In this article, experimental performance assessment and comparison are presented for solid, low impedance, high impedance, frequency-selective, and isolated grounding (IG) systems. The typical ...design of a grounding system (for low and medium voltage generation, transmission, and distribution systems) is based on selecting an impedance (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">\bar{Z}_{G}</tex-math></inline-formula>), which is used to connect the neutral point and the ground. The impedance <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">\bar{Z}_{G}</tex-math></inline-formula> is typically composed from a combination of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">R</tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">L</tex-math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">C</tex-math></inline-formula> elements. The combination type (series or parallel), along with the values of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">R</tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">L</tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">C</tex-math></inline-formula> elements, allow estimating the possible effects of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">\bar{Z}_{G}</tex-math></inline-formula> on ground currents and potentials during ground faults. In this article, solid, low impedance, high impedance, frequency-selective, and IG systems are designed for a 35-kVA <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">3\phi</tex-math></inline-formula> transformer and a 5-kVA <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">3\phi</tex-math></inline-formula> synchronous generator, for purposes of assessing and comparing their effects on ground currents and potentials during ground faults. The laboratory transformer and generator are tested for line-to-ground and double line-to-ground faults with all designed grounding systems under different loading levels. Experimental results show that some grounding systems can effectively reduce ground currents, and other grounding systems can effectively reduce ground potentials. These capabilities and features can be used to achieve certain system and operation mandates, including ground capacity, maximum allowed overvoltage, and service continuity.
•DCs and CNS have increased activation of NF-κB in EAE mice.•DCs and CNS have decreased Nrf2 signaling in EAE mice.•Nutraceutical compound AKBA attenuates NF-κB in brain/periphery of EAE mice.•AKBA ...activates Nrf2 signaling in brain and periphery of EAE mice.•AKBA ameliorates clinical symptoms in EAE mice.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by chronic autoimmune inflammation of central nervous system (CNS), i.e. brain and spinal cord. Autoimmune inflammation of the CNS and periphery causes demyelination of axons ultimately leading to clinical symptoms such as gait imbalance, lack of coordination and paraplegia. Innate immune cells such as dendritic cells and neutrophils play a critical role in the initiation and progression of MS through upregulation of oxidants. Two prominent pathways that play important role in regulation of oxidant-antioxidant balance are nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2(Nrf2) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). Nrf2-mediated upregulation of antioxidants counteracts NF-κB-mediated oxidant generation. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of nutraceutical drug, acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) in relapsing remitting model of experimental autoimmune encephelomyelitis (EAE). Efficacy of AKBA was explored on clinical symptoms, Nrf2, hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), NF-κB, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in CNS and periphery of SJL/J mice. Our results show that expression of p-NF-κB and iNOS is elevated, whereas expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 is decreased in CD11c + DCs and CNS, which is linked with appearance of clinical symptoms in immunized SJL/J mice. Treatment of immunized SJL/J mice with AKBA causes improvement of clinical symptoms and downregulation of inflammatory markers in CD11c + DCs (p-NF-κB, iNOS, and nitrotyrosine), and CNS (p-NF-κB, iNOS, nitrotyrosine,lipid peroxides, and total antioxidant capacity). Treatment of immunized SJL/J mice with AKBA also causes rectification of Nrf2 signaling in CD11c + DCs, and CNS. These results propose AKBA ameliorates EAE disease progression through rectification of Nrf2 signaling and attenuation of NF-κB pathway in RR model of EAE. Therefore, nutraceutical compound, AKBA may be therapeutically useful in RRMS.
Despite the growing interest in exploring the cash holding aspects among scholars, systematic reviews and comprehensive evaluation in this area has been limited. Also, there is only a fragmented ...understanding about how the cash holdings concept is formed among researchers and experts. We fill this gap in the literature by identifying and evaluating the research development of cash holdings topic. Using 874 articles from the Scopus database that were published between 1947 and early 2020, bibliometric and content analyses were employed to assess the patterns of global cash holdings research. We find that previous studies have substantially enriched our knowledge of the antecedents and consequences of cash holdings. Yet, there are still several opportunities to make significant contributions in this area. The contribution of this research is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the development of cash holdings research (using a sizeable archival database). It identifies the current joint development and potential opportunities for future work directions on cash holdings association with payout policy, corporate social responsibility, and corporate governance. Our results are likely to be of interest to academics, practitioners, and educators in related business and finance fields.
