Modelling the impacts of electric vehicle recharging on the Western Australian electricity supply system

This study investigates the potential impacts of EVs on the Western Australian electricity grid, the constraints on the system’s capacity to supply electricity for EV recharging and the options for managing those potential impacts and constraints. Western Australia is geographically isolated and the electricity network has no interconnection with neighbouring regions. The State energy and vehicle markets are independent of issues occurring in neighbouring states. Western Australia is a relatively clean sample space. This study eliminates uncertainty in vehicle adoption rates from analysis by assuming that all new vehicles are EVs. This gives a worst case scenario in terms of load growth and shows that it will over 200,000 EVs, which represents 10% of the fleet, before there is any significant impact on peak demand even if charging behaviours are left unfettered. The study also shows, however, that the electricity supply and transmission industry can achieve significant short- and long-term benefits if vehicle charging behaviours are managed from the outset, through, for example, demand management or structured tariffs. In the short-term, providing incentive for off-peak recharging increases utilisation of existing transmission capacity, and cheaper, more efficient base-load generation infrastructure. In the long-term, investment in more underutilised capacity can be avoided.     

Short communication: Application of proteomics for characterization of caseinomacropeptide isoforms before and after desialidation

Caseinomacropeptide (CMP) is an important polypeptide found in cheese whey that has various biological activities and functional properties. Because sialylations play an important role in the functional properties of CMP, the aim of the present work was to characterize CMP isoform heterogeneity in a commercial glycosylated CMP (gCMP) isolate using liquid chromatography– and gel-based proteomics before and after desialidation. Using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE), we observed a shift in isoelectric point (pI) after enzymatic desialidation, indicating that sialylated gCMP were located at pI 3.0 to 3.1, but desialylated gCMP had repositioned to pI 3.7 to 3.9. We used liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (LC-ESI/MS) for further analysis of the glycan chains of gCMP. In total, we identified 19 CMP isoforms, of which 13 were glycosylated and 6 were nonglycosylated. We also detected 3 genetic variants (A, B, and E), with up to 3 glycosylations attached per gCMP. Further, we identified up to 4 isomers, reflecting different sites of glycosylation in the peptide backbone of these isoforms. The dominating gCMP isoform of genetic variant E appeared to contain 4 N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (NeuAc) residues, whereas the dominating gCMP isoforms of variants A and B appeared to contain 2 NeuAc. The identification revealed conversions of isoforms containing different combinations of genetic variants and degrees of glycosylation, sialylation, and phosphorylation to various desialylated counter-isoforms. The content of sialylated gCMP relative to the total CMP content was 37% (wt/wt), which decreased to 1.5% after sialidase treatment, indicating 96% effectivity of the desialidation. This approach can be valuable for future functionality studies specifically addressing the importance of NeuAc.     

Theobromine Does Not Affect Fasting and Postprandial HDL Cholesterol Efflux Capacity,While It Decreases Fasting miR‐92a Levels in Humans

Scope

Chocolate consumption lowers cardiovascular disease risk, which might be attributed to the methylxanthine theobromine. These effects may be mediated through effects on HDL‐mediated cholesterol efflux, which may be affected by microRNA (miRNA) levels in the HDL particles. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate effects of theobromine consumption on fasting and postprandial cholesterol efflux and miRNAs levels.

Methods and results

Thirty overweight and 14 obese healthy men and women participated in this randomized, double‐blind crossover study. Participants consumed 500 mg d^?1 of theobromine or placebo for 4 weeks. ABCA1‐mediated cholesterol efflux was measured using J774 macrophages. MiRNAs levels (miR‐92a, miR‐223, miR‐135a*) were quantified in apolipoprotein B‐depleted serum. Theobromine consumption did not affect fasting and postprandial cholesterol efflux. Fasting miR‐223 and miR‐135a levels were unchanged, while miR‐92a levels were decreased (?0.21; p < 0.05). The high‐fat meal increased postprandial cholesterol efflux capacity (+4.3 percentage points; p ≤ 0.001), miR‐92a (+1.21; p < 0.001), and miR‐223 (+1.79; p < 0.001) levels, while a trend was found for miR‐135a (+1.08; p = 0.06).

Conclusion

Theobromine did not improve fasting and postprandial ABCA1‐mediated cholesterol efflux capacity, but decreased fasting miR‐92a levels. High‐fat meal intake increased postprandial cholesterol efflux and the three selected miRNAs levels.

