22 research outputs found
Towards sustainable tourism : analysis of stakeholder perspectives in Baltistan, Pakistan
No full textThe importance of the tourism industry is explicitly highlighted in United Nation’s SDGs. Sustainable tourism development is recognized as a useful tool for poverty reduction, social justice, environmental protection, and gender equality. Tourism is also one of the fastest-growing industries, providing employment opportunities to a large number of the world population, especially to the local people; women; and youth. The tourism industry has shown tremendous growth during the last six years in Baltistan. Therefore, to receive long-term benefits, detailed research was needed to study the impacts of tourism growth on the sustainability of the industry. Despite the immense tourism potential, the tourism industry of Baltistan has remained neglected by the Government of Pakistan, due to the disputed status it has. The tourism sector can bring revolutionary changes to the life of local inhabitants by formulating effective tourism policies. The scientific analysis based on actual market knowledge is essential to take right decisions. For this purpose, to generate local tourism knowledge, this study identifies the key stakeholders of the Baltistan tourism industry, the importance of tourism for the local population, the nature of current practices, and the problems preventing sustainable tourism growth from the perspectives of important stakeholders. Furthermore, this paper also provides detailed and relevant tourism knowledge from the literature, which include the evolutionary stages of tourism; the concept of sustainable tourism; and how tourism contributes to sustainable development. Qualitative methods were employed to conduct this research. For data collection, structured and unstructured interviews; and fieldwork methods were used. This paper concluded that increased tourism activities are generating several problems posing threat to the sustainability of the industry. Lack of research in this field was found the biggest hurdle in the formulation of effective policies. Lastly, this study recommends that constant monitoring of impacts is needed, and necessary remedial interventions are essential to reap the full benefits of tourism for a maximum period.unknown accessibilityei tietoa saavutettavuudest
Co-optimization of energy and reserve capacity considering renewable energy unit with uncertainty
No full textThis paper proposes a system model for optimal dispatch of the energy and reserve capacity
considering uncertain load demand and unsteady power generation. This implicates uncertainty
in managing the power demand along with the consideration of utility, user and environmental
objectives. The model takes into consideration a day-ahead electricity market that involves the
varying power demand bids and generates a required amount of energy in addition with reserve
capacity. The lost opportunity cost is also considered and incorporated within the context of expected
load not served. Then, the effects of combined and separate dispatching the energy and reserve are
investigated. The nonlinear cost curves have been addressed by optimizing the objective function
using robust optimization technique. Finally, various cases in accordance with underlying parameters
have been considered in order to conduct and evaluate numerical results. Simulation results show
the effectiveness of proposed scheduling model in terms of reduced cost and system stability
Future greener seaports : a review of new infrastructure, challenges, and energy efficiency measures
No full textRecently, the application of renewable energy sources (RESs) for power distribution systems is growing immensely. This advancement brings several advantages, such as energy sustainability and reliability, easier maintenance, cost-effective energy sources, and eco-friendly. The application of RESs in maritime systems such as port microgrids massively improves energy efficiency and reduces the utilization of fossil fuels, which is a serious threat to the environment. Accordingly, ports are receiving several initiatives to improve their energy efficiency by deploying different types of RESs based on the power electronic converters. This paper conducts a systematic review to provide cutting-edge state-of-the-art on the modern electrification and infrastructure of seaports taking into account some challenges such as the environmental aspects, energy efficiency enhancement, renewable energy integration, and legislative and regulatory requirements. Moreover, the technological methods, including electrifications, digitalization, onshore power supply applications, and energy storage systems of ports, are addressed. Furthermore, details of some operational strategies such as energy-aware operations and peak-shaving are delivered. Besides, the infrastructure scheme to enhance the energy efficiency of modern ports, including port microgrids and seaport smart microgrids are delivered. Finally, the applications of nascent technologies in seaports are presented.peer-reviewe
Association Between Clinical Risk Scores (GRACE, HEART) and Angiographic Disease Complexity Among Women with Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction
No full textObjectives: To determine the correlation of GRACE score and HEART score with angiographic disease complexity, as indicated by SYNTAX score in females with NSTEMI.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi in six months from June 2024 to November 2024. After informed consent, 170 females who presented with NSTEMI were enrolled by convenient sampling. The GRACE and HEART scores of the patients were calculated. The patients then underwent primary percutaneous coronary angiography and SYNTAX score was estimated to determine angiographic disease complexity. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I having SYNTAX score <33 and Group II with SYNTAX score >33. Correlation of GRACE and HEART scores was seen with the SYNTAX score. The statistical analysis was carried out by the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.
Results: There was a significant difference in age, diabetes mellitus and hypertension between the patients with SYNTAX score <33 and >33.A significant difference existed in GRACE and HEART scores between the two groups, with higher scores in patients with SYNTAX score >33. When the correlation was seen between GRACE Score and SYNTAX score, the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.605 showing strong correlation and p-value was significant (0.001). The Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.508 for HEART and SYNTAX scores with moderate significant correlation (p-value=0.001).
