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When the wind-turbine generator system (WTGS) is connected to a radial distribution system, it can improve reliability of system by achieving the appropriate voltage regulation via its suitable control action. In this case, protective relay coordination and voltage stability issues become important factors in determining the optimal size of the WTGS, and moreover in evaluating its maximum capacity. In this paper, the proposed algorithm for selecting the optimal size of WTGS is applied based on a power flow analysis by treating the WTGS as a regulated voltage source, which is added to the related utility substation. Also, it considers the coordination time interval (CTI) of existing relays to maintain their present settings, and therefore provides an efficient solution in power system restructuring process by connecting the WTGS with its optimal size. The case study is carried out to verify that the proposed method can effectively determine the optimal size of WTGS under tightly constrained conditions resulting from voltage regulation and required protective relay coordination problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper analyses the effect of a superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) on the optimal sizing of a wind-turbine generator system (WTGS), which is a representative renewable energy source. When the WTGS is connected to a radial distribution system, the level of fault current during a contingency is increased. This increased fault current can reduce the coordination time intervals (CTIs) between multiple overcurrent relays, which are an important factor in determining the optimal size of the WTGS. Moreover, the maximum capacity of WTGS is also restricted by the associated fault current level and CTIs in a power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study on the optimal location of a resistive superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) applied to an electric power grid. The resistive SFCL, which is designed to provide the quick system protection in the event of a fault, can have different effects on the planning and operation of a power system depending on its location. To select the optimal location of the SFCL, the sensitivity analysis of power changes and/or power losses in the system with respect to its resistive value occurred in series with a transmission line during a fault is introduced. Moreover, the optimal location determined by the proposed method is coordinated with the corresponding optimal resistive value of the SFCL to improve low-frequency oscillation damping performance of the system. The IEEE benchmarked four-machine, two-area test system is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method with the case studies based on time-domain simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper discusses the preparation and characterization of porous pellet filters for a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The process for creating the porous ceramic pellets was developed using simple gelcasting and a bubble-in-water-in-oil type of pseudo-double-emulsion. The pellets, consisting of a foamed cordierite suspension, were dispersed and consolidated in spherical shapes in liquid paraffin as gelation progressed, and were prepared by a conventional mechanical foaming method combined with gelcasting. In comparison with a wall-flow filter, the pellet filter has the advantages of being free of cracks during regeneration and having a flexible shape. Experiments were conducted in a test simulation of diesel engine exhaust conditions. Pressure drop and particle loading rate were compared using two pellet filters having porosities of 70% and 0%, respectively. Regeneration capability was also tested. The filter which mixed 1 and 2mm pellets demonstrated feasibility as a DPF. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article proposes the new noninverting buck–boost ac–ac converter, which can minimize the reverse recovery loss by disabling the body diodes of switches and using the external fast recovery diodes for its current freewheeling. In particular, the proposed ac–ac converter takes advantages of metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors and external fast recovery diodes to achieve the high efficiency. Also, it has the high reliability without the shoot-through and dead-time considerations in the circuit. Moreover, it can be simply implemented without employing the conventional commutation control. This results in decreasing the control complexity. As its proper application, a new type of dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) based on the proposed noninverting buck–boost converter is described. It enables to solve the voltage sag and swell problems by utilizing both positive and negative gains of converter. Then, the hardware prototype of proposed ac–ac converter and DVR are implemented to verify their practical effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present a new type of Z-source inverter (ZSI) that replaces two inductors in the original quasi-ZSI with two transformers. It can produce a very high output voltage with the high value of the modulation index. Moreover, it enables both to provide a better power quality of output and to reduce the switching loss. In particular, the proposed quasi-clamped ZSI with two transformers give a unique solution to obtain high gain by reducing the turns ratio, rather than increasing it. Also, the leakage inductance of the transformer might cause huge voltage spikes across the inverter bridge. To deal with this problem, an effective clamping technique is proposed. As a result, this increases the overall efficiency of the system by utilizing the low-power switching devices. The characteristics of the proposed quasi-clamped ZSI with two transformers are comprehensively discussed with the detailed theoretical