| 1. |
- Grut, Viktor, et al.
(författare)
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Cytomegalovirus seropositivity is associated with reduced risk of multiple sclerosis : a presymptomatic case-control study
- 2021
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Ingår i: European Journal of Neurology. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 1351-5101 .- 1468-1331. ; 28:9, s. 3072-3079
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) are associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). Conversely, infection with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been suggested to reduce the risk of MS but supporting data from presymptomatic studies are lacking. Here, we sought to increase the understanding of CMV in MS aetiology.METHODS: We performed a nested case-control study with presymptomatically collected blood samples identified through cross-linkage of MS registries and Swedish biobanks. Serological antibody response against CMV, EBV and HHV-6A was determined using a bead-based multiplex assay. Odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for CMV seropositivity as risk factor for MS was calculated by conditional logistic regression and adjusted for EBV and HHV-6A seropositivity. Potential interactions on the additive scale were analysed by calculating attributable proportion due to interaction (AP).RESULTS: Serum samples from 670 pairs of matched cases and controls were included. CMV seropositivity was associated with a reduced risk for MS (OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.56-0.88, p = 0.003). Statistical interactions on the additive scale were observed between seronegativity for CMV and seropositivity against HHV-6A (AP 0.34, 95% CI 0.06-0.61) and EBV antigen EBNA-1 (amino acid 385-420) at age 20-39 years (AP 0.37, 95% CI 0.09-0.65).CONCLUSIONS: CMV seropositivity is associated with a decreased risk for MS. The protective role for CMV infection in MS aetiology is further supported by the interactions between CMV seronegativity and EBV and HHV-6A seropositivity.
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| 2. |
- Jonsson, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Limitations of acyclic causal graphs for planning
- 2014
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Ingår i: Artificial Intelligence. - : Elsevier. - 0004-3702 .- 1872-7921. ; 210, s. 36-55
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Causal graphs are widely used in planning to capture the internal structure of planning instances. Researchers have paid special attention to the subclass of planning instances with acyclic causal graphs, which in the past have been exploited to generate hierarchical plans, to compute heuristics, and to identify classes of planning instances that are easy to solve. This naturally raises the question of whether planning is easier when the causal graph is acyclic. In this article we show that the answer to this question is no, proving that in the worst case, the problem of plan existence is PSPACE-complete even when the causal graph is acyclic. Since the variables of the planning instances in our reduction are propositional, this result applies to STRIPS planning with negative preconditions. We show that the reduction still holds if we restrict actions to have at most two preconditions. Having established that planning is hard for acyclic causal graphs, we study two subclasses of planning instances with acyclic causal graphs. One such subclass is described by propositional variables that are either irreversible or symmetrically reversible. Another subclass is described by variables with strongly connected domain transition graphs. In both cases, plan existence is bounded away from PSPACE, but in the latter case, the problem of bounded plan existence is hard, implying that optimal planning is significantly harder than satisficing planning for this class.
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| 3. |
- Jonsson, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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When Acyclicity is not Enough: Limitations of the Causal Graph
- 2013
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Twenty-Third International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling. - : AAAI Press. - 9781577356097 ; , s. 117-125
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Causal graphs are widely used in planning to capture the internal structure of planning instances. In the past, causal graphs have been exploited to generate hierarchical plans, to compute heuristics, and to identify classes of planning instances that are easy to solve. It is generally believed that planning is easier when the causal graph is acyclic. In this paper we show that this is not true in the worst case, proving that the problem of plan existence is PSPACE-complete even when the causal graph is acyclic. Since the variables of the planning instances in our reduction are propositional, this result applies to STRIPS planning with negative pre-conditions. Having established that planning is hard for acyclic causal graphs, we study a subclass of planning instances with acyclic causal graphs whose variables have strongly connected domain transition graphs. For this class, we show that plan existence is easy, but that bounded plan existence is hard, implying that optimal planning is significantly harder than satisficing planning for this class.
