Optimal linear quadratic Gaussian control based frequency regulation with communication delays in power system

<p>In this paper, load frequency regulator based on linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) is designed for the MAPS with communication delays. The communication delay is considered to denote the small time delay in a local control area of a wide-area power system. The system is modeled in the state space with inclusion of the delay state matrix parameters. Since some state variables are difficult to measure in a real modern multi-area power system, Kalman filter is used to estimate the unmeasured variables. In addition, the controller with the optimal feedback gain reduces the frequency spikes to zero and keeps the system stable. Lyapunov function based on the LMI technique is used to re-assure the asymptotically stability and the convergence of the estimator error. The designed LQG is simulated in a two area connected power network with considerable time delay. The result from the simulations indicates that the controller performed with expectation in terms of damping the frequency fluctuations and area control errors. It also solved the limitation of other controllers which need to measure all the system state variables.</p>

Caudal inferior parietal cortex supports the hypothesis about a modulating cortical area

The cytoarchitectonically tripartite organization of the inferior parietal cortex (IPC) into the rostral, the middle and the caudal clusters has been generally ignored when associating different functions to this part of the cortex, resulting in inconsistencies about how IPC is understood. In this study, we investigated the patterns of functional connectivity of the caudal IPC in a task requiring cognitive control of language, using multiband EPI. This part of the cortex demonstrated functional connectivity patterns dissimilar to a cognitive control area and at the same time the caudal IPC showed negative functional associations with both task-related brain areas and the precuneus cortex, which is active during resting state. We found evidence suggesting that the traditional categorization of different brain areas into either task-related or resting state-related networks cannot accommodate the functions of the caudal IPC. This underlies the hypothesis about a modulating cortical area proposing that its involvement in task performance, in a modulating manner, is marked by deactivation in the patterns of functional associations with parts of the brain that are recognized to be involved in doing a task, proportionate to task difficulty; however, their patterns of functional connectivity in some other respects do not correspond to the resting state-related parts of the cortex.

Distribution characteristics of microplastics in the soil of mangrove restoration wetland and the effects of microplastics on soil characteristics

Microplastics that enter the soil environment are transformed by migration and can affect soil properties, which in turn have an impact on soil function and biodiversity. In this study, we investigated the distribution of soil microplastics at different planting densities and their effects on soil properties in a mangrove restoration wetland. The results showed that the average abundance of soil microplastics in the study area was 2177.5 n/500g, with the largest proportion of 0.038-0.05 mm diameter microplastics accounting for 70.9% and the rest of the diameter microplastics accounting for less than 20%, indicating that the smaller the diameter microplastics are easy to accumulate in the wetland soil. The abundance of microplastics in the restored area by planting density was ranked as 0.5×0.5m > 1.0×0.5m > 1.0×1.0m > control area. Three microplastics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET, accounted for 52%), polyethylene (PE, accounted for 24%), and polypropylene (PP, accounted for 15%), were the most prevalent and dominant microplastics in the soils of the area. SEM images showed that fractures, tears, EDS spectroscopy showed that a large number of metals were detected on the surface of microplastics. PET can influence the distribution of soil particle size due to its adsorptive viscosity, which may affect soil structure. Apart from soil pH, all other physicochemical factors changed significantly in response to PET. Besides, the results of the CV analysis reflect that soils in vegetated areas are more susceptible to the effects of PET than bare ground soils resulting in greater variability in the properties.

Priming of central- and peripheral mechanisms with heat and cutaneous capsaicin facilitates secondary hyperalgesia to high frequency electrical stimulation

