An Improved Model Predictive Control Method to Drive an Induction Motor Fed by Three-Level Diode-Clamped Indirect Matrix Converter

In this paper, an improved model predictive control method is proposed to drive an induction motor fed by a three-level matrix converter. The main objective of this paper is to present a novel method to increase the switching frequency at a constant sampling time. Also, it is analytically discussed that increasing the switching frequency not only can decrease the motor current ripples, but it can also significantly reduce its torque ripples. Finally, this study demonstrates that reducing the motor current ripple will improve the quality of the supply current. To be the accurate model and validate the motor drive system, a co-simulation method, which is a combination of FLUX and MATLAB software packages, is employed to find the simulation results. The findings indicate that the proposed method diminishes the THD of the supply current up to 26% approximately. Furthermore, increasing the switching frequency results in the torque ripple reduction by up to 10% almost

Designing a new integrated model for performance evaluation of R&D centers (Case study: Energy Research Institute)

The necessity of design and implementation of performance evaluation systems for project-based research and development (R&D) centers is one of the crucial issues in all countries. The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrated performance evaluation method for research and development institutes. The proposed approach is a synthesis of BSC, AHP and network DEA appropriate for engineering departments and units of these organizations. Defining Indexes as input and output, regarding different features of BSC and prioritizing them based on expert judgment, to calculate unites and sub-unit's efficiency of these organizations, network DEA will be applied.  Research and Development institutes, usually, are conglomeration of divergent administration unites and research sub-units, which could be considered as sub Decision Making Unites (sub-DMU) in this efficiency measurement model. Obtained results through this suggested integrated approach indicates its strength in the performance evaluation of R&D centers, moreover, its compatibility to be applied in all the research-oriented organizations

Designing a new integrated model for performance evaluation of R&D centers (Case study: Energy Research Institute)

The necessity of design and implementation of performance evaluation systems for project-based research and development (R&D) centers is one of the crucial issues in all countries. The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrated performance evaluation method for research and development institutes. The proposed approach is a synthesis of BSC, AHP and network DEA appropriate for engineering departments and units of these organizations. Defining Indexes as input and output, regarding different features of BSC and prioritizing them based on expert judgment, to calculate unites and sub-unit's efficiency of these organizations, network DEA will be applied.  Research and Development institutes, usually, are conglomeration of divergent administration unites and research sub-units, which could be considered as sub Decision Making Unites (sub-DMU) in this efficiency measurement model. Obtained results through this suggested integrated approach indicates its strength in the performance evaluation of R&D centers, moreover, its compatibility to be applied in all the research-oriented organizations

Alcohol Marketing, Drunkenness, and Problem Drinking among Zambian Youth: Findings from the 2004 Global School-Based Student Health Survey

This study examines the associations between alcohol marketing strategies, alcohol education including knowledge about dangers of alcohol and refusal of alcohol, and drinking prevalence, problem drinking, and drunkenness. Analyses are based on the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Zambia (2004) of students primarily 11 to 16 years of age (N = 2257). Four statistical models were computed to test the associations between alcohol marketing and education and alcohol use, while controlling for possible confounding factors. Alcohol marketing, specifically through providing free alcohol through a company representative, was associated with drunkenness (AOR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.09–2.02) and problem drinking (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.06–1.87) among youth after controlling for demographic characteristics, risky behaviors, and alcohol education. However, alcohol education was not associated with drunkenness or problem drinking. These findings underscore the importance of restricting alcohol marketing practices as an important policy strategy for reducing alcohol use and its dire consequences among vulnerable youth

Estudio de la petrografía y la configuración tectónica de los umbrales en el distrito de Lavasanat, Teherán (norte de Irán)

