Evaluating XMPP Communication in IEC 61499-based Distributed Energy Applications

The IEC 61499 reference model provides an international standard developed specifically for supporting the creation of distributed event-based automation systems. Functionality is abstracted into function blocks which can be coded graphically as well as via a text-based method. As one of the design goals was the ability to support distributed control applications, communication plays a central role in the IEC 61499 specification. In order to enable the deployment of functionality to distributed platforms, these platforms need to exchange data in a variety of protocols. IEC 61499 realizes the support of these protocols via "Service Interface Function Blocks" (SIFBs). In the context of smart grids and energy applications, IEC 61499 could play an important role, as these applications require coordinating several distributed control logics. Yet, the support of grid-related protocols is a pre-condition for a wide-spread utilization of IEC 61499. The eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) on the other hand is a well-established protocol for messaging, which has recently been adopted for smart grid communication. Thus, SIFBs for XMPP facilitate distributed control applications, which use XMPP for exchanging all control relevant data, being realized with the help of IEC 61499. This paper introduces the idea of integrating XMPP into SIFBs, demonstrates the prototypical implementation in an open source IEC 61499 platform and provides an evaluation of the feasibility of the result.Comment: 2016 IEEE 21st International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA

Degradable high Tg sugar-derived polycarbonates from isosorbide and dihydroxyacetone

Polycarbonates from isosorbide and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) have been synthesised using organocatalytic step-growth polymerization of their corresponding diols and bis-carbonylimidazolide monomers. By the choice of the feed ratio and monomer activation, either isosorbide or ketal protected DHA, random and alternating poly(Iso-co-DHA) carbonates have been formed. Thermal properties by DSC and TGA were herein strongly correlated to the monomer composition. Dilution studies using 1H-NMR spectroscopy of a model compound DHA-diethyl carbonate in CD3CN and D2O highlighted the influence of alfa-substituents on the keto/hydrate equilibrium of DHA. Further kinetics studies in the pH* range of 4.7 to 9.6 serve to show the hydrolytic pH-profile of DHA-carbonates. The hydrolytic degradation of deprotected polymer pellets shows an increased degradation with increasing DHA content. Pellets with a random or alternating configuration show different characteristics in terms of mass loss and molecular weight loss profile over time

ERIGrid Holistic Test Description for Validating Cyber-Physical Energy Systems

Smart energy solutions aim to modify and optimise the operation of existing energy infrastructure. Such cyber-physical technology must be mature before deployment to the actual infrastructure, and competitive solutions will have to be compliant to standards still under development. Achieving this technology readiness and harmonisation requires reproducible experiments and appropriately realistic testing environments. Such testbeds for multi-domain cyber-physical experiments are complex in and of themselves. This work addresses a method for the scoping and design of experiments where both testbed and solution each require detailed expertise. This empirical work first revisited present test description approaches, developed a newdescription method for cyber-physical energy systems testing, and matured it by means of user involvement. The new Holistic Test Description (HTD) method facilitates the conception, deconstruction and reproduction of complex experimental designs in the domains of cyber-physical energy systems. This work develops the background and motivation, offers a guideline and examples to the proposed approach, and summarises experience from three years of its application.This work received funding in the European Community’s Horizon 2020 Program (H2020/2014–2020) under project “ERIGrid” (Grant Agreement No. 654113)

