Design of a PV system including its SCADA for a house in Iran

Solar Radiation in the Middle East is relatively high and is one of the most sustainable renewable sources. However, Iran has not utilized it as one of the most significant sources of energy yet. Considering the mentioned concern, in this Thesis, a PV system is designed using BEopt and Homer software for a house in Golpayegan, Iran. Thermal modeling of the house is done using BEopt software to determine the hourly load consumption profile. The meteorological data and the generated hourly load data are used by Homer software to size the system based on the optimum net present cost. The cost analysis results demonstrate that the PV/grid is the most optimal solution for the under-consideration house. Then a control strategy is proposed to connect the suggested PV system to the electric distribution grid. The proposed control strategy aims to design the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm and control the injected active and reactive PV arrays power. The reactive power control provides the PV system with Power Factor Correction (PFC) capability, improving the system's overall performance. Finally, in the last phase of research, a secure, reliable, low-cost, and open-source SCADA system is developed using the most recent SCADA architecture, the Internet of Things. The proposed SCADA system prototype is implemented and tested to measure the temperature, humidity, pressure, and light intensity of a house and control smart home appliances. The results show that the developed open-source SCADA system performs optimally and accurately and could serve as a viable control and monitoring system for PV applications by minor changes

Optimal Sizing of a PV System in Golpayegan, Iran Using Thermal Modeling-based Load Demand

This paper introduces the design and analysis of a Photovoltaic (PV) system to supply the residential load of a house in Golpayegan, Iran. The paper’s procedure is the house's thermal modeling employing BEopt software to estimate the load data and then collect the primary meteorological data such as solar irradiance and temperature for the selected site. After these preliminary steps, system optimization for PV/grid and PV/diesel/battery models are developed using the HOMER software. The optimization found that the PV array required capacities are 5.17 kW and 6.19 kW, producing 9,346 kWh/yr and 11,196 kWh/yr for standalone and grid-connected PV systems, respectively. The results indicate that solar energy utilization is an attractive option for grid-connected and standalone PV systems, of which the net present costs (NPC) of each system are 12,180 US$, 40,618 US$, respectively. The system analyses show that adopting either a PV/grid or PV/diesel/battery system causes a reduction in not only dependency on fossil fuel but also in CO2 emission

Serum Procalcitonin level and other biological markers in children with bacterial or non-bacterial meningitis

Acute meningitis in children is predominantly aseptic and does not require specific treatment. However, meningitis has a bacterial origin in about 5% of patients and carries a risk of fatal outcome or severe neurological sequelae, especially when diagnosis and antibiotic administration are delayed. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the value of determining procalcitonin levels to discriminate between bacterial and non-bacterial meningitis in young children or infants and describe the variation in serum PCT levels over time during the treatment of meningitis.A total of 50 children with meningitis admitted to a University Hospital were followed in this prospective study. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of procalcitonin were measured. The diagnosis of meningitis was based on clinical findings, gram staining, culture, and chemical analysis of CSF. Twenty-five children were diagnosed as bacterial meningitis and the other 25 children as non-bacterial Meningitis.The mean procalcitonin level on admission in patients with acute bacterial meningitis was 18.3 ng/mL, and the lower level was 4.6 ng/mL, while the higher level in patients with non-bacterial meningitis was 0.62 ng/mL (mean level, 0.38 ng/mL). It  is  clear  from  the  range  of  serum procalcitonin level that, there are no overlapping values seen  for  serum  procalcitonin  in  both  groups.serum PCT levels can be used in the early diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis and is more valuable than the other predictive marker. Similarly, they may be useful adjuncts in differential diagnosis of bacterial and non-bacterial meningitis and diminishing the value of 2nd lumbar puncture performed 48-72 hours after admission to assess treatment efficacy

Highly Efficient Synthesis of 1-Thioamidoalkyl-2-naphthols and 14-Aryl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes using a Novel Ionic Liquid: Catalyst Preparation, Characterization and Performing the Reactions

