Electric load forecasting methods: Tools for decision making

For decision makers in the electricity sector, the decision process is complex with several different levels that have to be taken into consideration. These comprise for instance the planning of facilities and an optimal day-to-day operation of the power plant. These decisions address widely different time-horizons and aspects of the system. For accomplishing these tasks load forecasts are very important. Therefore, finding an appropriate approach and model is at core of the decision process. Due to the deregulation of energy markets, load forecasting has gained even more importance. In this article, we give an overview over the various models and methods used to predict future load demands.     

Rainbows in the Hypercube

Let Q_n be a hypercube of dimension n, that is, a graph whose vertices are binary n-tuples and two vertices are adjacent iff the corresponding n-tuples differ in exactly one position. An edge coloring of a graph H is called rainbow if no two edges of H have the same color. Let f(G,H) be the largest number of colors such that there exists an edge coloring of G with f(G,H) colors such that no subgraph isomorphic to H is rainbow. In this paper we start the investigation of this anti-Ramsey problem by providing bounds on f(Q_n,Q_k) which are asymptotically tight for k = 2 and by giving some exact results.     

PS-PEG resin-supported palladium-MOP complexes. Application in asymmetric π-allylic reduction

Homochiral palladium complexes of polymeric 2′-, 6-, and 6′-anchored 2-diphenylphosphino-1,1′-binaphthyl (MOP) ligands were prepared on polystyrene-poly(ethylene glycol) (PS-PEG) resin. The PS-PEG resin-supported palladium-MOP complexes exhibited high catalytic activity, stereoselectivity (up to 80% ee), and recyclability (six times) in the asymmetric allylic reduction of 1-vinyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphth-1-yl benzoate to give 1-vinyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene.     

Antibody purification by affinity chromatography based on small molecule affinity ligands identified by SPR-based screening of chemical microarrays

Libraries of small molecules were searched for Fc-fragment selective binders to a recombinant human antibody ("MDJ8″, IgG(1)-subtype, κ-light chain) via SPR-based screening of chemical microarrays. Identified hit structures were immobilised on NHS-activated Sepharose for the determination of MDJ8 binding and selectivity versus typical proteineous impurities represented by the spend cell culture supernatant. Columns were packed and the most promising ligands further characterized in terms of binding constants, binding kinetics, as well as dynamic and equilibrium binding capacities. The performance of the best ligand, 2A10, was compared to standard Protein A chromatography. Using ligand 2A10 antibody capture from unprocessed cell culture supernatants was possible at similar recovery yield (>90%), purity (>80%), and eluting concentration (approximately 1 g/L) as with Protein A. Affinity constants (K(d)) of 2A10 were an order of magnitude higher than for the Protein A material, but still in the nM-range, while maximum binding capacities and binding kinetics were in the same order of magnitude. Ligand 2A10 was also able to capture a murine monoclonal antibody, again with similar efficiency as Protein A, as well as a number of humanised therapeutic antibodies. Antibody elution from the 2A10 column was possible using the Protein A standard protocol, i.e. 100mM glycine HCl pH 3.0, but also at near physiological pH, when some organic solvent or modifiers were present. Ligand 2A10 thus constitutes a cheaper, more robust alternative to Protein A as possible generic antibody binder. Moreover, the outlined approach to ligand selection could in principle by used to create suitable affinity ligands for other high value biotech products.