Patterns of rural household energy use: a study in the White Nile province - the Sudan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abdu, A.S.E.

1985-01-01

The study investigates rural household domestic energy consumption patterns in a semiarid area of the Sudan. It describes the socioeconomic and evironmental context of energy use, provides an estimation of local woody biomass production and evaluates ecological impacts of increased energy demand on the local resource base. It is based on findings derived from field surveys, a systematic questionnaire and participant observations. Findings indicate that households procure traditional fuels by self-collection and purchases. Household members spent on average 20% of their working time gathering fuels. Generally per caput and total annual expenditure and consumption of domestic fuels are determined bymore » household size, physical availability, storage, prices, income, conservation, substitution and competition among fuel resource uses. Households spend on average 16% of their annual income on traditional fuels. Aggregation of fuels on heat equivalent basis and calculation of their contribution shows that on average firewood provides 63%, charcoal 20.7%, dung 10.4%, crop residues 3.4% and kerosene/diesel 2.5% of the total demand for domestic purposes. Estimated total household woodfuel demand exceeds woody biomass available from the local forests. This demand is presently satisfied by a net depletion of the local forests and purchases from other areas. Degradation of the resource base is further exacerbated by development of irrigation along the White Nile River, increasing livestock numbers (overgrazing) and forest clearance for rainfed cultivation. The most promising relevant and appropriate strategies to alleviate rural household domestic energy problems include: conservation of the existing forest, augmentation through village woodlots and community forestry programmes and improvements in end-use (stoves) and conversion (wood to charcoal) technologies.« less

Joint pricing, inventory, and preservation decisions for deteriorating items with stochastic demand and promotional efforts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soni, Hardik N.; Chauhan, Ashaba D.

2018-03-01

This study models a joint pricing, inventory, and preservation decision-making problem for deteriorating items subject to stochastic demand and promotional effort. The generalized price-dependent stochastic demand, time proportional deterioration, and partial backlogging rates are used to model the inventory system. The objective is to find the optimal pricing, replenishment, and preservation technology investment strategies while maximizing the total profit per unit time. Based on the partial backlogging and lost sale cases, we first deduce the criterion for optimal replenishment schedules for any given price and technology investment cost. Second, we show that, respectively, total profit per time unit is concave function of price and preservation technology cost. At the end, some numerical examples and the results of a sensitivity analysis are used to illustrate the features of the proposed model.

Opportunities and challenges of sustainable agricultural development in China.

PubMed

Zhao, Jingzhu; Luo, Qishan; Deng, Hongbing; Yan, Yan

2008-02-27

This paper introduces the concepts and aims of sustainable agriculture in China. Sustainable agricultural development comprises sustainability of agricultural production, sustainability of the rural economy, ecological and environmental sustainability within agricultural systems and sustainability of rural society. China's prime aim is to ensure current and future food security. Based on projections of China's population, its economy, societal factors and agricultural resources and inputs between 2000 and 2050, total grain supply and demand has been predicted and the state of food security analysed. Total and per capita demand for grain will increase continuously. Total demand will reach 648 Mt in 2020 and 700 Mt in 2050, while total grain yield of cultivated land will reach 470 Mt in 2010, 585 Mt in 2030 and 656 Mt in 2050. The per capita grain production will be around 360kg in the period 2000-2030 and reach 470kg in 2050. When productivities of cultivated land and other agricultural resources are all taken into consideration, China's food self-sufficiency ratio will increase from 94.4% in 2000 to 101.3% in 2030, suggesting that China will meet its future demand for food and need for food security. Despite this positive assessment, the country's sustainable agricultural development has encountered many obstacles. These include: agricultural water-use shortage; cultivated land loss; inappropriate usage of fertilizers and pesticides, and environmental degradation.

Energy performance and savings potentials with skylights

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arasteh, D.; Johnson, R.; Selkowitz, S.

1984-12-01

This study systematically explores the energy effects of skylight systems in a prototypical office building module and examines the savings from daylighting. For specific climates, roof/skylight characteristics are identified that minimize total energy or peak electrical demand. Simplified techniques for energy performance calculation are also presented based on a multiple regression analysis of our data base so that one may easily evaluate daylighting's effects on total and component energy loads and electrical peaks. This provides additional insights into the influence of skylight parameters on energy consumption and electrical peaks. We use the DOE-2.1B energy analysis program with newly incorporated daylightingmore » algorithms to determine hourly, monthly, and annual impacts of daylighting strategies on electrical lighting consumption, cooling, heating, fan power, peak electrical demands, and total energy use. A data base of more than 2000 parametric simulations for 14 US climates has been generated. Parameters varied include skylight-to-roof ratio, shading coefficient, visible transmittance, skylight well light loss, electric lighting power density, roof heat transfer coefficient, and electric lighting control type. 14 references, 13 figures, 4 tables.« less

Integrated Mode Choice, Small Aircraft Demand, and Airport Operations Model User's Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yackovetsky, Robert E. (Technical Monitor); Dollyhigh, Samuel M.

2004-01-01

A mode choice model that generates on-demand air travel forecasts at a set of GA airports based on changes in economic characteristics, vehicle performance characteristics such as speed and cost, and demographic trends has been integrated with a model to generate itinerate aircraft operations by airplane category at a set of 3227 airports. Numerous intermediate outputs can be generated, such as the number of additional trips diverted from automobiles and schedule air by the improved performance and cost of on-demand air vehicles. The total number of transported passenger miles that are diverted is also available. From these results the number of new aircraft to service the increased demand can be calculated. Output from the models discussed is in the format to generate the origin and destination traffic flow between the 3227 airports based on solutions to a gravity model.

AST/R–BASED WATER REUSE AS A PART OF THE TOTAL WATER SOLUTION FOR WATER-STRESSED REGIONS: AN OVERVIEW OF ENGINEERING PRACTICE AND REGULATORY PROSPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Water supply and demand are increasingly unbalanced in many parts of the world. To address the imbalance, the total water solution methodology simultaneously considers regulatory, engineering, environmental and economic factors to optimize risk management solutions for an entire...

AST/R BASED WATER REUSE AS A PART OF THE TOTAL WATER SOLUTION FOR WATER-STRESSED REGIONS: AN OVERVIEW OF ENGINEERING PRACTICE AND REGULATORY PROSPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Water supply and demand are increasingly unbalanced in many parts of the world. To address the imbalance, the total water solution methodology simultaneously considers regulatory, engineering, environmental and economic factors to optimize risk management solutions for an entire ...

Applying linear programming model to aggregate production planning of coated peanut products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohmah, W. G.; Purwaningsih, I.; Santoso, EF S. M.

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to set the overall production level for each grade of coated peanut product to meet market demands with a minimum production cost. The linear programming model was applied in this study. The proposed model was used to minimize the total production cost based on the limited demand of coated peanuts. The demand values applied to the method was previously forecasted using time series method and production capacity aimed to plan the aggregate production for the next 6 month period. The results indicated that the production planning using the proposed model has resulted a better fitted pattern to the customer demands compared to that of the company policy. The production capacity of product family A, B, and C was relatively stable for the first 3 months of the planning periods, then began to fluctuate over the next 3 months. While, the production capacity of product family D and E was fluctuated over the 6-month planning periods, with the values in the range of 10,864 - 32,580 kg and 255 – 5,069 kg, respectively. The total production cost for all products was 27.06% lower than the production cost calculated using the company’s policy-based method.

Roof-top solar energy potential under performance-based building energy codes: The case of Spain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Izquierdo, Salvador; Montanes, Carlos; Dopazo, Cesar

2011-01-15

The quantification at regional level of the amount of energy (for thermal uses and for electricity) that can be generated by using solar systems in buildings is hindered by the availability of data for roof area estimation. In this note, we build on an existing geo-referenced method for determining available roof area for solar facilities in Spain to produce a quantitative picture of the likely limits of roof-top solar energy. The installation of solar hot water systems (SHWS) and photovoltaic systems (PV) is considered. After satisfying up to 70% (if possible) of the service hot water demand in every municipality,more » PV systems are installed in the remaining roof area. Results show that, applying this performance-based criterion, SHWS would contribute up to 1662 ktoe/y of primary energy (or 68.5% of the total thermal-energy demand for service hot water), while PV systems would provide 10 T W h/y of electricity (or 4.0% of the total electricity demand). (author)« less

Experimental evaluation of four ground-motion scaling methods for dynamic response-history analysis of nonlinear structures

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Donnell, Andrew P.; Kurama, Yahya C.; Kalkan, Erol; Taflanidis, Alexandros A.

2017-01-01

This paper experimentally evaluates four methods to scale earthquake ground-motions within an ensemble of records to minimize the statistical dispersion and maximize the accuracy in the dynamic peak roof drift demand and peak inter-story drift demand estimates from response-history analyses of nonlinear building structures. The scaling methods that are investigated are based on: (1) ASCE/SEI 7–10 guidelines; (2) spectral acceleration at the fundamental (first mode) period of the structure, Sa(T1); (3) maximum incremental velocity, MIV; and (4) modal pushover analysis. A total of 720 shake-table tests of four small-scale nonlinear building frame specimens with different static and dynamic characteristics are conducted. The peak displacement demands from full suites of 36 near-fault ground-motion records as well as from smaller “unbiased” and “biased” design subsets (bins) of ground-motions are included. Out of the four scaling methods, ground-motions scaled to the median MIV of the ensemble resulted in the smallest dispersion in the peak roof and inter-story drift demands. Scaling based on MIValso provided the most accurate median demands as compared with the “benchmark” demands for structures with greater nonlinearity; however, this accuracy was reduced for structures exhibiting reduced nonlinearity. The modal pushover-based scaling (MPS) procedure was the only method to conservatively overestimate the median drift demands.

Job task characteristics of Australian emergency services volunteers during search and rescue operations.

PubMed

Silk, Aaron; Lenton, Gavin; Savage, Robbie; Aisbett, Brad

2018-02-01

Search and rescue operations are necessary in locating, assisting and recovering individuals lost or in distress. In Australia, land-based search and rescue roles require a range of physically demanding tasks undertaken in dynamic and challenging environments. The aim of the current research was to identify and characterise the physically demanding tasks inherent to search and rescue operation personnel within Australia. These aims were met through a subjective job task analysis approach. In total, 11 criterion tasks were identified by personnel. These tasks were the most physically demanding, frequently occurring and operationally important tasks to these specialist roles. Muscular strength was the dominant fitness component for 7 of the 11 tasks. In addition to the discrete criterion tasks, an operational scenario was established. With the tasks and operational scenario identified, objective task analysis procedures can be undertaken so that practitioners can implement evidence-based strategies, such as physical selection procedures and task-based physical training programs, commensurate with the physical demands of search and rescue job roles. Practitioner Summary: The identification of physically demanding tasks amongst specialist emergency service roles predicates health and safety strategies which can be incorporated into organisations. Knowledge of physical task parameters allows employers to mitigate injury risk through the implementation of strategies modelled on the precise physical demands of the role.

Forecasting Ontario's blood supply and demand.

PubMed

Drackley, Adam; Newbold, K Bruce; Paez, Antonio; Heddle, Nancy

2012-02-01

Given an aging population that requires increased medical care, an increasing number of deferrals from the donor pool, and a growing immigrant population that typically has lower donation rates, the purpose of this article is to forecast Ontario's blood supply and demand. We calculate age- and sex-specific donation and demand rates for blood supply based on 2008 data and project demand between 2008 and 2036 based on these rates and using population data from the Ontario Ministry of Finance. Results indicate that blood demand will outpace supply as early as 2012. For instance, while the total number of donations made by older cohorts is expected to increase in the coming years, the number of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in the 70+ age group is forecasted grow from approximately 53% of all RBC transfusions in 2008 (209,515) in 2008 to 68% (546,996) by 2036. A series of alternate scenarios, including projections based on a 2% increase in supply per year and increased use of apheresis technology, delays supply shortfalls, but does not eliminate them without active management and/or multiple methods to increase supply and decrease demand. Predictions show that demand for blood products will outpace supply in the near future given current age- and sex-specific supply and demand rates. However, we note that the careful management of the blood supply by Canadian Blood Services, along with new medical techniques and the recruitment of new donors to the system, will remove future concerns. © 2012 American Association of Blood Banks.

Can hospitals compete on quality? Hospital competition.

PubMed

Sadat, Somayeh; Abouee-Mehrizi, Hossein; Carter, Michael W

2015-09-01

In this paper, we consider two hospitals with different perceived quality of care competing to capture a fraction of the total market demand. Patients select the hospital that provides the highest utility, which is a function of price and the patient's perceived quality of life during their life expectancy. We consider a market with a single class of patients and show that depending on the market demand and perceived quality of care of the hospitals, patients may enjoy a positive utility. Moreover, hospitals share the market demand based on their perceived quality of care and capacity. We also show that in a monopoly market (a market with a single hospital) the optimal demand captured by the hospital is independent of the perceived quality of care. We investigate the effects of different parameters including the market demand, hospitals' capacities, and perceived quality of care on the fraction of the demand that each hospital captures using some numerical examples.

