Multi Objective Scheduling of Utility-scale Energy Storages and Demand Response Programs Portfolio for Grid Integration of Wind Power

Increasing the penetration of variable wind generation in power systems has created some new challenges in the power system operation. In such a situation, the inclusion of flexible resources which have the potential of facilitating wind power integration is necessary. Demand response (DR) programs and emerging utility-scale energy storages (ESs) are known as two powerful flexible tools that can improve large-scale integration of intermittent wind power from technical and economic aspects. Under this perspective, this paper proposes a multi objective stochastic framework that schedules conventional generation units, bulk ESs, and DR resources simultaneously with the application to wind integration. The proposed formulation is a sophisticated problem which coordinates supply-side and demand-side resources in energy and up/down spinning reserve markets so that the cost, emission, and multi objective functions are minimized separately. In order to determine the most efficient DR program which can potentially coordinate with bulk ESs in the system with a significant amount of wind power, a comprehensive DR programs portfolio including time- and incentive-based programs is designed. Afterwards, strategy success index (SSI) is employed to prioritize DR programs from independent system operator (ISO) perspective. The IEEE-RTS is used to reveal the effectiveness of the proposed method

Critical Content Analysis of Narrative Version of Islamic Medicine

Background and Objective: The nature of Narrative version of Islamic medicine (NIM) is based on Quran and hadith, exclusive attention to Islamic narrative references and rejection of the strategies of other medical schools. This study was conducted to criticize NIM. Methods: In this qualitative study of content analysis, after collecting the opinions of 6 prominent scholars of NIM, the criticisms of these opinions were presented and categorized by three doctors specialized in Persian medicine, a cleric in the field of Islamic jurisprudence and a methodologist by holding expert panel meetings. Findings: Criticisms were raised based on three points of view. The intra-religious area including the routine of Ahl al-Bayt (The holy family of the Prophet Muhammad) in illness and the role of physicians, the place of reason and experience in Islamic sciences, differences in geographical areas, not mentioning the full history of patients and newly occurring diseases was brought up. From a medical point of view, the important points include lack of a research method to check the effectiveness of a medical narrative, lack of diagnostic aspects and an approach to screening. From the viewpoint of religious and social consequences, religious trauma resulting from lack of response to treatment attributed to Ahl al-Bayt, approach to other manifestations of Western civilization, ethical issue of producing, prescribing and selling drugs by a group and loss of life and money due to waste of time in cases with definitive or relative treatment was raised in other medical schools. Conclusion: Based on the results of this research, the introduction of this theory to society without sufficient investigations in the seminaries and universities of medical sciences may cause physical, mental and religious trauma at the individual and social level

Comparison of contrast sensitivity in β-thalassemia patients treated by deferoxamine or deferasirox

Purpose: To compare contrast sensitivity (CS) in multi-transfused β-thalassemia patients who received deferoxamine with those who received Osveral. Methods: In this cross sectional study a total of 60 β-thalassemia patients (30 used deferoxamine and 30 used deferasirox) were regarded as case group and 30 age and sex matched healthy subjects were selected as control group. All subjects had a set of examinations including refraction, visual acuity, Biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy and CS. Contrast threshold was assessed with the use of Freiberg visual acuity and contrast test under the mesopic light condition for three frequencies; 1, 5, 15. cpd. All data analysis was performed using SPSS, version 17. Results: In visual acuity tests, thalassemic patients did not have any problem. Contrast threshold was higher in thalassemic patients who infuse deferoxamine (1.87. ±. 0.63, 1.46. ±. 0.81, and 2.96. ±. 1.68 in 1, 5, and 15. cpd, respectively) than that of those who intake deferasirox (1.74. ±. 0.80 (P = 0.743), 0.99. ±. 0.74 (P = 0.047), and 2.42. ±. 1.36 (P = 0.321) for 1, 5, and 15. cpd, respectively), and also than healthy patients (1.33. ±. 0.58 (P = 0.009), 0.95. ±. 0.68 (P = 0.022), and 2.24. ±. 1.23 (P = 0.135) for 1, 5, and 15. cpd, respectively). Comparing those who used deferasirox with healthy subjects, contrast threshold was higher in deferasirox group at all special frequencies (P >. 0.05). No significant relationship was observed between CS values and duration of transfusion, serum ferritin concentration and dose of chelation therapy (P >. 0.05). Conclusions: CS tests can detect visual disturbance in thalassemic patients before the impairment of visual acuity. It is suggested that CS tests be included in their regular eye examination. © 2018 Spanish General Council of Optometry

Comparison of contrast sensitivity in β-thalassemia patients treated by deferoxamine or deferasirox

