Optimal Onsite Microgrid Design for Net-Zero Energy Operation in Manufacturing Industry

Developing an economic net-zero energy infrastructure for the manufacturing industry can play a critical role to achieve the goal of affordable, reliable, and sustainable clean energy paradigm for the next generation. However, it is quite challenging to develop such an infrastructure due to the uncertain demand of the manufacturing system, intermittent electricity generation from the renewable sources, time of use (TOU) pricing of electricity, and integrated operational planning for the long-term planning horizon. In this paper, a mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) model is developed to economically design an onsite microgrid system considering the critical conditions and achieve a net-zero energy operation planning for the manufacturing industry. A linearization strategy is adopted to obtain the optimal design of the microgrid and the utilization of the resources. A numerical case study is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the model

Determination of the most important factors influencing the fertility patterns of single child and without child families in Shahr-e-kord city in 2013

Introduction: The rapid decline in fertility rate and disassembling in the balance of age pyramid can exert irreparable damages to the country's economic and social structures. In this study, effective factors which could affect the fertility patterns among families with one or without child were investigated. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 180 married women were recruited from many health centers by random simple sampling. Inclusion criteria were married women who had married at least 2 years ago and with no child as well as the married women who had only a child over 4 years old. Data collection instrument was a valid and reliable researcher-designed questionnaire (α=0.73) used to determine demographic data and to measure maternal attitudes toward childbearing. The data was analyzed by the SPSS software, version 16.

GIS based evaluation of land suitability: A case study for major crops in Zanjan University region

The knowledge of land resources is an essential need, especially in developing countries, where resources are often scarce. To reduce the human influence on natural resources and to identify an appropriate land use, it is essential to carry out scientific land evaluations. A land suitability assessment was carried out in Zanjan University region for three major crops and apple orchards. In this area crops such as wheat, barley and maize take a special role in economical status of the area. For this study, a historical and a recent remote sensing-derived map was homogenized to increase accuracy. Also, GIS has been used to match the suitability for main crops based on the requirements of the crops and the quality and characteristics of land. Different land quality parameters, viz. soil texture, depth, erosion, slope, flooding and coarse fragments under various land units were evaluated for the crops. Only about 27% of the area was found to be highly suitable for wheat. The percentage of first class suitability of wheat was much higher than that of barley (13.9%). More than 90% of the total area was classified moderately suitable for maize. The present orchard area is not in accordance with the land qualities. Land units with severe limitations are due to organic matter (OM), gravel and carbonates. Implementation of this procedure should help achieve suitable use of land resources and prevent land degradation in the area. Hence, there is an urgent need for a good land suitability assessment so that the appropriate crops can be grown on these marginal areas of steep highlands. It was also found that with the help of GIS, it is easy to develop a framework for the optimum use of land area

The Role of Ultrasound in Diagnosis of the Causes of Low Back Pain: a Review of the Literature

Context: Low back pain (LBP) is among the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions in the developed countries. It is a common problem causing disability and imposing a huge economic burden to individuals and state organizations. Imaging plays an important role in diagnosis of the etiology of LBP. Evidence Acquisition: The electronic databases included: PubMed (1950 to present), Ovid SP Medline (1950 to present) and ISI (1982 to present) and Google Scholar. In every search engine another search was performed using various permutations of the following keywords: ultrasonography, ultrasound imaging, low back pain, back muscles, paraspinal muscles, multifidus, transverse abdominis, muscle size, spinal canal, sacroiliac joint and spondylolisthesis. Results: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in evaluation of patients with LBP; however, high costs, limited availability and contraindications for its use have restricted MRI utilization. In a quest for a less expensive and readily available tool to investigate LBP, clinicians and researchers found ultrasonography (US) as an alternative. In this review we discuss the US application in diagnosis of some common causes of non-specific chronic LBP. Discussed topics include evaluation of spinal canal diameter, paraspinal and transabdominal muscles, sacroiliac joint laxity, pregnancy related LBP, sacroiliitis, and spondylolisthesis using US in patients with LBP. Conclusions: While the first researches on employing ultrasound in diagnosis of patients with LBP had been focused on spinal canal diameter, recent studies have been mostly performed to evaluate the role of transabdominal and paraspinal muscles on core stability and thereby LBP occurrence. On the other side, Doppler ultrasonography has recently played an important role in objective measurement of joint laxity as a common etiology for LBP. Doppler imaging also in pregnant patients with LBP has been recommended as a safe and sensitive method. As conclusion, according to recent and most prestigious studies, focusing more on transabdominal muscle thickness can be considered as future approach in investigations