Day by day, the share of renewable energy-based power plants such as offshore wind farms and photovoltaic power plants, in the present-day power systems is escalating. Nevertheless, most of these power-producing facilities have been located quite far away from the load centers. At this stage, HVDC power systems provide satisfactory options due to qualities such as reduced line losses, substantial controllability, and environmental advantages. Nevertheless, unique converter designs are required to combine asynchronous HVDC networks with each other and with already existing high voltage alternating current (HVAC) networks. In this study, based on the above special cases, a unique DC-DC modular multilevel converter (MMC) architecture is presented that provides an excellent solution for both integrating modern asynchronous HVDC networks and integrating these modern HVDC power systems with existing asynchronous HVAC power systems. The mathematical analysis of the recommended DC-DC MMC design has been examined in detail and the power transfer between two asynchronous power grids has been realized in a simulation environment. Efficient bilateral power transmission has been made achievable by the control system. The recommended DC-DC MMC topology has shown to be a highly successful approach, in the interconnection of HVDC power systems, according to the simulation results.

Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) are common inborn errors of metabolism, with an incidence of one in 30,000 births. They are caused by deficiencies in any of six enzymes and two carrier proteins, the most common being Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency (OTCD). OTCD results in impairment to excrete nitrogen, causing toxic buildup of ammonia with resultant encephalopathy. Hyperammonemia (HA) induces the conversion of glutamate to glutamine in the brain. Excess glutamine in the brain causes osmotic changes cerebral edema, changes in astrocyte morphology, and cell death. Acute symptoms of HA include vomiting, hyperventilation, seizures, and irritability. Long-term neurological changes include deficits in working memory and executive function. To date, there are no predictors of prognosis of infants with neonatal onset OTCD outside of plasma ammonia level at presentation and duration of hyperammonemic coma. We provide a comprehensive analysis of a 16-year-old male with neonatal onset of OTCD as an example of how brain biomarkers may be useful to monitor disease course and outcome. This male presented at 8 days post natal with plasma ammonia and glutamine of 677 and 4024 micromol/L and had a missense mutation in Exon 4 (p.R129H). Treatment included protein restriction, sodium benzoate, and citrulline, arginine, and iron. He suffered recurrent acute hyperammonemic episodes despite compliance, triggered by infections or catabolic stressors. We discuss the long-term effects of the hyperammonemic episodes by following MRI based disease biomarkers.

The philosophy of testing statistical hypothesis is a natural consequence and functional extension of mathematical analysis of Probability. Along with the concept of recurrence when applied to random sequences and functions, it leads to the analysis of a priori and posterior which implies testing statistical hypothesis. Testing statistical hypothesis also involves algebraic, functional and dimensional considerations, which are found in the works of Laplace. Aspects of mathematical analysis such as universality of solutions, Laws of Large Numbers, Entropy, Information, and various functional dependencies are the main factors explained in the five properties that lead to implication of testing statistical hypothesis. Various interesting examples with modern scientific significance from genetics, astrophysics, and other areas give methodological access to answers of different problems and phenomena which are involved in the logic of testing statistical hypothesis.

We develop new theory from a broad case-study approach to explore a better understanding of what constitutes knowledge and its value as identifiable to human-machine teams. From past research, this trail of exploration will lead to these initial questions: What is the value of debate in the furtherance of knowledge? Will machines with AI be able to contribute to a debate if we humans cannot define it or determine its value sufficiently for a machine’s understanding, contribution, exploration and identification? Like humans, as teammates, machines must be able to determine with AI what constitutes the usable knowledge that contributes to a team’s success in the field (e.g., testing "knowledge" in the field, identifying new knowledge, using knowledge to develop innovation) or its failure (viz., trouble shooting; identifying weaknesses; discovering vulnerabilities, hiding by deception). It matters not whether a debate is public, private or unexpressed by an individual human or machine agent alone; we speculate in this exploration that the process advances the science of autonomous human-machine teams and assists in interpretable machine learning. We conclude with questions and a speculation: How does a human become aware or express its awareness of knowledge? Can a machine be as expressive as its human teammates? And how does a human-machine teammate become aware that its teammates possess sufficient knowledge to perform a task? We speculate that the structure of “knowledge," once found, is resistant to alternatives (i.e., it is ordered); that its functional utility is generalizable; and that its applications are multifaceted (akin to maximum entropy production). The complexity of the team is taken into consideration in our search for knowledge, which can also be used as an information metric.

The integrated DC-DC converter is appropriate for use in many domains, namely, display, cellular, and portable applications. This paper presents an integrated monolithic voltage-mode DC-DC boost converter with a low-power control circuit. The driver circuit requires an integrated converter to power up a digital logic circuit and converts the unregulated DC input to the controlled DC output at the desired voltage level. It is the integration of both power switches and control circuitry within the same CMOS technology to buck down and boost voltages using a switch mode regulator. In order to increase power efficiency in the DC-DC boost converter that provides low-power operation with a small chip size, a low-voltage operation is applied to the unique circuit characteristic. The operational transconductance amplifier(OTA), comparator, and oscillator in the control circuit are designed with the supply voltage of 3.3V and the operating frequency of 5.5 MHz. A compensator is used to create a pole that has sufficient phase margin for high stability. The DC- DC boost converter is measured in both experiment and simulation. Testing of the proposed circuit on the 0.35μm CMOS process shows that the output transient time of the amplifier can be controlled within of 7μsec and the output voltage is accurately controlled with a ripple ratio of 3%.

In this paper, we discuss voltage control method for buck converter operating in continuous conduction mode (CCM) using analog feedback system. The aim of this work is to control the output voltage of a buck converter during the variation in load current. This is obtained using analog feedback made with operational amplifier (Opamp). However, the same technique can be applied to other DC-DC converters (e.g boost, buck-boost, cuk converter, etc) in CCM mode, but for the purpose of analysis buck converter is chosen as an example.

In this paper, a continuous power management for a decentralized DC microgrid (DCMG) is proposed to achieve voltage regulation and power balance even under system uncertainty and voltage sensor failure. The DCMG system achieves a continuous power management through only the primary controller to reduce the computational burden of each power agent. To enhance the reliability and resilience of the DCMG system under voltage sensor failure, a DC bus voltage (DCV) sensor fault detection algorithm is proposed. In this algorithm, the DCV sensor failure is detected by comparing the measured DCV with the estimated DCV. When the power agent identifies the DCV sensor failure, it changes the operation properly according to the proposed control mode decision algorithm to maintain the stability of the DCMG system. When uncertain conditions such as the power variation of the distributed generations, sudden grid disconnection, DCV sensor failure, electricity price change, and critical battery status occur, the DCMG system is changed to transitional operation modes. These transitional operation modes are employed to transmit the power agent information to other agents without digital communication links (DCLs) and to accomplish power sharing even under such uncertain conditions. In the transitional operation modes of the DCMG system, the DCV levels are temporarily shifted to an appropriate level, enabling each power agent to detect the uncertainty conditions, and subsequently to determine its operation modes based on the DCV levels. Simulation and experimental results under different test conditions confirm the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

Based on the analysis of the working principle, circuit design and working loss of the common charger DC/DC converter, this paper designs a ZVS half-bridge three-level DC/DC converter based on non-phase-shift control mode, and proposes a multi-stage constant current and voltage limiting charging control strategy based on modulation wave selection control. The simulation results show that the proposed method and control strategy have faster voltage regulation ability and wider stability margin, and can achieve stable current sharing control in the charging process.

This paper presents a comprehensive study and the analysis of a topology of a no isolated DC-DC intituled Double Quadratic Boost converter with high static gain. This converter has the main advantage of high static gain and low voltage stress on its switches. The article will first present the theoretical analysis of the converter operating in an open loop. The objective of the work is the mathematical modeling and the control strategy of the converter, as well as the validation through closed-loop experimental results. Besides, we presented the practice test results to demonstrate the operation of the converter, such as the static gain experimental curve, the practice efficiency of the converter, and the control of the output voltage, as well as the capacitor voltage balance control. The authors designed a prototype for 1 kW, with a switching frequency of fs=50kHz, with FPGA-based command and modulation.

This paper presents a comprehensive review that highlights the characteristics of non-isolated step-up converters based on high boost voltage lifting techniques. The paper categorises the high boost techniques: multistage/multilevel, switched capacitor, voltage multiplier, voltage lift, switched inductor, and magnetic coupling. The paper also discusses in detail the advantages and disadvantages for each category such as cost, complexity, power density, reliability and efficiency. The number of passive and active components, voltage gain, voltage stress, switching frequency, efficiency and power rating are also compared. Although the paper considers coupling inductors in the context of the non-isolated converter, the focus of the entire article is on the non-isolated high voltage step-up techniques. The key contribution in this paper is the review of high boosting techniques rather than the DC /DC converters. This allows divergence of new ideas and new power converters that will help provide highly efficient and flexible power converters for several applications where the sending end voltage is very low as photovoltaic systems. In addition, many applications and control techniques of DC/DC converters are summarised in this paper.

In this study, an alternative method to conventional production methods involving thin section copper permanent mould casting (rapid solidification), hot rolling and heat treatment processes to manufacture AISI DC 53 cold work tool steel, has been investigated. In this new method, solidification of the AISI DC 53 was done in the thin section copper mould instead of traditional ingot casting. After solidification, thin slabs obtained was homogenized to 1150 ^oC and hold at this temperature for one hour and then hot rolling was be applied. During hot rolling process, about % 30 reduction in thickness of slab was obtained. After hot rolling, heat treatment (austenitizing, quenching and tempering) have been applied to thin slab. The samples have been taken as cast, as rolled and as heat treated (austenitized and tempered) and the microstructural analysis, hardness tests, retained austenite quantity measurement by XRD method have been performed. The heat treatment and tests have been performed for a commercially available AISI DC 53 which is manufactured by thick section ingot casting and rolling. Hardness values of the AISI DC 53 steels produced by traditional route is in the range of 52-54 HRC after austenitization at 1025 ^oC for one hour and quenched in compressed air and tempered twice at 525 ^oC for 120 mins. On contrary the permanent mould cast AISI DC 53 after homogenization at 1150 ^oC and immediately hot rolling then air cooling and austenitized at 1025 ^oC for one hour then quenched by compressed air and tempered twice at 525 ^oC for 120 mins have hardness valeus in the range of 55-57 HRC. Experiments have revealed that the properties of new rapid solidified steel in permanent copper mould are better than the commercially available steel and have a more refined microstructure than commercially produces alternative. Therefore, the new proposed method can be used as an alternative manufacturing method for cold-work tool steels.

In this research paper, a novel high step up dc-dc converter with a coupled inductor and voltage doubler circuits is proposed. The converter achieves a high step up voltage gain with an appropriate duty ratio and low voltage stress on the power switches. Also, the energy which is stored in the leakage inductor of the coupled inductor can be recycled to the output. The operating principles and the steady state analysis of the proposed converter are discussed in detail. Finally, a prototype circuit of the proposed converter is implemented in the laboratory in order to verify the performance of the proposed converter.

Reliable and robust control of power converters is a key issue in the performance of numerous technological devices. In this paper we show a design technique for the control of a DC-DC buck converter with a switching technique that guarantees not only good performance but also global stability. We show that making use of the contraction theorem in the Jordan canonical form of the buck converter, it is possible to find a switching surface that guarantees stability but it is incapable of rejecting load perturbations. To overcome this, we expand the system to include the dynamics of the voltage error and we demonstrate that the same design procedure is not only able to stabilize the system to the desired operation point but also to reject load, input voltage and reference voltage perturbations.

