Search Results (198)

The importance of accurate and fast forecasting of wind speed is critical for guiding investment decisions, grid integration of wind power plants, and dispatch management. However, due to surface smoothness and the effects of thermal processes, wind-speed time series obtained from onshore and offshore sites have very statistically and dynamically distinct characteristics in terms of volatility, non-stationarity, autocorrelation, and noise components. This study proposes a Sinusoidal Representation Network (SIREN)-based framework to provide accurate, fast, and direct multi-horizon wind-speed forecasting for both onshore and offshore wind farms. Two datasets of onshore and offshore wind speeds, which have long durations and data continuity, are used to assess the performance of the suggested approach from very-short-term to long-term forecasting horizons. Both of the datasets use Savitzky–Golay filters and moving medians to reduce short-term noise and sudden spikes and winsorization and Hampel filters to limit the effect of outliers. Additionally, robust scaling is done to ensure stability of the scales of the variables, while log transformation is applied to counteract the problem of skewness and variation in the data distribution. The SIREN model is trained, validated, and tested independently for each forecast horizon, corresponding to times ranging from 5 min to 30 days. Ablation and sensitivity analyses are conducted to evaluate the effect of the parameters used in the model on forecast performance. In addition, comparative analyses incorporating traditional time series, and ML and DL techniques are conducted to more comprehensively evaluate the model’s performance. The obtained graphical and numerical results have revealed that the proposed SIREN approach is a highly accurate and computationally convenient alternative wind-speed forecasting method that can be flexibly adapted to different time resolutions and forecast horizons in both onshore and offshore systems. Full article

High penetrations of wind and photovoltaic generation create simultaneous challenges for battery energy storage system (BESS) planning in distribution networks, including differences in nodal regulation value, power-energy configuration, and day-ahead operation under forecast uncertainty. This study develops a sequential planning-to-operation workflow comprising candidate-bus generation, siting and sizing within the candidate set, and finite-scenario day-ahead scheduling for a fixed configuration. First, nodal net-injection sensitivities, Jacobian-assisted pre-screening, and deterministic topology/support safeguards are used to generate the main candidate set, and alternating-current (AC) finite-difference refinement is performed only for the sensitivity-led fast set; in the IEEE-33 system, this refinement reduces the number of AC power-flow calls from 65 for full-node analysis to 17. Next, Sensitivity-Guided Envelope-Based Nonanticipative Adjustable Recourse Optimal Power Flow (SG-ENAR-OPF) is solved separately for each bus in the main candidate set; the BESS location and power/energy capacities are jointly determined subject to the P-Q LinDistFlow model, BESS duration constraints, a shared affine response, and finite-scenario constraints. The full-node audit serves only as an independent paper-level validation benchmark and is not part of the deployable workflow. After the configuration is fixed, interval forecasts for load, photovoltaic (PV) output, and wind-turbine (WT) output at $q^{05}$/$q^{50}$/$q^{95}$ are used to construct 25 static load-renewable disturbance points and seven temporal stress paths, over which a shared finite-scenario day-ahead policy is optimized. The IEEE-33 MAIN case selects Bus 30, with BESS capacities of approximately 10.66 MW/10.66 MWh. Using scaled public time-series data, the final policy is replayed over 46 consecutive 24 h execution windows, comprising 1104 h actual trajectories; under the 0.002 MW/MWh storage-engineering criterion, all 46/46 windows pass storage engineering validation, and energy continuity is maintained across all 45/45 interday boundaries. Further nonlinear AC post-validation converges at all 1104/1104 operating points, of which 1058/1104 satisfy the complete voltage and branch-capacity constraints. Supplementary results for IEEE-69 show that the workflow can be executed on a second radial test feeder. However, the conclusions are strictly limited to the tested feeders, finite scenarios, scaled public-data settings, and stated engineering tolerances and do not constitute a formal guarantee over a continuous uncertainty domain or of general cross-system applicability. Full article

