Electrical Contraction Research Articles

Investigating the Impact of Microgravity on Stem Cells for Cardiovascular Disease Treatment

Cardiovascular disease is a widespread cause of physical disability, and while treatment options result in reduced mortality, they are still limited in their capabilities for cardiac repair. Since their discovery, the regenerative capacities of stem cells have been hypothesized to one day reverse countless diseases. Current stem cell research in cardiovascular disease has delineated the regenerative capabilities of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and cardiac stem cells, but has its limitations. Additionally, current therapies reduce mortality rates and the risk of recurrent myocardial infarctions and damage, but they do not address the apparently irreversible remodeling of myocardial tissue, which is linked to frequent hospitalizations and a diminished quality of life. As researchers continue to investigate the most efficacious growth mediums for stem cells, microgravity appears to be a supportive environment for stem cell growth. Thus, this review aims to catalogue existing research on microgravity’s differing effects on various stem cell lineages and what implications it may have on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Cells grown under these conditions have increased expression of cardioprotective proteins and improved proliferative capacities but may have elevated tumorigenic potential and hypertrophic pathways. Additionally, the results of microgravity’s effects on stem cells are mixed. Nonetheless, microgravity’s impact on the cytoskeleton, overexpression of electrical contraction receptors, and increased proliferative and pluripotent effects make these cells promising avenues for potential improved clinical treatment options.

Investigation of the effects of tadalafil on the myocardium via electrical and isometric contractions and cardiac markers in Wistar rats

Purpose: Tadalafil, a long-acting phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, is commonly used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. This study investigates the contribution of tadalafil in cardiac function by measuring isometric and electrical contractions of myocardium in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty rats were divided into five groups. Basal electrical contractions were recorded via electrocardiogram (ECG) for intervals PR (ms), QRS (ms), QT (ms), Tp (ms), Te (ms), pathological Q and heart beats/min. Then group 1 received saline for 7 days (control); group 2 received tadalafil 1 mg/kg; group 3 received tadalafil 10 mg/kg; group 4 received tadalafil 1 mg/kg for 7 days; group 5 received tadalafil 10 mg/kg for 7 days. After treatments, electrical contractions were re-performed to analyze the differences in ECG. For isometric contractions, hearts were connected to isometric power transducer to determine myocardial contractile forces (g), durations (ms) and frequencies (Hz). Serum samples were collected for cardiac creatine kinase (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I via ELISA. Results: We found a significant decrease in CK-MB in Group 2 (395.56±124.38 pg/ml) and 3 (377.81±79.61 pg/ml), compared to Group 1 (575.32±83.54 pg/ml). The differences in cardiac contractile forces, contraction durations or frequencies were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Tadalafil did not exert obvious distruption on myocardial electrical or isometrical contractions. It is noteworthy that tadalafil 1 and 10 mg/kg reduced serum CK-MB. Shortening in QT and decrease in heart rate may have important implications on myocardial functions.

Electricity contract design and wholesale market outcomes in Australia's National Electricity Market

AbstractThe emergence of variable renewable energy (VRE) technologies has created a range of different energy contracting techniques. Within Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM), Run‐of‐Plant (RoP) Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) became the most common form of contract with purchasers of wind and solar energy agreeing to pay a fixed price for energy irrespective of when it is produced and, therefore, its actual value to the market. In November 2023, the Commonwealth Government adopted a 32 GW RoP PPA Contract‐for‐Difference (CfD) underwriting policy that aims to effectively shield the generator from market price risk. This article discusses different contract structures and their impact on participant behaviour during periods of material oversupply and negative prices. We find that embedded solar PV exports into the distribution network, which are not required to dynamically participate in the wholesale market, have increased wholesale energy supply, enabling profit maximising vertically integrated renewable firms to drive prices lower in a manner that partially strands the output of RoP PPA CfD generators with a $0/MWh price floor. A key conclusion from our analysis is that requiring embedded solar PV to effectively participate in the wholesale market appears to be a pre‐condition for the efficacy of government‐initiated RoP PPA CfDs.

