Simultaneous Approach Research Articles

Costs of Adjustment, Portfolio Separation, and the Dynamic Behavior of Bank Loans and Deposits – Revised

AbstractWe revise the solutions of the dynamic optimization model of Elyasiani, Kopecky, and Van Hoose (1995), and show that the optimal policy function for the case of adjustment costs and no portfolio separation is a vector autoregressive model of order 1, and not of order 2. In addition, the empirical approach of Elyasiani, Kopecky, and Van Hoose (1995) is incorrect. The optimal policy functions for the no portfolio separation case have to be estimated with a panel vector autoregression model and not with a simultaneous equation approach. We also describe how the portfolio separation hypothesis can be tested empirically based on the correct policy functions.

Streamlined surgical approach for coexistent urethral stricture and benign prostatic enlargement: feasibility, safety and patency results.

To evaluate the technical feasibility, safety, and patency results of a simultaneous surgical approach to repair urethral stricture and treat benign prostatic enlargement endoscopically in a highly selected group of patients at a tertiary referral center. We hypothesize that this is technically feasible, safe, and does not affect urethroplasty outcomes. A retrospective review of adult men who underwent simultaneous urethroplasty and endoscopic prostatic surgery between May 2017 and May 2024 at our institution was conducted. Patients with strictures < 15 French and prostates with adverse prognostic features of response to medical treatment were included. The primary outcome was technical feasibility and safety. The secondary outcome was stricture-free survival. Twenty men were treated during the study period. The median length of the urethral stricture was 3.0cm (IQR 2.0-5.0), and the median size of the prostate was 95.0cc (IQR 63.3-128.3). All patients were treated successfully with a median operative time of 194.5min (IQR 180.0-246.8), and no procedures required conversion to a staged procedure or open prostatectomy. There were seven Clavien-Dindo I-II complications and one Clavien-Dindo IIIb complication (hematuria requiring endoscopic clot evacuation). At 22months follow-up, two cases of urethral re-stricture were diagnosed, with one case requiring redo urethroplasty, though none had previous major complications. The combination of urethroplasty and endoscopic surgery for benign prostatic enlargement at the same stage appears to be technically viable and safe, and it does not compromise medium-term urethral patency results in a carefully selected group of patients.

Simultaneous optimal system and controller design for multibody systems with joint friction using direct sensitivities

AbstractReal-world multibody systems are often subject to phenomena like friction, joint clearances, and external events. These phenomena can significantly impact the optimal design of the system and its controller. This work addresses the gradient-based optimization methodology for multibody dynamic systems with joint friction using a direct sensitivity approach. The Brown–McPhee model has been used to characterize the joint friction in the system. This model is suitable for the study due to its accuracy for dynamic simulation and its compatibility with sensitivity analysis. This novel methodology supports codesign of the multibody system and its controller, which is especially relevant for applications like robotics and servo-mechanical systems, where the actuation and design are highly dependent on each other. Numerical results are obtained using a software package written in Julia with state-of-the-art libraries for automatic differentiation and differential equations. Three case studies are provided to demonstrate the attractive properties of simultaneous optimal design and control approach for certain applications.

Simultaneous Overcoming Approach for Poor Wettability and Low Stability in Stomach by Simple Methods; Formulation Design and Development of Monoacylglycerol Acyltransferase 2 Inhibitor, S-309309.

N-[(4R)-5,7-Difluoro-2'-(5-methylpyridin-2-yl)-4'-oxo-2,2',3,4',5',7'-hexahydrospiro[1-benzopyran-4,6'-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridin]-3'-yl]-2-(methanesulfonyl)acetamide (S-309309) is an anti-obesity drug developed by Shionogi & Co., Ltd. that has a monoacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 inhibitory effect. S-309309 has poor wettability, and the amount of the degradation product (4R)-3'-amino-5,7-difluoro-2'-(5-methylpyridin-2-yl)-2,2',3,7'-tetrahydrospiro[[1]benzopyran-4,6'-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridin]-4'(5'H)-one (compound 8) increases over time under acidic conditions. In this study, we have tried to improve S-309309 wettability and suppress the amount of degradation product increased under acidic conditions. As a result of the study, we found that by mixing with a water-soluble polymer, the wettability of S-309309 and its dissolved concentration in fluid were increased suggesting that its dissolution behavior should be enhanced. In addition, by encapsulating S-309309, the increase of degradation product amount was suppressed under acidic conditions, suggesting that the suppression of degradation product formation would be expected in the stomach after oral dosing. Overall, these results suggest that the drug property issues of S-309309 can be overcome by mixing S-309309 with a water-soluble polymer and encapsulation.