Conclusion: There is a strong and significant correlation between GRACE and angiographic disease severity, as indicated by SYNTAX score. Similarly, the association between HEART and SYNTAX scores is moderately significant. The GRACE and HEART scores are significantly higher in patients with SYNTAX score >33
Large-scale Data Integration Using Graph Probabilistic Dependencies (GPDs)
No full textThe diversity and proliferation of Knowledge bases have made data integration one of the key challenges in the data science domain. The imperfect representations of entities, particularly in graphs, add additional challenges in data integration. Graph dependencies (GDs) were investigated in existing studies for the integration and maintenance of data quality on graphs. However, the majority of graphs contain plenty of duplicates with high diversity. Consequently, the existence of dependencies over these graphs becomes highly uncertain. In this paper, we proposed graph probabilistic dependencies (GPDs) to address the issue of uncertainty over these large-scale graphs with a novel class of dependencies for graphs. GPDs can provide a probabilistic explanation for dealing with uncertainty while discovering dependencies over graphs. Furthermore, a case study is provided to verify the correctness of the data integration process based on GPDs. Preliminary results demonstrated the effectiveness of GPDs in terms of reducing redundancies and inconsistencies over the benchmark datasets
Power generation and pollutants removal from landfill leachate in microbial fuel cell: Variation and influence of anodic microbiomes
No full textA Joint Optimization Model for Energy and Reserve Capacity Scheduling With the Integration of Variable Energy Resources
No full textIn this paper, a two-stage approach is proposed on a joint dispatch of thermal power generation and variable resources including a storage system. Although, the dispatch of alternate energy along with conventional resources has become increasingly important in the new utility environment. However, recent studies based on the uncertainty and worst-case scenario-oriented robust optimization methodology reveal the perplexities associated with renewable energy sources (RES). First, the load demand is predicted through a convolutional neural network (CNN) by taking the ISO-NECA hourly real-time data. Then, the joint dispatch of energy and spinning reserve capacity is performed with the integration of RES and battery storage system (BSS) to satisfy the predicted load demand. In addition, the generation system is penalized with a cost factor against load not served for the amount of energy demand which is not fulfilled due to generation constraints. Meanwhile, due to ramping of thermal units, the available surplus power will be stored in the backup energy storage system considering the state of charge of the storage system. The proposed method is applied on the IEEE-standard 6-Bus system and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to solve the cost minimization objective function. Finally, the proposed system performance has been verified along with the reliability during two worst-case scenarios, i.e., sudden drop in power demand and a short-fall at the generation end
Comparison between Ultrasound-Guided and Traditional Palpatory Approaches of Proximal Transradial Access for Coronary Angiography and Intervention
No full textObjectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided versus traditional palpatory approaches of proximal transradial access (TRA) for coronary angiography and intervention.
Methodology: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out from September 2023 to February 2024 at the Cardiology Department of Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi after ethical approval. After obtaining informed consent, 75 patients who presented with ischemic heart disease and underwent coronary angiography and /or percutaneous primary coronary intervention with proximal TRA were included by convenient sampling. In 37 patients of Group I, the traditional palpatory technique was used whereas, in 38 patients of Group II, the ultrasound-guided technique was used. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used for data analysis.
Results: The first pass success rate was 92.1% in Group II versus 75.7% in Group I with statistical significance. The mean cannulation time was greater in Group I than in Group II (p-value = 0.001). The switchover to another procedure was 35.1% in Group I and 0% in Group II. Hematoma formation occurred in 24.3% of patients in Group I and 10.5% of patients in Group II but was not significant. Loss of radial pulse at 2 months was reported in 5.4% and 2.6% of the patients in Group I and Group II, respectively (p-value=0.53).
Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided transradial access is associated with improved patient outcomes as compared to traditional approach. It has a higher first-pass success rate, reduced mean cannulation time, and lower frequency of switchover procedure. However, the difference in hematoma formation and loss of radial pulse between the two groups is not significant
Efficient upgrading of palmitic acid in supercritical conditions: Effect of metal promoters and the impact of solvents as a hydrogen source
No full textWith their unique physicochemical properties and high solubility, supercritical alcohols represent effective media in the thermochemical conversion of liquid fuels and value-added chemicals from a variety of biomass-derived feedstocks. Short-chain alcohols (C1–C3) can enable hydrogenolysis of various feedstocks through in situ hydrogen supply while mitigating char formation by stabilizing reactive intermediates. However, their use is limited by excessive decomposition and high solvent consumption, issues that have been minimally explored. This study seeks to explain the role of supercritical alcohols as hydrogen donors regarding their self-reactivity, interaction with feedstocks, and conversion under catalytic and non-catalytic conditions, including pathways to by-product formation. Herein, we seek to optimize solvothermal upgrading of palmitic acid by maximizing hydrocarbon yield while conserving solvent. Optimizing the choice of solvent and addition of promoter metals can minimize consumption of solvent while increasing conversion by providing additional active hydrogen. At 325 °C, a brief 90-min reaction achieved near-complete decomposition of palmitic acid, yielding high hydrocarbon selectivity while minimizing both solvent consumption and solvent-derived by-products. Under optimum conditions, the liquid product exhibited a low O/C of 0.03, a yield of 67.53 %, and a high heating value of 45.78 MJ kg−1. The hydrodeoxygenation rate of esters to hydrocarbons increased significantly with reaction time. NiCu/AC demonstrated promising catalytic activity in esterification, hydrogenation, hydrodeoxygenation, cracking, and alkylation. Based on identified products, simplified reaction mechanisms were proposed for the supercritical upgrading of palmitic acid.The authors acknowledge the support provided by the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Refining and Advanced Chemicals (IRC-RAC) at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), under project # INRC2539
