Development of an assessment model for predicting public electric vehicle charging stations

Deploying an adequate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to support the increasing EV market is one of the major strategic goals of the U.S. government. This requires a well-designed EV charging network. The distribution and capability of the existing charging networks in terms of EV population, location, charging rate, and time of charging in San Diego is examined. A mathematical model to calculate the demand number of public Level 2 chargers universally applicable is developed. The study showed that although San Diego has sufficient chargers to accommodate the existing EV’s charging demand, the current public charging distribution network is neither well designed nor effectively used. To eliminate the waste resulting from the inefficiently designed charging infrastructure and maximize the usage rate of each charger, it is recommended that the designed optimal model to be utilized and the charging location priority be implemented to improve the availability and accessibility of charging network in the City of San Diego. Introduction: The purpose of this study is to identify current problems with the existing electric vehicle public charging stations and come up with solutions to improve the availability and accessibility of public charging stations in the City of San Diego. The objective of this research project is also to develop a mathematical model to predict the demand of EV chargers in any city including in the City of San Diego. Methods: A mix of quantitative and qualitative research methods are used to analyze the problem. The first phase of this project is to determine the study area by identifying the existing problems and issues from existing sources, and formulating hypothesis. Results: The distribution and capability of the existing charging networks in terms of EV population, location, charging rate, and time of charging in San Diego was examined. A mathematical model to calculate the demand number of public Level 2 chargers for the City of San Diego and for each zip code was developed. Among 361 tested public Level 2 chargers distributed in 34 communities, 66 chargers located at 37 charging stations distributed in 22 communities were found to be nonoperational or damaged but still operational. They accounted for 18% of the total number of tested EV charging stations and 12.7% of the total public Level 2 in San Diego. The model tested using data from San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles County matched well to the predictions. Conclusions: The conclusion is that although San Diego has sufficient chargers to accommodate the existing EV’s charging demand, the current public charging distribution network is neither well designed nor effectively used. To eliminate the waste resulting from the inefficiently designed charging infrastructure and maximize the usage rate of each charger, it is recommended that the designed optimal model to be utilized and the charging location priority be implemented to improve the availability and accessibility of charging network in the City of San Diego. This model is easily applicable in the European environment since all the five significant independent variables (B/E - Battery capacity to EV Range Ratio, D-Driver Traveling Distance, β - Ratio of EV driver charges away from home, PrefL2 - percentage that EV driver prefers to charge on Level 2 stations, and TL2- duration of public Level 2 chargers’ work per day) are easy to obtain. Hence this proposed model has universal applicability. Document type: Articl

A comparative assessment of the amount and rate of orthodontic space closure toward a healed vs recent lower premolar extraction site.

To investigate and compare the amount and rate of space closure and tooth tipping during orthodontic space closure toward a recent vs healed first premolar extraction site. The mandibular arches of 23 patients were included. Treatment plans included lower first premolar extractions. After reaching 0.019 × 0.025-inch stainless-steel archwires (SSAW), patients were subdivided into two groups (Group 1: space closure was carried out toward a healed first premolar extraction space and Group 2: space closure was carried out immediately after first premolar extraction). Elastomeric power chain from second molar to second molar was used to close lower extraction spaces. The following time points were defined: T1: just before space closure; T2-T4: 1-3 months after initial space closure. Records consisted of dental study models. The amount and rate of extraction space closure were evaluated at each time point. In Group 1 (healed socket), a total amount of 1.98 mm (coronally) and 1.75 mm (gingivally) of space closure was achieved. The rate of space closure was 0.66 mm/month coronally and 0.58 mm/month gingivally. In Group 2 (recent socket), the total amount of space closure was 3.02 mm coronally and 2.68 mm gingivally. The rate of space closure was 1.01 mm/month coronally and 0.89 mm/month gingivally. Differences between the two groups were significant (P .05). In the lower arch, the amount and rate of space closure toward a recent extraction site were higher than that toward a healed extraction socket with similar tipping of teeth in both groups.This study was supported by the Deanship of Research/Jordan University of Science and Technology (Grant number 53/2019)

Quality, effectiveness and outcome of blended learning in dental education during the COVID pandemic: Prospects of a post-pandemic implementation