analysis. Thereafter, its performances are evaluated by both simulation and experimental tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lyme disease is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. However, the distribution of Borrelia genospecies and the tissue detection rate of Borrelia in wild rodents have rarely been investigated. Here, we studied 27 wild rodents (Apodemus agrarius) captured in October and November 2016 in Gwangju, South Korea, and performed nested polymerase chain reaction targeting pyrG and ospA to confirm Borrelia infection. Eight rodents (29.6%) tested positive for Borrelia infection. The heart showed the highest infection rate (7/27; 25.9%), followed by the spleen (4/27; 14.8%), kidney (2/27; 7.4%), and lungs (1/27; 3.7%). The B. afzelii infection rate was 25.9%, with the highest rate observed in the heart (7/27; 25.9%), followed by that in the kidney and spleen (both 2/27; 7.4%). B. garinii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto were detected only in the spleen (1/27; 3.7%). This is the first report of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto infection in wild rodents in South Korea. The rodent hearts showed a high B. afzelii infection rate, whereas the rodent spleens showed high B. garinii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto infection rates. Besides B. garinii and B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto may cause Lyme disease in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a family of single-phase transformer based Z-source ac–ac converters (ZSACs). The proposed converters inherit all the benefits associated with the classical single-phase ZSAC, which are providing the buck–boost operation, maintaining or reversing the phase angle, and improving reliability. The proposed converters also have the improved input profile, continuous input current, and shared ground between input and output. Moreover, they use the turns ratio of transformers to produce the required voltage gain, which can be tuned by either increasing or decreasing the turns ratio of transformer depending on the configuration of Z-source structure. A safe-commutation strategy is also presented to achieve the soft commutation, which eliminates the voltage and current spikes without any additional snubber circuits. The features of proposed converters are comprehensively discussed with the detailed theoretical analysis. Thereafter, its performances are evaluated by both simulation and experimental tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease. SFTS is caused by the SFTS virus, a novel phlebovirus, and is spread by ticks. Methods: A 50-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of fever and was diagnosed with confirmed SFTS. An epidemiological investigation was conducted, and immunofluorescent antibody assays (IFAs) were performed to determine the role of the patient's three dogs in the transmission. PCR assays were performed using ticks that were collected with the dragging and flagging method from the patient's dogs and home. Results: PCR results were positive, and IFA confirmed an increased antibody titer. Although the reverse transcription PCR results of the three dogs were negative for SFTS virus, one dog had an elevated SFTS IFA immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer of 1:1,024. Moreover, a number of ticks were observed in the area surrounding the dog cages. Based on the findings of the patient interview, the patient was likely to have acquired SFTS by blood splash because he removed or burst ticks from the dogs with his bare hands. Although no tick bites were reported, tick transmission could not be ruled out. Studies have shown that only one in three individuals with a diagnosis of SFTS recalls a tick bite; thus, a definite exclusion of tick transmission in this case was not possible. Conclusions: The epidemiological findings of our case suggest a possible relationship between tick infestation in domestic dogs and SFTS virus transmission to humans. However, there is no direct evidence supporting this viral transmission route. Future studies are needed to further investigate a potential route of SFTS transmission by exposure to engorged tick blood or pet dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCB) is a rare and lethal phenotype of bladder cancer. The pathogenesis and molecular features are unknown. Here, we established a genetically engineered SCCB model and a cohort of patient SCCB and urothelial carcinoma samples to characterize molecular similarities and differences between bladder cancer phenotypes. We demonstrate that SCCB shares a urothelial origin with other bladder cancer phenotypes by showing that urothelial cells driven by a set of defined oncogenic factors give rise to a mixture of tumor phenotypes, including small cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Tumor-derived single-cell clones also give rise to both SCCB and urothelial carcinoma in xenografts. Despite this shared urothelial origin, clinical SCCB samples have a distinct transcriptional profile and a unique transcriptional regulatory network. Using the transcriptional profile from our cohort, we identified cell surface proteins (CSPs) associated with the SCCB phenotype. We found that the majority of SCCB samples have PD-L1 expression in both tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, suggesting that immune checkpoint inhibitors could be a treatment option for SCCB. We further demonstrate that our genetically engineered tumor model is a representative tool for investigating CSPs in SCCB by showing that it shares a similar a CSP profile with clinical samples and expresses SCCB-up-regulated CSPs at both the mRNA and protein levels. Our findings reveal distinct molecular features of SCCB and provide a transcriptional dataset and a preclinical model for further investigating SCCB biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulations