Robust nonlinear adaptive backstepping excitation controller design for rejecting external disturbances in multimachine power systems

This paper proposes a new approach to design a robust adaptive backstepping excitation controller for multimachine power systems in order to reject external disturbances. The parameters which significantly affect the stability of power systems (also called stability sensitive parameters) are considered as unknown and the external disturbances are incorporated into the power system model. The proposed excitation controller is designed in such a way that it is adaptive to the unknown parameters and robust to external disturbances. The stability sensitive parameters are estimated through the adaptation laws and the convergences of these adaptation laws are obtained through the negative semi-definiteness of control Lyapunov functions (CLFs). The proposed controller not only provides robustness property against external disturbances but also overcomes the over-parameterization problem of stability sensitive parameters which usually appears in some conventional adaptive methods. Finally, the performance of the proposed controller is tested on a two-area four machine 11-bus power system by considering external disturbances under different scenarios and is compared to that of an existing nonlinear adaptive backstepping controller. Simulation results illustrate the robustness of the proposed controller over an existing one in terms of rejecting external disturbances

The empowerment of local community groups as a new innovation in cross borders disaster management frameworks

Based on empirical evidence from the 2004 Aceh tsunami, this paper explores the role of local community groups (local NGOs, local traditional groups, women's and youth groups) and how to empower them in a cross-border disaster management framework. The Aceh Tsunami disaster provides a useful lesson for the Asian context and the international world, not only in terms of the impacts of disaster but also for cross-border emergency response and rehabilitation efforts. This paper puts forward a recommendation for a model of cross-border disaster management framework that can be applied to other urbanising world regions

Fundamental aspects of acoustic bubbles, acoustic streaming and cavitation microstreaming

The phenomena of acoustic streaming and cavitation microstreaming can seem very complex, but underpinning them are fundamental concepts of uid dynamics that are common to many similar systems. In this chapter, key aspects of uid dynamics leading to bubble acoustics, acoustic streaming and microstreaming are outlined. Basic concepts of sound are introduced, focusing on the special case of the sound waves produced by a bubble, and how a bubble creates sound and responds to sound. The di erence between linear and nonlinear theory for the time-dependent radius of an oscillating bubble are outlined. The concept of mean streaming is then introduced; this is when a purely oscillatory ow causes a net uid motion. The origin of mean streaming is emphasised: the nonlinear term in Euler's momentum equation. It is explained that there are two classes of mean streaming: acoustic streaming, created when the ultrasonic power is high and has some gradient with distance, and microstreaming, created when the gradient is high on a small scale. Applications of acoustic streaming and microstreaming in biomedicine and engineering and the latest research are reviewed

Constraint is associated with earlier circadian phase and morningness: Confirmation of relationships between personality and circadian phase using a constant routine protocol

Associations amongst personality, diurnal preference, and circadian phase were investigated using a constant routine laboratory protocol. One hundred and sixty-eight healthy participants aged 18-30 years (Women n = 68) completed either a 30- or 50-hour constant routine under dim-light conditions (< 3 lx), during which circadian phase was measured from core body temperature and melatonin. Prior to laboratory admission, self-report measures of personality and diurnal preference were also obtained. The personality trait of Constraint correlated positively with morning diurnal preference and earlier circadian phase, with circadian phase partially mediating the relationship between Constraint and diurnal preference. No other personality variables correlated with circadian phase. Sex was an important covariate in several of the relationships investigated due to lower levels of Constraint and later CBT phase amongst men and was thus controlled for in all relevant analyses. Findings from this highly controlled study are consistent with previous field research in suggesting that earlier circadian phase is associated with the personality trait of Constraint

Precinct information modelling: A new digital platform for integrated design, assessment and management of the built environment

The built environment is increasingly supported by an information infrastructure that is critical to the efficient and effective planning, design and management of what is a developed nation’s major asset – its physical infrastructure. A digital built environment has been emerging in a fragmented fashion for a number of decades, tailored separately to the needs of building designers and city planners – giving rise to BIM and GIS platforms respectively. Precinct information modelling (PIM) has been identified as a pivotal category of a digital platform needed to support the wide spectrum of needs associated with the design of specific ‘places’ (variously termed neighbourhoods, communities, districts and precincts) wherever they are located within cities, and the urban design that underpins them. These precincts constitute the critical building blocks of good urban planning and design and their performance is central to the resilience and sustainability of cities. However, the development of a digital toolkit for assessment at this scale has been slow. The growing demands for the retrofitting of cities and the distributed nature of most new urban infrastructures (energy, water, waste, active transport) is driving the need for precinct scale tools; viz. where and how best to intervene, regenerate? This chapter will outline progress from research at the CRC for Low Carbon Living directed towards the development of an open platform for effective sharing of precinct scale information across all urban planning and design activities to achieve expected performance outcomes for Australian cities: viz. productive, competitive, environmentally sustainable, resilient, liveable and inclusive (Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development 2011)

Aceh post-tsunami housing reconstruction: a critical analysis of approaches, designs and socio-cultural implications