Climate change and peak demand for electricity: Evaluating policies for reducing peak demand under different climate change scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthony, Abigail Walker

This research focuses on the relative advantages and disadvantages of using price-based and quantity-based controls for electricity markets. It also presents a detailed analysis of one specific approach to quantity based controls: the SmartAC program implemented in Stockton, California. Finally, the research forecasts electricity demand under various climate scenarios, and estimates potential cost savings that could result from a direct quantity control program over the next 50 years in each scenario. The traditional approach to dealing with the problem of peak demand for electricity is to invest in a large stock of excess capital that is rarely used, thereby greatly increasing production costs. Because this approach has proved so expensive, there has been a focus on identifying alternative approaches for dealing with peak demand problems. This research focuses on two approaches: price based approaches, such as real time pricing, and quantity based approaches, whereby the utility directly controls at least some elements of electricity used by consumers. This research suggests that well-designed policies for reducing peak demand might include both price and quantity controls. In theory, sufficiently high peak prices occurring during periods of peak demand and/or low supply can cause the quantity of electricity demanded to decline until demand is in balance with system capacity, potentially reducing the total amount of generation capacity needed to meet demand and helping meet electricity demand at the lowest cost. However, consumers need to be well informed about real-time prices for the pricing strategy to work as well as theory suggests. While this might be an appropriate assumption for large industrial and commercial users who have potentially large economic incentives, there is not yet enough research on whether households will fully understand and respond to real-time prices. Thus, while real-time pricing can be an effective tool for addressing the peak load problems, pricing approaches are not well suited to ensure system reliability. This research shows that direct quantity controls are better suited for avoiding catastrophic failure that results when demand exceeds supply capacity.

Estimating the total energy demand for supra-maximal exercise using the VO2-power regression from an incremental exercise test.

PubMed

Aisbett, B; Le Rossignol, P

2003-09-01

The VO2-power regression and estimated total energy demand for a 6-minute supra-maximal exercise test was predicted from a continuous incremental exercise test. Sub-maximal VO2-power co-ordinates were established from the last 40 seconds (s) of 150-second exercise stages. The precision of the estimated total energy demand was determined using the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of the estimated total energy demand. The linearity of the individual VO2-power regression equations was determined using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The mean 95% CI of the estimated total energy demand was 5.9 +/- 2.5 mL O2 Eq x kg(-1) x min(-1), and the mean correlation coefficient was 0.9942 +/- 0.0042. The current study contends that the sub-maximal VO2-power co-ordinates from a continuous incremental exercise test can be used to estimate supra-maximal energy demand without compromising the precision of the accumulated oxygen deficit (AOD) method.

EQUITY EVALUATION OF PADDY IRRIGATION WATER DISTRIBUTION BY SOCIETY-JUSTICE-WATER DISTRIBUTION RULE HYPOTHESIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanji, Hajime; Kiri, Hirohide; Kobayashi, Shintaro

When total supply is smaller than total demand, it is difficult to apply the paddy irrigation water distribution rule. The gap must be narrowed by decreasing demand. Historically, the upstream served rule, rotation schedule, or central schedule weight to irrigated area was adopted. This paper proposes the hypothesis that these rules are dependent on social justice, a hypothesis called the "Society-Justice-Water Distribution Rule Hypothesis". Justice, which means a balance of efficiency and equity of distribution, is discussed under the political philosophy of utilitarianism, liberalism (Rawls), libertarianism, and communitarianism. The upstream served rule can be derived from libertarianism. The rotation schedule and central schedule can be derived from communitarianism. Liberalism can provide arranged schedule to adjust supply and demand based on "the Difference Principle". The authors conclude that to achieve efficiency and equity, liberalism may provide the best solution after modernization.

Analysis of Added Value of Subscores with Respect to Classification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinharay, Sandip

2014-01-01

Brennan noted that users of test scores often want (indeed, demand) that subscores be reported, along with total test scores, for diagnostic purposes. Haberman suggested a method based on classical test theory (CTT) to determine if subscores have added value over the total score. One way to interpret the method is that a subscore has added value…

Evaluating Outdoor Water Use Demand under Changing Climatic and Demographic Conditions: An Agent-based Modeling Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanta, L.; Berglund, E. Z.; Soh, M. H.

2017-12-01

Outdoor water-use for landscape and irrigation constitutes a significant end-use in total residential water demand. In periods of water shortages, utilities may reduce garden demands by implementing irrigation system audits, rebate programs, local ordinances, and voluntary or mandatory water-use restrictions. Because utilities do not typically record outdoor and indoor water-uses separately, the effects of policies for reducing garden demands cannot be readily calculated. The volume of water required to meet garden demands depends on the housing density, lawn size, type of vegetation, climatic conditions, efficiency of garden irrigation systems, and consumer water-use behaviors. Many existing outdoor demand estimation methods are deterministic and do not include consumer responses to conservation campaigns. In addition, mandatory restrictions may have a substantial impact on reducing outdoor demands, but the effectiveness of mandatory restrictions depends on the timing and the frequency of restrictions, in addition to the distribution of housing density and consumer types within a community. This research investigates a garden end-use model by coupling an agent-based modeling approach and a mechanistic-stochastic water demand model to create a methodology for estimating garden demand and evaluating demand reduction policies. The garden demand model is developed for two water utilities, using a diverse data sets, including residential customer billing records, outdoor conservation programs, frequency and type of mandatory water-use restrictions, lot size distribution, population growth, and climatic data. A set of garden irrigation parameter values, which are based on the efficiency of irrigation systems and irrigation habits of consumers, are determined for a set of conservation ordinances and restrictions. The model parameters are then validated using customer water usage data from the participating water utilities. A sensitivity analysis is conducted for garden irrigation parameters to determine the most significant factors that should be considered by water utilities to reduce outdoor demand. Data from multiple sources and the agent-based modeling methodology are integrated using a holistic approach to assist utilities in efficiently and sustainably managing outdoor demand.

Distribution network design under demand uncertainty using genetic algorithm and Monte Carlo simulation approach: a case study in pharmaceutical industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izadi, Arman; Kimiagari, Ali mohammad

2014-01-01

Distribution network design as a strategic decision has long-term effect on tactical and operational supply chain management. In this research, the location-allocation problem is studied under demand uncertainty. The purposes of this study were to specify the optimal number and location of distribution centers and to determine the allocation of customer demands to distribution centers. The main feature of this research is solving the model with unknown demand function which is suitable with the real-world problems. To consider the uncertainty, a set of possible scenarios for customer demands is created based on the Monte Carlo simulation. The coefficient of variation of costs is mentioned as a measure of risk and the most stable structure for firm's distribution network is defined based on the concept of robust optimization. The best structure is identified using genetic algorithms and 14% reduction in total supply chain costs is the outcome. Moreover, it imposes the least cost variation created by fluctuation in customer demands (such as epidemic diseases outbreak in some areas of the country) to the logistical system. It is noteworthy that this research is done in one of the largest pharmaceutical distribution firms in Iran.

Distribution network design under demand uncertainty using genetic algorithm and Monte Carlo simulation approach: a case study in pharmaceutical industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izadi, Arman; Kimiagari, Ali Mohammad

2014-05-01

Distribution network design as a strategic decision has long-term effect on tactical and operational supply chain management. In this research, the location-allocation problem is studied under demand uncertainty. The purposes of this study were to specify the optimal number and location of distribution centers and to determine the allocation of customer demands to distribution centers. The main feature of this research is solving the model with unknown demand function which is suitable with the real-world problems. To consider the uncertainty, a set of possible scenarios for customer demands is created based on the Monte Carlo simulation. The coefficient of variation of costs is mentioned as a measure of risk and the most stable structure for firm's distribution network is defined based on the concept of robust optimization. The best structure is identified using genetic algorithms and 14 % reduction in total supply chain costs is the outcome. Moreover, it imposes the least cost variation created by fluctuation in customer demands (such as epidemic diseases outbreak in some areas of the country) to the logistical system. It is noteworthy that this research is done in one of the largest pharmaceutical distribution firms in Iran.

Green Walls as an Approach in Grey Water Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rysulova, Martina; Kaposztasova, Daniela; Vranayova, Zuzana

2017-10-01

Grey water contributes significantly to waste water parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (Ptotal), total nitrogen (Ntotal), ammonium, boron, metals, salts, surfactants, synthetic chemicals, oils and greases, xenobiotic substances and microorganisms. Concentration of these pollutants and the water quality highlights the importance of treatment process in grey water systems. Treatment technologies operating under low energy and maintenance are usually preferred, since they are more cost effective for users. Treatment technologies based on natural processes represent an example of such technology including vegetated wall. Main aim of this paper is to introduce the proposal of vegetated wall managing grey water and brief characteristic of proposed system. Is expected that prepared experiment will establish the purifying ability and the potential of green wall application as an efficient treatment technology.

Three essays in energy consumption: Time series analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Hee Bai

1997-10-01

Firstly, this dissertation investigates that which demand specification is an appropriate model for long-run energy demand between the conventional demand specification and the limited demand specification. In order to determine the components of a stable long-run demand for different sectors of the energy industry, I perform cointegration tests by using the Johansen test procedure. First, I test the conventional demand specification including prices and income as components. Second, I test a limited demand specification only income as a component. The reason for performing these tests is that we can determine that which demand specification is a good long-run predictor of energy consumption between the two demand specifications by using the cointegration tests. Secondly, for the purpose of planning and forecasting energy demand in case of cointegrated system, long-run elasticities are of particular interest. To retrieve the optimal level of energy demand in case of price shock, we need long-run elasticities rather than short-run elasticities. The energy demand study provides valuable information to the energy policy makers who are concerned about the long-run impact of taxes and tariffs. A long-run price elasticity is a primary barometer of the substitution effect between energy and non-energy inputs and long-run income elasticity is an important factor since we can measure the energy demand growing slowly or fast than in the past depending on the magnitude of long-run elasticity. The one other problem in estimating the total energy demand is that there exists an aggregation bias stemming from the process of summation in four different energy types for the total aggregation prices and total aggregation energy consumption. In order to measure the aggregation bias between the Btu aggregation method and the Divisia Index method, i.e., which methodology has less aggregation bias in the long-run, I compare the two estimation results with calculated results estimated on a disaggregated basis. Thus, we can confirm whether or not the theoretically superior methodology has less aggregation bias in empirical estimation. Thirdly, I investigate the causal relationships between energy use and GDP. In order to detect causal relationships both in the long-run and in the short-run, the VECM (Vector Error Correction Model) can be used if there exists cointegration relationships among the variables. I detect the causal effects between energy use and GDP by estimating the VECM based on the multivariate production function including the labor and capital variables.

Prediction-based manufacturing center self-adaptive demand side energy optimization in cyber physical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xinyao; Wang, Xue; Wu, Jiangwei; Liu, Youda

2014-05-01

Cyber physical systems(CPS) recently emerge as a new technology which can provide promising approaches to demand side management(DSM), an important capability in industrial power systems. Meanwhile, the manufacturing center is a typical industrial power subsystem with dozens of high energy consumption devices which have complex physical dynamics. DSM, integrated with CPS, is an effective methodology for solving energy optimization problems in manufacturing center. This paper presents a prediction-based manufacturing center self-adaptive energy optimization method for demand side management in cyber physical systems. To gain prior knowledge of DSM operating results, a sparse Bayesian learning based componential forecasting method is introduced to predict 24-hour electric load levels for specific industrial areas in China. From this data, a pricing strategy is designed based on short-term load forecasting results. To minimize total energy costs while guaranteeing manufacturing center service quality, an adaptive demand side energy optimization algorithm is presented. The proposed scheme is tested in a machining center energy optimization experiment. An AMI sensing system is then used to measure the demand side energy consumption of the manufacturing center. Based on the data collected from the sensing system, the load prediction-based energy optimization scheme is implemented. By employing both the PSO and the CPSO method, the problem of DSM in the manufacturing center is solved. The results of the experiment show the self-adaptive CPSO energy optimization method enhances optimization by 5% compared with the traditional PSO optimization method.

ELECTRICAL LOAD ANTICIPATOR AND RECORDER

DOEpatents

Werme, J.E.

1961-09-01

A system is described in which an indication of the prevailing energy consumption in an electrical power metering system and a projected power demand for one demand in terval is provided at selected increments of time within the demand interval. Each watt-hour meter in the system is provided with an impulse generator that generates two impulses for each revolution of the meter disc. In each demand interval, for example, one half-hour, of the metering system, the total impulses received from all of the meters are continuously totaled for each 5-minute interval and multiplied by a number from 6 to 1 depending upon which 5- minute interval the impulses were received. This value is added to the total pulses received in the intervals preceding the current 5-minute interval within the half-hour demand interval tc thereby provide an indication of the projected power demand every 5 minutes in the demand interval.

Seat Capacity Selection for an Advanced Short-Haul Aircraft Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marien, Ty V.

2016-01-01

A study was performed to determine the target seat capacity for a proposed advanced short-haul aircraft concept projected to enter the fleet by 2030. This analysis projected the potential demand in the U.S. for a short-haul aircraft using a transportation theory approach, rather than selecting a target seat capacity based on recent industry trends or current market demand. A transportation systems model was used to create a point-to-point network of short-haul trips and then predict the number of annual origin-destination trips on this network. Aircraft of varying seat capacities were used to meet the demand on this network, assuming a single aircraft type for the entire short-haul fleet. For each aircraft size, the ticket revenue and operational costs were used to calculate a total market profitability metric for all feasible flights. The different aircraft sizes were compared, based on this market profitability metric and also the total number of annual round trips and markets served. Sensitivity studies were also performed to determine the effect of changing the aircraft cruise speed and maximum trip length. Using this analysis, the advanced short-haul aircraft design team was able to select a target seat capacity for their design.

