Search Results (615)

This paper presents an advanced energy management system (EMS) for optimizing power distribution in a battery/ultracapacitor (UC) hybrid energy storage system (HESS) for electric vehicles (EVs). The proposed EMS accounts for all energy flow scenarios within a practical driving cycle. A regenerative braking control strategy is developed to maximize kinetic energy recovery using an induction motor, efficiently distributing the recovered energy between the UC and battery. Additionally, a power flow management approach is introduced for both motoring (discharge) and braking (charge) operations via bidirectional buck–boost DC-DC converters. In discharge mode, an optimal distribution factor is dynamically adjusted to balance power delivery between the battery and UC, maximizing efficiency. During charging, a DC link voltage control mechanism prioritizes UC charging over the battery, reducing stress and enhancing energy recovery efficiency. The proposed EMS is validated through simulations and experiments, demonstrating significant improvements in vehicle acceleration, energy efficiency, and battery lifespan. Full article

Although particulate matter (PM) pollution from vehicles’ exhaust has decreased significantly over the years, the contribution from non-exhaust sources (brakes, tyres) has remained at the same levels. In the European Union (EU), Euro 7 regulation introduced PM limits for vehicles’ brake systems. Regenerative braking, i.e., recuperation of the deceleration kinetic and potential energy to the vehicle battery, is one of the strategies to reduce the brake emission levels and improve vehicle efficiency. According to the regulation, the shares of friction and regenerative braking can be determined with actual testing of the vehicle on a chassis dynamometer. In this study we tested the regenerative capabilities of a plug-in hybrid vehicle, both in the laboratory and on the road, under different protocols (including both smooth and aggressive braking) and covering a wide range of driving conditions (urban, rural, motorway) over 10,000 km of driving. Good agreement was obtained between laboratory and on-road tests, with the use of the friction brakes being on average 7% and 5.3%, respectively. However, at the same time it was demonstrated that the friction braking share can vary over a wide range (up to around 30%), depending on the driver’s behaviour. Full article

Background: Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) hold transformative potential for cardiovascular regenerative medicine, yet their clinical application is hindered by suboptimal mitochondrial maturation and metabolic inefficiencies. This systematic review evaluates targeted strategies for optimizing mitochondrial function, integrating metabolic preconditioning, substrate selection, and pathway modulation to enhance energy production and cellular resilience. Additionally, we examine the role of extracellular matrix stiffness and mechanical stimulation in mitochondrial adaptation, given their influence on metabolism and maturation. Methods: A comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in iPSC-CM maturation was conducted, focusing on metabolic interventions that enhance mitochondrial structure and function. Studies employing metabolic preconditioning, lipid and amino acid supplementation, and modulation of key signaling pathways, including PGC-1α, AMPK, and mTOR, were reviewed. Computational modeling approaches predicting optimal metabolic shifts were assessed, alongside insights into reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, calcium handling, and the impact of electrical pacing on energy metabolism. Results: Evidence indicates that metabolic preconditioning with fatty acids and oxidative phosphorylation enhancers improves mitochondrial architecture, cristae density, and ATP production. Substrate manipulation fosters a shift toward adult-like metabolism, while pathway modulation refines mitochondrial biogenesis. Computational models enhance precision, predicting interventions that best align iPSC-CM metabolism with native cardiomyocytes. The synergy between metabolic and biomechanical cues offers new avenues for accelerating maturation, bridging the gap between in vitro models and functional cardiac tissues. Conclusions: Strategic metabolic optimization is essential for overcoming mitochondrial immaturity in iPSC-CMs. By integrating biochemical engineering, predictive modeling, and biomechanical conditioning, a robust framework emerges for advancing iPSC-CM applications in regenerative therapy and disease modeling. These findings pave the way for more physiologically relevant cell models, addressing key translational challenges in cardiovascular medicine. Full article

Diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) is the most prevalent complication of diabetes, affecting nearly half of all persons with diabetes. It is characterized by nerve degeneration, progressive sensory loss and pain, with increased risk of ulceration and amputation. Despite its high prevalence, disease-modifying treatments for DSPN do not exist. Mitochondrial dysfunction and Ca²⁺ dyshomeostasis are key contributors to the pathophysiology of DSPN, disrupting neuronal energy homeostasis and initiating axonal degeneration. Recent findings have demonstrated that antagonism of the muscarinic acetylcholine type 1 receptor (M₁R) promotes restoration of mitochondrial function and axon repair in various neuropathies, including DSPN, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and HIV-associated neuropathy. Pirenzepine, a selective M₁R antagonist with a well-established safety profile, is currently under clinical investigation for its potential to reverse neuropathy. The transient receptor potential melastatin-3 (TRPM3) channel, a Ca²⁺-permeable ion channel, has recently emerged as a downstream effector of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathways, including M₁R. TRPM3 activation enhanced mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake and bioenergetics, promoting axonal sprouting. This review highlights mitochondrial and Ca²⁺ signaling imbalances in DSPN and presents M₁R antagonism and TRPM3 activation as promising neuro-regenerative strategies that shift treatment from symptom control to nerve restoration in diabetic and other peripheral neuropathies. Full article

