Cost-effectiveness Of System Research Articles

Performance Evaluation and Cost Analysis of Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) System Using the Triangular Shape of Absorber with Different Water-based Nanofluids as Coolants

The worldwide energy demand is continuously increasing, prompting experts to recommend using alternative energy sources to conserve natural gas, fossil fuels, and electricity. Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems emerge as a viable solution, generating electrical and heat energy simultaneously while freeing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. These systems offer sustainable green technology for supplying renewable electricity and heat to commercial and domestic applications. This study delves into the performance of a photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system featuring an isosceles triangular-shaped absorber design. It considers size variations of 0.02 and 0.03 m while maintaining a constant aspect ratio. Water-based nanofluids such as CuO/w, MgO/w, and ZnO/w, with a nanoparticle volume portion of 4%, alongside pure water as a coolant, are utilized with a variation of mass flow rate ranges from 0.028 kg/s to 0.11 kg/s, allowing for an exploration of its impact on performance parameters. A numerical model is established to comprehensively analyze the system's performance, applying an energy balance equation to its components. An economic analysis is also conducted to assess the system's cost-effectiveness and determine the energy payback time. Results indicate that the highest overall daily performance is achieved with ZnO/w nanofluid at a mass flow rate of 0.112 kg/s and a fluid flow channel size of 0.02 m. Comparatively, compared to other nanofluids and pure water, the average electrical, thermal, and overall performances achieved are 14.57%, 22.36%, and 36.40%, respectively. The energy payback periods are 5.5, 5.2, 5.4, and 4.8 years for CuO/w, MgO/w, ZnO/w, and Pure water, respectively. Furthermore, it is observed that a higher mass flow rate correlates with higher system performance parameters.

Common TSO-DSO market framework with no upfront priority to utilize DER flexibility

Grid integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) is vital to provide flexibility services, required to ensure efficient system operations at both transmission and distribution levels. To prevent negative interactions between transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSOs) while procuring flexibility services from DERs, it is imperative to prioritize them. However, for system's cost-effectiveness allocating DER flexibility to the operator with the highest need is preferable rather than giving upfront priority. To address this, a novel coordinated decision-making approach for a common TSO-DSO market is proposed. This approach considers global balancing for the TSO and distribution congestion management for the DSO as objectives, using them as deciding factor to allocate DER flexibility to the system operator with the greatest need to fulfil its objective. Results show proposed method enhances DSO's flexibility transfer to TSO and maintains reactive power at T-D interface. Gap between TSO's DER flexibility needs and availability, influenced by congestion and line losses, is critical for prioritization. Specifically, network capacity and line losses constitute 18.79 % and 3.42 % of offered DER flexibility, respectively. Reactive power deployment improves Q/P ratio, reducing standard deviation from 0.19 to 0.018. Framework reduces conflicts, provides clear flexibility allocation rules without upfront priority.

Performance enhancement of the solar still using textiles and polyurethane rollers

The acquisition of clean drinking water in regions with limited power sources has been a challenge of paramount concern. Solar stills have emerged as a popular and sustainable option for obtaining clean water in such regions. This process involves employing solar radiation to heat up water, which is then condensed to obtain potable water. The present study introduces a solar still system that is both cost-effective and energy-efficient, while simultaneously ensuring sustainability. Fabric-coated polyurethane rollers with capillary action enhance evaporation area, leading to notable performance improvements. Water vapour condensed on the cooling chamber's inclined aluminium plate and collected in the distillate chamber within the solar still. The thermal, energetic, and economic performance and productivity of the proposed model were evaluated. The fabricated solar still boasted maximum instantaneous system efficiency and exergy efficiency of approximately 62.16% and 7.67%, respectively. This system's cost-effectiveness and performance improvements are particularly noteworthy. The daily average distillate productivity of the proposed still was estimated at 1.14 L/m2, resulting in an annual production rate of 416.54 L/year. The estimated cost of producing 1 L of distillate was 0.023 $.

The Efficiency of Participation and Conventional Banking in Turkiye: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

The efficiency of conventional and participation banks in Türkiye between 2011 and 2016 is examined in this research using stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). The primary goals of this research are the analysis of the Turkish banking system's cost-effectiveness, a comparison of the efficacy of conventional and participation banks. The empirical research was based on a sample that included panel data for three participation banks and 23 commercial banks that had been in operation continuously. The one-step approach permits control of firm- and country-specific variables as well as Shariah-compliant banking directly in the estimated frontier, allowing any differences in technology and output that are caused by differences in the two banking systems' operational characteristics. According to the SFA statistics, participation banks are less efficient than regular banks overall. According to the findings, inflation and interest rates are statistically significant for the chosen external factors and negatively affect Turkish banks' cost-effectiveness, particularly between 2012 and 2014.

