Design Optimization of Inductive Power Transfer Systems for Contactless Electric Vehicle Charging Applications

Contactless Electric Vehicle (EV) charging based on magnetic resonant induction is an emerging technology that can revolutionize the future of the EV industry and transportation systems by enabling an automated and convenient charging process. However, in order to make this technology an acceptable alternative for conventional plug-in charging systems it needs to be optimized for different design measures. Specifically, the efficiency of an inductive EV charging system is of a great importance and should be comparable to the efficiency of conventional plug-in EV chargers. The aim of this study is to develop solutions that contribute to the design enhancement of inductive EV charging systems. Specifically, generalized physics-based design optimization methods that address the trade-off problem between several key objectives including efficiency, power density, misalignment tolerance, and cost efficiency considering critical constraints are developed. Using the developed design methodology, a 3.7kW inductive charging system with square magnetic structures is investigated as a case study and a prototype is built to validate the optimization results. The developed prototype achieves 93.65% efficiency (DC-to-DC) and a power density of 1.65kW/dm3. Also, self-tuning power transfer control methods with resonance frequency tracking capability and bidirectional power transfer control are presented. The proposed control methods enhance the efficiency of power converters and reduce the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) by enabling soft-switching operations. Several simplified digital controllers are developed and experimentally implemented. The controllers are implemented without the use of DSP/FPGA solutions. Experimental tests show that of the developed simplified controllers can effectively regulate the power transfer around the desired value. Moreover, the experiments show that compared to conventional converters, the developed converters can achieve 4% higher efficiency at low power levels. Moreover, enhanced matrix converter topologies that can achieve bidirectional power transfer and high efficiency with a reduced number of switching elements are introduced. The self-tuning controllers are utilized to design and develop control schemes for bidirectional power transfer regulation. The simulation analyses and experimental results show that the developed matrix converters can effectively establish bidirectional power transfer at the desired power levels with soft-switching operations and resonance frequency tracking capability. Specifically, a direct three-phase AC-AC matrix converter with a reduced number of switches (only seven) is developed and built. It is shown that the developed converters can achieve efficiencies as high as 98.54% at high power levels and outperform conventional two-stage converters

Domination parameters and diameter of Abelian Cayley graphs

Using the domination parameters of Cayley graphs constructed out of $\mathbb{Z}_{p}\times \mathbb{Z}_{m}$, where $m\in\{p^{\alpha}, p^{\alpha}q^{\beta}, p^{\alpha}q^{\beta}r^{\gamma}\},$ in this paper we are discussing about the total and connected domination number and diameter of these Cayley graphs

The trend of seat belt use among drivers in the north of Iran, 2007-2010: An epidemiologic study

Backgrounds and Objectives: Using seat belt has a considerable role in reducing human damage. The aim of this study was to compare trend of seat belt use rate during 4 years, from 2007 to 2010, in Golestan province (northern Iran). Materials and Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study that enrolled 3999 subjects aged 15-65 years during four years (2007 = 1000 cases, 2008 = 1000 cases, 2009 = 999 cases and 2010= 1000 cases) using stratified cluster sampling. Interviewers recorded the data using a multidimensional questionnaire including anthropometric indexes. Using seat belt in the case of sitting in the front seat of car (as a driver or passenger) of all samples was asked. SPSS 16.0 software was used for statistical data analysis. Results: The rate of seat belt use in the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 were 71%, 69.8%, 74.5 and 86.4%, respectively. Seat belt use during the four years increased up to 15.4%. Statistical differences among four years was significant (P<0.01). The increasing seat belt use rate was 19% and 14.9% in urban and rural areas, respectively. The seat belt use rate was higher in subjects with =35 years old people in proportion to 35= years old people (17.85% versus 14.3%). During the latest year of study, using seat belt was about 14.8% higher in men comparing with women (P<0.05). Conclusion: Using seat belt increased up to 3.9% per year and the trend in the rural areas was lower than in the urban areas. Seat belt used in men more than women. Using seat belt and its growing trend, will help in reducing mortality caused by accidents in Iran. © IDOSI Publications, 2012

Five-year trend in hydrogenated vegetable oil consumption among Northern Iranian families