This paper presents a high-fidelity multi-physics dynamic model for electric vehicles, serving as a fundamental building block for intelligent vehicle-to-grid (V2G) integration systems. The model accurately captures complex vehicle dynamics of the powertrain, battery, and regenerative braking, enabling precise energy consumption evaluation, including in AI-driven V2G scenarios. Validated using real-world data from a Citroën Ami operating on urban routes in Naples, Italy, it achieved exceptional accuracy with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.28% for dynamic state of charge prediction. This robust framework provides an essential foundation for AI-driven digital twin technologies in V2G applications, significantly advancing sustainable transportation and smart grid integration through predictive simulation. Its versatility supports diverse fleet applications, from residential energy management and coordinated charging optimization to commercial car sharing operations, leveraging backup power during peak demand or grid outages, so to maximize distributed battery storage utilization. Full article

Background/Objectives: Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used anthracycline chemotherapeutic agent, is recognized for its efficacy in treating various malignancies. However, its clinical application is critically limited due to dose-dependent cardiotoxicity, predominantly induced by oxidative stress and compromised antioxidant defenses. Photobiomodulation (PBM), a non-invasive intervention that utilizes low-intensity light, has emerged as a promising therapeutic modality in regenerative medicine, demonstrating benefits such as enhanced tissue repair, reduced inflammation, and protection against oxidative damage. This investigation sought to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of PBM preconditioning in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-vCMs) subjected to DOX-induced toxicity. Methods: Human iPSC-vCMs were allocated into three experimental groups: control cells (untreated), DOX-treated cells (exposed to 2 μM DOX for 24 h), and PBM+DOX-treated cells (preconditioned with PBM, utilizing 660 nm ±10 nm LED light at an intensity of 10 mW/cm² for 500 s, delivering an energy dose of 5 J/cm², followed by DOX exposure). Cell viability assessments were conducted in conjunction with evaluations of oxidative stress markers, including antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Furthermore, transcriptional profiling of 40 genes implicated in cardiac dysfunction was performed using TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), complemented by analyses of protein expression for markers of cardiac stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Results: Exposure to DOX markedly reduced the viability of hiPSC-vCMs. The cells exhibited significant alterations in the expression of 32 out of 40 genes (80%) after DOX exposure, reflecting the upregulation of markers associated with apoptosis, inflammation, and adverse cardiac remodeling. PBM preconditioning partially restored the cell viability, modulating the expression of 20 genes (50%), effectively counteracting a substantial proportion of the dysregulation induced by DOX. Notably, PBM enhanced the expression of genes responsible for antioxidant defense, augmented antioxidant enzyme activity, and reduced oxidative stress indicators such as MDA levels. Additional benefits included downregulating stress-related mRNA markers (HSP1A1 and TNC) and apoptotic markers (BAX and TP53). PBM also demonstrated gene reprogramming effects in ventricular cells, encompassing regulatory changes in NPPA, NPPB, and MYH6. PBM reduced the protein expression levels of IL-6, TNF, and apoptotic markers in alignment with their corresponding mRNA expression profiles. Notably, PBM preconditioning showed a diminished expression of BNP, emphasizing its positive impact on mitigating cardiac stress. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PBM preconditioning is an effective strategy for reducing DOX-induced chemotherapy-related cardiotoxicity by enhancing cell viability and modulating signaling pathways associated with oxidative stress, as well as inflammatory and hypertrophic markers. Full article

