A blockchain consensus mechanism for real-time regulation of renewable energy power systems.

With the ongoing development of renewable energy sources, information technologies and physical energy systems are further integrated, which leads to challenges in ensuring the secure and stable operation of renewable energy power systems in the face of potential cyber threats. The strengths of blockchain in cybersecurity make it a promising solution to these challenges. However, existing blockchains are not well-suited for control tasks due to their low real-time performance.

A structure-based approach to discover a potential isomerase Pin1 inhibitor for cancer therapy using computational simulation and biological studies.

Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase Pin1 occupies a prominent role in preventing the development of certain malignant tumors. Pin1 is considered a target for the treatment of related malignant tumors, so the identification of novel Pin1 inhibitors is particularly urgent. In this study, we preliminarily predicted eight candidates from FDA-approved drug database as the potential Pin1 inhibitors through virtual screening combined with empirical screening.

Sex differences in LDL-C reduction response to evolocumab: A propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) have been shown to improve cardiovascular outcomes by reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). However, sex differences in the efficacy of evolocumab remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate sex differences in the efficacy of evolocumab using real-world data.

Data-Driven Distributed Predictive Control for Voltage Regulation and Current Sharing in DC Microgrids With Communication Constraints.

The use of nonideal communication networks makes communication constraints become a topical issue in the research of dc microgrids. How to design a distributed secondary control scheme for voltage recovery and accurate current sharing in islanded dc microgrids subject to communication constraints is of interest in this article. In order to restore the bus voltage to the rated value, a nonlinear element is first introduced into the primary control layer.

Robust Cooperative Control for Heterogeneous Uncertain Nonlinear High-Order Fully Actuated Multiagent Systems.

This research is intended to address a robust cooperative control problem of heterogeneous uncertain nonlinear high-order fully actuated multiagent systems (HUN-HOFAMASs). A nonlinear HOFA system model is used to describe the multiagent systems (MASs) with heterogeneous uncertain nonlinear dynamics, which is called the HUN-HOFAMASs. A predictive terminal sliding-mode control-based robust cooperative control scheme is presented to address this problem.

A Two Phases Multiobjective Trajectory Optimization Scheme for Multi-UGVs in the Sight of the First Aid Scenario.

Timely delivery of first aid supplies is significant to saving lives when an accident happens. Among the promising solutions provided for such scenarios, the application of unmanned vehicles has attracted ever more attention. However, such scenarios are often very complex, while the existing studies have not fully addressed the trajectory optimization problem of multiple unmanned ground vehicles (multi-UGVs) against the scenario.

Consensus-based secondary control for DC microgrids with communication delays via a networked predictive control strategy.

In today's cyber-physical microgrid systems, the consensus-based secondary control is generally utilized to settle the voltage deviation and rough current allocation issues at the primary control level. However, time delays follow inevitably the introduction of sparse communication networks, and most existing works adopt passive tolerance approaches. To actively alleviate the unavoidable delay effect in microgrids' communication networks, a networked predictive control (NPC) strategy is proposed for an islanded DC microgrid subject to time delays in this paper.

Mathematically Improved XGBoost Algorithm for Truck Hoisting Detection in Container Unloading.

Truck hoisting detection constitutes a key focus in port security, for which no optimal resolution has been identified. To address the issues of high costs, susceptibility to weather conditions, and low accuracy in conventional methods for truck hoisting detection, a non-intrusive detection approach is proposed in this paper. The proposed approach utilizes a mathematical model and an extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model.

Observer-based HOFA predictive cooperative control for networked multi-agent systems under time-variant communication constraints.

This research focuses on a cooperative control problem for networked multi-agent systems (NMASs) under time-variant communication constraints (containing time-variant communication delays and time-variant data losses) in the forward and feedback channels. From the perspective of high-order fully actuated (HOFA) system theory, a HOFA system model is adopted to describe the NMAS, which is called the networked HOFA multi-agent system (NHOFAMAS). Because of complicated working scenarios over the network, the states of NMASs are immeasurable and the communication constraints are always present, such that an observer-based HOFA predictive control (OB-HOFAPC) method is designed to implement the cooperative control when existing the immeasurable states and time-variant communication constraints.

Secure Predictive Coordinated Control of High-Order Fully Actuated Networked Multiagent Systems Under Random DoS Attacks.

This research addresses a coordinated control problem for high-order fully actuated networked multiagent systems (HOFANMASs) under random denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. A type of Bernoulli processes is exploited to denote the successful rate of launching random DoS attacks happened to the forward and feedback channels. When acting these attacks successfully, random data losses and disorders are caused in the forward and feedback channels.

Digital twin based monitoring and control for DC-DC converters.

The monitoring and control of DC-DC converters have become key issues since DC-DC converters are gradually playing increasingly crucial roles in power electronics applications such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. As an emerging and transforming technology, the digital twin, which is a dynamic virtual replica of a physical system, can potentially provide solutions for the monitoring and control of DC-DC converters. This work discusses the design and implementation of the digital twin DC-DC converter in detail.