The study area is located in Lavasanat District in the northeast of Tehran in Central Alborz zone. The outcrops are mainly linked to Karaj Formation, which belongs to the upper Eocene to Oligocene periods. In the study area, there are various plutonic rocks that are identified in the form of numerous dike and sill on the ground. These sills are injected in between sedimentary layers. The rocks forming the sills include the spectrum of gabbro, gabbro diorite, diorite, monzonite, and syenite. In some areas, these rocks have undergone alterations and have traces of the saussuritization and chloritization phenomena. There are also two generations of amorphous. The first generation is fully chloritized due to alteration while the second generation is unaltered. Unlike many diorites and monzonites, which typically have hornblendes, the neutral rocks such as diorite and monzonite lack hornblendes. Hence, their magmas were dry and dehydrated. Based on the geochemical studies conducted on 17 samples (15 sill samples and 2 host rock samples) and the diagrams of the tectonic settings of rocks, the study sills are in the WIN (within plate). However, two samples of the host rock are within the range of the active continental margins.El área de estudio se encuentra en el distrito de Lavasanat, en el noreste de Teherán, en la zona central de Alborz. Los afloramientos están principalmente vinculados a la Formación Karaj, que pertenece a los períodos del Eoceno superior al Oligoceno. En el área de estudio, hay varias rocas plutónicas que se identifican en forma de numerosos diques y antepechos en el suelo. Estos umbrales se inyectan entre capas sedimentarias. Las rocas que forman los umbrales incluyen el espectro de gabro, gabro diorita, diorita, monzonita y sienita. En algunas áreas, estas rocas han sufrido alteraciones y tienen rastros de los fenómenos de saussuritización y cloritización. También hay dos generaciones de amorfos. La primera generación está completamente cloritizada debido a la alteración, mientras que la segunda generación no se altera. A diferencia de muchas dioritas y monzonitas, que típicamente tienen hornblendes, las rocas neutras como la diorita y la monzonita carecen de hornblendes. Por lo tanto, sus magmas estaban secos y deshidratados. Según los estudios geoquímicos realizados en 17 muestras (15 muestras de alféizar y 2 muestras de roca huésped) y los diagramas de los ajustes tectónicos de las rocas, los alféizares del estudio están en el WIN (dentro de la placa). Sin embargo, dos muestras de la roca huésped están dentro del rango de los márgenes continentales activos

Estudio de la petrografía y la configuración tectónica de los umbrales en el distrito de Lavasanat, Teherán (norte de Irán)

The study area is located in Lavasanat District in the northeast of Tehran in Central Alborz zone. The outcrops are mainly linked to Karaj Formation, which belongs to the upper Eocene to Oligocene periods. In the study area, there are various plutonic rocks that are identified in the form of numerous dike and sill on the ground. These sills are injected in between sedimentary layers. The rocks forming the sills include the spectrum of gabbro, gabbro diorite, diorite, monzonite, and syenite. In some areas, these rocks have undergone alterations and have traces of the saussuritization and chloritization phenomena. There are also two generations of amorphous. The first generation is fully chloritized due to alteration while the second generation is unaltered. Unlike many diorites and monzonites, which typically have hornblendes, the neutral rocks such as diorite and monzonite lack hornblendes. Hence, their magmas were dry and dehydrated. Based on the geochemical studies conducted on 17 samples (15 sill samples and 2 host rock samples) and the diagrams of the tectonic settings of rocks, the study sills are in the WIN (within plate). However, two samples of the host rock are within the range of the active continental margins.El área de estudio se encuentra en el distrito de Lavasanat, en el noreste de Teherán, en la zona central de Alborz. Los afloramientos están principalmente vinculados a la Formación Karaj, que pertenece a los períodos del Eoceno superior al Oligoceno. En el área de estudio, hay varias rocas plutónicas que se identifican en forma de numerosos diques y antepechos en el suelo. Estos umbrales se inyectan entre capas sedimentarias. Las rocas que forman los umbrales incluyen el espectro de gabro, gabro diorita, diorita, monzonita y sienita. En algunas áreas, estas rocas han sufrido alteraciones y tienen rastros de los fenómenos de saussuritización y cloritización. También hay dos generaciones de amorfos. La primera generación está completamente cloritizada debido a la alteración, mientras que la segunda generación no se altera. A diferencia de muchas dioritas y monzonitas, que típicamente tienen hornblendes, las rocas neutras como la diorita y la monzonita carecen de hornblendes. Por lo tanto, sus magmas estaban secos y deshidratados. Según los estudios geoquímicos realizados en 17 muestras (15 muestras de alféizar y 2 muestras de roca huésped) y los diagramas de los ajustes tectónicos de las rocas, los alféizares del estudio están en el WIN (dentro de la placa). Sin embargo, dos muestras de la roca huésped están dentro del rango de los márgenes continentales activos

