In this paper, a model-based strategy for the real-time load control of parallel hybrid vehicles is presented. The aim is to develop a fuel-optimal control which is not relying on the a priori ...knowledge of the future driving conditions (global optimal control), but only upon the current system operation. The methodology developed is valid for those problem that are characterized by hard constraints on the state-battery state-of-charge (SOC) in this application-and by an arc cost-fuel consumption rate-which is not an explicit function of the state. A suboptimal control is found with a proper definition of a cost function to be minimized at each time instant. The "instantaneous" cost function includes the fuel energy and the electrical energy, the latter related to the state constraints. In order to weight the two forms of energy, a new definition of the equivalence factors has been derived. The strategy has been applied to the "Hyper" prototype of DaimlerChrysler, obtained from the hybridization of the Mercedes A-Class. Simulation results illustrate the potential of the proposed control in terms of fuel economy and in keeping the deviations of SOC at a low level.
Introduction
Suicide attempts and suicidal ideation are peculiar aspects of several cluster b disorders, including Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Similarly, difficulty in regulating negative ...affects can play a role in the relationship between narcissist features and suicidal ideation. To date, it is still unclear which facet of narcissism is more related to the desire to die and which other factors are involved in this relationship.
Objectives
To offer preliminary empirical evidences concerning the relationship between narcissism, emotion regulation and suicide ideation.
Methods
We administered Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSI) to a sample of individuals with Suicide ideation (n= 68) and a sample of community participants (n=140).
Results
Controlling for age and gender, we found that BSI scores correlated significantly with the vulnerable dimension of narcissism, but not with the grandiose one, and with all DERS dimensions. Nevertheless, emotion dysregulation moderates the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and suicidal ideation.
Conclusions
Suicide ideation seems to be deeply connected with the vulnerable dimension of pathological narcissism and the relationship between the constructs is partially mediated by emotion dysregulation. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed.
A benchmark control problem was developed for a special session of the IFAC Workshop on Engine and Powertrain Control, Simulation and Modeling (E-COSM 12), held in Rueil-Malmaison, France, in October ...2012. The online energy management of a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle was to be developed by the benchmark participants. The simulator, provided by the benchmark organizers, implements a model of the GM Voltec powertrain. Each solution was evaluated according to several metrics, comprising of energy and fuel economy on two driving profiles unknown to the participants, acceleration and braking performance, computational performance. The nine solutions received are analyzed in terms of the control technique adopted (heuristic rule-based energy management vs. equivalent consumption minimization strategies, ECMS), battery discharge strategy (charge depleting–charge sustaining vs. blended mode), ECMS implementation (vector-based vs. map-based), ways to improve the implementation and improve the computational performance. The solution having achieved the best combined score is compared with a global optimal solution calculated offline using the Pontryagin's minimum principle-derived optimization tool HOT.
This paper addresses the problem of maximizing the power produced by an organic rankine cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery system on board a diesel-electric railcar. A simplified model of the system ...allows the formulation of an optimal control problem that can be solved via dynamic programming (DP). To increase the smoothness and the accuracy of the solution obtained offline using the implementation of DP known as level-set DP, an improved version is developed, making use of adaptive grids for discretization. The analysis of the resulting optimal trajectory for the ORC control problem provides useful insight for both control design and system design. Based on these results, the optimal control problem is reformulated allowing online implementation via dynamic real-time optimization. The proposed approach is validated on a realistic simulator, showing significant benefits in the amount of recovered energy when compared with the classical, quasi-static approach found in ORC literature.
The paper describes a chain of tools aimed at the development and validation of energy management strategies (EMS) for hybrid powertrains. These tools comprise an offline optimizer based on ...Pontryagin minimum principle (PMP) and the online equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS), both implemented in a dynamic simulation platform and as a real-time controller in a semi-physical testing equipment. The results presented are aimed at illustrating the continuity of the various approaches by comparing the offline-generated energy management laws with their online counterparts, both in terms of trajectories over time and in terms of global results (fuel consumption, state-of-charge deviations).
► We present a methodology for the development of energy management strategies of HEVs. ► We use optimal control to generate energy management strategies offline. ► PMP technique allows online implementation of optimal energy management strategies. ► The use of PMP ensures continuity between offline and online energy management. ► Model-based approach ensures reusability for different HEV applications.
This paper deals with power flow management within a hybrid fuel cell-powered vehicle during real-time operation. The aim is the real-time control of the power distribution between the fuel cell and ...its associated energy storage to optimize the global hydrogen consumption while maintaining drivability. An original concept to convert the electrical power flow into equivalent hydrogen cost is proposed. On that basis, the previously developed control strategy (the equivalent consumption minimization strategy) is used to determine the real-time optimal power distribution by simple minimization of a univariate form. The approach presented has been applied to and implemented on a real fuel cell-supercapacitor-powered vehicle. Experimental and simulation results are presented, demonstrating that this approach provides an improvement of fuel efficiency along with robustness and ease of implementation.
