Hybrid AC/DC Transmission Expansion Planning Considering HVAC to HVDC Conversion Under Renewable Penetration

In this paper, a dynamic (i.e. multi-year) hybrid model is presented for Transmission Expansion Planning (TEP) utilizing the High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) and multiterminal Voltage Sourced Converter (VSC)-based High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) alternatives. In addition to new HVAC and HVDC lines, the possibility of converting existing HVAC transmission lines to HVDC lines is considered in the proposed model. High shares of renewable resources are integrated into the proposed hybrid AC/DC TEP model. Due to the intermittency of renewable resources, the planning of large-scale Energy Storage (ES) devices is considered. In order to accurately estimate the total TEP costs and hence capturing the scenarios of load and renewable generation uncertainty, using a clustering approach, each year of the planning horizon is replaced with four representative days. The proposed model is formulated as a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem. Using Benders Decomposition (BD) algorithm, the proposed model is decomposed into a Master investment problem to handle the decision variables, and Sub-problems to check the feasibility of master problem solution and optimize the operation and ES investment cost. Three test systems are used as case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid AC/DC TEP model

Peshtasar basalts: An example of post-collision basalts in sedimentary Basin of Moghan, NW Iran

With an east–west exposure trend, Peshtasar Complex, which is located in the sedimentary basin of Moghan, northwestern Iran, is lithologically varied. The main constituent minerals are plagioclase, clinopyroxene and iddingsitised olivine in basalts and plagioclase megacryst, clinopyroxene and leucite in tephrite. The studied rocks are plotted in the fields of basaltic trachy-andesite, trachy-andesite and tephri-phonolite in the total alkali-silica (TAS) diagram as well as high-K to calc-alkaline and shoshonite fields. The chondrite normalised pattern of rare earth elements indicates the enrichment of LILE and LREE as well as the depletion of HFSE and HREE. Nb and Ti have a negative anomaly in the spider diagram. Eu/Eu* represents a positive anomaly for Eu indicating the frequency of calcic plagioclase and low oxygen fugacity in rocks. Geochemical parameters and diagrams predict a magmatic evolution via assimilation – fractional crystallisation process. According to the Ce/Yb vs. Ce diagram, partial melting has happened within the garnet–lherzolite field in the depth of ∼100 km. Based on 87Sr/86Sr, Shahyourdi samples have EM1 sources, whereas Germi and Tazehkand basalts have EM11 sources that are indicative of different mantle sources for basalts in the western Moghan of the central and eastern areas. Basalts are found in active continental margins associated with the post-collision arcs.publishe

Multiple Toddler Tracking in Indoor Videos

Multiple toddler tracking (MTT) involves identifying and differentiating toddlers in video footage. While conventional multi-object tracking (MOT) algorithms are adept at tracking diverse objects, toddlers pose unique challenges due to their unpredictable movements, various poses, and similar appearance. Tracking toddlers in indoor environments introduces additional complexities such as occlusions and limited fields of view. In this paper, we address the challenges of MTT and propose MTTSort, a customized method built upon the DeepSort algorithm. MTTSort is designed to track multiple toddlers in indoor videos accurately. Our contributions include discussing the primary challenges in MTT, introducing a genetic algorithm to optimize hyperparameters, proposing an accurate tracking algorithm, and curating the MTTrack dataset using unbiased AI co-labeling techniques. We quantitatively compare MTTSort to state-of-the-art MOT methods on MTTrack, DanceTrack, and MOT15 datasets. In our evaluation, the proposed method outperformed other MOT methods, achieving 0.98, 0.68, and 0.98 in multiple object tracking accuracy (MOTA), higher order tracking accuracy (HOTA), and iterative and discriminative framework 1 (IDF1) metrics, respectively

Expression Pattern of pmt, erf1 and jap1 Genes in Nicotiana benthamiana and Atropa belladonna Plants under UV Radiation, Wounding and Methyl Jasmonate Treatments

The Solanaceae plants produce a variety of interesting biologically active products including the steroid alkaloids solanidine, nicotine and tropane alkaloids. Putrescine N-methyltransferase (PMT) is an enzyme that catalyses s-adenosylmethionine-dependent methylation of putrescine in one of the primary steps of nicotine and tropane alkaloids biosynthesis pathway. Two tobacco members of the AP2/ERF-domain transcription factors family called NtORC1 and NtJAP1 were shown to up regulate the activity of the NtPMT promoter in   Nicotiana tabacum L. under environmental stresses. In this study,  semiquantitave RT-PCR analysis showed that expression patterns of PMT, ERF1 and JAP1 genes in shoots and roots of  Nicotiana benthamiana Domin and Atropa belladonna L. were examined under methyl jasmonate, UV radiation and wounding treatments. Plants were harvested half an hour after each treatment. The expression pattern of examined genes showed differences between plant tissues under different treatments