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a widely used therapeutic product in musculoskeletal treatments due to its regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the lack of standardization in PRP preparation protocols hampers clinical consistency. Methods: In this study, the metabolic profiles of 10 different PRP types were compared using untargeted metabolomics via Q-TOF LC–MS. PRP-G and PRP-S were prepared from six donors to assess inter-individual variability, while the remaining types were obtained from a single donor to isolate the impact of preparation method alone. Multivariate analyses, VIP scores, and pathway enrichment analyses were conducted. Results: PRP formulations exhibited distinct metabolic differences associated with inflammatory signaling, redox homeostasis, steroid metabolism, energy production, and platelet activation. Samples from both single- and multi-donor groups showed high intra-group similarity, indicating that preparation method is a major determinant of PRP’s biochemical composition. Conclusion: Metabolomic profiling reveals that even minor differences in PRP preparation protocols can lead to significant biochemical changes that may affect therapeutic outcomes. This study highlights the need for standardized, indication-specific PRP products and underscores the value of metabolomic analysis in guiding optimal formulation selection in clinical practice. Full article

As electric vehicles (EVs) continue to advance toward widespread adoption, innovations in power electronics are playing a pivotal role in improving efficiency, performance, and sustainability. This review presents recent progress in bidirectional converters and regenerative braking systems (RBSs), highlighting their contributions to energy recovery, battery longevity, and vehicle-to-grid integration. Bidirectional converters support two-way energy flow, enabling efficient regenerative braking and advanced charging capabilities. The integration of wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride, further enhances power density and thermal performance. The paper evaluates various converter topologies, including single-stage and multi-stage architectures, and assesses their suitability for high-voltage EV platforms. Intelligent control strategies, including fuzzy logic, neural networks, and sliding mode control, are discussed for optimizing braking force and maximizing energy recuperation. In addition, the paper explores the influence of regenerative braking on battery degradation and presents hybrid energy storage systems and AI-based methods as mitigation strategies. Special emphasis is placed on the integration of RBSs in advanced electric vehicle platforms, including autonomous systems. The review concludes by identifying current challenges, emerging trends, and key design considerations to inform future research and practical implementation in electric vehicle energy systems. Full article

Dual-motor electric vehicles enhance power performance and overall output capabilities by enabling the real-time control of the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels, thereby improving handling, stability, and safety. In addition to increased energy efficiency, a dual-motor system provides redundancy: if one motor fails, the other can still supply partial power, further enhancing driving safety. This study aimed to optimize the energy management strategies of the front- and rear-axis motors, examining the application effects of rule-based control (RBC), global grid search (GGS), and the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). A simulation platform based on MATLAB/Simulink^® (R2021b, MATLAB, Natick, MA, USA) was constructed and validated through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing to ensure the authenticity and reliability of the simulation results. Detailed tests and analyses of the dual-motor system were conducted under FTP-75 driving cycles. Compared to the RBC strategy, GGS and WOA achieved energy efficiency improvements of 9.1% and 8.9%, respectively, in the pure simulation, and 4.2% and 3.8%, respectively, in the HIL simulation. Compared to the pure RBC strategy, the RBC and GGS strategies incorporating regenerative braking achieved energy efficiency improvements of 26.1% and 29.4%, respectively, in the HIL simulation. Overall, GGS and WOA each present distinct advantages, with WOA emerging as a highly promising alternative energy management strategy. Future research should further explore WOA applications to enhance energy savings in real-world vehicle operations. Full article

Jatropha curcas L. is a shrub of the Euphorbiaceae family with non-toxic varieties found in Mexico that holds significant potential for biofuel production and other industrial applications. However, its limited in vitro regenerative capacity is a barrier to the development of productive species. Somatic embryogenesis (SE) offers a strategy to establish a regeneration system to overcome these challenges and enable genetic improvement. In this work, proteomic and gene expression analyses were utilized to identify key factors involved in SE induction in a non-toxic variety of J. curcas. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) in combination with mass spectrometry was used to compare the proteomes of pre-globular and globular somatic embryos. RT-qPCR was used for gene expression analysis of the BBM, AGL15, SERK, IAA26 and eIF3f genes. The globular stage showed enrichment in the pathways related to carbohydrate and energy metabolism, protein folding, and stress response. In addition, the gene expression analysis of selected genes revealed a significantly elevated expression of BBM, AGL15, and IAA26 in globular embryos compared to pre-globular embryos. In contrast, SERK expression was low, and eIF3f expression remained unchanged between stages. These expression patterns may contribute to developmental arrest at the globular stage. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating early SE in J. curcas and offer potential strategies for improving its propagation and industrial applications. Full article

