Enhancing resilience by reducing critical load loss via an emergent trading framework considering possible resources isolation under typhoon

Leveraging distributed resources to enhance distribution network (DN) resilience is an effective measure in response to natural disasters. However, the willingness and economy of distributed resources are typically ignored. To address this issue, this paper proposes an emergent trading framework that uses parking lots (PLs) as resources to provide power support to critical loads (CLs) in a blackout due to typhoons. In this trading framework, an evolutionary Stackelberg game-based trading model is established to consider maximizing all stakeholders' economic benefits, considering possible resources isolation under typical fault scenarios caused by typhoons, and a benefit allocation mechanism is proposed for all stakeholders to motivate all stakeholders to participate in the trading. This framework allows that critical loads could reduce their load loss, parking lots could receive adequate compensation to stimulate them to participate in the trading, and distribution utility could ensure its economic benefits. Furthermore, an iterative evolutionary-Stackelberg solution set-up is applied to obtain the equilibria of the proposed framework. Simulation results on the modified IEEE 69-bus test system and IEEE 123-bus test system reveal the validity of the proposed method

IFN-gamma is associated with risk of Schistosoma japonicum infection in China.

Before the start of the schistosomiasis transmission season, 129 villagers resident on a Schistosoma japonicum-endemic island in Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province, 64 of whom were stool-positive for S. japonicum eggs by the Kato method and 65 negative, were treated with praziquantel. Forty-five days later the 93 subjects who presented for follow-up were all stool-negative. Blood samples were collected from all 93 individuals. S. japonicum soluble worm antigen (SWAP) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) stimulated IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-gamma production in whole-blood cultures were measured by ELISA. All the subjects were interviewed nine times during the subsequent transmission season to estimate the intensity of their contact with potentially infective snail habitats, and the subjects were all re-screened for S. japonicum by the Kato method at the end of the transmission season. Fourteen subjects were found to be infected at that time. There was some indication that the risk of infection might be associated with gender (with females being at higher risk) and with the intensity of water contact, and there was evidence that levels of SEA-induced IFN-gamma production were associated with reduced risk of infection

Mixed sums of primes and other terms

In this paper we study mixed sums of primes and linear recurrences. We show that if m=2(mod 4) and m+1 is a prime then $(m^{2^n-1}-1)/(m-1)\not=m^n+p^a$ for any n=3,4,... and prime power p^a. We also prove that if a>1 is an integer, u_0=0, u_1=1 and u_{i+1}=au_i+u_{i-1} for i=1,2,3,..., then all the sums u_m+au_n (m,n=1,2,3,...) are distinct. One of our conjectures states that any integer n>4 can be written as the sum of an odd prime, an odd Fibonacci number and a positive Fibonacci number.Comment: 11 page

A survey on health-promoting lifestyle among community-dwelling older people with hypertension in Macau

2007-2008 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Joint topology optimization, power control and spectrum allocation for intra-vehicular multi-hop sensor networks using dandelion-encoded heuristics

In the last years the interest in multi-hop communications has gained momentum within the research community due to the challenging characteristics of the intra-vehicular radio environment and the stringent robustness imposed on critical sensors within the vehicle. As opposed to point-to-point network topologies, multi-hop networking allows for an enhanced communication reliability at the cost of an additional processing overhead. In this context this manuscript poses a novel bi-objective optimization problem aimed at jointly minimizing (1) the average Bit Error Rate (BER) of sensing nodes under a majority fusion rule at the central data collection unit; and (2) the mean delay experienced by packets forwarded by such nodes due to multi-hop networking, frequency channel switching time multiplexing at intermediate nodes. The formulated paradigm is shown to be computationally tractable via a combination of evolutionary meta-heuristic algorithms and Dandelion codes, the latter capable of representing tree-like structures like those modeling the multi-hop routing approach. Simulations are carried out for realistic values of intra-vehicular radio channels and co-channel interference due to nearby IEEE 802.11 signals. The obtained results are promising and pave the way towards assessing the practical performance of the proposed scheme in real setups

