Power Conversion Model and Simulation of Grid Connected Solar and Wind Hybrid System

This paper deals with system model, power conversion process, and conversion control of grid connected solar-wind hybrid system. The contribution of the installed PV capacity is 80 kW, and 30 kW of wind turbine which are connected in parallel to a common DC-link bus. As the three levels three stages of voltage source grid inverter is connected   to this DC-link bus, the stable bus voltage i.e. 600 VDC is maintained by controlling both of the DC-DC boost converters to the PV side and to the permanent synchronous wind turbine side via a rectifier. The power integration to the utility grid of 11 kV line is performed by the grid inverter through a three phase step-up transformer rated with 400 V/ 11kV, 120 kVA. The power conversion process is taken by considering the variation of solar radiations, PV cell temperatures, and wind speeds. By the help of the power conversion control, the total generated electrical power from the hybrid system can be injected to the utility grid line. In this paper, each of the proposed hybrid system components are developed in MATLAB/Simulink model for observing the feasibility of the available injected power to the grid line under the nature variations of the input power sources. The maximum power point tracking method is approached for getting effectiveness of the available maximum utilization power from the hybrid sources. The control technique of sinusoidal pulse width modulation is applied for generating control pulses of the controllers used in power conversion process. The grid synchronization is performed by the grid inverter control with phase lock loop with grid voltage. This paper mentions and makes discussion briefly about the observations from the simulating results of the proposed overall power conversion model

Hemoglobin E prevalence in malaria-endemic villages in Myanmar.

The population of Myanmar comprises 8 major indigenous races (Bamar, Kayin, Kachin, Shan, Rakhine, Mon, Chin, and Kayah). The Bamar reside in the 7 central divisions of the country, and the others reside in the 7 peripheral states that border neighboring countries, including China, Laos, and Thailand in the east and India and Bangladesh in the west. Both malaria and HbE are endemic in Myanmar, although the actual prevalence of the latter in the different indigenous races is not yet known. Hemoglobin electrophoresis was performed in 4 malaria-endemic villages, each having a different predominating indigenous race. The overall prevalence of HbE was 11.4% (52/456 villagers), ranging from 2-6% in the Kayin-predominant villages to 13.1-24.4% in the Bamar-predominant villages. Although the overall HbE prevalence in the villages studied was not significantly different from that of the general Myanmar population, this study strongly documented the influence of racial differences on the prevalence of HbE in Myanmar. To prevent and control severe thalassemia syndromes in Myanmar, extensive prevalence studies of the country?s indigenous races are suggested.</p

Health and human rights in eastern Myanmar prior to political transition: a population-based assessment using multistaged household cluster sampling

Background: Myanmar/Burma has received increased development and humanitarian assistance since the election in November 2010. Monitoring the impact of foreign assistance and economic development on health and human rights requires knowledge of pre-election conditions. Methods: From October 2008-January 2009, community-based organizations conducted household surveys using three-stage cluster sampling in Shan, Kayin, Bago, Kayah, Mon and Tanintharyi areas of Myanmar. Data was collected from 5,592 heads of household on household demographics, reproductive health, diarrhea, births, deaths, malaria, and acute malnutrition of children 6–59 months and women aged 15–49 years. A human rights focused survey module evaluated human rights violations (HRVs) experienced by household members during the previous year. Results: Estimated infant and under-five rates were 77 (95% CI 56 to 98) and 139 (95% CI 107 to 171) deaths per 1,000 live births; and the crude mortality rate was 13 (95% CI 11 to 15) deaths per thousand persons. The leading respondent-reported cause of death was malaria, followed by acute respiratory infection and diarrhea, causing 21.2% (95% CI 16.5 to 25.8), 16.6% (95% CI 11.8 to 21.4), and 12.3% (95% CI 8.7 to 15.8), respectively. Over a third of households suffered at least one human rights violation in the preceding year (36.2%; 30.7 to 41.7). Household exposure to forced labor increased risk of death among infants (rate ratio (RR) = 2.2; 95% CI 1.1 to 4.4) and children under five (RR = 2.1; 95% CI 1.3 to 3.6). The proportion of children suffering from moderate to severe acute malnutrition was higher among households that were displaced (prevalence ratio (PR) = 3.3; 95% CI 1.9 to 5.6). Conclusions: Prior to the 2010 election, populations of eastern Myanmar experienced high rates of disease and death and high rates of HRVs. These population-based data provide a baseline that can be used to monitor national and international efforts to improve the health and human rights situation in the region

“Nine Dimensions”: A multidisciplinary approach for community engagement in a complex postwar border region as part of the targeted malaria elimination in Karen/Kayin State, Myanmar [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

Background: In light of growing antimalarial drug resistance in Southeast Asia, control programmes have become increasingly focused on malaria elimination, composed of mass drug administration coupled with prompt diagnosis and treatment of symptomatic cases. The key to a successful elimination programme centres on high participation rates in targeted communities, often enhanced by community engagement (CE) efforts. Social science research was conducted to develop a conceptual framework used for CE activities in the Targeted Malaria Elimination programme, as a cross-border operation in Karen/Kayin State, Myanmar. Methods: Data was collected from three main sources: (1) participant observation and semi-structured interviews of CE team members; (2) participant observation and semi-structured interviews with villagers; and (3) records of CE workshops with CE workers conducted as part of the TME programme. Results: Interviews were conducted with 17 CE team members, with 10 participant observations and interviews conducted with villagers and a total of 3 workshops conducted over the course of this pilot programme in 4 villages (November 2013 to October 2014). Thematic analysis was used to construct the nine dimensions for CE in this complex, post-war region: i) history of the people; ii) space; iii) work; iv) knowledge about the world; v) intriguing obstacle (rumour); vi) relationship with the health care system; vii) migration; viii) logic of capitalism influencing openness; and ix) power relations. Conclusions: Conducting CE for the Targeted Malaria Elimination programme was immensely complicated in Karen/Kayin State because of three key realities: heterogeneous terrains, a post-war atmosphere and cross-border operations. These three key realities constituted the nine dimensions, which proved integral to health worker success in conducting CE. Summary of this approach can aid in infectious disease control programmes, such as those using mass drug administration, to engender high rates of community participation

