Power Considerations Research Articles

Balancing effectiveness with geo-economic interests in multilateral development banks: the design of the AIIB, ADB and the World Bank in a comparative perspective

Since its inception in December of 2015, scholars and policy-makers have been debating the motivations behind the design of the AIIB. This paper advances this debate by exploring whether and how the AIIB’s structure follow the design pattern of other leading MDBs, and how well did it manage to integrate institutional effectiveness considerations with promoting its largest shareholders’ geo-economic interests. It does so by comparing the design of the AIIB with that of the ADB and the World Bank, while integrating several approaches to institutional design. I argue that the AIIB’s architects identified certain functional deficiencies in the performance of existing financial institutions and attempted to establish an alternative that will better address these deficiencies. To achieve that, they tried to balance between certain structural features that promote institutional performance with features that promote powerful creditors’ geo-economic interests, as well as invest in AIIB’s attractiveness vis-à-vis other financial institutions. This paper finds that in multilateral development banks power considerations tend to overshadow issues of institutional effectiveness, while sometimes these are successfully integrated. And, that powerful actors are able to politicize certain functional design features and reassign their purpose from solving cooperation problems to advancing geo-economic interests.

Estimating the Damaging Power of High-Stress Ventilation.

Redirection of our clinical attention from the pressures and volumes of the individual cycle to the broader and more inclusive considerations of energy load and power has untapped potential to reduce iatrogenic risk from ventilation (ie, ventilator-induced lung injury). Power is the product of breathing frequency and inflation energy per breath. Yet, while feasible to calculate at the bedside, measuring total power may not prove to be precise enough for accurate prediction of ventilator-induced lung injury, even if normalized to lung capacity (ie, specific power). The same power value can be reached by a multitude of frequency and tidal volume combinations, not all of which carry equal risk of damage. If some arbitrary level of alveolar pressure were accepted as a sharply defined hazard boundary, a rather straightforward geometric analysis theoretically would allow partitioning of overall tidal energy into components above and below a damage threshold. In this discussion, we introduce the concept of quantitative power partitioning and illustrate how tidal energy and power might be deconstructed into their key parts.

Advanced Design of a Full-Scale Active Morphing Droop Nose

This paper describes the design of a morphing droop nose conceived to increase the performance in high-lift conditions of a twin-prop regional aircraft, while ensuring the natural flow laminarity of the wing. Starting from the results obtained in a previous phase, mainly concerned with the performance augmentation, a detailed structural design is conducted. The main aim is the achievement of a feasible solution based on the use of conventional materials, such as aluminium alloy for the internal structure and glass-fibre for the skin. A finite element model of the complete device is generated for the three-dimensional shape quality evaluation and for the skin structural verification. Stress analyses on high-fidelity models of the single adaptive ribs are also performed. At the same time, various design aspects are evaluated, such as installation and inspection issues, actuation power, and weight considerations. All these requirements contribute to the definition of an advanced and complete solution for the device, up to the realization of a detailed CAD model. Final verification on the virtual prototype assesses the functionality of the device when attached to the wing-box. Moreover, the bird impact safety of the leading edge is demonstrated according to the certification rules.

India's policy on Diego Garcia and its quest for security in the Indian Ocean

ABSTRACT The ongoing contention between Mauritius and the UK over the sovereignty of the Diego Garcia presents a difficult challenge for Indian foreign policy-makers. New Delhi's principled opposition to colonialism and its historical relationship with Port Louis has made it steadfastly support the Mauritian claim. However, such principled foreign policy militates against India's quest to balance the growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean. Insofar, Diego Garcia allows the US Navy to maintain an active presence in the Indian Ocean, thereby keeping the Chinese naval power at bay. Balance of power considerations notwithstanding, the expanding trajectory of the Indo-US strategic partnership also demands New Delhi to weigh the burden of its policies on Diego Garcia carefully. This article juxtaposes India's historical record on Diego Garcia during the Cold War with its contemporary approach to the issue. In doing so, it sheds further light on India's strategic decision-making in the Indian Ocean, its dilemmas in confronting a genuinely hostile maritime power in the region, and deliberates on potential options for dispute resolution which can not only satisfy Mauritian demands but also ensure a healthy balance of power in the Indian Ocean.

