Smart grid technology in the developing world

A smart grid is the integration of communication and information technologies with contemporary power infrastructure to enhance load service and to incorporate continually evolving end-use applications. It is the latest advancement in the areas of power generation, transmission and distribution. It has advanced beyond the traditional grid structure at every stage; a smart grid is capable of incorporating distributed generation (DG) renewable sources and has improved transmission capabilities through implementation of technologies such as Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS). Through the addition of control technology in the distribution network a smart grid is able to implement “self-healing” and other methods to improve reliability of power supply. Enhanced interconnectivity also offers the option of microgrid development which can be accomplished more quickly and affordably than a large scale grid. The ultimate goal of this approach is to then connect various microgrids to establish a robust network. On the consumer’s side, smart devices are being developed which can practice load shifting to reduce demand on the grid at peak hours. One facet of this technology network is the smart meter, an enhanced metering device used by the consumer to practice demand side management through control technology and informed decision making. All of these characteristics make the smart grid more reliable, efficient, versatile, cost effective, interactive and environmentally beneficial than other systems. The goal of this paper is to first explore the characteristics of a smart grid system and to report on current work that is being done implementing these systems, particularly in developing countries. The latter half of the paper will then present a test for smart grid compatibility on a national level based on the necessary and beneficial preconditions for smart grid development. That test will then be applied to nations that lack a significant or reliable power generation and transmission system. The results of this test will determine specific regions which meet the criteria for both a high compatibility for smart grid development and a high demand for the solutions it offers. Those results will be synthesized into a proposal for future work, with the goal of broadening the global focus of smart grid development to include countries where millions of people still lack access to electricity in their cities and homes

Concussion in National Football League Athletes Is Not Associated With Increased Risk of Acute, Noncontact Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Injury

Background: Impaired neuromuscular function after concussion has recently been linked to increased risk of lower extremity injuries in athletes. Purpose: To determine if National Football League (NFL) athletes have an increased risk of sustaining an acute, noncontact lower extremity injury in the 90-day period after return to play (RTP) and whether on-field performance differs pre- and postconcussion. Study Design: Cohort study, Level of evidence, 3. Methods: NFL concussions in offensive players from the 2012-2013 to the 2016-2017 seasons were studied. Age, position, injury location/type, RTP, and athlete factors were noted. A 90-day RTP postconcussive period was analyzed for lower extremity injuries. Concussion and injury data were obtained from publicly available sources. Nonconcussed, offensive skill position NFL athletes from the same period were used as a control cohort, with the 2014 season as the reference season. Power rating performance metrics were calculated for ±1, ±2, and ±3 seasons pre- and postconcussion. Conditional logistic regression was used to determine associations between concussion and lower extremity injury as well as the relationship of concussions to on-field performance. Results: In total, 116 concussions were recorded in 108 NFL athletes during the study period. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of an acute, noncontact lower extremity injury between concussed and control athletes (8.5% vs 12.8%; Conclusion: Concussed, NFL offensive athletes did not demonstrate increased odds of acute, noncontact, lower extremity injury in a 90-day RTP period when compared with nonconcussed controls. Immediate on-field performance of skill position players did not appear to be affected by concussion

Wavelength dependence of angular diameters of M giants: an observational perspective

We discuss the wavelength dependence of angular diameters of M giants from an observational perspective. Observers cannot directly measure an optical-depth radius for a star, despite this being a common theoretical definition. Instead, they can use an interferometer to measure the square of the fringe visibility. We present new plots of the wavelength-dependent centre-to-limb variation (CLV) of intensity of the stellar disk as well as visibility for Mira and non-Mira M giant models. We use the terms ``CLV spectra'' and ``visibility spectra'' for these plots. We discuss a model-predicted extreme limb-darkening effect (also called the narrow-bright-core effect) in very strong TiO bands which can lead to a misinterpretation of the size of a star in these bands. We find no evidence as yet that this effect occurs in real stars. Our CLV spectra can explain the similarity in visibilities of R Dor (M8IIIe) that have been observed recently despite the use of two different passbands. We compare several observations with models and find the models generally under-estimate the observed variation in visibility with wavelength. We present CLV and visibility spectra for a model that is applicable to the M supergiant alpha Ori.Comment: 16 pages with figures. Accepted by MNRA