In this work, a novel Brønsted acidic ionic liquid namely triethylaminium-N-sulfonic acid trifluoroacetate {[TEASA][TFA]} has been synthesized by the reaction of NEt3 with ClSO3H, and then with CF3CO2H. The ionic liquid has been characterized by studying its spectroscopic data (1H and 13C NMR, FT-IR, and mass spectra). Afterward, it has been utilized as a highly effective and general catalyst to promote the following organic reactions in solvent-free conditions: (i) the production of 1-thioamidoalkyl-2-naphthols from arylaldehydes, 2-naphthol and thioacetamide, and (ii) the preparation of 14-aryl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes from arylaldehydes and 2-naphthol. It is noteworthy that [TEASA][TFA] has catalyzed the reactions under milder conditions relative to most of the reported methods. Moreover, it afforded the both products in higher yields with respect to most of the previous works. Copyright © 2018 BCREC Group. All rights reserved Received: 21st June 2017; Revised: 6th October 2017; Accepted: 9th October 2017; Available online:  11st June 2018; Published regularly: 1st August 2018 How to Cite: Saadat, A., Zare, A., Jamadi, F., Abdolalipour-Saretoli, M. (2018). Highly Efficient Synthesis of 1-Thioamidoalkyl-2-naphthols and 14-Aryl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes using a Novel Ionic Liquid: Catalyst Preparation, Characterization and Performing the Reactions. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 13 (2): 204-212 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.13.2.1280.204-212

Design and analysis of a rooftop PV system for an apartment building in Newfoundland

This research describes the design of a rooftop photovoltaic system to meet the partial energy needs of an apartment building in Newfoundland. A residential apartment building consisting of 54 apartments at fresh water road, St. John’s is selected for this work whose average energy demand is 54KW (building is heated using oil). A grid-tied solar photovoltaic system without any battery backup has been deigned for this site because local grid is available and some net-metering laws are in place. The system has been designed by keeping in mind that the produced energy must not be greater than the average energy consumption of the building. Detailed system design, steady state modeling, dynamic modeling, control system design, analysis and required protection system are explained in this paper. Some cost analysis and installation details are also included in the paper

A comparative study of Tacrolimus versus Cyclosporine as immunosuppression for kidney transplant recipients

Kidney transplantation is the most common transplantation in the world. Annually, a large number of patients that have chronic renal failure are undergoing renal transplantation and the major subject about these patients is the rejection of graft that should be controlled by immunosuppressive agents.  The aim of this study is investigation of the effect of Cyclosporin against Tacrolimus in patients with kidney transplantation. This study was performing between 2010 and 2012 on all patients who had kidney transplantation and refer to Imam Reza hospital from Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. 100 patients, aged 18–60 years, with end-stage renal disease were administered either Tacrolimus (n=49) or Cyclosporine (n=51). In both groups, Cellept could be discontinued from day 92 onwards. Corticosteroid treatment comprised methylprednisolone boluses followed by a rapid prednisone taper from 20 mg (day 2) to 5 mg (day 43 and thereafter). Patients followed up 12 months. In the Tacrolimus treatment group, 7 grafts (14%) were lost and 8 (16%) grafts were lost in the Cyclosporine treatment group between months 0 and 12 and there is no significant different between these groups (P= 0.845). No cases were diagnosed with biopsy-proven chronic rejection at months 0 and 12. Mean serum creatinine concentrations were 1.8 ± 1.5 mg/dl in the Tacrolimus group and 2.3 ±2.9 in the Cyclosporine group by month 12 (P= 0.348). these data are consistent with previously published observations and confirm that Tacrolim us is a highly efficacious baseline immunosuppressant for patients undergoing kidney transplantation. Tacrolimus-based immunosuppression may promote long-term benefits with regard to graft functio n and graft survival

T he Effectiveness of Group Counseling with Emphasis on Communication Skills on Midwifery Students' Sense of Belonging in Clinical Settings

Background: It seems that by improvement of communication skills among midwifery students, their sense of belonging in medical setting increases. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the effect of group counseling with emphasis on communication skills on midwifery students’ sense of belonging in clinical settings. Methods: This interventional study with the pretest-posttest control group design was conducted on 78 midwifery students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, in 2016. The participants were selected using the census method. Of the total study population, sixty students with low level of mental health were screened using Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire and randomly included in an intervention and a control group. They filled out Belongingness Scale–Clinical Placement Experience (BES–CPE) as the pretest. The intervention consisted of eight group counseling sessions (two 2-hour sessions per week) with emphasis on communication skills that were held in their faculty. The final sample included well as fifty two students filling out the posttest instruments. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22. Results: There was no significant difference in terms of demographic factors between two groups. There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of total score (P<0.0001) as the self-esteem and self-efficacy subscales (p<0.05). Conclusion: Sense of belonging in clinical settings is required for midwifery students so that they can improve their communicaton skills in such settings. Therefore, it is recommended to include programs in midwifery curricula in order to improve students’ sense of belonging by enhancing their communication skills. Keywords: Counseling, Belonging, Communication, Clinical, Midwifery, Student