become a necessity when experimental approaches cannot cover the required physical and time scale of interest. One of such area is a simulation of long-term host rock behaviors for nuclear waste disposal and simulation tools involved in the assessment must go through rigorous validation tests. The DECOVALEX project (Development of COupled models and their VAlidation against EXperiments) is dedicated to this purpose by international participants. a a www.decovalex.org. This work is part of the ongoing phase DECOVALEX–2023 (D–2023, Task G) particularly aiming to simulate fracture behaviors under various conditions. Here, we cross-verified a variety of numerical methods including continuous and discontinuous approaches against four benchmark exercises with emphasis on numerical accuracy and parameterization of the various numerical approaches. The systematic inter-comparisons of test cases highlight advantages and disadvantages of the different numerical models. Numerical details on discretization effects (e.g. mesh density and orientation) and domain size were investigated in detail for practical applications. It became evident that meticulous attention to mesh resolution and domain size is imperative for achieving accurate numerical simulations, even for static cracks. Moreover, when comparing numerical methods to closed-form solutions for static cracks, all models successfully reproduced the maximum crack opening but encountered challenges near the crack tips. Finally, the paper discusses how to convert between and therefore compare parameters of various numerical approaches. Our benchmark studies reveal that each model necessitates a distinct number of parameters, even in simple scenarios like static crack aperture benchmarks. It is generally more practical to employ fewer parameters to mitigate model over-parameterization and enhance experimental feasibility. • Systematic benchmarks on numerical accuracy & parameterizations for hydro-mechanical fracture mechanics. • Study explores discretization effects and domain size in practical applications. • Compare various numerical approaches' parameterizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) in the distribution system brings new challenges related to voltage variations and reverse power flow. The sudden changes in electric power generation from the DERs due to climate conditions or their internal malfunction might cause high fluctuations in system voltage. To enhance the voltage stability when a disturbance occurs, this paper proposes a new reactive power management method to control each DER based on voltage sensitivity analysis. The voltage variation has the different features in both steady-state and transient conditions. In particular, its transient behavior depends on the type of DERs. Therefore, the particular optimal control for improving the dynamic response of voltage is difficult to apply for all types of DERs. In contrast, the voltage variation in steady-state can be controlled with the reactive power management by the sensitivity analysis between reactive power generation and system voltage. Even though this paper focuses on the reduction of voltage variation in steady-state, the relationship between the voltage variations in steady-state and transient conditions is also analyzed. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified with several case studies on the practical distribution system in South Korea by using the time-domain simulation based on the PSCAD/EMTDC® software. The results show that the proposed reactive power management method can improve the dynamic voltage responses in both steady-state and transient conditions when the distribution system has the high penetration of renewables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Korea, the existing diesel generators are being replaced with renewable energy sources (RESs) in several stand-alone microgrids. However, their reliability and stability are not still guaranteed by fluctuations of the system caused by RESs, arising from unpredictable changes in environmental factors. Moreover, since the inertia that is originally provided by the diesel synchronous generators is reduced, the overall system becomes highly sensitive to frequency variations. As a result, the installation of RESs must be well planned while considering the upper limit of their installed capacity. In this paper, a new method for evaluating the maximum penetration capacity of photovoltaic (PV) generators to ensure the stable operation of a microgrid is proposed. For the analytical approach, two frequency stability indexes, which are the minimum instantaneous frequency and the quasi-steady-state (QSS) frequency after a disturbance, are used. The capacity of PV to be installed is limited by considering the characteristics of other generators. In addition, the efficiency of the energy storage system (ESS) is also analyzed to determine the optimal capacity of both PV and ESS. The effectiveness of the proposed method is firstly proven through the mathematical analysis. Then, case studies on a practical stand-alone microgrid in South Korea are carried out using a time-domain simulation based on the DIgSILENT PowerFactory® software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated Borrelia species prevalence in ticks from vegetation, through a molecular method, in Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea. Methodology/Principal findings: A total of 484 ticks were collected through flagging and dragging in a suburban area of Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea, in 2014. These ticks were morphologically identified and subjected to nested PCR, targeting Borrelia–specific CTP synthase (pyrG), outer surface protein A (ospA) and flagellin (flaB) genes. Molecular biological species identification of Borrelia-positive ticks was conducted via 16S rRNA PCR assays. Of the 484 ticks collected, 417 (86.2%) were