Forecasting Strategies for Predicting Peak Electric Load Days

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Harshit

Academic institutions spend thousands of dollars every month on their electric power consumption. Some of these institutions follow a demand charges pricing structure; here the amount a customer pays to the utility is decided based on the total energy consumed during the month, with an additional charge based on the highest average power load required by the customer over a moving window of time as decided by the utility. Therefore, it is crucial for these institutions to minimize the time periods where a high amount of electric load is demanded over a short duration of time. In order to reduce the peak loads and have more uniform energy consumption, it is imperative to predict when these peaks occur, so that appropriate mitigation strategies can be developed. The research work presented in this thesis has been conducted for Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where the demand charges are decided based on a 15 minute sliding window panned over the entire month. This case study makes use of different statistical and machine learning algorithms to develop a forecasting strategy for predicting the peak electric load days of the month. The proposed strategy was tested for a whole year starting May 2015 to April 2016 during which a total of 57 peak days were observed. The model predicted a total of 74 peak days during this period, 40 of these cases were true positives, hence achieving an accuracy level of 70 percent. The results obtained with the proposed forecasting strategy are promising and demonstrate an annual savings potential worth about $80,000 for a single submeter of RIT.

The 18/30 GHz fixed communications system service demand assessment. Volume 2: Main text

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabriszeski, T.; Reiner, P.; Rogers, J.; Terbo, W.

1979-01-01

The total demand for communications services, and satellite transmission services at the 4/6 GHz, 12/14 GHz, and 18/30 GHz frequencies is assessed. The services are voice, video, and data services. Traffic demand, by service, is distributed by geographical regions, population density, and distance between serving points. Further distribution of traffic is made among four major end user groups: business, government, institutions and private individuals. A traffic demand analysis is performed on a typical metropolitan city to examine service distribution trends. The projected cost of C and Ku band satellite systems are compared on an individual service basis to projected terrestrial rates. Separation of traffic between transmission systems, including 18/30 GHz systems, is based on cost, user, and technical considerations.

Analysis and comparison of methods for the preparation of domestic hot water from district heating system, selected renewable and non-renewable sources in low-energy buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapik, Maciej

2018-02-01

The article presents an economic analysis and comparison of selected (district heating, natural gas, heat pump with renewable energy sources) methods for the preparation of domestic hot water in a building with low energy demand. In buildings of this type increased demand of energy for domestic hot water preparation in relation to the total energy demand can be observed. As a result, the proposed solutions allow to further lower energy demand by using the renewable energy sources. This article presents the results of numerical analysis and calculations performed mainly in MATLAB software, based on typical meteorological years. The results showed that system with heat pump and renewable energy sources Is comparable with district heating system.

Assessing global radiative forcing due to regional emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors: a step towards climate credit for ozone reductions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauzerall, D. L.; Naik, V.; Horowitz, L. W.; Schwarzkopf, D.; Ramaswamy, V.; Oppenheimer, M.

2005-05-01

Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel consumption are presented for the five Asian countries that are among the global leaders in anthropogenic carbon emissions: China (13% of global total), Japan (5% of global total), India (5% of global total), South Korea (2% of global total), and Indonesia (1% of global total). Together, these five countries represent over a quarter of the world's fossil-fuel based carbon emissions. Moreover, these countries are rapidly developing and energy demand has grown dramatically in the last two decades. A method is developed to estimate the spatial and seasonal flux of fossil-fuel consumption, thereby greatly improving the temporal and spatial resolution of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Currently, only national annual data for anthropogenic carbon emissions are available, and as such, no understanding of seasonal or sub-national patterns of emissions are possible. This methodology employs fuel distribution data from representative sectors of the fossil-fuel market to determine the temporal and spatial patterns of fuel consumption. These patterns of fuel consumption are then converted to patterns of carbon emissions. The annual total emissions estimates produced by this method are consistent to those maintained by the United Nations. Improved estimates of temporal and spatial resolution of the human based carbon emissions allows for better projections about future energy demands, carbon emissions, and ultimately the global carbon cycle.

Demand-driven water withdrawals by Chinese industry: a multi-regional input-output analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bo; Chen, Z. M.; Zeng, L.; Qiao, H.; Chen, B.

2016-03-01

With ever increasing water demands and the continuous intensification of water scarcity arising from China's industrialization, the country is struggling to harmonize its industrial development and water supply. This paper presents a systems analysis of water withdrawals by Chinese industry and investigates demand-driven industrial water uses embodied in final demand and interregional trade based on a multi-regional input-output model. In 2007, the Electric Power, Steam, and Hot Water Production and Supply sector ranks first in direct industrial water withdrawal (DWW), and Construction has the largest embodied industrial water use (EWU). Investment, consumption, and exports contribute to 34.6%, 33.3%, and 30.6% of the national total EWU, respectively. Specifically, 58.0%, 51.1%, 48.6%, 43.3%, and 37.5% of the regional EWUs respectively in Guangdong, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Fujian are attributed to international exports. The total interregional import/export of embodied water is equivalent to about 40% of the national total DWW, of which 55.5% is associated with the DWWs of Electric Power, Steam, and Hot Water Production and Supply. Jiangsu is the biggest interregional exporter and deficit receiver of embodied water, in contrast to Guangdong as the biggest interregional importer and surplus receiver. Without implementing effective water-saving measures and adjusting industrial structures, the regional imbalance between water availability and water demand tends to intensify considering the water impact of domestic trade of industrial products. Steps taken to improve water use efficiency in production, and to enhance embodied water saving in consumption are both of great significance for supporting China's water policies.

Development of a demand assignment/TDMA system for international business satellite communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nohara, Mitsuo; Takeuchi, Yoshio; Takahata, Fumio; Hirata, Yasuo; Yamazaki, Yoshiharu

An experimental IBS (international business satellite) communications system based on a demand assignment and TDMA (time-division multiple-access) operation has been developed. The system utilizes a limited satellite resource efficiently and provides various kinds of ISDN services totally. A discussion is presented of the IBS network configurations suitable to international communications and describes the developed communications system from the viewpoint of the hardware and software implementation. The performance in terms of the transmission quality and call processing is also demonstrated.

The future prospects of supply and demand for urologists in Korea

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to forecast the future supply and demand for urologists and to discuss the possible policy implications. Materials and Methods A demographic utilization-based model was used to calculate the total urologist requirements for Korea. Utilization rates for ambulatory and inpatient genitourinary specialty services were estimated according to age, sex, and insurance status. These rates were used to estimate genitourinary specialty-specific total service utilization expressed in patient care minutes for future populations and converted to genitourinary physician requirements by applying per-genitourinary-physician productivity estimates. An in-and-out movement model for urologist supply was used. Results Depending on assumptions about data at each step in the method, the supply of urologic surgeons is expected to exceed the demand by 2025 under the current enrollment rate of specialists (43.5% in 2012) when comparing the results of the projections under demand scenarios 3 and 4. However, if the current enrollment rate persists, the imbalance in supply and demand will be not severe by 2030. The degree of imbalance can be alleviated by 2030 by maintaining the current occupancy rate of urologic residents of 43.5%. Conclusions This study shows that the number of residents needs to be reduced according to the supply and demand for urologic surgeons. Moreover, a policy should be established to maintain the current occupancy rate of residents. The factors affecting the supply and demand of urologic surgeons are complicated. Thus, comprehensive policies encompassing these factors should be established with appropriate solutions. PMID:29124238

Burnout in medical residents: a study based on the job demands-resources model.

PubMed

Zis, Panagiotis; Anagnostopoulos, Fotios; Sykioti, Panagiota

2014-01-01

Burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job. The purpose of our cross-sectional study was to estimate the burnout rates among medical residents in the largest Greek hospital in 2012 and identify factors associated with it, based on the job demands-resources model (JD-R). Job demands were examined via a 17-item questionnaire assessing 4 characteristics (emotional demands, intellectual demands, workload, and home-work demands' interface) and job resources were measured via a 14-item questionnaire assessing 4 characteristics (autonomy, opportunities for professional development, support from colleagues, and supervisor's support). The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout. Of the 290 eligible residents, 90.7% responded. In total 14.4% of the residents were found to experience burnout. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that each increased point in the JD-R questionnaire score regarding home-work interface was associated with an increase in the odds of burnout by 25.5%. Conversely, each increased point for autonomy, opportunities in professional development, and each extra resident per specialist were associated with a decrease in the odds of burnout by 37.1%, 39.4%, and 59.0%, respectively. Burnout among medical residents is associated with home-work interface, autonomy, professional development, and resident to specialist ratio.

A Simulation Model for Purchasing Duplicate Copies in a Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arms, W. Y.; Walter, T. P.

1974-01-01

A method of estimating the number of duplicate copies of books needed based on a computer simulation which takes into account number of copies available, number of loans, total underlying demand, satisfaction level, percentage time on shelf. (LS)

A window into occupant-driven energy outcomes: Leveraging sub-metering infrastructure to examine psychosocial factors driving long-term outcomes of short-term competition-based energy interventions

DOE PAGES

Konis, Kyle; Orosz, Michael; Sintov, Nicole

2016-01-07

Competition-based “energy saving” interventions are increasingly promoted as an effective strategy for reducing energy consumption in buildings with large occupant controlled electrical loads. However, the factors that drive energy savings in such interventions are not well understood, nor are the impacts of short-term competitions on long-term energy performance. A total of 39 8-occupant suites in a freshman residence hall were instrumented with “smart” electric meters, which recorded circuit-level electricity consumption at 15-minute intervals. During a three-week Fall 2014 competition, suites competed to reduce their overall electricity demand and achieved a 6.4% reduction in whole-building demand overall and a 12% reductionmore » during hours of peak demand (from 12:00 to 19:00), despite peak seasonal temperatures and all-time record electricity demand. Analysis incorporating weather-normalized HVAC demand after the competition showed a significant “rebound” for a large portion of the suites (19), however 12 suites made further reductions, and the remainder maintained demand at the competition level. As a result, we compared energy data with self-reported survey data and identified self-efficacy beliefs, pro-environmental behaviors, and sense of affiliation with other residents of the hall as key factors distinguishing the suites with the greatest and most persistent reductions in demand from suites that maintained or increased demand.« less

Some Results of Weak Anticipative Concept Applied in Simulation Based Decision Support in Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kljajić, Miroljub; Kofjač, Davorin; Kljajić Borštnar, Mirjana; Škraba, Andrej

2010-11-01

The simulation models are used as for decision support and learning in enterprises and in schools. Tree cases of successful applications demonstrate usefulness of weak anticipative information. Job shop scheduling production with makespan criterion presents a real case customized flexible furniture production optimization. The genetic algorithm for job shop scheduling optimization is presented. Simulation based inventory control for products with stochastic lead time and demand describes inventory optimization for products with stochastic lead time and demand. Dynamic programming and fuzzy control algorithms reduce the total cost without producing stock-outs in most cases. Values of decision making information based on simulation were discussed too. All two cases will be discussed from optimization, modeling and learning point of view.

Utilizing Technology to Examine the Impacts of Academic Program Plans on Faculty Staffing Levels. AIR 1984 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiro, Louis M.; Campbell, Jill F.

The development and use of a campus-based computerized faculty staffing model is described. In addition to considering market demands for current and proposed programs, decisionmakers need to consider how program development, modification, and elimination affect the total college faculty resource base. The application of computer technology,…

Job-specific mandatory medical examinations for the police force.

PubMed

Boschman, J S; Hulshof, C T J; Frings-Dresen, M H W; Sluiter, J K

2017-08-01

Mandatory medical examinations (MMEs) of workers should be based on the health and safety requirements that are needed for effectively performing the relevant work. For police personnel in the Netherlands, no job-specific MME exists that takes the specific tasks and duties into account. To provide the Dutch National Police with a knowledge base for job-specific MMEs for police personnel that will lead to equitable decisions from an occupational health perspective about who can perform police duties. We used a stepwise mixed-methods approach in which we included interviews with employees and experts and a review of the national and international literature. We determined the job demands for the various police jobs, determined which were regarded as specific job demands and formulated the matching health requirements as specific as possible for each occupation. A total of 21 specific job demands were considered relevant in different police jobs. These included biomechanical, physiological, physical, emotional, psychological/cognitive and sensory job demands. We formulated both police-generic and job-specific health requirements based on the specific job demands. Two examples are presented: bike patrol and criminal investigation. Our study substantiated the need for job-specific MMEs for police personnel. We found specific job demands that differed substantially for various police jobs. The corresponding health requirements were partly police-generic, and partly job-specific. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Allocating operating room block time using historical caseload variability.

PubMed

Hosseini, Narges; Taaffe, Kevin M

2015-12-01

Operating room (OR) allocation and planning is one of the most important strategic decisions that OR managers face. The number of ORs that a hospital opens depends on the number of blocks that are allocated to the surgical groups, services, or individual surgeons, combined with the amount of open posting time (i.e., first come, first serve posting) that the hospital wants to provide. By allocating too few ORs, a hospital may turn away surgery demand whereas opening too many ORs could prove to be a costly decision. The traditional method of determining block frequency and size considers the average historical surgery demand for each group. However, given that there are penalties to the system for having too much or too little OR time allocated to a group, demand variability should play a role in determining the real OR requirement. In this paper we present an algorithm that allocates block time based on this demand variability, specifically accounting for both over-utilized time (time used beyond the block) and under-utilized time (time unused within the block). This algorithm provides a solution to the situation in which total caseload demand can be accommodated by the total OR resource set, in other words not in a capacity-constrained situation. We have found this scenario to be common among several regional healthcare providers with large OR suites and excess capacity. This algorithm could be used to adjust existing blocks or to assign new blocks to surgeons that did not previously have a block. We also have studied the effect of turnover time on the number of ORs that needs to be allocated. Numerical experiments based on real data from a large health-care provider indicate the opportunity to achieve over 2,900 hours of OR time savings through improved block allocations.