RETRACTED: Enhancing desalination efficiency using waste heat from household air conditioning: A heat pipe-assisted HDH system performance analysis

This study presents an experimental exploration of a desalination system that produces freshwater from saltwater using a novel heat pipe-assisted humidification-dehumidification (HDH) process. The system utilizes waste heat recovered from residential air conditioners that use vapour compression refrigeration systems. The study focuses on the mass and heat transfer within the system's components, with performance evaluations conducted at three different air conditioning temperatures (19 °C, 20 °C, and 21 °C). The experiments highlight the freshwater production of the R32 heat pipe over the R134a and R600a heat pipes. The study estimates the system's cost-effectiveness at $0.0085/L, emphasizing its economic viability. Preheating resulted in significant improvements in freshwater yield, ranging from 43.33 % to 51.5 %, at temperatures of 21 °C and 20 °C, respectively. The Gain Output Ratio (GOR) doubled from 0.75 to 1.52, indicating a more energy-efficient process with significant improvements in the effectiveness of humidification and dehumidification. The pH levels improved from 8.32 to 7.07, representing a 15 % reduction and falling within the WHO-recommended range of 6.5–8.5. Electrical Conductivity (EC) shows a notable reduction from 62,720 to 826.1 micromhos/cm, representing a 98.68 % reduction, and well below the permissible limit of 1500 micromhos/cm. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) also experienced a drop from 31,777 to 413.1 ppm, representing a 98.7 % reduction, and falls under the WHO guideline of <600 ppm for drinking water. The experiments prove that the use of waste heat from household air conditioners for sustainable freshwater production through the HDH desalination method, with the added efficiency benefits of heat pipe.

Evaluating energy, exergy and economic aspects of a CO 2 -free Kalina cycle cogeneration system with various solar collectors

Abstract This study meticulously evaluates a Kalina cycle system, adeptly designed for the simultaneous generation of heat, power and cooling. Examining the system from energy, exergy and economic perspectives, the research analyzes the performance of various solar thermal collectors: parabolic trough collectors (PTCs), linear Fresnel reflector, dish-based systems and vacuum tubes (VTs). Among these, the PTC stands out, excelling in energy and exergy efficiency while ensuring cost-effectiveness and minimal system losses. The research also explores the impact of component adjustments on heat, power and cooling production rates. Notably, it identifies the VT collector as the most prominent in terms of exergy destruction and associated costs, with figures reaching 11.07 MW and 159 100 $/year, respectively, offering valuable insights for enhancing the system’s efficiency and economic viability.

IOT Based Fuel Theft Monitoring System

Abstract: This research paper mainly focuses on development of a "Fuel Theft Monitoring System " which addresses the pressing issue of fuel theft, which poses significant financial losses and operational disruptions for vehicle owners and fleet managers. This project aims to develop an innovative solution that accurately measures the quantity of fuel poured into a tank and sends real-time message alerts in case of fuel theft events. The system incorporates sensor-based technology and a secure communication system to ensure precise monitoring and timely alerts. The project's results demonstrate accurate fuel measurement, effective detection of theft incidents and compatibility with various fuel tanks. The system's cost-effectiveness and potential integration with existing tracking systems contribute to its accessibility and usability for a wide range of users.

Experimental performance and economic analysis of finned solar receiver for parabolic dish solar collector