identified as Haemaphysalis longicornis, 42 (8.7%) as H. flava, and 25 (5.2%) as Ixodes nipponensis. All the ixodid ticks containing Borrelia species bacteria were confirmed to be I. nipponensis adults, by both morphological and molecular methods. Of the 25 I. nipponensis ticks collected, four (16%) were positive for Borrelia species, three of which were B. afzelii and one B. miyamotoi. Conclusions/Significance: Our study has shown the harboring of B. miyamotoi by I. nipponensis in South Korea. Morphological and molecular genetic analyses revealed that, in South Korea, I. nipponensis could potentially transmit B. miyamotoi to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many pathogens causing hemorrhagic fevers of medical and veterinary importance have been identified and isolated from rodents in the Republic of Korea (ROK). We investigated the occurrence of emerging viruses causing hemorrhagic fevers, such as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), and flaviviruses, from wild rodents. Striped field mice, Apodemus agrarius (n = 39), were captured during 2014–2015 in the south-west of ROK. Using molecular methods, lung samples were evaluated for SFTS virus, hantavirus, and flavivirus, and seropositivity was evaluated in the blood. A high positive rate of hantavirus (46.2%) was detected in A. agrarius lungs by reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-N-PCR). The monthly occurrence of hantavirus was 16.7% in October, 86.7% in November, and 25% in August of the following year (p < 0.001). Moreover, 17.9% of blood samples were serologically positive for hantavirus antibodies. The most prevalent strain in A. agrarius was Hantaan virus. All samples were positive for neither SFTS virus nor flavivirus. Hantaan virus was detected in 86.7% of A. agrarius in November (autumn), and thus, virus shedding from A. agrarius can increase the risk of humans contracting HFRS. These findings may help to predict and prevent disease outbreaks in ROK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (Ca. N. mikurensis; family Anaplasmataceae) is an emerging tick-borne pathogen that causes a systemic inflammatory syndrome with thrombotic complications. We report here the first identification of Ca. N. mikurensis in organ samples from small mammals captured in southwest South Korea. Nested PCR of groEL and 16S rRNA genes was used to confirm the identity of the bacteria present, and successfully amplified fragments were sequenced. All captured animals were identified as striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius), approximately 28.6% (4/14) and 21.4% (3/14) of which were found to be PCR-positive for Ca. N. mikurensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, respectively. The detection of Ca. N. mikurensis in these animals represents the first evidence of this pathogen in South Korea. Carriage of this bacterium by rodents highlights the need for more detailed investigation of their role in its transmission to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the effect of a resistive superconducting fault current limiter (R-SFCL) applied to an isolated microgrid with a dynamic load model. The isolated microgrid with high penetration of distributed generators (DGs) is vulnerable to faults in aspect of frequency stability. For the more accurate analysis of the isolated microgrid, the dynamic composite load model, which consists of a static part with the constant impedance—current–power model and a dynamic part with the high-order induction motor model, is applied in this study. The R-SFCL in isolated microgrid can effectively mitigate the fault current by rapidly providing protection during the fault as well as improve the transient stability by using the fast response characteristics of the R-SFCL as a transition signal for the DG. To evaluate the performance of the proposed model, a case study is carried out by a time-domain simulation based on the DIgSILENT PowerFactory software [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Increase in power demand has required providing infrastructure, such as huge power plants and transmission lines. However, the recent trends in power system planning and operation are being toward maximum utilization of existing electricity infrastructure with tight operating margins because of new constraints placed by economic, political, and environmental issues. This might cause serious stability problems when a severe fault or a sudden outage of critical lines occurs. Therefore, the special protection scheme (SPS) has been used by generator tripping and successive load shedding to prevent a large-scale blackout by the cascading effect. If the number of tripping generators in the SPS operation is reduced, the enormous cost of power outage can be saved. This paper analyzes the enhancement of SPS via the transient stability improvement by the static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) applied to a generation side of Korea electric power system. First, its characteristic related to the SPS is described. Then, the proper capacity of STATCOM is determined with the equal area criterion to reduce the number of tripping generators. Also, the new control method for STATCOM is proposed for its full utilization. Finally, its effectiveness is verified by the case study with the practical data of Korea electric power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence rate for scarlet fever in South Korea is rising. During 2008-2015, we collected group A Streptococcus isolates and performed emm and exotoxin genotyping and disk-diffusion antimicrobial tests. Scarlet fever in South Korea was most closely associated with emm types emm4, emm28, emm1, and emm3. In 2015, tetracycline resistance started increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a torque limit-based inertial control scheme of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) that supports the frequency