Exploring bis-MPA Based Dendritic Structures in Biomedicine

In the last decades there has been significant advances in polymer chemistry. New coupling chemistries, polymerization techniques and accelerated approaches enable researches to push the limits of structural control. One outcome of such development is the field of linear dendritic (LD) and dendritic linear dendritic (DLD) hybrid materials, drawing benefit from both linear and dendritic material properties. LD-hybrids with their high density of functional groups and customizability offer much promise for use in biological applications. This thesis deals with the potential use of sophisticated LD-hybrid materials focusing on the field of biomedicine and biomedical applications. The linear component is manly poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) while the dendritic part consists of 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic (bis-MPA) building blocks. Initially a family of unsymmetrical LD amphiphiles was constructed and evaluated as carriers for drug delivery of chemotherapeutics. Through self-assembly driven by their amphiphilic nature nanocarriers (NC) were constructed with a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic corona. NC were found to enhance the effect of conventional therapeutics by relocating the drug from just the nucleus to the mitochondria among other organelles. Their versatile nature allowed for dual loading of a combination of chemotherapeutics and circumvented the resistance mechanism of resistant cancer cells. Dendrimers containing a disulfide in the backbone were also constructed, these enabled the selective fragmentation of the dendrimer by reduction to small molecular thiols. The fragments were also envisioned to disrupt the delicate thiol-disulfide balance intracellularly causing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Dendrimers were elaborated by conjugation to linear PEG creating LD-hybrids and evaluated in vitro and where found to cause high degree of ROS in cancerous cells. Thiol functional polymers were created, including linear polymers, dendrimers and DLD-hybrids. The DLD-hybrids were utilized as hydrogels through two efficient chemistries relying on the versatility of the thiol. By varying the generation of the LD-hybrid and the cross-linking chemistry the modulus could be tuned. Amine functional LD-hybrids were constructed utilizing the amino acid alanine. Scaffolds were utilized as antimicrobial hydrogels for prophylaxis during surgical intervention. LD-hybrids were initially evaluated in planktonic mode, and were found to have broad spectrum effect and were highly effective against resistant bacteria. Gelation was studied relying on N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) esters as cross-linkers, enabling instantaneous gelation under biological conditions. The gels moduli could be varied to match various tissues including stromal and muscle. The effect of the antimicrobial coatings was investigated with promising results both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, more industrially applicable hyperbranched LD-hybrids were constructed. The synthetic strategy relied on a convenient pseudo one-pot approach using Fisher esterification along with sequential monomer addition. Materials were found to have properties and characteristics similar to those of perfect dendritic LD-hybrids. And the scaffolds were evaluated in a range of applications such as hydrogels and isopourous films with promising results.Under de senaste decennierna har stora framsteg skett inom polymerkemin. Ny kopplingskemi och polymerisationstekniker har givit forskare möjligheten att ta fram mer kontrollerade polymera strukturer. Ett resultat ur polymerkemins framfart är linjär dendritiska (LD) hybrider som tar fördel av både materialegenskaper från linjära polymerer såväl som dendritiska. Deras struktur och egenskaper är lovande för framtida användningar inom medicinska och biomedicinska applikationer. Den här avhandlingen granskar användningen av LD-hybrider i ett flertal biomedicinska applikationer. Linjär poly(etylenglykol) används som linjär del och den dendritiska strukturen baseras på 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic (bis-MPA). Inledningsvis så utvärderas osymmetriska LD-hybrider, modifierade för att vara amfifila, som bärare inom drogleverans av cancer droger. Genom ”self–assembly” orsakad av deras amfifila karaktär så bildades nanobärare (NB) med hydrofob insida och hydrofilt yttre skal. NB fanns öka effekten av konventionell kemoterapeutiska droger genom att omlokalisera drogerna från bara cellkärnan till andra organeller, bland annat mitokondrien. NB kunde bära en kombination av cellgifter och kringgå resistansmekanismen av resistenta cancerceller. Dendrimerer som innehåller en intern disulfidbrygga togs farm. Deras natur möjliggjorde selektiv fragmentering under reduktiva förhållanden. Fragmenten består av lågmolekylare tiol funktionella molekyler med potentiell användning inom ytbehandling. Fragmenten kunde störa cellers balans mellan tiol och disulfide vilket resulterar i reaktiva syreföreningar (RSF). Dendrimererna kunde brytas ner under biologiska förhållanden och skapade ROF i cancerceller. Tiolfunktionella polymerer framtogs däribland linjära polymerer, dendrimerer och LD-hybrider. LD-hybriderna användes för konstruktion av hydrogeler genom två olika typer av tvärbindnings kemi. Deras modul kunde varieras genom att variera dendristisk generation och tvärbindningskemi. Aminfunktionella LD-hybrider framtogs genom användning av aminosyran alanin. Strukturerna användes för att utveckla en ny metod av profylax, en antibakteriell spraybar gel, som ska hindra infektioner associerade med kirurgiska ingrepp. Strukturerna hade bredspektrums effekt , även mot resistenta bakterier. Genom N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester baserade tvärbindare kunde geler med modul motsvarande från fett upp till broskvävnad skapas under biologiska förhållanden. Gelerna visade god effekt både in vitro och in vivo. Slutligen, skapades hyperförgrenade LD-hybrider mellan PEG och bis-MPA som ett mer industriellt applicerbart alternativ. Genom enkel kemi med sekventiella additioner av bis-MPA monomer kunde ett span av LD-Hybrider skapas med egenskaper liknande de perfekt dendritiska motparterna.QC 20171124</p