Sustainable Performance of Industrialised Building Systems in the Construction Phase

The Industrialised Building System (IBS) is a construction method where components are manufactured in controlled environments, either on-site or offsite, before being assembled into construction works. Over the past several decades, it has garnered growing interest as a method to promote sustainable building. This study identified sustainable indicators through literature reviews, extracting sixteen indicators for a sustainability evaluation. A survey was conducted among developers, designers, civil and structure (C&S) consultants, mechanical and electrical (M&E) consultants, manufacturers, and contractors in North Malaysia, focusing on Kedah state, to identify their perceptions on the sustainable indicator performance of IBS construction. The participants had experience in both IBS and conventional construction. The data collected from the questionnaires were analysed for the mean and Relative Importance Index (RII). The results revealed significant changes in IBS construction compared with conventional construction across all indicators. The top three indicators were reducing the amount of formwork, labour availability, and reducing site disruption. Next, the analysis of the within-group comparison using Intra-class Correlation (ICC) of the indicators revealed that contractors, developers and manufacturers possessed moderate similarity within the same group of organisations. This research gives an overview of the present perspectives of performance of sustainable indicators across key stakeholders in the Kedah construction sector. This is especially beneficial because IBS has grown in popularity and popularity owing to its ability to enhance the building environment, quality, and productivity.

Widening the scope: The direct and spillover effects of nudging water efficiency in the presence of other behavioral interventions

Policymakers and firms use behavioral interventions to promote sustainable development in various domains. A correct impact evaluation requires looking beyond the targeted domain and assessing its interactions with similar interventions. Existing evidence in this area is limited, leading to potential misestimation of behavioural interventions and poor guidance on their design. Here, we test the impact of a two-year social information campaign to nudge water conservation through a large-scale randomized controlled trial implemented with a multi-resource company,. We find that the water nudge significantly decreases water and electricity usage, but not that of gas. Spillovers arise for customers who do not receive nudges targeting the other resources. Customers receiving the water report are also significantly less likely to deactivate their gas and electricity contracts, regardless of whether they receive other reports. Our results suggest that multiple nudges strain users’ limited attention and ability to enact conservation efforts. Users’ constraints in attending to multiple stimuli need to be accounted in designing policy interventions to foster sustainable practices.

“Gharseva:” Web Household Services

The current situation has led to a strong work culture where people have to work hard and have busy schedules, causing them to neglect their families. If an unforeseen problem arises, they become distracted and focus on other activities instead of the work they are supposed to do. Managing your personal and business life is important. People who have difficulty finding reliable professionals to handle various household tasks can find a quick and easy solution through online homework help platforms. Users can find advanced photography, pest control, maintenance, wood, plumbing, and electrical contracts on the platform. The platform has an easy-to-use interface and a time booking system that primarily ensures on-time service and quality control. Responsive customer support, transparent pricing, and clear terms ensure customer satisfaction. The platform's success stems from its emphasis on convenience, reliability, and trust for those seeking home help. Key Words: SQL, services, employment, database, connectivity

The intrinsic value of decision rights: Field evidence from electricity contract choice automation

Previous laboratory evidence suggests that people tend to value their decision right beyond its instrumental value. We measure the intrinsic value of decision rights in the context of switching the electricity provider. We focus on customers of an online platform who can either choose a service that reminds them when they are allowed to switch their electricity contract or a service that automatically switches the contract on their behalf whenever possible. Our focus is on the intrinsic value of decision rights as a potential obstacle of this choice automation. Surprisingly, we find that customers who make use of the automation service assign significantly higher intrinsic value to their decision rights, compared to those who opted for the mere reminder. Hence, there appears to be a connection between having a high intrinsic value of decision rights and the level of interest in attributes of the automation service under consideration. The positive correlation suggests that the widespread positive intrinsic value of decision rights and the future adoption of similar automation services and devices do not necessarily contradict each other.

Implementation quality management systems in the electrical distribution contractors in Oman: An exploratory case study

The exploratory case study examined Oman's power distribution contractors' quality management systems (QMS). The research sought to understand how electrical distribution contractors see QMS and auditing barriers and facilitators. The survey interviewed Oman's electricity distribution business professionals. Sixteen electrical workers in Oman were interviewed. Interviews highlighted electrical distribution contractors' QMS and audit challenges. Interviews also addressed QMS and auditing success factors. The analysis shows that electricity distribution companies must address safety, quality, and power outages. ISO standards (International Standardization Organization) provide quality management and reduce risks. Quality training and QMS awareness are also stressed by the outcomes. The research found that group meetings can solve implementation issues and foster a collaborative quality management approach. These meetings allow for problem-solving, best practices, and networking. This research may help develop strategies and academic studies to standardize QMS in Oman's electrical distribution business.

