Optimal solutions for fixed head short-term hydrothermal system scheduling problem

In this paper, optimal short-term hydrothermal operation (STHTO) problem is determined by a proposed high-performance particle swarm optimization (HPPSO). Control variables of the problem are regarded as an optimal solution including reservoir volumes of hydropower plants (HdPs) and power generation of thermal power plants (ThPs) with respect to scheduled time periods. This problem focuses on reduction of electric power generation cost (EPGC) of ThPs and exact satisfactory of all constraints of HdPs, ThPs and power system. The proposed method is compared to earlier methods and other implemented methods such as particle swarm optimization (PSO), constriction factor (CF) and inertia weight factor (IWF)-based PSO (FCIW-PSO), two time-varying acceleration coefficient (TTVACs)-based PSO (TVAC-PSO), salp swarm algorithm (SSA), and Harris hawk algorithm (HHA). By comparing EPGC from 100 trial runs, speed of search and simulation time, the suggested HPPSO method sees it is more robust than other ones. Thus, HPPSO is recommended for applying to the considered and other problems in power systems

Determining optimal location and size of capacitors in radial distribution networks using moth swarm algorithm

In this study, the problem of optimal capacitor location and size determination (OCLSD) in radial distribution networks for reducing losses is unraveled by moth swarm algorithm (MSA). MSA is one of the most powerful meta-heuristic algorithm that is taken from the inspiration of the food source finding behavior of moths. Four study cases of installing different numbers of capacitors in the 15-bus radial distribution test system including two, three, four and five capacitors areemployed to run the applied MSA for an investigation of behavior and assessment of performances. Power loss and the improvement of voltage profile obtained by MSA are compared with those fromother methods. As a result, it can be concluded that MSA can give a good truthful and effective solution method for OCLSD problem

Design of Mobile Manipulator for Fire Extinguisher Testing. Part I Key Specifications and Conceptual Design

All flames are extinguished as early as possible, or fire services have to deal with major conflagrations. This leads to the fact that the quality of fire extinguishers has become a very sensitive and important issue in firefighting. Inspired by the development of automatic fire fighting systems, this paper proposes key specifications based on the standard of fire extinguishers that is ISO 7165:2009 and ISO 11601:2008, and feasible solutions to design a mobile manipulator for automatically evaluating the quality or, more specifically, power of fire extinguishers. In addition, a part of the mechanical design is also discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, the 7th International Conference on Advanced Engineering, Theory and Application

Green synthesis and crystal structure of 3-(benzo-thia-zol-2-yl)thio-phene.

The title compound, C11H7NS2, was prepared in high yield (87%) using a solvent-free microwave-assisted synthesis. The structure shows whole-mol-ecule disorder with occupancies for two orientations (A and B) of 0.4884 (10) and 0.5116 (10), respectively. The thio-phene and benzo-thia-zole rings are almost planar and make dihedral angles of 10.02 (18) and 12.54 (19)° for orientations A and B, respectively. Slipped π-π stacking between the aromatic rings, together with C-H⋯π, C-H⋯S and C-H⋯N inter-actions, result in a herringbone motif in the crystal packing

Crystal structure of 4-amino-3-(thio-phen-3-ylmeth-yl)-1<i>H</i>-1,2,4-triazole-5(4<i>H</i>)-thione.

In the title compound, C7H8N4S2, the thio-phene ring shows rotational disorder over two orientations in a 0.6957 (15):0.3043 (15) ratio. The plane of the 1,2,4-triazole ring makes a dihedral angle of 75.02 (17)° with the major-disorder component of the thiophene ring. In the crystal, two types of inversion dimers, described by the graph-set motifs R22(8) and R22(10), are formed by N-H⋯S inter-actions. Chains of mol-ecules running in the [101] direction are linked by weaker N-H⋯N inter-actions. The thio-phene ring is involved in π-π and C-H⋯π inter-actions

Knowledge of Antiretroviral Treatment and Associated Factors in HIV-Infected Patients