Exploring bis-MPA Based Dendritic Structures in Biomedicine

In the last decades there has been significant advances in polymer chemistry. New coupling chemistries, polymerization techniques and accelerated approaches enable researches to push the limits of structural control. One outcome of such development is the field of linear dendritic (LD) and dendritic linear dendritic (DLD) hybrid materials, drawing benefit from both linear and dendritic material properties. LD-hybrids with their high density of functional groups and customizability offer much promise for use in biological applications. This thesis deals with the potential use of sophisticated LD-hybrid materials focusing on the field of biomedicine and biomedical applications. The linear component is manly poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) while the dendritic part consists of 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic (bis-MPA) building blocks. Initially a family of unsymmetrical LD amphiphiles was constructed and evaluated as carriers for drug delivery of chemotherapeutics. Through self-assembly driven by their amphiphilic nature nanocarriers (NC) were constructed with a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic corona. NC were found to enhance the effect of conventional therapeutics by relocating the drug from just the nucleus to the mitochondria among other organelles. Their versatile nature allowed for dual loading of a combination of chemotherapeutics and circumvented the resistance mechanism of resistant cancer cells. Dendrimers containing a disulfide in the backbone were also constructed, these enabled the selective fragmentation of the dendrimer by reduction to small molecular thiols. The fragments were also envisioned to disrupt the delicate thiol-disulfide balance intracellularly causing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Dendrimers were elaborated by conjugation to linear PEG creating LD-hybrids and evaluated in vitro and where found to cause high degree of ROS in cancerous cells. Thiol functional polymers were created, including linear polymers, dendrimers and DLD-hybrids. The DLD-hybrids were utilized as hydrogels through two efficient chemistries relying on the versatility of the thiol. By varying the generation of the LD-hybrid and the cross-linking chemistry the modulus could be tuned. Amine functional LD-hybrids were constructed utilizing the amino acid alanine. Scaffolds were utilized as antimicrobial hydrogels for prophylaxis during surgical intervention. LD-hybrids were initially evaluated in planktonic mode, and were found to have broad spectrum effect and were highly effective against resistant bacteria. Gelation was studied relying on N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) esters as cross-linkers, enabling instantaneous gelation under biological conditions. The gels moduli could be varied to match various tissues including stromal and muscle. The effect of the antimicrobial coatings was investigated with promising results both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, more industrially applicable hyperbranched LD-hybrids were constructed. The synthetic strategy relied on a convenient pseudo one-pot approach using Fisher esterification along with sequential monomer addition. Materials were found to have properties and characteristics similar to those of perfect dendritic LD-hybrids. And the scaffolds were evaluated in a range of applications such as hydrogels and isopourous films with promising results.Under de senaste decennierna har stora framsteg skett inom polymerkemin. Ny kopplingskemi och polymerisationstekniker har givit forskare möjligheten att ta fram mer kontrollerade polymera strukturer. Ett resultat ur polymerkemins framfart är linjär dendritiska (LD) hybrider som tar fördel av både materialegenskaper från linjära polymerer såväl som dendritiska. Deras struktur och egenskaper är lovande för framtida användningar inom medicinska och biomedicinska applikationer. Den här avhandlingen granskar användningen av LD-hybrider i ett flertal biomedicinska applikationer. Linjär poly(etylenglykol) används som linjär del och den dendritiska strukturen baseras på 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic (bis-MPA). Inledningsvis så utvärderas osymmetriska LD-hybrider, modifierade för att vara amfifila, som bärare inom drogleverans av cancer droger. Genom ”self–assembly” orsakad av deras amfifila karaktär så bildades nanobärare (NB) med hydrofob insida och hydrofilt yttre skal. NB fanns öka effekten av konventionell kemoterapeutiska droger genom att omlokalisera drogerna från bara cellkärnan till andra organeller, bland annat mitokondrien. NB kunde bära en kombination av cellgifter och kringgå resistansmekanismen av resistenta cancerceller. Dendrimerer som innehåller en intern disulfidbrygga togs farm. Deras natur möjliggjorde selektiv fragmentering under reduktiva förhållanden. Fragmenten består av lågmolekylare tiol funktionella molekyler med potentiell användning inom ytbehandling. Fragmenten kunde störa cellers balans mellan tiol och disulfide vilket resulterar i reaktiva syreföreningar (RSF). Dendrimererna kunde brytas ner under biologiska förhållanden och skapade ROF i cancerceller. Tiolfunktionella polymerer framtogs däribland linjära polymerer, dendrimerer och LD-hybrider. LD-hybriderna användes för konstruktion av hydrogeler genom två olika typer av tvärbindnings kemi. Deras modul kunde varieras genom att variera dendristisk generation och tvärbindningskemi. Aminfunktionella LD-hybrider framtogs genom användning av aminosyran alanin. Strukturerna användes för att utveckla en ny metod av profylax, en antibakteriell spraybar gel, som ska hindra infektioner associerade med kirurgiska ingrepp. Strukturerna hade bredspektrums effekt , även mot resistenta bakterier. Genom N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester baserade tvärbindare kunde geler med modul motsvarande från fett upp till broskvävnad skapas under biologiska förhållanden. Gelerna visade god effekt både in vitro och in vivo. Slutligen, skapades hyperförgrenade LD-hybrider mellan PEG och bis-MPA som ett mer industriellt applicerbart alternativ. Genom enkel kemi med sekventiella additioner av bis-MPA monomer kunde ett span av LD-Hybrider skapas med egenskaper liknande de perfekt dendritiska motparterna.QC 20171124</p