“Nine Dimensions”: A multidisciplinary approach for community engagement in a complex postwar border region as part of the targeted malaria elimination in Karen/Kayin State, Myanmar [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Background: In light of growing antimalarial drug resistance in Southeast Asia, control programmes have become increasingly focused on malaria elimination, composed of mass drug administration coupled with prompt diagnosis and treatment of symptomatic cases. The key to a successful elimination programme centres on high participation rates in targeted communities, often enhanced by community engagement (CE) efforts. Social science research was conducted to develop a conceptual framework used for CE activities in the Targeted Malaria Elimination programme, as a cross-border operation in Karen/Kayin State, Myanmar. Methods: Data was collected from three main sources: (1) participant observation and semi-structured interviews of CE team members; (2) participant observation and semi-structured interviews with villagers; and (3) records of CE workshops with CE workers conducted as part of the TME programme. Results: Interviews were conducted with 17 CE team members, with 10 participant observations and interviews conducted with villagers and a total of 3 workshops conducted over the course of this pilot programme in 4 villages (November 2013 to October 2014). Thematic analysis was used to construct the nine dimensions for CE in this complex, post-war region: i) history of the people; ii) space; iii) work; iv) knowledge about the world; v) intriguing obstacle (rumour); vi) relationship with the health care system; vii) migration; viii) logic of capitalism influencing openness; and ix) power relations. Conclusions: Conducting CE for the Targeted Malaria Elimination programme was immensely complicated in Karen/Kayin State because of three key realities: heterogeneous terrains, a post-war atmosphere and cross-border operations. These three key realities constituted the nine dimensions, which proved integral to health worker success in conducting CE. Summary of this approach can aid in infectious disease control programmes, such as those using mass drug administration, to engender high rates of community participation

Political transition and emergent forest-conservation issues in Myanmar.

Political and economic transitions have had substantial impacts on forest conservation. Where transitions are underway or anticipated, historical precedent and methods for systematically assessing future trends should be used to anticipate likely threats to forest conservation and design appropriate and prescient policy measures to counteract them. Myanmar is transitioning from an authoritarian, centralized state with a highly regulated economy to a more decentralized and economically liberal democracy and is working to end a long-running civil war. With these transitions in mind, we used a horizon-scanning approach to assess the 40 emerging issues most affecting Myanmar's forests, including internal conflict, land-tenure insecurity, large-scale agricultural development, demise of state timber enterprises, shortfalls in government revenue and capacity, and opening of new deforestation frontiers with new roads, mines, and hydroelectric dams. Averting these threats will require, for example, overhauling governance models, building capacity, improving infrastructure- and energy-project planning, and reforming land-tenure and environmental-protection laws. Although challenges to conservation in Myanmar are daunting, the political transition offers an opportunity for conservationists and researchers to help shape a future that enhances Myanmar's social, economic, and environmental potential while learning and applying lessons from other countries. Our approach and results are relevant to other countries undergoing similar transitions

Political transition and emergent forest-conservation issues in Myanmar.

Political and economic transitions have had substantial impacts on forest conservation. Where transitions are underway or anticipated, historical precedent and methods for systematically assessing future trends should be used to anticipate likely threats to forest conservation and design appropriate and prescient policy measures to counteract them. Myanmar is transitioning from an authoritarian, centralized state with a highly regulated economy to a more decentralized and economically liberal democracy and is working to end a long-running civil war. With these transitions in mind, we used a horizon-scanning approach to assess the 40 emerging issues most affecting Myanmar's forests, including internal conflict, land-tenure insecurity, large-scale agricultural development, demise of state timber enterprises, shortfalls in government revenue and capacity, and opening of new deforestation frontiers with new roads, mines, and hydroelectric dams. Averting these threats will require, for example, overhauling governance models, building capacity, improving infrastructure- and energy-project planning, and reforming land-tenure and environmental-protection laws. Although challenges to conservation in Myanmar are daunting, the political transition offers an opportunity for conservationists and researchers to help shape a future that enhances Myanmar's social, economic, and environmental potential while learning and applying lessons from other countries. Our approach and results are relevant to other countries undergoing similar transitions

Development Plan For Multicultural Working Environment , A Case Study – Middle East

The purpose of this Master’s thesis was to develop a proposal for efficient work culture in a multicultural environment. Global business requires competent and multi-culturally fluent professionals. They need to move fast and adapt quickly to challenging projects all over the world. To be able to win in highly competitive markets of the Middle East, management and the HR face several challenges. Success is measured by the ability to take advantage of these opportunities. My research method is the case study. A Finnish expert engineering company operating in the Middle East was selected for the case. The aim was to investigate the strengths and opportunity areas for managing demanding projects in the area. Thus, the study belongs to two different theoretical fields, international management and cultural research. This thesis has been divided into three parts: theory, empirical analysis and the development plan. The theory built on the base of management and culture studies. The empirical research was utilizing the target company’s yearly employee engagement survey (quantitative research). Information was collected also from three Finnish expats, who had been working in the target company in the Middle East for at least two years. Personal interviews were confidential and open also for more profound discussions (qualitative research). A careful analysis of the survey and interviews proved that the target company has lots of professional potential. An improved proposal to further develop the multicultural work environment, the management and the HR skills and finally, to build a highly competitive Project Task Force to operate in challenging projects around the region was then offered as contribution of this study