Background/Objectives: Alternate-day fasting (ADF) combined with exercise has been suggested as an effective lifestyle strategy for reducing fat mass while preserving lean mass. However, whether exercise preconditioning before ADF plus concurrent exercise affects subsequent body-composition and substrate-utilization responses remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise preconditioning during a subsequent ADF plus concurrent exercise intervention. Methods: Seven-week-old male ICR mice were assigned to the non-exercise preconditioning (Non-ExPC) or exercise preconditioning (ExPC) group (n = 8/group). After the 4-week preconditioning period, both groups underwent 7 days of ADF plus concurrent exercise. Resting energy metabolism was measured during the intervention, and body composition, exercise energy metabolism, muscle and motor function, blood biomarker concentrations, and plasma hormone levels were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: Both groups showed significant reductions in body weight, body fat percentage, and fat mass after the intervention. Lean mass decreased in both groups without between-group differences. The ExPC group maintained significantly lower body fat percentage and fat mass than the Non-ExPC group and showed significantly higher resting oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio, carbohydrate oxidation, and energy expenditure during the intervention. During exercise, the respiratory exchange ratio and carbohydrate oxidation significantly increased in both groups, whereas fat oxidation significantly decreased only in the ExPC group. Conclusions: Exercise preconditioning was associated with the maintenance of lower adiposity during short-term ADF combined with concurrent exercise, while differences in substrate utilization were observed under some conditions. Full article

Oyster mushroom cultivation results in the generation of large amounts of by-products, the improper disposal of which can have adverse environmental consequences. The utilization of mushroom stem waste as a functional feed ingredient could serve as a promising strategy for its sustainable management and the development of alternative feed resources. This experiment investigates the effects of dietary enrichment with dried oyster mushroom stem waste of the Pleurotus ostreatus species (OMSW) on lamb growth performance and meat quality indices. Twenty-four 3-month-old male Chios lambs were randomly assigned to three groups; a control group (C) that received a basal diet; the P2 group that was offered a concentrate supplemented with 2% dried OMSW; and the P4 group, supplemented with 4% OMSW. Individual feed intake and body weight measurements were recorded weekly during the 28-day experimental period for each lamb. At the end of the feeding trial, lambs were fasted for 12 h and slaughtered. The internal organs (spleen, kidneys, liver, lungs, and heart) were then weighed, along with the hot carcass for each lamb. After 24 h at refrigerated storage, cold carcass weight was recorded and samples of longissimus thoracis muscle were collected from each lamb for subsequent meat quality assessment. No significant differences were observed among the three groups in feed intake and body weight throughout the experiment. Hot and cold carcass and internal organs’ weights were also not affected by OMSW addition. Moreover, meat quality characteristics, such as pH, color, water holding capacity, shear force values and intramuscular fat were similar among the experimental groups. Meat oxidative stability during refrigerated storage was ameliorated (p = 0.002), possibly due to the antioxidant activity exerted by the phenolic compounds contained in OMSW, without any adverse effects on the meat fatty acid profile. These findings indicate that OMSW may be successfully incorporated into growing lamb diets up to 4% as an alternative feed without adverse effects on intake, production or meat quality. Full article

After high-penetration distributed photovoltaics (DPVs) are integrated into AC/DC hybrid distribution networks, stochastic source-load fluctuations, AC-DC coupling, and heterogeneous response characteristics of voltage-regulation devices jointly aggravate voltage violations and rapid voltage fluctuations. This paper proposes a spatio-temporal coordinated hierarchical distributed voltage-optimization framework. Spatially, the AC and DC regions are first separated according to voltage-source-converter (VSC) interfaces, and an electrical-coupling-aware modularity index is then constructed for the AC network by combining normalized bidirectional reactive-power-voltage sensitivities, available fast reactive-power support, and intra-cluster compactness. Temporally, an 1 h day-ahead model coordinates slow, discrete, or intertemporally coupled resources, including on-load tap changers, capacitor banks, energy storage systems, and flexible loads, while a 15 min intra-day rolling model coordinates DPV inverters, static var generators, and VSCs. The synchronous alternating direction method of multipliers (SADMM) is tailored to the resulting AC clusters, DC subnetworks, and VSC boundary variables to enable synchronous regional solution and boundary-consensus coordination. Studies on a modified 50-node AC/DC test system show that, under the investigated operating conditions, the framework mitigates voltage violations and intra-day fluctuations while obtaining favorable network-loss, DPV-curtailment, and solution-time performance. Full article

