Integration of SCADA, GIS, and Call Center Systems for Electrical Power Distribution Management and Planning

In electrical power distribution systems the traditional methods cannot detect the customer fault location in real time and respond to customer complaints at the same time of the outage of the electric power because the required information is scattered among isolated databases. In this paper the combination of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Geographical Information System (GIS) and using SQLCMD against DBSET has been shown to solve this problem better. This paper reducing the response time of the customer waiting when they calling the agent in the call center, creating a model for the integration of real time data in SCADA system against static data in GIS to make online GIS and send data from GIS to CALL CENTER at the same time. The prototype describes the flow of the data between various systems and integrates all in one logical database that contains all data about the customers. The proposed model depends on three major sub-systems: GIS, SCADA, and Call Center systems. The GIS system is base of the model so the change and update in GIS database is available, GIS provides different features like maps, real coordinates and tables. The model contains three different databases, GIS as geo database, SCADA as the real time database and call center as customer information database, all this database will be in one logical global database that contains of spatial information tables, asset information tables, topology information tables, and operation information tables. This method has been shown to significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of fault detection in distribution networks and to decrease the response time in call centers

Association between platelet, white blood cell count, platelet to white blood cell ratio and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults: focus on Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program

Sarcopenia is a progressive age-related skeletal muscle disorder associated with harmful impacts on health. The present study aimed to investigate the relation between sarcopenia, platelet (PLT), white blood cell (WBC), and PLT to WBC ratio (PWR) due to the importance of early sarcopenia diagnosis. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted based on the second stage of the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) Program. Sarcopenia was defined based on the revised edition of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) in accordance with the Iranian cut-off point. Univariate and adjusted multivariate logistic regression and linear regression were used to evaluate the associations. Results The prevalence of sarcopenia among participants was 35.73%. PLT count and PWR were statistically higher in severe sarcopenic participants, while no differences were seen in WBC. In crude analysis, sarcopenia was not associated with quartiles of PLT, WBC, and PWR, while after adjusting for age, marital status, and sex, the association was seen in the fourth quartile of PLT and PWR [OR (95%CI) = 1.40 (1.08 to 1.81), p-value = 0.009 for PLT; OR (95%CI) =1.55 (1.20 to 2.00), p-value =0.001 for PWR]. This association remained significant in the fully adjusted model [OR (95%CI) =1.82 (1.20 to 2.78), p-value =0.005 for PLT; OR (95%CI) =1.57 (1.03 to 2.40), p-value =0.035 for PWR]. Among sarcopenia parameters, PLT count was more likely to be associated with handgrip strength and muscle mass. After stratifying the participants by gender, sarcopenia parameters were no longer statistically significant in men. Conclusion This study showed that PLT and PWR were associated with sarcopenia after considering confounding factors, while this association was not seen in WBC. Moreover, results showed that gender had an important impact on sarcopenia parameters

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Methods To Improve The Accuracy Of One-Terminal Impedance-Based Fault Location On Transmission Lines

Accurate location of faults on overhead transmission lines will facilitate quicker repair, improve system availability and performance, reduce operating costs, and save time and effort of maintenance crew. The objective of this work is to develop new methods to improve the accuracy of one-terminal impedance-based fault location for both single- and double-circuit transmission lines

Removal of Decaying DC Offset in Current Signals for Power System Phasor Estimation

This paper presents a new method for the removal of decaying de offset from current signals in digital protective devices. The method is based on the fact that a purely sinusoidal signal has a zero average over a full cycle or multiples of the full cycle of its fundamental frequency, whereas an exponential signal has a nonzero average over that same interval. A fall cycle plus one sample of post fault data are required to calculate the parameters of the decaying dc offset in order to completely eliminate it from the current signal. Decaying dc offset removal is carried out before applying the current signal to the digital filter used for phasor estimation. The method has been tested by applying it to a fault current signal generated by computer simulation. Results obtained indicate that the method has greatly improved the performance of the full-cycle DFT algorithm. The new method can be applied in real time on digital protective devices because of its simplicity and computational efficiency

Bankruptcy problem in energy warehouse: Applications and challenges

Green smart cities that rely completely on sustainable renewable energy sources are being constructed to attract investors, diversify countries’ economies, and move away from dependence on fossil fuels. The main renewable energy sources used in such cities today include solar, wind, and—to a lesser extent—biomass. However, these sources are stochastic in nature, and the amount of energy they produce is not entirely controllable. This results in difficulty maintaining the balance between generation and demand in the power grid. Recent technological advances in smart grids, microgrids, virtual power plants, energy hubs, and energy interconnection technologies offer a wide range of plausible solutions to this problem. Such advances motivated the development of a complementary technology known as the energy warehouse (EW). An EW is a controlled and managed heterogeneous massive modular energy storage and wheeling system. It provides links between microgrids and bulk power systems (BPSs). After describing the structure of an EW and its energy management system and illustrating example EW operating scenarios, this paper uses the concept of bankruptcy to explain the business side of an EW. For the first time, this principle is used to address cases where the EW falls short of its obligations to the connected microgrids and BPSs. This treatment of EW contributes to a better understanding of its operation and opens further opportunities for contributions. Furthermore, our study confirms that a properly sized and located EW promises significant technical and economic benefits. These including load leveling and energy time-shift, as well as the potential to eliminate the typical transmission infrastructure, thereby reducing losses, mitigating congestion, and increasing efficiency

Developing a novel method for estimating parameters of Kostiakov-Lewis infiltration equation

In this study, the volume balance equation and Elliott and Walker’s two-point method were employed to estimate the Kostiakov–Lewis (KL) infiltration equation parameters. The volume balance equation has a maximum point, whose location (distance) is a function of two parameters, r (constant parameter in advance equation) and fo. (final infiltration rate). If the length of the field is less than the distance of maximum point, then parameters of the infiltration equation obtained by the two-point method will have appropriate values. Otherwise, the values of infiltration parameters would depend on the values of r and fo, and there would be a possibility of their values being inappropriate. In this method, the soil texture of the field is assumed to be homogeneous; so, the relationship between r and fo is ignored, which may render the two-point method unsuitable in heterogeneous soils. By investigating the effect of soil heterogeneity on the values of r and fo, it was found that in the two-point method, point information is used for the estimation of parameters of the KL infiltration and that there is no clear relationship between these two points. As a result, a novel method was developed in this study to estimate the KL infiltration equation parameters and applied in three irrigation fields. The infiltration parameters obtained by the proposed method had appropriate values. The infiltration depth computed with the use of parameters so obtained was in close agreement with observed infiltration depth. Thus, the proposed method is potentially useful for estimating the KL infiltration equation parameters