During the last decades, the economic importance of tephritid fruit flies (FF) has increased worldwide because of recurrent invasions and expansions into new areas, and reduced control capabilities ...of current control systems. Efficient monitoring systems, thus, are required to provide fast information to act promptly. With this aim in mind, we developed two electronic trap (e‐trap) versions for adult FF: one with specific volatiles for male and female adult Ceratitis capitata, and the second, based on the attraction of adult FF to yellow colour, targeting Dacus ciliatus, Rhagoletis cerasi and Bactrocera oleae. In the case of B. oleae, the female pheromone and ammonium bicarbonate were added as synergists. In the two versions, attracted FF were retained in the trap on glued surfaces. Real‐time images of the surfaces were automatically taken and transmitted to a server. We tested the two e‐trap versions in insect‐proof cages, where flies were released and recaptured, and in commercial orchards throughout the Mediterranean: C. capitata in peach orchards in Italy; R. cerasi in cherry orchards in Greece; B. oleae in olive orchards in Spain and in Greece; and D. ciliatus in melons in plastic tunnels in Israel. The e‐trap showed excellent abilities to transmit real‐time images of trapped FF and a high specificity for trapping different FF species. The ability of the entomologist to correctly classify FF from images in the office was >88%. In addition, average number of flies/trap in e‐trap grids did not differ from numbers reported on grids of conventional traps that were operating simultaneously. The e‐traps developed and tested in this study provide the basis for the real‐time monitoring of FF were no olfactory attractants are available, and for the surveillance of alien FF incursions where generic, but not specific, olfactory attractants exists.
Results regarding the combination of light-traps and coloured glue-boards for the trap and control of the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), are reported. Monitoring was performed ...using as basic structure PRO 80S UV fluorescent fly traps in a confinement swine farm in the south of Italy. During the trials, neon traps with a combination of glue-boards (yellow vs black and yellow vs white) and neon vs LED traps with yellow glue-boards were evaluated. Results indicated that yellow and black glue-boards were equally attractive to flies, with no significant differences. Light-traps captured significantly more flies when a white glue-board was used rather than a yellow panel. The neon lamp attracted significantly more flies than the LED lamp. According to our results, light-traps with white panels have potential to be employed in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs for monitoring and controlling house flies in livestock farms and in food processing, reducing risks in dissemination of pathogens which have the potential to affect humans or animals.
To categorize healthy food groups into categories of low-antioxidant (LAC) or high-antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals content (HAC) and comparatively associate them with metabolic risk factors ...for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
A total of 6879 women (55±12 years) and 6892 men (56 ± 12 years) were analyzed from the Moli-sani cohort, randomly recruited from the general population. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Food Frequency Questionnaire was used for dietary assessment. The antioxidant content of each food group was evaluated using Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food composition tables. Healthy foods, according to a Mediterranean dietary pattern, were categorized into HAC or LAC; total food antioxidant content (FAC) score was constructed for a comparative evaluation of the consumption of these two groups.
In men, an increase in FAC score, which represents an increased consumption of HAC with respect to LAC foods, was associated with a decrease in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and C-reactive protein (CRP) (β=-0.5, P=0.02, β=-0.3, P=0.02 and β=-0.03, P=0.03, respectively). Logistic regression analyses showed that in men 15% (30 units) increase in FAC score was associated with 6% decrease in the likelihood of having hypertension (odds ratio (OR)=0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91-0.98) and 3% decrease in the likelihood of having a high CRP risk level (OR=0.97, 95% CI 0.94-0.99). No significant associations were observed in women.
A possible greater protective role of healthy HAC as compared with healthy LAC foods on hypertension and inflammation was detected in men. These results stress the importance of studying healthy foods according to their content in antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals, in primary prevention of CVD.
Abstract Background and aims The overall consumption of foods most frequently consumed in a typical Italian breakfast might be associated with a better cardiovascular risk profile in Italian adults. ...Method sand Results 18,177 subjects (53,2% women), aged ≥35 yrs, randomly selected from the Moli-sani Project population were studied. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) FFQ was used for dietary assessment. To derive breakfast pattern, an “a priori” approach was used: firstly, foods typical of the Italian breakfast were selected: milk, coffee, tea, yogurt, crispbread/rusks, breakfast cereals, brioche, biscuits, honey, sugar and jam. The breakfast score was obtained adding the amounts of all selected foods, expressed in grams/day, previously standardized to mean zero and standard deviation 1. Subjects showing a higher breakfast score appeared to be younger, more frequently women or smokers, with higher social status but less likely practicing physical activity. After multivariable analyses, subjects with a higher breakfast food consumption had a lower risk to have high body mass index, abdominal obesity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol ( P < 0.0001 for all) and C Reactive Protein ( P = 0.022). The associations were unrelated to age, sex, smoking, obesity, physical activity and social status. Subjects with a higher food breakfast score also showed a better physical healthy status score, a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.63; 0.55–0.72 95% CI) and of future CVD ( P < 0.0001 for both women and men). Conclusion Consumption of typical Italian breakfast foods positively affects CVD risk profile in an adult Italian population.
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