A Comprehensive Survey on Deep Clustering: Taxonomy, Challenges, and Future Directions

Clustering is a fundamental machine learning task which aims at assigning instances into groups so that similar samples belong to the same cluster while dissimilar samples belong to different clusters. Shallow clustering methods usually assume that data are collected and expressed as feature vectors within which clustering is performed. However, clustering high-dimensional data, such as images, texts, videos, and graphs, poses significant challenges for clustering tasks, such as indiscriminate representation and intricate relationships among instances. Over the past decades, deep learning has achieved remarkable success in effective representation learning and modeling complex relationships. Motivated by these advancements, Deep Clustering seeks to improve clustering outcomes through deep learning techniques, garnering considerable interest from both academia and industry. Despite many contributions to this vibrant area of research, the lack of systematic analysis and a comprehensive taxonomy has hindered progress in this field. In this survey, we first explore how deep learning can be integrated into deep clustering and identify two fundamental components: the representation learning module and the clustering module. Then we summarize and analyze the representative design of these two modules. Furthermore, we introduce a novel taxonomy of deep clustering based on how these two modules interact, specifically through multistage, generative, iterative, and simultaneous approaches. In addition, we present well-known benchmark datasets, evaluation metrics, and open-source tools to clearly demonstrate different experimental approaches. Finally, we examine the practical applications of deep clustering and propose challenging areas for future research.

One-Stage Intraoperative ERCP combined with Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Versus Two-Stage Preoperative ERCP Followed by Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in the Management of Gallbladder with Common Bile Duct Stones: A Meta-analysis.

Concomitant gallbladder and common bile duct (CBD) stones, known as cholecystocholedocholithiasis, are clinically prevalent. There is currently no consensus on sequential versus simultaneous management approaches, and, if simultaneous, which approach to adopt. This meta-analysis evaluates the safety and efficacy of one-stage laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with intraoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) versus two-stage ERCP followed by LC for treating concomitant gallbladder and CBD stones. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in five databases, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, VIP, and Wanfang, for all randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort and retrospective studies published up to February 2024. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers. The primary outcomes were CBD stone clearance rate and postoperative complications morbidity. Secondary outcomes included conversion to other procedures and length of hospital stay. Statistical analyses were performed using R (v.4.3.2) with weighted mean differences and odds ratios (ORs) calculated for continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 17 studies involving 2120 patients have been included, with 898 patients receiving single-stage and 1222 patients undergoing two-stage treatment. Of these studies, 9 were RCTs and 8 were retrospective cohort study. The one-stage group demonstrated superior outcomes in terms of CBD stone clearance (OR=2.07, p=0.0004), overall morbidity (OR=0.35, p<0.0001), post-operative pancreatitis (OR=0.49, p=0.006), conversion to other procedures (OR=0.38, p=0.0006), and length of hospital stay (MD=- 2.6456, 95% CI -3.5776; -1.7136, p<0.0001). No significant differences were observed in post-operative cholangitis (OR=0.44, p=0.12), post-operative bleeding (OR=0.76, p=0.47), or bile leakage (OR=1.28, p=0.54). For patients with concomitant gallbladder and CBD stones, the one-stage approach combining ERCP and LC appears safer and more effective, with advantages including higher stone clearance rates, reduced postoperative complications (particularly pancreatitis), shorter hospital stays, fewer residual stones, and decreased need for additional procedures. However, additional high-quality clinical trials are needed to establish the optimal treatment approach for various patient scenarios.

A Robust Graph-Based Bathymetric Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Approach for AUVs

A Robust Graph-Based Bathymetric Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Approach for AUVs

Simultaneous Care provision to patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer in Lazio region: practical recommendations of a multidisciplinary group

Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) accounts for 15% of all lung cancer cases. Due to comorbidities and its aggressive behaviour, patients are highly symptomatic even at a non-metastatic stage. Standardizing the care pathway and introducing a simultaneous care approach could address the unmet needs of this disease. However, there is no uniformity in the involvement of palliative care physicians and in the simultaneous use of palliative care and cancer therapies. In this context, 13 experts from Lazio region undertook a process to deepen their understanding of the regional provision of simultaneous care to patients with SCLC by structuring and carrying out a survey. The survey covered 35-52% of SCLC cases in the region, confirming heterogeneous results in both management and therapeutic approach, particularly in the area of simultaneous care. The working group met to define practical recommendations with the aim of standardizing the management of this disease.

