Securing SDN-Enabled Smart Power Grids

Software-defined networking (SDN) provides flexibility in controlling, managing, and dynamically reconfiguring the distributed heterogeneous smart grid networks. Considerably less attention has been received to provide security in SDN-enabled smart grids. Centralized SDN controller protects smart grid networks against outside attacks only. Furthermore, centralized SDN controller suffers from a single point of compromise and failure which is detrimental to security and reliability. This chapter presents a framework with multiple SDN controllers and security controllers that provides a secure and robust smart grid architecture. The proposed framework deploys a local IDS to provide security in a substation. Whereas a global IDS is deployed to provide security in control center and overall smart grid network, it further verifies the consequences of control-commands issued by SDN controller and SCADA master. Performance comparison and simulation result show that the proposed framework is efficient as compared to existing security frameworks for SDN-enabled smart grids.

Smart Metering and Pricing Policy in Smart Grids

Pricing policy is one of the tools allowing the involvement of customers in the balance between the supply and the demand in smart grids. The present chapter aims at presenting the smart metering action including the bidirectional measurement of energy for smart houses equipped with renewable energies as well as the way a smart meter communicates data at the required timing to and from the control center. A typical bill establishment explaining how the net billing is produced along with a discussion about different pricing policies that the utility may adopt to reduce the peak load demand is also presented. The work is concluded by a typical simulation of a smart city modeled in LABVIEW software.

Extension of Common Information Model of Load Storage in Regional Energy System Based on IEC61970

The need to reform the energy system is urgent. Choose new energy to supplement traditional energy according to local conditions, to build a comprehensive energy system will become more and more emerging development areas of the rigid demand. However, in the practical application of RIES, due to its high complexity and wide range of involvement, there are information islands between various equipment and systems, which cannot support its high efficiency and timeliness. Therefore, The common information model (CIM) modeling method can break the information interaction barriers between RIES.Taking a new area as an example, the CIM model expansion of photovoltaic generating electricity system, wind power system, EV charging equipment, substation class, thermoelectric conversion equipment and user load is established. The classes and class attributes required for the information interaction of RIES control center in the new area were designed, which laid the foundation for the interaction between different energy systems and the load and storage of the source network.

Incidence, Distribution, and Determinants of Suicide by Self-Poisoning in two Egyptian Provinces

Objectives: Suicide by self-poisoning is a serious public health problem that accounts for global morbidities and mortalities. This work aims to study the incidence, trend, and determinants of suicide by self-poisoning in two Egyptian provinces. Methods: The current study is a bi-designed two-phases observational study carried out in two Egyptian poison control centers including Menoufia Poison Control Center (MPCC) and Tanta Poison Control Center (TPCC). A total of 7,802 patients were enrolled. The first phase of the current study was conducted retrospectively to show the trend of suicide attempts over 2016, 2017, and 2018 when the cases diagnosed as suicide by self-poisoning were extracted from medical record. The second part was conducted prospectively (January 2019-Januaray 2020) among cases of suicide by self-poisoning and accidental poisoning. Results: The current study revealed that incidence of poisoning exposure no matter what its type represented 34.99/100,000 (CI95%: 33.84–36.20) distributed as 28.18/100,000 (CI95%: 27.14–29.26) for suicide by self-poisoning and 6.82/100,000 (6.32–7.36) for accidental poisoning. The suicide by self-poisoning death rate represented 2.08/100,000 (1.90–2.49). The suicide by self-poisoning was significantly associated with young age <25years, low socioeconomic status, being a student or not working. Conclusion: Suicide by self-poisoning shows a continuous increase across time raising a serious concern. Collaborative Efforts are required by to conduct health education and enforce legislation to overcome this serious condition. Keywords: Aluminum phosphide; Egypt; pesticides; self-poisoning; suicide

Navigating the Prevailing Challenges of the Nigerian Power Sector

The entire value chain of the Nigerian power sector (the production, transmission and distribution sector) is bedeviled with numerous challenges. Challenges that hamper and make the seventh sustainable development goal only a mirage. This paper aims to take a panoramic view of the Nigerian power architecture, outlining the challenges of the various stakeholders (The Generation Companies, The Transmission Company of Nigeria, The National Control Center, The Distribution Companies, The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, The Gas producers, The Nigerian Gas Company and the consumers) with the goal of providing a roadmap of solutions; solutions to light up the African largest economy and invariably guarantee her socio-economic development.

Psychological Hardiness and its Relationship with the Superstition Thinking in SalahaddinUniversity Students

The problem of the research، when the level of (Hardiness) is High، the individual enjoys good mental and somatic health، but، when the level of Hardiness is less، it may lead to a lack of logical analysis or challenge and control positions، a decrease in its commitment to its values، principles، the individual's sense of psychological helplessness، alienation، and the individuals perception will not be as clear as it is in reality. University students during the progress of this study are exposed to all sorts of pressures and obstacles. Too little of Hardiness leady to suffering ill health physically and mental، wthe a negative impact on effectiveness، efficiency and success in academic study. The importance of the current research in the study has shown that the relationship between Hardiness and superstition thinking by many variables، including the (psychological pressure، self-esteem، social support، in the field of special forces on the battlefield military forces، in the field of sports، self-confidence، motivated by achievement، effective self، sex، self-concept and the control center). The aim of this study is to identify the psychological Hardiness and superstition thinking among the samples as a whole and to recognize the significance of differences in terms of the central premise levels، as well as levels of Hardiness and superstition thinking among the samples to identify the implications of the differences by gender، study stage and specialization (Scientific or Humanitarian)، and the relationship between hardiness and superstition thinking among the samples as a whole by gender variables and study stage. The scale of superstitious thinking and psychological hardness was used on a sample of (240) male and female students، with (120) males and (120) females. The results showed significant levels of high psychological hardness and a decrease in superstitious thinking among the research sample of university students.