The solar receiver is a vital component of concentrated solar collectors that absorbs solar radiation and converts it into heat. One of the challenges the research community faces is minimizing heat loss from the receiver at higher temperatures to maximize the thermal performance of parabolic dish collectors and achieve the system's cost-effectiveness. Cavity receivers have a complex design that makes them more challenging to manufacture and entails higher costs for improved thermal performance. Implementing innovative receiver designs is essential to maximize the absorption of solar radiation and minimize heat losses. In this experimental study, a cost-effective solar receiver was fabricated with fins to study heat transfer. The solar receiver is examined using water as heat transfer fluid with three flow rates of 0.097 kg/s, 0.125 kg/s, and 0.152 kg/s. The residence time of water is increased by adopting integrated fin receiver designs. The provision of fins in the solar receiver enhances heat transfer by increasing the turbulence in the fluid flow and results in higher thermal efficiency. The average energy and exergy efficiencies are 67.81 % and 8.93 %, respectively, with a 0.152 kg/s flow rate. At the highest water flow rate (0.152 kg/s) considered in this study, a lesser heat loss of about 3776.2 W occurred due to the effective heat transfer. The cost metrics, like levelized cost of electricity, net present value, and the payback period, are about 0.21 $/kWh, 923 $, and 3.38 years, respectively, at 0.152 kg/s flow rate. The proposed solar receiver produces optimal thermo-economic performance and lower initial investment for steam generation than other receiver designs. The current experimental study's findings could benefit the entire solar industry by presenting an effective solar receiver design for solar collectors.

Blend of flue gas from a methane-fueled gas turbine power plant and syngas from biomass gasification process to feed a novel trigeneration application: Thermodynamic-economic study and optimization

Enhancing the stability and cost-effectiveness of gas turbine power plants while mitigating input costs, co-feed arrangements, and multi-heat recovery processes shows great promise. The present study introduces an innovative trigeneration application to energetically and economically modify the existing gas turbine cycle. This trigeneration system incorporates several components, namely a helium gas turbine power plant, a regenerative steam Rankine cycle, a domestic water heating unit, and a multi-effect desalination subsystem. The thermodynamic and economic factors were considered to assess the performance indexes. Furthermore, a thorough technical analysis was conducted on the thermodynamic and economic variables, considering the influence of five crucial decision-making factors. Also, the operation mode of the system was optimized through multi-objective optimization of power and heating load. The outcomes of this optimization process revealed that the optimal values for electric power and heating load are 507.34 kW and 261.94 kW, respectively. Additionally, the capacity of freshwater obtained of about 0.076 kg/s. The optimal solution also showcased an exergy efficiency of 44.93 % and a relatively short payback period of 4.68 years, indicating the system's cost-effectiveness and favorable performance.

Exploring the Synergy of Integration: Assessing the Performance of Hydraulic Storage and Solar Power Integration in Kirkuk city

This research investigates the performance of integrated system combining of hydraulic storage and solar power in Iraq. A photovoltaic-water pumping system was designed to store solar energy in the form of water in tank at a height of 6 mm. The study evaluates the influence of solar radiation level and pumping time in determining the amount of energy stored. During clear days in March, 175 minutes was taken to pump a total of 3400 liters of water in the case of the fixed PV panel, while when using the tracker, the time is reduced to 165 minutes for filling the tank with the same quantity of water due to the increase in the pumping capacity in the case of the tracker. During a cloudy day in the same month, the same quantity of water was pumped in 230 minutes. The stored water was then utilized to generate electricity, with varying flow rates based on the desired power output .The highest produced power was obtained by 42.9 W at a 42 lit / sec water flow rate, and the lowest power obtained by 23.2 W at a minimum water flow rate of 25 lit / sec. Moreover, the system's cost-effectiveness is enhanced by employing a direct current pump which can be used without the need for the inverter or batteries. These findings provide good understanding for the integrating of the hydraulic storage and solar power systems, offering potential solutions for sustainable energy generation in Iraq.

Modeling direct ammonia anion-exchange membrane fuel cells

Ammonia has recently been proposed as a promising candidate fuel for anion-exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) technology. Direct ammonia AEMFCs (DA-AEMFCs) are a carbon-free technology that combines the ammonia's high energy density with the fuel cells' high efficiency. However, two major challenges face this technology: ammonia crossover (due to ammonia's high solubility in water) and sluggish ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR). We have developed, applied, and presented a one-dimensional and transient model of a DA-AEMFC system to address these challenges. Excellent agreement is obtained between the experimentally-measured and computationally-simulated performance of DA-AEMFCs operating at 100 and 120 °C with KOH-free anode feed. As the current density increases, the initial cell performance analysis reveals a reduction in the parasitic AOR rate through the cathode. More intriguingly, the results demonstrate a positive impact of ammonia crossover on cell longevity. Crossover drives an AOR within the cathode, which has a detrimental effect on performance but comes with an associated benefit of water generation in this region. The resultant improvement in the cathode hydration reduces the degradation rate of ionomeric material, ultimately increasing cell lifetime. Further studies are required to determine the desired rate of ammonia crossover and its influence on the system's cost-effectiveness.

