Evaluation of a Local Fault Detection Algorithm for HVDC Systems

A great increase in the amount of energy generated from clean and renewable sources integrated in the electric power system is expected worldwide in the coming years. High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems are seen as a promising alternative to the traditional Alternating Current (AC) systems for the expansion of the electric power system. However, to achieve this vision, there are some remaining challenges regarding HVDC systems which need to be solved. One of the main challenges is related to fault detection and location in HVDC grids. This paper reviews the main protection algorithms available and presents the evaluation of a local fault detection algorithm for DC faults in a multi-terminal Voltage Source Conversion (VSC) based HVDC grid. The paper analyses the influence of the DC voltage sampling frequency and the cable length in the performance of the algorithm. © 2019, European Association for the Development of Renewable Energy, Environment and Power Quality (EA4EPQ).The authors thank the support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (project ENE2016-79145-R AEI/FEDER, UE) and GISEL research group IT1083-16), as well as from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (research group funding PPG17/23)

Reticulocyte Maturation Parameters Are Reliable Early Predictors of Hematopoietic Engraftment after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

AbstractEarly detection of donor-derived hematopoietic restoration after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a crucial issue in the management of heavily immunocompromised patients. The aim of this prospective study was to validate our previously defined cutoff values for reticulocyte maturation parameters as early predictors of hematopoietic engraftment. Importantly, the effect of clinical variables in reticulocyte engraftment was also sought. For this purpose, we prospectively studied 136 consecutive patients undergoing allo-SCT from related (n = 89) or unrelated (n = 47) donors. High fluorescence reticulocytes (RETH), immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF), mean fluorescence index (MFI), and mean reticulocyte volume (MRV) were automatically measured in peripheral blood samples drawn on a daily basis. We previously defined reticulocyte engraftment when MFI ≥10, RETH ≥3%, IRF ≥10%, and MRV ≥110 fL. Median neutrophil engraftment was 18 days (range, 10-35 days); for reticulocyte parameters, the values were 14 days for IRF (range, 7-45 days), 14 days for MFI (range, 7-43 days), 15 days for RETH (range, 7-43 days), and 21 days for MRV (range, 9-74 days). These differences reached statistical significance for MFI and IRF when compared with standard neutrophil recovery, even when analyzing siblings or unrelated donors separately. In univariate analysis, donor-recipient ABO disparity adversely influenced erythroid engraftment (P = .04 for IRF, P = .03 for MFI), but the infusion of >2.9 × 106/kg of CD34+ cells was associated with a shorter time to reach erythroid engraftment (P = .02 for IRF and MFI). In Cox regression analysis, ≥100/μL neutrophils and IRF ≥10% were predictive parameters for standard neutrophil engraftment. Based on these findings, we suggest that serial measurement of IRF or MFI should be routinely used to trace hematopoietic restoration after allo-SCT because these preceded standard neutrophil recovery by a median of 4 days and are therefore very useful to make clinical decisions

Plasma Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity (NEAC) in Relation to Dietary NEAC, Nutrient Antioxidants and Inflammation-Related Biomarkers

The results presented in this article constitute part of the C.J. Carrión-García’s Doctoral Thesis performed in the Nutrition and Food Science Doctorate Program of the University of Granada.(1) Background: Little is known about the interlinkages between dietary and plasma non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (D-NEAC and P-NEAC, respectively) and the body’s antioxidant and inflammation response. Our aim was to explore these associations in 210 participants from two Spanish European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) centers. (2) Methods: D-NEAC was estimated using published NEAC values in food. P-NEAC and total polyphenols (TP) were quantified by FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power), TRAP (total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter), TEAC-ABTS (trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity-Azino Bis Thiazoline Sulfonic), ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) and Folin–Ciocalteu assays. Nutrient antioxidants (carotenes, α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, retinol, uric acid, Q9 and Q10 coenzymes) and inflammation markers (IL-6, IL-8, CRP, TNF-α, PAI-I, resistin and adiponectin) were also analyzed. Spearman correlation and linear regression analyses were performed in association analyses. Analyses were stratified by covariates and groups were defined using cluster analysis. (3) Results: P-FRAP was correlated with D-NEAC, and significantly associated with P-NEAC in multivariate adjusted models. P-FRAP levels were also significantly associated with plasma antioxidants (log2 scale: TP β = 0.26; ascorbic acid β = 0.03; retinol β = 0.08; α-tocopherol β = 0.05; carotenes β = 0.02; Q10 β = 0.06; uric acid β = 0.25), though not with inflammation-related biomarkers. Different profiles of individuals with varying levels of P-NEAC and biomarkers were found. (4) Conclusions: P-NEAC levels were to some extent associated with D-NEAC and plasma antioxidants, yet not associated with inflammation response.This research was co-funded by the Health Research Found (FIS), Acción Estratégica en Salud (AES), of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, grant number PI12/00002, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