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| 4. |
- Balachandran, Arvind, 1994-
(författare)
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Battery Integrated Modular Multilevel Converter Topologies for Automotive Applications
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Electric vehicles are rapidly developing in response to the need for increasing sustainable energy sources. The range and lifetime of an electric vehicle are limited by the battery pack. A pack comprises modules with several parallel and/or series-connected cells. Differences in leakage currents and cell in-homogeneities cause individual cell voltage and state-of-charge distribution among the cells to be non-homogeneous. As a result, over time, some cells discharge faster than other cells, thus limiting the total energy delivered by the pack. In order to maximize the energy delivered by the pack, individual cell control is desirable. As a solution, battery-integrated modular multi-level converter (BI-MMC) topologies are proposed, presented, and evaluated. BI-MMC topology consists of either one or two arms per phase, and each arm comprises several cascaded stages of DC–AC converters and is commonly referred to as submodules. BI-MMCs provide increased controllability and potential improvement in the lifetime of the battery pack. Furthermore, BI-MMCs have low output total harmonic distortion, further improving the powertrain efficiency.The first contribution is the design and evaluation of 3-phase and 6-phase BI-MMCs; comparisons are made against a conventional 2-level inverter for a 40-ton 400 kW commercial vehicle. The evaluation considers the total number of submodules, energy rating of the DC-link capacitors, battery losses, capacitor losses, and semiconductor losses. The evaluation showed that the BI-MMCs have lower semiconductor losses than the conventional 2-level inverter. However, the BI-MMCs have higher capacitor and battery losses. The second contribution is the investigation of the impact that the number of series connected cells per submodule has on the total losses of the BI-MMC. The study showed that 5- to 6-series connected cells have the lowest losses. The third contribution is the design principles for optimization of the DC-link capacitors and the MOSFET switching frequency; this is supported by experimental validation for the loss distribution within a submodule. The fourth contribution is a methodology for determining the battery impedance using the full-load converter current. In a conventional battery pack, the battery is connected directly to the fast charger’s DC supply. However, in a BI-MMC, the battery and the inverter are integrated, potentially increasing the DC charging capabilities because higher voltages can be achieved during charging than during operation. The fifth contribution is thus the derivation and investigation of the maximum DC charging power of BI-MMCs assuming the same submodule semiconductor losses during traction. The analysis showed that most BI-MMCs have a maximum DC charging power of about 1MW.
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| 5. |
- Balachandran, Arvind, 1994-, et al.
(författare)
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DC Charging Capabilities of Battery-Integrated Modular Multilevel Converters Based on Maximum Tractive Power
- 2023
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Ingår i: Electricity. - : MDPI. - 2673-4826. ; 4:1, s. 62-77
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The increase in the average global temperature is a consequence of high greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, using alternative energy carriers that can replace fossil fuels, especially for automotive applications, is of high importance. Introducing more electronics into an automotive battery pack provides more precise control and increases the available energy from the pack. Battery-integrated modular multilevel converters (BI-MMCs) have high efficiency, improved controllability, and better fault isolation capability. However, integrating the battery and inverter influences the maximum DC charging power. Therefore, the DC charging capabilities of 5 3-phase BI-MMCs for a 40-ton commercial vehicle designed for a maximum tractive power of 400 kW was investigated. Two continuous DC charging scenarios are considered for two cases: the first considers the total number of submodules during traction, and the second increases the total number of submodules to ensure a maximum DC charging voltage of 1250 V. The investigation shows that both DC charging scenarios have similar maximum power between 1 and 3 MW. Altering the number of submodules increases the maximum DC charging power at the cost of increased losses.
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| 6. |
- Balachandran, Arvind, 1994-, et al.
(författare)
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Design and Analysis of Battery-Integrated Modular Multilevel Converters for Automotive Powertrain Applications
- 2021
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Ingår i: 2021 23RD EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON POWER ELECTRONICS AND APPLICATIONS (EPE21 ECCE EUROPE). - : IEEE. - 9789075815375 - 9781665433846
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The automotive industry has grown considerably over the last century consequently increasing green-house gas emissions and thus contributing towards increase in the average global temperature. It is thus of paramount importance to increase the use of alternative energy sources. Electric vehicles have gained popularity over the last decade. However, a major concern with electric vehicles is their range. The range of an electric vehicle is limited by the battery pack, in particular, the weakest cell of the pack. One method of increasing the available energy from the battery pack is by introducing more electronics. Modular multilevel converters, with their modular concept, could be a viable solution. The concept of battery-integrated modular multilevel converters (BI-MMC) for automotive applications is explored. In particular, the impact of the number of cascaded cells per submodule is investigated, considering battery losses, DC-link capacitor losses, and the converter losses. Furthermore, an optimization of the DC-link capacitors and the selection of MOSFET switching frequency is presented in order to minimize the total losses.