control of a power system. If a frequency deviation occurs, the proposed scheme aims to release a large amount of kinetic energy (KE) stored in the rotating masses of a DFIG to raise the frequency nadir (FN). Upon detecting the event, the scheme instantly increases its output to the torque limit and then reduces the output with the rotor speed so that it converges to the stable operating range. To restore the rotor speed while causing a small second frequency dip (SFD), after the rotor speed converges the power reference is reduced by a small amount and maintained until it meets the reference for maximum power point tracking control. The test results demonstrate that the scheme can improve the FN and maximum rate of change of frequency while causing a small SFD in any wind conditions and in a power system that has a high penetration of wind power, and thus the scheme helps maintain the required level of system reliability. The scheme releases the KE from 2.9 times to 3.7 times the Hydro-Québec requirement depending on the power reference. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary MYCN amplification and overexpression are common in neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). However, the impact of aberrant N-Myc expression in prostate tumorigenesis and the cellular origin of NEPC have not been established. We define N-Myc and activated AKT1 as oncogenic components sufficient to transform human prostate epithelial cells to prostate adenocarcinoma and NEPC with phenotypic and molecular features of aggressive, late-stage human disease. We directly show that prostate adenocarcinoma and NEPC can arise from a common epithelial clone. Further, N-Myc is required for tumor maintenance, and destabilization of N-Myc through Aurora A kinase inhibition reduces tumor burden. Our findings establish N-Myc as a driver of NEPC and a target for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a computationally efficient technique for estimating the composite load model parameters based on analytical similarity of parameter sensitivity. When the model parameters are updated in the optimization procedure to best fit the actual load dynamics, i.e., measurements, parameters of similar sensitivity representation in the given mathematical model structure are updated in the same manner at every iterative step. This research allows for practically reducing the number of load model parameters to be identified in the estimation process and the overall computational cost while preserving the desired complexity and accuracy of the original model. This approach consequently facilitates the parameter estimation in the optimization process and helps manage increased number of parameters often criticized for adopting the dynamic composite load model via measurement-based approach. Case studies for the real power system demonstrate the computational efficiency and intact accuracy of the proposed method with reference to the existing methods of estimating all the parameters of the given composite load model independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the new energy management method based on the photovoltaic (PV) hybrid power conditioning system of 4 kW with an energy storage device (ESD). The use of the ESD such as a lithium-ion battery improves the energy efficiency of the overall system depending on time and weather conditions. In addition, the proposed system provides the new function for energy management in real time without weather forecasting while it considers the power generations from the PV system, residential load variations, and electricity price. In other words, the proposed energy management system (EMS) can reduce the electricity price by charging the energy of nighttime electric power. In addition, it can suppress the grid voltage variations caused by the large amount of PV generations during daytime with respect to relatively less load demand. The performances of the proposed EMS system based on the 4-kW PV HPCS with a lithium-ion battery are evaluated by time-domain simulation. Thereafter, the experimental prototype is implemented in hardware to verify the usefulness of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The high penetration of wind power decreases the system inertia and primary frequency reserve while replacing the conventional synchronous generators (SGs). Therefore, if the system operator does not take appropriate action on the remaining generation units (GUs) operation, high penetration of wind power will aggravate the frequency stability. To solve this problem, wind power plants (WPPs) may provide the inertial response and primary frequency response (PFR) to support the frequency stability. However, due to the variability of renewable energy, WPPs may not provide adequate frequency response whenever it is required. This paper proposes an algorithm to determine the operation of GUs to provide appropriate PFR for a power system with high penetration of wind power. Through the proposed algorithm, it calculates the required PFR to restore the decreased frequency stability caused by the high penetration of wind power. Then, while considering the available PFR from WPPs, it redetermines the droop coefficient of SGs governor to provide the sufficient PFR to recover the frequency stability. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified on the practical Korean electric power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an effective optimization scheme for the measurement-based load modeling based on the sensitivity analysis of composite load model parameters. Each parameter of load model has different effects on its dynamic response. Moreover, some parameters are insensitive to the change of others. To estimate the dynamic interactions between parameters, their sensitivity is analyzed by using the eigenvalues of Hessian matrix used in the optimization algorithm. Also, the linear dependence between two load model parameters is then identified by examining the condition number of Jacobian matrix. With this parameter analysis, the performance of optimization process for measurement-based composite load modeling is improved by reducing the number of necessary parameters to consider. The performance of proposed method is verified with the practical data measured at a feeder in a real substation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The number of photovoltaic (PV) generators has been significantly increased worldwide as a main renewable energy resource. The output power of PV generators mainly depends on the solar irradiance, module temperature, and field conditions. Therefore, the maintenance of the PV system is necessary to improve the reliability in its use. In this paper, a novel method to diagnose output power lowering in a PV array is proposed to keep the good performance of its output power based on the relationships between PV module temperature, current, and voltage under maximum power point conditions. In particular, the proposed method does not require the accurate information in specification on PV module and sensors for measuring irradiation levels, which are required in conventional monitoring systems. This results in the reduction of cost. Then, it is effectively applied to a practical PV system by using the Kalman-filter algorithm. The performances of the proposed diagnosis method are evaluated and verified with the laboratory experiment and field tests as well as the PSCAD/EMTDC-based simulation test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel method by the multilevel analysis (MLA) to estimate the composition rate of electric loads with respect to measured total current waveform by improving the performance of a previous estimation scheme proposed by the authors. The proposed MLA makes it possible to analyze the electric load composition rate (LCR), which indicates the portions of several typical loads connected to a single point of common coupling (PCC), with the partition of several levels. Then, the Kalman-filter (KF) algorithm is applied to solve the estimation problem of LCR based on formulation with current waveforms in each level. The effectiveness of MLA based on the KF in practice is verified by the experimental implementation based on the prototype's setup in laboratory. It consists of a 3-kW photovoltaic grid-connected inverter, which contributes to a small distortion in voltage at PCC, and practical nonlinear loads connected to PCC. Also, the harmonic-current-injection-model-based time-domain simulations are carried out to prove the potential of the proposed method under various circumstances with different nonlinear loads. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents design and control methods for fault-tolerant operations with redundant converter modules, one of the most prominent features in modular multilevel converter (MMC) topology. In fully implementing MMC functionalities, a nearest level control is applied as a low-switching modulation method. A dual sorting algorithm is newly proposed for effectively reducing the switching commutations of each power module as well as for voltage balancing control. Built upon these primary MMC topological and control features, its redundant operation is comprehensively investigated for fail-safe energy transfer. In particular, a novel spare process is proposed to handle an emergency situation when the number of faulty power modules exceeds the module redundancy. Since topological redundancy may cause the switching commutations of power modules in an arm to be unevenly distributed, a practical and effective mitigation measure is incorporated to keep the energy balance while avoiding the undesired switching stresses. Rigorous simulation studies for MMC and its application for high-voltage direct current are performed to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed spare process under normal and emergency conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a method for analyzing the direct stability of a multi-machine system that consists of three machines and one resistive superconductive fault current limiter (SFCL). The resistive SFCL, which affects the transient stability of a multi-machine power system, must be taken into account. In order to evaluate the transient stability in the power system, a direct stability analysis that has rapid prediction stability is used. Although the equal-area criterion method is useful in determining the stability as a transient stability evaluation method, the method is only applicable to a one-machine system connected to an infinite bus or to a two-machine system. Therefore, the transient energy function (TEF) should be constructed. Using the TEF, the effect of the SFCL in the multi-machine system can be identified by increasing the critical clearing time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a method to determine the optimal size of superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) to improve the stability of distribution power system with photovoltaic (PV) generation. The output power of PV system fluctuates according to changing weather conditions. Then, the system is subject to be unstable. In order to improve its stability, the SMES is applied. In general, the SMES is being considered as a strong candidate among energy storage devices in industry due to its high efficiency, fast response, and high energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes a study to determine the optimal resistance of a superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) connected to a wind-turbine generation system (WTGS) in series considering its protective coordination. The connection of the WTGS to the electric power grid may have serious effects on the stability and reliability of the overall system during a contingency due to the increase in fault currents. Moreover, it