Industrial companies' demand for energy based on a micro panel database -- Effects of CO{sub 2} taxation and agreements on energy savings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bjoerner, T.B.; Togeby, M.

1999-07-01

An econometric panel data analysis of industrial demand for electricity and energy is presented. In the panel energy consumption, production and value added are observed at company level. The authors estimate price and production elasticities for electricity and total energy (i.e. measuring the X per cent change in demand of say electricity of a one per cent increase in the price of electricity). The estimated price and production elasticities are allowed to vary according to company characteristics such as industrial sub-sector, company size, energy intensity and type of ownership. Most previous econometric studies on industrial energy demand use aggregate data,more » while a couple of micro level studies mainly employ cross-section analysis. To the knowledge this is only the second econometric study on industrial energy demand based on a large micro panel database. More than 2,700 Danish industrial companies during the period 1983 to 1995 are included in the model (covering the majority of all Danish industrial energy consumption). One advantage of micro data is that these data can be used to estimate the effect of an instrument like voluntary energy agreements. By entering a voluntary energy agreement a Danish company avoids paying the usual CO{sub 2} tax. Preliminary analyses suggest that there is a large positive gross reduction of electricity and total energy consumption of companies with energy agreements. However, the authors also find that companies would have had about the same reduction in electricity consumption if they had not entered into an agreement, but instead paid the full CO{sub 2} tax. Thus, the analysis suggests that the net effect on electricity use of the voluntary energy agreements is very low (perhaps even negative).« less

Economic lot sizing in a production system with random demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Shine-Der; Yang, Chin-Ming; Lan, Shu-Chuan

2016-04-01

An extended economic production quantity model that copes with random demand is developed in this paper. A unique feature of the proposed study is the consideration of transient shortage during the production stage, which has not been explicitly analysed in existing literature. The considered costs include set-up cost for the batch production, inventory carrying cost during the production and depletion stages in one replenishment cycle, and shortage cost when demand cannot be satisfied from the shop floor immediately. Based on renewal reward process, a per-unit-time expected cost model is developed and analysed. Under some mild condition, it can be shown that the approximate cost function is convex. Computational experiments have demonstrated that the average reduction in total cost is significant when the proposed lot sizing policy is compared with those with deterministic demand.

Duckweed based wastewater stabilization ponds for wastewater treatment (a low cost technology for small urban areas in Zimbabwe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalu, J. M.; Ndamba, J.

A three-year investigation into the potential use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds for wastewater treatment was carried out at two small urban areas in Zimbabwe. The study hoped to contribute towards improved environmental management through improving the quality of effluent being discharged into natural waterways. This was to be achieved through the development and facilitation of the use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds. The study was carried out at Nemanwa and Gutu Growth Points both with a total population of 23 000. The two centers, like more than 70% of Zimbabwe’s small urban areas, relied on algae based ponds for domestic wastewater treatment. The final effluent is used to irrigate gum plantations before finding its way into the nearest streams. Baseline wastewater quality information was collected on a monthly basis for three months after which duckweed ( Lemna minor) was introduced into the maturation ponds to at least 50% pond surface cover. The influent and effluent was then monitored on a monthly basis for chemical, physical and bacteriological parameters as stipulated in the Zimbabwe Water (Waste and Effluent Disposal) regulations of 2000. After five months, the range of parameters tested for was narrowed to include only those that sometimes surpassed the limits. These included: phosphates, nitrates, pH, biological oxygen demand, iron, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. Significant reductions to within permissible limits were obtained for most of the above-mentioned parameters except for phosphates, chemical and biological oxygen demand and turbidity. However, in these cases, more than 60% reductions were observed when the influent and effluent levels were compared. It is our belief that duckweed based waste stabilization ponds can now be used successfully for the treatment of domestic wastewater in small urban areas of Zimbabwe.

Production-based emissions, consumption-based emissions and consumption-based health impacts of PM2.5 carbonaceous aerosols in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Kei; Nansai, Keisuke; Tohno, Susumu; Nishizawa, Masato; Kurokawa, Jun-ichi; Ohara, Toshimasa

2014-11-01

This study determined the production-based emissions, the consumption-based emissions, and the consumption-based health impact of primary carbonaceous aerosols (black carbon: BC, organic carbon: OC) in nine countries and regions in Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan) in 2008. For the production-based emissions, sectoral emissions inventory of BC and OC for the year of 2008 based on the Asian international input-output tables (AIIOT) was compiled including direct emissions from households. Then, a multiregional environmental input-output analysis with the 2008 AIIOT which was originally developed by updating the table of 2000 was applied for calculating the consumption-based emissions for each country and region. For the production-based emissions, China had the highest BC and OC emissions of 4520 Gg-C in total, which accounted for 75% of the total emissions in the nine countries and regions. For consumption-based emissions, China was estimated to have had a total of 4849 Gg-C of BC and OC emissions, which accounted for 77% of the total emissions in the Asia studied. We also quantified how much countries and regions induced emissions in other countries and regions. Furthermore, taking account of the source-receptor relationships of BC and OC among the countries and regions, we converted their consumption-based emissions into the consumption-based health impact of each country and region. China showed the highest consumption-based health impact of BC and OC totaling 111 × 103 premature deaths, followed by Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. China accounted for 87% of the sum total of the consumption-based health impacts of the countries/regions, indicating that China's contribution to consumption-based health impact in Asia was greater than its consumption-based emissions. By elucidating the health impacts that each country and region had on other countries and from which country the impacts were received, we demonstrated that the characteristics of the consumption-based health impact varied significantly by country and region. We also determined the difference in the health impacts to other countries and regions due to the domestic final demand of each country and region, and the health impact due to the domestic final demand of that country or region.

Oil Price Uncertainty, Transport Fuel Demand and Public Health.

PubMed

He, Ling-Yun; Yang, Sheng; Chang, Dongfeng

2017-03-01

Based on the panel data of 306 cities in China from 2002 to 2012, this paper investigates China's road transport fuel (i.e., gasoline and diesel) demand system by using the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) and the Quadratic AIDS (QUAIDS) models. The results indicate that own-priceelasticitiesfordifferentvehiclecategoriesrangefrom-1.215to-0.459(byAIDS)andfrom -1.399 to-0.369 (by QUAIDS). Then, this study estimates the air pollution emissions (CO, NOx and PM2.5) and public health damages from the road transport sector under different oil price shocks. Compared to the base year 2012, results show that a fuel price rise of 30% can avoid 1,147,270 tonnes of pollution emissions; besides, premature deaths and economic losses decrease by 16,149 cases and 13,817.953 million RMB yuan respectively; while based on the non-linear health effect model, the premature deaths and total economic losses decrease by 15,534 and 13,291.4 million RMB yuan respectively. Our study combines the fuel demand and health evaluation models and is the first attempt to address how oil price changes influence public health through the fuel demand system in China. Given its serious air pollution emission and substantial health damages, this paper provides important insights for policy makers in terms of persistent increasing in fuel consumption and the associated health and economic losses.

Metabolic power and energetic costs of professional Australian Football match-play.

PubMed

Coutts, Aaron J; Kempton, Thomas; Sullivan, Courtney; Bilsborough, Johann; Cordy, Justin; Rampinini, Ermanno

2015-03-01

To compare the metabolic power demands between positional groups, and examine temporal changes in these parameters during Australian Football match-play. Longitudinal observational study. Global positioning system data were collected from 39 Australian Football players from the same club during 19 Australian Football League competition games over two seasons. A total of 342 complete match samples were obtained for analysis. Players were categorised into one of six positional groups: tall backs, mobile backs, midfielders, tall forwards, mobile forwards and rucks. Instantaneous raw velocity data obtained from the global positioning system units was exported to a customised spreadsheet which provided estimations of both speed-based (e.g. total and high-speed running distance) and derived metabolic power and energy expenditure variables (e.g. average metabolic power, high-power distance, total energy expenditure). There were significant differences between positional groups for both speed-based and metabolic power indices, with midfielders covering more total and high-speed distance, as well as greater average and overall energy expenditure compared to other positions (all p<0.001). There were reductions in total, high-speed, and high-power distance, as well as average metabolic power throughout the match (all p<0.001). Positional differences exist for both metabolic power and traditional running based variables. Generally, midfielders, followed by mobile forwards and mobile backs had greater activity profiles compared to other position groups. We observed that the reductions in most metabolic power variables during the course of the match are comparable to traditional running based metrics. This study demonstrates that metabolic power data may contribute to our understanding of the physical demands of Australian Football. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expected value based fuzzy programming approach to solve integrated supplier selection and inventory control problem with fuzzy demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutrisno; Widowati; Sunarsih; Kartono

2018-01-01

In this paper, a mathematical model in quadratic programming with fuzzy parameter is proposed to determine the optimal strategy for integrated inventory control and supplier selection problem with fuzzy demand. To solve the corresponding optimization problem, we use the expected value based fuzzy programming. Numerical examples are performed to evaluate the model. From the results, the optimal amount of each product that have to be purchased from each supplier for each time period and the optimal amount of each product that have to be stored in the inventory for each time period were determined with minimum total cost and the inventory level was sufficiently closed to the reference level.

Gender Differences in the Effects of Job Control and Demands on the Health of Korean Manual Workers.

PubMed

Kim, HeeJoo; Kim, Ji Hye; Jang, Yeon Jin; Bae, Ji Young

2016-01-01

We used the job-demand-control model to answer our two research questions concerning the effects of working conditions on self-rated health and gender differences and the association between these working conditions and health among Korean manual workers. Since a disproportionate representation of women in nonstandard work positions is found in many countries, including Korea, it is important to examine how working conditions explain gender inequality in health. We used data from the 2008-2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and analyzed a total sample of 1,482 men and 1,350 women using logistic regression. We found that job control was positively related to self-rated health, while both physical and mental job demands were negatively related to self-rated health. We also found significant interaction effects of job demands, control, and gender on health. Particularly, female workers' health was more vulnerable to mentally demanding job conditions. We discussed theoretical and practice implications based on these findings.

[Family practitioners in Switzerland by 2030: which roles for medical task delegation?].

PubMed

Jaccard Ruedin, Hélène; Seematter-Bagnoud, Laurence; Roth, Maik; Junod, Julien; Santos-Eggimann, Brigitte

2009-01-01

Due to population aging, by 2030 Switzerland may face a demand of 24 million family practitioner visits, a growth of 13 percent from the 2005 level. This result is based on the assumption that the per capita demand for doctor visits remains what was observed in 2005 by age groups and sex. During the same period, the total number of practitioners may decrease by 14 percent whereas the female proportion of such practitioners may double. These changes may cause a 33 percent decrease in the supply of physician visits to reach only 14 millions. The comparison of the demand and supply of family doctor visits reveals that by 2030, 10 million visits may be unmet which represents 40 percent of the demand. On the supply side, a full scale implementation of task delegation may partially reduce that gap (minus 2 millions). On the demand side, improved health status may bring in a larger decrease in the needs for visits (minus 4 million).

Phytoremediation potential of water caltrop (Trapa natans L.) using municipal wastewater of the activated sludge process-based municipal wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Kumar, Vinod; Chopra, A K

2018-01-01

Phytoremediation experiments were carried out to assess the phytoremediation potential of water caltrop (Trapa natans L.) using municipal wastewater collected from the activated sludge process- (ASP) based municipal wastewater treatment plant. The results revealed that T. natans significantly (P ≤ .05/P ≤ .01/P ≤ .001) reduced the contents of total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), chemical oxygen demand, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphate ([Formula: see text]), sodium (Na + ), potassium (K + ), calcium (Ca 2+ ), magnesium (Mg 2+ ), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), standard plate count, and most probable number of the municipal wastewater after phytoremediation experiments. The maximum removal of these parameters was obtained at 60 days of the phytoremediation experiments, but the removal rate of these parameters was gradually increased from 15 to 45 days and it was slightly decreased at 60 days. Most contents of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn were translocated in the leaves of T. natans, whereas most contents of Cr and Pb were accumulated in the root of T. natans after phytoremediation experiments. The contents of different biochemical components were recorded in the order of total sugar > crude protein > total ash > crude fiber > total fat in T. natans after phytoremediation of municipal wastewater. Therefore, T. natans was found to be effective for the removal of different parameters of municipal wastewater and can be used effectively to reduce the pollution load of municipal wastewater drained from the ASP-based treatment plants.

Assessment of Programming Language Learning Based on Peer Code Review Model: Implementation and Experience Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yanqing; Li, Hang; Feng, Yuqiang; Jiang, Yu; Liu, Ying

2012-01-01

The traditional assessment approach, in which one single written examination counts toward a student's total score, no longer meets new demands of programming language education. Based on a peer code review process model, we developed an online assessment system called "EduPCR" and used a novel approach to assess the learning of computer…

Combining urbanization and hydrodynamics data to evaluate sea level rise impacts on coastal water resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, C. R.; Martin, J. B.