Pre-Teen Alcohol Use as a Risk Factor for Victimization and Perpetration of Bullying among Middle and High School Students in Georgia

Objective: We examined the association between pre-teen alcohol use initiation and the victimization and perpetration of bullying among middle and high school students in Georgia. Methods: We computed analyses using data from the 2006 Georgia Student Health Survey (N=175,311) of students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. The current analyses were limited to students in grades 8, 10 and 12 (n=122,434). We used multilogistic regression analyses to determine the associations between early alcohol use and reports of both victimization and perpetration of bullying, perpetration only, victimization only, and neither victimization or perpetration, while controlling for demographic characteristics, other substance use, peer drinking and weapon carrying. Results: Pre-teen alcohol use initiation was significantly associated with both bullying perpetration and victimization relative to non drinkers in bivariate analyses (OR=3.20 95%CI:3.03-3.39). The association was also significant between pre-teen alcohol use initiation and perpetration and victimization of bullying in analyses adjusted for confounders (Adj.OR=1.74; 95%CI:1.61-1.89). Overall, findings were similar for boys and girls. Conclusion: Pre-teen alcohol use initiation is an important risk factor for both the perpetration and victimization of bullying among boys and girls in Georgia. Increased efforts to delay and reduce early alcohol use through clinical interventions, education and policies may also positively impact other health risk behaviors, including bullying. [West J Emerg Med. 2011;12(3):305-309.

The interacting effect of depressive symptoms, gender, and distress tolerance on substance use problems among residential treatment-seeking substance users

Depression is associated with substance use problems; however, the specific individual characteristics influencing this association are not well identified. Empirical evidence and theory suggest that gender and distress tolerance—defined behaviorally as an individual’s ability to persist in goal-directed behavior while experiencing negative affective states—are important underlying factors in this relationship. Hence, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether gender and distress tolerance moderate the relationship between depressive symptoms and substance use problems

Phylogenetics and Biogeography of Lilium ledebourii from the Hyrcanian Forest

ilium ledebourii (Baker) Boiss is one of the most endangered lilies, restricted to only a few small and fragmented areas in the Hyrcanian forest. This study aimed at evaluating the taxonomy of this unique Iranian lily and reconstructing divergence time from other species of the genus Lilium to address the role of this region in its diversification. Phylogenetic trees based on nuclear ITS and chloroplastic matK strongly supported the monophyly of the genus Lilium and division into subclades hardly matching prior morphological classifications. Biogeographic analyses using S-DIVA revealed East Asia as the ancestral range from where Lilium presented a multidirectional expansion towards North America, West-Central Asia, North Asia, and Europe. Diverging from ancestral Lilium during the beginning of Eocene (50 Ma; 95% HDP: 68.8–36.8). Specific members of Lilium colonized Iran (Western Asia) separated from the Clade IV (West-Central Asia and Europe lineage), and then yielded the Iranian L.ledebourri. Accordingly, the north of Iran appears to have promoted both long-term persistence and migration of Lily species from Asia to the Europe

Controlling Aedes Aegypti Population as Dhf Vector with Radiation Basedsterile Insect Technique in Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java

The control program of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in Indonesia is still a problem due tothe incomplete integrated handling. Sterile insect technique (SIT) for Aedes aegypti as DHFvector was considered as a potential strategy for controling the DHF. A preliminary survey wascarried out to to determine the characteristic of A. aegypti population in the study site before theimplementation of SIT. The implementation of radiation based-SIT was carried out in Krandeganand Kutabanjar Villages of Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java which involved 99 houses. Onehundred gamma rays irradiated male mosquitoes were released to each house up to five times.The eggs, larvae and adult mosquitoes were collected using ovitrap and weekly observed. Theinitial population density of A. aegipty in the studied area was obtained to be 6 mosquitoes perhouse with the mean index of house was 15.86 % and the mean sterility of sterilizedmosquitoes was 79.16 %. The SIT effectively reduced A. aegipty population after the fifthrelease of irradiated mosquitoes into the houses. It can be assumed that the SIT was effectivein controlling DHF vector in the studied area, nevertheles, it will be more effective if it iscombined with other handling techniques