Collaboration interface in Smart Metering Scheme

Theme: Towards a safe, reliable, sustainable intelligent power systemPaper no. I9FP0475Smart meter provides intelligence to serve demand side management. The development of electrical-load-signature technology provides an effective base to enable condition-based monitoring and energy-collaboration management among stakeholders. In a smart metering scheme, the three direct contributors are supplier, estate manager and consumer. Affiliated members are appliance manufacturers and sustainability managers. It is perceived that when a platform can be developed to permit members sharing information, trading benefits, and recommending energy plans. The development of a collaboration interface is to assist the principal members in supporting each other as neighboring aide in these activities. This paper discusses on philosophies and models that shall develop the concepts; and shares the development of this interface.postprintThe 15th International Conference on Electrical Engineering (ICEE 2009), Shenyang, China, 5-9 July 2009

Distraction osteogenesis as a treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A systematic review

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Purpurin Triggers Caspase-Independent Apoptosis in Candida dubliniensis Biofilms

Candida dubliniensis is an important human fungal pathogen that causes oral infections in patients with AIDS and diabetes mellitus. However, C. Dubliniensis has been frequently reported in bloodstream infections in clinical settings. Like its phylogenetically related virulent species C. albicans, C. Dubliniensis is able to grow and switch between yeast form and filamentous form (hyphae) and develops biofilms on both abiotic and biotic surfaces. Biofilms are recalcitrant to antifungal therapies and C. Dubliniensis readily turns drug resistant upon repeated exposure. More than 80% of infections are associated with biofilms. Suppression of fungal biofilms may therefore represent a viable antifungal strategy with clinical relevance. Here, we report that C. dubliniensis biofilms were inhibited by purpurin, a natural anthraquinone pigment isolated from madder root. Purpurin inhibited C. dubliniensis biofilm formation in a concentration-dependent manner; while mature biofilms were less susceptible to purpurin. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed scanty structure consisting of yeast cells in purpurin-treated C. dubliniensis biofilms. We sought to delineate the mechanisms of the anti-biofilm activity of purpurin on C. Dubliniensis. Intracellular ROS levels were significantly elevated in fungal biofilms and depolarization of MMP was evident upon purpurin treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. DNA degradation was evident. However, no activated metacaspase could be detected. Together, purpurin triggered metacaspase-independent apoptosis in C. dubliniensis biofilms.published_or_final_versio

The BRCA2-interacting protein DSS1 is vital for DNA repair, recombination, and genome stability in Ustilago maydis

DSS1 encodes a small acidic protein shown in recent structural studies to interact with the DNA binding domain of BRCA2. Here we report that an ortholog of DSS1 is present in Ustilago maydis and associates with Brh2, the BRCA2-related protein, thus recapitulating the protein partnership in this genetically amenable fungus. Mutants of U. maydis deleted of DSS1 are extremely radiation sensitive, deficient in recombination, defective in meiosis, and disturbed in genome stability; these phenotypes mirror previous observations of U. maydis mutants deficient in Brh2 or Rad51. These findings conclusively show that Dss1 constitutes a protein with a significant role in the recombinational repair pathway in U. maydis, and imply that it plays a similar key role in the recombination systems of organisms in which recombinational repair is BRCA2 dependent

Secure pseudo-random linear binary sequences generators based on arithmetic polynoms

We present a new approach to constructing of pseudo-random binary sequences (PRS) generators for the purpose of cryptographic data protection, secured from the perpetrator's attacks, caused by generation of masses of hardware errors and faults. The new method is based on use of linear polynomial arithmetic for the realization of systems of boolean characteristic functions of PRS' generators. "Arithmetizatio" of systems of logic formulas has allowed to apply mathematical apparatus of residue systems for multisequencing of the process of PRS generation and organizing control of computing errors, caused by hardware faults. This has guaranteed high security of PRS generator's functioning and, consequently, security of tools for cryptographic data protection based on those PRSs

Construction of online catalog topologies using decision trees

Organization of a Web site is important to help users get the most out of the site. A good Web site should help visitors find the information they want easily. Visitors typically find information by searching for selected terms of interest or by following links from one Web page to another. The first approach is more useful if the visitor knows exactly what he is seeking, while the second approach is useful when the visitor has less of a preconceived notion about what he wants. The organization of a Web site is especially important in the latter case. Traditionally, Web site organization is done by hand. In this paper, we introduce the problem of automatic Web site construction and propose a solution for solving a major step of the problem based on decision tree algorithms. The solution is found to be useful in automatic construction of product catalogs.published_or_final_versio

Thermal Assisted Oxygen Annealing for High Efficiency Planar CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells

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On wireless sensors communication for overhead transmission line monitoring in power delivery systems

The transmission of energy is monitored in the smart grid through deploying sensors in all the components, including the overhead transmission lines. There are many poles/towers supporting a long overhead transmission line. Naturally, sensors are deployed on the location close to the poles/towers on each span. Due to the limited transmission range of the wireless transceiver module of a sensor, researchers generally assume that data generated by a sensor have to be delivered to the substation through a set of sensors in-between. This results in a linear network model. In this paper, we first analyze the performance of this model in handling the traffics extracted from an existing testbed. We realize that the linear network model may not be sufficient to support future smart grid applications which may have diversified requirements on data delivery. We then study a new network model in which sensor/relay nodes can also communicate with other nodes using a wide area network such as the cellular network. In this new model, the network formed can be reconfigured based on the application requirements to deliver information to the substations efficiently and effectively.published_or_final_versionThe 1st IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Communications (SmartGridComm 2010), Gaithersburg, MD., 4-6 October 2010. In Proceedings of the 1st SmartGridComm, 2010, p. 309-31

A Simple Galerkin Meshless Method, the Fragile Points Method (FPM) Using Point Stiffness Matrices, for 2D Linear Elastic Problems in Complex Domains with Crack and Rupture Propagation

The Fragile Points Method (FPM) is an elementarily simple Galerkin meshless method, employing Point-based discontinuous trial and test functions only, without using element-based trial and test functions. In this study, the algorithmic formulations of FPM for linear elasticity are given in detail, by exploring the concepts of point stiffness matrices and numerical flux corrections. Advantages of FPM for simulating the deformations of complex structures, and for simulating complex crack propagations and rupture developments, are also thoroughly discussed. Numerical examples of deformation and stress analyses of benchmark problems, as well as of realistic structures with complex geometries, demonstrate the accuracy, efficiency and robustness of the proposed FPM. Simulations of crack initiation and propagations are also given in this study, demonstrating the advantages of the present FPM in modeling complex rupture and fracture phenomena. The crack and rupture propagation modeling in FPM is achieved without remeshing or augmenting the trial functions as in standard, extended or generalized FEM. The simulation of impact, penetration and other extreme problems by FPM will be discussed in our future papers