The impacts of roller compaction on the quality attributes of simultaneously compressed micro and minitablets

The challenges of developing good quality low dose minitablets was assessed by systematically studying the effects of ibuprofen (IBU, a model compound) particle sizes (6–58 µm D50) and concentrations (0.1–3 %w/w), roller compaction forces (3–7 kN/cm), and the minitablet sizes (1.2, 1.5 and 2 mm diameter). A novel compression approach, where all three minitablet sizes were simultaneously produced in a single compression run was used. Roller compacted ribbons, granules, minitablets were characterized for physico-mechanical properties and minitablets were also characterized for stratified content uniformity and weight uniformity. The results showed that roll force was the more dominant factor to ribbon solid fraction or tensile strength and granule size enlargement. Minitablets obtained from the granules had good weight uniformity; all but one batch met the <Ph. Eur. 2.9.5 > criteria. The precise control of tooling lengths across the various sizes was found profoundly important for achieving expected weights, solid fraction, and tensile strength of the simultaneously produced minitablets. The roller compaction process considerably improved the CU variability of the minitablets as compared to the direct compression process. Smaller particle size and higher concentration of IBU, increased roller compaction force, and larger minitablet size improved the potency and content uniformity; however, only the minitablet size was a statistically significant factor in this study. As a product strategic design criterion, a threshold of 25 minitablets in a dosage unit would ensure robust downstream filling and weight verification operations as well as dose accuracy and uniformity (would pass <USP 905> stage 1 criteria). This study results demonstrated feasibility of the novel simultaneous compression approach and the roller compaction process in developing good quality minitablets.

PENGARUH KEWAJARAN HARGA DAN KUALITAS PELAYANAN TERHADAP KEPUASAN PENGGUNA APLIKASI GO-FOOD

This research intends to determine the simultaneous and partial effect of price fairness and service quality on user satisfaction of the Go-Food application (a research problem for students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Ngurah Rai University, Denpasar). Illustration dimensions were defined as the intentional collection method of illustrations from 72 people. Information analysis uses classical research, multiple linear regression analysis, deterministic analysis, F-test statistical analysis, and t-test statistical analysis. The findings confirm that the equality of price and service quality has a direct and clear impact on Go-Food user satisfaction as a simultaneous and local approach. Fairness of price and quality of service greatly affect the satisfaction of Go-Food application users.

A simultaneous shape and topology optimization approach of shell structures based on isogeometric analysis and density distribution field

This paper presents a novel simultaneous shape and topology optimization approach of shell structures based on isogeometric analysis and density distribution field. In the optimization approach, Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) technology is utilized to describe the geometry and material distribution of the shell structures. The coordinates and densities of the NURBS control points are utilized as design variables to simultaneously optimize the shape and topology of shell structures. The proposed approach offers significant advantages, including ease of implementation, seamless integration with CAD models, high efficiency, and smooth, clear boundaries. Two representative examples are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The optimized configurations are compared with other works and commercial software results.

Evaluation of a simultaneous approach to concentrate and preserve bioactive compounds with distinct polarities by employing supramolecular solvents (SUPRAS)

Supramolecular solvents (SUPRAS) have attracted attention as eco-friendly and highly effective solvents that can be tailored to solubilize compounds with distinct polarities. This study investigated the SUPRAS/equilibrium solution systems’ (SUPRAS-EqS) capacity to concentrate and preserve bioactive compounds through simultaneous solvent production and a liquid–liquid separation method. For this, β-carotene, quercetin, and curcumin were evaluated as molecular probes. SUPRAS-EqS systems were produced with octanoic acid (5 %, v/v), ethanol (20–––35 %, v/v), and acidified water (75–––60 %, v/v) and characterized concerning SUPRAS phase formation and their composition. Moreover, the SUPRAS phase’s ability to preserve these compounds during thermal exposure was evaluated at 313.15 K, 323.15 K, and 333.15 K and compared with an ethanolic medium. The outcomes demonstrated the formation of spherical supramolecular aggregates (10 to 20 μm), where the size of coacervates increased proportionally with the ethanol concentration. Concerning the separation efficiency provided by the SUPRAS phase, all compounds exhibited values superior to 83 %, and the systems produced with 22.5 % ethanol for quercetin and curcumin, and 27.5 % ethanol for β-carotene, presented the highest partition coefficient values. The SUPRAS phase promoted a more suitable environment to preserve the bioactive compounds than ethanol, and quercetin exhibited the highest half-life time values. Curcumin displayed the strongest activation energy in both the SUPRAS phase (48.88 kJ/mol) and the ethanol media (54.50 kJ/mol), indicating its high temperature dependence compared to the other compounds. These findings highlight the SUPRAS phase capacity to concentrate and stabilize bioactive compounds individually with different polarities.