Chromosome Structural Alteration an Unusual Abnormality Characterizing Human Neoplasia

Background and Aim: Ring chromosomes are rare cytogenetic abnormalities that occur in less than 10% of hematopoietic malignancies. They are rare in blood disorder. The present review has focused on the ring chromosome associated with oncology malignancies. Materials and Methods: By reviewing the web-based search for all English scientific peer review articles published, was initiated using Medline/PubMed, Mitelman database (http://cgap.nci.nih.gov/Chromosomes/Mitelman), and other pertinent references on websites about ring chromosomes in Oncology. The software program as End Note was used to handle the proper references for instruction to author. Karyotype descriptions were cited according to ISCN.Conclusion: Ring chromosomes are rare chromosomal aberrations, almost many times are of de novo origin, presenting a different phenotype regarding the loss of genetic material. The karyotype represents the main analysis for detection of ring chromosomes, but other molecular technics are necessary for complete characterization. The information of this review article adds to the spectrum of both morphology and genetic rearrangements in the field of oncology malignancies

Efficacy of levamisole with standard care treatment vs. standard care in clinical presentations of non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of adding a 10-day course of levamisole (LVM) to the standard care compared with standard care alone, on the clinical status of COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate disease.&nbsp;Methods:&nbsp;&nbsp;In this randomized open-label trial, we enrolled non-hospitalized patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 at nine health centers in Tehran province, Iran, in 2021. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a 10-day course of LVM with standard care (n=185) or standard care alone (n=180) in a 1:1 ratio. On days 1 to 10, LVM was administered orally at a dosage of 50 mg. The participants were called and followed on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 14. The measured parameters were general health condition, hospitalization rate, signs and symptoms, and adverse events. The generalized estimating equations model was used for analysis.&nbsp;Results: Among 507 randomized patients, 473 patients started the experiment and received LVM plus standard care or received the standard care alone; 385 patients included in the analysis; 346 (98%) patients completed the trial. The median age of the patients was 40 years [IQR: 32-50.75]; and ‎201 (55.1%)‎ patiens were male. The mean age, sex ratio, and frequency of the underlying diseases of the patients in the two study groups had no ‎statistically significant differences (P&gt;0.05). Compared to the control group, LVM improved the general health condition of the patients (B=-0.635; 95% CI: -0.041,-0.329; P&lt;0.001). Patients receiving LVM compared with standard care group had significantly lower odds of developing fever (OR=0.260; 95% CI: 0.11‎‎3‎,0.59‎‎9‎;&nbsp;P=0.002), chills (OR=0.223; 95% CI:‎‎ 0.07‎‎6,‎0.64‎‎8‎;&nbsp;P= 0.006), fatigue (OR=0.576; 95% CI:‎ 0.34‎‎6,‎0.96‎‎0‎‎;&nbsp;P=0.034), and myalgia (OR=0.54‎‎4‎; 95% CI:‎ 0.31‎‎7‎,0.93‎‎2‎‎;&nbsp;P=0.027). No significant difference was observed in the rate of hospitalization. Although the intervention group had greater adverse effects than the control group, the difference was not statistically significant.&nbsp;Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that LVM has clinical benefits in improving patients’ health condition with mild to moderate COVID-19

Applied Criteria of Hospital Information Systems in Organizational Evaluation: A Systematic Review Protocol

Introduction: Through new and expanding technologies, the development of health information technology in today’s society is indisputable, and the use of this technology has led to the production of various products with a variety of capabilities. One of these products is the Hospital Information System. Regarding the impact of organizational factors on the successful implementation of hospital information systems and the lack of comprehensive criteria for assessing them, the purpose of this study was to determine the criteria of hospital information systems involved in organizational evaluation.Methods: Data sources included the following databases: pubmed, scopus and cochrane library. In addition, other sources were searched for ongoing studies and grey literature. Studies were independently screened for eligibility by 2 reviewers and data extraction was done by 2 people. The language limitations for article wasn’t considered, the reference of the articles that selected, review and related articles were selected. After completing the search, all the articles were entered in to EndNote, and duplicates were deleted. The Prisma protocol was used to report.Results and Dissemination: A specific and precise checklist was being prepared and developed, which is an appropriate guide to assess hospital information system from an organizational dimension in health technology assessment. The results of the study were published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences. Policy makers and healthcare decision-makers can use these results