Myelodysplastic neoplasm (MDS) is a heterogenous clonal disorder of hemopoietic stem cells charac-terized by cytomorphologic dysplasia, ineffective hematopoiesis, peripheral cytopenias and risk of pro-gression to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Our understanding of this disease has continued to evolve over the last century. More recently prognostication and treatment are determined by cytogenetic and molecular data. Specific genetic abnormalities such as 5q deletion (del 5q), TP53 inactivation and SF3B1 mutation, are increasingly associated with disease phenotype and outcomes, as reflected in the recently updated 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Hematolymphoid Tumors (WHO5) and International Consensus Classification 2022 (ICC 2022) classifications. Treatments are in-creasingly being tailored for patient specific phenotypes, and trials exploring the efficacy of targeted treatments are ongoing in this era of precision medicine.

Using pumps operating as turbines (PATs) offers the possibility of increasing the sustainability of water and energy systems by recovering the excess of energy that would be otherwise lost in pressure reducing valves or head loss chambers. In on-grid applications, there are many research works and implementations of PATs. However, there is still limited research for the optimization of efficiency and stability of PATs operating in off-grid systems. This work contributes to the development of stable direct current (DC) off-grid electric systems based on PATs, by optimizing and analysing the energy efficiency and stability for a wide range of operation. A self-excited induction generator (SEIG) coupled to the PAT is provided to cover the conventional type of electric ma-chines typically coupled to the hydraulic pumps. In this context, a methodology is proposed, based on the hydraulic, mechanical and electric subsystems, to define the PAT-SEIG operational area, to maximize energy conversion and the system efficiency. This will guarantee stable electric output quantities when operating in a DC off-grid system. In addition, an analytical model is proposed to estimate the PAT-SEIG operation under specific conditions. With this, water managers are suitable to design and optimize an off-grid PAT-SEIG system and to define the best hydraulic machines, electronic equipment, and all different control elements to maximize energy conversion within the target of operational limits. To develop and verify this new methodology, two micro PAT-SEIG setups were implemented in the hydraulic laboratory of IST/CERIS under typical operating conditions. The proposed solution proved to be resilient under a variable load regime. The system's maximum efficiency can be adapted using different capacitor values for the excitation of the SEIG, and the operational range is limited to the electric components. Considering the nominal efficiencies of the system’s components, the maximum p.u. efficiency obtained for each PAT-SEIG system were between 0.7 and 0.8 p.u.

Good governance in natural resource management (NRM) is one of the most challenging issues in developing countries that often inappropriately embedded in national policies and political agendas. It is, in fact, even more important for countries like Bangladesh with exceptionally high pressure and dependence on its natural resources for sustaining rural livelihoods. Globally, nowadays, good governance is considered as one of the key factor for achieving the goal of sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. Bangladesh, of late has responded to that global zeal by involving local communities in the management of country’s declining forest and other natural resources. The colonial legacy of the forestry sector of Bangladesh was planned and, managed as interim projects through donors’ prescriptions. Thus, institutions, management processes and conservation outcomes were problematic. The conventional approach adopted by colonial and post-colonial regimes for forest management also proved to be inefficient due to its top-down management system. The absolute dependency on donor support, and their prescription sometimes worsened the situation both ecologically and socially. Global, regional and local trends supported the need for a different dimension in the governance paradigms. The introduction of a pluralistic approach, known as co-management in protected areas (PAs) is an example of an attempt whereby shared governance mechanism are implemented to attain the desired goals of conservation that will also address the livelihoods and aspirations of communities living in and around PAs of the country. However, in designing future forest and PA regimes the concern of the external aid support and attached conditions remain a reality that needs to be addressed. Adequate attention should be given to our vanishing biodiversity, culture and community livelihoods through devising an appropriate governance mechanism recognizing and supporting local rights, access and participation in the environmental management. It is now time to mainstream the adhoc nature of governance according to our national conservation strategy and policy frameworks in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the Bangladesh NRM sector addressing the human and community right of people in the specific context of forest protected areas management.

Biodiversity has become an issue of global anxiety over the past decades due to its rapid decline worldwide. Bangladesh as one of the most densely populated countries in the world is no more exception. The country, although, was once very rich in biodiversity, during the last few decades as a consequence of the rapid reduction in forest area, urbanisation, habitat modification, unsustainable natural resources use and collection and overall climate change it has decreased alarmingly. Of late, the government, as a signatory of various regional and international conservation treaties, has taken various initiatives to improve country’s dwindling biodiversity. This paper reviews the present situation of biodiversity in Bangladesh, management trends and major causes of biodiversity loss. A separate statutory body is fundamental to ensure conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits arisen from biodiversity in the country.

Abstract Introduction: In the last thirty years, brain neuromodulation techniques have been used as an alternative to pharmacological treatment of neurological disorders. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to bradykinesia, rest tremor, postural changes, and non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, pain, and cognitive decline that compromises executive functions (EFs), responsible for the orderly execution of behaviors and tasks of daily life and intentional and directed actions. To this date, a few studies with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have shown beneficial effects in PD patients concerning specific motor and non-motor symptoms, targeting the motor cortex and/or prefrontal regions. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of left prefrontal tDCS across a broad spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms of PD using established validated scales. Method: Single-blind randomized clinical trial with 18 volunteers with PD, aged between 45 and 80 years (66.1 ± 9.65), who met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were submitted to assessments of motor and non-motor functions employing psychometric scales and tests to evaluate EFs and were randomly divided into two groups: control (sham stimulation) and experimental (active stimulation). All participants were involved in three separate tDCS sessions. The anode was positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the cathode over the right supraorbital region, with a direct current intensity of 2mA, lasting 20 minutes. At the end of the three sessions, all participants were reassessed. Results: Significant effects of tDCS on non-motor functions were observed for cognition (verbal fluency of actions, clock copy test, appointment by visual confrontation, and verbal memory with immediate free recall) and subjective assessment of sleep quality (overall restlessness and discomfort in the arms and legs at night, leg and arm cramps at night and distressing dreams). There was also an improvement in the rate of errors and successes for congruent and incongruent stimuli of the Stroop Test. The beneficial effects on motor function were decreased rigidity, improved gait, and greater agility in the finger-tapping test. Conclusion: Three tDCS sessions showed positive results for participants with PD, producing significant improvements in various motor and non-motor functions, including sleep quality, cognition, and EFs. Additionally, the present results indicate that tDCS neuromodulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region is feasible, safe, and provides significant objective benefits for PD patients.

This paper proposes a novel symmetrical active-switched coupled-inductor high-step-up DC/DC converter. A new active-switched coupled inductor is used to allow much higher voltage gain of the proposed converter. The symmetrical circuit structure of the proposed converter evenly divides large input currents and reduce input current ripple by operating in interleaved mode so power density is increased. The switches also have low voltage stress. The operating principle and design considerations for the converter topology are described. The proposed converter with an input voltage of 40 V, an output voltage of 400 V and an output of 1000 W at a switching frequency of 50 kHz is implemented. The simulations and experimental results are thus depicted to verify the theoretical analysis. The highest efficiency is 95.5% at 200 W measured by using a HIOKI 3390. Consequently, the proposed converter is suitable for renewable energy generation systems that require high power, high voltage gain and high efficiency.

Calandrinia compressa Schrad. ex DC (Prodr. 3: 359. 1828) is the name currently widely applied to a polymorphic annual species of Calandrinia sect. Calandrinia endemic to the Chilean Floristic Region. A total of ten validly published heterotypic names plus six horticultural designations (and orthographic variants thereof) have been considered at some point as taxonomically the same as C. compressa. Two additional heterotypic taxa and their synonyms and two other designations possibly refer to this species. Two other taxa sometimes referred to this species are excluded. I treat here a total of 77 distinct nomenclaturally valid names and invalid designations and variants thereof. The type of one of the valid and legitimate names, Calandrinia pilosiuscula DC (Rev. Portulac. 9. 1827), is judged here to be taxonomically the same as the type of C. compressa. Because of its chronological priority, Calandrinia pilosiuscula DC must be accepted as the correct name for Calandrinia compressa Schrad. ex DC when the two are considered taxonomic synonyms. Here, the taxonomic history of this taxon is articulated and, where possible, types are identified and/or designated. The natural and anthropogenic history of the species is summarized critically in a theoretical context.

A modular switched-capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter (MSCC) is introduced in this paper. It is designed to boost a low input voltage to a high voltage level and can be applied for photovoltaics and electric vehicles. This topology has high extensibility for high voltage gain output. The merits of the converters also lie in the fault tolerance operation and the voltage regulation with a minimum change in the duty ratio. Those features are built in when designing the modules and then integrating these into the DC-DC converter. Converter performance including voltage gain, voltage and current stress are focused and tested. The converter is modelled analytically, and its control algorithm is analyzed in detailed. Both simulation and experiment are carried out to verify the topology under normal operation and fault mode operation.

The renewable energy source plays a major role in the grid side power production. The stability analysis is very essential in the renewable energy converters. In this paper the bifurcation is analyzed in ZETA converter and Continuous input and output(CIO) power Buck Boost converter. The ZETA converter gives positive step down and step up output voltage and the CIO power converter gives the negative step up and step down output voltage. These converters are used in the DC micro grid with renewable energy as the source. The current mode control technique is applied to analyze the bifurcation behavior and the reference current is taken as the bifurcation parameter. When the reference current is varied, both the converters loses its stability and it enters into chaotic region through period doubling bifurcation. The simulation results are presented to study the performance behavior of both the converters. The stability region of both the converters are determined by deriving the Monodromy matrix approach.

This article presents a self balanced multistage DC-DC step-up converter for photovoltaic applications. Proposed converter topology is designed for unidirectional power transfer and provides a doable solution for photovoltaic applications where voltage is required to be stepped up without magnetic components (Transformer-less and Inductor-less). The output voltage obtained from renewable sources will be low and must be stepped up by using a DC-DC converter for photovoltaic applications. K diodes and K capacitors along with two semiconductor control switch are used in the K-stage proposed converter to obtain an output voltage which is (K+1) times the input voltage. The conspicuous features of proposed topology are i) Magnetic components free (Transformer-less and Inductor-less). ii) Continuous input current iii) Low voltage rating semiconductor devices and capacitors iv) Modularity v) Easy to add a higher number of levels to increase voltage gain vi) Only two control switches with alternating operation and simple control. The proposed converter is compared with recent existing transformer-less and Inductor-less power converter in term of voltage gain, number of devices and cost. The application of proposed circuit is discussed in detail. The proposed converter has been designed with rated power of 60W, input voltage is 24V, output voltage is 100V and switching frequency is 100 kHz. The performance of the converter is verified through experimental and simulation results.

While traditional AC mechanical circuit breakers have been competent for protecting AC circuits, high penetration of DC power distribution technologies like DC microgrids (MGs) obligate better disruption performance features such as quick and reliable switch-ing speeds. However, a DC circuit breaker (DCCB) novel design is challenging due to the need to quickly break high currents within milliseconds, caused by the high fault current rise in DC grids compared to AC grids. In DC grids, the circuit breaker must provide zero current crossing and be designed for absorbing surges since the arc is not naturally extinguished by the system. Additionally, the DC breaker must mitigate the magnetic energy stored in the system inductance and withstand residual over-voltages after current interruption. These challenges require a fundamentally different topology for DCCBs, which are typically made using solid-state semiconductor technology, metal oxide varistors (MOV), and ultra-fast switches. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review on development, design, and performance description of DCCBs in parallel with a specific concentration on analysis of internal topology, energy absorption path and sub-circuits in Solid-State (SS)-based DCCBs. The research explores various novel designs that introduce different structures for energy dissipation solution. The classification of these designs is based on the fundamental principles of surge mitigation and a detailed analysis of the techniques employed in DCCBs. In addition, our framework offers an advantageous reference point for the future evolution of SS-circuit breakers in numerous developing power delivery systems.