causes malfunction in the protective devices such as overcurrent relays (OCRs). To deal with this problem, the SFCL is applied to reduce the level of fault current increased by the connection of the WTGS. Then, to determine the optimal parameter of the SFCL, protective coordination between the existing multiple OCRs is considered based on the computation of fault current by the equivalent voltage source method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eltrombopag, an oral, small-molecule, nonpeptide thrombopoietin receptor agonist for the treatment of thrombocytopenia, is highly protein bound and primarily eliminated via metabolism in the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Single-dose eltrombopag pharmacokinetics were evaluated in participants with hepatic or renal impairment given possible changes in systemic exposure due to reduced plasma protein binding or reduced metabolism. All participants received a single 50-mg dose of eltrombopag. The adverse event profile was similar across groups, with headache, nausea, and back pain most frequently reported. Compared with healthy participants, participants with mild, moderate, or severe hepatic impairment had mean increases in AUC0-∞ of 41%, 93%, and 80%, and participants with mild, moderate, or severe renal impairment had mean decreases in AUC0-∞ of 32%, 36%, and 60%. There was high pharmacokinetic variability and significant overlap in exposures between participants with hepatic or renal impairment and healthy participants. Results suggest that patients with renal impairment may initiate eltrombopag with the standard 50-mg once-daily starting regimen, whereas patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment should consider a lower 25-mg once-daily regimen. Patients with hepatic or renal impairment should be closely monitored for platelet response and safety, and eltrombopag doses should be adjusted accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Background: Eltrombopag is the first orally self-administered, small-molecule, nonpeptide thrombopoietin receptor agonist for the treatment of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Objective: The aim of these studies was to assess the effect of food and antacids on the pharmacoki-netic and safety profiles of eltrombopag. Methods: Two independent, single-dose, open-label, randomized-sequence, crossover studies of oral eltrom-bopag were conducted in healthy adult volunteers. The first study (study A) compared eltrombopag 50 mg (tablets or capsules) administered in the fasted state or tablets with a high-fat, high-calcium breakfast. The second study (study B) investigated eltrombopag tablets (75 mg) administered in the fasted state; immediately after a low-fat, low-calcium meal or a high-fat, low-calcium meal; 1 hour before a high-fat, low-calcium meal; or with an antacid containing aluminum hydroxide and magnesium carbonate. Vital signs were recorded and electrocardiogram and clinical laboratory tests were performed at screening, within 24 hours before and within 48 hours after each dose of study medication. Symptom assessment was performed and adverse events (AEs) were assessed previous to study drug administration through follow-up in terms of severity and relationship to study medication. Results: In study A, 18 male subjects (mean age, 23.0 years; weight, 70.3 kg; white race, 94.4%) who received a high-fat, high-calcium breakfast had reduced bioavailability of eltrombopag in terms of AUC0–∞) by 59% (geometric mean ratio [GMR], 0.41; 90% CI, 0.36–0.46) and Cmax by 65% (GMR, 0.35; 90% CI, 0.30–0.41) compared with subjects in a fasted state. In study B, the bioavailability in 26 subjects (14 male, 12 female; mean age, 35.6 years; weight, 76.0 kg; white race, 65.4%) was not significantly changed when administered with food that was low in calcium, despite the fat content (GMRs ranged from 0.87–1.03 for AUC0–∞ and 0.85–1.01 for Cmax across the 3 studied meals). Mean plasma AUC0–∞) and Cmax values decreased by ~70% (GMR, 0.30; 90% CI, 0.24-0.36 for AUC0–∞) and 0.24–0.38 for Cmax) when administered with a metal cation-containing antacid. No serious AEs were reported and all AEs were rated as mild to moderate in intensity. The most frequently reported AE was headache (study A, 6.3%; study B, 12.0%–29.2%). Conclusions: Concomitant administration of el-trombopag with high-calcium food or an antacid containing aluminum and magnesium was associated with significantly reduced systemic exposure, whereas low-calcium meals were not. A single dose of eltrom-bopag was generally well tolerated in these healthy volunteers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Microarchitecture is difficult to be evaluated on the silicon level, due to the time and cost. Accordingly, most researches rely on cycle-accurate simulators to evaluate the performance. At the time of development, the cycle-accurate simulator must have been validated. However, off-the-shelf processors have been continuously improved, since the cycle-accurate simulator was developed. Thus, the improved features should be implemented into the simulator for accurate performance evaluation. In order to explore the accuracy of the cycle-accurate simulator, we modified the cycle-accurate model (Sim-Outorder) of Simplescalar suite to adopt off-the-shelf processor (ARM1136) features. The difference between the IPC (instruction per cycle) of the modified model (Sim-ARM1136) and the IPC of the original model (Sim-Outorder) is 19%, on average. Furthermore, it is difficult to find a relation between the simulation results from Sim-ARM1136 and those from Sim-Outorder, which might mislead to different conclusions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Grid-connected inverters are an important part of the connection between distributed power generation units and the large grid, and their stability is the basis for ensuring the safe operation of distributed