Prevalence of Low Back Pain Among athletes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Lower back pain is a major complaint presented globally with its manifestation attributed to ligament strain or muscle strain and bulging or ruptured disks. 7.5% of the world population suffers from lower back pain with more than 70% of people in developed countries experiencing low back pain at some time. Lower back pain causes posturing problems and decreased motion ranges limiting people's ability to do work. The defect also causes numerous issues like debility, affects the quality of life, and impairs the ability to function and work, generating a socioeconomic burden on patients and society, which may challenge the health care system's cost-effectiveness. The complaint is enormously common in athletes and sportsmen. However, there remains a gap in understanding its prevalence across various sports and time frames. Lower back pain anatomic changes affect athletes' levels of exercising and competing which can result in permanent suspension from sporting activities. The issue of low back pain (LBP) is a persisting challenge, therefore, we are conducting this study to determine the ubiquity of low back pain among athletes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Aim: The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand the ubiquity and prevalence of low back pain among athletes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: The study involved 371 participants enrolled from three units; gyms, sports centers, and public places. The study took place between May 2022 and August 2022. Self-administered questionnaires with questions on demographics and a standardized scale (Standardized Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms) were used. Data collection was exercised by trained research assistants pre-trained by the research team. All the questions administered were standardized to enable respondents to receive duplicate questions with identical wording. Results: The participants had a mean age of 26.9 years ± 7.69. Demographic: Gender (M, 193; 52%. F, 178; 48%). BMI (Under, 15; 4.1%, Normal, 184; 184; 49.69%, Overweight, 128; 34.7% and Obese 42; 11.4%). smoking, (yes 114; 30.71%, No 234; 63.1%, ex 23; 6.2%). Nationality, (Saudi, 288; 77.6%, Non-Saudi; 88; 22.4%). Prevalence of back pain: Once in a lifetime, (305; 82.2%, never, 66; 17.8 %,) last twelve months (158; 42.6%, no pain, 213; 57.4%) past seven days (yes 106; 28.6%, no pain in 265; 71.4 %.) p = 0.028), Associated factors: feeling sad (0.002) uncomfortable furniture (p = 0.005), and gender (p &lt; 0.001). Exercise duration and frequency exercising (p &lt; 0.017) (p &lt; 0.052) and Weightlifting (p &lt; 0.065). Conclusion: Back pain is a relatively common complaint experienced by people and is more common among athletes. Besides exercising, it is evident that uncomfortable sleeping conditions, mental well-being, and gender play a big role in spawning back pain.

Impact of project procurement systems on performance of Rwandan building construction projects

Abstract Delivering a construction project successfully is associated with the procurement system used. In other words, the selection of the appropriate system can guarantee the success of the construction project. Therefore, this paper evaluated and compared the effects of the most-utilised project procurement systems on the key performance criteria in the Rwandan building construction projects such as time, cost, quality and scope. A questionnaire survey was conducted among contractors, consultants and clients, and a total of 73 questionnaires were used for the analysis. The survey results, analysed by using statistic method, discovered that the traditional procurement system of design-bid-build (DBB) is the most-employed system in Rwanda. Also, it was revealed that in the Rwandan building construction industry, the construction management (CM) system was identified as a system that performs better for more objectives than others. Specifically, the results showed that owner direct force (ODF) is suitable for cost effectiveness, design and build (DB) system is better for time performance, and CM performs better for both scope and quality achievement. This study will facilitate Rwandan construction practitioners to be able to choose the appropriate option that suits the main objectives of their projects in order to reduce risks resulting from the use of unrelated procurement systems.

Optimization based on movable damped wave algorithm for design of photovoltaic/ wind/ diesel/ biomass/ battery hybrid energy systems