Brushless Synchronous Machines (BSM) are replacing conventional synchronous machines with static excitation in generation facilities due to the absence of sparking and lower maintenance. However, this excitation system makes challenging measuring electric parameters in the rotor. This fact highly difficult the detection of ground faults, which are the most common type of electrical fault in electric machines. In this paper, a ground fault detection method for BSM is proposed. It is based on an inductive AC/DC rotating current sensor installed in the shaft. In case of a ground fault in the rotating parts of the BSM, a fault current will flow through the rotor’s sensor, inducing voltage in its stator. Analyzing the frequency components of the induced voltage the detection of a ground fault in the rotating elements is possible. The ground faults detection method proposed covers the whole rotor and discern between DC and AC sides. To corroborate the detection method, experimental tests have been performed using a prototype of this sensor connected to laboratory synchronous machines achieving satisfactory results.

In this paper, a buck DC-DC converter with the proposed twin frequency control scheme (TFCS) and accurate load current sensing (ALCS) have been designed and implemented with 0.18µm CMOS technology for a supply voltage ranging from 2.0-3.0V which is compatible with state-of-the-art batteries (NiCd/NiMH: 1.1-2V, Li-Ion: 2.5-4.2V). The proposed converter yields a peak efficiency of about 92.7% with a load current of 30mA. Furthermore, it only occupies a silicon area of 1.3mm2. The proposed buck converter is dedicated for smartphone applications whereby it spends most of its time in idle, low load conditions.

A high step-up DC-to-DC converter that integrates an isolated transformer and a switched-clamp capacitor is presented in this study. The voltage stress of the main power switch should be clamped to 1/4 V by using the turn ratio and switched-clamp capacitor of an isolated transformer to achieve a high voltage gain. In addition, a passive clamp circuit is employed reduce voltage stress on the main power switch. The energy of the leakage inductor can be recycled by the clamp capacitor because of the passive clamp circuit, thereby improving the power converter efficiency. The converter consists of one isolated transformer, one main switch, three capacitors, and four diodes. Operating principle and steady-state analyses are also discussed. Finally, a 24-V-input voltage to 200-V-output voltage and a 150 W output power prototype converter are fabricated in the laboratory. The maximum efficiency of the converter is 95.1 at 60 W.

Ensuring a protection scheme in DC distribution is more difficult to achieve against pole-to-ground fault than in AC distribution system because of the absence of zero crossing points and low line impedance. To complement the major obstacle of limiting the fault current, several compositions have been proposed related to mechanical switching and solid-state switching. Among them, solid-state circuit breakers(SSCBs) are considered a possible solution to limit fast fault current. However, they may cause problems in circuit complexity, reliability and cost-related troubles due to the use of multiple power semiconductor devices and additional circuit configuration to commutate current. This paper proposes the SSCB with a coupled inductor(SSCB-CI) which has symmetrical configuration. The circuit is comprised of passive components like commutation capacitors, a CI and damping resistors. Thus, proposed SSCB-CI offers the advantages of simple circuit configuration and fewer utilized power semiconductor devices than another typical SSCBs in LVDC microgrid. For analysis, six operation states are described for the voltage across main switches and fault current. The effectiveness of the SSCB-CI against a short-circuit fault is proved via simulation and experimental results in a lab-scale prototype.

Intended for the high voltage gain and wide-range operation of DC/DC converters for photovoltaic energy storage systems, a topology for four-phase interleaved DC/DC converters for photovoltaic power generation is proposed. This topology increases output voltage for output in series, and reduces the input current ripple by paralleling the input. Compared with traditional boost converter topology, the proposed topology reduces the output current and output voltage ripple, reduces the stress of the switching device, and reduces the withstanding voltage of the output capacitor under the premise of ensuring the boost ratio. Experimental results show that the maximum efficiency of the converter reaches 95.37%. Compared with traditional boost converters, the proposed converter offers obvious advantages in efficiency under the conditions that the output voltage and load are variable.

Antler is the fastest growing tissue. Because is based on proto-oncogenes, to avoid the risk of cancer, antlers evolved strong anticancer mechanisms, and thus its extract (DVA) is effective also against the few human tumours studied so far. We assessed whether DVA is a general anticancer compound testing direct effects in cells of different tumours: glioblastoma (GBM), colorectal and breast cancer, and leukaemia. DVA reduced viability of tumour but not healthy cells. Mobility decreased at least at the longest test (72 h). Intraperitoneal/oral 200 mg DVA/kg administration in GBM xenograft mice for 28 d reduced tumour weight 66.3% and 61.4% respectively, and also spleen weight. In addition, tumours treated with DVA showed symptoms of liquefactive necrosis. Serum cytokines showed DVA up-regulated factors related with tumour fighting and down-regulated those related with inducing immune tolerance to the tumour. DVA shows general anticancer effects in the lines tested and, in GBM mice, also strong indirect effects apparently mediated by the immune system.

Objective: To evaluate the direct costs of treating patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in outpatient care, from a hospital and Unified Health System (SUS) perspective. Methods: Observational study with data collection by microfunding, carried out with patients diagnosed with neuromyelitis optics, treated at a university hospital, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Mann-Whitney tests were performed to measure cost differences between patient groups by disease severity and analysis perspective. Results: Nine individuals with a median age of 48 years (IQR 30 - 59 years) were included. The median total costs for patients with greater severity from the perspective of the SUS and the hospital were R$ 21,638.22 (IIQ: R$ 15,614.63; R$ 25,985.32) and R$ 32,094.11 (IIQ: R$ 25,610 .60; R$ 38,617.25) respectively. For patients with moderate severity the median was R$ 7,339.85 (IIQ: R$ 6,235.45; R$ 11,912.05) from the SUS perspective and R$ 11,505.80 (IIQ: R$ 7,339.85; R$ 22,424.76) from the perspective of the hospital, where the use of medications had a major impact. Conclusion: The main cost drivers were medicines, especially those used off-label, and procedures.

This paper presents a proposal for a non-isolated bidirectional converter (NIBC) controlled by a deep neural network (DNN) to enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging, which contributes to the development of more efficient and sustainable transportation and energy systems. The DNN controller manages power flow in both directions, making it possible to charge electric vehicles (EVs) and discharge power from EVs to the grid with improved efficiency and performance compared to traditional control methods. The non-isolated topology used in this proposal offers several benefits, including reduced cost, smaller size, and higher efficiency. To train the DNN controller, a large dataset of simulations was used, and the results were validated with a hardware setup. The real-time performance of the DNN controller was compared to a proportional-integral (PI) based controller through simulated results. The findings of the study show that the DNN controller outperforms traditional PI controllers.

This article discusses a transformer-free, high-efficiency DC-DC converter besides renewable energy applications. The traditional buck-boost, classic Zeta, Sepic, and Cuk converter does have the benefits of a simple design, low cost, as well as the capacity to execute voltage step-up and step-down. Conversely, because of the detrimental consequences of the parasitic constraints of the device, the voltage conversion gain of the traditional DC-DC converter is much more restricted and the efficiency is also significantly smaller, whereas this proposed converter does have a higher voltage gain and efficiency because it is used in a single power switch, resulting in reduced switching losses and voltage stress. The said converter's design is very simple, which simplifies the operation control and reduces switching and conduction losses, leading to an efficiency of 97.4 percent. This converter seems to have the same capabilities as the Zeta converter, including continuous desired output current and desired buck-boost operation. Such an article offers the operation principle and steady evaluation, as well as a comparison with other existing high step-up configurations. The proposed converter employs a fuzzy logic controller, which improves the voltage level as well as reduces the time taken to set the voltage output of a conventional PI and ANN controller, especially in comparison to the FLC controller. For deployment, Experimental Result and MATLAB/Simulink has been used, and the modeling results indicate that the proposed controller performance has improved

This article deals with the denoising of signals from sensors (current and voltage) in a photovoltaic conversion chain using wavelet theory. The idea is to reduce the noise as much as possible without distorting or losing the original signal information. To see the reliability of this proposed method, a comparative study between our proposed method (WDD) and the classic low-pass filter method was presented. The contribution in this work is the improvement of the DC-DC boost converter via the use of wavelet theory, however, that’s why we set two objectives: the first is to obtain reliable control of the DC-DC boost converter via the proposed WDD and the second to increase the overall system efficiency. The experimental results show a very great improvement in the quality of the signals of the proposed method compared to the classic method of filtering by low-pass filter.

A space charge density wireless measurement system based on the idea of distributed measurement is proposed for collecting and monitoring the space charge density in an ultra-high-voltage direct-current (UHVDC) environment. The proposed system architecture is composed of a number of wireless nodes connected with space charge density sensors and a base station. The space charge density sensor based on atmospheric ion counter method is elaborated and developed, and the ARM microprocessor and Zigbee radio frequency module are applied. The wireless network communication quality and the relationship between energy consumption and transmission distance in the complicated electromagnetic environment is tested. Based on the experimental results, the proposed measurement system demonstrates that it can adapt to the complex electromagnetic environment under the UHVDC transmission lines and can accurately measure the space charge density.

The growing attention for plug-in electric vehicles, and the associated high-performance demands, have initiated a development trend towards highly efficient and compact on-board battery chargers. These isolated ac-dc converters are most commonly realized using two conversion stages, combining a non-isolated power factor correction (PFC) rectifier with an isolated dc-dc converter. This, however, involves two loss stages and a relatively high component count, limiting the achievable efficiency and power density and resulting in high costs. In this paper a single-stage converter approach is analyzed to realize a single-phase ac-dc converter, combining all functionalities into one conversion stage and thus enabling a cost-effective efficiency and power density increase. The converter topology consists of a quasi-lossless synchronous rectifier followed by an isolated dual active bridge (DAB) dc-dc converter, putting a small filter capacitor in between. To show the performance potential of this bidirectional, isolated ac-dc converter, a comprehensive design procedure and multi-objective optimization with respect to efficiency and power density is presented, using detailed loss and volume models. The models and procedures are verified by a 3.7 kW hardware demonstrator, interfacing a 400 V dc-bus with the single-phase 230 V, 50 Hz utility grid. Measurement results indicate a state-of-the-art efficiency of 96.1% and power density of 2.2 kW/dm³, confirming the competitiveness of the investigated single-stage DAB ac-dc converter.

The criteria of “Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability” as well as a high "overall quality index” are used to register the Italian modern varieties to the national register. Differently, local conservation varieties can be certified under different EU Directives having, as overall objective, the preservation of biodiversity and the containment of genetic erosion. In recent years, products derived from an-cient grains are perceived to be healthier and more sustainable by consumer, especially in Italy, with consequent higher market prices. Ancient tetraploid wheat varieties registered in the national reg-ister of conservation varieties are 28, 24 of which are Sicilian. They are supposed to have a wide genetic variability compared to modern ones, making them vulnerable of fraud because they are difficult to trace. It is therefore important to have tools able to discriminate the autochthonous Si-cilian varieties. This can be done by gluten proteins composition, which also gives information on the technological properties of derived products. Fifty-one accessions belonging to 22 ancient va-rieties of Sicilian tetraploid (mostly durum) wheat were analyzed. Although a wide intra-accession and intra-varietal variability was assessed, the gliadin pattern of bulks of seeds belonging to each variety was discriminatory. Moreover, differences in technological attitudes were found between landraces. This paves the way to use gluten protein patterns for traceability allowing local farmers and producers to valorize their products and assure consumers about the transparency of the entire supply chain.

