Increasing Distribution Grid Hosting Capacity Through Wire And Non-Wire Solutions

Increased deployment of distributed generation (DG) can adversely impact the operational performance of distribution networks. This increment can potentially change network power flow and result in several operational issues such as reduced power quality, overvoltage, and ineffective protection. In order to quantify the degradation bounds of distribution operation due to increasing DG integration, the concept of hosting capacity is introduced. The aim of this thesis is to increase the DG hosting capacity in distribution network by proposing several wire and non-wire solutions. To this end, these solutions include network reconfiguration, reactive power control, and energy storage system deployment. The network reconfiguration can change the power flow in the system while the reactive power control can decrease the voltage rise and power loss in the system, which lead to increase in hosting capacity. The energy storage systems can be utilized to locally capture DG generation, which leads to an increase in the hosting capacity. This thesis introduces an optimization- based hosting capacity method developed based on a linear power flow model to optimally determine DGs hosting capacity. Numerical simulations on a radial distribution test system illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions

The influence of performance training and development on organizational performance: A case study of private banks in Kurdistan

Even everyday banks are promoting various employees training and development programs for their staffs, but still there is no certain or effective instrument to confirm how they influence to banks' performance. Therefore, this research planned to determine the relationship between training and development with banks performance and its comparison between training and development. The researcher distributed 250 questionnaires, but only 209 questionnaires were received from employees and been completed. The researcher used a quantitative research method to investigate the most of significance factor that affects banks performance, through measuring and comparing employee training and employee development at banks. The findings of multiple regression analysis revealed that the effect of employee training on banks performance is stronger than the effect of employee development on banks performance in Erbil

The Arab League. A Comparative Examination of Voting Mechanisms: Exploration of the Unaminity Rule of the Arab League\u27s Regulations and How the Rule Affects the Organization\u27s Security Function

This study in International Public Law examines the impact of the League of Arab States (LAS), in the context of the legal norms of the new international order. The study analyzes the weakening influence of the League in the international political system, regarding issues of territorial sovereignty and integrity, human rights, and Arab nationalism and solidarity. It is the argument of this study that the Arab League today lacks a strong role in the implementation and enforcement of international law. This lack of influence is primarily due to its internal divisions and members\u27 disputes regarding the norms and standards of law. While the League has proposed conventions and issued declarations modeled on the United Nation\u27s international legal forms, it is unable to implement them internally (on issues of human rights and territorial integrity) or externally (the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Occupied Territories, Iraq-Kuwait conflict, and the US invasion of Iraq). The study draws upon published documents related to the Arab League, the UN Security Council and the African Union, to conduct an examination and comparison of the League\u27s voting mechanisms with these other organizations. The research shows that, while the League\u27s unanimity clause in its voting system bears primary responsibility for the League\u27s perceived ineffectiveness in the implementing and enforcing of international law in the Middle East, these international norms of law and diplomacy are ultimately grounded in political, economic and military realities, rather than a strict adherence to statutes, treaties or resolutions. Specifically, an examination of the relevant literature shows that the League\u27s inability to influence international norms on the Palestine question and Iraq is actually part of a larger crisis in international law and the application of such laws and norms in a way that is not even-handed

Forward models demonstrate that repetition suppression is best modelled by local neural scaling

Funder: This work was supported by British Academy postdoctoral fellowship and a Marie Curie fellowship (753441) to A.A., a Cambridge University international scholarship and IDB merit scholarship award to H.A., and Medical Research Council programme grant (SUAG/010 RG91365) to R.N.H.Abstract: Inferring neural mechanisms from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is challenging because the fMRI signal integrates over millions of neurons. One approach is to compare computational models that map neural activity to fMRI responses, to see which best predicts fMRI data. We use this approach to compare four possible neural mechanisms of fMRI adaptation to repeated stimuli (scaling, sharpening, repulsive shifting and attractive shifting), acting across three domains (global, local and remote). Six features of fMRI repetition effects are identified, both univariate and multivariate, from two independent fMRI experiments. After searching over parameter values, only the local scaling model can simultaneously fit all data features from both experiments. Thus fMRI stimulus repetition effects are best captured by down-scaling neuronal tuning curves in proportion to the difference between the stimulus and neuronal preference. These results emphasise the importance of formal modelling for bridging neuronal and fMRI levels of investigation

Neural Differentiation of Incorrectly Predicted Memories.