Background: The main aim of this study was to assess the trends in hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) consumption and some related factors among northern Iranian families from 2006 to 2010. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted with 6497 subjects, 15 to 65 years old, who were chosen by multistage cluster random sampling. The subjects were randomly chosen by 325 clusters with an equal size (n = 20 subjects). A multidimensional questionnaire including so-ciodemographic questions and type of cooking oil used were administered by interviewers. Results: The percentages of the sample reporting HVO consumption across the 5 years are as follows: 2006,85.2%; 2007, 79.7%; 2008, 75.9%; 2009, 59.3%; and 2010, 55.7%. Consumption decreased 29.5% during the 5 years of study and an average of 5.9% per year (P < .05). The estimated odds ratio of HVO consumption in rural areas verus urban areas was 2.59 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.31-2.90); for poor compared with good economic level the odds ratio was 3.99 (95% CI, 3.13-5.10 for; for the uneducated versus college-educated sample it was 5.75 (95% CI, 4.10-8.17); and the odds ratio was 3.34(95% CI, 2.51-4.45) for Sisstani compared with Fars-native ethnic group. Conclusion: HVO consumption decreased during the 5-year study (2006 to 2010), but HVO is still used extensively in northern Iran. Preventive early intervention strategies are needed to target uneducated and poor families, with an emphasis on the Sisstanish ethnic group, to increase awareness about the negative consequences of HVO consumption

Influence of education in the prevalence of obesity in Iranian northern adults

Background: The main aim of this study was to evaluate whether prevalence of obesity in educational levels is different and some related factors in Iranian northern adults. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study based on population and 2452 cases (1224 men and 1228 women) aged 15e65 years were chosen by cluster and stratify sampling. Subjects were randomly chosen from 125 clusters and each cluster included 20 cases. Interviewers recorded the data using a multidimensional questionnaire including socio-demographic indexes. Results: As a whole, the prevalence of obesity was seen in 24% of subjects (15.5% in male and 32.5% in female) and significantly was seen in 3.1% and 14.1% of uneducated people more than in 1e9 year schooling and in high school or college-educated people, respectively (P = 0.001). The risk of obesity was 2.294 (P = 0.001) in uneducated compared to high school or college-educated people, 1.668 (P = 0.001) in urban area compared to rural area, 2.619 (P = 0.001) in 40e65 year people compared to 15e40 year people, and 1.534 (P = 0.003) in good economic compared to poor economic groups. After adjusted for location area, gender, age, and economic stats, the risk of obesity was 2.044 (P = 0.001) in uneducated people compared to high school or college-educated subjects. Conclusion: The obesity as a health problem in Iranian northern adults supported in this study and it was negatively associated with educational levels. Public health programs that aim to reduce obesity should primarily focus on the illiterate and low-educated people. Copyright © 2013, SciBioIMed.Org, Published by Reed Elsevier India Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved

From Harem Girls to Jihadis: The Depiction of Muslim Women in Hollywood

Think Muslims in films or television and you may recall Tasneem Qureishi from Homeland or, more recently, Nadia Ali from Bodyguard. Or you may recall a completely different Muslim woman (if you even can come up with one). The one thing that remains consistent is that the character is frequently a caricature or gross misrepresentation of Muslim women. In fact, as this paper will go on to argue, the broad majority of current female Muslim characters on-screen today can fall into one of two categories: the terrorist and the oppressed one. These narrow, primarily negative representations of a group of people is one of the defining qualities of Orientalism. Orientalism, in conjunction with imperialist motives on the part of Western nations, influenced the depiction of Muslims in popular media such as films and television series. This image of a Muslim has been shaped by eurocentric thinking that viewed Europeans and Americans as being superior to the rest of the world and, in turn, justified imperialist action. The paper will start with the advent of film in the late 1800s and discuss the orientalism evident in the films of the time and its connection to colonialism. This portrayal of the Muslim as the “exotic” would shift in the late 1940s as the U.S. began to play a greater role in the Middle East and once again in the early 2000s with 9/11 and the beginning of the Global War on Terror. Notably, the Muslim went from being the curio to the villain. A rise in Islamophobia led to Muslims almost without exception being cast as the terrorist, which helped strengthen popular perceptions of Muslims as such while also helping rationalize U.S. military and political efforts in Muslim majority countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. The main focus of this paper, however, is on Muslim women. In particular, this paper will look at the issue of veiling and show how the veiling and unveiling of Muslim woman in Hollywood films and television shows exemplifies the influence of orientalism. Specifically, the aspects of exoticism and assumed inferiority will be discussed. The issue of veiling also largely represents imperialist points of view, which use the veil to designate the Middle East as being backwards and to emphasize the “otherness” of Muslims

