Structure-Exploiting Delay-Dependent Stability Analysis Applied to Power System Load Frequency Control

Linear matrix inequality (LMI) based delay-dependent stability analysis/synthesis methods have been applied to power system load frequency control (LFC) which has communication networks in its loops. However, the computational burden of solving large-scale LMIs poses a great challenge to the application of those methods to real-world power systems. This paper investigates the computational aspect of delay-dependent stability analysis (DDSA) of LFC. The basic idea is to improve the numerical tractability of DDSA by exploiting the chordal sparsity and symmetry of the graph related to LFC loops. The graph-theoretic analysis yields the structure restrictions of weighting matrices needed for the LMIs to inherit the chordal sparsity of the control loops. By enforcing those structure restrictions on weighting matrices, the positive semidefinite constraints in the LMIs can be decomposed into smaller ones, and the number of decision variables can be greatly reduced. Symmetry in LFC control loops is also exploited to reduce the number of decision variables. Numerical studies show the proposed structure-exploiting techniques significantly improves the numerical tractability of DDSA at the cost of the introduction of acceptable minor conservatism

Distributionally Robust Chance-Constrained Approximate AC-OPF With Wasserstein Metric

Chance constrained optimal power flow (OPF) has been recognized as a promising framework to manage the risk from variable renewable energy (VRE). In presence of VRE uncertainties, this paper discusses a distributionally robust chance constrained approximate AC-OPF. The power flow model employed in the proposed OPF formulation combines an exact AC power flow model at the nominal operation point and an approximate linear power flow model to reflect the system response under uncertainties. The ambiguity set employed in the distributionally robust formulation is the Wasserstein ball centered at the empirical distribution. The proposed OPF model minimizes the expectation of the quadratic cost function w.r.t. the worst-case probability distribution and guarantees the chance constraints satisfied for any distribution in the ambiguity set. The whole method is data-driven in the sense that the ambiguity set is constructed from historical data without any presumption on the type of the probability distribution, and more data leads to smaller ambiguity set and less conservative strategy. Moreover, special problem structures of the proposed problem formulation are exploited to develop an efficient and scalable solution approach. Case studies are carried out on IEEE 14 and 118 bus systems to show the accuracy and necessity of the approximate AC model and the attractive features of the distributionally robust optimization approach compared with other methods to deal with uncertainties

Modified Quasi-Steady State Model of DC System for Transient Stability Simulation under Asymmetric Faults

As using the classical quasi-steady state (QSS) model could not be able to accurately simulate the dynamic characteristics of DC transmission and its controlling systems in electromechanical transient stability simulation, when asymmetric fault occurs in AC system, a modified quasi-steady state model (MQSS) is proposed. The model firstly analyzes the calculation error induced by classical QSS model under asymmetric commutation voltage, which is mainly caused by the commutation voltage zero offset thus making inaccurate calculation of the average DC voltage and the inverter extinction advance angle. The new MQSS model calculates the average DC voltage according to the actual half-cycle voltage waveform on the DC terminal after fault occurrence, and the extinction advance angle is also derived accordingly, so as to avoid the negative effect of the asymmetric commutation voltage. Simulation experiments show that the new MQSS model proposed in this paper has higher simulation precision than the classical QSS model when asymmetric fault occurs in the AC system, by comparing both of them with the results of detailed electromagnetic transient (EMT) model of the DC transmission and its controlling system

MicroRNA-29b-3p promotes 5-fluorouracil resistance <em>via</em> suppressing TRAF5-mediated necroptosis in human colorectal cancer

Drug resistance in colorectal cancer is a great challenge in clinic. Elucidating the deep mechanism underlying drug resistance will bring much benefit to diagnosis, therapy and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer. In this study, miR-29b-3p was shown to be involved in resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced necroptosis of colorectal cancer. Further, miR-29b-3p was shown to target a regulatory subunit of necroptosis TRAF5. Rescue of TRAF5 could reverse the effect of miR-29b-3p on 5-FU-induced necroptosis, which was consistent with the role ofnecrostatin-1 (a specific necroptosis inhibitor). Then it was demonstrated that miR-29b-3p was positively correlated with chemo-resistance in colorectal cancer while TRAF5 negatively. In conclusion, it is deduced that miR-29b-3p/TRAF5 signaling axis plays critical role in drug resistance in chemotherapy for colorectal cancer patients by regulating necroptosis. The findings in this study provide us a new target for interfere therapy in colorectal cancer

Genetic Basis of Virulence Attenuation Revealed by Comparative Genomic Analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strain H37Ra versus H37Rv

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains a leading infectious disease despite the availability of chemotherapy and BCG vaccine. The commonly used avirulent M. tuberculosis strain H37Ra was derived from virulent strain H37 in 1935 but the basis of virulence attenuation has remained obscure despite numerous studies. We determined the complete genomic sequence of H37Ra ATCC25177 and compared that with its virulent counterpart H37Rv and a clinical isolate CDC1551. The H37Ra genome is highly similar to that of H37Rv with respect to gene content and order but is 8,445 bp larger as a result of 53 insertions and 21 deletions in H37Ra relative to H37Rv. Variations in repetitive sequences such as IS6110 and PE/PPE/PE-PGRS family genes are responsible for most of the gross genetic changes. A total of 198 single nucleotide variations (SNVs) that are different between H37Ra and H37Rv were identified, yet 119 of them are identical between H37Ra and CDC1551 and 3 are due to H37Rv strain variation, leaving only 76 H37Ra-specific SNVs that affect only 32 genes. The biological impact of missense mutations in protein coding sequences was analyzed in silico while nucleotide variations in potential promoter regions of several important genes were verified by quantitative RT-PCR. Mutations affecting transcription factors and/or global metabolic regulations related to in vitro survival under aging stress, and mutations affecting cell envelope, primary metabolism, in vivo growth as well as variations in the PE/PPE/PE-PGRS family genes, may underlie the basis of virulence attenuation. These findings have implications not only for improved understanding of pathogenesis of M. tuberculosis but also for development of new vaccines and new therapeutic agents