Extracting Power from Biological Sources for Activating Sensors/Biosensors

Implantable devices harvesting energy from biological sources and based on electrochemical transducers are currently receiving high attention. The energy collected from a biological environment can be utilized to activate various microelectronic and biosensor devices. This lecture is an overview of the recent research activity in the area of enzyme-based biofuel cells implanted in biological tissue and operating in vivo. The electrical power extracted from the biological sources presents use for activating microelectronic devices for biomedical and biosensor applications. While some microelectronic devices can work within a fairly broad range of electrical operating conditions, others, such as pacemakers, require precise voltage levels and voltage regulation for correct operation. Thus, certain classes of electronic devices powered by implantable energy sources will require careful attention not only to energy and power considerations, but also to voltage scaling and regulation. This requires appropriate interfacing between the energy harvesting device and the energy consuming microelectronic and biosensor devices. The lecture focuses on the problems in the present technology as well as offers their potential solutions. Lastly, perspectives and future applications of the implanted biofuel cells, particularly for powering biosensors are also discussed. The considered examples include a microelectronic sensor and a wireless signal-transfer system powered by implantable biofuel cell extracting electrical energy from biological sources.

RMB transnationalization and the infrastructural power of international financial centres

The internationalization of the renminbi (RMB) raises important questions concerning dynamics of transformation within the post-crisis global monetary order. International political economists have predominantly analysed the currency’s cross-border evolution as a consequence of China’s macroeconomic conditions, domestic politics, and currency statecraft within a broader framework of international monetary hierarchy. In this article, we draw upon insights from financial geography to rethink the rise of the RMB as a process of transnational market-making involving actors and political agency across distinctive scales. We develop a multi-scalar framework that illuminates the distinctive agency of London and Hong Kong in this process, conceptualizing it as a form of subnational infrastructural power that facilitates financial market-making in concert with (and despite) dynamics of interstate geopolitics. This goes some way in remedying the scalar deficiency of existing theories of political economy of international money, as well as integrating considerations of power and political agency into financial geography perspectives. Empirically, we trace how the unique development of London’s offshore RMB market reflects this interplay between private financial actors, municipal-level authorities, and national political priorities. Finally, we discuss how IFC-led market-making relates to system-level dynamics by both facilitating ‘tipping points’ in global monetary change, as well as diluting national monetary power.

Noninferiority and equivalence tests in sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trials (SMARTs).

Adaptive interventions (AIs) are increasingly popular in the behavioral sciences. An AI is a sequence of decision rules that specify for whom and under what conditions different intervention options should be offered, in order to address the changing needs of individuals as they progress over time. The sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial (SMART) is a novel trial design that was developed to aid in empirically constructing effective AIs. The sequential randomizations in a SMART often yield multiple AIs that are embedded in the trial by design. Many SMARTs are motivated by scientific questions pertaining to the comparison of such embedded AIs. Existing data analytic methods and sample size planning resources for SMARTs are suitable only for superiority testing, namely for testing whether one embedded AI yields better primary outcomes on average than another. This calls for noninferiority/equivalence testing methods, because AIs are often motivated by the need to deliver support/care in a less costly or less burdensome manner, while still yielding benefits that are equivalent or noninferior to those produced by a more costly/burdensome standard of care. Here, we develop data-analytic methods and sample-size formulas for SMARTs testing the noninferiority or equivalence of one AI over another. Sample size and power considerations are discussed with supporting simulations, and online resources for sample size planning are provided. A simulated data analysis shows how to test noninferiority and equivalence hypotheses with SMART data. For illustration, we use an example from a SMART in the area of health psychology aiming to develop an AI for promoting weight loss among overweight/obese adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Improvement of Gasification Efficiency with Consideration for Microwave Input Power on Biogas Reformulation by Microwave Plasma Assisted Combustion