     

Combustion performance of engineered bamboo from cone calorimeter tests

The combustion and charring properties of two types of engineered bamboo for structural applications: laminated bamboo sheets and bamboo scrimber were investigated through cone calorimeter tests conducted at three levels of heat flux, 25, 50 and 75 kW/m². The test was conducted with the grain both perpendicular and parallel to incident heat flux. The ignitability and combustibility parameters of these two types of engineered bamboo were calculated and the time to ignition, heat release and mass loss rates, specific extinction area, effective heat of combustion, and carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide yield were compared. Based on observations for timber, the average measured charring rates from the cone calorimeter tests at a heat flux of 50 kW/m² and exposure time of 30–60 min were taken as equivalent charring rates for standard furnace tests and compared with those promulgated by European and Australian standards. Bamboo scrimber, having a density almost twice that of laminated bamboo, demonstrated superior fire performance in all parameters considered and approached the performance of a representative hardwood. The orientation of the grain was observed to have negligible influence on their charring performance for laminated bamboo, while for bamboo scrimber, the charring rate when the grain was perpendicular to the incident heat flux was slightly smaller than when the grain was parallel to incident heat flux. Finally, this study demonstrates the utility of the relatively inexpensive cone calorimeter test, for the rapid assessment of combustion and particularly charring performance of bamboo.     

Cysteine protease activity in bovine milk

Proteolytic activity of native cysteine proteases was studied in bovine milk. Five fractions (fI–fV) with cysteine protease activity were separated from acid whey prepared from raw bovine milk by ion-exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose. The hydrolytic action of the most active fractions (fIII and fV), after further purification using gel permeation chromatography on Superdex S75, was studied against individual caseins. The two fractions contained different cysteine protease activities capable of hydrolyzing both α_s1- and β-casein. Studies of the effects of different reagents on the activity of partially purified fIII showed that the activity in this fraction was unaffected by aprotinin, slightly inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and o-phenanthroline and completely inhibited by -trans-epoxysuccinyl- -leucylamido (4-guanidino) butane, consistent with identification as a cysteine protease. Phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride and pepstatin A reduced activity of fIII by 40% and 50%, respectively. The partially purified fIII retained 20% of its cysteine protease activity after heating at 55°C, 60°C, 65°C and 72°C for 40 min, 20 min, 10 min and 30 s, respectively. Immunoblotting of fIII with antibodies to the bovine lysosomal cysteine protease, cathepsin B, clearly indicated the presence of immunoreactive cathepsin B in this fraction. This study presents strong evidence for the presence of a heterogeneous group of cysteine proteases in bovine milk, with one of these enzymes probably being cathepsin B.     

Activation-induced resetting of cerebral oxygen and glucose uptake in the rat

In the clinical setting it has been shown that activation will increase cerebral glucose uptake in excess of cerebral oxygen uptake. To study this phenomenon further, this study presents an experimental setup that enables precise determination of the ratio between cerebral uptake of glucose and oxygen in the awake rat. Global CBF was measured by the Kety-Schmidt technique, and the ratio between cerebral uptake rates for oxygen, glucose, and lactate was calculated from cerebral arterial-venous differences. During baseline conditions, rats were kept in a closed box designed to minimize interference. During baseline conditions CBF was 1.08 +/- 0.25 mL x g(-1) x minute(-1), and the cerebral oxygen to glucose uptake ratio was 5.5. Activation was induced by opening the sheltering box for 6 minutes. Activation increased CBF to 1.81 mL x g(-1) x minute(-1). During activation cerebral glucose uptake increased disproportionately to cerebral oxygen uptake, and the cerebral oxygen to glucose uptake ratio was 4.2. The accumulated excess glucose uptake during 6 minutes of activation amounted to 2.4 micromol/g. Activation was terminated by closure of the sheltering box. In the postactivation period, the cerebral oxygen to glucose uptake ratio rose to a maximum of 6.4. This response is exactly opposite to the excess cerebral glucose uptake observed during activation.     

Axial Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Columns Confined with FRP Jackets

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of the axial behavior of small-scale circular and square plain concrete specimens and large-scale circular and square reinforced concrete columns confined with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite jackets, subject to monotonic, concentric axial loads. Improvements in the axial load-carrying and deformation capacities of FRP jacketed concrete members over unjacketed members are reported. Factors influencing the axial stress-strain behavior of FRP confined concrete, such as transverse dilation and effectively confined regions and their relationship to jacket properties, are identified and discussed. Factors necessary to calibrate in situ jacket behavior and reported or measured FRP material properties are proposed and their interrelationships discussed.     

The impact of product characteristics and innovativeness on the benefits of collaboration

Horizontal collaboration is a promising avenue to improve the efficiency of logistical operations. However, the benefits strongly depend on the degree of fit between partners. In this paper, we analyze the impact of the partners' product characteristics on those benefits, focusing on their innovativeness. Companies supplying functional versus innovative products have different requirements in supply chain efficiency and responsiveness, which impacts the benefits that can be reached with a given partner. To assess the collaborative benefits, we use a location–inventory model accounting for the partners' individual interests and the costs revealing the responsiveness level of the supply chain (facilities, transportation, cycle inventory, safety stocks and stock-outs). The model offers a set of Pareto-optimal solutions balancing the partners' costs to support the selection and negotiation process. Finally, we perform numerical experiments in which the partners supply products with identical or different levels of innovativeness and with various demand volumes, leading to valuable managerial insights on the impact of product characteristics on collaborative benefits.