power generation units. This study found that there is an inherent digital control delay in the three-phase LCL grid-connected inverter system. This characteristic causes the effective range of capacitive current feedback active damping to be reduced, the selection range of the active damping coefficient to be limited, and the phase at the open-loop cutoff frequency to be reduced. In order to reduce the impact of digital delay, this article conducts a detailed analysis of the characteristics of the first-order lead link that can be used as delay compensation, pointing out that its infinite gain when it obtains the optimal compensation effect will bring noise to the inverter system. This paper proposes a method of cascading digital filters for the first-order leading link to suppress its infinite gain. An improved delay compensation link that is more suitable for numerically controlled inverter systems is constructed. Finally, the effectiveness and necessity of the proposed improved delay compensation link are verified by a simulation platform and an experimental platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For medium voltage applications, multilevel inverters are used. One of its classic topologies is the Cascaded H-Bridge, which requires isolated DC voltages to work. Depending on the DC voltage ratio used in the Cascaded H-bridge can be classified into symmetric and asymmetric. In comparison between symmetric and asymmetric inverters, the latter can generate an AC output voltage with more output voltage levels. DC voltage ratio most documented are binary and trinary. The last can generate an AC voltage of 3n = 27 levels is obtained, using n = 3 inverters in cascade and NLM modulation, which generates a flow power of the load to the inverters (regeneration). This work analyzes the semiconductor losses (switching and conduction) and the THD of the AC output voltage in function of index modulation, considering a non-regenerative modulation technique for a 27-level single-phase asymmetric inverter. To confirm the theoretical analyzes, simulation and experimental results are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from an international model comparison study involving a series of controlled fault activation experiments in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Laboratory, Switzerland. The fault activation experiments were conducted in situ by water injection at variable pressure from boreholes targeting different parts of the Main Fault crossing several tunnels and galleries of the Mont Terri Laboratory. The model simulations focused on (1) an experiment activating a discontinuity (fracture or minor fault) within the damage zone of the main fault, and (2) an experiment activating discontinuities close to the core of the Main Fault. The experimental data consist of coupled hydraulic and mechanical responses monitored at an injection borehole and a monitoring borehole located a few meters away. After overcoming several modeling issues along with necessary model developments, a reasonably good agreement was achieved between the modeling results and the field observations. The fault activation experiments displayed an abrupt flow rate increase associated with a sudden fracture opening and rupture propagation after the injection pressure reached above the estimated normal stress on the fracture. This was followed by an abrupt flow rate decrease, indicating hydraulic closing, once the injection pressure decreases to an estimated 1–2 MPa below the stress normal to the opened fracture. The models were able to capture this abrupt hydromechanical behavior, including an observed dominant opening behavior along with the rupture propagation, while the spatial extent of the shear rupture and the quantity of peak injection flow were the most challenging to predict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cluster headaches (CH) are recurrent severe headaches, which impose a major burden on the life of patients. We investigated the impact of CH on employment status and job burden.Methods: The study was a sub-study of the Korean Cluster Headache Registry. Patients with CH were enrolled from September 2016 to February 2018 from 15 headache clinics in Korea. We also enrolled a headache control group with age-sex matched patients with migraine or tension-type headache. Moreover, a control group including individuals without headache complaints was recruited. All participants responded to a questionnaire that included questions on employment status, type of occupation, working time, sick leave, reductions in productivity, and satisfaction with current occupation. The questionnaire was administered to participants who were currently employed or had previous occupational experience.Results: We recruited 143 patients with CH, 38 patients with other types of headache (migraine or tension-type headache), and 52 headache-free controls. The proportion of employees was lower in the CH group compared with the headache and headache-free control groups (CH: 67.6% vs. headache controls: 84.2% vs. headache-free controls: 96.2%; p = 0.001). The CH group more frequently experienced difficulties at work and required sick leave than the other groups (CH: 84.8% vs. headache controls: 63.9% vs. headache-free controls: 36.5%; p <  0.001; CH: 39.4% vs. headache controls: 13.9% vs. headache-free controls: 3.4%; p <  0.001). Among the patients with CH, sick leave was associated with younger age at CH onset (25.8 years vs. 30.6 years, p = 0.014), severity of pain rated on a visual analogue scale (9.3 vs. 8.8, p = 0.008), and diurnal periodicity during the daytime (p = 0.003). There were no significant differences with respect to the sick leave based on sex, age, CH subtypes, and CH recurrence.Conclusions: CH might be associated with employment status. Most patients with CH experienced substantial burdens at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]