A master-slave model predictive control approach for microgrids

This article proposes a master-slave finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) for microgrids. To demonstrate it, a microgrid is considered, composed of a master neutral-point clamped (NPC) inverter with a battery energy storage system (BESS) and output LC filter; two slave NPC inverters with photovoltaic (PV) panels and output LCL filters; RL and nonlinear loads. Two modes of operation are proposed for the primary control of the microgrid. In the first, the microgrid is connected to the main grid, and the master and slaves are grid-following inverters. In the second, the microgrid is islanded, and the master is a grid-forming inverter, while the slaves remain as grid-following inverters. To validate the performance of the proposed master-slave FCS-MPC, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) results are presented for different operational conditions of the microgrid, including grid connection, transition to islanded mode, and load variations. The results demonstrate the good performance of the proposed master-slave FCS-MPC, such as fast dynamic response, multivariable control, and robustness to parametric uncertainties and variations. © 2024 IEEE

Association of cardiovascular disease risk factors with estimated dietary salt consumption in Bangladeshi adults : a nationally representative cross-sectional study

This population-based, nationally representative cross-sectional study assessed the daily salt consumption status and its associated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors using weighted data from the STEPwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance conducted in 2018 in Bangladesh. It included a non-institutionalized adults’ population of 6189 men and women aged 18–69 years. Their daily salt consumption was estimated using the spot urine sodium concentration following the Tanaka equation and reported according to the standard nomenclature proposed by the World Hypertension League and partner organizations involved in dietary salt reduction. Out of a total of 6189 participants, 2.4% consumed the recommended amount of salt (<5 g/day), 67.8% consumed a high amount of salt

Digital cognitive behavioral therapy–based treatment for insomnia, nightmares, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in survivors of wildfires : pilot randomized feasibility trial

Background: Symptoms of insomnia, nightmares, and trauma are highly prevalent. However, there are significant barriers to accessing evidence-based treatments for these conditions, leading to poor mental health outcomes. Objective: This pilot trial evaluated the feasibility of a 4-week, digital self-paced intervention combining cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and exposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapy for nightmares in survivors of wildfires from Australia, Canada, and the United States. Methods: Study participants were recruited between May 2023 and December 2023 through social media platforms, workshops, conferences, and radio interviews. Participants had to meet at least one of the following criteria: a score o

STS cybersecurity and resilience frameworks for crisis management in higher education and research sector

This thesis examines the cybersecurity challenges and resilience strategies adopted by the Higher Education and Research Sector (HERS) in Australia during the recent major crisis. Specifically, the term “recent major crisis” refers to the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly disrupted higher education institutions and exposed critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Despite numerous studies identifying cybersecurity challenges in times of crisis, empirical investigations into these challenges and the resilience strategies used to mitigate them remain limited, particularly in the Australian context. It has been reported that HERS has worst attacked by these cybersecurity challenges in Australia especially after the recent major crisis. This research addresses this gap using an interpretive qualitative approach, with data collected through semi-structured interviews with cybersecurity experts and senior management from Australian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) active during the crisis. The qualitative data were analysed using the thematic analysis technique with the SQR NVivo software. A Sociotechnical System (STS) theory approach has been applied. To identify and classify emerging cybersecurity challenges, proposing an extended STS cybersecurity framework. This framework comprises five organisational subsystems—social, technical, political, economic, and environmental—each representing key dimensions of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. For instance, the social subsystem highlights issues arising from human errors and structural weaknesses, while the technical subsystem focuses on faults in hardware, software, and work processes. The political subsystem identifies challenges due to policy and regulatory shortcomings; the economic subsystem explores issues stemming from insufficient national and global legal frameworks, and the environmental subsystem addresses challenges linked to internal and external environmental changes. This framework expands on existing literature by incorporating overlooked factors and emphasising the interdependencies between these subsystems. The study also proposes a resilience framework, integrating organisational learning loops, to explore strategies that HERS has adopted to mitigate the identified cybersecurity challenges across three crisis phases: before, during, and after. The Organisational Learning (OL) framework also maps resilience strategies to single-loop, double-loop, and triple-loop learning. In the resilience framework, before-crisis phase, strategies include crisis management planning and fostering a culture of readiness. The during-crisis phase focuses on absorbing disruptions (single-loop learning), adapting to changes (double-loop learning), and transforming to a stable state (triple-loop learning). The after-crisis phase emphasises monitoring, evaluation, and improvement. A few examples of resilience strategies identified include implementing cybersecurity awareness programs, redefining roles, adopting risk management tools, forging partnerships with external security organisations, introducing policies, and adopting and reconfiguring technologies. These strategies aim to strengthen organisational resilience, address cybersecurity challenges amidst the recent major crisis, and prepare for future disruptions. The thesis has both theoretical and practical contributions, that are useful both for theoretical scholars and practitioners in HERS. This study contributes to the literature on IS by addressing critical gaps in understanding cybersecurity challenges and organisational resilience strategies during major crises. Focusing exclusively on HERS in Australia, it provides an empirical investigation into real-world incidents, identifying and classifying cybersecurity challenges using an extended STS cybersecurity model. The model introduces five organisational subsystems highlighting their interdependencies and offering a comprehensive framework for understanding these challenges. Additionally, the study proposes a resilience framework based on three crisis phases and an organisational learning loop framework to illustrate how HERS prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises. By linking resilience strategies to single-, double-, and triple-loop learning, the study offers novel insights into how HERS adapt and transform during crises, advancing both theoretical and practical knowledge in the fields of cybersecurity and resilience. Practically, this research provides actionable insights for HERS and other sectors to effectively address cybersecurity challenges and implement resilience strategies during crises. The classification of cybersecurity challenges and the identification of resilience strategies serve as a guide for key stakeholders, including cybersecurity departments, strategic managers, and consultants. For instance, the study helps organisations classify cybersecurity challenges by organisational subsystems, enabling targeted interventions to address specific vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the resilience framework supports strategic managers in prioritising resources and managerial efforts to effectively mitigate emerging cybersecurity challenges. Cybersecurity consultants benefit from the cybersecurity STS framework as a tool to navigate cybersecurity challenges during organisational changes, while the resilience framework guides the adoption of strategies to manage unforeseen crises. Ultimately, the research enhances organisational preparedness and resilience, equipping stakeholders to tackle cybersecurity issues more efficiently and effectively.Doctor of Philosoph