Background: Sodium–glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) because of their cardiovascular and renoprotective benefits. However, their use is associated with euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (EDKA), a rare but potentially life-threatening complication characterized by severe ketoacidosis despite relatively normal blood glucose levels. Failure to discontinue SGLT-2 inhibitors before surgery, as recommended in current guidelines, together with perioperative fasting and surgical stress, increases the risk of EDKA. Diagnostic complexity is compounded when concurrent postoperative surgical complications provide an alternative explanation for persistent metabolic acidosis. Methods: A 71-year-old man with T2DM receiving uninterrupted empagliflozin underwent direct lateral interbody fusion under general anesthesia. On postoperative day 2, he developed severe high anion-gap metabolic acidosis (pH 7.204, HCO₃⁻ 10.1 mEq/L) with near-normal blood glucose levels (178 mg/dL). Pneumoperitoneum identified on imaging was attributed to Hemovac drain-related peritoneal injury, and emergent laparoscopic exploration was performed under a working diagnosis of surgical sepsis. Although surgical source control was successfully achieved, severe metabolic acidosis persisted postoperatively (pH 7.275). Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis is an uncommon diabetic complication associated with several perioperative risk factors, including prolonged fasting and surgical stress. Subsequent serum ketone analysis demonstrated markedly elevated beta-hydroxybutyrate levels (4.8 mmol/L), confirming co-existing EDKA. Results: Following empagliflozin discontinuation, targeted treatment with concurrent insulin–dextrose infusion resulted in complete resolution of acid-base imbalance within five days. Conclusions: A concurrent surgical complication appeared to mask EDKA and contributed to a delay in its recognition. In patients receiving SGLT-2 inhibitors, metabolic acidosis that persists after an apparent surgical cause has been addressed should prompt measurement of serum ketones, irrespective of the blood glucose concentration. Structured perioperative protocols for SGLT-2 inhibitor management and postoperative ketone surveillance may help to prevent similar events. Full article

At airports where both contact and remote stands are operated, stand allocation may influence aircraft ground movement flow and delay occurrence. However, directly validating alternative stand allocation strategies in an actual operational environment involves operational risks and controllability limitations. This study addresses these issues by developing and validating a SIMMOD-based fast-time simulation model for Gimpo International Airport, incorporating actual operational data, airport layout information, aircraft fleet composition, runway operating configurations, and stand operation characteristics. Model validation was conducted by comparing the simulated and observed hourly departure and arrival throughput and by evaluating taxi-time errors using the root mean square error and mean absolute error. Three stand allocation scenarios with different contact and remote stand allocation ratios were designed, and their effects on departure and arrival aircraft ground delay were compared. Using hourly outputs averaged over ten independent simulation replications, S1 and S2 showed lower mean departure ground delay than S0, whereas the arrival response exhibited greater hourly variability. Within-day nonparametric comparisons, supplemented by temporal-dependence diagnostics, identified significant differences between the baseline and alternative scenarios for total departure ground delay. These findings indicate that stand allocation can be considered an operational strategy for reducing airport ground delay. Full article