Exploring bis-MPA Based Dendritic Structures in Biomedicine

In the last decades there has been significant advances in polymer chemistry. New coupling chemistries, polymerization techniques and accelerated approaches enable researches to push the limits of structural control. One outcome of such development is the field of linear dendritic (LD) and dendritic linear dendritic (DLD) hybrid materials, drawing benefit from both linear and dendritic material properties. LD-hybrids with their high density of functional groups and customizability offer much promise for use in biological applications. This thesis deals with the potential use of sophisticated LD-hybrid materials focusing on the field of biomedicine and biomedical applications. The linear component is manly poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) while the dendritic part consists of 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic (bis-MPA) building blocks. Initially a family of unsymmetrical LD amphiphiles was constructed and evaluated as carriers for drug delivery of chemotherapeutics. Through self-assembly driven by their amphiphilic nature nanocarriers (NC) were constructed with a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic corona. NC were found to enhance the effect of conventional therapeutics by relocating the drug from just the nucleus to the mitochondria among other organelles. Their versatile nature allowed for dual loading of a combination of chemotherapeutics and circumvented the resistance mechanism of resistant cancer cells. Dendrimers containing a disulfide in the backbone were also constructed, these enabled the selective fragmentation of the dendrimer by reduction to small molecular thiols. The fragments were also envisioned to disrupt the delicate thiol-disulfide balance intracellularly causing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Dendrimers were elaborated by conjugation to linear PEG creating LD-hybrids and evaluated in vitro and where found to cause high degree of ROS in cancerous cells. Thiol functional polymers were created, including linear polymers, dendrimers and DLD-hybrids. The DLD-hybrids were utilized as hydrogels through two efficient chemistries relying on the versatility of the thiol. By varying the generation of the LD-hybrid and the cross-linking chemistry the modulus could be tuned. Amine functional LD-hybrids were constructed utilizing the amino acid alanine. Scaffolds were utilized as antimicrobial hydrogels for prophylaxis during surgical intervention. LD-hybrids were initially evaluated in planktonic mode, and were found to have broad spectrum effect and were highly effective against resistant bacteria. Gelation was studied relying on N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) esters as cross-linkers, enabling instantaneous gelation under biological conditions. The gels moduli could be varied to match various tissues including stromal and muscle. The effect of the antimicrobial coatings was investigated with promising results both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, more industrially applicable hyperbranched LD-hybrids were constructed. The synthetic strategy relied on a convenient pseudo one-pot approach using Fisher