Hourly Price-Based Demand Response for Optimal Scheduling of Integrated Gas and Power Networks Considering Compressed Air Energy Storage

Gas-fired plants are becoming an optimal and practical choice for power generation in electricity grids due to high efficiency and less emissions. Such plants with fast start-up capability and high ramp rate are flexible in response to stochastic load variations. Meanwhile, gas system constraints affect the flexibility and participation of such units in the energy market. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) as a flexible source with high ramp rate can be an alternative solution to reduce the impact of gas system constraints on the operation cost of a power system. In addition, demand response (DR) programs are expressed as practical approaches to overcome peak-demand challenges. This study introduces a stochastic unit commitment scheme for coordinated operation of gas and power systems with CAES technology as well as application of an hourly price-based DR. The introduced model is performed on a six-bus system with a six-node gas system to verify the satisfactory performance of the model

Assessment of the burden on caregivers of patients with mental disorders in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background Mental disorders are considered important public health problems not only to people with mental illness but also their caregivers. As is the case in many countries, the deinstitutionalization of mental health services in Saudi Arabia, has meant that informal caregivers are shouldering responsibilities for which they are not usually prepared; therefore, the current study was aimed at assessment of the burden on caregivers of people with mental illness. Methods Through a cross-sectional design, a sample of the caregivers of people with mental illness (n = 377) was selected randomly from a psychiatric hospital in Jeddah. An Arabic version of the Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire (IEQ) was used for collection of data. The data were analyzed on the subscale scores and the 27 items in two ways. First, we used the summed scores for the subscales based on the Likert scale (0–4) for univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, as recommended. We also used parametric statistics (t-tests, one-way ANOVA) because the IEQ subscale scores were fairly normally distributed. Results Males constituted more than one-half of the participating caregivers (55%), with a mean age of 36.6, SD = 11.4 years. As reported by the caregivers, most of the patients were males (62.7%) with a mean age of 33.8, SD = 13.7 years and a range of 17–90 years old. The total mean IEQ burden score of the caregivers was 38.4, SD = 17.5. “Tension” was significantly prominent among younger caregivers aged ≤30 years. “Worrying” was significantly higher among caregivers living with their spouse and children and those living in families with relatively fewer members (<6 members). “Urging” was significantly higher among caregivers who are living with the patient in the same household and those who had been in close contact with the patient for 28 days in the four weeks prior to the study (13.4, SD = 6.8) p < 0.05. Meanwhile, “Urging” was also significantly higher among caregivers caring for mentally ill females (13.5, SD = 6.6) and those not receiving any kind of professional support (12.8, SD = 6.7). The overall burden and the subscale scores were highest among caregivers caring for a close relative such as a parent (44.1, SD = 17.6), son/daughter (39.1, SD = 12.9), sibling (37.1, SD = 18.6), or spouse (37.1, SD = 18.6) p < 0.05. Conclusion Care for people with mental illness is burdensome for their caregivers, the magnitude of burden is potentially augmented by factors related to the patients and households. These factors should be considered when planning for preparing caregivers to cope with people with mental illness in Saudi Arabia

IMMUNIZATION COVERAGE AND HESITANCY IN SAUDI ARABIA

One of the greatest contributions to public health is vaccination. The majority of affluent nations have high rates of childhood vaccination, indicating that vaccination is still largely regarded as a public health policy in these nations. But there might be many individuals who are under-vaccinated. The rise of VPD outbreaks, such as measles, poliomyelitis, and pertussis, and under- or non-vaccinated communities have been linked in several nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 health hazards for 2019. Recently, there have been reports of vaccine reluctance in Saudi Arabia. Currently, the need for awareness campaigns about the benefits of vaccination is needed more than ever. In this review we will be looking at immunization hesitancy in Saudi Arabia, its definition, factors, and possible solutions