A flexible service selection for executing virtual services

[EN] With the adoption of a service-oriented paradigm on the Web, many software services are likely to fulfil similar functional needs for end-users. We propose to aggregate functionally equivalent software services within one single virtual service, that is, to associate a functionality, a graphical user interface (GUI), and a set of selection rules. When an end user invokes such a virtual service through its GUI to answer his/her functional need, the software service that best responds to the end-user s selection policy is selected and executed and the result is then rendered to the end-user through the GUI of the virtual service. A key innovation in this paper is the flexibility of our proposed service selection policy. First, each selection policy can refer to heterogeneous parameters (e.g., service price, end-user location, and QoS). Second, additional parameters can be added to an existing or new policy with little investment. Third, the end users themselves define a selection policy to apply during the selection process, thanks to the GUI element added as part of the virtual service design. This approach was validated though the design, implementation, and testing of an end-to-end architecture, including the implementation of several virtual services and utilizing several software services available today on the Web.This work was partially supported in part by SERVERY (Service Platform for Innovative Communication Environment), a CELTIC project that aims to create a Service Marketplace that bridges the Internet and Telco worlds by merging the flexibility and openness of the former with the trustworthiness and reliability of the latter, enabling effective and profitable cooperation among actors.Laga, N.; Bertin, E.; Crespi, N.; Bedini, I.; Molina Moreno, B.; Zhao, Z. (2013). A flexible service selection for executing virtual services. 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Further progress in the study of epsilon iron oxide in archaeological baked clays

The occurrence of ε-Fe2O3 in archaeological samples that have been subjected to high temperatures is gradually being detected by the use of micrometric structural characterization techniques. This work provides new information by revealing that the ε-Fe2O3 is formed as a response to temperature, the aggregation state and the position within the baked clay with respect to the nearest heat source. In addition, depending mainly on the atmospheric environment, the temperature reached by the combustion structure, the distance from the heating source and the particle aggregation, other iron oxide magnetic phases are produced. In the baked clay studied here, hematite is found over the whole range of samples studied but its magnetic contribution is negligible. Magnetite is observed at the sample surface, probably due to local atmospheric environment closest to the combustion source. Maghemite is found at all depths up to 6 cm below the sample surface. ε-Fe2O3 has a limited distribution, found within 2–3 cm of the sample surface. Furthermore, the viability of this compound as a palaeofield marker has been evaluated in both archaeological and synthetic samples. The results indicate that ε-Fe2O3 is able to register the direction of the magnetic field. Linear palaeointensity plots have been obtained in synthetic samples, although the value of the palaeofield could be, sometimes, overestimated

Physical fitness and white matter microstructure in children with overweight or obesity: the ActiveBrains project

Recent studies investigated the association of cardiorespiratory fitness with white matter microstructure in children, yet little work has explored to what extent other components of physical fitness (i.e., muscular or motor fitness) are associated with white matter microstructure. Indeed, this association has not been previously explored in children with overweight/obesity who present a different white matter development. Therefore, we aimed to examine associations between physical fitness components and white matter microstructure in children with overweight/obesity. In total, 104 (10.04 +/- 1.15 years old; 43 girls) children were included in this cross-sectional study. Physical fitness was assessed using the ALPHA-fitness test battery. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity were derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). No association was found between physical fitness and global DTI metrics (all P>0.082). Within individual tracts, all associations became non-significant when analyses were adjusted for multiple comparisons. Using the voxel-wise approach, we identified a small cluster in the left lateral frontal lobe where children with greater upper-body muscular fitness showed higher FA (PFWE-corrected=0.042). Although our results cannot conclude physical fitness is related to white matter microstructure in children with overweight/obesity; those findings indicate that the association of muscular fitness with white matter microstructure might be more focal on frontal areas of the brain, as opposed to global differences