be identified upon reaching retired status; in the end, considering end of life (EOL) loss and pack-level DOD, the repurposed ESS has to be oversized by > 1.5 times to complement the application requirement of reliability and cyclability. This proposed battery grading algorithm, using non-invasive methodology, is able to detect outlier cells based on historical voltage data and calculate cell-level historical maximum temperature data using semi-analytic methodology. In this way, the individual battery cell in the 2nd-life battery system can be graded in terms of SOH on basis of the historical voltage fluctuation and estimated historical maximum temperature variation. These grades will have corresponding DOD grades in the application of the repurposed ESS to enhance the system reliability and cyclability. In all, this introduced battery grading algorithm is non-invasive, compatible with all kinds of retired Li-ion battery systems which lack of cell-level SOH indication, as well as potentially being embedded into battery management software for preventive maintenance and real-time cyclability optimization.
Keywords: Battery grading algorithm, 2nd-life repurposing battery system, semi-analytic methodology, reliability and cyclability.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 828631 Properties of Adipose Tissue Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Long-Term Cryopreservation
Authors: Jienny Lee, In-Soo Cho, Sang-Ho Cha
Abstract:
Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated using preclinical approaches for tissue regeneration. Porcine MSCs (pMSCs) are capable of growing and attaching to plastic with a fibroblast-like morphology and then differentiating into bone, adipose, and cartilage tissues in vitro. This study was conducted to investigate the proliferating abilities, differentiation potentials, and multipotency of miniature pig adipose tissue-derived MSCs (mpAD-MSCs) with or without long-term cryopreservation, considering that cryostorage has the potential for use in clinical applications. After confirming the characteristics of the mpAD-MSCs, we examined the effect of long-term cryopreservation (> 2 years) on expression of cell surface markers (CD34, CD90 and CD105), proliferating abilities (cumulative population doubling level, doubling time, colony-forming unit, and MTT assay) and differentiation potentials into mesodermal cell lineages. As a result, the expression of cell surface markers is similar between thawed and fresh mpAD-MSCs. However, long-term cryopreservation significantly lowered the differentiation potentials (adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic) of mpAD-MSCs. When compared with fresh mpAD-MSCs, thawed mpAD-MSCs exhibited lower expression of mesodermal cell lineage-related genes such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-g2, lipoprotein lipase, collagen Type II alpha 1, osteonectin, and osteocalcin. Interestingly, long-term cryostoraged mpAD-MSCs exhibited significantly higher cell viability than the fresh mpAD-MSCs. Long-term cryopreservation induced a 30% increase in the cell viability of mpAD-MSCs when compared with the fresh mpAD-MSCs at 5 days after thawing. However, long-term cryopreservation significantly lowered expression of stemness markers such as Oct3/4, Sox2, and Nanog. Furthermore, long-term cryopreservation negatively affected expression of senescence-associated genes such as telomerase reverse transcriptase and heat shock protein 90 of mpAD-MSCs when compared with the fresh mpAD-MSCs. The results from this study might be important for the successful application of MSCs in clinical trials after long-term cryopreservation.Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells, Cryopreservation, Stemness, Senescence.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 2089630 Object Localization in Medical Images Using Genetic Algorithms
Authors: George Karkavitsas, Maria Rangoussi
Abstract:
We present a genetic algorithm application to the problem of object registration (i.e., object detection, localization and recognition) in a class of medical images containing various types of blood cells. The genetic algorithm approach taken here is seen to be most appropriate for this type of image, due to the characteristics of the objects. Successful cell registration results on real life microscope images of blood cells show the potential of the proposed approach.