Heat/capsaicin sensitization and electrical high frequency stimulation (HFS) are well known model of secondary hyperalgesia, a phenomenon related to chronic pain conditions. This study investigated whether priming with heat/capsaicin would facilitate hyperalgesia to HFS in healthy subjects. Heat/capsaicin priming consisted of a 45 °C heat stimulation for 5 min followed by a topical capsaicin patch (4x4 cm) for 30 minutes on the volar forearm of 20 subjects. HFS (100 Hz, 5 times 1s, minimum 1.5 mA) was subsequently delivered through a transcutaneous pin electrode approximately 1.5 cm proximal to the heat/capsaicin application. Two sessions were applied in a crossover design; traditional HFS (HFS) and heat/capsaicin sensitization followed by HFS (HFS+HEAT/CAPS). Heat pain threshold (HPT), mechanical pain sensitivity (MPS) and superficial blood perfusion were assessed at baseline, after capsaicin removal, and up to 40 min after HFS. MPS was assessed with pinprick stimulation (128 mN and 256 mN) in the area adjacent to both HFS and heat/capsaicin, distal but adjacent to heat/capsaicin and in a distal control area. HPT was assessed in the area of heat/capsaicin. Higher sensitivity to 128 mN pinprick stimulation (difference from baseline and control area) was observed in the HFS+HEAT/CAPS session than in the HFS session 20 and 30 minutes after HFS. Furthermore, sensitivity was increased after HFS+HEAT/CAPS compared to after heat/capsaicin in the area adjacent to both paradigms, but not in the area distal to heat/capsaicin. Results indicate that heat/capsaicin causes priming of the central- and peripheral nervous system, which facilitates secondary mechanical hyperalgesia to HFS.

Towards a Lightweight Intrusion Detection Framework for In-Vehicle Networks

With the emergence of networked devices, from the Internet of Things (IoT) nodes and cellular phones to vehicles connected to the Internet, there has been an ever-growing expansion of attack surfaces in the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). In the past decade, there has been a rapid growth in the automotive industry as network-enabled and electronic devices are now integral parts of vehicular ecosystems. These include the development of automobile technologies, namely, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) and electric vehicles. Attacks on IoV may lead to malfunctioning of Electronic Control Unit (ECU), brakes, control steering issues, and door lock issues that can be fatal in CAV. To mitigate these risks, there is need for a lightweight model to identify attacks on vehicular systems. In this article, an efficient model of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is developed to detect anomalies in the vehicular system. The dataset used in this study is an In-Vehicle Network (IVN) communication protocol, i.e., Control Area Network (CAN) dataset generated in a real-time environment. The model classifies different types of attacks on vehicles into reconnaissance, Denial of Service (DoS), and fuzzing attacks. Experimentation with performance metrics of accuracy, precision, recall, and F-1 score are compared across a variety of classification models. The results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms other classification models.

Integrated control of Aedes albopictus in Southwest Germany supported by the Sterile Insect Technique

Background The invasive species Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, has undergone extreme range expansion by means of steady introductions as blind passengers in vehicles traveling from the Mediterranean to south-west Germany. The more than 25 established populations in the State of Baden-Württemberg, Palatine and Hesse (south-west Germany) have become a major nuisance and public health threat. Aedes albopictus deserves special attention as a vector of arboviruses, including dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. In Germany, Ae. albopictus control programs are implemented by local communities under the auspices of health departments and regulatory offices. Methods The control strategy comprised three pillars: (i) community participation (CP) based on the elimination of breeding sites or improved environmental sanitation, using fizzy tablets based on Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (fizzy Bti tablets; Culinex® Tab plus); (ii) door-to-door (DtD) control by trained staff through the application of high doses of a water-dispersible Bti granular formulation (Vectobac® WG) aimed at achieving a long-lasting killing effect; and (iii) implementation of the sterile insect technique (SIT) to eliminate remaining Ae. albopictus populations. Prior to initiating large-scale city-wide treatments on a routine basis, the efficacy of the three elements was evaluated in laboratory and semi-field trials. Special emphasis was given to the mass release of sterile Ae. albopictus males. Results More than 60% of the local residents actively participated in the first pillar (CP) of the large-scale control program. The most effective element of the program was found to be the DtD intervention, including the application of Vectobac® WG (3000 ITU/mg) to potential breeding sites (10 g per rainwater container, maximum of 200 l = maximum of approx. 150,000 ITU/l, and 2.5 g per container < 50 l) with a persistence of at least 3 weeks. In Ludwigshafen, larval source management resulted in a Container Index for Ae. albopictus of < 1% in 2020 compared to 10.9% in 2019. The mean number of Aedes eggs per ovitrap per 2 weeks was 4.4 in Ludwigshafen, 18.2 in Metzgergrün (Freiburg) (SIT area) and 22.4 in the control area in Gartenstadt (Freiburg). The strong reduction of the Ae. albopictus population by Bti application was followed by weekly releases of 1013 (Ludwigshafen) and 2320 (Freiburg) sterile Ae. albopictus males per hectare from May until October, resulting in a high percentage of sterile eggs. In the trial areas of Ludwigshafen and Frieburg, egg sterility reached 84.7 ± 12.5% and 62.7 ± 25.8%, respectively; in comparison, the natural sterility in the control area was 14.6 ± 7.3%. The field results were in line with data obtained in cage tests under laboratory conditions where sterility rates were 87.5 ± 9.2% after wild females mated with sterile males; in comparison, the sterility of eggs laid by females mated with unirradiated males was only 3.3 ± 2.8%. The overall egg sterility of about 84% in Ludwigshafen indicates that our goal to almost eradicate the Ae. albopictus population could be achieved. The time for inspection and treatment of a single property ranged from 19 to 26 min depending on the experience of the team and costs 6–8 euros per property. Conclusions It is shown that an integrated control program based on a strict monitoring scheme can be most effective when it comprises three components, namely CP, DtD intervention that includes long-lasting Bti-larviciding to strongly reduce Ae. albopictus populations and SIT to reduce the remaining Ae. albopictus population to a minimum or even to eradicate it. The combined use of Bti and SIT is the most effective and selective tool against Ae. albopictus, one of the most dangerous mosquito vector species. Graphical Abstract