The actual energetic situation has several challenges such as pollution, the rarefaction of fossil fuel and the dangers of nuclear. Renewable sources are proposed as a solution and suggested, such as a cost-effectiveness system. The paper deals with the problem of feeding a domestic load with electricity which should respect the ecologies factors, so this work is a design problem of the hybrid renewable energy systems; PV/biomass, PV/diesel/battery, PV/wind/diesel/battery, and wind/diesel/battery to choose the best one of them which feed the load with the lowest cost. The study’s goal is to design a microgrid system by the minimization of the total investment cost with respect to the required technical factor, the minimum allowed renewable energy fraction, and the minimum allowed availability factor. The methodology flowed utilizes frameworks based on a recent algorithm called Movable damped wave algorithm (MDVP). The proposed optimization algorithm is compared with other algorithms to prove its efficacy which are; the artificial electric field algorithm (AEFA), harris hawks optimization (HHO), and the grey wolf optimizer (GWO). The project case study is investigated in Al-Majmaah, Saudi Arabia. The contribution of this work is implementing a recent algorithm that proves its efficacy and finding the best microgrid configuration following many investigations and comparisons. The results confirm that the MDVP is better compared to the other algorithms, its computational time is fast, and its convergence is good; otherwise, the PV/biomass is considered the best configuration in the area of study with a size of 237.698 m2 from PV panel and 954.097 t/year of biomass, which obtained the best Net Present Cost (NPC) of $299504, and a cost of energy (LCOE) assumed as $0.228/kW. A sensitivity analysis is applied to prove the effect of size variation on project factors. The simple observation, by the way, is that any change in the PV size affects the output factors.

Recurrent thromboembolism, bleeding, and mortality in Asian patients with venous thromboembolism receiving different oral anticoagulants: A nationwide analysis

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality. However, data on the association between oral anticoagulants and the hazards of VTE complications in Taiwanese patients with VTE is limited. This study aimed to compare the hazards of recurrent VTE, bleeding, and mortality between patients with VTE receiving rivaroxaban, a non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), and those receiving heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) followed by warfarin. Patients with VTE treated with rivaroxaban, or heparin or LMWH followed by warfarin were enrolled from 2 million random samples from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance database between 2013 and 2016. Hazards of recurrent VTE (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), major bleeding, and mortality in rivaroxaban and warfarin users were investigated. Survival analyses were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Users of rivaroxaban (183) and warfarin (456) were included in the study. Patients receiving rivaroxaban did not have significantly lower hazards of developing recurrent VTE (HR, 0.72 [CI, 0.37–1.37], P = .31) and mortality (HR, 0.86 [CI, 0.49–1.50], P = .59) than those receiving heparin or LMWH followed by warfarin. In addition, the hazard ratio of major bleeding was not significantly different between the 2 regimens (HR, 1.80 [CI, 0.39–8.29], P = .45). Rivaroxaban was not associated with lower risks of recurrent VTE and mortality and higher hazards of major bleeding than heparin or LMWH followed by warfarin in Taiwanese patients with VTE. Clinicians may tailor oral anticoagulants for VTE patients according to the patient’s characteristics, cost-effectiveness and healthcare system policy.

Design and Analysis of Dynamic Block-setup Reservation Algorithm for 5G Network Slicing

In 5G, network functions can be scaled out/in dynamically to adjust the capacity for network slices. The scale-out/-in procedure, namely autoscaling, enhances performance by scaling out instances and reduces operational costs by scaling in instances. However, the autoscaling problems in 5G networks are different from those in traditional cloud computing. The 5G network functions must be considered the simultaneous deployment of multiple instances; moreover, the deployment of 5G network functions is more frequent than that of traditional cloud computing. Both the number and timing of deployment will substantially affect the cost-effectiveness of the system. In this paper, we first identify the autoscaling issues specifically based on the 3GPP standards. We develop a low-complexity analytical queuing model to formulate the problem and quantify a set of performance metrics with closed-form solutions. The proposed analytical model and closed-form solutions are cross-validated by extensive simulations. The analytical model offers design insights and theoretical guidelines, helping us study the effectiveness of reservations. We proposed a dynamic block-setup reservation algorithm (DBRA) to find the optimal reserved number and threshold value of network slices. Therefore, mobile operators can balance the system's cost-effectiveness without large-scaled testing and real deployment, saving cost on time and money.

ОБГРУНТУВАННЯ ДОЦІЛЬНОСТІ ЗАМІНИ ЕЛЕКТРИЧНОГО ОБЛАДНАННЯ ПІДСТАНЦІЯХ 110/35/10

To ensure the reliability and quality of the electricity supply, the utilities are required to renovate the substations, in a part of the replacement of electrical equipment. This largely determines the investment of big amounts of capital in the object, which is designed. The reliability of the power supply is ensured by suitable electrical appliances, in according to electricity power in usual and extreme conditions. Installation of electrical networks leads to higher material losses. Therefore, a detailed cost-effectiveness analysis and system performance of all electricity supplies should be checked and made during the design.