A duplex nested RT-PCR method for monitoring porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and porcine delta-coronavirus.

Background: Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine delta-coronavirus (PDCoV) are economically important pathogens that cause diarrhea in sows and acute death of newborn piglets. Moreover, the emerging PDCoV was reported to infect children. The current situation is that vaccine prevention has not met expectations, and emergency containment strategies following outbreaks cannot prevent the damages and losses already incurred.

Predictive control for networked high-order fully actuated systems subject to communication delays and external disturbances.

This research is concerned with an output tracking problem for networked high-order fully actuated (NHOFA) systems subject to communication delays and external disturbances, where communication delays occur in sensor to network node and network node to actuator. A HOFA system model, as a novel system representation, is applied to establish the dynamics of networked control systems (NCSs). Accordingly, a disturbance observer based HOFA predictive control approach is proposed to address this problem.

Event-Based Optimal Stealthy False Data-Injection Attacks Against Remote State Estimation Systems.

Security is a crucial issue for cyber-physical systems, and has become a hot topic up to date. From the perspective of malicious attackers, this article aims to devise an efficient scheme on false data-injection (FDI) attacks such that the performance on remote state estimation is degraded as much as possible. First, an event-based stealthy FDI attack mechanism is introduced to selectively inject false data while evading a residual-based anomaly detector.

Relative States-Based Consensus for Sampled-Data Second-Order Multiagent Systems With Time-Varying Topology and Delays.

In this article, the consensus problem of sampled-data second-order integrator multiagent systems with switching topology and time-varying delay is studied. And, a zero rendezvous speed is not required in the problem. Two new consensus protocols that employ no absolute states are proposed, depending on the presence of delay.

Differentially Private Average Consensus With Logarithmic Dynamic Encoding-Decoding Scheme.

This article is concerned with the differentially private average consensus (DPAC) problem for a class of multiagent systems with quantized communication. By constructing a pair of auxiliary dynamic equations, a logarithmic dynamic encoding-decoding (LDED) scheme is developed and then utilized during the process of data transmission, thereby eliminating the effect of quantization errors on the consensus accuracy. The primary purpose of this article is to establish a unified framework that integrates the convergence analysis, the accuracy evaluation, and the privacy level for the developed DPAC algorithm under the LDED communication scheme.

Cloud-based predictive formation control of networked multi-agent system and its application to air bearing spacecraft simulators.

This paper studies a class of networked multi-agent systems with communication delays. A centralized cloud predictive control protocol is proposed to realize formation control of multiple agents and especially the predictive method is introduced to actively compensate for the delays in the network. The analysis of closed-loop networked multi-agent systems provides the necessary and sufficient condition of stability and consensus.

Ruptured small pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm-clinical features similar to pancreatitis: A case report.

Background: Pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm (PDAA) is rare and has high rupture risks. PDAA rupture has a wide range of clinical symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea, syncope, and hemorrhagic shock, which is difficult to differentiate from other diseases.

Patient Concerns: A 55-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital due to abdominal pain for 11 days.

Toward an international platform: A web-based multi-language system for remote and virtual laboratories using react framework.

Universality is crucial for systems to provide services to users with different backgrounds. A good language system can remove language barriers to help to improve system universality. To improve user experience and provide new features to users, the Networked Control System Laboratory (NCSLab) has been redeveloped based on React.

Priori-guided and data-driven hybrid model for wind power forecasting.

To overcome the high uncertainty and randomness of wind and enable the grid to optimize advance preparation, a priori-guided and data-driven hybrid method is proposed to provide accurate and reasonable wind power forecasting results. Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering algorithm is used first to recognize the characteristics of the weather in different regions. Then, for the purpose of making full use of both priori information and collected measured data, a three-stage hierarchical framework is designed.

Security tracking control for discrete-time stochastic systems subject to cyber attacks.

This paper is concerned with the security tracking problem under the quadratic cost criterion for a class of discrete-time stochastic linear networked control systems (NCSs) exposed to cyber attacks, covering false data injection attacks as well as a class of DoS attacks. Taking into account factors such as network congestion and the defensive role of intrusion detection systems, successful attack events are modeled as a Bernoulli random sequence. To describe the transient trajectory of an NCS under the impact of a random attack, a probabilistic definition of secure trackability is taken.

New results on stability and H performance analysis for aperiodic sampled-data systems via augmented Lyapunov functional.

This paper focuses on the stability and H performance analysis problems for aperiodic sampled-data systems. An augmented Lyapunov functional is commonly used to study the stability issue based on Lyapunov-Krasovskii theory. To obtain less-conservative results for aperiodic sampled-data systems, an improved augmented Lyapunov functional, which includes the sampling-instant-dependent state variables more fully, is presented on the basis of the double-side looped-functional technique.

Interactive and Visualized Online Experimentation System for Engineering Education and Research.

Experimentation is crucial in engineering education. This work explores visualized experiments in online laboratories for teaching and learning and also research. Interactive and visualizing features, including theory-guided algorithm implementation, web-based algorithm design, customizable monitoring interface, and three-dimensional (3-D) virtual test rigs are discussed.