Towards Understanding Photodegradation Pathways in Lignins:The Role of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in Excited States

The photoinduced dynamics of the lignin building blocks syringol, guaiacol, and phenol were studied using time-resolved ion yield spectroscopy and velocity map ion imaging. Following irradiation of syringol and guaiacol with a broad-band femtosecond ultraviolet laser pulse, a coherent superposition of out-of-plane OH torsion and/or OMe torsion/flapping motions is created in the first excited 1ππ* (S1) state, resulting in a vibrational wavepacket, which is probed by virtue of a dramatic nonplanar → planar geometry change upon photoionization from S1 to the ground state of the cation (D0). Any similar quantum beat pattern is absent in phenol. In syringol, the nonplanar geometry in S1 is pronounced enough to reduce the degree of intramolecular H bonding (between OH and OMe groups), enabling H atom elimination from the OH group. For guaiacol, H bonding is preserved after excitation, despite the nonplanar geometry in S1, and prevents O–H bond fission. This behavior affects the propensities for forming undesired phenoxyl radical sites in these three lignin chromophores and provides important insight into their relative “photostabilities” within the larger biopolymer

Impact of Patellar Tendinopathy on Player Performance in the National Basketball Association

Background: The extent to which patellar tendinopathy affects National Basketball Association (NBA) athletes has not been thoroughly elucidated. Purpose: To assess the impact patellar tendinopathy has on workload, player performance, and career longevity in NBA athletes. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: NBA players diagnosed with patellar tendinopathy between the 2000-2001 and 2018-2019 seasons were identified through publicly available data. Characteristics, return to play (RTP), player statistics, and workload data were compiled. The season of diagnosis was set as the index year, and the statistical analysis compared post- versus preindex data acutely and in the long term, both within the injured cohort and with a matched healthy NBA control cohort. Results: A total of 46 NBA athletes were included in the tendinopathy group; all 46 players returned to the NBA after their diagnosis. Compared with controls, the tendinopathy cohort had longer careers (10.50 ± 4.32 vs 7.18 ± 5.28 seasons; P \u3c .001) and played more seasons after return from injury (4.26 ± 2.46 vs 2.58 ± 3.07 seasons; P = .001). Risk factors for patellar tendinopathy included increased workload before injury (games started, 45.83 ± 28.67 vs 25.01 ± 29.77; P \u3c .001) and time played during the season (1951.21 ± 702.09 vs 1153.54 ± 851.05 minutes; P \u3c .001) and during games (28.71 ± 6.81 vs 19.88 ± 9.36 minutes per game; P \u3c .001). Players with increased productivity as measured by player efficiency rating (PER) were more likely to develop patellar tendinopathy compared with healthy controls (15.65 ± 4.30 vs 12.76 ± 5.27; P = .003). When comparing metrics from 1 year preinjury, there was a decrease in games started at 1 year postinjury (-12.42 ± 32.38 starts; P = .028) and total time played (-461.53 ± 751.42 minutes; P = .001); however, PER at 1 and 3 years after injury was unaffected compared with corresponding preinjury statistics. Conclusion: NBA players with a higher PER and significantly more playing time were more likely to be diagnosed with patellar tendinopathy. Player performance was not affected by the diagnosis of patellar tendinopathy, and athletes were able to RTP without any impact on career longevity

Individual Differences in Dopamine Are Associated with Reward Discounting in Clinical Groups But Not in Healthy Adults.