Purpose: To compare contrast sensitivity (CS) in multi-transfused β-thalassemia patients who received deferoxamine with those who received Osveral. Methods: In this cross sectional study a total of 60 β-thalassemia patients (30 used deferoxamine and 30 used deferasirox) were regarded as case group and 30 age and sex matched healthy subjects were selected as control group. All subjects had a set of examinations including refraction, visual acuity, Biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy and CS. Contrast threshold was assessed with the use of Freiberg visual acuity and contrast test under the mesopic light condition for three frequencies; 1, 5, 15. cpd. All data analysis was performed using SPSS, version 17. Results: In visual acuity tests, thalassemic patients did not have any problem. Contrast threshold was higher in thalassemic patients who infuse deferoxamine (1.87. ±. 0.63, 1.46. ±. 0.81, and 2.96. ±. 1.68 in 1, 5, and 15. cpd, respectively) than that of those who intake deferasirox (1.74. ±. 0.80 (P = 0.743), 0.99. ±. 0.74 (P = 0.047), and 2.42. ±. 1.36 (P = 0.321) for 1, 5, and 15. cpd, respectively), and also than healthy patients (1.33. ±. 0.58 (P = 0.009), 0.95. ±. 0.68 (P = 0.022), and 2.24. ±. 1.23 (P = 0.135) for 1, 5, and 15. cpd, respectively). Comparing those who used deferasirox with healthy subjects, contrast threshold was higher in deferasirox group at all special frequencies (P >. 0.05). No significant relationship was observed between CS values and duration of transfusion, serum ferritin concentration and dose of chelation therapy (P >. 0.05). Conclusions: CS tests can detect visual disturbance in thalassemic patients before the impairment of visual acuity. It is suggested that CS tests be included in their regular eye examination. © 2018 Spanish General Council of Optometry

Comparison of contrast sensitivity in β-thalassemia patients treated by deferoxamine or deferasirox Comparación de la sensibilidad de contraste en los pacientes con β-Talasemia tratados con Deferoxamina o Deferasirox

Purpose: To compare contrast sensitivity (CS) in multi-transfused β-thalassemia patients who received deferoxamine with those who received Osveral. Methods: In this cross sectional study a total of 60 β-thalassemia patients (30 used deferoxamine and 30 used deferasirox) were regarded as case group and 30 age and sex matched healthy subjects were selected as control group. All subjects had a set of examinations including refraction, visual acuity, Biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy and CS. Contrast threshold was assessed with the use of Freiberg visual acuity and contrast test under the mesopic light condition for three frequencies; 1, 5, 15 cpd. All data analysis was performed using SPSS, version 17. Results: In visual acuity tests, thalassemic patients did not have any problem. Contrast threshold was higher in thalassemic patients who infuse deferoxamine (1.87 ± 0.63, 1.46 ± 0.81, and 2.96 ± 1.68 in 1, 5, and 15 cpd, respectively) than that of those who intake deferasirox (1.74 ± 0.80 (P = 0.743), 0.99 ± 0.74 (P = 0.047), and 2.42 ± 1.36 (P = 0.321) for 1, 5, and 15 cpd, respectively), and also than healthy patients (1.33 ± 0.58 (P = 0.009), 0.95 ± 0.68 (P = 0.022), and 2.24 ± 1.23 (P = 0.135) for 1, 5, and 15 cpd, respectively). Comparing those who used deferasirox with healthy subjects, contrast threshold was higher in deferasirox group at all special frequencies (P > 0.05). No significant relationship was observed between CS values and duration of transfusion, serum ferritin concentration and dose of chelation therapy (P > 0.05). Conclusions: CS tests can detect visual disturbance in thalassemic patients before the impairment of visual acuity. It is suggested that CS tests be included in their regular eye examination. © 2018 Spanish General Council of Optometr

Iranian joint registry (iranian national hip and knee arthroplasty registry)

Periodic evaluation and monitoring the health and economic outcome of joint replacement surgery is a common and popular process under the territory of joint registries in many countries. In this article we introduce the methodology used for the foundation of the National Iranian Joint Registry (IJR) with a joint collaboration of the Social Security Organization (SSO) and academic research departments considering the requirements of the Iran's Ministry of Health and Education. ©BY THE ARCHIVES OF BONE AND JOINT SURGERY

Evaluation of the profile of alopecia areata and the prevalence of thyroid function test abnormalities and serum autoantibodies in Iranian patients

BACKGROUND: The study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in patients with alopecia areata (AA) and its association with other autoimmune diseases and various autoimmune antibodies. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 123 patients with AA. The main site of involvement, pattern, and extent of alopecia as well as presence of the similar disease in first-degree family members and serologic status of patients were recorded. RESULTS: Participating in the study were 57 males and 66 females (6 to 59 years old). In the majority of patients (69.9%) the disease was manifested in the first two decades of life. Patients with family members having alopecia were recorded in 24.4%. Thyroid function abnormalities were found in 8.9% of patients. Positive autoimmune antibodies were associated with AA in 51.4% of patients with no significant association between the severity and duration of disease and presence of these antibodies. CONCLUSION: The incidence of positive auto-immune antibodies in Iranian patients is higher than previous reports. Concerning the female:male ratio, thyroid function tests and the prevalence of alopecia in first-degree relatives, our results are compatible with previous data obtained from different ethnic populations. Previous reports documented that a greater severity and longer duration of AA were seen in the early onset forms; however our result are relatively different which could be explained by differences in genetic factors