Extended In recent years, the effective use of low grade fossil fuel and the diversity of fuels are required due to the exhaustion of fossil fuels, global warming and the nuclear accident caused by the Tohoku earthquake in Japan. The studies of brown coal, biomass, biofuel, etc. are being conducted to expand the use of these fuels throughout the world. We have paid attention to biogas among such low grade fuels. Biogas is a carbon neutral fuel to be generated from garbage, livestock manure, sewage sludge, etc. CO2 emitted by its combustion is not converted to greenhouse gases. On the other hand, biogas is primarily composed of 60% CH4 and 40% CO2, and has a low calorific value. Low calorific value does not make biogas easy to apply to a conventional energy utility system. To utilize biogas, it is necessary to develop the combustion promotion technology of biogas or upgrade biogas.

Market power and export taxes

This paper explores the extent to which market power considerations explain levels of export taxes. Market power is proxied by the inverse import demand elasticities faced by exporters. The paper first provides estimates of market power for exporting countries and products at the 6-digit level of the Harmonized System. It then finds a positive correlation between market power and export taxes. This result supports the theory that, when unconstrained in their trade policy choices, countries take their market power into account when setting their export taxes.

Power-Enhanced Funnel Plots for Meta-Analysis

Abstract. Currently, dedicated graphical displays to depict study-level statistical power in the context of meta-analysis are unavailable. Here, we introduce the sunset (power-enhanced) funnel plot to visualize this relevant information for assessing the credibility, or evidential value, of a set of studies. The sunset funnel plot highlights the statistical power of primary studies to detect an underlying true effect of interest in the well-known funnel display with color-coded power regions and a second power axis. This graphical display allows meta-analysts to incorporate power considerations into classic funnel plot assessments of small-study effects. Nominally significant, but low-powered, studies might be seen as less credible and as more likely being affected by selective reporting. We exemplify the application of the sunset funnel plot with two published meta-analyses from medicine and psychology. Software to create this variation of the funnel plot is provided via a tailored R function. In conclusion, the sunset (power-enhanced) funnel plot is a novel and useful graphical display to critically examine and to present study-level power in the context of meta-analysis.

Optimum sizing of PV based UPQC-DG with improved power angle control

Unified power quality conditioner with distributed generation (UPQC-DG) is a solution to the problems of power quality and integration of distributed renewable sources. UPQC, being a combination of series and shunt converters, can compensate for most power quality issues, but the use of two power converters increases the cost, and hence optimal sizing methods have been proposed in the literature. Sizing of UPQC-DG components, however, requires special consideration of power injected by DG. This paper proposes an optimum sizing method for UPQC-DG based on an improved power angle control (PAC) technique, which shares reactive power burden between series and shunt converters. Apart from optimal-sizing, this paper incorporates Volt-Ampere (VA) limits in the PAC method to ensure the operation of converters within designed ratings under all conditions. The performance of the proposed power angle control method has been tested for a case study system using Controller Hardware in Loop (CHIL), implemented with Opal-RT and Dspace/micro-labbox, and has been found superior to existing methods.

Effects of Genetic Variants on Stroke Risk.

Effects of Genetic Variants on Stroke Risk.

What is the evidence for interactions between filaggrin null mutations and environmental exposures in the aetiology of atopic dermatitis? A systematic review.

SummaryBackgroundEpidemiological studies indicate that gene–environment interactions play a role in atopic dermatitis (AD).ObjectivesTo review the evidence for gene–environment interactions in AD aetiology, focusing on filaggrin (FLG) loss‐of‐function mutations.MethodsA systematic search from inception to September 2018 in Embase, MEDLINE and BIOSIS was performed. Search terms included all synonyms for AD and filaggrin/FLG; any genetic or epidemiological study design using any statistical methods were included. Quality assessment using criteria modified from guidance (ROBINS‐I and Human Genome Epidemiology Network) for nonrandomized and genetic studies was completed, including consideration of power. Heterogeneity of study design and analyses precluded the use of meta‐analysis.ResultsOf 1817 papers identified, 12 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria required and performed formal interaction testing. There was some evidence for FLG–environment interactions in six of the studies (P‐value for interaction ≤ 0·05), including early‐life cat ownership, older siblings, water hardness, phthalate exposure, higher urinary phthalate metabolite levels (which all increased AD risk additional to FLG null genotype) and prolonged breastfeeding (which decreased AD risk in the context of FLG null genotype). Major limitations of published studies were the low numbers of individuals (ranging from five to 94) with AD and FLG loss‐of‐function mutations and exposure to specific environmental factors, and variation in exposure definitions.ConclusionsEvidence on FLG–environment interactions in AD aetiology is limited. However, many of the studies lacked large enough sample sizes to assess these interactions fully. Further research is needed with larger sample sizes and clearly defined exposure assessment. Linked Comment: Park and Seo. Br J Dermatol 2020; 183:411.