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| 7. |
- Balachandran, Arvind, 1994-, et al.
(författare)
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Experimental Evaluation of Battery Impedance and Submodule Loss Distribution for Battery Integrated Modular Multilevel Converters
- 2022
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Ingår i: 2022 24TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON POWER ELECTRONICS AND APPLICATIONS (EPE22 ECCE EUROPE). - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 9789075815399 - 9781665487009
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Greenhouse gas emissions and the increase in average global temperature are growing concerns now more so than ever. Therefore it is of importance to increase the use of alternative energy sources, especially in the automotive industry. Battery electric vehicles (BEV) have gained popularity over the past several years. However, the performance of a BEV is limited by the battery pack, in particular, the weakest cell in the pack. Therefore, improved cell controllability and high efficiency are seen as important directions for research and development and one direction where it can be achieved is through using battery-integrated modular multilevel converters (BI-MMC). The battery current in BI-MMCs contains additional harmonics and the frequency dependent losses of these harmonics are determined by the resonance between the battery and the DC-link capacitor bank. The paper presents an experimental validation of previously published theoretical results for both harmonic allocations and loss distribution at the switching frequency within the BI-MMC submodule. Furthermore, a methodology for measuring the battery impedance using the full-load converter switching currents is presented.
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| 8. |
- Balachandran, Arvind, 1994-, et al.
(författare)
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Experimental Evaluation of Submodule Losses in Battery-Integrated MMCs with NLM and PSPWM
- 2024
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Ingår i: 2024 IEEE APPLIED POWER ELECTRONICS CONFERENCE AND EXPOSITION, APEC. - : IEEE. - 9798350316643 - 9798350316650
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Electric vehicle (EV) battery packs contain several parallel and series-connected cells and variations in leakage currents and cell characteristics result in heterogeneous discharge rates among cells, thus limiting the total energy delivery of the pack. Battery-integrated modular multilevel converters (BI-MMCs) increase the controllability of cells thereby improving the energy utilization of the battery pack. Design optimization for BI-MMC with phase-shifted modulation (PSPWM) showed that submodule (SM) DC-link capacitors designed to bypass the switching frequency components result in minimum total losses. However, this requires a large DC-link capacitor bank, which increases the system cost. An alternative modulation technique, nearest level modulation (NLM), characterized by low semiconductor switching frequency, is often preferred for MMCs with many SMs. The first contribution is an experimental loss comparison in an SM of a BI-MMC with PSPWM and NLM. The second contribution is investigating the impact of the size of DC-link capacitors on battery and capacitor losses for NLM. The experiments showed that the battery and capacitor losses are independent of the DC-link capacitor size when using NLM. Furthermore, NLM has lower total losses but higher battery losses than PSPWM. A single-phase 4-SM BI-MMC is used as the experimental platform for the comparison.
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| 9. |
- Banerjee, Debashree, et al.
(författare)
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Electrical tuning of radiative cooling at ambient conditions
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cell Reports Physical Science. - : ELSEVIER. - 2666-3864. ; 4:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Passive radiative cooling forms a sustainable means for cooling of objects through thermal radiation. Along with progress on static cooling systems, there is an emerging need for dynamic control to enable thermoregulation. Here, we demonstrate temperature regu-lation of devices at ambient pressure and temperature by electri-cally tuning their radiative cooling power. Our concept exploits the possibility to electrochemically tune the thermal emissivity and thereby cooling power of a conducting polymer, which enabled reversible control of device temperatures of around 0.25 degrees C at ambient conditions in a sky simulator. Besides tuneable radiative cooling by exposure to the sky, the concept could also contribute to reduced needs for indoor climate control by enabling dynamic control of thermal energy flows between indoor objects, such as be-tween people and walls.