Diminishing the cost of broiler chicken diet is a critical issue in the poultry industry. Numerous studies were performed to achieve this pivotal objective by diet supplementation with alternative ...feed additives. In the current study, low-energy broiler rations were supplemented with different commercial multienzyme formulations to minimize the cost, and increase the digestibility and absorption of the digested macronutrients. Cobb Avian 48 broiler chicks (mixed sex, 1-d-old, n = 3120) were randomly allocated into six groups, and each group was subdivided into four replicates (130 birds per replicate). The birds were randomly allocated into a control group fed basal diet (CB); control group fed low-energy diet (CL); and birds fed low-energy diets supplemented with different enzyme formulations. The enzyme formulations used were Xylam 500® (CLX group), Hemicell® (CLH group), Avizyme® (CLA group), and Megazyme® (CLM group,) following the doses recommended by the manufacturers. The growth performance of CLA and CLH group birds was significantly improved when compared with CL. In comparison with CB, Avizyme® significantly (p < 0.001) increased the intestinal PEPT1, GLUT2, ACC, and IL-2 expression; PEPT1 facilitates the absorption of micronutrients. In conclusion, exogenous multienzyme complexes may be included in the low-energy diet to enhance the performance of broiler chickens (Avizyme® ˃ Hemicell® ˃ Megazyme®), and reduce the diet cost by up-regulating the expression of intestinal nutrient transporter genes, and improving the immunity and serum biochemical parameters of broiler chickens.
Proteoglycans are a major component of extracellular matrix and contribute to normal embryonic and postnatal development by ensuring tissue stability and signaling functions. We studied five patients ...with recessive joint dislocations and congenital heart defects, including bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and aortic root dilatation. We identified linkage to chromosome 11 and detected a mutation (c.830G>A, p.Arg277Gln) in B3GAT3, the gene coding for glucuronosyltransferase-I (GlcAT-I). The enzyme catalyzes an initial step in the synthesis of glycosaminoglycan side chains of proteoglycans. Patients' cells as well as recombinant mutant protein showed reduced glucuronyltransferase activity. Patient fibroblasts demonstrated decreased levels of dermatan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and heparan sulfate proteoglycans, indicating that the defect in linker synthesis affected all three lines of O-glycanated proteoglycans. Further studies demonstrated that GlcAT-I resides in the cis and cis-medial Golgi apparatus and is expressed in the affected tissues, i.e., heart, aorta, and bone. The study shows that reduced GlcAT-I activity impairs skeletal as well as heart development and results in variable combinations of heart malformations, including mitral valve prolapse, ventricular septal defect, and bicuspid aortic valve. The described family constitutes a syndrome characterized by heart defects and joint dislocations resulting from altered initiation of proteoglycan synthesis (Larsen-like syndrome, B3GAT3 type).
Norovirus (HNoV) is a leading cause of gastroenteritis globally, and there are currently no treatment options or vaccines available to combat it. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), one of the viral ...proteins that direct viral replication, is a feasible target for therapeutic development. Despite the discovery of a small number of HNoV RdRp inhibitors, the majority of them have been found to possess a little effect on viral replication, owing to low cell penetrability and drug-likeness. Therefore, antiviral agents that target RdRp are in high demand. For this purpose, we used in silico screening of a library of 473 natural compounds targeting the RdRp active site. The top two compounds, ZINC66112069 and ZINC69481850, were chosen based on their binding energy (BE), physicochemical and drug-likeness properties, and molecular interactions. ZINC66112069 and ZINC69481850 interacted with key residues of RdRp with BEs of -9.7, and -9.4 kcal/mol, respectively, while the positive control had a BE of -9.0 kcal/mol with RdRp. In addition, hits interacted with key residues of RdRp and shared several residues with the PPNDS, the positive control. Furthermore, the docked complexes showed good stability during the molecular dynamic simulation of 100 ns. ZINC66112069 and ZINC69481850 could be proven as potential inhibitors of the HNoV RdRp in future antiviral medication development investigations.
