Operation control is a vital and complex issue for microgrids. The objective of this paper is to explore the practical means of applying decentralized control by using a multi agent system in actual microgrids and devices. This paper presents a hierarchical control framework (HCF) consisting of...

Self-organized networks are pervasive in communication systems such as the Internet, overlay networks, peer-to-peer networks, and cluster-based services. These networks evolve into complex topologies, under specific driving forces, i.e. user demands, technological innovations, design objectives...

The collective dynamics of large-scale computer networks remains elusive due to not only the internal adaptive behaviors of network-wide flows, but also the spatial–temporal changes in the external environment. In this paper, we investigate the time-dependent collective behavior by using a...

This research investigates firms’ bribery motivations in China. Based on resource dependence theory and anomie theory, we identify resource conditions as firms’ proactive motivation to bribe and firms’ perceived institutional environment as their passive motivation to bribe. We use the...

Neither simple average nor import-weighted average tariff indexes are ideal measures of tariff barriers. In this paper, we propose a generalized trade restrictiveness index (GTRI) that extends Feenstra’s (1995) tariff restrictiveness index (TRI) by relaxing the crucial assumption of a small...

This paper investigates the asymptotic stability of a class of impulsive high-order neural networks, which can be considered as an expansion of Hopfield neural networks. By employing Lyapunov functions and linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique, sufficient conditions that guarantee the global...

China has made improving the thermal efficiencies of its coal-fired power plants a national priority. Official data show that the average thermal efficiency was enhanced from 31.3% in 2000 to 33.2% in 2005 and 36.9% in 2010. This paper aims to assess the validity of China's claimed improvement,...

Let A1, A2,..., An be events of a given probability space, and [nu]n be the number of events among them which occur. Some estimates are given of P([nu]n [greater-or-equal, slanted] j) by means of the binomial moments.

Using the goal of a 10% reduction of SO2 emissions in China's 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) as a case study, this paper analyses how environmental goals are used in a large country with multi-level governments and insufficient rule of law. After the central government set up the goal, the...

Goals on absolute emissions and intensity play key roles in CO2 mitigation. However, like cap-and-trade policies with price uncertainty, they suffer from significant uncertainty in abatement costs. This article examines whether an indicator could be established to complement CO2 mitigation goals...