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| 10. |
- Berg, Sofia, 1980-
(författare)
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Community Robustness Analysis : Theoretical Approaches to Identifying Keystone Structures in Ecological Communities
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Most of the world’s ecosystems suffer from stress caused by human activities such as habitat destruction, fragmentation, overexploitation of species and climate change. These factors affect the reproduction and/or survival of individual species as well as interactions between species in ecological communities. Forthcoming effects of this are altered abundances, direct species loss, and indirect cascading extinctions, with yet largely unknown consequences on community structure and functioning. Today, biodiversity loss is of global concern since human society and welfare depend upon resources and services provided by ecosystems. The importance of considering entire ecological communities as a target for conservation and management has been increasingly recognized due to the interdependencie of species. Our ability to make predictions of the response of ecological communities to stress and biodiversity loss is in need of a deeper understanding of how structure and dynamical processes contributes to the functioning and stability of a community. In this thesis I use mathematical theory and dynamical models to study the response of community structure and resilience to a variety of disturbances affecting species and species interactions, ranging from small perturbations (Papers I-II) to large perturbations (species extinctions, Papers IIIIV).In Paper I we develop Community Sensitivity Analysis (CSA) as an analytical tool to study how a small permanent perturbation to the intrinsic growth rate, or mortality rate, of species is expected to affect i) the resilience (return rate) and ii) the structure (distribution of species equilibrium abundances) of an ecological community. Species interactions are described using Lotka-Volterra predator-prey dynamics. We apply CSA on the pelagic food webs of Lake Vättern and the Baltic Sea, respectively, and find that a change in the mortality rate of large-bodied species has a higher impact on community resilience and structure, compared to a perturbation to small-bodied species. However, analyzing the effect of a proportional change to the growth or mortality rate of species (elasticity analysis) shows that smallbodied species have proportionally larger effects on species equilibrium abundances, but not on resilience. CSA can also be used to study the effect of permanent (absolute or proportional) changes to inter- and intraspecific interaction strengths. For the two pelagic systems used in this study, CSA reveal that changes in the effect of a prey on its consumer tend to affect community structure and resilience significantly more than changes in the effect of a predator on its prey.In Paper II we assess the importance of rare species for the structure and resilience of ecological communities. First we show analytically, for a two species predator-prey system, that a change in the intrinsic growth rate of the rare species affect resilience more than a change in the growth rate of the common species. To test the generality of these results we next apply CSA on complex model food webs. In the analysis we distinguish between four trophic groups, each including only species with a similar trophic position, to separate the effect of abundance from the trophic position of species. Using mixed effect models we find support for our analytical predictions. More precisely, we find a strong negative relationship between the importance (sensitivity) of a species and its equilibrium abundance within all consumer groups and a weaker, but significant, relationship for producer species. The results from this study suggest that rare species can act as keystones through their effect on both community resilience and community structure, regardless of its trophic position.In Paper III we evaluate the risk of food web collapse caused by different trait-based extinction scenarios. In previous studies, groups of species, e.g. rare species, large-bodied species and top predators, have been identified to be relatively more prone to extinctions and other studies have found that extinctions of such species have comparably small effects on the remaining community. Using mathematical models of species dynamics we study the response of ecological communities to species removal (i.e. the proportion of species needed to be primarily removed to cause a 50% reduction in species richness, R50) when species are sequentially removed from the food web based on eight different traits. We show, contrary to some previous studies of sequential extinction simulations, that communities can be very vulnerable to realistic species loss. We furthermore find that the response of communities seems to depend on whether the extinction sequence follows a bottom-up or top-down direction, making it difficult to identify one particular extinction sequence as the most important/severe sequence.Finally, in Paper IV we aim to identify traits of species that can be used to identify keystone species, in terms of causing the highest proportion of secondary extinctions following their loss, in food webs with different degree of disassembly. Moreover, we analyze if the loss of a species that triggers a cascade of many secondary extinctions are the same species being identified as a keystones using Community Sensitivity Analysis. To answer these questions we randomly remove species from a set of 100 model communities. We analyze the relationship between the number of secondary extinctions following the randomly removed species and a range of species traits in communities where i) 75-100% of the initial number of species remain, ii) 50-75% of all species remain, iii) 25-50% of all species remain and iv) only 0-25% of all species remain. We find that the variation in secondary extinctions explained using species traits increases when the degree of food web disassembly and food web connectance are taken into account. The most important trait varies for different degrees of food web disassembly and also depends on whether basal species can go primarily extinct or not. However, due to correlation between most important traits, we conclude that the key status of different traits is rather robust against structural changes in the model food webs. Interestingly, food webs seem to be most sensitive to a random species loss after the loss of more than 25% of all initial species, suggesting that there is a threshold from which secondary extinctions increases. We also conclude that species being identified as keystones, based on the effect of their loss, are to some extent the same species being identified as having the largest effect on community structure and resilience, respectively, following a small perturbation.
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