Combined robotic surgery for concomitant treatment of endometrial cancer and obesity.

Endometrial Cancer (EC) is strongly linked to obesity. Bariatric surgery is recognized as a long-term solution for weight loss in severely obese patients. This pilot study investigates the feasibility, intraoperative and 30-day morbidity outcomes of integrating gynecological surgical staging and bariatric robotic surgery in class II and III obese patients affected by early EC or Endometrial Intraepithelial Neoplasia (EIN). Patients aged over 18years old with early EC or EIN and class II and III obesity (Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35kg/m2) who are surgical and anesthesiologic candidates. Standard robotic surgery for early EC staging performed alone (THBSO group) or in conjunction with sleeve gastrectomy (THBSO + SG group) for obesity management was proposed. Of the 13 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 5 (38.46%) opted for combined surgery. The groups showed a significant difference in preoperative BMI (49.68kg/m2 vs. 40.24kg/m2 p = 0.017 with and without SG), preoperative weight (143.92kg vs. 105.62kg p = 0.004 with and without SG), preoperative (p = 0.01) and postoperative (p = 0.005) aspartate transaminase (AST). The THBSO + SG group had higher anesthesia induction end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) (p = 0.05), final Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) (p = 0.044), anesthesia induction lactate (p = 0.001) and final lactate (p = 0.011) without a significant difference in final pH (p = 0.31). Operative time was longer in the THBSO + SG group (p < 0.001), but this did not result in longer ICU (p = 0.351), total hospital stays (p = 0.208), nor increased blood loss and transfusion. The simultaneous combined approach had an 80% success rate. At 6months, the THBSO + SG group achieved significantly greater weight loss than the THBSO group (ΔBMI -11.81kg/m2 vs -1.72kg/m2, p = 0.003, with and without SG). Integrating robotic EC staging with SG in obese women with early EC increased the operative time without increasing intraoperative risks, early and 30days post-surgery complication and offering a promising approach to simultaneously treating both conditions.

Impact of productivity drivers on the performance of manufacturing firms

A considerable number of research indicates that a nation's industrial sector plays a crucial role in its economic growth. Therefore, it is crucial to research the productivity drivers among businesses engaged in the manufacturing sector to create a sound, inclusive, long-lasting, and innovative industry. Thus, as a micro-perspective of industrialization, this study looks into the main productivity drivers of manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study analyses an imbalanced panel firm-level dataset from 2007 to 2019 using the simultaneous approach of the stochastic frontier to achieve its goal. Our research shows that Nigerian manufacturing firms deal with growing returns to scale and a high labour intensity. For policy actions, it was recommended that a realistic industrialization strategy has to be micro-founded. This strategy should prioritise large-scale industrial companies, promote exports, and provide a steady supply of electricity. The findings also show that small and micro firms in Nigeria are more productive than large manufacturing firms, even though the frequency of power outages and average labour costs impede the productivity of these firms.

Robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy with simultaneous transhiatal abdominal procedure for thoracic esophageal carcinoma.

Minimally invasive robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy has been sporadically reported as a novel thoracic esophagectomy technique for patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma. Most reports indicate that the abdominal component of robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy is performed sequentially after the cervical phase. However, if the cervical and abdominal phases are performed simultaneously using a nerve integrity monitoring system with no administration of muscle relaxants, there are two major advantages: a reduced risk of recurrent nerve palsy and a shorter operative time. We herein report our experience performing novel robot-assisted transcervical esophagectomy with a simultaneous transhiatal abdominal approach using a nerve integrity monitoring system. Thirty cases of robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy performed from 2023 to April 2024 were reviewed. The operative and short-term surgical outcomes of this procedure were compared with those of robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy using a sequential abdominal approach, and the feasibility and efficacy of the simultaneous procedure were analyzed. All patients successfully underwent robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy with no intraoperative adverse events. There were no differences in the patients' demographic or operative data between the two groups. There was no difference in the mean operation time for the cervical procedure (p = 0.23). However, there was a significant difference in the total time for the whole procedure (sequential group: 453.8 ± 26.8min, simultaneous group: 291.2 ± 36.1min; p < 0.01). There were no differences in postoperative surgical complications between the groups. There was also no difference in the total number of surgically harvested mediastinal lymph nodes (p = 0.33). Robot-assisted transcervical esophagectomy, a new technique for thoracic esophageal cancer, was safe and feasible under intraoperative management using nerve integrity monitoring without muscle relaxants. This procedure facilitates intraoperative monitoring of recurrent laryngeal nerve activity, significantly shortening the total operative time.

