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The main objective of this paper is three-fold. First, to provide an overview of the current status of the power electronics technology, one of the key actors in the upcoming smart grid paradigm enabling maximum power throughputs and near-instantaneous control of voltages and currents in all links of the power system chain. Second, to provide a bridge between the power systems and the power electronic communities, in terms of their differing appreciation of how these devices perform when connected to the power grid. Third, to discuss on the role that the power electronics technology will play in supporting the aims and objectives of future decarbonized power systems. This paper merges the equipment, control techniques and methods used in flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS) and high voltage direct transmission (HVDC) equipment to enable a single, coherent approach to address a specific power system problem, using 'best of breed' solutions bearing in mind technical, economic and environmental issues.

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Background: Endothelial dysfunction and subsequent inflammation contribute to the development of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) is upregulated in endothelial dysfunction and promotes an inflammatory response; however, the relationship between sICAM-1 and VCI remains equivocal. Objective: To determine whether sICAM-1 contributes to the prediction of VCI. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (n = 172) from the “Cohort of Obesity, Sarcopenia and Frailty of Older Mexican Adults” (COSFOMA) study were identified as VCI or controls using standard neuropsychological evaluations and neuroimaging. sICAM-1 was quantified using ELISA, and multivariate logistic regression determined the association between sICAM-1 and VCI. Results: A total of 31 VCI cases were identified. sICAM-1 was higher in VCI (VCI: 450.7 [241.6] ng/mL vs. controls: 296.9 [140.9] ng/mL). sICAM-1 concentrations above the 90th percentile (464.1 ng/mL) were associated with VCI group membership in all models (OR: 6.9, 95% CI: 1.1–42.2). The final saturated model explained 64% of the variance in VCI group membership. Conclusion: High concentrations of sICAM-1 are independently associated with VCI group membership. Efforts to further characterize the relationship between indices of endothelial dysfunction and pathological changes to the aging brain should be further pursued.