Owing to its high energy efficiency, regenerative capability, and fast dynamic response, the Electromagnetic Energy-Feeding Shock Absorber has found widespread application in automotive suspension control systems. To further improve thrust control precision, this study presents a sliding mode thrust controller designed using an improved Gray Wolf Optimization algorithm. Firstly, an improved exponential reaching law is adopted, where a saturation function replaces the traditional sign function to enhance system tracking accuracy and stability. Meanwhile, a position update strategy from the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is integrated into the gray wolf optimizer (GWO) to improve the global search ability and the balance of local exploitation. Secondly, the improved GWO is combined with sliding mode control to achieve online optimization of controller parameters, ensuring system robustness while suppressing chattering. Finally, comparative analyses and simulation validations are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller. Simulation results show that, under step input conditions, the improved GWO reduces the rise time from 0.0034 s to 0.002 s and the steady-state error from 0.4 N to 0.12 N. Under sinusoidal input, the average error is reduced from 0.26 N to 0.12 N. Under noise disturbance, the average deviation is reduced from 2.77 N to 2.14 N. These results demonstrate that the improved GWO not only provides excellent trajectory tracking and control accuracy but also exhibits strong robustness under varying operating conditions and random white noise disturbances. Full article

The environmental impact of innovative indirect regenerative evaporative cooling (IREC) technology is analyzed using the life cycle assessment. This study compared typical equipment using this technology from Innovative Ideas LLC with available-on-the-market traditional vapor compression ducted air conditioning systems as the closest analogous representatives of the vapor compression technology. For comparison, units with the same cooling capacity (5 kW) were selected. The endpoint indicators demonstrated that the air conditioning systems using IREC technology had lower environmental load compared to the vapor compression system by 29–70%, depending on the scenario and damage category. This advantage resulted from the significantly higher coefficient of performance of the IREC system. The amounts of cooling energy generated and electricity consumption were determined based on temperature and relative humidity data recorded at hourly intervals in the summer seasons of 2023 and 2024. The operation turned out to be a life cycle stage with dominating environmental load. The uncertainty analysis carried out with Monte Carlo simulations indicated significant deviation, particularly for the ecosystem category. The sensitivity analysis showed that the assumed electricity mix did not significantly affect the general conclusions. Full article

This research presents a method for improving the regenerative efficiency of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs) used in traction applications such as electric vehicles. In conventional powertrain control, the maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) strategy is commonly applied in the constant-torque region. However, this approach does not account for the combined losses of both the motor and inverter. In this study, overall system efficiency is investigated, and an improved current combination is proposed to minimize total losses. The single switching method is employed in the inverter due to its simplicity and its ability to reduce inverter losses. Simulations incorporating both motor and inverter losses were performed for two driving conditions around the MTPA current point. The results show that the optimal current combination slightly deviates from the MTPA point and leads to a slight improvement in efficiency. Experimental results under the two steady-state driving torque and angular velocity conditions confirm that the optimized current combination enhances system efficiency. Furthermore, simulations based on the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule predict an increase in recovered energy of approximately 1%. The proposed control strategy is simple, easy to implement, and enables the powertrain to operate with highly efficient current references. Full article

Regenerative combustion represents an efficient and energy-saving combustion technology that significantly enhances thermal efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and minimizes pollutant emissions by recovering and reusing heat energy. This technology has found extensive applications in traditional industries, such as chemical engineering, coating, and printing, as well as in contemporary fields, including food processing and pharmaceuticals. In recent years, advancements in the optimization of combustion devices and the development of efficient catalysts have successfully reduced the combustion temperature for treating organic waste gases while simultaneously improving pollutant removal efficiency. This paper reviews the current status of regenerative combustion technology, summarizes key achievements, analyzes the challenges faced in industrial applications, and anticipates future research directions. Full article

For a given timetable in urban rail transit systems, this paper presents a practical energy efficiency optimization problem that carries out adjustments to the timetable, with the goal of energy saving. We propose two strategies to address this challenge, including adjusting the section running time by selecting a speed profile and improving the utilization of regenerative braking energy by adjusting the trains’ departure time. Constraints on the range of adjustment for energy-efficient time elements are constructed for maintaining the stability of elements of the given timetable. An energy efficiency optimization model is then established to minimize the total net energy consumption of the timetable, and a solution algorithm based on a genetic algorithm is proposed. We make small-scale adjustments to trains’ running trajectories to optimize the overlap time of braking and traction conditions among multiple trains. The case of the Guangzhou Metro Line 8 in China is presented to verify the effectiveness and practicality of our method. The results show that the consumption of traction energy is reduced by 0.95% and the use of regenerative braking energy is increased by 8.18%, with an improvement in energy efficiency of 6.78%. This method can achieve relatively significant energy efficiency results while ensuring the stable service quality of the train timetable and can provide support for an energy-efficient train timetable for urban rail transit operation enterprises. Full article