Advanced exergoeconomic analysis of organic Rankine cycle waste heat recovery system of a marine power plant

In this paper, superheated and saturated vapor ORCs commonly utilized as waste heat recovery systems of a marine power plant are investigated. First, a parametric study with different organic fluids has been carried out by applying conventional exergy and exergoeconomic analyses to the system considered in order to identify the best possible operating conditions and also to evaluate the findings of conventional exergy-based analyses. Then, advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analyses have been performed on ORCs by splitting exergy destruction rates, exergy destruction costs and investment costs of components and overall system to identify avoidable parts of costs and exergy destructions. Finally, decision criteria were suggested on the selection of more appropriate system depending on the results of the analysis

Waterborne Outbreak of Gastroenteritis: Effects on Sick Leaves and Cost of Lost Workdays

We examined the acute and cumulative effects of this incidence on sick leaves among public sector employees residing in the clean and contaminated areas, and the additional costs of lost workdays due to the incidence.Daily information on sick leaves of 1789 Finnish Public Sector Study participants was obtained from employers' registers. Global Positioning System-coordinates were used for linking participants to the clean and contaminated areas. Prevalence ratios (PR) for weekly sickness absences were calculated using binomial regression analysis. Calculations for the costs were based on prior studies.Among those living in the contaminated areas, the prevalence of participants on sick leave was 3.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.97–4.22) times higher on the week following the incidence compared to the reference period. Those living and working in the clean area were basically not affected, the corresponding PR for sick leaves was 1.12, 95% CI 0.73–1.73. No cumulative effects on sick leaves were observed among the exposed. The estimated additional costs of lost workdays due to the incidence were 1.8–2.1 million euros.The prevalence of sickness absences among public sector employees residing in affected areas increased shortly after drinking water distribution system was contaminated, but no long-term effects were observed. The estimated costs of lost workdays were remarkable, thus, the cost-benefits of better monitoring systems for the water distribution systems should be evaluated

Discordant identification of pediatric severe sepsis by research and clinical definitions in the SPROUT international point prevalence study

Introduction: Consensus criteria for pediatric severe sepsis have standardized enrollment for research studies. However, the extent to which critically ill children identified by consensus criteria reflect physician diagnosis of severe sepsis, which underlies external validity for pediatric sepsis research, is not known. We sought to determine the agreement between physician diagnosis and consensus criteria to identify pediatric patients with severe sepsis across a network of international pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Methods: We conducted a point prevalence study involving 128 PICUs in 26 countries across 6 continents. Over the course of 5 study days, 6925 PICU patients <18 years of age were screened, and 706 with severe sepsis defined either by physician diagnosis or on the basis of 2005 International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference consensus criteria were enrolled. The primary endpoint was agreement of pediatric severe sepsis between physician diagnosis and consensus criteria as measured using Cohen's ?. Secondary endpoints included characteristics and clinical outcomes for patients identified using physician diagnosis versus consensus criteria. Results: Of the 706 patients, 301 (42.6 %) met both definitions. The inter-rater agreement (? ± SE) between physician diagnosis and consensus criteria was 0.57 ± 0.02. Of the 438 patients with a physician's diagnosis of severe sepsis, only 69 % (301 of 438) would have been eligible to participate in a clinical trial of pediatric severe sepsis that enrolled patients based on consensus criteria. Patients with physician-diagnosed severe sepsis who did not meet consensus criteria were younger and had lower severity of illness and lower PICU mortality than those meeting consensus criteria or both definitions. After controlling for age, severity of illness, number of comorbid conditions, and treatment in developed versus resource-limited regions, patients identified with severe sepsis by physician diagnosis alone or by consensus criteria alone did not have PICU mortality significantly different from that of patients identified by both physician diagnosis and consensus criteria. Conclusions: Physician diagnosis of pediatric severe sepsis achieved only moderate agreement with consensus criteria, with physicians diagnosing severe sepsis more broadly. Consequently, the results of a research study based on consensus criteria may have limited generalizability to nearly one-third of PICU patients diagnosed with severe sepsis

A comprehensive review on estimation strategies used in hybrid and battery electric vehicles

