Ultracapacitors for port crane applications: Sizing and techno-economic analysis

The use of energy storage with high power density and fast response time at container terminals (CTs) with a power demand of tens of megawatts is one of the most critical factors for peak reduction and economic benefits. Peak shaving can balance the load demand and facilitate the participation of small power units in generation based on renewable energies. Therefore, in this paper, the economic efficiency of peak demand reduction in ship to shore (STS) cranes based on the ultracapacitor (UC) energy storage sizing has been investigated. The results show the UC energy storage significantly reduce the peak demand, increasing the load factor, load leveling, and most importantly, an outstanding reduction in power and energy cost. In fact, the suggested approach is the start point to improve reliability and reduce peak demand energy consumption

Kaposi sarcoma in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis: a case-based review.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) are systemic necrotizing vasculitides associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Given the immunosuppression used to manage these conditions, it is important for clinicians to recognize complications, especially infectious ones, which may arise during treatment. Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a lymphoangioproliferative neoplasm caused by human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8). Its cutaneous manifestations can mimic vasculitis. We describe a 77-year-old man with microscopic polyangiitis with pulmonary-renal syndrome treated with prednisone and intravenous cyclophosphamide who developed KS (HHV-8 positive) after 2 months of treatment. Cyclophosphamide was discontinued and prednisone gradually lowered with improvement and clinical stabilization of KS lesions. This comprehensive review includes all published cases of KS in patients with AAV, with a goal to summarize potential risk factors including the clinical characteristics of vasculitis, treatment and outcomes of patients with this rare complication of immunosuppressive therapy. We also expanded our literature review to KS in other forms of systemic vasculitis. Our case-based review emphasizes the importance of considering infectious complications of immunosuppressive therapy, especially glucocorticoids, and highlights the rare association of KS in systemic vasculitis

Numerical Detection of Cavitation Damage on Dam Spillway

The present paper deals with the numerical detection of cavitation damage level and location on dam spillways. At first, flow over a spillway was simulated using the computational fluid dynamics method. The flow characteristics such as pressure, velocity and depth through the spillway have been calculated for five different flow rates. Since the actual flow is turbulent, the RNG turbulence model has been used for simulation. The numerical results of flow characteristics including flow depth, velocity and pressure were compared with the available results of the hydraulic model tests. The numerical results agreed well with the experimental data, and reasonable values for the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE= 0.0476) and coefficient of determination (r2=0.8354) indicated that the numerical model is accurate. Finally occurrence of cavitation damage to the Doosti dam spillway was investigated. Based on cavitation index, five different damage levels from no damage to major damage have been considered. Results showed that the spillway may be at the risk of cavitation damage, and the serious damage can occur at ending parts of the structure

Group method of data handling to predict scour depth around vertical piles under regular waves

AbstractThis paper presents a new application of the Group Method Of Data Handling (GMDH), to predict pile scour depth exposed to waves. The GMDH network was developed using the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) method in the training stage for scour prediction. Scour depth due to regular waves was modeled as a function of five dimensionless parameters, including pile Reynolds number, grain Reynolds number, sediment number, Keulegan–Carpenter number, and shields parameter. The testing results of the GMDH-LM were compared with those obtained using the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), Radial Basis Function-Neural Network (RBF-NN), and empirical equations. In particular, the GMDH-LM provided the most accurate prediction of scour depth compared to other models. Also, the Keulegan–Carpenter number has been determined as the most effective parameter on scour depth through a sensitivity analysis. The GMDH-LM was utilized successfully to investigate the influence of the pile cross section and Keulegan–Carpenter number on scour depth

Activation of cannabinoid system in anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex modulates cost-benefit decision making

Despite the evidence for altered decision making in cannabis abusers, the role of the cannabinoid system in decision-making circuits has not been studied. Here, we examined the effects of cannabinoid modulation during cost-benefit decision making in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), key brain areas involved in decision making. We trained different groups of rats in a delay-based and an effort-based form of cost-benefit T-maze decision-making task. During test days, the rats received local injections of either vehicle or ACEA, a cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R) agonist in the ACC or OFC. We measured spontaneous locomotor activity following the same treatments and characterized CB1Rs localization on different neuronal populations within these regions using immunohistochemistry. We showed that CB1R activation in the ACC impaired decision making such that rats were less willing to invest physical effort to gain high reward. Similarly, CB1R activation in the OFC induced impulsive pattern of choice such that rats preferred small immediate rewards to large delayed rewards. Control tasks ensured that the effects were specific for differential cost-benefit tasks. Furthermore, we characterized widespread colocalizations of CB1Rs on GABAergic axonal ends but few colocalizations on glutamatergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic neuronal ends. These results provide first direct evidence that the cannabinoid system plays a critical role in regulating cost-benefit decision making in the ACC and OFC and implicate cannabinoid modulation of synaptic ends of predominantly interneurons and to a lesser degree other neuronal populations in these two frontal regions