The work addresses the problem of Power Quality (PQ) metrics (or indexes) suitable for DC grids, encompassing Low and Medium Voltage applications, including electric transports, all-electric ships and aircrafts, electric vehicles, distributed generation and microgrids, modern data centers, etc. The two main pillars on which such PQ indexes are discussed and built are: i) the physical justification, so the electric phenomena affecting DC grids and components (PV panels, fuel cells, capacitors, batteries, etc.), causing e.g. stress of materials, ageing, distortion, grid instability; ii) the existing standardization framework, pointing out desirable coverage and extension, similarity with AC grids standards, but also inconsistencies. The first point is made more clear and usable by a graphical overview of the discussed phenomena. On this basis PQ is interpreted beyond the usual low-frequency range, including thus supraharmonics and common-mode disturbance, and filling the gap with the Electromagnetic Compatibility domain. However, phenomena typical of EMC and electrical safety (such as various types of overvoltages and fast transients) are excluded. Suitable PQ indexes are then reviewed, suggesting integrations and modifications, to cover the relevant phenomena and technological progress, and to better follow the normative exigencies.

The Azores Archipelago is a collection of volcanic islands near northwestern Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean. Because of the importance of accurate environmental monitoring for the advancement of research, transportation and tourism, a LoRaWan Sensor Network was developed to monitor levels of air pollution across these islands. This study presents an approach to the implementation of a blockchain network that is both lightweight and scalable, with the goal of preventing man-in-the-middle attacks on the design of sensor networks.

The main focus of the in vitro toxicity assessment methods is on the viability of the cells, which is usually based on metabolism changes. Yet, when exposed to toxic substances, the cell triggers multiple signals in response. With this in mind, we have developed a promising cell-based toxicity method that observes various cell responses when exposed to toxic substances (either death, division or remaining viable). Based on the collective cell response, we observed and predicted the dynamics of the cell population to determine the toxicity of the toxicant. The method was tested with two different conformations: In the first conformation, we exposed a monoculture model of blood macrophages to UV light, hydrogen peroxide, nutrient deprivation, tetrabromobisphenol A, fatty acids and 5-fluorouracil. In the second, we exposed a coculture liver model consisting of hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, Kupffer cells and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells to rifampicin, ibuprofen and 5-fluorouracil. The method showed good accuracy compared to established toxicity assessment methods. In addition, this approach provided more representative information on the toxic effects of the compounds as it considers the different cellular responses induced by toxic agents.

Discretization is the process of converting a continuous function or model or equation into discrete steps. In this work, adaptive and learning methods are implemented to control DC motors that are used for actuating control surfaces of unmanned underwater vehicles. Adaptive control is a method in which the controller is designed to adapt the system with parameters which vary or are uncertain. Parameter estimation is the process of computing the parameters of a system using a model & measured data. Adaptive methods have been used in conjunction with different parameter estimation techniques. Deterministic artificial intelligence, a learning-based approach that uses the process dynamics defined by physics, is also applied to control the output of the DC motor to track a specified trajectory. This work goes further to evaluate the performance of the adaptive & learning techniques based on different discretization methods. The results are evaluated based on the absolute error mean between the output & the reference trajectory and the standard deviation of the error. The first order-hold method of discretization and surprisingly large sample time of seven tenths of a second yields over sixty percent improvement over the results presented in the prequel literature.

The concepts of fractional calculus and the related techniques have been gaining momentum in circuit system fields, and an increasing body of evidence suggests that fractional-order characteristics are widely distributed in electronic components. In this paper, we consider the fractional characteristics of non-solid aluminum electrolytic capacitors and focus on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of peak-current-mode controlled (PCMC) dc-dc boost converters with such components. In the work, we establish a piecewise smooth non-commensurate fractional-order model to describe the converter, in which the fractional-order equivalent impedance model of capacitors is adopted and the detailed control loop is considered. In order to analyze the converter, we use the fractional Adams-Bashforth-Moulton typed method (F-ABM) and stroboscopic map technique to obtain the time-domain solutions and the bifurcation diagram. The results of bifurcation diagrams indicate that, with the change of different parameters, the converter enters chaotic state through period doubling bifurcation. In order to provide empirical evidence for the nonlinear dynamic analysis, we consider both circuit-level simulation and experiments in the work, the results of which further confirm the results of theoretical analysis.

The main objective of the paper is to provide a thorough analysis of currently used modulation control schemes for single phase bidirectional dual active bridge DC/DC converter. In this article, it will be shown that single phase shift, extended phase shift and Dual phase shift modulation schemes are special cases of triple phase shift (TPS) modulation scheme. The article aims to highlight six TPS switching modes and their complements with the operational constraints. Unlike previous studies that regarded TPS as a complex scheme, this paper simplifies the analysis of each mode and aims to standardize the understanding of TPS modulation in DAB converters. Power equations, range of power transferred and zero voltage switching (ZVS) are derived for all the modes under TPS without assuming fundamental component analysis. Additionally, a generic optimization algorithm is developed to show the advantages of TPS modulation and thus, detailed analysis presented in this paper provides valuable insights for single phase DAB converter designers in identifying a wide range of optimization algorithms to achieve higher efficiency under TPS modulation. This analysis contributes to the advancement of bidirectional DAB converter technology and facilitates its application in various power electronic systems.

Microgrids offer flexibility in power generation in a way of using multiple renewable energy sources. In the past few years, microgrids become a very active research area in terms of design and control strategies. Most of the microgrids use DC/DC converters to connect renewable energy sources to the load. In this paper, the simulation model of a DC microgrid with three different energy sources (Lithium-ion battery (LIB), photovoltaic (PV) array, and fuel cell) and external variant power load is built with MATLAB/Simulink and the simulative results show that the stability of DC microgrid can be guaranteed by the proposed maximum power point controller MPPT. The three energy sources are connected to the load through DC/DC converters, one for each. This type of topology ensures protection for each energy source as well as optimum stability at the load.

Driven by the proliferation of DC energy sources and DC end-use devices (e.g., photovoltaics, battery storage, solid-state lighting, and consumer electronics), DC power distribution in buildings has recently emerged as a path to improved efficiency, resilience, and cost savings in the transitioning building sector. Despite these important benefits, there are several technological and market barriers impeding the development of DC distribution, which have kept this technology at the demonstration phase. This paper identifies specific end-use cases for which DC distribution in buildings is viable today. We evaluate their technology and market readiness, as well as their efficiency, cost, and resiliency benefits while addressing implementation barriers. The paper starts with a technology review, followed by a comprehensive market assessment, in which we analyze DC distribution field deployments and their end-use characteristics. We also conduct a survey of DC power and building professionals through on-site visits and phone interviews and summarize lessons learned and recommendations. In addition, the paper includes a novel efficiency analysis, in which we quantify energy savings from DC distribution for different end-use categories. Based on our findings, we present specific adoption pathways for DC in buildings that can be implemented today, and for each pathway we identify challenges and offer recommendations for the research and building community.

In power systems, flow allocation (FA) methods allow to allocate usage and costs of the transmission grid to each single market participant. Based on predefined assumptions, the power flow is split into isolated generator specific or producer specific sub-flows. Two prominent FA methods, Marginal Participation (MP) and Equivalent Bilateral Exchanges (EBE), build upon the linearized power flow and thus on the Power Transfer Distribution Factors (PTDF). Despite their intuitive and computationally efficient concept, they are restricted to networks with \emph{passive} transmission elements only. As soon as a significant number of \emph{controllable} transmission elements, such as High-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines, operate in the system, they loose their applicability. This work reformulates the two methods in terms of Virtual Injection Patters (VIP) which allows to efficiently introduce a shift parameter $q$, tuning contributions of net sources and net sinks in the network. Major properties and differences of the methods are pointed out. Finally, it is shown how the MA and EBE algorithm can be applied to generic meshed AC-DC electricity grids: Introducing a \emph{pseudo-impedance} which reflects the operational state of controllable elements, allows to extend the PTDF matrix under the assumption of knowing the current system's flow. Basic properties from graph theory are used for solving the pseudo-impedance dependent on the position in the network. This directly enables \emph{e.g.} HVDC lines to be considered in the MP and EBE algorithm. The extended methods are applied to a low-carbon European network model (PyPSA-EUR) with a spatial resolution of N=181 and an 18\% transmission expansion. The allocations of VIP and MP, show that countries with high wind potentials profit most from the transmission grid expansion. Based on the average usage of transmission system expansion a method of distributing operational and capital expenditures is proposed. Further it is shown, how injections from renewable resources strongly drive country-to-country allocations and thus cross-border electricity flows.

As the additive manufacturing industry grows, it is compounding the global plastic waste problem. Distributed recycling and additive manufacturing (DRAM) offers an economic solution to this challenge, but it has been relegated to either small-volume 3D printers (limiting waste recycling throughput) or expensive industrial machines (limiting accessibility and lateral scaling). To overcome these challenges, this paper provides proof-of-concept for a novel open-source hybrid 3D printer that combines a low-cost hanging printer design with a compression screw-based end-effector that allows direct extrusion of recycled plastic waste in large expandable printing volumes. Mechanical testing of the resultant prints from 100% waste plastic, however, showed that combining challenges of non-uniform feedstocks and a heavy printhead for a hangprinter reduced the strength of the parts compared to fused filament fabrication. The preliminary results are technologically promising, however, and provide opportunities to improve on the open source design to help process the volumes of waste plastic needed for DRAM to address the negative environmental impacts of global plastic use.

An abundance of natural resources is both an opportunity and a challenge for developing countries. Several resource-rich, low-income countries receive amounts of foreign aid that are similar to or larger than their actual or potential revenues from natural resources. In such countries, the donors may have an opportunity to help a government to use its resource revenues productively and minimize the magnitude of risks created by resource rents. Development of aid instruments tailored for such purposes might be helped by model-based analysis of the effects of foreign aid on resource-rich, low-income economies and its interactions with the flows of natural resource revenues. This paper develops a growth model à la Barro in which the government receives windfalls (from natural resources and foreign aid) and rent-seeking agents contest for public funds. The key conclusion is that making aid countercyclical helps to achieve higher economic growth, and so does conditioning disbursements on enhancement of public capital. Introducing elements of insurance in the design of both aid products financing investments in infrastructure and social services and supporting policy and institutional reforms may help to achieve both of these objectives.

This paper presents two control design strategies for voltage regulation in a single inductor dual output (SIDO) DC-DC Buck converter system. Based on a nominal multiple input multiple output (MIMO) plant model and performance requirements, both an LQR and a decoupled PI control laws are designed to control the power converter system, under parametric uncertainties such as voltage source variation, CPL power variation, and load resistance variation. Therefore, the SIDO converter can cascade operating, which may cause the undesired effects of voltage oscillation and reduce the system's stability margin. The control performance was assessed under both uncertainties resistive loading and power variation of a constant power load (CPL). A SIDO DC-DC Buck converter board has been developed for experimental tests. The experimental results show that the LQR strategy, compared to the PI strategy, presented a robust performance in the presence of parametric uncertainties in the resistive loads being, however, sensitive to uncertainties due to the presence of CPL loads.

The new regulation was introduced to the franchise market of South Korea in that an applicant who wants to be a franchiser must set up direct retail stores and run them for at least one year before recruiting franchisees. Considering the purpose of the regulation, it is inferred that once franchisers run their own stores, their franchisees would be better off than otherwise. This paper addresses one reason that the Korea Fair Trade Commission has no choice but to introduce the regulation. Along the line, this paper investigates whether franchisees would have the more likelihood to make profit in the case of that franchisers operate their own stores. The result demonstrates that this case could be true since the operation of franchiser owned stores could be helpful in reducing cost of franchisees.