Influence of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on the fertility system: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Due to the increased number of users of mobile phones, tablets, and other devices over the past few years, concerns about the potential impact of mobile phones on health are growing. The influence of mobile phone exposure on male fertility has been studied in recent years. Other research has shown that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) increase macrophages in the corpus luteum and growing follicles. Due to conflicting results among studies and since no systematic review has been performed to analyze the effects of radiofrequency EMF exposure from electronic devices on the fertility system in recent years, this evidence-based study is necessary. Objective: The main objectives of this study are to determine the best evidence associated with the influence of radiofrequency EMFs on the fertility system and to provide insight into a potential mechanism using our observations. Methods: In this systematic review, the databases and gray literature will be searched with no language and date limitation. The following databases will be searched: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, ProQuest, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and other Persian databases. The combination of the Medical Subject Heading terms �radiofrequency electromagnetic� and �male reproductive system� or �female reproductive system� will be searched. Observational study designs will be included but case reports, case series, reviews, and letters to the editor will be excluded. Papers selected for retrieval will be evaluated by two independent referees for methodological validation before entering a review using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for nonrandomized studies and cohort studies. Results: The results of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication and also presented at PROSPERO. Conclusions: This systematic review will provide evidence-based data on the effect of radiofrequency EMFs on the fertility system. This article will also classify the harmful effect of radiofrequency waves on primary and secondary infertility. This study could be useful for decreasing infertility. This is important because the rate of infertility is growing, leading to negative outcomes for couples and the health care system. � Nasibeh Roozbeh, Fatemeh Abdi, Azadeh Amraee, Zahra Atarodi Kashani, Leili Darvish

Radiation-induced non-targeted effect and carcinogenesis; implications in clinical radiotherapy

Bystander or non-targeted effect is known to be an interesting phenomenon in radio-biology. The genetic consequences of bystander effect on non-irradiated cells have shown that this phenomenon can be considered as one of the most important factors involved in secondary cancer after exposure to ionizing radiation. Every year, millions of people around the world undergo radiotherapy in order to cure different types of cancers. The most crucial aim of radiotherapy is to improve treatment efficiency by reducing early and late effects of exposure to clinical doses of radiation. Secondary cancer induction resulted from exposure to high doses of radiation during treatment can reduce the effectiveness of this modality for cancer treatment. The perception of carcinogenesis risk of bystander effects and factors involved in this phenomenon might help reduce secondary cancer incidence years after radiotherapy. Different mo-dalities such as radiation LET, dose and dose rate, fractionation, types of tissue, gender of patients, etc. may be involved in carcinogenesis risk of bystander effects. Therefore, selecting an appropriate treatment modality may improve cost-effectiveness of radiation therapy as well as the quality of life in survived patients. In this review, we first focus on the carcinogenesis evidence of non-targeted effects in radiotherapy and then review physical and biological factors that may influence the risk of secondary cancer induced by this phenomenon. © 2018, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Antioxidant Capacity of Various Extracts of Asteragalus Morinus Boiss Aerial Parts

Introduction: Herbs are used in many domains, including medicine, nutrition, and flavorings. Many species have been recognized to have pharmaceutical properties, e.g. antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic effects. Recently, there has been an increased interest in identifying natural antioxidant compounds for use in pharmaceutical and food industries, mainly due to increased unintentional side-effects of synthetic antioxidants. Polyphenols are the major plant compounds with antioxidant activity. They are ubiquitous in all plant organs and are, therefore, an integral part of the human diet. Methods: Four extracts (methanol, chloroform, polyphenol, aqueous) were prepared from aerial parts of A. morinus. The antioxidant activity was measured by two methods: DPPH and TEAC assays. The results of DPPH and TEAC assays were showed by IC50 and TEAC value at definite time point, respectively. Results: The IC50 of methanolic, chloroformic, polyphenolic and aqueous extracts in DPPH assay were 0.336, 0.804, 0.212, 0.836 mg/ml, respectively. The TEAC values of the extracts at 6 min reaction were 29.38, 14.55, 21.29, 24.22 µmol Trolox equivalents/100 g DW, respectively. Conclusion: All extracts showed antioxidant activity in both methods and the polyphenolic and aqueous extracts were found to have maximum and minimum activity in DPPH and TEAC assays, respectively. The results showed that polyphenolic extract has better activity in antioxidant assays

Decision making under uncertainty in energy systems: State of the art

The energy system studies include a wide range of issues from short term (e.g. real-time, hourly, daily and weekly operating decisions) to long term horizons (e.g. planning or policy making). The decision making chain is fed by input parameters which are usually subject to uncertainties. The art of dealing with uncertainties has been developed in various directions and has recently become a focal point of interest. In this paper, a new standard classification of uncertainty modeling techniques for decision making process is proposed. These methods are introduced and compared along with demonstrating their strengths and weaknesses. The promising lines of future researches are explored in the shadow of a comprehensive overview of the past and present applications. The possibility of using the novel concept of Z-numbers is introduced for the first time