Embedding a circular economy through local government in Gippsland : a case study, utilising smart specialisation methodology

In 2017, the ageing Hazelwood coal-fired power station in Gippsland (Australia), finally—and abruptly, closed. The Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA), funded by the Victorian State Government was then established to assist redundant workers and develop a long-term approach to transitioning towards a more sustainable regional economy and socially cohesive community. To enable this, the LVA adopted and implemented a methodology made popular in the European Union of the ‘Smart Specialisation Strategy’ (S3), bringing together practitioners from government, business, research and education, and the wider local community (known as the ‘quadruple helix’) to co-design a shared vision for the region’s future prosperity. With Australia declaring its commitment to and the Victorian government developing policy support for a Circular Economy (CE), the LVA funded a research project in 2022 to facilitate a ‘place-based’ approach to implementing a CE business model across Gippsland. Based on interviews and workshops conducted in the period 2022–23 with key regional stakeholders, as well as on the analysis of secondary sources, this paper provides an overview of the experience utilising the S3 methodology to explore the implementation of CE in a regional setting, historically dominated by natural resource-based industries, that is now undergoing multiple economic transitions, including cessation of coal-fired power generation, oil and gas extraction and native timber harvesting. Significant barriers identified include: poor understanding of broader opportunities embedded in systemic notions of S3 and CE, siloed structure of local government authorities (both within or between councils), difficulty in promoting alignment and cooperation at all levels between a diverse range of stakeholders, lack of policy coordination and support for business innovation, together with the absence of financial incentives or regulatory mechanisms to change behaviour from a linear to CE. Despite improved intentions in policy settings around intentionality of CE practices and other initiatives being progressed simultaneously with this work, CE in Gippsland (and Victoria more broadly) and its implementation continue to be narrowly focussed on recycling and waste management, where there are clear pressures in stock-piling of waste and limitations on landfill expansion. Regional approaches to implementation of circular economy are limited in Australia, with the exception of exemplars such as Geelong, Barwon South West, and Bega. However, there are currently no examples of utilising S3 methodology to implement CE in a regional setting. Here we identify current barriers and provide recommendations on how to overcome these with the engagement of a diverse range of stakeholders across Gippsland from agribusiness, regional planning, local governments, small and medium enterprises, utilising S3 methodology, to enable systemic changes towards CE models to be implemented region-wide. This study documents the journey so far for Gippsland, where the transition from traditional extractive industry provides the opportunity to embed more sustainable practices moving forward. © The Author(s) 2024

Low and medium voltage distribution network planning with distributed energy resources : a survey

Abstract: The penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, and electric vehicles is increasing in the distribution system. The distinct characteristics of these resources, e.g., volatility and intermittency, introduce complexity in operation and planning of the distribution system. This paper first summarized the physical characteristics and morphological evaluation of the current and future distribution networks. Then, the impact of these changes on system operation and planning is outlined. Next, the tools, methods, and techniques for energy forecasting, optimal planning, and distribution system state estimation are reviewed and discussed, along with the challenges. As the main contributions, this research systematically organized the published works and assessed the relevant milestones regarding distribution system planning with DERs and emerging technologies. Finally, the key research directions in this domain are outlined. © The Author(s) 2024

