Abstract
Partial replication is an alluring technique to ensure the reliability of very large and geographically distributed databases while, at the same time, offering good performance. By correctly exploiting access locality most transactions become confined to a small subset of the database replicas thus reducing processing, storage access and communication overhead associated with replication. The advantages of partial replication have however to be weighted against the added complexity that is required to manage it. In fact, if the chosen replica configuration prevents the local execution of transactions or if the overhead of consistency protocols offsets the savings of locality, potential gains cannot be realized. These issues are heavily dependent on the application used for evaluation and render simplistic benchmarks useless. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of Partial Database State Machine (PDBSM) replication by comparing alternative partial replication protocols with full replication. This is done using a realistic scenario based on a detailed network simulator and access patterns from an industry standard database benchmark. The results obtained allow us to identify the best configuration for typical on-line transaction processing applications.

Abstract
With the development of electric power systems and their increase of complexity, basically due to the interconnection to other production centres, impose the necessity of introduction of new control system techniques. The efficiency of these control centres is only possible if data received from network arrives quickly and with accuracy. The basic task of a system operation is to get a reliable and accurate real time network model. In the past and even in the present, the real time network model is obtained by the use of System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and processing of the SCADA data via state estimator algorithms. Today's reality is different, intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), digital fault recorders (DFRs), phase measurement units (PMUs) and relays, collects an enormous amount of data that arrives to control centres through SCADA system. So, other ways to validate and utilize this data are needed.

Abstract
This paper studies a fractional order proportional and derivative controller for a hexapod robot, having legs with three DoF and joint actuators with saturation, when walking over ground with varying properties. A simulation model is developed and the robot motion is characterized in terms of several locomotion variables. Two indices measure the walking performance based on the mean absolute density of energy per unit distance travelled and on the hip trajectory errors. A set of experiments reveal the influence of different controller tunings on the proposed indices, for different locomotion conditions.

Abstract
A two-level data transformation consists of a type-level transformation of a data format coupled with value-level transformations of data instances corresponding to that format. Examples of two-level data transformations include XML schema evolution coupled with document migration, and data mappings used for interoperability and persistence. We provide a formal treatment of two-level data transformations that is type-safe in the sense that the well-formedness of the value-level transformations with respect to the type-level transformation is guarded by a strong type system. We rely on various techniques for generic functional programming to implement the formalization in Haskell. The formalization addresses various two-level transformation scenarios, covering fully automated as well as user-driven transformations, and allowing transformations that are information-preserving or not. In each case, two-level transformations are disciplined by one-step transformation rules and type-level transformations induce value-level transformations. We demonstrate an example hierarchical-relational mapping and subsequent migration of relational data induced by hierarchical format evolution.

Abstract

Abstract
In recent years, the electricity sector undergoes a restructuring process, operationally and commercially, moving from a vertical integrated model to a market oriented model. With past and current difficulties in building new transmission lines and the significant increase in power transactions associated with competitive electricity markets, maintaining system security, with special regard to voltage instability/collapse issues, is more than ever one of the main concerns for market and system operators. Voltage is most readily controlled by adjustments to reactive power injections in power system. Reactive power can be produced and absorbed by both generation and transmission equipment. System operators, transmission owners, generators, customers, power marketers and government regulators need to pay close attention to voltage control. This paper is devoted to the study of the reactive power support for dynamic voltage stability of a restructured electric power system. A severe contingency situation was simulated. The automatic voltage regulators of the generating units and the mechanically switched shunt capacitors were modelled. The simulation results were obtained using the commercial transient software package EUROSTAG. Finally, some conclusions that provide a better understanding of the voltage collapse phenomena are pointed out.