The ππ\pi\pi interaction in nuclear matter from a study of the π+A→π+π±A′\pi^+ A \to \pi^+ \pi^{\pm} A' reactions

The pion-production reactions $\pi^+ A \to \pi^+\pi^{\pm} A'$ were studied on $^{2}H$, $^{12}C$, $^{40}Ca$, and $^{208}Pb$ nuclei at an incident pion energy of $T_{\pi^{+}}$=283 MeV. Pions were detected in coincidence using the CHAOS spectrometer. The experimental results are reduced to differential cross sections and compared to both theoretical predictions and the reaction phase space. The composite ratio $\cal C$$_{\pi\pi}^A$ between the $\pi^{+}\pi^{\pm}$ invariant masses on nuclei and on the nucleon is also presented. Near the $2m_{\pi}$ threshold pion pairs couple to $(\pi\pi)_{I=J=0}$ when produced in the $\pi^+\to \pi^+\pi^-$ reaction channel. There is a marked near-threshold enhancement of $\cal C$$_{\pi^+\pi^-}^A$ which is consistent with theoretical predictions addressing the partial restoration of chiral symmetry in nuclear matter. Furthermore, the behaviour of $\cal C$$_{\pi^+\pi^-}^A$ is well described when the restoration of chiral symmetry is combined with standard P-wave renormalization of pions in nuclear matter. On the other hand, nuclear matter only weakly influences $\cal C$$_{\pi^+\pi^+}^A$, which displays a flat behaviour throughout the energy range regardless of $A$.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures, PS format, accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys

Variations in Haematological and Immunological Parameters among Hospitalized COVID 19 Patients

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2, a novel virus, has spreading globally, leading the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic. This study aims to ascertain the changes in haematological and immunological parameters in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Data from 109 confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted for treatment in the Isolation Centre at Al-Zawia city between 16 September and 29 December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were extracted from electronic medical records and compared with those of 52 healthy controls.Results: The laboratory tests included blood routines and cellular and inflammatory biomarkers compared with healthy controls.  Hospitalized patients had higher WBC (p<0.0001), platelet (P= 0.0060), NEU (P<0.0001), and RBC (P<0.0001) counts. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) scores were compared with the normal range where data were not available from healthy controls and the results showed significantly higher levels in patients with Covid-19 (p<0.0001). Conversely, lymphocyte (LYM) counts were significantly lower in Covid-19 patients (P<0.0001).   Conclusion: Complete blood count (CBC) and inflammatory biomarkers, including CRP and ESR, can help clinicians to assess the severity and prognosis of patients with COVID-19

The reaction pi N to pi pi N in a meson-exchange approach

A resonance model for two-pion production in the pion-nucleon reaction is developed that includes information obtained in the analysis of pion-nucleon scattering in a meson-exchange model. The baryonic resonances Delta(1232), N*(1440), N*(1520), N*(1535), and N*(1650) are included. The model reproduces the total cross sections up to kinetic energies of the incident pion of 350 MeV and obtains the shapes of the differential cross sections in reasonable agreement with the data.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 2 table

FEDSM2006-98459 Representing Polydispersed Droplet Behavior in Nucleating Steam Flow with the Quadrature -Method -of -Moments

Abstract This paper applies the Quadrature-Method-of-Moments (QMOM) to the polydispersed droplets spectrums typical in low pressure steam turbines. Various modes of nonequilibrium phase transition are present in steam turbines, starting with primary and secondary homogeneous nucleation as the main source of moisture followed by heterogeneous nucleation and surface entrainment sources. The range of phase transition possibilities leads to a wide range of droplet sizes, which are present under various combinations of inertial and thermal nonequilibrium. Given the extensive prevalence of CFD in turbomachinery design, it is of interest to develop an efficient modeling approach for polydispersed droplet flows that avoids solving an excessive number of equations to represent the droplet size distribution. Methods based on QMOM have shown promise in this regard in other applications areas of two-phase flow, and this paper attempts to quantify its potential for steam turbine applications by applying the method to supersonic nozzle studies with homogeneous and heterogeneous phase transitions

Drought Monitoring and Prediction using K-Nearest Neighbor Algorithm

Drought is a climate phenomenon which might occur in any climate condition and all regions on the earth. Effective drought management depends on the application of appropriate drought indices. Drought indices are variables which are used to detect and characterize drought conditions. In this study, it was tried to predict drought occurrence, based on the standard precipitation index (SPI), using k-nearest neighbor modeling. The model was tested by using precipitation data of Kerman, Iran. Results showed that the model gives reasonable predictions of drought situation in the region. Finally, the efficiency and precision of the model was quantified by some statistical coefficients. Appropriate values of the correlation coefficient (r=0.874), mean absolute error (MAE=0.106), root mean square error (RMSE=0.119) and coefficient of residual mass (CRM=0.0011) indicated that the present model is suitable and efficien