Bond graph modeling,design and experimental validation of a photovoltaic/fuel cell/ electrolyzer/battery hybrid power system

This work presents a complete bond graph modeling of a hybrid photovoltaic-fuel cell-electrolyzer-battery system. These are multi-physics models that will take into account the influence of temperature on the electrochemical parameters. A bond graph modeling of the electrical dynamics of each source will be introduced. The bond graph models were developed to highlight the multi-physics aspect describing the interaction between hydraulic, thermal, electrochemical, thermodynamic, and electrical fields. This will involve using the most generic modeling approach possible for managing the energy flows of the system while taking into account the viability of the system. Another point treated in this work is to propose. In this work, a new strategy for the power flow management of the studied system has been proposed. This strategy aims to improve the overall efficiency of the studied system by optimizing the decisions made when starting and stopping the fuel cell and the electrolyzer. It was verified that the simulation results of the proposed system, when compared to simulation results presented in the literature, that the hydrogen demand is increased by an average of 8%. The developed management algorithm allows reducing the fuel cell degradation by 87% and the electrolyzer degradation by 65%. As for the operating time of the electrolyzer, an increment of 65% was achieved, thus improving the quality of the produced hydrogen. The Fuel Cell's running time has been decreased by 59%. With the ambition to validate the models proposed and the associated commands, the development of this study gave rise to the creation of an experimental platform. Using this high-performance experimental platform, experimental tests were carried out and the results obtained are compared with those obtained by simulation under the same metrological conditions.     

Effect of Acute Sprint Exercise on Myokines and Food Intake Hormones in Young Healthy Men

Physical exercise is known to influence hormonal mediators of appetite, but the effect of short-term maximal intensity exercise on plasma levels of appetite hormones and cytokines has been little studied. We investigated the effect of a 30 s Wingate Test, followed by a postprandial period, on appetite sensations, food intake, and appetite hormones. Twenty-six physically active young males rated their subjective feelings of hunger, prospective food consumption, and fatigue on visual analogue scales at baseline, after exercise was completed, and during the postprandial period. Blood samples were obtained for the measurement of nesfatin-1, ghrelin, leptin, insulin, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), human growth factor (hGH) and cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), irisin and plasma lactate concentrations, at 30 min before exercise, immediately (210 s) after exercise, and 30 min following a meal and at corresponding times in control sedentary males without ad libitum meal intake, respectively. Appetite perceptions and food intake were decreased in response to exercise. Plasma levels of irisin, IL-6, lactate, nesfatin-1 and ghrelin was increased after exercise and then it was returned to postprandial/control period in both groups. A significant rise in plasma insulin, hGH and PP levels after exercise was observed while meal intake potentiated this response. In conclusion, an acute short-term fatiguing exercise can transiently suppress hunger sensations and food intake in humans. We postulate that this physiological response involves exercise-induced alterations in plasma hormones and the release of myokines such as irisin and IL-6, and supports the notion of existence of the skeletal muscle–brain–gut axis. Nevertheless, the detailed relationship between acute exercise releasing myokines, appetite sensations and impairment of this axis leading to several diseases should be further examined.     

Color preferences for different topics in connection to personal characteristics

Studies on color preferences are dependent on the topic and the relationships with personal characteristics, particularly personality, but these are seldom studied in one population. Therefore a questionnaire was collected from 1095 Dutch people asking for color preferences about different topics and relating them to personal characteristics. Color preferences regarding different topics show different patterns and significant differences were found between gender, age, education and personality such as being technical, being emotional or being a team player. Also, different colors were mentioned when asked for colors that stimulate to be quiet, energetic, and able to focus or creative. Probably, due to unconsciousness of contexts, many people had no color preference, a result that in the literature seldom is mentioned. Blue was the overall favorite color; however, most males chose for blue (25%) while most females had no color preference (18%). Black was the overall favorite color for clothing, mainly chosen by females (40%), while males primarily chose blue (27%). For building interiors subjects preferred white. For moods, subjects preferred white for being quiet or being able to focus, red for being energetic and had no color preference for being creative. It is concluded that color preferences are dependent upon the topic, and personal characteristics. The findings are important for architects, interior designers, fashion designers and product designers to have a basic idea of preferred colors for different objects by different types of people. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 40, 62–71, 2015     

Synthesis of amino-cosubstituted polyorganophosphazenes and fabrication of their nanoparticles for anticancer drug delivery