Frequently experiencing an item in a specific context leads to the prediction that this item will occur when we encounter the same context in future. However, this prediction sometimes turns out to be incorrect, and recent behavioural research suggests that such “prediction errors” improve encoding of new information (Greve et al. 2017)

An Improved Slant Path Attenuation Prediction Method in Tropical Climates

An improved method for predicting slant path attenuation in tropical climates is presented in this paper. The proposed approach is based on rain intensity data R_0.01 (mm/h) from 37 tropical and equatorial stations; and is validated by using the measurement data from a few localities in tropical climates. The new method seems to accurately predict the slant path attenuation in tropical localities, and the comparative tests seem to show significant improvement in terms of the RMS of the relative error variable compared to the RMS obtained with the SAM, Crane, and ITU-R prediction models

Medicine as a career choice: a cross-sectional study on undergraduate medical students at King Abdulaziz University

Background: During the last 15 years large number medical schools have been launched in Saudi Arabia in order to compensate for the shortage of Saudi physicians. Till now the reasons for choosing the medical profession by Saudi students were not thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the reasons for study medicine at King Abdulaziz University (KAU); and if there is any difference in these reasons between the junior and senior medical student.  Factors helping in profession selection as well as the future specialty selection were also investigated.Methods: This comparative cross section study was conducted at KAU during the year 2014-2015 using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to all the 2nd and 6th year medical students.Results: Like to help patients, interest in medical field and being prestigious career were the commonest causes of choosing the medical profession among the 2nd year students and they were significantly rated higher ( 0.031, 0.001, 0.028) in 2nd year students compared to the 6th year. Getting a high GPA was rated significantly higher (p=0.01) by the 6th year students than the 2nd year students. Publications and internet sources was the significant (p=0.001) helpful factors rated by the 2nd year students. Surgery, Pediatric and Internal medicine were the commonest future specialties that had been chosen by both 2nd and 6th year students.Conclusions: Comprehensive and structured programs directed to the secondary school and preparatory university year students to guide them to the proper career with the highlight of Medicine as one of the profession strongly needed in Saudi Arabia.

Persepsi dan Partisipasi Masyarakat terhadap Pembangunan Infrastruktur Desa ( Studi Kasus : Perbandingan Pembangunan Infrastruktur Desa Plangitan Kecamatan Pati Kabupaten Pati dan Desa Tanjungrejo Kecamatan Margoyoso Kabupaten Pati )

Dalam rangka peningkatan persepsi dan partisipasi masyarakat dalam pembangunan diperlukan suatu pendekatan atau metode, untuk meningkatkan peran serta masyarakat dalam proses pembangunan yang bersumber dari masyarakat itu sendiri. Pembangunan desa dimaksudkan untu membantu dan mengacu masyarakat desa membangun berbagai sarana dan prasarana desa yang diperlukan, langkah atau kebijakan yang akan diambil oleh pemerintah dalam melaksanakan pembangunan perlu diletakan dalam suatu kesatuan dengan daerah penyelenggaan pembangunan desa tidak terlepas dari kesadaran setiap penduduk yang tinggal di Desa tersebut, partisipasi dari masyarakat merupakan suatu syarat yang dapat menjamin keberhasilan pembangunan yang pada hakikatnya pembangunan desa adalah susatu proses modernisasi yang mengantarkan masyarakat, Bangsa dan Negara Indonesia kearah penghidupan yang lebih baik di masa depan. Dalam mewujudkan pembangunan di desa khususnya pembangunan di desa secara swadaya, partisipasi atas kemauan sendiri lebih di butuhkan dari pada partisipasi masyarakat desa secara swadaya. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di desa Tanjungrejo dan desa Plangitan.Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode penelitian deskriptif dengan pendekatan kuantitatif kualitatif yang dilakukan dengan menyebar angket dan wawancara mendalam serta observasi langsung di lapangan agar di dapatkan gambaran secara langsung tentang keadaan yang ada di lapangan atau tempat penelitian tersebut. Hasil penelitian yang diperoleh menyatakan bahwa secara umum persepsi dan partisipasi masyarakat Desa Tanjungrejo dan desa Plangitan dalam pelaksanaan program pembangunan yang ada di desanya sudah tergolong baik. Namun demikian masih terdapat faktor-faktor yang menjadi hambatan partisipasi dari masyarakat Desa Tanjungrejo dan desa Plangitan seperti persepsi yang negative terhadap pembangunan desa, kekecewaaan terhadap program yang tidak berjalan, dan hasil pembangunan yang kurang memuaskan