Background/Objectives: Non-caloric sweeteners are increasingly used as alternatives to sugar to reduce energy intake, yet their metabolic effects remain controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sucrose, saccharin, and steviol glycosides on glucose regulation and cardiometabolic risk markers in healthy adults. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, 39 healthy, normal-weight adults consumed beverages containing sucrose (66 g/day), saccharin (220 mg/day), or steviol glycosides (220 mg/day) for 14 days, with washout periods between interventions. Metabolic outcomes were assessed at baseline and after each intervention under fasting conditions and during a 2 h postprandial test. Primary outcomes were glucose and insulin responses; secondary outcomes included gut hormones, lipids, inflammatory markers, and subjective appetite. Results: Compared with baseline, fasting glucose increased after sucrose and saccharin, and fasting insulin increased after stevia (p < 0.01). All interventions increased postprandial insulin responses and reduced indices of insulin sensitivity (p < 0.05). Fasting PYY and GLP-2 increased following all treatments (p < 0.001), without differences between sweeteners. Triglycerides were higher after sucrose than saccharin (p < 0.05), while no differences were seen for cholesterol, apolipoproteins, or CRP. Appetite ratings were unchanged, with a trend (p = 0.053) towards a reduced desire to eat after stevia in the late postprandial phase. Conclusions: Short-term intake of sucrose and non-caloric sweeteners resulted in broadly similar metabolic responses, with no significant differences in glucose regulation. However, triglyceride concentrations were higher following sucrose than saccharin, whereas no consistent differences were observed across the remaining outcomes. Observed deviations from baseline should be interpreted with caution. Further long-term studies in diverse populations are warranted. Full article

The Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) takes on a structurally distinct form when the goods being routed undergo first-order quality decay during transport. In this setting, distance minimisation alone underestimates the true economic cost. A per-customer minimum-quality acceptance constraint further introduces a non-linear feasibility condition that does not appear in the classical formulation. This paper addresses such a setting in the context of loose-skin citrus fruit (e.g., mandarins) distribution, where stock has already undergone several days of cold storage at the origin warehouse, and remaining shelf life makes retail time windows binding rather than decorative. We formulate a Maturity-Aware Multi-Echelon Dynamic Reallocation Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (MA-MEDR-VRPTW) on a three-echelon network (origin warehouse → distribution centres → stores) over a seven-day rolling horizon. A first contribution shows that the minimum-quality acceptance constraint admits an analytic transformation into a time-window tightening, which removes per-extension exponential evaluations from the subproblem solver. The algorithmic contribution is a proximal alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) with NG-route relaxation (padmm-ma) whose quality-loss weight is updated by a residual-balancing rule and is decoupled from the outer reallocation linear program (LP) through approximate dynamic-programming-style marginal costs. On twelve Solomon-derived mandarin instances (72 feasible algorithm–instance combinations), padmm-ma returns a mean seven-day cost of 12,638 CNY against 11,753 CNY for a subgradient baseline ($+7.5\%$) at statistically indistinguishable arrival quality (paired Wilcoxon $p=0.077$ for ${\overline{q}}_{\mathrm{arr}}$), while cutting mean wall-clock time from 350 to 23 s (about $15\times$). The method, therefore, reads as a fast operational heuristic for daily re-planning. An ablation, an exact-MIP benchmark on tractable subproblems, and a scale extension to $n=100$ customers round out the validation. Full article

Background: The onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is often preceded by prediabetes, a reversible state of insulin resistance and impaired glucose regulation driven by the chronic consumption of a high-calorie diet and sedentary lifestyle. Prediabetes is characterised by impaired glucose tolerance and elevated glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Although metformin improves insulin sensitivity, adherence limitations to lifestyle interventions highlight the need for alternative drugs that can be effective even without dietary intervention. In our laboratory, we synthesised a novel ruthenium complex that exhibits elevated biological activity. Accordingly, this study investigated the metabolic effects of a novel ruthenium (II)–uracil Schiff base complex in HFHC diet-induced prediabetic rats, with and without dietary intervention. Methods: Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats (150–180 g) were divided into two groups, the standard diet (n = 12) and HFHC diet groups (n = 36), for prediabetic induction. Prediabetic animals were randomly assigned to respective treatment groups. The ruthenium complex was administered to prediabetic rats once a day, every third day, for 12 weeks, while monitoring changes in blood glucose, caloric intake, and body weight. Results: Diet-induced prediabetes resulted in increased fasting blood glucose and elevated HbA1c. The administration of the ruthenium (II)–uracil Schiff base complex reduced fasting blood glucose, improved insulin levels and ghrelin, enhanced GLUT4 expression, and significantly increased skeletal muscle glycogen, especially when combined with dietary intervention. Conclusions: The findings showed that the ruthenium complex exerts a pronounced effect on ameliorating glucose homeostasis, enhancing skeletal muscle glucose uptake, and improving overall metabolic function. Full article