2016-02-01

Assessments of the potential for salt water intrusion due to sea level rise require consideration of both coastal hydrodynamic and human activity thresholds. In siliciclastic systems, sea level rise may cause salt intrusion to coastal aquifers at annual or decadal scales, whereas in karst systems salt intrudes at the tidal scalse. In both cases, human activity impacts the freshwater portion of the system by altering the water demand on the aquifer. We combine physicochemical and human activity data to evaluate impact of sea level rise on salt intrusion to siliclastic (Indian River Lagoon, Fl, USA) and karst (Puerto Morelos, Yucatan, Mexico) systems under different sea level rise rate scenarios. Two hydrodynamic modeling scenarios are considered; flux controlled and head controlled. Under a flux controlled system hydraulic head gradients remain constant during sea level rise while under a head controlled system hydraulic graidents diminish, allowing saltwater intrusion. Our model contains three key terms; aquifer recharge, groundwater discharge and hydraulic conductivity. Groundwater discharge and hydraulic conductivity were calculated based on high frequency (karst system) and decadal (siliciclastic system) field measurements. Aquifer recharge is defined as precipitation less evapotranspiration and water demand was evaluated based on urban planning data that provided the regional water demand. Water demand includes agricultural area, toursim, traffic patterns, garbage collection and total population. Water demand was initially estimated using a partial leaset squares regression based on these variables. Our model indicates that water demand depends most on agricultural area, which has changed significantly over the last 30 years. In both systems, additional water demand creates a head controlled scenario, thus increaseing the protential fo salt intrusion with projected sea level rise.

Automated Flight Routing Using Stochastic Dynamic Programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ng, Hok K.; Morando, Alex; Grabbe, Shon

2010-01-01

Airspace capacity reduction due to convective weather impedes air traffic flows and causes traffic congestion. This study presents an algorithm that reroutes flights in the presence of winds, enroute convective weather, and congested airspace based on stochastic dynamic programming. A stochastic disturbance model incorporates into the reroute design process the capacity uncertainty. A trajectory-based airspace demand model is employed for calculating current and future airspace demand. The optimal routes minimize the total expected traveling time, weather incursion, and induced congestion costs. They are compared to weather-avoidance routes calculated using deterministic dynamic programming. The stochastic reroutes have smaller deviation probability than the deterministic counterpart when both reroutes have similar total flight distance. The stochastic rerouting algorithm takes into account all convective weather fields with all severity levels while the deterministic algorithm only accounts for convective weather systems exceeding a specified level of severity. When the stochastic reroutes are compared to the actual flight routes, they have similar total flight time, and both have about 1% of travel time crossing congested enroute sectors on average. The actual flight routes induce slightly less traffic congestion than the stochastic reroutes but intercept more severe convective weather.

Burnout in Medical Residents: A Study Based on the Job Demands-Resources Model

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Purpose. Burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job. The purpose of our cross-sectional study was to estimate the burnout rates among medical residents in the largest Greek hospital in 2012 and identify factors associated with it, based on the job demands-resources model (JD-R). Method. Job demands were examined via a 17-item questionnaire assessing 4 characteristics (emotional demands, intellectual demands, workload, and home-work demands' interface) and job resources were measured via a 14-item questionnaire assessing 4 characteristics (autonomy, opportunities for professional development, support from colleagues, and supervisor's support). The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout. Results. Of the 290 eligible residents, 90.7% responded. In total 14.4% of the residents were found to experience burnout. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that each increased point in the JD-R questionnaire score regarding home-work interface was associated with an increase in the odds of burnout by 25.5%. Conversely, each increased point for autonomy, opportunities in professional development, and each extra resident per specialist were associated with a decrease in the odds of burnout by 37.1%, 39.4%, and 59.0%, respectively. Conclusions. Burnout among medical residents is associated with home-work interface, autonomy, professional development, and resident to specialist ratio. PMID:25531003

Voluntary medical male circumcision: a qualitative study exploring the challenges of costing demand creation in eastern and southern Africa.

PubMed

Bertrand, Jane T; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel; Forsythe, Steven; Mattison, Sarah K; Mahler, Hally; Hankins, Catherine A

2011-01-01

This paper proposes an approach to estimating the costs of demand creation for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) scale-up in 13 countries of eastern and southern Africa. It addresses two key questions: (1) what are the elements of a standardized package for demand creation? And (2) what challenges exist and must be taken into account in estimating the costs of demand creation? We conducted a key informant study on VMMC demand creation using purposive sampling to recruit seven people who provide technical assistance to government programs and manage budgets for VMMC demand creation. Key informants provided their views on the important elements of VMMC demand creation and the most effective funding allocations across different types of communication approaches (e.g., mass media, small media, outreach/mobilization). The key finding was the wide range of views, suggesting that a standard package of core demand creation elements would not be universally applicable. This underscored the importance of tailoring demand creation strategies and estimates to specific country contexts before estimating costs. The key informant interviews, supplemented by the researchers' field experience, identified these issues to be addressed in future costing exercises: variations in the cost of VMMC demand creation activities by country and program, decisions about the quality and comprehensiveness of programming, and lack of data on critical elements needed to "trigger the decision" among eligible men. Based on this study's findings, we propose a seven-step methodological approach to estimate the cost of VMMC scale-up in a priority country, based on our key assumptions. However, further work is needed to better understand core components of a demand creation package and how to cost them. Notwithstanding the methodological challenges, estimating the cost of demand creation remains an essential element in deriving estimates of the total costs for VMMC scale-up in eastern and southern Africa.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Challenges of Costing Demand Creation in Eastern and Southern Africa

PubMed Central

Bertrand, Jane T.; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel; Forsythe, Steven; Mattison, Sarah K.; Mahler, Hally; Hankins, Catherine A.

2011-01-01

Background This paper proposes an approach to estimating the costs of demand creation for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) scale-up in 13 countries of eastern and southern Africa. It addresses two key questions: (1) what are the elements of a standardized package for demand creation? And (2) what challenges exist and must be taken into account in estimating the costs of demand creation? Methods and Findings We conducted a key informant study on VMMC demand creation using purposive sampling to recruit seven people who provide technical assistance to government programs and manage budgets for VMMC demand creation. Key informants provided their views on the important elements of VMMC demand creation and the most effective funding allocations across different types of communication approaches (e.g., mass media, small media, outreach/mobilization). The key finding was the wide range of views, suggesting that a standard package of core demand creation elements would not be universally applicable. This underscored the importance of tailoring demand creation strategies and estimates to specific country contexts before estimating costs. The key informant interviews, supplemented by the researchers' field experience, identified these issues to be addressed in future costing exercises: variations in the cost of VMMC demand creation activities by country and program, decisions about the quality and comprehensiveness of programming, and lack of data on critical elements needed to “trigger the decision” among eligible men. Conclusions Based on this study's findings, we propose a seven-step methodological approach to estimate the cost of VMMC scale-up in a priority country, based on our key assumptions. However, further work is needed to better understand core components of a demand creation package and how to cost them. Notwithstanding the methodological challenges, estimating the cost of demand creation remains an essential element in deriving estimates of the total costs for VMMC scale-up in eastern and southern Africa. PMID:22140450

The Influence of Wheelchair Propulsion Hand Pattern on Upper Extremity Muscle Power and Stress

PubMed Central

Slowik, Jonathan S.; Requejo, Philip S.; Mulroy, Sara J.; Neptune, Richard R.

2016-01-01

The hand pattern (i.e., full-cycle hand path) used during manual wheelchair propulsion is frequently classified as one of four distinct hand pattern types: arc, single loop, double loop and semicircular. Current clinical guidelines recommend the use of the semicircular pattern, which is based on advantageous levels of broad biomechanical metrics implicitly related to the demand placed on the upper extremity (e.g., lower cadence). However, an understanding of the influence of hand pattern on specific measures of upper extremity muscle demand (e.g., muscle power and stress) is needed to help make such recommendations, but these quantities are difficult and impractical to measure experimentally. The purpose of this study was to use musculoskeletal modeling and forward dynamics simulations to investigate the influence of the hand pattern used on specific measures of upper extremity muscle demand. The simulation results suggest that the double loop and semicircular patterns produce the most favorable levels of overall muscle stress and total muscle power. The double loop pattern had the lowest full-cycle and recovery-phase upper extremity demand but required high levels of muscle power during the relatively short contact phase. The semicircular pattern had the second-lowest full-cycle levels of overall muscle stress and total muscle power, and demand was more evenly distributed between the contact and recovery phases. These results suggest that in order to decrease upper extremity demand, manual wheelchair users should use either the double loop or semicircular pattern when propelling their wheelchairs at a self-selected speed on level ground. PMID:27062591

Application of a hurdle negative binomial count data model to demand for bass fishing in the southeastern United States.

PubMed

Bilgic, Abdulbaki; Florkowski, Wojciech J

2007-06-01

This paper identifies factors that influence the demand for a bass fishing trip taken in the southeastern United States using a hurdle negative binomial count data model. The probability of fishing for a bass is estimated in the first stage and the fishing trip frequency is estimated in the second stage for individuals reporting bass fishing trips in the Southeast. The applied approach allows the decomposition of the effects of factors responsible for the decision to take a trip and the trip number. Calculated partial and total elasticities indicate a highly inelastic demand for the number of fishing trips as trip costs increase. However, the demand can be expected to increase if anglers experience a success measured by the number of caught fish or their size. Benefit estimates based on alternative estimation methods differ substantially, suggesting the need for testing each modeling approach applied in empirical studies.

Fort Drum Preliminary Fiscal Impact Analysis: Technical Appendices,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-01-01

the requirements for on-base construction with those for private sector construction. (Private sector construction demand accounts for construction...persons with key construction skills. There will be some phasing in and out of these jobs, which is accounted for in the FIA model. Service Sector The...a nonservice industry accounts for 5 percent of the total production in ,: the ROI and 10 percent of total production in the state, then half of the

Response surface modeling for optimization heterocatalytic Fenton oxidation of persistence organic pollution in high total dissolved solid containing wastewater.

PubMed

Sekaran, G; Karthikeyan, S; Boopathy, R; Maharaja, P; Gupta, V K; Anandan, C

2014-01-01

The rice-husk-based mesoporous activated carbon (MAC) used in this study was precarbonized and activated using phosphoric acid. N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm, X-ray powder diffraction, electron spin resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, (29)Si-NMR spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were used to characterize the MAC. The tannery wastewater carrying high total dissolved solids (TDS) discharged from leather industry lacks biodegradability despite the presence of dissolved protein. This paper demonstrates the application of free electron-rich MAC as heterogeneous catalyst along with Fenton reagent for the oxidation of persistence organic compounds in high TDS wastewater. The heterogeneous Fenton oxidation of the pretreated wastewater at optimum pH (3.5), H2O2 (4 mmol/L), FeSO4[Symbol: see text]7H2O (0.2 mmol/L), and time (4 h) removed chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon and dissolved protein by 86, 91, 83, and 90%, respectively.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Konis, Kyle; Orosz, Michael; Sintov, Nicole

Competition-based “energy saving” interventions are increasingly promoted as an effective strategy for reducing energy consumption in buildings with large occupant controlled electrical loads. However, the factors that drive energy savings in such interventions are not well understood, nor are the impacts of short-term competitions on long-term energy performance. A total of 39 8-occupant suites in a freshman residence hall were instrumented with “smart” electric meters, which recorded circuit-level electricity consumption at 15-minute intervals. During a three-week Fall 2014 competition, suites competed to reduce their overall electricity demand and achieved a 6.4% reduction in whole-building demand overall and a 12% reductionmore » during hours of peak demand (from 12:00 to 19:00), despite peak seasonal temperatures and all-time record electricity demand. Analysis incorporating weather-normalized HVAC demand after the competition showed a significant “rebound” for a large portion of the suites (19), however 12 suites made further reductions, and the remainder maintained demand at the competition level. As a result, we compared energy data with self-reported survey data and identified self-efficacy beliefs, pro-environmental behaviors, and sense of affiliation with other residents of the hall as key factors distinguishing the suites with the greatest and most persistent reductions in demand from suites that maintained or increased demand.« less

Modeling the impact of development and management options on future water resource use in the Nyangores sub-catchment of the Mara Basin in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omonge, Paul; Herrnegger, Mathew; Fürst, Josef; Olang, Luke

2016-04-01

Despite the increasing water insecurity consequent of competing uses, the Nyangores sub-catchment of Kenya is yet to develop an inclusive water use and allocation plan for its water resource systems. As a step towards achieving this, this contribution employed the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system to evaluate selected policy based water development and management options for future planning purposes. Major water resources of the region were mapped and quantified to establish the current demand versus supply status. To define a reference scenario for subsequent model projections, additional data on urban and rural water consumption, water demand for crop types, daily water use for existing factories and industries were also collated through a rigorous fieldwork procedure. The model was calibrated using the parameter estimation tool (PEST) and validated against observed streamflow data, and subsequently used to simulate feasible management options. Due to lack of up-to-date data for the current year, the year 2000 was selected as the base year for the scenario simulations up to the year 2030, which has been set by the country for realizing most flagship development projects. From the results obtained, the current annual water demand within the sub-catchment is estimated to be around 27.2 million m3 of which 24% is being met through improved and protected water sources including springs, wells and boreholes, while 76% is met through informal and unprotected sources which are insufficient to cater for future increases in demand. Under the reference scenario, the WEAP model predicted an annual total inadequate supply of 8.1 million m3 mostly in the dry season by the year 2030. The current annual unmet water demand is 1.3 million m3 and is noteworthy in the dry seasons of December through February at the irrigation demand site. The monthly unmet domestic demand under High Population Growth (HPG) was projected to be 1.06 million m3 by the year 2030. However, within the improved Water Conservation Scenario (WCS), the total water demand is projected to decline by 24.2% in the same period. Key words: Nyangores catchment, Water Resources, WEAP, Scenario Analysis, Kenya

Impact of the economic downturn on total joint replacement demand in the United States: updated projections to 2021.