The dynamic and crucial role of tubulin in different cellular functions rendered it a promising target in anticancer drug development. Combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), an inhibitor of tubulin ...polymerization isolated from natural sources, is a lead molecule with significant cytotoxicity against tumour cells. Owing to its non polar nature it exhibits low solubility in natural biological fluids, thereby prompting the development of new CA-4 based derivatives. The modification of this lead molecule was mostly carried out by keeping the crucial
cis
-orientation of the double bond intact, along with a trimethoxyphenyl aromatic ring, by employing different approaches. The issue of solubility was also addressed by the development of water soluble prodrugs of CA-4. The present review highlights the investigations into the parallel development of both new CA-4 based derivatives and prodrugs in the past few years.
The dynamic and crucial role of tubulin in different cellular functions rendered it a promising target in anticancer drug development.
Modern home automation systems include features that enhance security, such as cameras and radars. This paper proposes an innovative home security system that can detect burglars by analyzing ...acoustic signals and instantly notifying the authorized person(s). The system architecture incorporates the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT), resulting in a network and a user-friendly system. The proposed system uses an adaptive detection algorithm, namely the "short-time-average through long-time-average" algorithm. The proposed algorithm is implemented by an IoT device (Arduino Duo) to detect people's acoustical activities for the purpose of home/office security. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated using 10 acoustic signals representing actual events and background noise. The acoustic signals were generated by the sounds of keys shaking, the falling of a small object, the shrinking of a plastic bag, speaking, footsteps, etc. The effects of different algorithms' parameters on the performance of the proposed system have been thoroughly investigated.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease mainly affecting the synovial joints. A highly potent antagonist of C-C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), maraviroc (MVC), plays an essential ...role in treating several infectious diseases but has not yet been evaluated for its potential effects on RA development. This study focused on evaluating the therapeutic potential of MVC on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in DBA/1J mice. Following CIA induction, animals were treated intraperitoneally with MVC (50 mg/kg) daily from day 21 until day 35 and evaluated for clinical score and histopathological changes in arthritic inflammation. We further investigated the effect of MVC on Th9 (IL-9, IRF-4, and GATA3) and Th17 (IL-21R, IL-17A, and RORγT) cells, TNF-α, and RANTES in CD8+ T cells in the spleen using flow cytometry. We also assessed the effect of MVC on mRNA and protein levels of IL-9, IL-17A, RORγT, and GATA3 in knee tissues using RT-PCR and western blot analysis. MVC treatment in CIA mice attenuated the clinical and histological severity of inflammatory arthritis, and it substantially decreased IL-9, IRF4, IL-21R, IL-17A, RORγT, TNF-α, and RANTES production but increased GATA3 production in CD8+ T cells. We further observed that MVC treatment decreased IL-9, IL-17A, and RORγt mRNA and protein levels and increased those of GATA3. This study elucidates the capacity of MVC to ameliorate the clinical and histological signs of CIA by reducing pro-inflammatory responses, suggesting that MVC may have novel therapeutic uses in the treatment of RA.
Abstract
Ever since its emergence in 1984, the field of ancient DNA has struggled to overcome the challenges related to the decay of DNA molecules in the fossil record. With the recent development of ...high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and molecular techniques tailored to ultra-damaged templates, it has now come of age, merging together approaches in phylogenomics, population genomics, epigenomics, and metagenomics. Leveraging on complete temporal sample series, ancient DNA provides direct access to the most important dimension in evolution—time, allowing a wealth of fundamental evolutionary processes to be addressed at unprecedented resolution. This review taps into the most recent findings in ancient DNA research to present analyses of ancient genomic and metagenomic data.
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