Peptic ulcer is a multifactorial and debilitating gastrointestinal disorder affecting about 10 million people worldwide. The effectiveness of many anti-ulcer drugs is often limited by adverse effects, thereby making the need for safer, natural alternatives necessary. In this study, experimental rats were orally gavaged for 14 days with 1.25, 2.5, or 5.5 mg/kg body weight of lyophilized goat weed (Ageratum conyzoides) juice extract (ACJE). Gastric ulceration was induced in fasted animals by oral administration of ethanol (96%, 5 mL/kg). Animals were subsequently euthanized to evaluate the ulcer index, stomach histology, and biochemical markers of toxicity and oxidative stress. Untreated, induced rats had significantly (p < 0.001) higher ulcer scores (9-fold) and gastric juice secretion (1.5-fold), as well as lower gastric juice pH (1.5-fold). These effects were markedly reversed by ACJE pretreatment. Rats administered 2.5 mg/kg ACJE demonstrated similar protective benefits to those of ranitidine, including significant reductions in ulcer severity, gastric juice volume, and acidity. Furthermore, ulcer-associated dyslipidemia and changes in LDL and HDL cholesterol levels were mitigated in ACJE-pretreated animals. The gastroprotective effect of ACJE was validated by histological findings and the restoration of oxidative stress in rats. In silico analysis revealed that ACJE phytochemicals bind strongly to urease and pepsin, with higher docking scores compared to standard drugs. Overall, ACJE shows promising gastroprotective potential, necessitating more mechanistic research. Full article

Background: Evidence comparing the effects of novel alternative dietary strategies on resting energy expenditure (REE) with a hypocaloric standard Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) with continuous caloric restriction remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of diets with varying ketogenic potentials—including a very-low-carbohydrate diet (ketogenic diet, KD), time-restricted eating (TRE), and modified alternate-day fasting (mADF)—on the REE of individuals with obesity compared to those of a standard MedDiet. Methods: This was a secondary post hoc sub-analysis of a three-month, parallel-arm, randomized clinical trial (RCT) including 160 adults with obesity (body mass index > 30 kg/m²). The participants were randomly assigned to one of five calorie-restricted dietary interventions: control (MedDiet), KD, early time-restricted eating (eTRE), late time-restricted eating (lTRE), or mADF. All interventions featured an individualized energy deficit of 600 kcal/day. In this sub-analysis, a total of 102 participants with valid baseline measures were included. The REE was assessed by indirect calorimetry, and longitudinal trajectories were evaluated using Linear Mixed Models (LMMs) in 98 participants to account for baseline variability and to maximize data retention. Results: The mean age of participants in this sub-analysis was 45.3 years (SD 10.8), and 73.1% were women. The longitudinal modeling confirmed no statistically significant differences in the adjusted REE trajectories among the five dietary groups over the 3-month intervention (Group × Time interaction, p = 0.506). Furthermore, the LMMs showed that total body weight (p < 0.001) and biological sex (p < 0.001) were the variables most strongly associated with REE within the model. No independent associations between circulating beta-hydroxybutyrate levels and REE trajectories were detected. Conclusions: Hypocaloric diets with varying macronutrient distributions and fasting windows did not show statistically significant differences in REE trajectories over the 3-month intervention. In this exploratory sub-analysis, the REE trajectories were more closely associated with individual biological characteristics, particularly body weight and sex, than with the specific dietary strategy employed. Given the modest sample size and exploratory nature of the study, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and require confirmation in larger, adequately powered prospective trials. Full article