esterification along with sequential monomer addition. Materials were found to have properties and characteristics similar to those of perfect dendritic LD-hybrids. And the scaffolds were evaluated in a range of applications such as hydrogels and isopourous films with promising results.Under de senaste decennierna har stora framsteg skett inom polymerkemin. Ny kopplingskemi och polymerisationstekniker har givit forskare möjligheten att ta fram mer kontrollerade polymera strukturer. Ett resultat ur polymerkemins framfart är linjär dendritiska (LD) hybrider som tar fördel av både materialegenskaper från linjära polymerer såväl som dendritiska. Deras struktur och egenskaper är lovande för framtida användningar inom medicinska och biomedicinska applikationer. Den här avhandlingen granskar användningen av LD-hybrider i ett flertal biomedicinska applikationer. Linjär poly(etylenglykol) används som linjär del och den dendritiska strukturen baseras på 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic (bis-MPA). Inledningsvis så utvärderas osymmetriska LD-hybrider, modifierade för att vara amfifila, som bärare inom drogleverans av cancer droger. Genom ”self–assembly” orsakad av deras amfifila karaktär så bildades nanobärare (NB) med hydrofob insida och hydrofilt yttre skal. NB fanns öka effekten av konventionell kemoterapeutiska droger genom att omlokalisera drogerna från bara cellkärnan till andra organeller, bland annat mitokondrien. NB kunde bära en kombination av cellgifter och kringgå resistansmekanismen av resistenta cancerceller. Dendrimerer som innehåller en intern disulfidbrygga togs farm. Deras natur möjliggjorde selektiv fragmentering under reduktiva förhållanden. Fragmenten består av lågmolekylare tiol funktionella molekyler med potentiell användning inom ytbehandling. Fragmenten kunde störa cellers balans mellan tiol och disulfide vilket resulterar i reaktiva syreföreningar (RSF). Dendrimererna kunde brytas ner under biologiska förhållanden och skapade ROF i cancerceller. Tiolfunktionella polymerer framtogs däribland linjära polymerer, dendrimerer och LD-hybrider. LD-hybriderna användes för konstruktion av hydrogeler genom två olika typer av tvärbindnings kemi. Deras modul kunde varieras genom att variera dendristisk generation och tvärbindningskemi. Aminfunktionella LD-hybrider framtogs genom användning av aminosyran alanin. Strukturerna användes för att utveckla en ny metod av profylax, en antibakteriell spraybar gel, som ska hindra infektioner associerade med kirurgiska ingrepp. Strukturerna hade bredspektrums effekt , även mot resistenta bakterier. Genom N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester baserade tvärbindare kunde geler med modul motsvarande från fett upp till broskvävnad skapas under biologiska förhållanden. Gelerna visade god effekt både in vitro och in vivo. Slutligen, skapades hyperförgrenade LD-hybrider mellan PEG och bis-MPA som ett mer industriellt applicerbart alternativ. Genom enkel kemi med sekventiella additioner av bis-MPA monomer kunde ett span av LD-Hybrider skapas med egenskaper liknande de perfekt dendritiska motparterna.QC 20171124</p

Fluoride-Promoted Esterification (FPE) Chemistry: A Robust Route to Bis-MPA Dendrons and Their Postfunctionalization

