Framework for Recovery Assessment of Hospital Cluster Following a Scenario Earthquake Event

Modeling the recovery process of a communitys infrastructure after the occurrence of extreme events is now at the forefront of research. Estimating post-disaster recovery of either single or multiple infrastructure in a community requires proper flow and interaction of information of the physical, economic and social components of the involved sectors. Understanding this recovery process is essential, particularly for critical infrastructure, such as a hospital, which is vital for a communitys well-being. In this study, a full seismic functionality and recovery process of a hospital cluster, located in Shelby County, Memphis, TN, is quantified and assessed using a comprehensive framework. The hospital functionality assessment encompasses both quantity and quality of the hospitalization service. The quantity of the hospitalization service is presented as a function of the number of staffed beds, which is expressed as a combination of the staff, space and supplies availability while the quality measured by the patient waiting time. The demand on the hospitals, estimated based on a newly developed patient-driven model, which considers patient constraints, patient-to-hospital connection, hospital availability in addition to hospital cluster interaction. The hospitals dependency on other infrastructure during the recovery process and the interaction between different hospitals is modeled. Socioeconomic data related to hospital operation and recovery after the earthquake are used for the assessment. The presented framework accounts for limitation in resources such as the repair crews within the community, expected economic return for each hospital, and interdependencies between the different lifelines including the investigated hospitals. The results are consequently used within a testbed to support assessment of community resilience in The Interdependent Networked Community Resilience Modeling Environment (NIST-CORE), which is a computational platform currently being developed to compute various resilience goals.Funding for this study was provided as part of Cooperative Agreement 70NANB15H044 between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Colorado State University. The content expressed in this paper are the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of NIST or the U.S Department of Commerce. Researchers who helped with gathering data for Shelby County are acknowledged

The Effectiveness of a Training Program in Developing The Auditory Perception Skills and its Effect in Improvement reading Skills Of Students with Learning Disabilities.

The study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a training program in developing the auditory perception skills and its effect in improving reading skills of students with learning disabilities (LD). The sample of the study were 40 students who were chosen purposively from students who have learning disabilities and who were attending 4th grade resource rooms. These participants were divided into two groups: the first group was an experimental group while the other was a control group. Each group consisted of 20 male students with LD. Moreover, the study used the auditory perception scale prepared by Al-Kailani and Al-Waqfi (1998) which was standardized on the Jordanian environment. In addition, a reading achievement test prepared by the researchers was used. The training program was applied on the experimental group to develop auditory perception skills for a period of two months. The Shared Variance analysis (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results were as follows; there were statistical significant differences at (α \u3c 0.05) in auditory perception skills between the subjects of both groups; the experimental and control group being better for experimental group on the total auditory perception scale, also on its dimensions in favor of the experimental group. Moreover, there were statistical significance difference in academic (reading) achievement between both groups at the level (α \u3c 0.05) in favor of the experimental grou

A Variable Speed Synchronous Motor Approach for Smart Irrigation using Doubly Fed Induction Motor

Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Jazan University, Jizan 45142, Saudi Arabia.Doubly Fed Induction Motor (DFIM) is a popular machine used in variable speed drives, and its ruggedness, reliability and simplicity of speed control make it a suitable candidate for use in smart irrigation systems. This paper studies and evaluates the performance of DFIM at different operating conditions and shows that it can be viewed as a variable speed synchronous motor. The research results reveal that DFIM can be used to control the flow rate of water in irrigation systems, by adjusting the speed of the motor to match the desired flow rate. A mathematical model has been developed to optimize the performance of the DFIM in smart irrigation systems, taking into account the specific conditions of the application. In addition, an experimental setup was built and tested to enhance the theoretical results, which showed good correlation between the theoretical and experimental results. The results of this research demonstrate the potential of using the DFIM in smart irrigation systems to improve the performance and efficiency of irrigation and to provide better control and lower costs

Direct heat stress-induced effects on rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrients degradability in sheep pair-fed alfalfa hay