‘I call it the hero complex’ – Critical considerations of power and privilege and seeking to be an agent of change in qualitative researchers’ experiences

ABSTRACT There is a relative paucity of studies specifically exploring the experiences of qualitative researchers undertaking research in socially sensitive areas or with marginalised groups. This paper reports some of the findings of a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of 10 participant researchers. The findings of this study suggest that participant researchers are cognisant of issues of power and privilege in conducting their research. They also illustrate the motivation to enact change via the research findings. However, they demonstrate the complexities of power, privilege and change in the research process and how these concepts can be related to researcher guilt. The study shows that experience can act as a buffer in the qualitative research process but that further work in researcher resilience is required. Participant researchers suggest the need for more honest and open discussions around foundational principles of qualitative research. They suggest further development of cross-institutional spaces for these discussions to take place. However, the paper also illustrates the necessity to consider issues of power, privilege and research as social change at individual, institutional and systemic levels.

Towards a Theory of Teacher Agency: Conceptualizing the Political Positions and Possibilities of Teacher Movements

In response to a need for increased engagement given the #RedForEd movement, this article draws upon my experience as an organizer and participant in the recent wave of teacher activism to provide implications for theories of teacher agency and political transformation. First, I conceptualize the Arizona #RedForEd movement’s unique position beyond the state’s logics of political power, considering the possibilities that such a position created for teacher-activists in Arizona. I then confront the decreasing power of the movement in order to demonstrate the need for increased theorizations of the reflexive capacities of institutionalized power structures to sustain oppositional education social movements. I consider the recent history of the RedForEd movement with the hope of forwarding renewed considerations of political transformation, power, and teacher agency, which can inform movements that challenge the hegemonic limits placed upon social-justice-oriented movement work.

The Mamluk Sultanate and the Mamluks seen by Ibn Taymiyya: between Praise and Criticism

Indubitably, Ibn Taymiyya is among those medieval Muslim theologians who have aroused the most interest in modern Western and Arab scholarship. This interest in Ibn Taymiyya has led to the production of a considerable number of academic works. While his fatwas and positions on dogmatic, legal, philosophical, and political questions are beginning to become well‑known, his position and vision concerning Mamluk power have been less frequently investigated. Paradoxically, close reading of the Mamluk sources shows that the authors of the period provided a fairly accurate account of the variable relations maintained by Ibn Taymiyya with certain great figures of the sultanate. However, his considerations of Mamluk power remain poorly understood. Based on an examination of the writings of Ibn Taymiyya and his contemporaries, this article attempts to shed light on the position of the famous Ḥanbalī theologian vis‑à‑vis the Mamluk Sultanate and the Mamluks in relation to religion and governance.

Low Power Optimisations for IoT Wearable Sensors Based on Evaluation of Nine QRS Detection Algorithms

This paper aims to reduce the power consumption of electrocardiography based wearable healthcare devices, by introducing power reduction approaches and considerations at system level design, where we have the highest potential to influence power. It focuses, in particular, on algorithm design and implementation, data acquisition, and transmission under constrained resources. A thorough investigation of the suitability of nine existing algorithms for on-sensor QRS feature detection is conducted, with respect to metrics such as sensitivity, positive predictivity, power consumption, parameter choice and time delay. Optimisation of data acquisition on CPU-based IoT systems is performed, and the current consumption is reduced by a factor of 3 using a combination of direct memory access (DMA) list approach and low-level register manipulations for task delegation. The acquisition data rate, sampling rate, buffer and batch size are also optimised. To reduce the power consumption by data transmission, the effect of on-sensor versus off-sensor processing is investigated. While focusing on CPU-based systems with experiments performed on a generic low-power wearable platform, the design optimisation and considerations proposed in this work could be extended to custom designs and allow further investigation into QRS detection algorithm optimisation for wearable devices.

