Design of an Adaptive Neurofuzzy Inference Control System for the Unified Power-Flow Controller

This paper presents a new approach to control the operation of the unified power-flow controller (UPFC) based on the adaptive neurofuzzy inference controller (ANFIC) concept. The training data for the controller are extracted from an analytical model of the transmission system incorporating a UPFC. The operating points' space is dynamically partitioned into two regions: 1) an inner region where the desired operating point can be achieved without violating any of the UPFC constraints and 2) an outer region where it is necessary to operate the UPFC beyond its limits. The controller is designed to achieve the most appropriate operating point based on the real power priority. In this study, the authors investigated and analyzed the effect of the system short-circuit level on the UPFC operating feasible region which defines the limitation of its parameters. In order to illustrate the effectiveness of the control algorithm, simulation and experimental studies have been conducted using the MATLAB/SIMULINK and dSPACE DS1103 data-acquisition board. The obtained results show a clear agreement between simulation and experimental results which verify the effective performance of the ANFIC controller

Measuring the Degree of Central Bank Independence in Egypt

The past few years have witnessed a trend of increased delegation of authority to central banks. Increasing central bank independence is a recommended strategy for governments to establish a credible commitment to price stability as the final objective of the monetary authority, even at the cost of other objectives that may be more appealing to the political authorities. Existing literature on measuring central bank independence focuses on developed countries where quantifying the independence of central banks is easier, since quantifying the legal charter is sufficient to reflect the degree of central bank independence. However, in developing countries this task is thorny as quantifying the legal charter is often insufficient, since laws are often incomplete, ambiguous, or simply not respected. Thus, quantifying other indicators that reflect actual practice is required to capture any divergence between legal and actual practices. This paper attempts to quantify the degree of independence in the central bank of Egypt (CBE), from both a legal and behavioural context, since its establishment in 1961 until 2004. The study uses four indices in line with the work of Jacome (2001), Cukierman, et al. (1992), and Cukierman and Webb (1995), where each index is designed in such a way to capture a somewhat different aspect of independence. This study captures the discrepancies between the degree of independence conferred to the CBE by law and actual practice. The empirical findings of this paper offers insights about the direction of efforts that should be made to enhance central bank independence which is the key to achieving price stability and the stability of the financial system in general.Central bank independence, Central Bank of Egypt, price stability, central bank credibility, indices of central bank independence, monetary policy

The Nature of Formal and Informal Sino-Russian Political Networks: The Case of Syria

The world is governed economically and politically by supra-national conglomerates, in which both Russia and China are players seeking leadership and supporting the multi-polar system. This paper seeks to understand and analyze the geopolitical importance of the Arab region, with emphasis on Syria, for both Russia and China. It is further interested in the likelihood of a unified Syrian state in light of new concepts such as supportive sovereignty and security co-operation based on a balance of interests between allies instead of strategic security based on the balance of powers. Keywords:Sino-Russian political networks, The Syrian crisis, Supportive sovereignty, Syrian Geopolitical importance.