Soft-switching non-isolated high step-up three-level boost converter using single magnetic element

Here, a soft switched three-level boost converter with high voltage gain is proposed which is suitable for high step-up applications with wide output power range. In this converter, a ZVT auxiliary circuit is used which provides soft switching in a wide range of output power independent of load variation. Utilizing coupled-inductors with one magnetic core removes extra auxiliary core in the soft switching circuit and provides high voltage gain in conjunction with size reduction. Also, the secondary and tertiary leakage inductances of the coupled-inductors minimize the reverse recovery problem of the output diodes. Due to its three-level structure, it has very low voltage stress over semiconductor elements in comparison to the existing interleaved structures, resulting in using MOSFETs with low on-resistance and thus lower conduction losses and cost. Operating modes as well as analytical analysis of the proposed converter are discussed. Finally, in order to validate the proposed converter performance, experimental results from a 200-W laboratory prototype are presented.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

In silico product design of pharmaceuticals

The increasing demand for personalized medicine necessitates the production of easily customizable dosage forms. As the number of possible dosage forms may scale toward infinity, their uniqueness requires a versatile production platform and numerical simulation in order to be manufactured efficiently. A mathematical description of these systems is the only feasible approach to manage such diverse properties of different products. However, experimental verification is still essential for evaluation of processability and related concomitant phenomena, such as possible solid state changes that may occur during production and storage

Soft‐switching non‐isolated high step‐up three‐level boost converter using single magnetic element

Abstract Here, a soft switched three‐level boost converter with high voltage gain is proposed which is suitable for high step‐up applications with wide output power range. In this converter, a ZVT auxiliary circuit is used which provides soft switching in a wide range of output power independent of load variation. Utilizing coupled‐inductors with one magnetic core removes extra auxiliary core in the soft switching circuit and provides high voltage gain in conjunction with size reduction. Also, the secondary and tertiary leakage inductances of the coupled‐inductors minimize the reverse recovery problem of the output diodes. Due to its three‐level structure, it has very low voltage stress over semiconductor elements in comparison to the existing interleaved structures, resulting in using MOSFETs with low on‐resistance and thus lower conduction losses and cost. Operating modes as well as analytical analysis of the proposed converter are discussed. Finally, in order to validate the proposed converter performance, experimental results from a 200‐W laboratory prototype are presented

Exciton-photon interaction in a quantum dot embedded in a photonic microcavity

We present a detailed analysis of exciton-photon interaction in a microcavity made out of a photonic crystal slab. Here we have analyzed a disk-like quantum dot where an exciton is formed. Excitonic eigen-functions in addition to their eigen-energies are found through direct matrix diagonalization, while wave functions corresponding to unbound electron and hole are chosen as the basis set for this procedure. In order to evaluate these wave functions precisely, we have used Luttinger Hamiltonian in the case of hole while ignoring bands adjacent to conduction band for electron states. After analyzing Excitonic states, a photonic crystal based microcavity with a relatively high quality factor mode has been proposed and its lattice constant has been adjusted to obtain the prescribed resonant frequency. We use finite-difference time-domain method in order to simulate our cavity with sufficient precision. Finally, we formulate the coupling constants for exciton-photon interaction both where intra-band and inter-band transitions occur. By evaluating a sample coupling constant, it has been shown that the system can be in strong coupling regime and Rabi oscillations can occur for Excitonic state population.Comment: Journal of Physics B: Atomic and Molecular Physics (to appear

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-Adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017 : A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-Adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care. © 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017 : results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Correction:Background Past research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries. Methods We reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Findings In 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505). Interpretation Injuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care.Peer reviewe

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

Rapid design of steel monosymmetric plate and box girders

This thesis deals with the design process for steel plate girders and box girders. The design of plate girders is quite prescriptive. A more fundamental approach is required for the design of box girders. Equations explicitly for the design of plate and box girders are heavily influenced by empirical data. This work considers pure steel box girders only, and does not include the design of composite box girder sections. CAN/CSA-S6-00 “Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code” provides detailed design requirements for these composite girders. The design of plate girders follows mostly the requirements specified in the “Handbook of Steel Construction” CAN/CSA-S16.1. However, the S16.1 clauses relating to bending capacity are not well suited for the design of monosymmetric plate girders. Therefore, the code recommends a rational method of analysis such as methods explained in the Structural Stability Research Council’s Guide to Stability Design Criteria for Metal Structures. In addition, “Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code” CAN/CSA-S6-00 provides additional design information for monosymmetric sections. A steel box girder excluding composite design, hereon simply referred to as a box girder, is a purely steel section that could be designed in accordance with CAN/CSA-S16 “Limit States Design of Steel Structures”. However, this standard focuses on clauses for plate girder design, with little specific reference to box girders. Therefore, additional reference materials such as: 1) Guide to Stability Design Criteria for Metal Structures, 2) Crane Manufacturer’s Association of America (CMAA 74-2) standards, and 3) Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code are used for the design of monosymmeteric box girders. An integrated design and analysis environment in a form of formatted spreadsheet is implemented to ease the design process. The spreadsheet checks for both strength and serviceability requirements according to the applicable codes and standards. Included with this project is a clear procedure manual in chapter 7, so that the spreadsheet can be utilized for commercial design.Applied Science, Faculty ofCivil Engineering, Department ofGraduat