Aim of the study: To investigate the direct effect of heat stress on rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrients degradability of pair-fed rams to subsequently eliminate the confounding effects of dissimilar feed intake induced by heat stress exposure.Area of study: Saudi Arabia.Material and methods: Five rumen-cannulated desert rams (45 ± 1.63 kg body weight; 2–3 years of age) were placed individually in controlled climatic-chambers to be exposed to two successive periods. The 1st period was a control thermoneutral period (TN; 23.64 ± 0.14 °C; extended for 21 days) followed by a 2nd period of heat stress (HS; 44.26 ± 1.70 °C, for another 21 days). Each period was consisted of a temperature acclimation phase (7 days) and a data collection phase (14 days). Alfalfa hay was offered twice daily during both periods in a pair-fed manner (800 g DM per head and day).Main results: Exposing pair-fed desert rams to elevated ambient temperature had (p<0.05) elevated their respiration rate and skin temperature, without noticeable (p>0.05) changes in their rectal temperature. Most of the rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrients degradability were not affected by HS (p>0.05). However, exposure to HS increased (p<0.05) pre-feeding rumen total volatile fatty acids concentrations, pre-feeding molar proportion of acetate, and post-feeding rumen osmolality.Research highlights: HS had no direct effect on post-feeding rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrients degradability in desert sheep. This implies that strategic approaches to mitigate the adverse effects of HS have to be directed towards promoting feed intake and nutrients utilization under such conditions

Dr.

Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Jazan University, Jizan 45142, Saudi Arabia

Tin complexes of 4-(Benzylideneamino)benzenesulfonamide: synthesis, structure elucidation and their efficiency as PVC photostabilizers

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) suffers from photo-oxidation and photodegradation when exposed to harsh conditions. Application of PVC thus relies on the development of ever more efficient photostabilizers. The current research reports the synthesis of new complexes of tin and their assessment as poly(vinyl chloride) photostabilizers. The three new complexes were obtained in high yields from reaction of 4-(benzylideneamino)benzenesulfonamide and tin chlorides. Their structures were elucidated using different tools. The complexes were mixed with poly(vinyl chloride) at a very low concentration and thin films were made from the blends. The effectiveness of the tin complexes as photostabilizers has been established using a variety of methods. The new tin complexes led to a decrease in weight loss, formation of small residues, molecular weight depression, and surface alteration of poly(vinyl chloride) after irradiation. The additives act by absorption of ultraviolet light, removal the active chlorine produced through a dehydrochlorination process, decomposition of peroxides, and coordination with the polymeric chains. The triphenyltin complex showed the greatest stabilizing effect against PVC photodegradation as a result of its high aromaticity

Investigation of the impact of chemical modifications on the photostability of polymethyl methacrylate

For practical application, it is crucial to ensure that polymeric materials are protected against degradation due to aging and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. A range of advancements in developing novel photostabilizers has been made in the last few years. Another approach is the alteration of polymer structures to enhance their ability to resist photodegradation and photooxidation on exposure to UV light for extended periods in harsh conditions. Polymeric chain modifications have proved to be efficient in increasing the photostability of materials. The current work deals with the surface functionalization of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) by incorporating organotin moieties on the polymer backbone. PMMA reacts with ethylenediamine to attach amino groups to the polymer chains. The amino group reacts with 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde to produce the corresponding Schiff base. Adding trisubstituted (methyl, butyl, and phenyl) tin chloride led to the addition of organometallic residence to the polymeric chains. Thin films of the modified PMMA were made and irradiated with ultraviolet light for long durations to test the effect of chain modification on the photostability of polymeric materials. The effect of the substituent on the tin atom on the photostability of PMMA has been analyzed. Various methods were used for assessment, including infrared spectroscopy, weight loss, surface morphology, and roughness factor. The modified polymers showed increased resistance to photodegradation and had lower roughness factor, weight reduction, surface damages, and small fragments generated compared to the blank PMMA. The polymer containing phenyl substituents showed the most apparent photostabilization effect and the least destructive changes in the PMMA surface on photoirradiation