Abstract: BackgroundBlended learning is growing in popularity particularly following the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. One of the fields that the pandemic has substantially affected is dental education. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the online dental education. Students’ perceptions and experiences of blended learning were also investigated. Methods: A 28-question online survey was designed to gauge students’ perceptions of the effect of blended learning on their academic performance. Results: 314 participants in preclinical and clinical years completed the questionnaire (223 females and 91 males). The majority of students (89%) believed that clinical and practical courses cannot be given by the internet. In terms of students’ opinion in the assessment process, more females (65.8%) preferred traditional exams than males (50.5%) (p < 0.05). Most clinical students (83%) preferred a combination of online and traditional teaching compared to 72% of preclinical students (p < 0.05). Clinical year students were more willing to communicate electronically with their classmates and instructors. The majority of dental students (65%) reported that future dental courses should be blended. Conclusions: In the pandemic era, blended learning, should become the preferred method of education whereby theoretical knowledge is delivered through online tutorials and clinical training is resumed on-site, to ensure competency of dental graduates while maintaining safety of the dental team. Current facilities and course designs should be improved in order to improve students’ experiences with blended learning

Global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer and its risk factors, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Funding: F Carvalho and E Fernandes acknowledge support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT), in the scope of the project UIDP/04378/2020 and UIDB/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences UCIBIO and the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy i4HB; FCT/MCTES through the project UIDB/50006/2020. J Conde acknowledges the European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-StG-2019-848325). V M Costa acknowledges the grant SFRH/BHD/110001/2015, received by Portuguese national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), IP, under the Norma Transitória DL57/2016/CP1334/CT0006.proofepub_ahead_of_prin

Heterozygous Variants in KMT2E Cause a Spectrum of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Epilepsy.

We delineate a KMT2E-related neurodevelopmental disorder on the basis of 38 individuals in 36 families. This study includes 31 distinct heterozygous variants in KMT2E (28 ascertained from Matchmaker Exchange and three previously reported), and four individuals with chromosome 7q22.2-22.23 microdeletions encompassing KMT2E (one previously reported). Almost all variants occurred de novo, and most were truncating. Most affected individuals with protein-truncating variants presented with mild intellectual disability. One-quarter of individuals met criteria for autism. Additional common features include macrocephaly, hypotonia, functional gastrointestinal abnormalities, and a subtle facial gestalt. Epilepsy was present in about one-fifth of individuals with truncating variants and was responsive to treatment with anti-epileptic medications in almost all. More than 70% of the individuals were male, and expressivity was variable by sex; epilepsy was more common in females and autism more common in males. The four individuals with microdeletions encompassing KMT2E generally presented similarly to those with truncating variants, but the degree of developmental delay was greater. The group of four individuals with missense variants in KMT2E presented with the most severe developmental delays. Epilepsy was present in all individuals with missense variants, often manifesting as treatment-resistant infantile epileptic encephalopathy. Microcephaly was also common in this group. Haploinsufficiency versus gain-of-function or dominant-negative effects specific to these missense variants in KMT2E might explain this divergence in phenotype, but requires independent validation. Disruptive variants in KMT2E are an under-recognized cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities

A contribution to the study of the bovine heart Na/Ca exchanger membrane topology and of the conformational changes induced by regulatory ligands binding

Doctorat en Sciencesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

A contribution to the study of the bovine heart Na/Ca exchanger membrane topology and of the conformational changes induced by regulatory ligands binding

Doctorat en Sciencesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Modelling the effects of cochlear implant current focusing

ObjectivesA finite element model of the human coiled cochlea was used to model the voltage distribution due to stimulation by the individual electrodes of a cochlear implant. The scalar position of the electrode array was also varied in order to investigate its effect on the voltage distribution. Multi-electrode current focusing methods were then investigated, with the aim of increasing spatial selectivity.MethodsSimultaneous current focusing is initially achieved, as in previous publications, by calculating the input currents to the 22 electrodes that best separates the voltages at these electrode positions. The benefits of this electrode focusing strategy do not, however, entirely carry over to the predicted voltage distributions at the position of the spiral ganglion cells, where excitation is believed to occur. A novel focusing strategy is then simulated, which compensates for the impedances between the currents at the electrode sites and the voltage distribution directly at the position of the spiral ganglion cells.ResultsThe new strategy produces much better focusing at the sites of the spiral ganglion cells, as expected, but at the cost of increased current requirements. Regularization was introduced in order to reduce current requirements, which also reduced the sensitivity of the solution to uncertainties in the impedance matrix, so that improved focusing was achieved with similar current requirements to that of electrode focusing.DiscussionAlthough such focusing strategies cannot be achieved in practice at the moment, since the responses from the electrodes to the neural sites cannot be determined with currently available recording methods, these results do support the feasibility of a more effective focusing strategy, which may provide improved spectral resolution leading to improved perception of sound.<br/