Energy and information are fundamental concepts that play crucial roles in the foundations of science, each contributing to different aspects of our understanding of the natural world. Here we encounter that Fisher' measure is able to link them. We also investigate some interesting relations between Fisher's information, Poisson's distribution, and thermal quantifiers in a grand canonical ensemble. These connections permit one to visualize interesting novel artifacts in statistical mechanics. We clearly see them emerge in discussing the ideal gas. For example, we encounter that the Poisson distribution is intrinsically involved in the physics of the ideal gas, and we are able to give a Fisher-estimation of the difference in informational content between the grand canonical and canonical ensembles.

This paper discusses corporate taxes and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Nigeria. It is a review of literature that attempts to explore and give a reality on the response of FDI to corporate taxes. This paper shows in its introductory phase a prior discussion of the terms corporate tax and FDI and also elements of both terms and classifications. It follows with issues such as the effects of corporate taxes on FDI. This paper discusses the rhetoric whether reduced corporate taxes and other tax incentives has an effect on the inflow of FDI in Nigeria. To answer this question, the paper utilised information gathered from secondary sources including books, newspapers publications, working papers and research findings from studies. This paper shows that from surveyed empirical studies corporate taxes may have an important role in attracting FDI and have a rising effect on the development of the country, and as such recommends that tax incentives should be employed as a means to attracting FDI, a cost benefit analysis should be employed on the types of corporate taxes to determine the benefit from the perceived FDI inflow, in addition a review of the current tax policies should be carried out as they seem not to respond to the current economic situation.

This work involves results of research on short-term and long-term DC-drifts in electro-optical modulators based on annealed proton exchange waveguides in LiNbO3 crystals after wafer pre-annealing. The relaxation time of the DC-drift of the operating point for a short-term drift is minutes, and for a long-term drift, hours and days. DC-drift was measured by applying bias voltage and changing crystal temperature. Obtained results shows significant impact on stability of operating point in EO-modulators after treatment of defective structure of the near-surface layer of a LiNbO3 crystal. Treatment of the disturbed near-surface layer of a LiNbO3 crystal results in twice reduction of short-term DC-drift and increase of operation stability of electro-optical modulators during long-term measurement of temperature by activation energy calculation.

In this paper, the authors consider the influence of the type of power supply and the internal parameters of the DC-DC converter on the stability of the system at constant power load. The stability of the system under consideration is important in the design and development of the power supply system for an autonomous consumer. Such a typical system can be a DC microgrid. In the work, when analyzing the stability of the system, the power source is not considered an ideal voltage source, but the active-inductive nature of the voltage source is taken into account, which is equivalent to using a synchronous machine with permanent magnets. The Rauss-Hurwitz algebraic criterion was used as a criterion for analyzing the stability of the system. This will make it possible to build and analyze the areas and boundaries of the system's stability. As a result, the areas and boundaries of the stability of the system were presented. The general trend towards the behavior of the zone of instability of the system was given. At the same time, dependences describing the boundaries of instability are presented, which are combinations of parameters of the DC-DC converter, beyond which the system becomes unstable. The presented definitions of the instability limits can be used as a corrective device of the control system to ensure the stability of the system in the upper limits of the power consumption.

Wind power generation is one of the mainstream renewable energy resources. Voltage stability is as important as the frequency stability of a power system with a high penetration of wind power generation. The advantages of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems become more significant with the increase of both installed capacity and transmission distance in offshore wind farms. Therefore, this study discusses about various voltage control methods for wind turbines and HVDC transmission systems. First, various voltage control methods of a wind farm were introduced, and they include QV control and voltage droop control. The reactive power of a wind turbine varies with active power, while the active power from each wind turbine may be different owing to wake effects. Thus, QV and voltage droop control with varying gain values were also discussed in this paper. Next, the voltage control methods for a HVDC transmission system, such as power factor control, voltage control, and Vac-Q control, are also summarized and tested in this study. When a three-phase short circuit fault occurs or a suddan reactive power load increases, the system voltage would drop immediately. Thus, various voltage control methods for wind turbines or HVDC can make the system's transient response more stable. Therefore, this study implemented the simulation scenarios, including a three-phase short circuit fault at the point of common coupling (PCC) or a sudden increase of reactive power load, and adopted various voltage control methods, which aims to verify whether additional voltage control methods are effective to improve the performance of transient voltage.

The study explores antibacterial, antiinflammatory and cytoprotective capacity of Pelargonium sidoides DC root extract (PSRE) and proanthocyanidin fraction from PSRE (PACN) under conditions characteristic for periodontal disease. Following previous finding that PACN exerts stronger suppression of Porphyromonas gingivalis compared to the effect on commensal Streptococcus salivarius, the current work continues antibacterial investigation on Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Escherichia coli. PSRE and PACN are also studied for their ability to prevent gingival fibroblast cell death in the presence of bacteria or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), to block LPS- or LPS+IFNγ-induced release of inflammatory mediators, gene expression and surface antigen presentation. Both PSRE and PACN were more efficient in suppressing Staphylococcus and Aggregatibacter compared to Escherichia, prevented A. actinomycetemcomitans- and LPS induced death of fibroblasts, decreased LPS-induced release of interleukin 8 and prostaglandin E2 from fibroblasts and IL-6 from leukocytes, blocked expression of IL-1β, iNOS, and surface presentation of CD80 and CD86 in LPS+IFNγ-treated macrophages, and IL-1β and COX-2 expression in LPS-treated leukocytes. None of the investigated substances affected either the level of secretion or expression of TNFα. In conclusion, PSRE, and especially PACN, possess strong antibacterial, antiinflammatory and gingival tissue protecting properties under periodontitis mimicking conditions and are suggestable candidates for treatment of the disease.

Here we present calculation of the critical current of DC SQUID based on the Josephson junction on multi-band superconductor with frustration effect. It is shown that the changing of the critical current of DC SQUID with small geometrical inductance is determined by the ratio of supercurrent amplitude in different channels and the external magnetic field. In the a case of DC SQUID with high inductance frustration effects can be ignored.

Traditional camera sensors rely on human eyes for observation. However, the human eye 1 is prone to fatigue when observing targets of different sizes for a long time in complex scenes, and 2 human cognition is limited, which often leads to judgment errors and greatly reduces the efficiency. 3 Target recognition technology is an important technology to judge the target category in camera 4 sensor. In order to solve this problem, a small size target detection algorithm for special scenarios was 5 proposed by this paper. Its advantage is that this algorithm not only has higher precision for small 6 size target detection, but also can ensure that the detection accuracy of each size is not lower than the 7 existing algorithm. In this paper, a new down-sampling method was proposed, which could better 8 preserve the context feature information. The feature fusion network was improved to effectively 9 combine shallow information and deep information. A new network structure was proposed to 10 effectively improve the detection accuracy of the model. In terms of accuracy, it is better than: YOLOX, 11 YOLOXR, YOLOv3, scaled YOLOv5, YOLOv7-Tiny and YOLOv8.Three authoritative public data sets 12 were used in this experiment: a) On Visdron data sets (small size targets), DC-YOLOv8 is 2.5% more 13 accurate than YOLOv8. b) On Tinyperson data sets (minimal size targets), DC-YOLOv8 is 1% more 14 accurate than YOLOv8. c) On PASCAL VOC2007 data sets (Normal size target), DC-YOLOv8 is 0.5% 15 more accurate than YOLOv8.

The concept of DC power distribution has gained interest within the research community in the past years; especially due to rapid prevalence of solar PVs as a tool for distributed generation in DC microgrids. Various efficiency analyses have been presented for the DC distribution paradigm, in comparison to the AC counterpart, considering a variety of scenarios. However, even after a number of such comparative efficiency studies, there seems to be a disparity in the results of research efforts - wherein a definite verdict is still unavailable: 'Is DC distribution a more efficient choice as compared to the conventional AC system?' A final verdict is absent primarily due to conflicting results. In this regard, system modeling and the assumptions made in different studies play a significant role in affecting the results of the study. The current paper is an attempt to critically observe the modeling and assumptions used in the efficiency studies related to the DC distribution system. Several research efforts will be analyzed for their approach towards the system upon which they have performed efficiency studies. Subsequently, the paper aims to propose a model that may alleviate the shortcomings in earlier research efforts and be able to give a definite verdict regarding the comparative efficiency of DC and AC networks for residential power distribution.

The reagents and raw materials used, as well as the products obtained (bio-oil, reaction condensates, polyols and sugar phases) were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. The heating value of the bio-oils is higher than that of the original biomass (higher heating value of Eucalyptus sawdust bio-oil 29 MJ/kg versus 19.5 MJ/kg of the original Eucalyptus sawdust). The analyses of the bio-oils allowed to identify the presence of high added-value compounds, such as levulinic acid and furfural. Finally, a study of the accelerated aging of the liquefied biomass showed that the biofuel density increases with the storage time due to the occurrence of repolymerization reactions.

The process of building microgrids on top of existing passive distribution networks warrants a multi-criteria analysis. Besides the calculation of investment outlays needed for the modernization of distribution networks, such an analysis covers an assessment of the technological and economic effects of building microgrids. The resulting effects depend on the topology and configuration of distribution networks, specific microgrid features, the choice of current type for the entire microgrid or its individual parts, the ways of connecting distributed energy resources (DER), the availability and condition of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, and other factors. Complete input data allow one to design an optimal microgrid configuration, but the main technological and economic effects are determined by the algorithms of operation and the parameters setting of the automatic control system (ACS) and the protection system. Known approaches to designing microgrids focus on addressing basic tasks while minimizing investment required for their implementation. The above is fully justified when constructing new microgrids, but building microgrids on top of existing distribution networks, given the uniqueness of their topology and configuration, does not allow the use of standardized solutions. The development of approaches to the design of microgrids under such constraints, with minimized investment for the modernization of existing distribution networks, is an urgent task. The use of different types of current for microgrid segments determines the choice of particular ACS and protection system, which depends on the availability of information and communications technology infrastructure. This article contributes a review of approaches to designing AC and AC-DC microgrids to maximize their technological and economic effects. We review techniques for analyzing existing distribution networks aimed at choosing the type of current for the entire microgrid or its individual parts, the optimal connection points of microgrids to distribution networks, the mix and capacity of DERs, with such choices informed by the condition of switching devices and information and communications technology infrastructure. The article presents the results of the analysis of approaches to choosing the optimal configuration of microgrids, microgrid ACS and protection system, with an evaluation of the technological and economic effects subject to minimization of investment for the modernization of existing distribution networks.

Magnetometric Resistivity(MMR) Method, which can use the power supply method of the traditional apparent resistivity method to measure the magnetic field. At present, the application research abroad is relatively extensive, but the domestic(China) research on the application of the MMR method is very few, and it is not even well-known. This paper is based on the MMR theoretical method under the point source DC condition, combined with the abnormal potential method and the modified Biot-Savart law, and using the three-dimensional numerical calculation method of the finite difference method to calculate the abnormal potential field, electric field, and magnetic field on the matlab2018a platform. Calculate, realize the multi-physics simulation in the electromagnetic field through Matlab platform programming, and verify the correctness of the algorithm by the spherical anomaly model with an analytical solution. Through the visual simulation of the three-dimensional data volume of the multi-physics field in the electromagnetic field, we can better understand the response mechanism of the electromagnetic field under DC conditions and grasp their three-dimensional spatial distribution rules. It is hoped that the research in this article can help the research of MMR Personnel better use this method for exploration.