Inhibition of bacteria associated with wound infection by biocompatible green synthesized gold nanoparticles from South African plant extracts

Unlike conventional physical and chemical methods, the biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) is considered a green and non-toxic approach to produce biocompatible GNPs that can be utilized in various biomedical applications. This can be achieved by using plant-derived phytochemicals to reduce gold salt into GNPs. Several green synthesized GNPs have been shown to have antibacterial effects, which can be applied in wound dressings to prevent wound infections. Therefore, the aim of this study is to synthesize biogenic GNPs from the South African Galenia africana and Hypoxis hemerocallidea plants extracts and evaluate their antibacterial activity, using the Alamar blue assay, against bacterial strains that are known to cause wound infections. Additionally, we investigated the toxicity of the biogenic GNPs to non-cancerous human fibroblast cells (KMST-6) using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In this paper, spherical GNPs, with particle sizes ranging from 9 to 27 nm, were synthesized and fully characterized. The GNPs from H. hemerocallidea exhibited antibacterial activity against all the tested bacterial strains, whereas GNPs produced from G. africana only exhibited antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The GNPs did not show any significant toxicity towards KMST-6 cells, which may suggest that these nanoparticles can be safely applied in wound dressings

Theory of near infra-red germanium lasers

Due to major advances in silicon photonics technology and the importance of having a silicon-compatible laser operating in the 1.3 - 1.55 micron communications wavelength window. There is currently an intense interest in the optical properties of germanium, which has a direct band gap transition in this wavelength range. The Ge band structure can be engineered using biaxial or uniaxial strain in order to achieve optical gain. Recently, both optically pumped and electrical injection pumped lasing have been reported in Ge-on-Si devices. This work aims to perform gain modeling in a germanium laser grown on a silicon substrate which operates in the near infrared wavelength communications band. A description of the background theory of the variation of the relevant electronic band structure properties of Ge with the applied strain is given. Shifts of the conduction and valence band edges with strain (biaxial and uniaxial) applied to Ge grown on substrates of different orientations has been investigated using the linear deformation potential and k.p methods. In order to make Ge behave as a direct band gap material, and to have a good electron injection efficiency, an investigation of the combination of the applied strain and doping density on direct band gap and injected carrier efficiency were carried out at 0 K, for both bulk Ge and Ge quantum wells. At finite temperatures, the k.p method and effective mass approximation were used to calculate the energy bands for [001] bulk Ge, the quasi-Fermi levels for given values of carrier densities, and then the interband gain and IVBA were calculated for biaxially tensile strained [001] bulk Ge. Furthermore, a detailed description of the free carrier absorption coefficient calculation, accounting for both intervalley and intravalley scattering in strained [001] Ge is given. The effect of unequal electron and hole densities, which are required to achieve the interband gain and reduce the absorption coefficient due to IVBA and FCA in order to obtain the net gain, has been investigated for strained bulk n+ Ge at room and typical device temperatures