Bifunctional dendrons based on 2,2-bis(methylol)propionic acid (bis-MPA) are highly desirable scaffolds for biomedical applications. This is due to their flawless nature and large and exact number of functional groups as well as being biodegradable and biocompatible. Herein, we describe a facile divergent growth approach to their synthesis from monobenzylated tetraethylene glycol and post functionalization utilizing fluoride-promoted esterification (FPE) chemistry protocols. The scaffolds, presenting selectively deprotectable hydroxyls in the periphery and at the focal point, were isolated on a multigram scale with excellent purity up to the fourth generation dendron with a molecular weight of 2346 Da in seven reactions with a total yield of 50%. The third generation dendron was used as a model compound to demonstrate its functionalizability. Selective deprotection of the dendron’s focal point was achieved with an outstanding yield of 94%, and biotin as well as azido functionalities were introduced to its focal point and periphery, respectively, through FPE chemistry. Bulky disperse red dyes were clicked through CuAAC to the dendron’s azido groups, giving a biotinylated dendron with multivalent dyes with a molecular weight of 6252 Da in a total yield of 37% in five reactions with an average yield of 82% starting from the third generation focally and peripherally protected dendron. FPE chemistry proved to be a superb improvement over previous protocols towards bis-MPA dendrons as high purity and yields were obtained with less toxic solvents and greatly improved monomer utilization

Open Information Architecture for Seamless Integration of Renewable Energy Sources

Electric power systems are currently confronted with a fundamental paradigm change related to its planning and operation, mainly caused by the massive integration of renewables. To allow higher penetration of them within existing grid infrastructures, the “smart grid” makes more efficient use of existing resources by integrating appropriate information technologies. Utilising the benefits of such smart grids, it is necessary to develop new automation architectures and control strategies, as well as corresponding information and communication solutions. This makes it possible to effectively use and manage a large amount of dispersed generators and to utilise their “smart” capabilities. The scalability and openness of automation systems currently used by energy utilities have to be improved significantly for handling a high amount of distributed generators. This will be needed to meet the challenges of missing common and open interfaces, as well as the large number of different protocols. In the work at hand, these shortcomings have been tackled by a conceptual solution for open and interoperable information exchange and engineering of automation applications. The approach is characterised by remote controllable services, a generic communication concept, and a formal application modelling method for distributed energy resource components. Additionally, the specification of an access management scheme for distributed energy resources, taking into account different user roles in the smart grid, allowed for a fine-grained distinction of access rights for use cases and actors. As a concrete result of this work, a generic and open communication underlay for smart grid components was developed, providing a flexible and adaptable infrastructure and supporting future smart grid requirements and roll-out. A proof-of-concept validation of the remote controllable service concept based on this infrastructure has been conducted in appropriate laboratory environments to confirm the main benefits of this approach

Degradable dendritic nanogels as carriers for antimicrobial peptides

In the present study, we investigate degradable anionic dendritic nanogels (DNG) as carriers for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). In such systems, the dendritic part contains carboxylic acid-based anionic binding sites for cationic AMPs, whereas linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains form a shell for promotion of biological stealth. In order to clarify factors influencing membrane interactions of such systems, we here address effects of nanogel charge, cross-linking, and degradation on peptide loading/release, as well as consequences of these factors for lipid membrane interactions and antimicrobial effects. The DNGs were found to bind the AMPs LL-37 (LLGDFFRKSKEKIGKEFKRIVQRIKDFLRNLVPRTES) and DPK-060 (GKHKNKGKKNGKHNGWKWWW). For the smaller DPK-060 peptide, loading was found to increase with increasing nanogel charge density. For the larger LL-37, on the other hand, peptide loading was largely insensitive to nanogel charge density. In line with this, results on the secondary structure, as well as on the absence of stabilization from proteolytic degradation by the nanogels, show that the larger LL-37 is unable to enter into the interior of the nanogels. While 40–60% nanogel degradation occurred over 10 days, promoted at high ionic strength and lower cross-linking density/higher anionic charge content, peptide release at physiological ionic strength was substantially faster, and membrane destabilization not relying on nanogel degradation. Ellipsometry and liposome leakage experiments showed both free peptide and peptide/DNG complexes to cause membrane destabilization, indicated also by antimicrobial activities being comparable for nanogel-bound and free peptide. Finally, the DNGs were demonstrated to display low toxicity towards erythrocytes even at peptide concentrations of 100 µM