Intermittent fasting (IF) has emerged as a popular dietary intervention with potential metabolic and endocrine benefits. However, its effects on sexual function and reproductive health remain incompletely understood. This comprehensive review synthesizes current evidence from human clinical trials and animal studies examining the impact of various IF protocols—including time-restricted eating (TRE), alternate-day fasting (ADF), and Ramadan fasting—on male and female sexual function, reproductive hormones, and fertility outcomes. In males, limited human data suggest preserved erectile function but reduced sexual desire during Ramadan fasting, with neutral effects on testosterone in obese adults undergoing TRE. Animal studies demonstrate context-dependent effects, with IF protecting against high-fat diet-induced reproductive dysfunction while potentially impairing spermatogenesis under prolonged energy restriction. In females, IF shows promise for improving hyperandrogenism and menstrual regularity in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), mediated by enhanced insulin sensitivity and reduced free androgen index. However, direct measurements of female sexual function domains (libido, arousal, lubrication, orgasm) are largely absent from the literature. Mechanistic pathways involve modulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis, insulin–adipokine signaling, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and oxidative stress pathways. Evidence quality is limited by small sample sizes, heterogeneous protocols, short follow-up periods, and predominance of animal data. While IF may offer reproductive benefits in metabolically compromised populations, particularly women with PCOS, caution is warranted in young, lean, or energy-deficient individuals. Future research should employ standardized IF protocols, validated sexual function instruments, and long-term fertility endpoints to establish evidence-based clinical recommendations. Full article

An increasing penetration of distributed energy resources and electrification-driven peak demand pose significant challenges to distribution networks, often resulting in voltage violations and congestion. This paper presents a multi-stage optimization framework that enables battery storage unit (BSU) to act as a flexible non-wire alternative to traditional grid expansions conducted by Distribution System Operators (DSO), but also helpful for Transmission System Operators (TSO). The proposed method integrates a mixed-integer planning model with a quadratically constrained, second-order-cone–relaxed, AC optimal power flow to determine the optimal siting and sizing of battery storage. Representative operating days are obtained through clustering, while the operational optimization model evaluates battery participation in energy and reserve markets under network constraints. The value of flexibility the DSO procures from an independently-owned battery storage unit is determined as the opportunity cost of providing this flexibility as opposed to taking part in the fast reserves and day-ahead energy markets. The results obtained offer valuable information when weighing the decision between network expansion and alternative strategies and determine the price of flexibility that the DSO can offer to an independently owned storage unit. The results confirm that battery storage can defer network investments while providing transparent and economically justified flexibility remuneration. The proposed framework is implemented sequentially, with strong coupling between planning and operational stages through physical constraints and economic signals. Full article

Background/Objectives: Obesity represents a significant global health challenge. Although alternate-day fasting (ADF) has been shown to effectively improve metabolic parameters, long-term adherence to this regimen remains limited. This study aimed to investigate whether highly polymerized persimmon tannin (DP31) could serve as a practical alternative to ADF for the prevention of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice (n = 10 per group) were subjected to an HFD for 11 weeks, during which they concurrently received either DP31 or ADF. Body weight, fat mass, serum lipid levels, glucose tolerance, fasting glucose, and insulin levels were assessed. Additionally, hepatic transcriptomics, Western blotting, 16S rRNA sequencing, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis were conducted. Results: DP31 demonstrated comparable efficacy to ADF in reducing body weight gain and improving lipid profiles, while exhibiting superior effects on glucose tolerance and fasting glucose levels (p < 0.05). Both interventions effectively reversed HFD-induced hepatic gene dysregulation, leading to the upregulation of genes involved in processes related to steroid metabolism. In addition, both treatments activated the hepatic AMPK-mTORC1-Lpin1 axis, suppressed lipogenesis, upregulated PGC1α, and increased β-hydroxybutyrate levels, indicating enhanced fatty acid oxidation (p < 0.05). Notably, DP31 outperformed ADF in enriching beneficial gut genera, such as Akkermansia, and boosting SCFAs production, which may elucidate its superior glycemic control. Overall, DP31 exhibits comparable effects to ADF in preventing obesity-related metabolic disorders, while demonstrating superior effects on glucose homeostasis. Full article