Differences in the prevalence of obesity among Fars-native, Turkman, and Sisstanish ethnic groups in Iranian northern adults in 2010

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences of obesity rate among three ethnic groups in northern adults in IR Iran in 2010. Methods: The present cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted on 2994 cases of the same age and sex in three ethnic proportions (Fars-native=1625, Turkman=977, and Sisstani=392). The subjects aged between 15 and 65 years old and were selected by multistage cluster sampling techniques including 150 clusters each containing 20 subjects in urban and rural areas in 11 districts in Golestan province (northern IR Iran). Obesity was defined after WHO classification by BMI (Body Mass Index) equal or over 30 kg/ m2. SPSS 16.0 software was used for statistical analysis and P value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Mean±SD of BMI in Fars-native, Turkman, and Sisstanish ethnic groups was 26.72±5.56, 26.18±5.34, and 24.59±6.72 kg/m2, respectively. Averagely, obesity was common in 22.8% of the subjects and was significantly higher among the females compared to males (32.3% vs13.3%) (P=0.001). Also, its prevalence was estimated as 25%, 22.6%, and 14% in Fars-native, Turkman, and Sisstanish ethnic groups, respectively. Statistical differences were significant among the three ethnic groups (P=0.001). The risk of obesity was 2.041 [95% CI, 1.502-2.722] in Fars-native and 1.781 [95% CI, 1.298-2.472] in Turkman groups compared to Sisstanish ethnic group. Conclusions: Over one out of five adults in northern IR Iran suffer from obesity and an alarming rate was shown among the women. Among the three ethnic groups, the highest and the lowest rates were seen in Fars-native and Sisstanish ethnic groups, respectively. Variation of obesity among the three ethnic groups should be studied in future studies

Determinants of healthcare utilisation and predictors of outcome in colorectal cancer patients from Northern Iran

We aimed to assess healthcare utilisation (HU), its determinants, as well as its relationship with survival in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This study was conducted on incident CRC cases from Northern Iran. Information on HU was collected using a valid questionnaire, considering eight diagnostic and four therapeutic services. The results were categorised as good and poor HU. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between HU and other variables. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine major predictors of survival. In total, 227 new cases of CRC were enrolled. HU could be assessed in 218 subjects (96). Living in rural areas was the strongest variable related to poor HU (adjusted OR, odds ratio=2.65; CI, confidence interval: 1.30-5.40). The median survival time was 40.5months. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 71, 52 and 44 respectively. Cox regression analysis showed a significant lower survival rate in patients with poor HU (HR=2.3; CI: 1.46-3.64). HU was an independent predictor of survival in our CRC patients. Patients' place of residence was a significant determinant of HU. Regarding its effects on patients' outcome, HU and its determinants should be considered in designing CRC controlling programmes in our region and similar high-risk populations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the north of Iran. An epidemiologic comparative study

Background and Objective: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and the main aim of this study is to explorer prevalence of it in the north of Iran with comparison of Turkman and non-Turkman ethnic groups in 2012. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that conducted on the 248 subjects aged 25-70 years (Turkman=88 and non-Turkman=160). Individuals were chosen randomly from 25 clusters. Waist circumference was measured with the subject standing at the end of normal breathing; blood pressure was measured in three times and 5 ml of venous blood drawn after 8-12 h fast in the morning for laboratory test. Biochemical analysis including fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was assayed using a commercially kit (Pars Azmoon, Karaj, Iran). ATP-III method and SPSS 16.0 software (Chicago II, USA) were used for diagnosis of MetS and for statistical analyzes, respectively. P-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Compare to Turkman group, the mean of FBG (fasting blood glucose), triglyceride and waist circumference are 15.9 mg/dl, 30.2 mg/dl and 6.5 cm were more in non-Turkman group, respectively (P<0.05 for all). The Pearson's correlation coefficient is positive between age and MetS (r=0.287, P=0.01). Generally, MetS was common in 37.9 of subjects and it was 14.7 in non-Turkman more than in Turkman people (P=0.015). Prevalence rate of MetS in men and women was 29.7 and 43.5, respectively (P=0.001). Conclusion: In the north of Iran, the prevalence of MetS is high and it was in non-Turkman ethnic group more than in Turkman group and in women more than in men while gender differences only was shown in non-Turkman ethnic group