Complete breakdown the cellulose-saccharification barrier of inert masson pine by gluconic acid-peroxide pretreatment under moderate temperature

A two-step process combining solvent extraction and hydrogen peroxide-gluconic acid (HP-GA) pretreatment was employed to effectively remove the barriers affecting the enzymatic saccharification of masson pine cellulose. Ethanol extraction removes bioactive phenolics and eliminates the negative effect of the following pretreatment and cellulose saccharification. The gluconic acid (GA)-based peroxide was formed by mixing hydrogen peroxide (HP) with GA, which effectively pretreated inert masson pine with the synergistic oxidative degradation and dissolution of lignin and hemicellulose. During the pretreatment, various organic peracid catalysts were detected such as peroxy-GA, peroxy-acetic acid, and peroxy-formic acid. After ethanol extraction at 80 °C and HP-GA pretreatment at 90 °C, 95.4 % of lignin and 69.2 % of hemicellulose could be removed from masson pine, and the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose resulted in 99.2 % glucose yield. Based on GA and the green-electric derived H2O2, this work provides an ecological and efficient pretreatment method to completely break down the critical biorefinery barriers on enzymatic saccharification of cellulose, especially concerning inert softwood-type lignocellulosic biomass. © 2024 Elsevier B.V

Why should Indigenous peoples have anything to do with the western research system and who gets to decide?

Recently, the Australian federal government has made several pivotal decisions that will impact Aboriginal research in the Australian context. In research, views of pedagogy, methodology, epistemology, ontology, axiology, impact, governance, and sovereignty continue to privilege and be viewed through a Eurocentric lens. This chapter discusses how Aboriginal Peoples are continually colonised and recolonised in Western research systems. We argue that whilst taking part in Western research processes, we must continue to explain, educate, re-explain, and re-educate the validity of our custodial research ethic and Aboriginal ways of valuing, knowing, doing, and being. Western research systems continue to ignore and silence our autonomy, sovereignty, and self-determination regarding our research practices, thus adding to our workload, time, energy, allostatic burden, and cultural load as Aboriginal researchers. As Aboriginal People and women, we are under-represented in these systems and continually have to pretzel ourselves to fit into a system that, for us, is broken but working for more privileged peoples (usually white and men). We contend the colonial system is working as it was designed to work - a set of systemically racist and violent processes aimed at silencing and eliminating Aboriginal women in the academy. In this chapter, we suggest some more equitable and inclusive ways forward for meaningful decolonisation and de-Westernisation in the academy and the implications this may have for social work in Australia. © The Editors and Contributing Authors Severally 2025. All rights reserved

Photovoltaic systems : analytic comparison of fuzzy logic and ML methods for applying maximum power tracking systems

Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in solar power systems for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is increasingly popular due to the limitations of traditional MPPT methods in locating the global maximum power point (GMPP) under partial shading conditions. Unlike conventional techniques, AI-based algorithms excel at identifying the GMPP even when multiple local maximum power points (MPPs) exist. Compared to traditional methods, AI-based MPPT techniques like reinforcement learning and fuzzy logic typically offer higher efficiency, reduced steady-state oscillation, and faster convergence but require significant resources and investment. This paper compares two AI-based MPPT methods-Fuzzy Logic and Reinforcement Learning using simulation. Each AI approached its strengths and weaknesses, complicating on optimal method selection. It provided a detailed efficiency comparison of these AI methods by implementing them in a solar power grid system under various environmental conditions. © 2025 IEEE

Investigating digital poverty and the new forms of agency and advocacy needed in initial teacher education

Using Judith Butler’s theory of performative subjection, this paper explores the issue of digital poverty in Initial Teacher Education and the need for new forms of agency and advocacy to address it. The concept of digital agency (DA) and educational data advocacy (EDA) are discussed as possible ameliorating concepts for digital poverty and the increasing digital divide in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). In this theoretical paper, the authors employ the concept of DA alongside EDA specifically in the context of learners in university settings where technology is often used but the level of autonomy that students experience might vary considerably. Drawing on the context of Australian Initial Teacher Education programs, the paper calls for greater advocacy around the potential for forms of discrimination, inequity, and prejudice perpetuated as a result of digital poverty. The authors draw on two studies and examine their own practices in relation to the ways teaching academics might act as Educational Data Advocates (EDA) in Initial Teacher Education. The findings provide a novel perspective of the ways Digital Poverty in Australian Initial Teacher Education programs are associated with agency and advocacy, with implications for policy and practice in an increasingly digitised teacher training context. © 2025 Australian Teacher Education Association