The development of safe drug carriers is cardinal in cancer therapy, which can target the cancer cells and release the loaded drug on-demand without damaging the healthy cells of the body. In our work, we synthesized three different biodegradable polymers, poly[(ethyl aminobezoate) (ethyl glycinato) phosphazenes] (PABGPs), in different mole ratio of side groups. The successful synthesis of these PABGPs was confirmed by ¹H NMR, ³¹P NMR, FT-IR, and gel permeation chromatography. These PABGPs were fabricated into drug (camptothecin, CPT, a hydrophobic anticancer drug) loaded nanoparticles. These drug-loaded nanoparticles showed good drug release behaviors under normal physiological conditions (pH 7.4 and temperature 37°C). These PABGPs-based nanoparticles may find their application as effective drug carriers for cancer therapy.     

Sol-Gel Preparation and Spectroscopic Properties of Modified Sodium Silicate /Tartrazine Dye Nanocomposite

Silicon - Thin film nanocomposites of sodium silicate (80 SiO2 –20 Na2O)/ tartrazine dye (E102) prepared using sol gel process in acidic system. The change in the physicochemical properties...     

Systematics study through scanning electron microscopy; a tool for the authentication of herbal drug Mentha suaveolens Ehrh

In all over the world, herbal drugs are usually adulterated with similar species or varieties due to incorrect identification. Most of herbal products devoid purity and quality, therefore an attempt was carried out to identify plant species and authenticate its herbal drug products from Mentha suaveolens. Microscopy tools provide an excellent platform to identify plants at species level. In this study, microscopic and pharmacokinetic parameters of M. suaveolens were observed. Plant species were collected from high diverse areas of Northern Pakistan. Macro and micro‐morphology including palynology and anatomical features were analyzed to study M. suaveolens. Species characteristics were studied, while implementing microscopic techniques for the delimitation and identification of the species. Traditionally Mentha species are used to cure several diseases that is, digestive disorders, respiratory disorders. Micromorphology (stem, leaves, flowers structure, length etc.), palynology (shape, size of pollen etc.), and anatomical characters (types of stomata, epidermal cell shape, and trichomes) were studied. Micromorphology and anatomical characters were of great interest and significance to discuss the taxonomy of the species. Taxonomic characters were studied to characterize and authenticate the species. The aim of the present study is to observe in detail the taxonomic identification of the species in term of morphology, palynology, and foliar epidermal anatomy for the correct identification along with their medicinal uses in the area.     

The Role of Test Protocols in Automated Test Generation for Embedded-Core-Based System ICs

Modular testing is an attractive approach to testing large system ICs, especially if they are built from pre-designed reusable embedded cores. This paper describes an automated modular test development approach. The basis of this approach is that a core or module test is dissected into a test protocol and a test pattern list. A test protocol describes in detail how to apply one test pattern to the core, while abstracting from the specific test pattern stimulus and response values. Subsequent automation tasks, such as the expansion from core-level tests to system-chip-level tests and test scheduling, all work on test protocols, thereby greatly reducing the amount of compute time and data involved. Finally, an SOC-level test is assembled from the expanded and scheduled test protocols and the (so far untouched) test patterns. This paper describes and formalizes the notion of test protocols and the algorithms for test protocol expansion and scheduling. A running example is featured throughout the paper. We also elaborate on the industrial usage of the concepts described.     

50 years of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society

The early history of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (IEEE MTT-S) is summarized since its founding in 1952, and all administrative committee members and presidents are listed. Some of the more recent changes resulting from growth and multinational participation are described. Publications are discussed with editors listed for this Transactions, the IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, the IEEE Microwave Newsletter, and IEEE Microwave Magazine. The chronological evolution of the IEEE MTT-S's awards is presented, including a listing of all award winners. Distinguished lecturers and microwave symposia sites and chairpersons are also discussed. Early technology trends are described     

Presupposition failure — A comedy of errors

Presuppositions of utterances are the pieces of information you convey with an utterance no matter whether your utterance is true or not. We first study presupposition in a very simple framework of updating propositional information, with examples of how presuppositions of complex propositional updates can be calculated. Next we move on to presuppositions and quantification, in the context of a dynamic version of predicate logic, suitably modified to allow for presupposition failure. In both the propositional and the quantificational case, presupposition failure can be viewed as error abortion of procedures. Thus, a dynamic assertion logic which describes the preconditions for error abortion is the suitable tool for analysing presupposition.