Coseismic DInSAR Analysis of the 2020 Petrinja Earthquake Sequence

Interferometric SAR analysis provides an excellent opportunity to perform large-scale and rapid coseismic deformation mapping. Between December 28-30, 2020, three earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 4.3 occurred during the 2020 Petrinja Earthquake Sequence near Petrinja in Croatia, resulting in significant coseismic deformation. Considering both the available ascending and descending Sentinel-1A/B images preceding and following the Petrinja Earthquake Sequence, 2.5D differential interferometric analysis was performed to determine the resulting deformation field, which have significant importance in civil engineering related countermeasures and hazard assessment. With the applied methodology, the derived horizontal and vertical deformation fields can be characterized by a maximum of ±0.43 m local East-West, a maximum of 0.15 m local subsidence and a maximum of 0.19 m local vertical uplift near Petrinja

REFRIGERATOR OPTIMAL SCHEDULING TO MINIMISE THE COST OF OPERATION

The cost optimal scheduling of a household refrigerator is presented in this work. The fundamental approach is the model predictive control methodology applied to the piecewise affine model of the refrigerator. The optimisation could not be solved using off-the-shelf tools, e.g. Multi-Parametric Toolbox, so a binary tree-based optimal scheduling algorithm has been developed for this problem

From “actually existing socialism” to actually existing post-socialism: János Kornai and the importance of language reform in political economy

This paper discusses the contributions of János Kornai to the “language reform” of socialism and post-socialism, meaning the creation of new conceptual frameworks to replace the mainstream interpretation of the system with a more realistic, critical description. We show that, in the three waves of language reform under the Kádár regime – economics, sociology, and law – Kornai was a trailblazer by introducing concepts like “soft budget constraint,” “plan bargaining,” and “shortage,” which became key concepts for reform economists and dissident intellectuals in Eastern Europe. We discuss Kornai's work on post-socialism as well, particularly his paper “The System Paradigm Revisited,” and point out its merits and shortcomings in the description of the regimes of the region. Presenting our offer for a new language reform, based on Kornai, we underline the importance of proper words for understanding “actually existing post-socialism,” and the task of political economists to revise the current mainstream and analyse the phenomena of post-communist “relational economies.

Modeling and Calculation of the Global Solar Irradiance on Slopes

The first step with regard to a simple model of a Photovoltaic Power Plant is developed in this paper based on astronomical and engineering principles. A solar irradiance model is presented in this paper that can be used to forecast the solar energy a surface on Earth is exposed to. The obtained model is verified against engineering expectations. The developed model can serve as a basis for forecasting the power of solar energy

Cost-optimal model predictive scheduling of home appliances

A novel heuristic model-based optimal scheduling algorithm is proposed in this paper to operate heating and cooling type home appliances connected to smart grids where the price of the electrical energy is known in advance and temperature constraints are present. The properties and the use of the proposed algorithm are shown using a simple refrigerator model. The accuracy and the computational properties of the proposed method are compared to the schedule generated by the MPT toolbox. The algorithm works well with a relatively short prediction horizon using a fraction of the computing time needed for the MPT-based method. The robustness of the algorithm is also investigated with respect to the load of the refrigerator. It is shown that the designed schedule with an empty refrigerator is always suitable, yet not optimal, for any loaded case

Immunological and biochemical characterisation of 7ap, a short protein translated from an alternative frame of ORF7 of PRRSV

Sequence analysis revealed a short alternative open reading frame (ORF) named ORF7a within the nucleocapsid gene of genetically divergent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) genomes. Alignment of the corresponding protein sequences (named 7ap) revealed substantial heterogeneity among 7aps of different genotypes, though all of them are predicted to be positively charged. Green fluorescent protein and FLAG fusion constructs of ORF7a of the HU-14432/2011 PRRSV demonstrated that 7ap is expressed. 7ap of HU- 14432/2011 (Hu7ap) was synthesised chemically, and ELISA experiments revealed that Hu7ap binds strongly to mammalian IgGs. Protein-protein gel retardation assays and complement fixation inhibition suggest that 7aps bind to the CH2 domain of the IgG(Fc) fragment. Cellular localisation and immunological characteristics of PRRSV 7ap may indicate multiple functions including nuclear and cytoplasmic over-tuning of normal cellular processes and immunosuppression

Dynamic time warping analysis in post-stroke rehabilitation

AbstractThis paper presents the application of the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm in the analysis of human functional movements in activities of daily living (ADLs). Dynamic Time Warping was originally developed for automatic speech recognition, though the method has been adopted by several fi elds of biomechanics. As a part of the post-stroke rehabilitation project COSMOSYS, the aim is to quantify the ADL performances of hemiparetic subjects, hence to be able to track their progress during physiotherapy.DOI: 10.17489/biohun/2014/2/0

Cost-Optimal Model Predictive Scheduling of Freezers

A cost-optimal model predictive scheduling algorithm is presented that operates in a day-ahead market. The underlying optimizer is a heuristic branch and bound algorithm that finds the constrained optimal scheduling of a freezer with respect to hourly changing energy price. The method is also able to iteratively re-estimate the heat capacity of the freezer. Simulation experiments were performed on a freezer model identified from measurement data. Results show that the proposed algorithm successfully de- creased the cost of operation, however the computational complexity increases when the price is growing. The proposed method can be generalized for home appliances of different kind

Robotic Fingers in Reach-to-Grasp Tasks of Rehabilitation

The REHAROB robotic upper limb rehabilitation system was improved with a custom-designed and developed hand/finger therapy module. The new module extends the scope of the applicable motion therapy from passive to active reach-to-grasp activities of daily living tasks, and the range of treated anatomical joints was also extended to every proximal and distal upper limb anatomical joint. Finger exercising and object grasping are supported with a pair of two degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic fingers. One of the robotic fingers moves the index/middle/ring fingers together, whereas the other robotic finger moves the thumb. A novel hypothesis was established, analyzed, and tested for setting the orientation of the robotic finger moving the thumb. The robotic thumb is not aligned with the patient's thumb; its orientation is optimized in the patient's hand reference system to maximize the efficiency in the opposite grasping task. While most concurrent systems utilize virtual objects for grasping tasks, the REHAROB system exercises five carefully selected reach-and-grasp type activities of daily living (ADL) with real objects. Actuating the human finger phalanges through custom development finger orthoses is described. An advanced feature of the hand/finger therapy module is the left-right hand side changeover by only alternating the orientation of the robotic fingers and exchanging the finger orthoses