Adaptive Scheduling with Explicit Congestion Notification in a Cyber-Physical Smart Grid System

A Cyber-Physical System (CPS) is composed of distributed computational elements connected via a computer network that monitor and control switched physical systems interconnected by physical infrastructures. A fundamental challenge in the design and analysis of a CPS is the lack of common semantics across the components. This challenge is addressed by employing a novel approach that composes the correctness of the components instead of their functionality using a conjunction of noninterfering logical invariants. In recent work, we applied this technique to adaptively schedule power transfers between nodes in a smart power grid while maintaining the stability of the computer network and the physical system in the presence of uncertainties. In the current paper, we enhance the adaptive scheduling technique to exploit a mechanism called Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) that is available in modern routers. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of this approach in maintaining power transfer performance and system stability while proactively reducing network congestion

Stability of a Cyber-Physical Smart Grid System using Cooperating Invariants

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) consist of computational components interconnected by computer networks that monitor and control switched physical entities interconnected by physical infrastructures. A fundamental challenge in the design and analysis of CPS is the lack of common semantics across the components. We address this challenge by employing a novel approach that composes the correctness of various components instead of their functionality using a conjunction of non-interfering logical invariants. We present a distributed algorithm that uses this approach to adaptively schedule power transfers between nodes in a smart power grid in such a way that the stability of both the computer network and the physical system are maintained. Simulation results demonstrate the necessity and usefulness of our approach in maintaining overall system stability in the presence of uncertainties in the computer network and with limited information about the global state of the system

WiP Abstract: Stability of a Cyber-Physical Smart Grid System using Cooperating Invariants

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) consist of computational components interconnected by computer networks that monitor and control switched physical entities interconnected by physical infrastructures. Ensuring stability and correctness (both logical and temporal) of a Cyber-Physical System (CPS) as a whole is a major challenge in CPS design. Any incorrectness or instability in one component can impact the same features of other components. The fundamental challenge in developing a design framework that unifies the various components is the heterogeneity of the component types, resulting in semantic gaps that must be bridged. For example, while the physical entities in a smart grid are electric devices whose stability and correctness may be expressed in terms of Lya-punov and Lyapunov-like functions, the notion of correctness in the context of the cyber devices are best expressed in the form of a conjunction of logical operators on system parameters. In our work, we employ a fundamentally different approach than much existing work; our work composes correctness instead of functionality. The basic idea, depicted in Fig 1, is to express the stability and correctness constraints of all components in the form of logical invariants and ensure that system actions are performed only if and when they are guaranteed not to violate the conjunction of these invariants. In recent work [1], we developed invariants that must be satisfied by the physical system to ensure its stability. However, the state of the physical system and, hence, its stability, is dependent on power transfers (migrations) initiated by the cyber algorithm within each node in the system and by the state of the communication network that carries messages between the cyber nodes to signal initiation and acknowledgement of physical power migrations. The state and stability of the communication network is in turn affected by the number of migration messages in transit at any given time. In this poster, we present a distributed, adaptive algorithm for scheduling power migrations between nodes in a smart grid in such a way that the overall stability of the system, including physical and network stability, is maintained. The results show that preserving the system invariant preserves system stability

Surface characteristics and antimicrobial properties of modified catheter surfaces by polypyrogallol and metal ions

Catheter associated infections (CAIs) are the major cause of nosocomial infections leading to increased morbidity, mortality rates and economical loss. Though the antibiotic coated surface modified catheters are reported to be effective in preventing CAIs, presence of sub-lethal concentrations of antibiotics in long term instilled catheters poses a risk of development and spread of drug resistant microbial strains. Herein, we have developed an antibiotic-free alternative strategy to coat catheter surfaces using pyrogallol (PG) and metal ions (Ag+/Mg2+). Surface characteristics, antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties with hemocompatibility of the coated catheters were studied. Structural characteristics of coated catheters were similar to the uncoated catheters with improved wettability. All the coated catheters with PG and different PG/metal ion combinations exhibited broad spectrum antibacterial activity. Catheters coated with PG/metal ions combination showed effective antibiofilm properties against MRSA strains. None of the coated catheters showed any significant hemolysis for rabbit erythrocytes. In addition, polypyrogallol (pPG) coating attenuated the hemolytic properties of silver without altering the antimicrobial properties. The inherent antimicrobial properties of the coating agent along with antimicrobial metal ions broaden the application landscape which includes coating of other medical devices, clean room construction and development of antimicrobial surfaces. The chemical formulation can also be used to design antiseptic solutions to prevent healthcare associated infections.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)NMRC (Natl Medical Research Council, S’pore)MOH (Min. of Health, S’pore)Accepted versio

