Modified analogue forecasting in the hidden Markov frameworkfor meteorological droughts

An analogue method(AM) is a nonparametric approach that has been applied to predict the future states of a dynamic system by following the evolution of the analogues in the historical archive. In this study, we proposed a hidden Markov model(HMM)framework for a modified analogue forecasting(MAF) approach for meteorological droughts in Korea. The unobservable(hidden) state process in the framework aims to model the underlying drought state, while the observation process was formed from the time series of the standardized precipitation index(SPI) as a drought index. Within the framework, the likelihood estimator was used as the measure of similarity between past SPI analogues and current data. The MAF approach was conducted on the selected analogues to make forecasts at lead times of one and three months. The proposed model was applied to five selected stations in Korea using the SPI data from 1973 to 2016. The forecasting performance of the proposed model was tested during the validation period(2003–2016) using several statistical criteria and it was compared to a persistence-based benchmark model. The results showed significant improvement in the forecasting capacity, and satisfactory performance for numerical SPI forecasting and categorical drought forecasting. The results also suggested that the proposed model was able to provide useful information for determining future drought categories for early drought warning with a lead time of up to three months.     

Hendrick Petrus Berlage's villas

Hendrick Berlage is known to architectural history mainly for his Amsterdam Stock Exchange of 1903. This is often celebrated as a proto-modernist work in a rationalist spirit, an oversimplified view, for the building had a conventionally eclectic start and was the fruit of long struggle and many revisions. The development of Berlage's architectural ideas during the period of its gestation is chronicled in a fascinating way by a series of private villas built for friends who were artists and intellectuals. Completed year by year, they run right through the 1890s, showing Berlage's changing concerns with the articulation of content, the expression of construction, the application of controlling geometry, and the development of architectural space.     

Wireless transmission of power and information and information forcableless linear motor drive

In previous papers, the authors introduced the wireless transmission of power and information (WTPI) for realizing a future manufacturing system which is free from the complexity of wiring for the power supply or control. In extension from these studies, the authors have attempted to apply the linear-type WTPI for realizing the maintenance-free drive and the multimover operation of a moving coil-type linear motor. This paper describes the basic concept of the WTPI and the analysis on the performance of the WTPI configured in the linear shape, thereafter introducing the preliminary test result on a prototype of the cableless linear pulse motor (CLLPM) which was constructed by integrating a linear pulse motor (LPM) with the associated driver and the linear WTPI for noncontact motion transfer     

Large-scale solution-phase growth of Cu-doped ZnO nanowire networks

Film-like networks of Cu-doped (0.8-2.5 at.%) ZnO nanowires were successfully synthesized through a facile solution process at a low temperature (<100 degrees C). The pH value of solution plays a key role in controlling the density and quality of the Cu-doped ZnO nanowires and the dopant concentration of ZnO nanowires was controlled by adjusting the Cu2+/Zn2+ concentration ratio during the synthesis. The structural study showed that the as-prepared Cu-doped ZnO nanowires with a narrow diameter range of 20-30 nm were single crystal and grew along [0001] direction. Photoluminescence and electrical conductivity measurements showed that Cu doping can lead to a redshift in bandgap energy and an increase in the resistivity of ZnO. The thermal annealing of the as-grown nanowires at a low temperature (300 degrees C) decreased the defect-related emission within the visible range and increased the electrical conductivity. The high-quality ZnO nanowire network with controlled doping will enable further application to flexible and transparent electronics.     

Input-to-state stable finite horizon MPC for neutrally stable linear discrete-time systems with input constraints

MPC or model predictive control is representative of control methods which are able to handle inequality constraints. Closed-loop stability can therefore be ensured only locally in the presence of constraints of this type. However, if the system is neutrally stable, and if the constraints are imposed only on the input, global asymptotic stability can be obtained; until recently, use of infinite horizons was thought to be inevitable in this case. A globally stabilizing finite-horizon MPC has lately been suggested for neutrally stable continuous-time systems using a non-quadratic terminal cost which consists of cubic as well as quadratic functions of the state. The idea originates from the so-called small gain control, where the global stability is proven using a non-quadratic Lyapunov function. The newly developed finite-horizon MPC employs the same form of Lyapunov function as the terminal cost, thereby leading to global asymptotic stability. A discrete-time version of this finite-horizon MPC is presented here. Furthermore, it is proved that the closed-loop system resulting from the proposed MPC is ISS (Input-to-State Stable), provided that the external disturbance is sufficiently small. The proposed MPC algorithm is also coded using an SQP (Sequential Quadratic Programming) algorithm, and simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the method.     