Point-of-care testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections to improve birth outcomes in high-burden, low-income settings: Study protocol for a cluster randomized crossover trial (the WANTAIM Trial, Papua New Guinea)

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis and bacterial vaginosis have been associated with preterm birth and low birth weight, and are highly prevalent among pregnant women in many low- and middle-income settings. There is conflicting evidence on the potential benefits of screening and treating these infections in pregnancy. Newly available diagnostic technologies make it possible, for the first time, to conduct definitive field trials to fill this knowledge gap. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate whether antenatal point-of-care testing and immediate treatment of these curable sexually transmitted and genital infections (STIs) leads to reduction in preterm birth and low birth weight. Methods: The Women and Newborn Trial of Antenatal Interventions and Management (WANTAIM) is a cluster-randomised crossover trial in Papua New Guinea to compare point-of-care STI testing and immediate treatment with standard antenatal care (which includes the WHO-endorsed STI ‘syndromic’ management strategy based on clinical features alone without laboratory confirmation). The unit of randomisation is a primary health care facility and its catchment communities. The primary outcome is a composite measure of two events: the proportion of women and their newborns in each trial arm, who experience either preterm birth (delivery <37 completed weeks of gestation as determined by ultrasound) and/or low birth weight (<2500 g measured within 72 hours of birth). The trial will also evaluate neonatal outcomes, as well as the cost-effectiveness, acceptability and health system requirements of this strategy, compared with standard care. Conclusions: WANTAIM is the first randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, acceptability and health system requirements of point-of-care STI testing and treatment to improve birth outcomes in high-burden settings. If the intervention is proven to have an impact, the trial will hasten access to these technologies and could improve maternal and neonatal health in high-burden settings worldwide. Registration: ISRCTN37134032.

Point-of-care testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections to improve birth outcomes in high-burden, low-income settings: Study protocol for a cluster randomized crossover trial (the WANTAIM Trial, Papua New Guinea).

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis and bacterial vaginosis have been associated with preterm birth and low birth weight, and are highly prevalent among pregnant women in many low- and middle-income settings. There is conflicting evidence on the potential benefits of screening and treating these infections in pregnancy. Newly available diagnostic technologies make it possible, for the first time, to conduct definitive field trials to fill this knowledge gap. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate whether antenatal point-of-care testing and immediate treatment of these curable sexually transmitted and genital infections (STIs) leads to reduction in preterm birth and low birth weight. Methods: The Women and Newborn Trial of Antenatal Interventions and Management (WANTAIM) is a cluster-randomised crossover trial in Papua New Guinea to compare point-of-care STI testing and immediate treatment with standard antenatal care (which includes the WHO-endorsed STI 'syndromic' management strategy based on clinical features alone without laboratory confirmation). The unit of randomisation is a primary health care facility and its catchment communities. The primary outcome is a composite measure of two events: the proportion of women and their newborns in each trial arm, who experience either preterm birth (delivery <37 completed weeks of gestation as determined by ultrasound) and/or low birth weight (<2500 g measured within 72 hours of birth). The trial will also evaluate neonatal outcomes, as well as the cost-effectiveness, acceptability and health system requirements of this strategy, compared with standard care. Conclusions: WANTAIM is the first randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, acceptability and health system requirements of point-of-care STI testing and treatment to improve birth outcomes in high-burden settings. If the intervention is proven to have an impact, the trial will hasten access to these technologies and could improve maternal and neonatal health in high-burden settings worldwide. Registration: ISRCTN37134032.

Effectiveness of Magneto-Rheological Damper Placement in Seismic Vibration Control

Earthquake is dangerous natural calamities considered in the nature which will destroy the environment completely. The human life along with the structures will be in threat, so a sophisticated structural design is required and hence efficient control algorithm is required to overcome this hazard. The passive and active control system has been developed to control the structures and it is found that active control strategy performs better than passive but because of some limitation like cost effectiveness and reliability semi-active control system is been adopted in recent years. Therefore this work aims at the design of Robust Proportional Derivative Controller along with semi-active damper like Magneto-rheological damper. This controller is a combination of classical PID controller and state feedback controller. The commanded voltage of this controller will be sent to the current driver. This current driver will convert the voltage to current. Magneto-rheological damper in turn receives this controlled current and produces the force required to control the vibration of the structure. The minimum control effort is simulated by placing MR damper in different floors of the structure and results are demonstrated. Optimum placement of the damper plays an important role because of economy and minimum vibration to the least possible consideration.