The 2004 tsunami disaster in Aceh resulted in the destruction of man-made environments as well as unimaginable human misery. While natural disaster transformed much of Aceh's morphology of urban space, the rehabilitation and reconstruction process that followed continued transforming the typology of domestic space in Acehnese towns and villages, profoundly affecting Acehnese socio-cultural life and society at large. In particular, a fundamentally new type of housing physically and practically changed social and cultural ways of living in Aceh. This paper examines the transformation of domestic living space that followed from large scale building of new permanent homes in post-tsunami reconstruction projects in Aceh and how new living spaces for private families influenced family cultures, lifestyles, do's and dont's, habits, customs, everyday happenings and practices. The overall study proposes a new type of action for post-disaster housing reconstruction based upon the real housing needs of stricken communities which takes into account non-physical aspects of family practices such as cultural living needs and desires, lifestyles and habits as well as physical aspects of location, typology, size and lay-out design of housing concepts. The approach which recognizes and respects the long-term socio-cultural needs of post-disaster housing recipients and their communities at large, rather than focusing on short term reconstruction goals that disregard socio-cultural practices which are integral to community survival. It is suggested that this approach can be successfully applied in post-disaster situations worldwide

Solvatochromism and linear solvation energy relationship of the kinase inhibitor SKF86002

We studied the spectroscopic characteristics of SKF86002, an anti-inflammatory and tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug candidate. Two conformers SKF86002A and SKF86002B are separated by energy barriers of 19.68 kJ·mol− 1 and 6.65 kJ·mol− 1 due to H-bonds, and produce the three major UV–Vis absorption bands at 325 nm, 260 nm and 210 nm in cyclohexane solutions. This environment-sensitive fluorophore exhibited emission in the 400–500 nm range with a marked response to changes in environment polarity. By using twenty-two solvents for the solvatochromism study, it was noticed that solvent polarity, represented by dielectric constant, was well correlated with the emission wavelength maxima of SKF86002. Thus, the SKF86002 fluorescence peak red shifted in aprotic solvents from 397.5 nm in cyclohexane to 436 nm in DMSO. While the emission maximum in hydrogen donating solvents ranged from 420 nm in t-butanol to 446 nm in N-methylformamide. Employing Lippert-Mataga, Bakhshiev and Kawski models, we found that one linear correlation provided a satisfactory description of polarity effect of 18 solvents on the spectral changes of SKF86002 with R2 values 0.78, 0.80 and 0.80, respectively. Additionally, the multicomponent linear regression analysis of Kamlet-Taft (R2 = 0.94) revealed that solvent acidity, basicity and polarity accounted for 31%, 24% and 45% of solvent effects on SKF86002 emission, respectively. While Catalán correlation (R2 = 0.92) revealed that solvatochromic change of SKF86002 emission was attributed to changes in solvent dipolarity (71%), solvent polarity (12%), solvent acidity (11%) and solvent basicity (6%). Plot of Reichardt transition energies and emission energies of SKF86002 in 18 solvents showed also a linear correlation with R2 = 0.90. The dipole moment difference between excited and ground state was calculated to be 3.4–3.5 debye

Principled leadership wins

On Sunday, three German states went to the polls. These elections had been anxiously anticipated, not least by Chancellor Angela Merkel and her coalition government. Their results are significant, and may have implications beyond Germany. The polls in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz and Sachsen-Anhalt were the first state elections held after the dramatic rise of asylum-seeker arrivals in the middle of last year. With the next federal election due next year, they were an opportunity to gain a sense of German voters' reaction to those arrivals

Agent-oriented modelling in the production of 3D character animation

With the explosion of 3D character animation across contemporary screen media, more people, disciplines and technologies are now engaging with its production. Explicit representations of computer animation processes help facilitate engagement at a high level, however fail to convey the depth of specialised creative techniques, technical processes and discipline language that is prevalent during the act of animating. This paper introduces the 'Mk I production model', a conceptual process which through its novel use of the software engineering methodology 'agent-oriented modelling', conveys such specialised attributes within an explicit process for producing 3D character animation. To gather insights into how this model is used and perceived by animators within a production environment, it was entrenched within a large undergraduate student animation project named 'Gunter's Fables', where it was positioned as the principal device to inform animators of the production process and their expected activity. The project management team also used the model in weekly peer review sessions as a basis to evaluate animation, and to convey progress and achievement with a colour rating scale. Upon completion of the production phase, the project's 12 student animators successfully delivered 41 short, 10-15 second 3D character animation scenarios that were deemed to be of a consistent and fit for purpose quality. Findings from regular 'sweatbox' review sessions and questionnaires suggest that further investigation and iterative development of the model may improve user engagement with the process. However, the model's demonstrated ability to inform a depth of production process supports the notion that this novel production concept presents a way forward in the communication and production of 3D character animation, and allied animation activities

Predicting co-morbid traumatic brain injury and psychosis from neuropsychological profile

The relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychosis, and the phenomenology of psychosis following traumatic brain injury (PFTBI), is poorly understood (see Batty et al., 2013 for review). Impaired neurocognition has long been empirically established following TBI and in patients with psychosis (DeLisi, 2001, Henik and Salo, 2004 and Mathias and Weaton, 2007), suggesting that dually-diagnosed PFTBI patients are susceptible to substantial neurocognitive deficits. Moreover, while there appears to be some overlap in the neurocognitive deficits associated with TBI and schizophrenia patient groups, they appear distinct in profile, providing impetus for elucidating PFTBI-specific deficits. We have shown that neuropsychological reports taken from case study and/or patient chart information appear to underrepresent PFTBI impairment (Batty et al., 2015a, Batty et al., 2015b and Batty et al., 2016). In a novel study we administered the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS: Randolph, 1998) to PFTBI patients, and demonstrated extensive neurocognitive deficits relative to both normative scores and three cohorts of controls: TBI, schizophrenia, and non-clinical (Batty et al., 2016). Importantly, these findings better reflect established neuropsychological deficits in the separate TBI and schizophrenia literatures. Here we aimed to determine whether dual-diagnosis can be predicted by neuropsychological profile, as distinct from TBI, schizophrenia, and non-clinical controls