Combined removal of ovarian teratoma and oocyte retrieval by laparoscopic surgery under regional anesthesia

To describe the simultaneous laparoscopic approach for teratoma removal and oocyte retrieval performed under regional anesthesia in a woman, desiring to preserve fertility. The patient included in this video gave consent for publication of the video and posting of the video online including social media, the journal website, scientific literature websites, and other applicable sites. Video case report demonstrating the clinical management and laparoscopicteratoma removal combined with oocyte retrievalaccomplished underregional anesthesia. University tertiary care hospital. We present a case of a 31-year-old woman who referred to our Fertility Center with a previous history of right salpingo-oophorectomy for mucinous ovarian cystadenoma and the presence of a large ovarian teratoma of ten centimeters of the contralateral ovary. The ovarian stimulation started in the early follicular phase. Not being able to visualize follicular growth during the ovarian stimulation, it was decided to adopt fixed protocol with antagonist on the 5th day and to proceed, on 15th day, with a laparoscopic pick-up and simultaneous removal of the cyst. Laparoscopic surgery was performed: the left ovary appeared larger in size for the presence of the suspicious mature dermoid cyst and multiple follicles, previously not identified at ultrasound imaging. The follicles contained oocytes that were aspirated with an aspiration needle of 17 G connected to a craft suction pump. Then, practicing the stripping technique, an enucleation of the ovarian cyst was performed. Surprisingly, the removal of the cyst revealed other follicles that were readily aspirated. The patient remained awake during the entire procedure and a low pressure of 10 mmHg was maintained at 15° of Trendelenburg position. A total of seven follicles were aspirated, seven oocytes were retrieved, and six mature oocytes were cryopreserved. The cyst was totally removed and no intracavitary spillage was caused. Simultaneous laparoscopic approach for teratoma removal and oocyte cryopreservation should be considered an effective fertility preservation strategy in patients in whom the presence of an ovarian neoformation does not allow visualization of growing follicles by ultrasound. Laparoscopic oocyte retrieval under regional anesthesia is a safe and well-tolerated technique and should be considered for patients where the transvaginal approach could not be performed.

Applying neural networks for short and long-term hourly electricity consumption forecasting in universities: A simultaneous approach for energy management

Predictive models for energy consumption are increasingly relevant for buildings with medium-high demands, such as public buildings. These models enable effective energy management, especially in contexts of budget constraints, maximizing resource efficiency. Thus, university buildings are interesting cases because they meet the above-mentioned conditions, they can be managed by the public or private sector and have high societal impact. This work aims to simultaneously develop two predictive models for hourly electricity demand in a university building: one for the short-term (next hour) and one for the long-term (all hours of the year). The methodology consists in: analyzing the data using descriptive statistics to identify relevant variables; building the neural network models in Python; and evaluating them with performance indicators. The short-term model, which includes the previous hour's energy as independent variable, achieved a relative error of 16.0 %, an R2 = 91.17, RMSE = 0.512 kWh, and MAE = 0.325 kWh. The long-term model, which omits this variable, showed a relative error of 31.7 %, R2 = 74.69, RMSE = 0.864 kWh, and MAE = 0.566 kWh. The study highlights the effectiveness of neural networks in energy forecasting. It also emphasizes the importance of using the previous hour's energy as a variable to obtain short-term accuracy; but also the possibility of building models without it, allowing for long-term approaches. The novelty lies in the simultaneous approach of two predictive horizons in a university building. This approach can contribute by providing accurate information to energy control algorithms that integrate renewable energy, storage, grid power, etc., to optimize the use of resources and improving environmental sustainability.

A narrative review on the use of autologous platelet concentrates during alveolar bone augmentation: Horizontal (simultaneous/staged) & vertical (simultaneous/staged).