Metabolomic Alteration in the Plasma of Wild Rodents Environmentally Exposed to Lead: A Preliminary Study

Lead poisoning is often considered a traditional disease; however, the specific mechanism of toxicity remains unclear. The study of Pb-induced alterations in cellular metabolic pathways is important to understand the biological response and disorders associated with environmental exposure to lead. Metabolomics studies have recently been paid considerable attention to understand in detail the biological response to lead exposure and the associated toxicity mechanisms. In the present study, wild rodents collected from an area contaminated with lead (N = 18) and a control area (N = 10) were investigated. This was the first ever experimental metabolomic study of wildlife exposed to lead in the field. While the levels of plasma phenylalanine and isoleucine were significantly higher in a lead-contaminated area versus the control area, hydroxybutyric acid was marginally significantly higher in the contaminated area, suggesting the possibility of enhancement of lipid metabolism. In the interregional least-absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) regression model analysis, phenylalanine and isoleucine were identified as possible biomarkers, which is in agreement with the random forest model. In addition, in the random forest model, glutaric acid, glutamine, and hydroxybutyric acid were selected. In agreement with previous studies, enrichment analysis showed alterations in the urea cycle and ATP-binding cassette transporter pathways. Although regional rodent species bias was observed in this study, and the relatively small sample size should be taken into account, the present results are to some extent consistent with those of previous studies on humans and laboratory animals.

Public Control of Radiation Hazardous Facilities: Experience and Results

Independent public control of nuclear facilities is aimed at raising awareness of the general public about the effectiveness of measures to protect the environment from the radiation effects. The experience and the result of interaction between specialists of the Academy of Sciences and a higher school in organizing and conducting public control by instrumental methods of the territories for the location of radiation-hazardous facilities: uranium mining sites by underground leaching, the area of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in the pre-operational period, the area of the floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" and the publicly accessible territory of control area of the Mayak Production Association. Such a pooling of efforts allows for the formation of new ways of obtaining reliable information for any interested public. The results of special studies characterizing the radioecological situation in the surveyed territories are presented.

Artificial Neural Network for Pre-Simulation Training of Air Traffic Controller

In this chapter, the four layers neural network model for evaluating correctness and timeliness of decision making by the specialist of air traffic services during the pre-simulation training has been presented. The first layer (input) includes exercises that cadet/listener performs to solve a potential conflict situation; the second layer (hidden) depends physiological characteristics of cadet/listener; the third layer (hidden) takes into account the complexity of the exercise depending on the number of potential conflict situations; the fourth layer (output) is assessment of cadet/listener during performance of exercise. Neural network model also has additional inputs (bias) that including restrictions on calculating parameters. The program “Fusion” of visualization of the state of execution of an exercise by a cadet/listener has been developed. Three types of simulation training exercises for CTR (control zone), TMA (terminal control area), and CTA (control area) with different complexity have been analyzed.