Techno-economic analysis on optimizing the value of photovoltaic electricity in a high-latitude location

This study performs a techno-economic analysis of different photovoltaic (PV) systems suitable for detached houses in high-latitude locations and quantifies the key economic indicators affecting their competitiveness. Residential PV systems providing different temporal power production profiles are compared, accounting for the electricity price variations in the day-ahead market and the possibility of self-consuming the produced electricity. The procedure allows novel and comprehensive case study analysis that captures PV production, self-consumption, and dynamic electricity pricing, ultimately revealing the value of the produced PV electricity. This procedure is applied to a hundred case studies representing single-family houses with different PV systems, electricity load profiles, and electricity contracts. Vertical East-West mounted bifacial panels (VBPV) reached superior performance, with 9.1% higher overall production (with 2019 weather data) and 7.4%–10.9% higher economic value (with 2019 and 2022 electricity price data) for the produced PV electricity compared with monofacial PV. Thus, VBPV is an excellent choice for households economically, but the availability of suitable installation sites in the urban environment limits the possibility of its utilization. The economic value of PV electricity strongly correlates with self-consumed electricity due to avoided transmission fees and taxes, and a significant drop in total production causes only a minor reduction in value if the amount of self-consumed electricity remains similar. Thus, for a small-scale producer who orients the panels toward the East and the West instead of the South with a 45° tilt, the economic loss is significantly smaller (even as low as 12.6%) than the production loss (23.2%).

Assessing user satisfaction in construction services: Analyzing contractor performance in central Kalimantan’s power projects

Background: User satisfaction is an essential indicator in assessing the quality of construction services. A deep understanding of the factors contributing to user satisfaction is crucial, especially in the context of electrical projects. Objective: This study aims to examine the satisfaction level of PT PLN (Persero) UIP West Kalimantan towards the performance of electrical project contractors and to develop strategies for improving contractor performance based on the findings. Methods: This research adopts an observational approach using Descriptive Analysis. A survey employing questionnaires was designed and distributed to employees of PT PLN (Persero) UIP West Kalimantan. Data analysis was conducted using the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) to identify key performance indicators. Results: The study indicates a high level of satisfaction from PT PLN (Persero) UIP West Kalimantan towards the contractor's performance, with a CSI value of 70% within a 95% confidence interval (66%-81%). The IPA analysis revealed 12 performance indicators within the 'concentrate here' quadrant, indicating priority areas for improvement. Conclusion: These findings affirm the effectiveness of the strategies and management implemented by contractors in achieving user satisfaction. This study provides valuable insights for other contractors in the construction sector to enhance service quality, especially through improvements in project managerial recruitment strategies, support for work equipment, and collaborative strategies with banking institutions for project financing.

How can green suppliers boost customer loyalty? Model proposition for energy markets

PurposeClean and sustainable energy becomes an alternative to differentiate electricity suppliers, but it is necessary to have a better understanding of their behaviour to achieve green customer loyalty. This paper aims to deploy a behavioural model that helps explain loyalty of customers towards green electricity providers by including a series of antecedents such as trust, satisfaction, perceived environmental impact, propensity to trust and perceived risk.Design/methodology/approachThe paper deploys a behavioural model that it is tested through structural equation modelling to a sample of 231 German electricity consumers with green contracts. The data analysis included two steps: first, the development and validation of the scales used to measure the constructs proposed in the model, and second, the model test.FindingsResults demonstrate that trust and satisfaction directly influence loyalty, while satisfaction and the other variables included in the model have an indirect relationship with loyalty mediated by trust and satisfaction. As green characteristics of electricity are difficult to evaluate, managers should demonstrate in their communication the environmental effects of their activities while emphasising their capacity to attend to supply requirements for building long-term customer relationships.Originality/valueThe paper is focused on the understanding of those consumers who have signed a green electricity contract and the antecedents associated to their loyalty. The behavioural model helps identify how managers should apply marketing strategies to foster green consumers loyalty.