This review aimed to answer the general question of whether autologous platelet concentrates (APCs, an autologous blood-derivative) can improve the outcome of alveolar bone augmentation. Three clinical scenarios were assessed: horizontal/vertical bone augmentation in combination with implant placement (simultaneous approach), horizontal bone augmentation in a staged approach, and vertical bone augmentation in a staged approach. An electronic literature search strategy was conducted for each review from the outset to July 1st, 2023. The titles and abstracts (when available) of all identified studies were screened and imported into a database. If articles appeared to meet the inclusion criteria or their title and abstract had insufficient data, the full text was obtained to make the final decision. All studies that met the inclusion criteria underwent data extraction. Moreover, the references of the identified papers were screened for additional studies. After title and abstract screening and selection criteria application, 14 clinical studies were included for the qualitative analysis: seven for horizontal/vertical bone augmentation in a simultaneous approach, five for horizontal bone augmentation in a staged approach, and two for vertical bone augmentation in a staged approach. There is scarce literature regarding the added value of APCs in bone augmentation, and most studies had small sample sizes, a lack of standardized protocols, and different outcome variables, which makes comparisons between studies difficult. Out of the 14 studies, four were well-designed randomized clinical trials, where we could find better results for the APCs groups. Most studies, particularly comparative and well-designed studies, demonstrated beneficial and promising results of using APCs in alveolar bone augmentation. However, before high-level evidence-based conclusions can be drawn, more randomized clinical trials must compare the benefits of adding APCs to the gold-standard approach.

Fingerprinting of emerging contaminants in L'Albufera natural park (Valencia, Spain): Implications for wetland ecosystem health

Wetlands are crucial ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities. L'Albufera Natural Park, the second-largest coastal wetland in Spain, faces significant pressures from surrounding agricultural lands, industrial activities, human settlements, and associated infrastructures, including treated wastewater inputs. This study aimed at (i) establishing pathways of emerging pollutants entering the natural wetland using both target and non-target screening (NTS) for management purposes, (ii) distinguishing specific contamination hotspots through Geographic Information System (GIS) and (iii) performing basic ecological risk assessment to evaluate ecosystem health. Two sampling campaigns were conducted in the spring and summer of 2019, coinciding with the start and end of the rice cultivation season, the region's primary agricultural activity. Each campaign involved the collection of 51 samples. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was employed, using a simultaneous NTS approach with optimized gradients for pesticides and moderately polar compounds, along with complementary NTS methods for polar compounds, to identify additional contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Quantitative analysis revealed that fungicides comprised a substantial portion of detected CECs, constituting approximately 50% of the total quantified pesticides. Tebuconazole emerged as the predominant fungicide, with the highest mean concentration (>16.9 μg L−1), followed by azoxystrobin and tricyclazole. NTS tentatively identified 16 pesticides, 43 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), 24 industrial compounds, and 12 other CECs with high confidence levels. Spatial distribution analysis demonstrated significant contamination predominantly in the southwestern region of the park, gradually diminishing towards the north-eastern outlet. The composition of contaminants varied between water and sediment samples, with pharmaceuticals predominating in water and industrial compounds in sediments. Risk assessment, evaluated through risk quotient calculations based on parent compound concentrations, revealed a decreasing trend towards the outlet, suggesting wetland degradation capacity. However, significant risk levels persist throughout much of the Natural Park, highlighting the urgent need for mitigation measures to safeguard the integrity of this vital ecosystem.

Optimal allocation of wind-based distributed generators and STATCOMs using a hierarchical stochastic programming approach

Allocating static synchronous compensators (STATCOMs) to regulate given allotted wind-based distributed generators (W-DGs) during planning stages can provide high investment returns by maximizing the installed W-DGs. Amidst rising global warming concerns, commitments to adopt renewable energy gain international momentum to curb greenhouse emissions and meet environmental targets, reducing reliance on fossil-based resources. Renewable energy's intermittency complicates distribution planning, stressing voltage devices and increasing network losses. This paper presents a new hierarchical stochastic planning model that addresses uncertainties related to W-DGs and generic loads. The model optimizes allocation with voltage constraints and reactive power while incorporating a two-stage mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP), maximizing net profit, and adding an economic dimension to promote renewable energy investments. Improved wind power modeling with historical data and collective evaluation metrics for selecting the best-fitted probability distribution function (PDF) enhances the accuracy of wind power integration assessment. The hierarchical approach considers relaxed voltage constraints in Stage I to allow maximum allotment of W-DGs while introducing STATCOMs and DGs' reactive power in Stage II to address voltage violations. Verification on the Canadian 41-bus network demonstrates the advantage of the hierarchical approach in allocating more W-DGs and achieving higher profits than the simultaneous planning approach. These advances significantly enhance renewable energy integration in power systems.