Ultrasensitive detection and characterization of posttranslational modifications using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins is likely to be the most common mechanism of altering the expression of genetic information. It is essential to characterize PTMs to establish a complete understanding of the activities of proteins. Here, we present a sensitive detection method using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) that can detect PTMs from as little as zeptomoles of peptide. We demonstrate, using model peptides, the ability of SERS to detect a variety of protein modifications, such as acetylation, trimethylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. In addition, we show the capability to obtain positional information for modifications such as trimethylation and phosphorylation using SERS and wavelet decomposition data analysis techniques. We further show that it is possible to apply SERS to detect PTMs from biological samples such as histones. We envision that this detection method might be a valuable technique that is complementary to mass spectrometry in obtaining orthogonal chemical and modification-specific information from biological samples at sensitive levels.     

Study on intelligent battery charging using inductive transmissionof power and information

In previous literature, the authors introduced the technology of the wireless transmission of power and information (WTPI). This paper introduces an effective application of WTPI technology to the safe and optimal power supply for battery charging systems. In this paper, the effectiveness of the proposed closed-loop charging through the WTPI coupling is highlighted. For the practical application of the proposed charging, the power transmission efficiency of the WTPI must be high, and data transmission by way of the WTPI coupling needs to be bidirectional and fast enough for the real-time data feedback and charging control. By analyzes on the transmission performance using equivalent circuits, the power transmission efficiency of about 92% and the data transmission bandwidth of 8.5 Mbps are obtained with the practical WTPI coupling configuration. The charging condition is optimized, according to the proposed estimation of the residual battery capacity. As a result, the time for completion of charging is minimized by 30% and the life of the battery is elongated by 20%     

Composite organic-inorganic nanoparticles (COINs) with chemically encoded optical signatures

To obtain a coding system for multiplex detection, we have developed a method to synthesize a new type of nanomaterial called composite organic-inorganic nanoparticles (COINs). The method allows the incorporation of a broad range of organic compounds into COINs to produce surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-like spectra that are richer in variety than fluorescence-based signatures. Preliminary data suggest that COINs can be used as Raman tags for multiplex and ultrasensitive detection of biomolecules.     

Multivariate Drought Assessment Considering the Antecedent Drought Conditions

Several drought indices have been developed based on a single variable or multiple variables using very complex calculations. Antecedent conditions are quite significant for analyzing physical processes involved in the conceptual rainfall-runoff modeling and for proper assessment of drought. However, not much attention has been paid to these conditions in the development of drought indices. Hence, we developed an alternative index for drought assessment, i.e., the antecedent condition-based multivariate drought index (AMDI), by taking into consideration all of the forms of drought, including meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological drought, in combination with the antecedent drought conditions. By comparing the AMDI with the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and reconnaissance drought index (RDI), it was revealed that in most cases, the drought trend was more or less the same. However, some discrepancies were also observed. Moreover, by considering additional factors, i.e., the antecedent soil moisture conditions and balance, an approximately 6 % difference in the drought frequency was observed compared to that of the SPI and RDI results, leading to a significant and proper drought assessment. The AMDI was also identified as a multi-scalar, multivariate index, which aggregates the effects of multiple drought forms by maintaining the continuity during month-to-month transitions. Hence, we concluded that the AMDI could be considered as an alternative tool for significant drought assessment.     

Position-sensorless drive of linear pulse motor for suppressingtransient vibration

The linear pulse motor (LPM) has been widely used because of its simple structure and easy control without the use of feedback. However, degradation of the response performance occurs, resulting from the transient vibration which is inherent in the LPM. The fastest way to suppress the vibration is to close the control loop using the position feedback sensor, However, the straightforward use of such a sensor feedback leads to higher cost and complicated configuration, sacrificing the structural advantage of the LPM. Therefore, the authors propose a Kalman filter-based sensorless control for suppressing the transient vibration. In this proposed control method, the LPM mover position and speed are optimally estimated using an extended Kalman filter applied to the nonlinear state equations of excitation winding circuits. The effectiveness of this method is confirmed by experiments on a prototype LPM control system using a digital signal processor