Antimicrobial quaternary ammonium organosilane cross-linked nanofibrous collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering

Introduction: In search for cross-linkers with multifunctional characteristics, the present work investigated the utility of quaternary ammonium organosilane (QOS) as a potential cross-linker for electrospun collagen nanofibers. We hypothesized that the quaternary ammonium ions improve the electrospinnability by reducing the surface tension and confer antimicrobial properties, while the formation of siloxane after alkaline hydrolysis could cross-link collagen and stimulate cell proliferation. Materials and methods: QOS collagen nanofibers were electrospun by incorporating various concentrations of QOS (0.1%–10% w/w) and were cross-linked in situ after exposure to ammonium carbonate. The QOS cross-linked scaffolds were characterized and their biological properties were evaluated in terms of their biocompatibility, cellular adhesion and metabolic activity for primary human dermal fibroblasts and human fetal osteoblasts. Results and discussion: The study revealed that 1) QOS cross-linking increased the flexibility of otherwise rigid collagen nanofibers and improved the thermal stability; 2) QOS cross-linked mats displayed potent antibacterial activity and 3) the biocompatibility of the composite mats depended on the amount of QOS present in dope solution – at low QOS concentrations (0.1% w/w), the mats promoted mammalian cell proliferation and growth, whereas at higher QOS concentrations, cytotoxic effect was observed. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that QOS cross-linked mats possess anti-infective properties and confer niches for cellular growth and proliferation, thus offering a useful approach, which is important for hard and soft tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)NMRC (Natl Medical Research Council, S’pore)MOH (Min. of Health, S’pore)Published versio

Combating Microbial Contamination with Robust Polymeric Nanofibers: Elemental Effect on the Mussel-Inspired Cross-Linking of Electrospun Gelatin

Designing biocompatible nanofibrous mats capable of preventing microbial colonization from resident and nosocomial bacteria for an extended period remains an unmet clinical need. In the present work, we designed antibiotic free durable antimicrobial nanofiber mats by taking advantage of synergistic interactions between polydopamine (pDA) and metal ions with varying degree of antimicrobial properties (Ag+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and Zn2+). Microscopic analysis showed successful pDA-mediated cross-linking of the gelatin nanofibers, which further improved by the inclusion of Ag+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ ions as supported by mechanical and thermal studies. Spectroscopic results reinforce the presence of strong interactions between pDA and metal ions in the composite nanofibers, leading to generation of robust polymeric nanofibers. We further showed that strong pDA–Ag interactions attenuated the cell cytotoxicity and anticell proliferative properties of silver ions for immortalized keratinocytes and primary human dermal fibroblasts. pDA–Ca2+/Zn2+ interactions rendered the composite structure sterile against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains, whereas the silver ion-incorporated composite mats displayed broad spectrum antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive/-negative bacteria and yeast strains. We showed that the strong pDA–Ag interactions help retaining long-term antimicrobial activity of the mats for at least 40 days while attenuating mammalian cell cytotoxicity of silver ions for skin cells. Overall, the results suggest the potential of pDA–metal ion interactions for engineering sterile nanofibrous mats and expanding the antibiotic armamentarium against drug-resistant pathogens

Antifungal properties of lecithin- and terbinafine-loaded electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibres

Topical skin and nail fungal infections form the most numerous and widespread among superficial mycoses. Drug eluting electrospun nanofibres have been shown to have immense potential for the topical delivery of antimicrobials. In this article, we investigated the efficacy of lecithin-loaded electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers containing terbinafine hydrochloride (terbinafine) for applications in superficial mycoses. Electron microscopy studies indicated that addition of lecithin and terbinafine decreased the average diameter of PCL nanofibers, increase in mechanical properties and wettability of the fibre mats. PCL mats containing lecithin and terbinafine displayed pronounced blue photoluminescence and did not affect cell adhesion and biocompatibility for primary human dermal fibroblasts. The drug loaded mats maintained the antifungal efficacy against moulds as well as dermatophytic fungus. Using an ex vivo porcine skin infection model, we showed that the drug-eluting mats resulted in >5 log reduction in the viability of T. mentagrophytes.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)NMRC (Natl Medical Research Council, S’pore)Accepted versio

Insight into membrane selectivity of linear and branched polyethylenimines and their potential as biocides for advanced wound dressings