Keywords: Genetic algorithms, object registration, pattern recognition, blood cell microscope images.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1951629 Achieving Net Zero Energy Building in a Hot Climate Using Integrated Photovoltaic and Parabolic trough Collectors
Authors: Adel A. Ghoneim
Abstract:
In most existing buildings in hot climate, cooling loads lead to high primary energy consumption and consequently high CO2 emissions. These can be substantially decreased with integrated renewable energy systems. Kuwait is characterized by its dry hot long summer and short warm winter. Kuwait receives annual total radiation more than 5280 MJ/m2 with approximately 3347 h of sunshine. Solar energy systems consist of PV modules and parabolic trough collectors are considered to satisfy electricity consumption, domestic water heating, and cooling loads of an existing building. This paper presents the results of an extensive program of energy conservation and energy generation using integrated photovoltaic (PV) modules and Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTC). The program conducted on an existing institutional building intending to convert it into a Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB) or near net Zero Energy Building (nNZEB). The program consists of two phases; the first phase is concerned with energy auditing and energy conservation measures at minimum cost and the second phase considers the installation of photovoltaic modules and parabolic trough collectors. The 2-storey building under consideration is the Applied Sciences Department at the College of Technological Studies, Kuwait. Single effect lithium bromide water absorption chillers are implemented to provide air conditioning load to the building. A numerical model is developed to evaluate the performance of parabolic trough collectors in Kuwait climate. Transient simulation program (TRNSYS) is adapted to simulate the performance of different solar system components. In addition, a numerical model is developed to assess the environmental impacts of building integrated renewable energy systems. Results indicate that efficient energy conservation can play an important role in converting the existing buildings into NZEBs as it saves a significant portion of annual energy consumption of the building. The first phase results in an energy conservation of about 28% of the building consumption. In the second phase, the integrated PV completely covers the lighting and equipment loads of the building. On the other hand, parabolic trough collectors of optimum area of 765 m2 can satisfy a significant portion of the cooling load, i.e about73% of the total building cooling load. The annual avoided CO2 emission is evaluated at the optimum conditions to assess the environmental impacts of renewable energy systems. The total annual avoided CO2 emission is about 680 metric ton/year which confirms the environmental impacts of these systems in Kuwait.Keywords: Building integrated renewable systems, Net-Zero Energy Building, solar fraction, avoided CO2 emission.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 2606628 Numerical Simulation of Electric and Hydrodynamic Fields Distribution in a Dielectric Liquids Electrofilter Cell
Authors: Narcis C. Ostahie, Tudor Sajin
Abstract:
In this paper a numerical simulation of electric and hydrodynamic fields distribution in an electrofilter for dielectric liquids cell is made. The simulation is made with the purpose to determine the trajectory of particles that moves under the action of external force in an electric and hydrodynamic field created inside of an electrofilter for dielectric liquids. Particle trajectory is analyzed for a dielectric liquid-solid particles suspension.Keywords: Dielectric liquids, electrohydrodynamics, energy, high voltage, particles
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1603627 Ethyl Methane Sulfonate-Induced Dunaliella salina KU11 Mutants Affected for Growth Rate, Cell Accumulation and Biomass
Authors: Vongsathorn Ngampuak, Yutachai Chookaew, Wipawee Dejtisakdi
Abstract:
Dunaliella salina has great potential as a system for generating commercially valuable products, including beta-carotene, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels. Our goal is to improve this potential by enhancing growth rate and other properties of D. salina under optimal growth conditions. We used ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) to generate random mutants in D. salina KU11, a strain classified in Thailand. In a preliminary experiment, we first treated D. salina cells with 0%, 0.8%, 1.0%, 1.2%, 1.44% and 1.66% EMS to generate a killing curve. After that, we randomly picked 30 candidates from approximately 300 isolated survivor colonies from the 1.44% EMS treatment (which permitted 30% survival) as an initial test of the mutant screen. Among the 30 survivor lines, we found that 2 strains (mutant #17 and #24) had significantly improved growth rates and cell number accumulation at stationary phase approximately up to 1.8 and 1.45 fold, respectively, 2 strains (mutant #6 and #23) had significantly decreased growth rates and cell number accumulation at stationary phase approximately down to 1.4 and 1.35 fold, respectively, while 26 of 30 lines had similar growth rates compared with the wild type control. We also analyzed cell size for each strain and found there was no significant difference comparing all mutants with the wild type. In addition, mutant #24 had shown an increase of biomass accumulation approximately 1.65 fold compared with the wild type strain on day 5 that was entering early stationary phase. From these preliminary results, it could be feasible to identify D. salina mutants with significant improved growth rate, cell accumulation and biomass production compared to the wild type for the further study; this makes it possible to improve this microorganism as a platform for biotechnology application.