Research on the Security of Cold-Chain Logistics

In this paper, the definition of cold-chain logistics and security features are analyzed. Based on overview of China's cold-chain logistics, cold chain, through the status quo at home and abroad contrast, we present some of China's food chain problems. With security control system of thought, and risk management theory, the establishment of a more comprehensive evaluation of cold chain logistics system, through a cold-chain business case analysis, put forward suggestions to solve a few cold-chain logistics security strategy

Capacity Manipulation and Menus of Two Part Tariff Contract in Supply Chain

In a decentralized supply chain, raw material supply uncertainty, phantom orders of downstream firm as well as huge investment sunk costs leads to supplier's production capacity manipulation behavior. A supply chain consisting of a supplier and a retailer who faces a newsvendor problem is considered. The impact of supplier's production capacity manipulation on retailer's purchase decision is discussed. The retailer can adopt a menu of two part tariff contract regarding the terms of trade and capacity. Both supplier and retailer have prior belief about counterpart decision behavior. Then, we construct menus of two part tariff contract offered by the retailer to the supplier who has production capacity manipulation and type dependent reservation profits. Our results show that when capacity difference between type H supplier and type L supplier is higher than a critical threshold, the retailer offers two kinds of optimal menus of two part tariff contract in view of reservation profits difference between the type H supplier and type L supplier, and that both supplier and retailer's prior belief about counterpart decision behavior affect optimal menus of two part tariff contract. Finally, a case study shows our conclusions

Wave-particle Duality and Institutional Arrangement on Division in Supply Chain Cluster

This paper is based on the practice in China, takes the coupling between industrial cluster and supply chain as the new angle using by the modern supply chain theory and industry theory, considering the supply chain cluster as such a organization: "originated but not limited to the enterprise, based on but not localized to the cluster". Based on the physical theory and the wave-particle duality, the supply chain cluster is the special organization whose characteristic has wave-particle duality. There exists sophisticated division of labor between upstream and downstream enterprises in a supply chain cluster, and the cost-benefit computing is the main factor to determine the selection of institutional arrangement on division of labor. By enforcing different vertical relations of supply chain cluster, supply chains and their enterprises can optimize the selection and integration of different institutional arrangement on division of labor. A case study is verified our conclusions

China's Rural Logistics Distribution

Only including agricultural products logistics, agricultural means of production logistics, rural daily consumer goods logistics, as well as rural reverse logistics, it really be considered "rural logistics". This paper analyzes the distribution of agricultural products, and distribution of daily consumer goods, agricultural means of production distribution, rural reverse logistics; states that chain management should be one of its meaning in new rural modern circulation system, and logistics distribution is an effective way to enhance effectiveness of chain, therefore this article attempts to integrate the 4 kinds of logistics to a distribution center. In building a rural distribution network, we should consider the original network, but also should pay attention to the needs of new rural construction

Tracking the Evolution of HIV/AIDS in China from 1989–2009 to Inform Future Prevention and Control Efforts

BACKGROUND: To determine policy implications, this analysis tracks the evolution of HIV/AIDS infection across China to understand current trends and potential risk factors. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A retrospective study with spatial analytical model and multilevel spatial models was conducted among 326,157 HIV/AIDS cases reported from 1989-2009. The results indicate that the distribution of HIV/AIDS was clustered at the county level with different directional distributions across China from 2003 to 2009. Compared to 2003, by 2009 there was a 122% increase in HIV cases among rural residents, 294% increase among urban residents, 211% increase among migrants, and 237% increase among permanent residents. The overall proportion of HIV by different routes of transmission showed dramatic changes with a 504% increase in sexual transmission of HIV, 90% decrease in blood/plasma transmission, and 35% decrease in injecting drug user transmission. Sexual transmission was the major transmission route among women (44%) and the elderly (59% in men, 44% in women) as well as among permanent (36%) and urban residents (33%). Among those <65 years old, women increased more than men, but among those ≥ 65 years, men increased more than women. Migrants contributed to the variance of HIV infection between counties but not within counties. The length of highway and urbanization combined with illiteracy were risk factors for HIV/AIDS. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Rates of HIV/AIDS among permanent urban residents, particularly women and elderly men, have increased significantly in recent years. To prevent HIV from spreading further among the general population, additional attention should be paid to these populations as well as to migrants