We report here structure-property relationship between linear and branched polyethylene imines by examining their antimicrobial activities against wide range of pathogens. Both the polymers target the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria and yeasts, eliciting rapid microbicidal properties. Using multiscale molecular dynamic simulations, we showed that, in both fully or partially protonated forms LPEI discriminates between mammalian and bacterial model membranes whereas BPEI lacks selectivity for both the model membranes. Simulation results suggest that LPEI forms weak complex with the zwitterionic lipids whereas the side chain amino groups of BPEI sequester the zwitterionic lipids by forming tight complex. Consistent with these observations, label-free cell impedance measurements, cell viability assays and high content analysis indicate that BPEI is cytotoxic to human epithelial and fibroblasts cells. Crosslinking of BPEI onto electrospun gelatin mats attenuate the cytotoxicity for fibroblasts while retaining the antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and yeasts strains. PEI crosslinked gelatin mats elicit bactericidal activity by contact-mediated killing and durable to leaching for 7days. The potent antimicrobial activity combined with enhanced selectivity of the crosslinked ES gelatin mats would expand the arsenel of biocides in the management of superficial skin infections. The contact-mediated microbicidal properties may avert antimicrobial resistance and expand the diversity of applications to prevent microbial contamination.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)NMRC (Natl Medical Research Council, S’pore)Accepted versio

Bio-inspired crosslinking and matrix-drug interactions for advanced wound dressings with long-term antimicrobial activity

There is a growing demand for durable advanced wound dressings for the management of persistent infections after deep burn injuries. Herein, we demonstrated the preparation of durable antimicrobial nanofiber mats, by taking advantage of strong interfacial interactions between polyhydroxy antibiotics (with varying number of single bondOH groups) and gelatin and their in-situ crosslinking with polydopamine (pDA) using ammonium carbonate diffusion method. Polydopamine crosslinking did not interfere with the antimicrobial efficacy of the loaded antibiotics. Interestingly, incorporation of antibiotics containing more number of alcoholic single bondOH groups (NOH ≥ 5) delayed the release kinetics with complete retention of antimicrobial activity for an extended period of time (20 days). The antimicrobials-loaded mats displayed superior mechanical and thermal properties than gelatin or pDA-crosslinked gelatin mats. Mats containing polyhydroxy antifungals showed enhanced aqueous stability and retained nanofibrous morphology under aqueous environment for more than 4 weeks. This approach can be expanded to produce mats with broad spectrum antimicrobial properties by incorporating the combination of antibacterial and antifungal drugs. Direct electrospinning of vancomycin-loaded electrospun nanofibers onto a bandage gauze and subsequent crosslinking produced non-adherent durable advanced wound dressings that could be easily applied to the injured sites and readily detached after treatment. In a partial thickness burn injury model in piglets, the drug-loaded mats displayed comparable wound closure to commercially available silver-based dressings. This prototype wound dressing designed for easy handling and with long-lasting antimicrobial properties represents an effective option for treating life-threatening microbial infections due to thermal injuries.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)NMRC (Natl Medical Research Council, S’pore)MOH (Min. of Health, S’pore)Published versio

Antimicrobial Activity and Cell Selectivity of Synthetic and Biosynthetic Cationic Polymers

The mammalian and microbial cell selectivity of synthetic and biosynthetic cationic polymers has been investigated. Among the polymers with peptide backbones, polymers containing amino side chains display greater antimicrobial activity than those with guanidine side chains, whereas ethylenimines display superior activity over allylamines. The biosynthetic polymer ε-polylysine (εPL) is noncytotoxic to primary human dermal fibroblasts at concentrations of up to 2,000 μg/ml, suggesting that the presence of an isopeptide backbone has greater cell selectivity than the presence of α-peptide backbones. Both εPL and linear polyethylenimine (LPEI) exhibit bactericidal properties by depolarizing the cytoplasmic membrane and disrupt preformed biofilms. εPL displays broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties against antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains and fungi. εPL elicits rapid bactericidal activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and its biocompatibility index is superior to those of cationic antiseptic agents and LPEI. εPL does not interfere with the wound closure of injured rabbit corneas. In a rabbit model of bacterial keratitis, the topical application of εPL (0.3%, wt/vol) decreases the bacterial burden and severity of infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus strains. In vivo imaging studies confirm that εPL-treated corneas appeared transparent and nonedematous compared to untreated infected corneas. Taken together, our results highlight the potential of εPL in resolving topical microbial infections.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)ASTAR (Agency for Sci., Tech. and Research, S’pore)MOH (Min. of Health, S’pore)Published versio