PubMed

Kurtz, Steven M; Ong, Kevin L; Lau, Edmund; Bozic, Kevin J

2014-04-16

Few studies have explored the role of the National Health Expenditure and macroeconomics on the utilization of total joint replacement. The economic downturn has raised questions about the sustainability of growth for total joint replacement in the future. Previous projections of total joint replacement demand in the United States were based on data up to 2003 using a statistical methodology that neglected macroeconomic factors, such as the National Health Expenditure. Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1993 to 2010) were used with United States Census and National Health Expenditure data to quantify historical trends in total joint replacement rates, including the two economic downturns in the 2000s. Primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty were identified using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Projections in total joint replacement were estimated using a regression model incorporating the growth in population and rate of arthroplasties from 1993 to 2010 as a function of age, sex, race, and census region using the National Health Expenditure as the independent variable. The regression model was used in conjunction with government projections of National Health Expenditure from 2011 to 2021 to estimate future arthroplasty rates in subpopulations of the United States and to derive national estimates. The growth trend for the incidence of joint arthroplasty, for the overall United States population as well as for the United States workforce, was insensitive to economic downturns. From 2009 to 2010, the total number of procedures increased by 6.0% for primary total hip arthroplasty, 6.1% for primary total knee arthroplasty, 10.8% for revision total hip arthroplasty, and 13.5% for revision total knee arthroplasty. The National Health Expenditure model projections for primary hip replacement in 2020 were higher than a previously projected model, whereas the current model estimates for total knee arthroplasty were lower. Economic downturns in the 2000s did not substantially influence the national growth trends for hip and knee arthroplasty in the United States. These latest updated projections provide a basis for surgeons, hospitals, payers, and policy makers to plan for the future demand for total joint replacement surgery.

Oil Price Uncertainty, Transport Fuel Demand and Public Health

PubMed Central

He, Ling-Yun; Yang, Sheng; Chang, Dongfeng

2017-01-01

Based on the panel data of 306 cities in China from 2002 to 2012, this paper investigates China’s road transport fuel (i.e., gasoline and diesel) demand system by using the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) and the Quadratic AIDS (QUAIDS) models. The results indicate that own-price elasticities for different vehicle categories range from −1.215 to −0.459 (by AIDS) and from −1.399 to −0.369 (by QUAIDS). Then, this study estimates the air pollution emissions (CO, NOx and PM2.5) and public health damages from the road transport sector under different oil price shocks. Compared to the base year 2012, results show that a fuel price rise of 30% can avoid 1,147,270 tonnes of pollution emissions; besides, premature deaths and economic losses decrease by 16,149 cases and 13,817.953 million RMB yuan respectively; while based on the non-linear health effect model, the premature deaths and total economic losses decrease by 15,534 and 13,291.4 million RMB yuan respectively. Our study combines the fuel demand and health evaluation models and is the first attempt to address how oil price changes influence public health through the fuel demand system in China. Given its serious air pollution emission and substantial health damages, this paper provides important insights for policy makers in terms of persistent increasing in fuel consumption and the associated health and economic losses. PMID:28257076

The metabolic power and energetic demands of elite Gaelic football match play.

PubMed

Malone, Shane; Solan, Barry; Collins, Kieran; Doran, Dominic

2017-05-01

Metabolic power has not yet been investigated within elite Gaelic football. The aim of the current investigation was to compare the metabolic power demands between positional groups and examine the temporal profile of elite Gaelic football match play. Global positional satellite system (GPS) data were collected from 50 elite Gaelic football players from 4 inter-county teams during 35 elite competitive matches over a three season period. A total of 351 complete match samples were obtained for final analysis. Players were categorized based on positional groups; full-back, half-back, midfield, half-forward and full-forward. Instantaneous raw velocity data was obtained from the GPS and exported to a customized spreadsheet which provided estimations of both speed based, derived metabolic power and energy expenditure variables (total distance, high speed distance, average metabolic power, high power distance and total energy expenditure). Match mean distance was 9222±1588 m, reflective of an average metabolic power of 9.5-12.5 W·kg-1, with an average energy expenditure of 58-70 Kj·kg-1 depending on position. There were significant differences between positional groups for both speed-based and metabolic power indices. Midfielders covered more total and high-speed distance, as well as greater average and overall energy expenditure compared to other positions (P<0.001). A reduction in total, high-speed, and high-power distance, as well as average metabolic power throughout the match (P<0.001) was observed. Positional differences exist for both metabolic power and traditional running based variables. The middle three positions (midfield, half-back and half-forward) possess greater activity profiles when compared to other positional groups. The reduction in metabolic power and traditional running based variables are comparable across match play. The current study demonstrates that metabolic power may contribute to our understanding of Gaelic football match-play.

Improving Evidence Dissemination and Accessibility through a Mobile-based Resource Platform.

PubMed

Zhu, Zheng; Xing, Weijie; Hu, Yan; Zhou, Yingfeng; Gu, Ying

2018-05-28

Current mobile information technologies fundamentally influence evidence dissemination from the perspective of both evidence seekers and evidence providers. However, there is no related study which tried using a mobile-based platform to disseminate evidence in China. The main object of this study is to develop a mobile-based evidence resource platform and to evaluate its effects of improving nurses' access to evidence-based practice resources and meeting users' demands. The mobile-based evidence resource platform was developed in 2014. A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 2 months between December 2015 and January 2016 to evaluate user experiences of and preferences regarding the platform. Descriptive analysis was adopted to analyze information and its communication effects from December 2014 to March 2017. A total of 472 participants met the inclusion criteria and responded to the survey. High scores were received for the overall rating (4.34 ± 0.67), evidence section (4.30 ± 0.63), learning materials section (4.26 ± 0.65), news section (4.27 ± 0.66), readability (4.38 ± 0.63), design and structure (4.38 ± 0.63), and interactivity (3.58 ± 0.84). As of March 31, 2017, the total number of followers was 28,954. The total number of readings was 584,834. The most current WCI value was 388.72. Our study demonstrated that the mobile-based platform for evidence transfer can promote the accessibility of evidence and meet users' demands. This mobile-based platform is currently available in the WeChat application environment. It will be a wise option for healthcare professionals for the purposes of learning about EBP and disseminating evidence in China.

Analytical optimization of demand management strategies across all urban water use sectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, Kenneth; Heaney, James P.; Morales, Miguel; Palenchar, John

2014-07-01

An effective urban water demand management program can greatly influence both peak and average demand and therefore long-term water supply and infrastructure planning. Although a theoretical framework for evaluating residential indoor demand management has been well established, little has been done to evaluate other water use sectors such as residential irrigation in a compatible manner for integrating these results into an overall solution. This paper presents a systematic procedure to evaluate the optimal blend of single family residential irrigation demand management strategies to achieve a specified goal based on performance functions derived from parcel level tax assessor's data linked to customer level monthly water billing data. This framework is then generalized to apply to any urban water sector, as exponential functions can be fit to all resulting cumulative water savings functions. Two alternative formulations are presented: maximize net benefits, or minimize total costs subject to satisfying a target water savings. Explicit analytical solutions are presented for both formulations based on appropriate exponential best fits of performance functions. A direct result of this solution is the dual variable which represents the marginal cost of water saved at a specified target water savings goal. A case study of 16,303 single family irrigators in Gainesville Regional Utilities utilizing high quality tax assessor and monthly billing data along with parcel level GIS data provide an illustrative example of these techniques. Spatial clustering of targeted homes can be easily performed in GIS to identify priority demand management areas.

Projected electric power demands for the Potomac Electric Power Company

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, J.W.

1975-07-01

Included are chapters on the background of the Potomac Electric Power Company, forecasting future power demand, demand modeling, accuracy of market predictions, and total power system requirements. (DG)

22 CFR 1506.5 - Demand for payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... total of three progressively stronger written demands at approximately 30-day intervals will normally be made, unless a response or other information indicates that additional written demands would either be unnecessary or futile. When necessary to protect the Government's interest, written demand may be preceded by...

Effect of Response Reduction Factor on Peak Floor Acceleration Demand in Mid-Rise RC Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surana, Mitesh; Singh, Yogendra; Lang, Dominik H.

2017-06-01

Estimation of Peak Floor Acceleration (PFA) demand along the height of a building is crucial for the seismic safety of nonstructural components. The effect of the level of inelasticity, controlled by the response reduction factor (strength ratio), is studied using incremental dynamic analysis. A total of 1120 nonlinear dynamic analyses, using a suite of 30 recorded ground motion time histories, are performed on mid-rise reinforced-concrete (RC) moment-resisting frame buildings covering a wide range in terms of their periods of vibration. The obtained PFA demands are compared with some of the major national seismic design and retrofit codes (IS 1893 draft version, ASCE 41, EN 1998, and NZS 1170.4). It is observed that the PFA demand at the building's roof level decreases with increasing period of vibration as well as with strength ratio. However, current seismic building codes do not account for these effects thereby producing very conservative estimates of PFA demands. Based on the identified parameters affecting the PFA demand, a model to obtain the PFA distribution along the height of a building is proposed. The proposed model is validated with spectrum-compatible time history analyses of the considered buildings with different strength ratios.

[Profile of the Emergency demand and influence of televised soccer games on an extra-hospital center in the Tafalla health care district. Navarre, Spain].

PubMed

Pérez-Ciordia, Ignacio; Catalán Fabo, Francisca; Zalacain Nicolay, Fernando; Barriendo Antoñanzas, Maite; Solaegui Diaz de Guereñu, Ramón; Guillén Grima, Francisco

2003-01-01

The demand placed on both hospital as well as extrahospital emergency care units currently continues to increase at a growing rate. This study has a twofold objective: the quantification and study of the personal characteristics of the users who are demanding emergency care and assessing whether televised soccer games have any bearing on the utilization of emergency care services. A longitudinal descriptive study (9,723 users demanding care) and study of cases and controls (1,284 users demanding care) according to whether or not a soccer game was being televised by means of a logistic regression model. The associations were quantified by means of the odds ratio (OR). Those dealt with by telephone or in infirmaries were not included in the study. A total 10.6% of the demand involved home visits, 4.8% of this total having been sent to hospital. A total 13.3% of the demand corresponds to individuals visiting from other healthcare districts, a total of 65 being overusers of emergency care (8 or more visits). The month of August (32.3%). Sundays (44.56%) and the 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. timeframe (8.38%) are the times when the greatest demand for care occurs, the differences being statistically significant. Televised soccer games were associated to a 19.8% (p < 0.001) rise in demand as compared to the control period. A high degree of use of the extrahospital emergency care units has been found to exist, a major part of the demand being concentrated at highly specific points in time. A major degree of care is provided to those visiting from outside their own healthcare districts. Television soccer game broadcasts is associated with the greater utilization of the emergency care services.

Simulation-based optimization framework for reuse of agricultural drainage water in irrigation.

PubMed

Allam, A; Tawfik, A; Yoshimura, C; Fleifle, A

2016-05-01

A simulation-based optimization framework for agricultural drainage water (ADW) reuse has been developed through the integration of a water quality model (QUAL2Kw) and a genetic algorithm. This framework was applied to the Gharbia drain in the Nile Delta, Egypt, in summer and winter 2012. First, the water quantity and quality of the drain was simulated using the QUAL2Kw model. Second, uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis based on Monte Carlo simulation were performed to assess QUAL2Kw's performance and to identify the most critical variables for determination of water quality, respectively. Finally, a genetic algorithm was applied to maximize the total reuse quantity from seven reuse locations with the condition not to violate the standards for using mixed water in irrigation. The water quality simulations showed that organic matter concentrations are critical management variables in the Gharbia drain. The uncertainty analysis showed the reliability of QUAL2Kw to simulate water quality and quantity along the drain. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis showed that the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, total nitrogen and total phosphorous are highly sensitive to point source flow and quality. Additionally, the optimization results revealed that the reuse quantities of ADW can reach 36.3% and 40.4% of the available ADW in the drain during summer and winter, respectively. These quantities meet 30.8% and 29.1% of the drainage basin requirements for fresh irrigation water in the respective seasons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil-based treatment of partially treated liquid swine manure.

PubMed

Yang, H; Xiao, J; El-Din, M Gamal; Buchanan, I D; Bromley, D; Ikehata, K

2007-01-01

A soil-column system was tested for the removal of soluble organics and nutrients from partially treated liquid swine manure. The liquid manure was applied to the 900 mm deep (300 mm of local topsoil and 600 mm of local subsoil) soil columns continuously for an eight-week period, and leachate as well as soil samples were analysed. An effective liquid manure application rate of 17 mm d(-1) was determined based on a preliminary liquid manure soil-based treatment experiment. It was found that more than 90% of five-day biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total Kjeldahl and ammonia nitrogen, and total phosphorus could be effectively removed from the liquid manure by the soil system. Nitrogen contents accumulated in the soil matrix mostly within the 0 to 300 mm depth, while no significant increase was observed in sub soils. Soil analyses indicated the occurrence of nitrification and denitrification in the soil columns. Nitrogen balance showed that about 42% of the applied nitrogen was lost from the system during the liquid manure soil-based treatment experiment, suggesting the emission of ammonia and other gaseous nitrogen generated through nitrification and denitrification. The leachate of the soil treatment system was used to irrigate Bermuda grass. No negative effect of leachate was observed on the plant growth.