The objective of this paper is to research the impact of electrical and physical parameters that characterize the complementary MOSFET transistors (NMOS and PMOS transistors) in the CMOS inverter for static mode of operation. In addition to this, the paper also aims at exploring the directives that are to be followed during the design phase of the CMOS inverters that enable designers to design the CMOS inverters with the best possible performance, depending on operation conditions. The CMOS inverter designed with the best possible features also enables the designing of the CMOS logic circuits with the best possible performance, according to the operation conditions and designers’ requirements.

Microbial immune escape represents the primary cause of induced pathogenesis in humans, and it represents a pivotal method used by viral agents to increase their load and suppress key mechanisms of the innate and adaptive immune system. This phenomenon represents the primary factor that led to the onset of the 1918-1920 A(H1N1) Influenza and 2020-2022 COVID-19 pandemics, and it possibly played a major role in the onset of the AIDS pandemic as well. Moreover, repeated incidents of immune evasion could be associated with higher rates of cellular aging (Jackson et al., 2017), most likely due to the consequent increased demands of energy consumption. Highly developed viral immune evasion ultimately indicates the high inner intelligence of human immunity due to reflective and imitative characteristics of reactions that are produced against initial actions. Ribonucleic acid-based viral genomes contain open reading frames, which consist of genes producing sixteen non-structural proteins. Such proteins play a considerable role in desensitizing first-line immunity during cellular infection, and non-structural proteins 1, 10 and 16 have the strongest effects against a healthy expression rate of Type I and Type III Interferon-encoding genes. Type I Interferons consist of IFN-alpha, -beta, -delta, -epsilon, -omega, -tau and -zeta, whilst Type III Interferons consist of IFN-lambda1, -lambda2 and -lambda3, and they act as stimulators of intracellular signalling cascades that in turn lead to the activation and expression of interferon-stimulated genes (Brown et al., 2022). The earlier the interferon-stimulated genes are activated, the lower the extent of pro-inflammatory mediation and overall, the more effective the antiviral immune response will be, given the exponential nature of the viral load increase. Non-structural protein 16 methylates the 5’ cap of the virus, making the pathogen-associated molecular patterns less recognisable by pattern-recognition receptors, and it requires activation by bonding with non-structural protein 10. It is preserved in the S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine pocket of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) directly cleaves the host cell mRNA producing Type I and possibly Type III Interferons, thereby preventing a translation process of the immune proteins. NS1 has recently been found to often be packaged into exosomes once secreted by the viral genome in the cytosol, meaning that exocytosis and paracrine signalling to neighbouring cells before their actual infection is possible. As a result, NS1 is highly capable of silencing the first-line immune responses of uninfected neighbouring cells as well, thereby highlighting the need to adjust the focus of therapeutics and vaccinology toward first-line immunity and further indicating its foundational importance in the support for the development of precise and balanced defenses against microbial agents of concern (EL SAFADI et al., 2022).

Capacitor banks are widely used in current electrical transmission systems in order to improve power quality and increase efficiency. Utilizing high voltage components such as, shunt capacitors in the power grid imposes new challenges to the system which are required to be addressed. One of these challenges is corona discharges that can have negative impacts on capacitor banks such as power loss, insulator erosion followed by equipment failure, and radio interference. Although previous studies have almost exclusively focused on optimization of corona suppression rings for transformers and transmission lines, no specific studies have conducted regarding high voltage capacitor banks. This paper presents a novel study concerning verification and development of corona discharge suppression models on AC and DC capacitor banks with two different voltage levels. The employed method is based on the Maxwell’s equations and finite element method (FEM) which is implemented with the help of COMSOL Multiphysics© software. Results have verified the necessity of suppression methods as well as the efficiency of proposed solutions. Corona inception voltage levels are identified and effective factors on its appearance are reviewed. Analyses of proposed solutions have shown significant improvements in optimization of corona suppression methods as well as enhancement of maintenance maneuverability.

This paper proposes a circuit model of Cross-Coupled CMOS AC – DC Charge Pump (XC – CP) operating in subthreshold region. The aim is improving the efficiency to design XC – CPs with variety of specifications, e.g., input and output voltages and AC input frequency. First, it is shown that the output resistance (Ro) of XC – CP is much higher than those of CPs with single diodes (SD – CP) and ultra-low-power diodes (ULPD – CP) as charge transfer switches (CTSs). Second, the reason behind the above feature of XC – CP is identified by a simple model that the gate-to-source voltages of CTS MOSFETs are independent of the output voltage of the CP. Third, high but finite Ro of XC – CP is explainable with a more accurate model that includes the dependence of the saturation current of MOSFETs operating in subthreshold region on the drain-to-source voltage which is a function of the output voltage of CP. The model was in good agreement with measured and simulated results of XC – , SD – and ULPD – CPs fabricated in 250 nm CMOS.

Rising fuel costs, significant air pollution, and the need to mitigate the negative consequences of oil consumption have diminished the relevance of traditional vehicles. This shift encourages the adoption of safer, more efficient, and eco-friendly transportation alternatives, such as fuel cell, electric, and hybrid vehicles. Brushless direct current motors are gaining popularity due to their high efficiency, power factor, torque, and controllability. By 2030, Brushless Direct Current motors are expected to replace conventional motors as the standard for power transfer, especially in dynamic applications like automobiles, more electric aircraft. This study explores a control technique to improve real-time control of brushless direct current motors in electric vehicles It presents speed control of these system for electric vehicle applications and an overview of electric vehicle technologies. A model for the 120-degree mode was developed using electrical and mechanical equations in MATLAB/Simulink. Three scenarios were examined to assess the potential of controlling brushless direct current motors using constant and dynamic speed and torque. The actual value reached the reference value in the first two scenarios.

Characteristics of artificial waveguide lines composed of finite size artificial cells are analyzed and discussed with relation to designing the travelling wave parametric amplifiers. From this point of view, flux driven amplifier suggested recently can be considered as the most successful amplifier design. To increase dynamic range of the amplifier, dc SQUID cells of the artificial line in use can be substituted for bi-SQUID cells. The 1-dB compression points of the amplifier gain are calculated and compared for both types of the cells.

In this paper, the design and performance investigation of the permanent magnet machines have been done to increase the mechanical and electrical outputs improvement of the systems. A permanent magnet Dc motor (PMDM) and generator (PMDG) have been modelled and designed to improve the angular position and generated current respectively. In this work, augmentation based H 2 optimal and H infinity synthesis controllers have been designed as a controller for the two systems and a comparison between the proposed controller for tracking a reference inputs and a promising results have been obtained.

The purpose of this study is to identify the steps involved in fabricating silica/chitosan composite membranes and their suitability in fuel cell application. It also intends to identify the physical characteristics of chitosan composite membranes, including their degree of water absorption, proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and functional groups. In this investigation, composite membranes were fabricated using the solution casting method with chitosan content of 5 g and silica variations dosage of 2% and 4% while stirring at a constant speed for 2h. According to the findings, the analysis of composite membranes produced chitosan membranes that were successfully modified with silica. The optimum membrane was found to be 4% s-SiO2 from the Sol-gel method with composite membrane's optimal condition of 0.234 cm/s proton conductivity, water uptake of 56.21%, and reduced methanol permeability of 0.99 × 10 -7 cm2/s in the first 30 minutes and 3.31 × 10-7 in the last 150 minutes. Maintaining lower water uptake capacity at higher silica content is still a challenge that needs to be addressed. However, the fabricated membranes showed exceptional results in terms of proton conductivity and methanol permeability.

In this study, we investigate spectral structure of conformable Sturm-Liouville problems and with this end, we obtain representation of solutions under different initial conditions and asymptotic formulas for eigenfunctions, eigenvalues, norming constants and normalized eigenfunctions. Consequently, we prove the existence of infinitely many eigenvalues. Also, we compare the solutions with graphics with different orders, different eigenvalues, different potentials and so, we observe the behaviors of eigenfunctions. We give an application to the α-orthogonality of eigenfunctions and reality of eigenvalues for conformable Sturm-Liouville problems defined by [15] in the last section.

Direct laser writing three-dimensional nano-lithography is an established technique for manufacturing functional 3D micro- and nano-objects via non-linear absorption induced polymerization process. In this Chapter an underlying physical mechanisms taking place during nano-confined polymerization reaction, induced by tightly focused ultra-short laser pulses, are reviewed and discussed. The special attention is paid on the effects that directly impact structuring resolution and minimum achievable feature size. Analysis of possible photo-initiation mechanisms as contributing multi-photon absorption and avalanche ionization in pre-polymers under diverse exposure conditions (wavelength, pulse duration) is presented. Feasible structuring of pure (non-photosensitized) and functional nanoparticles doped polymer precursors is justified and benefits of such materials/structures for microoptics, photonics and cell scaffolds are highlighted. The influence of temperature effects (induced by writing process itself or determined by ambient conditions) on polymerization process, observed in different pre-polymers under diverse exposure regimes is outlined. The further adjustment of the structuring resolution is possible via precise control of light polarization and diffusion assisted radical quenching. The work is concluded with a brief outlook on future challenges and perspectives related to refinement of 3D ultra-fast laser lithography fabrication process in the means of application of diverse post-processing methods and research into novel photo-curable materials including inorganic ones.

The article presents the issues related to load sharing in direct current grid and a novel control method which has advantages over known solutions. Unlikely of many similar sounding papers this article shows attempt of creation fully controllable non-isolated system which allows load sharing between permanent magnet alternator equipped with machine side converter (MSC) and dual active bridge (DAB) tied to batteries or supercapacitor. The power sharing is essential feature of parallel connected direct current generators and all types of voltage sources in this way are contributing power to the system. Such system should have possibility of the rapid voltage build up in the case of sudden electrical load changes. To keep the optimal efficiency of the alternator the rotational speed changes according to proper mapping of driving combustion engine. When rotational speed is too low then sudden electrical load can cause significant voltage drop and time needed for voltage build up will vary according to RPM increase. In such situations the undervoltage system can trip the breaker and finally there may be a blackout. To avoid such problem the DC systems which consist of batteries and supercapacitor were introduced. System components include a self-excited synchronous generator (SESG) operating at variable shaft speed as well as batteries and supercapacitors that provide electricity for sudden electrical load changes on the distribution grid. The core of presented system is in power distribution method which consists of programmed controllers structure allowing precise currents distribution. A novelty in the proposed method is the use of a cascaded system of current and DC voltage regulators which allows power distribution precise control. In contrary to previously presented solutions, the proposed system allows fast and accurate control of currents loading parallel connected DC voltage sources for wide range generator speed changes. In presented solution both converters have been equipped with Schottky diodes preventing flow of equalizing currents between closed transistors in the parallel mode of operation. An experimental test-stand of the described system is presented with its theoretical basis and experimental results.

Polymer adhesives have emerged as a promising dielectric passivation layer in hybrid bonding for 3D integration while they raise misalignment problems during curing. In this work, the synergistic effect of oxygen plasma surface activation and wetting is utilized to achieve bonding between completed cured polyimides. The optimized process achieves a void-less bonding with a maximum shear strength of 35.3 MPa at a low temperature of 250 °C in merely 2 min, significantly shortening the bonding period and decreasing thermal stress. It is found that the plasma activation generated hydrophilic groups on the polyimide surface, and the wetting process further introduced more -OH groups and water molecular on the activated polyimide surface. The synergistic process of plasma activation and wetting facilitate bridging polyimide interfaces to achieve bonding, providing an alternative path for adhesive bonding in 3D integration.