Keywords: Dunaliella salina, mutant, ethyl methane sulfonate, growth rate, biomass.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1839626 Microencapsulation of Probiotic, Evaluation for Viability and Cytotoxic Activities of Its Postbiotic Metabolites on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line
Authors: N. V. Enwuru, B. Nkeki, E. A. Adekoya, O. A. Adebesin, B. O. Ojo, R. F. Peters, V. A. Aikhomu, U. E. Mendie, O. Akinloye
Abstract:
Awareness about probiotic health benefits is increasing tremendously. However, cell viability is often low due to harsh conditions exposed during processing, handling, storage, and gastrointestinal transit. Thus, encapsulation is a promising technique that increases cell viability. The study aims to encapsulate the probiotic, evaluate its viability and cytotoxic activity of its postbiotic on the Michigan Cancer Foundation (MCF)-7 breast cancer cell line. Human and animal raw milk was sampled for lactic acid bacteria. Isolated bacteria were identified using conventional and VITEK 2 systems. The identified bacteria were encapsulated using the spray-drying method. The free and encapsulated probiotic cells were exposed to simulated gastric intestinal (SGI) fluid conditions and different storage conditions for their viability. The properties of the formed probiotic granules, their disintegration time, and the weight uniformity of the microcapsules were tested. Furthermore, the postbiotic of the free cells was extracted, and its cytotoxic effect on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was tested through [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay. The bacteria isolated were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum. The size of the formed probiotic granules ranges within 0.71-1.00 mm in diameter, and disintegration time ranges from 2.14 ± 0.045 to 2.91 ± 0.293 minutes, while the average weight is 502.1 mg. The viability of encapsulated cells stored at refrigerated condition (4oC) was higher than that of cells stored at room temperature (25 oC). The encapsulated probiotic cells exhibited better viability after exposure to SGI solution at different pH levels than free cells. The Postbiotic Metabolites (PM) of L. plantarum produced a cytotoxic effect that shows significant activity similar to 5FU, a standard antineoplastic agent. The inhibition concentration of 50% growth (IC50) of postbiotic metabolite was consistent with the IC50 of the positive control (Cisplatin). Lactobacillus plantarum postbiotic exhibited a cytotoxic effect on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and could be used as combined adjuvant therapy in breast cancer management. The microencapsulation technique protects the probiotics and maintains their viability.
Keywords: Cytotoxicity effect, encapsulation, postbiotic, probiotic.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 85625 A Novel Method Based on Monte Carlo for Simulation of Variable Resolution X-ray CT Scanner: Measurement of System Presampling MTF
Authors: H. Arabi, A.R. Kamali Asl
Abstract:
The purpose of this work is measurement of the system presampling MTF of a variable resolution x-ray (VRX) CT scanner. In this paper, we used the parameters of an actual VRX CT scanner for simulation and study of effect of different focal spot sizes on system presampling MTF by Monte Carlo method (GATE simulation software). Focal spot size of 0.6 mm limited the spatial resolution of the system to 5.5 cy/mm at incident angles of below 17º for cell#1. By focal spot size of 0.3 mm the spatial resolution increased up to 11 cy/mm and the limiting effect of focal spot size appeared at incident angles of below 9º. The focal spot size of 0.3 mm could improve the spatial resolution to some extent but because of magnification non-uniformity, there is a 10 cy/mm difference between spatial resolution of cell#1 and cell#256. The focal spot size of 0.1 mm acted as an ideal point source for this system. The spatial resolution increased to more than 35 cy/mm and at all incident angles the spatial resolution was a function of incident angle. By the way focal spot size of 0.1 mm minimized the effect of magnification nonuniformity.Keywords: Focal spot, Spatial resolution, Monte Carlosimulation, Variable resolution x-ray (VRX) CT.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1521624 Fault Detection and Isolation using RBF Networks for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell
Authors: Mahanijah Md Kamal., Dingli Yu
Abstract:
This paper presents a new method of fault detection and isolation (FDI) for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell (FC) dynamic systems under an open-loop scheme. This method uses a radial basis function (RBF) neural network to perform fault identification, classification and isolation. The novelty is that the RBF model of independent mode is used to predict the future outputs of the FC stack. One actuator fault, one component fault and three sensor faults have been introduced to the PEMFC systems experience faults between -7% to +10% of fault size in real-time operation. To validate the results, a benchmark model developed by Michigan University is used in the simulation to investigate the effect of these five faults. The developed independent RBF model is tested on MATLAB R2009a/Simulink environment. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method for FDI under an open-loop condition. By using this method, the RBF networks able to detect and isolate all five faults accordingly and accurately.