This study aimed to assess the knowledge of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and the associated factors in HIV-infected patients in Vietnam. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study of 350 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients being treated with ARV at outpatient clinics at Soc Trang, Vietnam, from June 2019 to December 2019. Using an interview questionnaire, patients who answered at least eight out of nine questions correctly, including some required questions, were considered to have a general knowledge of ARV treatment. Using multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with knowledge of ARV treatment, we found that 62% of HIV-infected patients had a general knowledge of ARV treatment, with a mean score of 8.2 (SD 1.4) out of 9 correct. A higher education level (p < 0.001); working away from home (p = 0.013); getting HIV transmitted by injecting drugs or from mother-to-child contact (p = 0.023); the presence of tension, anxiety, or stress (p = 0.005); self-reminding to take medication (p = 0.024); and a high self-evaluated adherence (p < 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with an adequate knowledge of ARV treatment. In conclusion, education programs for patients, as well as the quality of medical services and support, should be strengthened

Pneumonia: Drug-Related Problems and Hospital Readmissions

Pneumonia is one of the most common infectious diseases and the fourth leading cause of death globally. According to US statistics in 2019, pneumonia is the most common cause of sepsis and septic shock. In the US, inpatient pneumonia hospitalizations account for the top 10 highest medical costs, totaling $9.5 billion for 960,000 hospital stays. The emergence of antibiotic resistance in the treatment of infectious diseases, including the treatment of pneumonia, is a globally alarming problem. Antibiotic resistance increases the risk of death and re-hospitalization, prolongs hospital stays, and increases treatment costs, and is one of the greatest threats in modern medicine. Drug-related problems (DRPs) in pneumonia - such as suboptimal antibiotic indications, prolonged treatment duration, and drug interactions - increase the rate of antibiotic resistance and adverse effects, thereby leading to an increased burden in treatment. In a context in which novel and effective antibiotics are scarce, mitigating DRPs in order to reduce antibiotic resistance is currently a prime concern. A variety of interventions proven useful in reducing DRPs are antibiotic stewardship programs, the use of biomarkers, computerized physician order entries and clinical decision support systems, and community-acquired pneumonia scores

Epidemiology of forest malaria in Central Vietnam: the hidden parasite reservoir

BackgroundAfter successfully reducing the malaria burden to pre-elimination levels over the past two decades, the national malaria programme in Vietnam has recently switched from control to elimination. However, in forested areas of Central Vietnam malaria elimination is likely to be jeopardized by the high occurrence of asymptomatic and submicroscopic infections as shown by previous reports. This paper presents the results of a malaria survey carried out in a remote forested area of Central Vietnam where we evaluated malaria prevalence and risk factors for infection.MethodsAfter a full census (four study villages?=?1,810 inhabitants), the study population was screened for malaria infections by standard microscopy and, if needed, treated according to national guidelines. An additional blood sample on filter paper was also taken in a random sample of the population for later polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and more accurate estimation of the actual burden of malaria infections. The risk factor analysis for malaria infections was done using survey multivariate logistic regression as well as the classification and regression tree method (CART).ResultsA total of 1,450 individuals were screened. Malaria prevalence by microscopy was 7.8% (ranging from 3.9 to 10.9% across villages) mostly Plasmodium falciparum (81.4%) or Plasmodium vivax (17.7%) mono-infections; a large majority (69.9%) was asymptomatic. By PCR, the prevalence was estimated at 22.6% (ranging from 16.4 to 42.5%) with a higher proportion of P. vivax mono-infections (43.2%). The proportion of sub-patent infections increased with increasing age and with decreasing prevalence across villages. The main risk factors were young age, village, house structure, and absence of bed net.ConclusionThis study confirmed that in Central Vietnam a substantial part of the human malaria reservoir is hidden. Additional studies are urgently needed to assess the contribution of this hidden reservoir to the maintenance of malaria transmission. Such evidence will be crucial for guiding elimination strategies