Characteristics of Leachate and Their Effect on Shallow Groundwater Quality (Case Study : TPA Cipayung, Depok)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widiastuti, Atika; Hartono, Djoko M.; Moersidik, Setyo S.; Gusniani, Irma

2018-03-01

The problems arising from landfill activity is leaked leachate that is not absorbed well into leachate stabilization pond which furthermore contaminates shallow groundwater around landfill, include Cipayung landfill. The aims of this study is to determine the characteristics of leachate and their effect on shallow groundwater quality around landfill based on temperature, pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Nitrogen (TN), Mercury (Hg), and fecal coliform. Data were analyzed based on leachate samples at influent point, effluent point, and 7 sampling points of residents’s well with distance variation every 100 meters within 300 meters radius having leachate stabilization pond as benchmark. According to the standard of Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry law No. 59 of 2016, the results showed that leachate quality was still above the standard of BOD, COD, and Total Nitrogen parameters; 4178.0 mg/L, 70556.0 mg/L and 373.3 mg/L for influent point, and 3142.0 mg/L, 9055.2 mg/L, and 350 mg/L for the effluent point. Pollution Index of shallow groundwater is between lightly and moderately contaminated. This study showed that the further the distance between sampling point and leachate stabilization pond is, the lower the Polution Index is.

Using TQM and ISO 9000 Principles in Assuring Education Service Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabashkin, Igor; Michnev, Boris; Utchin, Georgy

1998-01-01

Describes Riga Aviation University's movement from a controlled professional-education program to a system of contract relations with students as education service customers. Discusses a study of students' demands, requirements, and issues and the development of a quality assurance system based on Total Quality Management and ISO 9000 standards.…

Using Sensor-based Demand Controlled Ventilation to Realize Energy Savings in Laboratories

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

is warranted. The results show that a DCV system is life-cycle cost effective for many different HVAC system total pressure and square footage ...Name and Description of System Sensors ......................................................... 44 Table 5. BEL Laboratory HVAC Zones, Square Footage ...Intensity ............................................................................. 74 Table 9. Range of USAF Laboratory Square Footage and Occupancy

The synergy of permeable pavements and geothermal heat pumps for stormwater treatment and reuse.

PubMed

Tota-Maharaj, K; Scholz, M; Ahmed, T; French, C; Pagaling, E

2010-12-14

The use of permeable pavement systems with integrated geothermal heat pumps for the treatment and recycling of urban runoff is novel and timely. This study assesses the efficiency of the combined technology for controlled indoor and uncontrolled outdoor experimental rigs. Water quality parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand, nutrients, total viable heterotrophic bacteria and total coliforms were tested before and after treatment in both rigs. The water borne bacterial community genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and was further confirmed by DNA sequencing techniques. Despite the relatively high temperatures in the indirectly heated sub-base of the pavement, potentially pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, faecal Streptococci and Legionella were not detected. Moreover, mean removal rates of 99% for biochemical oxygen demand, 97% for ammonia-nitrogen and 95% for orthophosphate-phosphates were recorded. This research also supports decision-makers in assessing public health risks based on qualitative molecular microbiological data associated with the recycling of treated urban runoff.

Using scientific evidence to improve information practice.

PubMed

Bradley, J; Marshall, J G

1995-09-01

The recent policy statement of the Medical Library Association (MLA) takes the position that scientific evidence is the basis for improving the quality of library and information sciences now and in the future. Research activity is seen as the foundation of an evolving knowledge base for the profession--a knowledge base that will set health sciences librarians apart from others in an increasingly competitive world of information service providers. The statement represents the culmination of many years of activity by association members, during which the role of research in health information practice has been debated. Over a similar time period, the quality movement, with its increasing demand for the collection and use of data, has been growing. Developments such as total quality management (TQM) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) reinforce the centrality of research with its increasing demand for the collection and use of data, has been growing. Developments such as total quality management (TQM) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) reinforce the centrality of research and its relationship to efficient and effective information practice as envisioned in the MLA policy statement.

Application of Harmony Search algorithm to the solution of groundwater management models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamer Ayvaz, M.

2009-06-01

This study proposes a groundwater resources management model in which the solution is performed through a combined simulation-optimization model. A modular three-dimensional finite difference groundwater flow model, MODFLOW is used as the simulation model. This model is then combined with a Harmony Search (HS) optimization algorithm which is based on the musical process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. The performance of the proposed HS based management model is tested on three separate groundwater management problems: (i) maximization of total pumping from an aquifer (steady-state); (ii) minimization of the total pumping cost to satisfy the given demand (steady-state); and (iii) minimization of the pumping cost to satisfy the given demand for multiple management periods (transient). The sensitivity of HS algorithm is evaluated by performing a sensitivity analysis which aims to determine the impact of related solution parameters on convergence behavior. The results show that HS yields nearly same or better solutions than the previous solution methods and may be used to solve management problems in groundwater modeling.

Energy-dominated local carbon emissions in Beijing 2007: inventory and input-output analysis.

PubMed

Guo, Shan; Liu, J B; Shao, Ling; Li, J S; An, Y R

2012-01-01

For greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by Beijing economy 2007, a concrete emission inventory covering carbon dioxide (CO(2)), methane (CH(4)), and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) is presented and associated with an input-output analysis to reveal the local GHG embodiment in final demand and trade without regard to imported emissions. The total direct GHG emissions amount to 1.06E + 08 t CO(2)-eq, of which energy-related CO(2) emissions comprise 90.49%, non-energy-related CO(2) emissions 6.35%, CH(4) emissions 2.33%, and N(2)O emissions 0.83%, respectively. In terms of energy-related CO(2) emissions, the largest source is coal with a percentage of 53.08%, followed by coke with 10.75% and kerosene with 8.44%. Sector 26 (Construction Industry) holds the top local emissions embodied in final demand of 1.86E + 07 t CO(2)-eq due to its considerable capital, followed by energy-intensive Sectors 27 (Transport and Storage) and 14 (Smelting and Pressing of Ferrous and Nonferrous Metals). The GHG emissions embodied in Beijing's exports are 4.90E + 07 t CO(2)-eq, accounting for 46.01% of the total emissions embodied in final demand. The sound scientific database totally based on local emissions is an important basis to make effective environment and energy policies for local decision makers.

Energy-Dominated Local Carbon Emissions in Beijing 2007: Inventory and Input-Output Analysis

PubMed Central

Guo, Shan; Liu, J. B.; Shao, Ling; Li, J. S.; An, Y. R.

2012-01-01

For greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by Beijing economy 2007, a concrete emission inventory covering carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) is presented and associated with an input-output analysis to reveal the local GHG embodiment in final demand and trade without regard to imported emissions. The total direct GHG emissions amount to 1.06E + 08 t CO2-eq, of which energy-related CO2 emissions comprise 90.49%, non-energy-related CO2 emissions 6.35%, CH4 emissions 2.33%, and N2O emissions 0.83%, respectively. In terms of energy-related CO2 emissions, the largest source is coal with a percentage of 53.08%, followed by coke with 10.75% and kerosene with 8.44%. Sector 26 (Construction Industry) holds the top local emissions embodied in final demand of 1.86E + 07 t CO2-eq due to its considerable capital, followed by energy-intensive Sectors 27 (Transport and Storage) and 14 (Smelting and Pressing of Ferrous and Nonferrous Metals). The GHG emissions embodied in Beijing's exports are 4.90E + 07 t CO2-eq, accounting for 46.01% of the total emissions embodied in final demand. The sound scientific database totally based on local emissions is an important basis to make effective environment and energy policies for local decision makers. PMID:23193385

Analyzing the impacts of final demand changes on total output using input-output approach: The case of Japanese ICT sectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuhdi, Ubaidillah

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impacts of final demand changes on total output of Japanese Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sectors in future time. This study employs one of analysis tool in Input-Output (IO) analysis, demand-pull IO quantity model, in achieving the purpose. There are three final demand changes used in this study, namely (1) export, (2) import, and (3) outside households consumption changes. This study focuses on "pure change" condition, the condition that final demand changes only appear in analyzed sectors. The results show that export and outside households consumption modifications give positive impact while opposite impact could be seen in import change.

Scenario planning for water resource management in semi arid zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Rajiv; Kumar, Gaurav

2018-06-01

Scenario planning for water resource management in semi arid zone is performed using systems Input-Output approach of time domain analysis. This approach derived the future weights of input variables of the hydrological system from their precedent weights. Input variables considered here are precipitation, evaporation, population and crop irrigation. Ingles & De Souza's method and Thornthwaite model have been used to estimate runoff and evaporation respectively. Difference between precipitation inflow and the sum of runoff and evaporation has been approximated as groundwater recharge. Population and crop irrigation derived the total water demand. Compensation of total water demand by groundwater recharge has been analyzed. Further compensation has been evaluated by proposing efficient methods of water conservation. The best measure to be adopted for water conservation is suggested based on the cost benefit analysis. A case study for nine villages in Chirawa region of district Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan (India) validates the model.

Revisions to the Wharton EFA Automobile Demand Model : The Wharton EFA Motor Vehicle Demand Model (Mark I)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-12-01

The report documents revisions made to the Wharton EFA Automobile Demand Model to produce the Wharton EFA Motor Vehicle Demand Model (Mark I). Equations are reestimated for the total desired stock of autos and for desired shares by size class, includ...

Accuracy of different sensors for the estimation of pollutant concentrations (total suspended solids, total and dissolved chemical oxygen demand) in wastewater and stormwater.

PubMed

Lepot, Mathieu; Aubin, Jean-Baptiste; Bertrand-Krajewski, Jean-Luc

2013-01-01

Many field investigations have used continuous sensors (turbidimeters and/or ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectrophotometers) to estimate with a short time step pollutant concentrations in sewer systems. Few, if any, publications compare the performance of various sensors for the same set of samples. Different surrogate sensors (turbidity sensors, UV-visible spectrophotometer, pH meter, conductivity meter and microwave sensor) were tested to link concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), total and dissolved chemical oxygen demand (COD), and sensors' outputs. In the combined sewer at the inlet of a wastewater treatment plant, 94 samples were collected during dry weather, 44 samples were collected during wet weather, and 165 samples were collected under both dry and wet weather conditions. From these samples, triplicate standard laboratory analyses were performed and corresponding sensors outputs were recorded. Two outlier detection methods were developed, based, respectively, on the Mahalanobis and Euclidean distances. Several hundred regression models were tested, and the best ones (according to the root mean square error criterion) are presented in order of decreasing performance. No sensor appears as the best one for all three investigated pollutants.

From Empiricism to Total Quality Management in Greek Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karavasilis, Ioannis; Samoladas, Ioannis; Nedos, Apostolos

Nowadays the education system in Greece moves towards democratization and decentralization. School unit is the cell and the base of the education system. Principal's role is highly demanding, multi-dimensional, and a critical determinant of school performance and effectiveness. The paper proposes an effective organizational plan of school units in Primary Education based on basic administration processes and Total Quality Management. Using theory of emotional intelligence and Blake-Mouton's grid it emphasizes the impact of Principal's leadership on democratizing the school unit, on creating a safe and secure environment and positive school climate and motivating teachers committee to participate in the decision making process.

Optimizing Constrained Single Period Problem under Random Fuzzy Demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taleizadeh, Ata Allah; Shavandi, Hassan; Riazi, Afshin

2008-09-01

In this paper, we consider the multi-product multi-constraint newsboy problem with random fuzzy demands and total discount. The demand of the products is often stochastic in the real word but the estimation of the parameters of distribution function may be done by fuzzy manner. So an appropriate option to modeling the demand of products is using the random fuzzy variable. The objective function of proposed model is to maximize the expected profit of newsboy. We consider the constraints such as warehouse space and restriction on quantity order for products, and restriction on budget. We also consider the batch size for products order. Finally we introduce a random fuzzy multi-product multi-constraint newsboy problem (RFM-PM-CNP) and it is changed to a multi-objective mixed integer nonlinear programming model. Furthermore, a hybrid intelligent algorithm based on genetic algorithm, Pareto and TOPSIS is presented for the developed model. Finally an illustrative example is presented to show the performance of the developed model and algorithm.

The influence of environmental conditions on safety management in hospitals: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Alingh, Carien W; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen D H; Huijsman, Robbert; Paauwe, Jaap

2018-05-02

Hospitals are confronted with increasing safety demands from a diverse set of stakeholders, including governmental organisations, professional associations, health insurance companies, patient associations and the media. However, little is known about the effects of these institutional and competitive pressures on hospital safety management. Previous research has shown that organisations generally shape their safety management approach along the lines of control- or commitment-based management. Using a heuristic framework, based on the contextually-based human resource theory, we analysed how environmental pressures affect the safety management approach used by hospitals. A qualitative study was conducted into hospital care in the Netherlands. Five hospitals were selected for participation, based on organisational characteristics as well as variation in their reputation for patient safety. We interviewed hospital managers and staff with a central role in safety management. A total of 43 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 48 respondents. The heuristic framework was used as an initial model for analysing the data, though new codes emerged from the data as well. In order to ensure safe care delivery, institutional and competitive stakeholders often impose detailed safety requirements, strong forces for compliance and growing demands for accountability. As a consequence, hospitals experience a decrease in the room to manoeuvre. Hence, organisations increasingly choose a control-based management approach to make sure that safety demands are met. In contrast, in case of more abstract safety demands and an organisational culture which favours patient safety, hospitals generally experience more leeway. This often results in a stronger focus on commitment-based management. Institutional and competitive conditions as well as strategic choices that hospitals make have resulted in various combinations of control- and commitment-based safety management. A balanced approach is required. A strong focus on control-based management generates extrinsic motivation in employees but may, at the same time, undermine or even diminish intrinsic motivation to work on patient safety. Emphasising commitment-based management may, in contrast, strengthen intrinsic motivation but increases the risk of priorities being set elsewhere. Currently, external pressures frequently lead to the adoption of control-based management. A balanced approach requires a shift towards more trust-based safety demands.