The goal of this paper is to propose a dual version of the direct cosine simplex algorithm (DDCA) for general linear problems. Unlike the two-phase and the big-M methods, our technique does not involve artificial variables. Our technique solves the dual Klee-Minty problem in two iterations and solves the dual Clausen’s problem in four iterations. The utility of the proposed method is evident from the extensive computational results on test problems adapted from NETLIB. Preliminary results indicate that this dual direct cosine simplex algorithm (DDCA) reduces the number of iterations of two-phase method.

Ice covering on overhead transmission lines would cause damage to transmission system and long-term power outage. Among various de-icing devices, modular multilevel converter (MMC) based DC de-icer (MMC-DDI) is recognized as a promising solution due to its excellent technical performance. Its principle feasibility has been well studied, but few literature discuss its economy or hardware optimization, thus the designed MMC-DDI for high voltage transmission lines is usually too large and too expensive for engineering applications. To fill this gap, this paper presents a quantitative analysis on the converter characteristics of MMC-DDI, and calculates the minimal converter rating and its influencing factors. It reals that, for a given de-icing requirement, the converter rating varies greatly with its AC-side voltage. Then an optimization configuration is proposed to reduce the converter rating and improve its economy. The proposed configuration is verified in a MMC-DDI for a 500kV transmission line as a case study. The result shows, in the case of outputting same de-icing characteristics, the optimized converter rating is reduced from 151 MVA to 68 MVA, and total cost of MMC-DDI is reduced by 48%. This analysis and conclusion are conductive to the optimized design of multilevel DC de-icer, then to its engineering application.

We present a numerical illumination model to calculate direct as well as diffuse or Hapke scattered radiation scenarios on arbitrary planetary surfaces. This includes small body surfaces such as main belt asteroids as well as e.g. the lunar surface. The model is based on the raytracing method. This method is not restricted to spherical or ellipsiodal shapes but digital terrain data of arbitrary spatial resolution can be fed into the model. Solar radiation is the source of direct radiation, wavelength-dependent effects (e.g. albedo) can be accounted for. Mutual illumination of individual bodies in implemented (e.g. in binary or multiple systems) as well as self-illumination (e.g. crater floors by crater walls) by diffuse or Hapke radiation. The model is validated by statistical methods. A χ2 test is undertaken to compare simnulated images with DAWN images acquired during the survey phase at small body 4 Vesta.

DC residential distribution system (RDS) consisted by DC living home will be a significant integral part in the future green transmission. Meanwhile, the increasing number of distributed resources and intelligent devices will change the power flow between main grid and demand sides. The utilization of distributed generations (DGs) requires an economic operation, stability, environmentally friendly in the whole DC system. This paper not only presents an optimization schedule and transactive energy (TE) approach through centralized energy management system (CEMS), but a control approach to implement and ensure DG output voltages to various DC buses in DC RDS. Based on data collection, prediction and a certain objection, the expert system in CEMS can work out the optimization schedule, after this, the voltage droop control for steady voltage is aligned with the command of unit power schedule. In this work, a DC RDS is as a case study to demonstrate the process, the RDS is associated with unit economic models, cost minimization objective is proposed to achieve based on real-time electrical price. The results show that the proposed framework and methods will help the targeted DC residential system to reduce the total cost and reach stability and efficiency.

During HVDC earth return operation systems, a high magnitude current will be injected into soil through earth electrode, the potential on the surface would change widely and produce unfavorable effects on the AC systems around. This paper presents an effective finite element method (FEM) coupling electric field with thermal field to evaluate the electrical field induced by the injected DC current. Firstly, owe to the characteristic of FEM, this method can consider arbitrary soil and earth electrode structure. Secondly, by setting the electrical and thermal parameters of soil as a function of temperature at the same time, the dynamic coupling process of electric field and thermal field is simulated accurately. Thirdly, to deal with the singular point in FEM subdivision and the huge computation in traditional three-dimensional FEM, the FEM coupling 2-D earth electrode with 3-D soil based on "shell" theory is introduced. Finally, based on the suggested method, the effect of abnormal resistance region (ARR) near DC earth electrode on electric field distribution is analyzed.

Data obtained by Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of pressure-driven turbulent channel flow are studied in the range 180 ≤ Reτ≤ 10,000. Reynolds number effects on the Mean Velocity Profile (MVP) and second order statistics are analyzed with a view of finding logarithmic behavior in the overlap region or even further from the wall, well in the boundary layer’s outer region. Values of Kármán constant for the MVPs and the Townsend-Perry constants for the streamwise and spanwise fluctuation variances are determined for the Reynolds numbers considered. A data-driven model of the MVP, proposed and validated for zero pressure gradient flow over a flat plate, is employed for pressure-driven channel flow by appropriately adjusting Coles’ strength of the wake function parameter, Π. There is excellent agreement between the analytic model predictions of MVP and the DNS-computed MVP as well as of the Reynolds shear stress profile. The skin friction coefficient Cf is calculated analytically. The agreement between the analytical model predictions and the DNS-based computed discrete values of Cf is excellent.

The sandwich format immunoassay is generally more sensitive and specific than more common assay formats, including direct, indirect, or competitive. A sandwich assay, however, requires two receptors to bind non-competitively to the target analyte. Typically, pairs of antibodies (Abs) or antibody fragments (Fabs) capable of forming a sandwiching with the target are identified through a slow, guess-and-check method with panels of candidate binding partners. Additionally, sandwich assays reliant on commercial antibodies can suffer from changes to reagent quality outside the researchers’ control. This report presents a reimagined and simplified phage display selection protocol that directly identifies sandwich binding peptides and Fabs. The approach yielded two sandwich pairs, one peptide-peptide and one Fab-peptide sandwich for the cancer and Parkinson’s disease biomarker DJ-1. Requiring just a few weeks to identify, the sandwich pairs delivered apparent affinity comparable to other commercial peptide and antibody sandwiches. The results reported here could expand the availability of sandwich binding partners for a wide range of clinical biomarker assays.

The thermal properties of novel nanomaterials play a significant role in determining the performance of the material in technological applications. Herein, direct measurement of the temperature diffusivity of cellulose nanocomposite films was carried out by the micro-contact method. Polymer films containing up to 2%wt. of nanocellulose were synthesised by a simple chemical process. Films of a high optical transmittance T ≈ 80 % (for a 200- μ m-thick film), which were up to 44% crystalline, were characterised. Two different modalities of temperature diffusivity based on: 1) a resistance change and 2) micro-thermocouple detected modulation of a heat wave, were used for the polymer films with cross-sections of ∼ 100 μ m thickness. Twice different in-plane α ‖ and out-of-plane α ⊥ temperature diffusivities were directly determined with high fidelity: α ‖ = 2 . 12 × 10 − 7 m 2 /s and α ⊥ = 1 . 13 × 10 − 7 m 2 /s. An amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber was measured for comparison α ‖ = 1 . 15 × 10 − 7 m 2 /s. This work provides an example of a direct contact measurement of thermal properties of nanocellulose composite films. The thermal diffusivity, which is usually high in strongly interconnected networks and crystals, was investigated for the first time in this composite.

We fabricate large-area atomically thin MoS₂ layers through the direct transformation of crystalline molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) by sulfurization at relatively low temperatures. The obtained MoS₂ sheets are polycrystalline (~10-20 nm single-crystal domain size) with areas of up to 300×300 µm² with 2-4 layers in thickness and show a marked p-type behaviour. The synthesized films are characterized by a combination of complementary techniques: Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electronic transport measurements.

Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea DC.) is a widely spread plant in Europe and North America. In ethnomedicine, it is well known for its anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic activity. The aim of the research was to develop novel methods of M. discoidea herb complex processing for creating the essential oil and the dry extracts and to investigate their phytochemical composition. Moreo-ver, the molecular docking of main substances and in vivo their soporific and analgesic activity were studied. The essential oil and two dry extracts from M. discoidea were prepared. Total 16 phenolic compounds (7 flavonoids, 7 hydroxycinnamic, 2 phenolic acids) in the dry extracts were identified by means of UPLC-MS/MS. In the essential oil 9 main terpenoids were identified by gas chromatography (GC). We showed that the phenolics extraction from the present herb was successful by using 70% ethanol in a triple extraction and in the range of 1:14-1:16. The in-vivo studies with rodents showed analgesic activity of M. discoidea extracts and the improvements in the sleep of animals. The dry extracts of M. discoidea herb did not show any toxicity. The molecular docking showed the high probability of COX-1,2 inhibition and NMDA receptor antagonism induced by the extracts.

In this paper, we study the effect of parasitic channel on electrical characteristics and power consumptions of vertically stacked gate-all-around (GAA) silicon nanosheet (NS) MOSFETs of the bulk and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. Through deliberate control of the bottom parasitic channel coverage, we systematically assess its influence on DC, AC, and RF characteristics including power consumption. The observed findings highlight a significant differentiation among the bottom parasitic channels: GAA (i.e., control sample with 100% coverage), omega-shaped gate NS (70% and 80% coverages), and FinFET (60% coverage). Compared with the device with a 60% coverage channel, the device with a 100% coverage channel possesses 3520% and 8030% normalized leakage current improvement for both NFET and PFET under the bulk substrate, respectively. Compared with bulk-substrate devices, the SOI-substrate devices further significantly improve the leakage current. Due to enhanced off-state current leakages in the 100% covered bulk-substrate device, the static power demonstrates a notable improvement (about 98.1%), compared to 60% covered devices. Hence, the utilization of a 60% covered channel will result in a degradation of both device and circuit performance. The observation of GAA NS MOSFET indicates that an increase in the bottom parasitic channel coverage ratio leads to a positive impact on power consumption and leakage currents. The examination presented here is useful in the fabrication of stacked GAA NS MOSFETs.

The aim of this work is to study the phase transformations, microstructures and mechanical properties of the martensitic stainless steel (MSS) 410 deposits produced by laser powder-directed energy deposition (LP-DED) additive manufacturing. The LP-DED MSS 410 deposits underwent the post heat treatment in austenitizing at 980℃ for 3hrs and followed by different tempering treatment at the temperatures of 250, 600, and 750℃ for 5hrs, respectively. The analyses of phase transformations and microstructural evolutions of LP-DED MSS 410 were carried out using X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDS, and EBSD. Vickers hardness and tensile strength properties were also measured to analyze the effects of the different tempering heat treatments. It reveals that as-built MSS 410 has very fine lath martensite and high hardness of about 480HV1.0 and tensile strength of about 1280 MPa, but elongation was very lower than the post heat treated ones. Precipitations of chromium carbide (Cr23C6) were most commonly observed at the grain boundaries and the entire matrix at the tempering temperatures of 600℃ and 750℃. In general, the tensile strengths de-creased from 1381MPa to 688MPa as tempering temperatures increased up to 750℃ from 250℃. Additionally, as the tempering temperature increased, the chromium carbide and tempered mar-tensite structures became coarser.

Keywords: Tendon injuries; Mallet finger; Suture techniques

The carbonation of industrial calcium-rich byproducts such as steel slag demonstrates significant potential for CO2 sequestration. This technique aids in reducing carbon emissions while also promoting waste recycling. Despite its advantages, gaps remain in understanding how steel slag characteristics and operational parameters influence the carbonation process, as well as the underlying mechanism of direct aqueous carbonation. We evaluated the carbonation performance of three types of steel slag at temperatures below 100°C using a gas–liquid–solid reaction system. The slag with the highest CO2 sequestration capacity was chosen for a systematic evaluation of the effects of operating conditions on carbonation efficiency. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the reactivity of CaO and Ca(OH)2 with CO2 exceeded that of CaO•SiO2 and 2CaO•SiO2. Under conditions of 85°C, a particle size less than 75 μm, an initial CO2 pressure of 0.5 MPa, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 5 mL/g, and a stirring speed of 200 rpm, the steel slag achieved a sequestration capacity (K) of 283.5 gCO2/kg and a carbonation efficiency (ζCa) of 51.61%. Characterization of the slag before and after carbonation using X-ray diffraction, SEM‒EDS, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry confirmed the formation of new carbonates. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the rate-limiting step initially involved the mass transfer of CO2, transitioning to Ca2+ mass transfer as time progressed. Our research provides a viable technique for CO2 capture and a beneficial approach for reutilizing waste steel slag. Furthermore, solid residues after capturing CO2 have the potential for conversion into carbon-negative building materials, offering a sustainable strategy for steel companies and other enterprises with high carbon emissions.