Perancangan Sistem Informasi Penjualan Berbasis Website pada PT. Reftech Jaya Optima

PT Reftech Jaya Optima is a trading company in the field of air compressors, HVAC, fire fighting systems, mechanical and electrical contractors. PT Reftech Jaya Optima has many cash sales and credit sales transactions. Recording these sales takes place using a spreadsheet, so it is still inefficient in presenting sales reports. In order to solve the problems that occur, a website-based sales information system is needed. The author builds a system design using PHPRad software, PHP programming language and MySQL as a database. Descriptive qualitative approach is used to collect data in this research. While the system development method used in this research is the waterfall model. System design is done using the Unified Modeling Language (UML). With this, users will find it easier to complete the sales recording process with the help of a website-based sales information system.

Business decision-making of power generators in competitive electricity market

This paper presents a theoretical framework for the business decision-making process of the power generators as price takers when considering the participation of energy storage. The framework assesses rational valuation, optimal sales strategies, and hedging options for power plants with and without a gross sales constraint. The valuation and optimal sales strategy problems are analyzed using a risk-neutral pricing approach, dynamic programming principles, and the trinomial tree model suitable for the regime switching model. The formulation of a price risk hedging scheme flexible and widely used over-the-counter electricity derivative, the electricity contract for difference, as a tool for hedging electricity spot price risk. The minimum variance hedge ratio and its corresponding hedging efficiency formula are derived. In the section of numerical simulations, we first use the EM algorithm to calibrate the electricity spot model based on electricity spot price data of Nord Pool. Numerical simulations are then conducted on the operational decision-making of power generators under three different forms of energy storage. The results of the simulations provide a basis for power generators to evaluate the real-time value of power plants, to select optimal real-time power sales, and to determine the optimal timing of power plant transfer and storage methods.

Strategi Komunikasi Pemasaran Spedometer Listrik Terhadap Masyarakat Pengguna Baru Di PT Srikandi Berkah Abadi Ponorogo

PLN is a monopoly trading company that sells electrical energy sources and manages all aspects of electricity in Indonesia, especially the Ponorogo area. In Ponorogo there is a company under the auspices of the Indonesian Electrical and Mechanical Contractors Association (AKLI) with the company name PT. Heroine of Eternal Blessing. In carrying out its work PT. Srikandi Berkah Abadi did not run smoothly, but there were many obstacles that disrupted the work process, one of which was the data input process. In this research we used a descriptive qualitative method where we carried out observations and direct interviews while conducting KKL within a period of 1 month. Based on the results of research that has been carried out previously, conclusions can be drawn, including: We carry out data processing activities on the implementation of connection work in people's homes, process data input on network maintenance and changes, and input employee hard disk data. While we were carrying out the KKL for 1 month, the problems we experienced were the ones we mentioned above, when inputting data in Microsoft Excel, it often had errors, crashes, and exited so that the data we were working on was lost and not saved.

Pengaruh Marketing Relationship Dan Technician Performance Terhadap Kepuasan Pelanggan

PT Jaya Kencana is a company engaged in the field of mechanical and electrical contractors. One of the divisions at PT Jaya Kencana is engaged in the elevator escalator service division. This division is a division that offers elevator and escalator maintenance services. Where in this division the level of customer satisfaction is needed for the progress of the company. The independent variables in this study are marketing relationships and technician performance. The dependent variable in this study is customer satisfaction. The research uses statistical quantitative methods by determining the minimum number of samples using the slovin formula. The sample in this study was 101 respondents. Marketing relationship has a t count > t table (3.932 > 1.9844) with a significant value of 0.00 <0.05, which means that marketing relationships have an effect on customer satisfaction. Technician performance has a t count > t table (5.530 > 1.9844) with a significant value of 0.00 <0.05, which means that technician performance has an effect on customer satisfaction. Marketing relationship and technician performance have a significant value of 000 <0.05 and F count > F table (160.776 > 3.94), which means that marketing relationship and technician performance have a significant simultaneous effect on customer satisfaction. The results of this study can be used as input for related companies and can be used as an evaluation to increase company customer satisfaction.

