A new buffering theory of social support and psychological stress.

A dynamical model linking stress, social support, and health has been recently proposed and numerically analyzed from a classical point of view of integer-order calculus. Although interesting observations have been obtained in this way, the present work conducts a fractional-order analysis of that model. Under a periodic forcing of an environmental stress variable, the perceived stress has been analyzed through bifurcation diagrams and two well-known metrics of entropy and complexity, such as spectral entropy and C0 complexity. The results obtained by numerical simulations have shown novel insights into how stress evolves with frequency and amplitude of the perturbation, as well as with initial conditions for the system variables. More precisely, it has been observed that stress can alternate between chaos, periodic oscillations, and stable behaviors as the fractional order varies. Moreover, the perturbation frequency has revealed a narrow interval for the chaotic oscillations, while its amplitude may present different values indicating a low sensitivity regarding chaos generation. Also, the perceived stress has been noted to be highly sensitive to initial conditions for the symptoms of stress-related ill-health and for the social support received from family and friends. This work opens new directions of research whereby fractional calculus might offer more insight into psychology, life sciences, mental disorders, and stress-free well-being.

Dual-Band CPW Graphene Antenna for Smart Cities and IoT Applications.

In this paper, a dual-band graphene coplanar waveguide antenna is designed for smart cities and internet of things applications. A graphene film is chosen as the conductive material for the radiation patches and ground plane with a thickness of 240 µm and an electric conductivity of 3.5 × 105 S/m. The dielectric is glass with a dielectric permittivity of 6 and a thickness of 2 mm. The implementation of the antenna on glass permits the integration of the antenna in smart cities and IoT applications. This antenna is based on two trapezoidal patches that generate the dual-band behavior. The overall dimensions of the antenna are 30 mm × 30 mm × 2 mm. The reflection coefficient, gain, and radiation patterns were measured and compared with the simulations. The antenna covers two frequency bands; the lower band covers the 2.45 GHz ISM band, and the upper band range covers from 4 to 7 GHz.

Stabilization and Synchronization of a Complex Hidden Attractor Chaotic System by Backstepping Technique.

In this paper, the stabilization and synchronization of a complex hidden chaotic attractor is shown. This article begins with the dynamic analysis of a complex Lorenz chaotic system considering the vector field properties of the analyzed system in the Cn domain. Then, considering first the original domain of attraction of the complex Lorenz chaotic system in the equilibrium point, by using the required set topology of this domain of attraction, one hidden chaotic attractor is found by finding the intersection of two sets in which two of the parameters, r and b, can be varied in order to find hidden chaotic attractors. Then, a backstepping controller is derived by selecting extra state variables and establishing the required Lyapunov functionals in a recursive methodology. For the control synchronization law, a similar procedure is implemented, but this time, taking into consideration the error variable which comprise the difference of the response system and drive system, to synchronize the response system with the original drive system which is the original complex Lorenz system.

A fractional-order SIRD model with time-dependent memory indexes for encompassing the multi-fractional characteristics of the COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus affecting all the world since December last year. Up to date, the spread of the outbreak continues to complicate our lives, and therefore, several research efforts from many scientific areas are proposed. Among them, mathematical models are an excellent way to understand and predict the epidemic outbreaks evolution to some extent. Due to the COVID-19 may be modeled as a non-Markovian process that follows power-law scaling features, we present a fractional-order SIRD (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Dead) model based on the Caputo derivative for incorporating the memory effects (long and short) in the outbreak progress. Additionally, we analyze the experimental time series of 23 countries using fractal formalism. Like previous works, we identify that the COVID-19 evolution shows various power-law exponents (no just a single one) and share some universality among geographical regions. Hence, we incorporate numerous memory indexes in the proposed model, i.e., distinct fractional-orders defined by a time-dependent function that permits us to set specific memory contributions during the evolution. This allows controlling the memory effects of more early states, e.g., before and after a quarantine decree, which could be less relevant than the contribution of more recent ones on the current state of the SIRD system. We also prove our model with Italy's real data from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

Nonlinear Dynamics and Entropy of Complex Systems with Hidden and Self-Excited Attractors II.

According to the pioneering work of Leonov and Kuznetsov [...].

Synchronization of a Non-Equilibrium Four-Dimensional Chaotic System Using a Disturbance-Observer-Based Adaptive Terminal Sliding Mode Control Method.

In this paper, dynamical behavior and synchronization of a non-equilibrium four-dimensional chaotic system are studied. The system only includes one constant term and has hidden attractors. Some dynamical features of the governing system, such as invariance and symmetry, the existence of attractors and dissipativity, chaotic flow with a plane of equilibria, and offset boosting of the chaotic attractor, are stated and discussed and a new disturbance-observer-based adaptive terminal sliding mode control (ATSMC) method with input saturation is proposed for the control and synchronization of the chaotic system. To deal with unexpected noises, an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is implemented along with the designed controller. Through the concept of Lyapunov stability, the proposed control technique guarantees the finite time convergence of the uncertain system in the presence of disturbances and control input limits. Furthermore, to decrease the chattering phenomena, a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the controller parameters. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the performance of the designed control scheme in the presence of noise, disturbances, and control input saturation.

Modification of the Logistic Map Using Fuzzy Numbers with Application to Pseudorandom Number Generation and Image Encryption.

A modification of the classic logistic map is proposed, using fuzzy triangular numbers. The resulting map is analysed through its Lyapunov exponent (LE) and bifurcation diagrams. It shows higher complexity compared to the classic logistic map and showcases phenomena, like antimonotonicity and crisis. The map is then applied to the problem of pseudo random bit generation, using a simple rule to generate the bit sequence. The resulting random bit generator (RBG) successfully passes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) statistical tests, and it is then successfully applied to the problem of image encryption.

Nonlinear Dynamics and Entropy of Complex Systems with Hidden and Self-Excited Attractors.

In the last few years, entropy has been a fundamental and essential concept in information theory [...].

A New Fractional-Order Chaotic System with Different Families of Hidden and Self-Excited Attractors.

In this work, a new fractional-order chaotic system with a single parameter and four nonlinearities is introduced. One striking feature is that by varying the system parameter, the fractional-order system generates several complex dynamics: self-excited attractors, hidden attractors, and the coexistence of hidden attractors. In the family of self-excited chaotic attractors, the system has four spiral-saddle-type equilibrium points, or two nonhyperbolic equilibria. Besides, for a certain value of the parameter, a fractional-order no-equilibrium system is obtained. This no-equilibrium system presents a hidden chaotic attractor with a `hurricane'-like shape in the phase space. Multistability is also observed, since a hidden chaotic attractor coexists with a periodic one. The chaos generation in the new fractional-order system is demonstrated by the Lyapunov exponents method and equilibrium stability. Moreover, the complexity of the self-excited and hidden chaotic attractors is analyzed by computing their spectral entropy and Brownian-like motions. Finally, a pseudo-random number generator is designed using the hidden dynamics.