New families of direct serendipity and direct mixed finite elements on general planar, strictly convex polygons were recently defined by the authors. The finite elements of index r are H1 and H(div) conforming, respectively, and approximate optimally to order r+1 while using the minimal number of degrees of freedom. The shape function space consists of the full set of polynomials defined directly on the element and augmented with a space of supplemental functions. The supplemental functions were constructed as rational functions, which can be difficult to integrate accurately using numerical quadrature rules when the index is high. This can result in a loss of accuracy in certain cases. In this work, we propose alternative ways to construct the supplemental functions on the element as continuous piecewise polynomials. One approach results in supplemental functions that are in Hp for any p≥1. We prove the optimal approximation property for these new finite elements. We also perform numerical tests on them, comparing results for the original supplemental functions and the various alternatives. The new piecewise polynomial supplements can be integrated accurately, and therefore show better robustness with respect to the underlying meshes used.

We discuss two methods to detect the presence and location of a person in a small-scale room and compare the performances. The first method is Direct Intersection, which determines a coordinate point based on the intersection of spheroids defined by observed distances of high-intensity reverberations. The second method, Sonogram analysis, overlays all channel’s room impulse responses to generate an intensity map for the observed environment. We demonstrate that the former method has lower computation complexity and higher accuracy for small numbers of channels, while the latter performs more robustly.

We extend a previously developed model for the Stark resonances of the water molecule. The method employs a partial-wave expansion of the single-particle orbitals using spherical harmonics. To find the resonance positions and decay rates, we use the exterior complex scaling approach which involves the analytic continuation of the radial variable into the complex plane and yields a non-hermitian Hamiltonian matrix. The real part of the eigenvalues provides the resonance positions (and thus the Stark shifts), while the imaginary parts $-\Gamma/2$ are related to the decay rates $\Gamma$, i.e., the full-widths at half-maximum of the Breit-Wigner resonances. We focus on the three outermost (valence) orbitals, as they are dominating the ionization process. We find that for forces directed along the three Cartesian co-ordinates, the fastest ionizing orbital always displays a non-monotonic Stark shift. For the case of fields along the molecular axis we show results as a function of the number of spherical harmonics included ($\ell_{\max}=3,4$). Comparison is made with total molecule resonance parameters from the literature obtained with Hartree-Fock and coupled cluster methods.

This paper presents the design and implementation of a digital control system for modular multilevel converters (MMC) and its use in a 5-kW small scale prototype. To achieve higher system control reliability and multi-functionality, the proposed architecture has been built with an effective split of the control tasks between a master controller and six slave controllers, one for each of the six arms of the converter. The MMC prototype have been used for testing both converter and system level controls in a reduced scale laboratory set up of a Multi-Terminal DC transmission network (MTDC). The whole control has been tested in order to validate the proposed control strategies. The tests performed at system level allowed to explore the advantages of using an MMC in a MTDC system.

Winged bean productivity and the potential to enhance food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa are recurrently affected by several constraints, including but not limited to the lack of genetic improvement. The dearth of adequate information on the genetic diversity that guides the choice of progenitors’ selection among other advantages has been a major setback in planning appropriate improvement programs. This study assessed 15 winged bean accessions for genetic diversity using 10 quantitative traits and 10 microsatellites (SSRs) markers. These accessions were evaluated using RCBD with three replicates for two growing seasons. Ten plants constitute each accession during evaluation from where leaf samples were obtained for SSR marker genotyping. Phenotypic results revealed significant variation (p < 0.05) in the performances of the accessions for the measured traits. H2 estimates varied from 18.92% for seed length to 72.67% for seed weight per plant. Pod weight had a positive and significant correlation with pod length (0.53), pod width (0.70), and number of seeds per pod (0.64). However, the number of seeds per pod negatively correlated with days to maturity (-0.71). The number of seeds per pod was positively predicted by pod weight, seed thickness, and days to maturity. Cluster analysis revealed two genetic groups characterized by different traits. The ten SSRs revealed an average allele count of 4.2, gene diversity of 0.25, and polymorphic information content of 0.22. Analysis of molecular variance revealed within the population of 95% as compared to between population variance of 5%. Phylogeny analysis revealed two primary genetic groups from where five secondary genetic subgroups were identified and only three accessions (TPt-6, TPt-126, and TPt-48) showed genetic purity. This study provides the basis for further studies aimed at exploiting existing variations in winged bean germplasm for its improvement.

C-type lectin CD209/DC-SIGN and CD209L/L-SIGN proteins are distinct cell adhesion and pathogen recognition receptors that mediate cellular interactions and recognize a wide range of pathogens including, viruses such as SARS, SARS-CoV-2, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Pathogens exploit CD209L family proteins to promote infection and evade the immune recognition system. CD209L and CD209 are widely expressed in SARS-CoV-2 target organs and can contribute to infection and pathogenesis. CD209L family receptors are highly susceptible to alternative splicing and genomic polymorphism, which may influence virus tropism and transmission in vivo. The carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) and the neck/repeat region represent the key features of CD209L family proteins that are also central to facilitating cellular ligand interactions and pathogen recognition. While, the neck/repeat region is involved in oligomeric dimerization, the CRD recognizes the mannose containing structures present on specific glycoproteins such as those found on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Considering the role of CD209L and related proteins in diverse pathogen recognition, this review article discusses the recent advances in the cellular and biochemical characterization of CD209 and CD209L and their roles in viral uptake, which has important implications in understanding the host-pathogen interaction, the viral pathobiology and driving vaccine development of SARS-CoV-2.

HybridAC/DC microgrids(HMG) are emerging as an attracting method for integrating the AC/DC distributed energy resources(DERs) with the features of high-performance and low-cost. In the isolated hybrid AC/DC microgrid (IHMG), the key problem is how to balance the power variation and regulate the voltage and frequency. Various energy storage systems (ESS)and interlinking converter (IC) technologies are viable for this application. The present study proposes a novel unified power flow model to evaluate and compare the abilities of the ESS with different connection topologies and ICs with different control approaches to maintain the voltage and frequency stability of the IHMG. In order to investigate the performance of the proposed scheme, five operation modes of the IHMG are defined and explained. The classification is based on the connection topologies and control modes of the ESS/IC in the IHMG. Then, a set of generic PF equations are derived. Moreover, three binary matrices are applied in the construction of the unified power equations. These matrices are used for describing the running state of the IHMG. Finally, in order to verify the proposed scheme, it is applied to several case studies of the IHMG. The operation characteristics of multi-DC subgrids IHMG in different modes, particularly when an external disturbance occurs, are investigated.

In recent years, exterior-rotor brushless DC motors have become increasingly popular in robotics applications due to their compact shape and high torque density. However, these motors were originally used for continuous operation in drones. For applications such as exoskeletons, prostheses, or legged robots, short bursts of high power are often required. Unfortunately, vendors do not typically provide data on the motors' performance under these conditions. This paper presents experimental data on the torque-speed relationship, efficiency, and thermal responses of one of the most widely used outrunner-type brushless motors across its full operating range, including high-power, short-duration operation. The results of this study can inform the selection and design of actuators for a range of robotics applications, particularly those that require high power output for brief periods of time.

An estimation of the electric sources in the heart were conducted using a novel method, based on Huygens’ Principle, aiming at a direct estimation of equivalent bioelectric sources over the heart surface in real time. The main scope of this work was to establish a new, fast approach for the solution of the inverse electrocardiography problem. The study was based on recorded electrocardiograms (ECGs). Based on the Huygens’ principle, measurements obtained from a patient’s thorax surface were interpolated over the surface of the employed volume conductor model and considered as a secondary Huygens’ sources. These sources, being non-zero only over the surface under study, were employed to determine the weighting factors of the eigen-functions expansion describing the generated voltage distribution over the whole volume conductor volume. With the availability of the potential distribution stemming from measurements, the electromagnetics reciprocity theorem is applied once again to yield the equivalent sources over the pericardium. The methodology is self validated, since the surface potentials calculated from these equivalent sources are in very good agreement with ECG measurements. The ultimate aim of this effort is to create a tool providing the equivalent epicardial voltage or current sources in real time, i.e. during the ECG measurements with multiple electrodes.

Raw materials used for producing concrete, such as sand and gravel, are in short supply worldwide. It has been reported that the production of cement, one of the main constituents of concrete, results in the emission of a large amount of CO₂, accounting for 8% of total global CO₂ emissions. In this study, we developed a method to produce a construction material using only sand as the solid raw material. By utilizing a technique to produce organic silicon material from sand, we placed sand, alcohol, and catalyst in a closed vessel and heated it to 240 °C. After 24 h, the sand particles were bonded to each other, and a hardened body was formed. A tradeoff in production conditions, such as temperature, time, and the amount of sand, was confirmed.

The present paper investigates the effect of poverty on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in developing countries. It complements the important extant literature on the effect of FDI inflows on poverty by examining the issue the other way around. The analysis is conducted using a sample of 117 countries over the period 1980-2017, and the two-step system Generalized Methods of Moments (GMM) technique. It has relied on two indicators of poverty, namely poverty headcount ratio and poverty gap. Findings indicate that over the full sample, poverty influences negatively FDI inflows, including through its adverse effect on human capital (that is, both education and health). Unsurprisingly, low-income countries (considered as poorest countries in the full sample) experience a higher negative effect of poverty on FDI inflows than other countries. On another note, participation in international trade matters for the effect of poverty on FDI inflows. In fact, an increase in poverty levels results in lower FDI inflows in countries that experience low workers' productivity, a less developed financial sector, and a low level of infrastructure development. Furthermore, the effect of poverty on FDI inflows does not depend on the prevailing economic growth rate. Finally, the analysis has revealed the existence of a non-linear effect of poverty on FDI inflows for the poverty headcount indicator, but not for the poverty gap indicator. The non-linear effect of poverty headcount on FDI inflows is such that a rise in poverty headcount ratio results in lower FDI inflows, but an additional increase in poverty more than further discourages FDI inflows. The conclusion discusses the implications of these findings.

In this paper, we present a preliminary study and conceptual idea concerning 3D printing water-sensitive glass by exemplifying with a borosilicate glass with high alkali and alkaline oxide contents using direct ink writing. The investigated material was prepared in the form of a glass frit, which was further ground in order to obtain a fine powder of desired particle size distribution. In a following step, inks were prepared by mixing the fine glass powder with Pluoronic F-127 hydrogel. The acquired pastes were rheologically characterized and printed using a Robocasting device. DSC experiments were performed for base materials and the obtained green bodies. After sintering, SEM and XRD analyses were carried out in order to examine microstructure and the eventual presence of crystalline phase inclusions. Results confirmed that obtained inks exhibit stable rheological properties despite the propensity of glass to undergo hydrolysis and could be adjusted to desirable values for 3D printing. No additional phase was observed, supporting the suitability of the designed technology for the production of water sensitive glass inks. SEM micrographs of the sintered samples revealed the presence of closed porosity, which may be the main reason of light scattering.