Life cycle assessment of in‐person, virtual, and hybrid academic conferences: New evidence and perspectives

AbstractThis study contributes to the debate on the environmental impacts of academic conferences by comparing the life cycle impacts of a sample of real‐world in‐person, virtual, and hybrid conferences with different features and organizers. Results show that virtual formats reduce impacts by two to three orders of magnitude across all impact categories (for global warming, averagely from 941.9 to 1.0 kg CO2eq per person). The hybrid case study, with a share of 69% virtual attendees, displays an average 60% reduction in indicator results, less than ideal cases where the farthest attendees join online. The cross‐conference comparison allowed identifying several drivers of impact variation. For in‐person conferences, some never addressed drivers were uncovered, including the energy sources and systems used to supply the venue or the number of non‐local staff members and exhibitors. For virtual conferences, the main impact driver is the average time spent online by delegates, surprisingly more related to virtual experience design (e.g., synchronous vs. asynchronous presentations) than conference duration. The study further summarizes mitigation options from the literature and proposes new ones, such as selecting a venue supplied by a biomass‐fueled district heating system or with a green electricity contract (around −41 and −1.9 kg CO2eq per person, respectively). Lastly, our work highlights some inconsistencies that affect current conference assessments and proposes new research avenues, advocating the need to shift the focus from optimizing single conferences to considering the optimal portfolio of conferences and other activities for academic societies to meet their members’ needs while minimizing environmental impacts.

RELIGIUSITAS DAN MATERIALISM TERHADAP PENGGELAPAN PAJAK DENGAN LOVE OF MONEY SEBAGAI VARIABEL MODERASI

The purpose of conducting a study in this study was to determine the effect of religiosity and materialism on tax evasion with love of money as a moderating variable (study of the Indonesian Association of Electrical and Mechanical Contractors, Sidoarjo Branch Management Council). The population taken in this research was members of the Indonesian Electrical and Mechanical Contractors Association, the Management Board of the Sidoarjo Branch. Probability sampling or random sampling is used by distributing questionnaires and getting 50 respondents. Then the primary data which is the source of data in this study were analyzed using the Outer Model to test the validity and reliability of the data. Furthermore, it also uses the Inner Model to test hypotheses and data is processed with the help of the smartPLS version 3.0 program. According to the results of the hypothesis test, it shows that the religiosity variable has a significant effect on tax evasion, but the materialism variable has no effect. In moderation, love of money is not able to moderate the religiosity variable, but love of money is said to be able to moderate the materialism variable on tax evasion.

Intracortical Brain-machine Interface for Restoring Sensory Motor Function: Progress and Challenges

Limb loss or paralysis due to spinal cord injury has a devastating impact on quality of life. One way to restore the sensory and motor abilities lost by amputees and quadriplegics is to provide them with implants that interface directly with the central nervous system. Such Brain-machine interfaces could enable patients to exert active control over the electrical contractions of prosthetic limbs or paralysed muscles. The parallel interface can transmit sensory information about these motor outcomes back to the patient. Recent developments in algorithms for decoding motor intention from neuronal activity, using biomimetic and adaptation-based approaches and methods for delivering sensory feedback through electrical stimulation of neurons have shown promise for invasive interfaces with sensorimotor cortex, although significant challenges remain.

MFG model with a long-lived penalty at random jump times: application to demand side management for electricity contracts

MFG model with a long-lived penalty at random jump times: application to demand side management for electricity contracts

Severe injuries among construction workers: Insights from OSHA’s new severe injury reporting program

Construction workers sustain a large number of work-related injuries. These injuries sometimes result in irreversible damage, life-long disability, and even the loss of life. Therefore, strategic initiatives to reduce work-related injuries are necessary. To help achieve this goal, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently introduced a new severe injury reporting program. The program requires that employers notify OSHA of any severe or serious injuries that result in amputation, in-patient hospitalization, or loss of an eye within 24 h. The current investigation statistically examined more than 11,000 physical injuries reported as part of this program to identify patterns and discover opportunities to enhance workplace safety. The key findings include: (1) the most commonly reported severe injury event types are falls to lower level and struck-by object or equipment incidents; (2) the most commonly reported injury sources are ladders and structural elements such as joists, roofs, and skylights; (3) the most commonly reported injured body parts are the upper extremities and the lower extremities; (4) the most commonly reported nature of injuries are traumatic injuries to bones, nerves, and spinal cord (e.g., fractures) and open wounds; (5) the most reportedly vulnerable construction sectors for severe injuries are commercial and institutional building construction and electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors. The findings also offer insights into the relationship between injury attributes. For example, the event type “falls to lower level” was particularly likely when workers used the injury source “ladders per the data.” The findings can be leveraged to enhance work-related safety among construction workers.