Keywords: Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, radial basis function neural networks, fault detection, fault isolation.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1803623 Biodegradation of Carbazole By a Promising Gram-Negative Bacterium
Authors: G. B. Singh, S. Srivastava, N. Gupta
Abstract:
In the present work we report a gram negative bacterial isolate, from soil of a dye industry, with promising biorefining and bioremediation potential. This isolate (GBS.5) could utilize carbazole (nitrogen containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) as the sole source of nitrogen and carbon and utilize almost 98% of 3mM carbazole in 100 hours. The specific activity of our GBS.5 isolate for carbazole degradation at 30°C and pH 7.0 was found to be 11.36 μmol/min/g dry cell weight as compared to 10.4 μmol/min/g dry cell weight, the highest reported specific activity till date. The presence of car genes (the genes involved in denitrogenation of carbazole) was confirmed through PCR amplification.Keywords: Biodenitrogenation, Biorefining, Carbazoledegradation, Crude oil.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1941622 Natural Discovery: Electricity Potential from Vermicompost (Waste to Energy)
Authors: R. A. Karim, N. M. A. Ghani, N. N. S. Nasari
Abstract:
Wastages such as grated coconut meat, spent tea and used sugarcane had contributed negative impacts to the environment. Vermicomposting method is fully utilized to manage the wastes towards a more sustainable approach. The worms that are used in the vermicomposting are Eisenia foetida and Eudrillus euginae. This research shows that the vermicompost of wastages has voltage of electrical energy and is able to light up the Light-Emitting Diode (LED) device. Based on the experiment, the use of replicated and double compartments of the component will produce double of voltage. Hence, for conclusion, this harmless and low cost technology of vermicompost can act as a dry cell in order to reduce the usage of hazardous chemicals that can contaminate the environment.
Keywords: Wastages, vermiconpose, worm, voltage, organic cell.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 4223621 A Comparative Study of PV Models in Matlab/Simulink
Authors: Mohammad Seifi, Azura Bt. Che Soh, Noor Izzrib. Abd. Wahab, Mohd Khair B. Hassan
Abstract:
Solar energy has a major role in renewable energy resources. Solar Cell as a basement of solar system has attracted lots of research. To conduct a study about solar energy system, an authenticated model is required. Diode base PV models are widely used by researchers. These models are classified based on the number of diodes used in them. Single and two-diode models are well studied. Single-diode models may have two, three or four elements. In this study, these solar cell models are examined and the simulation results are compared to each other. All PV models are re-designed in the Matlab/Simulink software and they examined by certain test conditions and parameters. This paper provides comparative studies of these models and it tries to compare the simulation results with manufacturer-s data sheet to investigate model validity and accuracy. The results show a four- element single-diode model is accurate and has moderate complexity in contrast to the two-diode model with higher complexity and accuracyKeywords: Fill Factor (FF), Matlab/Simulink, Maximum PowerPoint (MPP), Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT), Photo Voltaic(PV), Solar cell, Standard Test Condition (STC).
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 5797620 Leukocyte Detection Using Image Stitching and Color Overlapping Windows
Authors: Lina, Arlends Chris, Bagus Mulyawan, Agus B. Dharmawan
Abstract:
Blood cell analysis plays a significant role in the diagnosis of human health. As an alternative to the traditional technique conducted by laboratory technicians, this paper presents an automatic white blood cell (leukocyte) detection system using Image Stitching and Color Overlapping Windows. The advantage of this method is to present a detection technique of white blood cells that are robust to imperfect shapes of blood cells with various image qualities. The input for this application is images from a microscope-slide translation video. The preprocessing stage is performed by stitching the input images. First, the overlapping parts of the images are determined, then stitching and blending processes of two input images are performed. Next, the Color Overlapping Windows is performed for white blood cell detection which consists of color filtering, window candidate checking, window marking, finds window overlaps, and window cropping processes. Experimental results show that this method could achieve an average of 82.12% detection accuracy of the leukocyte images.Keywords: Color overlapping windows, image stitching, leukocyte detection.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1482619 Study of Some Innovant Reactors without on- Site Refueling with Triso and Cermet Fuel
Authors: A.Chetaine, A. Benchrif, H. Amsil, V. Kuznetsov, Y. Shimazu
Abstract:
The evaluation of unit cell neutronic parameters and lifetime for some innovant reactors without on sit-refuling will be held in this work. the behavior of some small and medium reactors without on site refueling with triso and cermet fuel. For the FBNR long life except we propose to change the enrichment of the Cermet MFE to 9%. For the AFPR reactor we can see that the use of the Cermet MFE can extend the life of this reactor but to maintain the same life period for AFPR-SC we most use burnup poison to have the same slope for Kinf (Burnup). PFPWR50 cell behaves almost in same way using both fuels Cermet and TRISO. So we can conclude that PFPWR50 reactor, with CERMET Fuel, is kept among the long cycle reactors and with the new configuration we avoid subcriticality at the beginning of cycle. The evaluation of unit cell neutronic parameters reveals a good agreement with the goal of BWR-PB concept. It is found out that the Triso fuel assembly lifetime can be extended for a reasonably long period without being refueled, approximately up to 48GWd/t burnup. Using coated particles fuels with the Cermet composition can be more extended the fuel assembly life time, approximately 52 GWd/t.Keywords: Cermet., Trisot, without on site refueling.
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1366