In recent years, a significant interest in hybrid and battery electric vehicles has arisen globally due to reducing fuel consumption, mitigating dependence on imported oil and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The overall success of these vehicles mostly depends on the performance of sub-systems that they are created. In order to enhance the performances of these sub-systems, estimation of their parameters with high accuracy is required. Furthermore, estimation strategies play an important role in battery management, vehicle energy management and vehicle control by undertaking different tasks. There have been a limited number of review studies related with estimation strategies that are only focused on battery state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) estimation. This paper presents a comprehensive review on various estimation strategies used in hybrid and battery electric vehicles for the first time in the literature. The existing estimation strategies are classified and different methodologies used in each estimation strategy are elaborated. Recent research advances on existing estimation strategies are clearly emphasized by reviewing numerous studies over 200 papers. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Advanced Exergoeconomic Analysis of Organic Rankine Cycle Waste Heat Recovery System of a Marine Power Plant

In this paper, superheated and saturated vapor ORCs commonly utilized as waste heat recovery systems of a marine power plant are investigated. First, a parametric study with different organic fluids has been carried out by applying conventional exergy and exergoeconomic analyses to the system considered in order to identify the best possible operating conditions and also to evaluate the findings of conventional exergy-based analyses. Then, advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analyses have been performed on ORCs by splitting exergy destruction rates, exergy destruction costs and investment costs of components and overall system to identify avoidable parts of costs and exergy destructions. Finally, decision criteria were suggested on the selection of more appropriate system depending on the results of the analysis

Performance analysis of multiconverter unified power quality conditioner with an EPLL-based controller at medium voltage level

In this paper, one of the known interline custom power devices named Multiconverter Unified Power Quality Conditioner (MCUPQC) is designed for medium voltage level (11 kV) and improved for various power quality disturbances. An effective enhanced phase-locked loop-based control technique is applied to detect and extract the power quality disturbances for each phase separately. The performance of series compensators of MCUPQC is evaluated through extensive simulations for mitigating unbalanced voltage sags with phase jumps, swell, and interruption. Presag compensation method, which includes a novel phase-freezing algorithm, is preferred for sensitive load to mitigate the impact of phase angle jumps. The performance of shunt compensator of MCUPQC is tested for harmonic compensation, reactive power compensation, and direct current link voltage regulation. It is verified that MCUPQC, which is connected to two feeders, can compensate current and voltage imperfections successfully in these feeders according to the results obtained using PSCAD/EMTDC. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

A rare cause of infection, Raoultella planticola: emerging threat and new reservoir for carbapenem resistance

PMID = 2714741

HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV 1/2, and syphilis seroprevalence in blood donors in Eastern Marmara Region, Turkey and an overview of transfusion transmitted infections in Turkey

Introduction: Blood transfusion and component therapies are life-saving medical practices. However these therapies, are not without risks and may lead to the transmission of infectious agents from donor to recipient. Screening of blood donations for infectious agents is necessary to achieve transfusion safety. The aim of the study was to determine the six-years seroprevalence of HBV (hepatitis B virus), HCV (hepatitis C virus), HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and syphilis in blood donors and to present an overview of transfusion transmitted infections in Turkey. Material and methods: A total of 150,787 volunteer blood donors who admitted to blood centers located in Eastern Marmara Region, Turkey between January 2009 and October 2014 were included in this study. HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen), anti-HCV (hepatitis C virus antibody), and HIV-1/2 antibody were detected by using Chemiluminescent Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay (CMIA) method. Syphilis screening was performed by using VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) test in the first three years and by CMIA-based treponemal test in the last three years. Results: Among the blood donors, 140,536 (93.2%) were male and 10,251 (6.8%) female. Out of all donors, 2,019 (1.33%) donors were positive for at least one screening test. The seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis were 0.8 % (n=1340), 0.38% (n=578), 0,0025% (n=38) and 0,004 % (n=63), respectively. A significant decrease was observed in HBV seroprevalence by years (p < 0.005) Conclusion: The risk of transfusion-transmitted infections can be decreased by effectively using questionnaires and screening tests in blood donation centers, HBV vaccination programs, and awareness-raising activities. It is necessary to use improved screening methods for detection of transfusion-transmitted infection agents