Hydroelectric dams and power demand in Malaysia: A planning perspective

Abstract Rising energy demand and global commitment to reduce carbon emission have led to increasing share of renewable energy in electricity generation mix, particularly hydropower. In line with the global trend, Malaysia has endeavored to develop hydropower and this was demonstrated in the proposal of 12 mega dams in one single Bornean state of Malaysia under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy. Two of the dams are currently operational and one is at its early stage of construction. The mega dams have raised much doubt at their inception in view of the cumulative social and environmental impacts they could bring. Commissioning of two mega dams was immediately followed by establishment of energy-intensive plants sparking further need for energy. This article therefore aims to examine the energy supply and demand scenario and discuss the available energy options. These are achieved via desktop study and literature review. It points to a lack of planning in energy utilization in relation to the industrial expansion aspired, which gives rise to a reactive response to mounting energy demand without due consideration to other potential energy options. This contrasts the strategic energy planning practiced in developed nations and the socio-energy systems design advocated by some researchers. This article calls for consideration of natural gas, biomass residues and solar power as potential energy options as well as a strategic and participatory governance in hydropower expansion.

Complex power economic dispatch with improved loss coefficients

Standard economic dispatch (ED) of power generating units traditionally considers only real power generation and real power losses. Real power losses are often treated using the approximate B-loss coefficients, which are pre-calculated for a power system using load flow solution for certain base-case loading conditions. These coefficients do not assure accuracy for large deviations from the base-case loading conditions, as they are derived with few assumptions that assure an adequate accuracy for small deviations from the base-case conditions. Reactive power loss is unlike the real part as it does not have straightforward closed-form expressions for ED involving reactive power concerns. Inspired by old Kron’s loss formula derivations, this paper presents new original closed-form expressions for active and reactive power loss formulas, which are derived mainly to improve the deficiencies of the traditional ED formulations that use less accurate real power loss expressions and ignore reactive power demands and losses. The obtained coefficients are tested on four different-size test systems, and the results are compared with those obtained from solutions of both the load flow and B-coefficients for wide deviations from the base-case operating conditions. Then, the paper presents the mathematical model of the combined active-reactive complex power ED (CPED) including complex power losses using the new derived improved complex power loss coefficients that guarantee more accurate real power losses while considering reactive power concerns. The proposed CPED scheme using the new coefficients is then tested on the four test systems and compared for five costing methods of reactive power. Results and comparisons presented in this paper will show that the active and reactive power loss formulas can achieve more realistic results and accuracy for different system sizes and operating conditions, in addition to showing that reactive power consideration can significantly change outcomes of the standard ED.

Design and optimization of bio-inspired wave-like channel for a PEM fuel cell applying genetic algorithm

Channel shape design has a significant effect on the performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Inspired by the fins of cuttlefish, a bio-inspired wave-like structure is designed and applied to the channel of fuel cells. The impact of this bio-inspired wave-like channel on fuel cell performance is investigated through a three-dimensional and non-isothermal model developed in COMSOL Multiphysics. The effects of channel center amplitude and number of wave cycles on the current density and pressure drop of fuel cells are studied. Compared with fuel cells with basic straight channel and conventional wave-like channel, the results show that fuel cell with this bio-inspired wave-like channel has high efficiency and low flow resistance, which can obtain better comprehensive performance. In addition, an optimization of the waveform for bio-inspired wave-like channel is performed by genetic algorithm in consideration of the output power and power consumption of flow. The optimal channel with a center amplitude of 0.305 mm and the number of wave cycles of 3.52 improves the output power density by 2.2%.