Some people are more willing to make immediate, risky, or costly reward-focused choices than others, which has been hypothesized to be associated with individual differences in dopamine (DA) function. In two studies using PET imaging, one empirical (Study 1: N = 144 males and females across 3 samples) and one meta-analytic (Study 2: N = 307 across 12 samples), we sought to characterize associations between individual differences in DA and time, probability, and physical effort discounting in human adults. Study 1 demonstrated that individual differences in DA D2-like receptors were not associated with time or probability discounting of monetary rewards in healthy humans, and associations with physical effort discounting were inconsistent across adults of different ages. Meta-analytic results for temporal discounting corroborated our empirical finding for minimal effect of DA measures on discounting in healthy individuals but suggested that associations between individual differences in DA and reward discounting depend on clinical features. Addictions were characterized by negative correlations between DA and discounting, but other clinical conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, obesity, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, were characterized by positive correlations between DA and discounting. Together, the results suggest that trait differences in discounting in healthy adults do not appear to be strongly associated with individual differences in D2-like receptors. The difference in meta-analytic correlation effects between healthy controls and individuals with psychopathology suggests that individual difference findings related to DA and reward discounting in clinical samples may not be reliably generalized to healthy controls, and vice versa.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Decisions to forgo large rewards for smaller ones due to increasing time delays, uncertainty, or physical effort have been linked to differences in dopamine (DA) function, which is disrupted in some forms of psychopathology. It remains unclear whether alterations in DA function associated with psychopathology also extend to explaining associations between DA function and decision making in healthy individuals. We show that individual differences in DA D2 receptor availability are not consistently related to monetary discounting of time, probability, or physical effort in healthy individuals across a broad age range. By contrast, we suggest that psychopathology accounts for observed inconsistencies in the relationship between measures of DA function and reward discounting behavior

The Development of an Open Source Intelligence Gathering Exercise for Teaching Information Security & Privacy

This research-in-progress paper describes the development of a pedagogical exercise on open source intelligence gathering (OSINT). Exercise materials will include instructions, teaching notes, assessment criteria, and a preconfigured virtual machine (VM), which acts as a local web server. The VM will host multiple websites containing vulnerable information pertinent to a fictitious target organization, in effect creating a capture the flag (CTF) scenario. The exercise will not only teach students how to find public information, but also help students realize the importance of protecting such information. While this exercise is primarily geared towards those pursuing a career in information security, the exercise is appropriate for all students as it shows how personal information could be used against them, as well as their organizations

Effects of mammalian herbivore declines on plant communities: observations and experiments in an African savanna

1. Herbivores influence the structure and composition of terrestrial plant communities. However, responses of plant communities to herbivory are variable and depend on environmental conditions, herbivore identity and herbivore abundance. As anthropogenic impacts continue to drive large declines in wild herbivores, understanding the context dependence of herbivore impacts on plant communities becomes increasingly important. 2. Exclosure experiments are frequently used to assess how ecosystems reorganize in the face of large wild herbivore defaunation. Yet in many landscapes, declines in large wildlife are often accompanied by other anthropogenic activities, especially land conversion to livestock production. In such cases, exclosure experiments may not reflect typical outcomes of human-driven extirpations of wild herbivores. 3. Here, we examine how plant community responses to changes in the identity and abundance of large herbivores interact with abiotic factors (rainfall and soil properties). We also explore how effects of wild herbivores on plant communities differ between large-scale herbivore exclosures and landscape sites where anthropogenic activity has caused wildlife declines, often accompanied by livestock increases. 4. Abiotic context modulated the responses of plant communities to herbivore declines with stronger effect sizes in lower-productivity environments. Also, shifts in plant community structure, composition and species richness following wildlife declines differed considerably between exclosure experiments and landscape sites in which wild herbivores had declined and were often replaced by livestock. Plant communities in low wildlife landscape sites were distinct in both composition and physical structure from both exclosure and control sites in experiments. The power of environmental (soil and rainfall) gradients in influencing plant response to herbivores was also greatly dampened or absent in the landscape sites. One likely explanation for these observed differences is the compensatory effect of livestock associated with the depression or extirpation of wildlife. 5. Synthesis. Our results emphasize the importance of abiotic environmental heterogeneity in modulating the effects of mammalian herbivory on plant communities and the importance of such covariation in understanding effects of wild herbivore declines. They also suggest caution when extrapolating results from exclosure experiments to predict the consequences of defaunation as it proceeds in the Anthropocene

When Programs Collide - A Panel Discussion on the Competing Interests of Analytics and Security

The increasing demand for business analytics and cybersecurity professionals provides an exciting job outlook for graduates of information systems programs. However, the rapid proliferation of devices and systems that has spurred this trend has created a challenging ethical dilemma for those responsible for educating future generations of IT professionals. Many firms are collecting and storing as much data as possible in the hopes that technology might uncover useful insights in the future. This results in an ever-increasing challenge for those charged with protecting organizational assets and exerts pressure on executives seeking an analytical edge to remain profitable in a hyper-competitive marketplace. With this dilemma in mind, the panel will search for a delicate balance between unleashing the power of analytics and securing the sensitive data it consumes. Keyword