Housing and mobility demands of individual households and their life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Saner, Dominik; Heeren, Niko; Jäggi, Boris; Waraich, Rashid A; Hellweg, Stefanie

2013-06-04

Household consumption, apart from governmental consumption, is the main driver of worldwide economy. Attached to each household purchase are economic activities along the preceding supply chain, with the associated resource use and emissions. A method to capture and assess all these resource uses and emissions is life cycle assessment. We developed a model for the life cycle assessment of housing and land-based mobility (excluding air travel) consumption of individual households a small village in Switzerland. Statistical census and dwelling register data are the foundations of the model. In a case study performed on a midsized community, we found a median value of greenhouse gas emissions of 3.12 t CO2 equiv and a mean value of 4.30 t CO2 equiv per capita and year for housing and mobility. Twenty-one percent of the households in the investigated region were responsible for 50% of the total greenhouse gas emissions, meaning that if their emissions could be halved the total emissions of the community would be reduced by 25%. Furthermore, a cluster analysis revealed that driving factors for large environmental footprints are demands of large living area heated by fossil energy carriers, as well as large demands of motorized private transportation.

Non-urban mobile radio market demand forecast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castruccio, P. A.; Cooper, J.

1982-01-01

A national nonmetropolitan land mobile traffic model for 1990-2000 addresses user classes, density classes, traffic mix statistics, distance distribution, geographic distribution, price elasticity, and service quality elasticity. Traffic demands for business, special industrial, and police were determined on the basis of surveys in 73 randomly selected nonurban counties. The selected services represent 69% of total demand. The results were extrapolated to all services in the non-SMSA areas of the contiguous United States. Radiotelephone services were considered separately. Total non-SMSA mobile radio demand (one way) estimates are given. General functional requirements include: hand portability, privacy, reduction of blind spots, two way data transmission, position location, slow scan imagery.

Voltage-Load Sensitivity Matrix Based Demand Response for Voltage Control in High Solar Penetration Distribution Feeders

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Xiangqi; Wang, Jiyu; Mulcahy, David

This paper presents a voltage-load sensitivity matrix (VLSM) based voltage control method to deploy demand response resources for controlling voltage in high solar penetration distribution feeders. The IEEE 123-bus system in OpenDSS is used for testing the performance of the preliminary VLSM-based voltage control approach. A load disaggregation process is applied to disaggregate the total load profile at the feeder head to each load nodes along the feeder so that loads are modeled at residential house level. Measured solar generation profiles are used in the simulation to model the impact of solar power on distribution feeder voltage profiles. Different casemore » studies involving various PV penetration levels and installation locations have been performed. Simulation results show that the VLSM algorithm performance meets the voltage control requirements and is an effective voltage control strategy.« less

Global renewable energy-based electricity generation and smart grid system for energy security.

PubMed

Islam, M A; Hasanuzzaman, M; Rahim, N A; Nahar, A; Hosenuzzaman, M

2014-01-01

Energy is an indispensable factor for the economic growth and development of a country. Energy consumption is rapidly increasing worldwide. To fulfill this energy demand, alternative energy sources and efficient utilization are being explored. Various sources of renewable energy and their efficient utilization are comprehensively reviewed and presented in this paper. Also the trend in research and development for the technological advancement of energy utilization and smart grid system for future energy security is presented. Results show that renewable energy resources are becoming more prevalent as more electricity generation becomes necessary and could provide half of the total energy demands by 2050. To satisfy the future energy demand, the smart grid system can be used as an efficient system for energy security. The smart grid also delivers significant environmental benefits by conservation and renewable generation integration.

Global Renewable Energy-Based Electricity Generation and Smart Grid System for Energy Security

PubMed Central

Islam, M. A.; Hasanuzzaman, M.; Rahim, N. A.; Nahar, A.; Hosenuzzaman, M.

2014-01-01

Energy is an indispensable factor for the economic growth and development of a country. Energy consumption is rapidly increasing worldwide. To fulfill this energy demand, alternative energy sources and efficient utilization are being explored. Various sources of renewable energy and their efficient utilization are comprehensively reviewed and presented in this paper. Also the trend in research and development for the technological advancement of energy utilization and smart grid system for future energy security is presented. Results show that renewable energy resources are becoming more prevalent as more electricity generation becomes necessary and could provide half of the total energy demands by 2050. To satisfy the future energy demand, the smart grid system can be used as an efficient system for energy security. The smart grid also delivers significant environmental benefits by conservation and renewable generation integration. PMID:25243201

Extraction of hydrocarbons from freshwater green microalgae (Botryococcus sp.) biomass after phycoremediation of domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Gani, Paran; Sunar, Norshuhaila Mohamed; Matias-Peralta, Hazel; Mohamed, Radin Maya Saphira Radin; Latiff, Ab Aziz Abdul; Parjo, Umi Kalthsom

2017-07-03

This study was undertaken to analyze the efficiency of Botryococcus sp. in the phycoremediation of domestic wastewater and to determine the variety of hydrocarbons derived from microalgal oil after phycoremediation. The study showed a significant (p < 0.05) reduction of pollutant loads of up to 93.9% chemical oxygen demand, 69.1% biochemical oxygen demand, 59.9% total nitrogen, 54.5% total organic carbon, and 36.8% phosphate. The average dry weight biomass produce was 0.1 g/L of wastewater. In addition, the dry weight biomass of Botryococcus sp. was found to contain 72.5% of crude oil. The composition analysis using Gas Chromatogram - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) found that phthalic acid, 2-ethylhexyltridecyl ester (C 29 H 48 O 4 ), contributed the highest percentage (71.6%) of the total hydrocarbon compounds to the extracted algae oil. The result of the study suggests that Botryococcus sp. can be used for effective phycoremediation, as well as to provide a sustainable hydrocarbon source as a value-added chemical for the bio-based plastic industry.

Efficiency gain from elastic optical networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morea, Annalisa; Rival, Olivier

2011-12-01

We compare the cost-efficiency of optical networks based on mixed datarates (10, 40, 100Gb/s) and datarateelastic technologies. A European backbone network is examined under various traffic assumptions (volume of transported data per demand and total number of demands) to better understand the impact of traffic characteristics on cost-efficiency. Network dimensioning is performed for static and restorable networks (resilient to one-link failure). In this paper we will investigate the trade-offs between price of interfaces, reach and reconfigurability, showing that elastic solutions can be more cost-efficient than mixed-rate solutions because of the better compatibility between different datarates, increased reach of channels and simplified wavelength allocation.

29 CFR 1450.9 - Demand for payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... below: (a) Written demands shall be made promptly upon a debtor in terms which inform the debtor of the consequences of failure to cooperate. A total of three progressively stronger written demands at not more than..., 28 U.S.C. 2415, from expiring), written demand may be preceded by other appropriate actions under...

The 30/20 GHz fixed communications systems service demand assessment. Volume 2: Main report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gamble, R. B.; Seltzer, H. R.; Speter, K. M.; Westheimer, M.

1979-01-01

A forecast of demand for telecommunications services through the year 2000 is presented with particular reference to demand for satellite communications. Estimates of demand are provided for voice, video, and data services and for various subcategories of these services. The results are converted to a common digital measure in terms of terabits per year and aggregated to obtain total demand projections.

A novel microgrid demand-side management system for manufacturing facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, Terance J.

Thirty-one percent of annual energy consumption in the United States occurs within the industrial sector, where manufacturing processes account for the largest amount of energy consumption and carbon emissions. For this reason, energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities is increasingly important for reducing operating costs and improving profits. Using microgrids to generate local sustainable power should reduce energy consumption from the main utility grid along with energy costs and carbon emissions. Also, microgrids have the potential to serve as reliable energy generators in international locations where the utility grid is often unstable. For this research, a manufacturing process that had approximately 20 kW of peak demand was matched with a solar photovoltaic array that had a peak output of approximately 3 KW. An innovative Demand-Side Management (DSM) strategy was developed to manage the process loads as part of this smart microgrid system. The DSM algorithm managed the intermittent nature of the microgrid and the instantaneous demand of the manufacturing process. The control algorithm required three input signals; one from the microgrid indicating the availability of renewable energy, another from the manufacturing process indicating energy use as a percent of peak production, and historical data for renewable sources and facility demand. Based on these inputs the algorithm had three modes of operation: normal (business as usual), curtailment (shutting off non-critical loads), and energy storage. The results show that a real-time management of a manufacturing process with a microgrid will reduce electrical consumption and peak demand. The renewable energy system for this research was rated to provide up to 13% of the total manufacturing capacity. With actively managing the process loads with the DSM program alone, electrical consumption from the utility grid was reduced by 17% on average. An additional 24% reduction was accomplished when the microgrid and DSM program was enabled together, resulting in a total reduction of 37%. On average, peak demand was reduced by 6%, but due to the intermittency of the renewable source and the billing structure for peak demand, only a 1% reduction was obtained. During a billing period, it only takes one day when solar irradiance is poor to affect the demand reduction capabilities. To achieve further demand reduction, energy storage should be introduced and integrated.

Occupation-differential construct validity of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) psychological job demands scale with physical job demands items: a mixed methods research.

PubMed

Choi, Bongkyoo; Kurowski, Alicia; Bond, Meg; Baker, Dean; Clays, Els; De Bacquer, Dirk; Punnett, Laura

2012-01-01

The construct validity of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) psychological demands scale in relationship to physical demands has been inconsistent. This study aims to test quantitatively and qualitatively whether the scale validity differs by occupation. Hierarchical clustering analyses of 10 JCQ psychological and physical demands items were conducted in 61 occupations from two datasets: one of non-faculty workers at a university in the United States (6 occupations with 208 total workers) and the other of a Belgian working population (55 occupations with 13,039 total workers). The psychological and physical demands items overlapped in 13 of 61 occupation-stratified clustering analyses. Most of the overlaps occurred in physically-demanding occupations and involved the two psychological demands items, 'work fast' and 'work hard'. Generally, the scale reliability was low in such occupations. Additionally, interviews with eight university workers revealed that workers interpreted the two psychological demands items differently by the nature of their tasks. The scale validity was occupation-differential. The JCQ psychological job demands scale as a job demand measure has been used worldwide in many studies. This study indicates that the wordings of the 'work fast' and 'work hard' items of the scale need to be reworded enough to differentiate mental and physical job demands as intended, 'psychological.'

Hydro, wind and solar power as a base for a 100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America.

PubMed

Barbosa, Larissa de Souza Noel Simas; Bogdanov, Dmitrii; Vainikka, Pasi; Breyer, Christian

2017-01-01

Power systems for South and Central America based on 100% renewable energy (RE) in the year 2030 were calculated for the first time using an hourly resolved energy model. The region was subdivided into 15 sub-regions. Four different scenarios were considered: three according to different high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission grid development levels (region, country, area-wide) and one integrated scenario that considers water desalination and industrial gas demand supplied by synthetic natural gas via power-to-gas (PtG). RE is not only able to cover 1813 TWh of estimated electricity demand of the area in 2030 but also able to generate the electricity needed to fulfil 3.9 billion m3 of water desalination and 640 TWhLHV of synthetic natural gas demand. Existing hydro dams can be used as virtual batteries for solar and wind electricity storage, diminishing the role of storage technologies. The results for total levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are decreased from 62 €/MWh for a highly decentralized to 56 €/MWh for a highly centralized grid scenario (currency value of the year 2015). For the integrated scenario, the levelized cost of gas (LCOG) and the levelized cost of water (LCOW) are 95 €/MWhLHV and 0.91 €/m3, respectively. A reduction of 8% in total cost and 5% in electricity generation was achieved when integrating desalination and power-to-gas into the system.

Hydro, wind and solar power as a base for a 100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America

PubMed Central

Barbosa, Larissa de Souza Noel Simas; Bogdanov, Dmitrii; Vainikka, Pasi; Breyer, Christian

2017-01-01

Power systems for South and Central America based on 100% renewable energy (RE) in the year 2030 were calculated for the first time using an hourly resolved energy model. The region was subdivided into 15 sub-regions. Four different scenarios were considered: three according to different high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission grid development levels (region, country, area-wide) and one integrated scenario that considers water desalination and industrial gas demand supplied by synthetic natural gas via power-to-gas (PtG). RE is not only able to cover 1813 TWh of estimated electricity demand of the area in 2030 but also able to generate the electricity needed to fulfil 3.9 billion m3 of water desalination and 640 TWhLHV of synthetic natural gas demand. Existing hydro dams can be used as virtual batteries for solar and wind electricity storage, diminishing the role of storage technologies. The results for total levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are decreased from 62 €/MWh for a highly decentralized to 56 €/MWh for a highly centralized grid scenario (currency value of the year 2015). For the integrated scenario, the levelized cost of gas (LCOG) and the levelized cost of water (LCOW) are 95 €/MWhLHV and 0.91 €/m3, respectively. A reduction of 8% in total cost and 5% in electricity generation was achieved when integrating desalination and power-to-gas into the system. PMID:28329023

Demand for satellite-provided domestic communications services up to the year 2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, S.; Poley, W.; Lekan, J.; Salzman, J. A.

1984-01-01

Three fixed service telecommunications demand assessment studies were completed for NASA by The Western Union Telegraph Company and the U.S. Telephone and Telegraph Corporation. They provided forecasts of the total U.S. domestic demand, from 1980 to the year 2000, for voice, data, and video services. That portion that is technically and economically suitable for transmission by satellite systems, both large trunking systems and customer premises services (CPS) systems was also estimated. In order to provide a single set of forecasts a NASA synthesis of the above studies was conducted. The services, associated forecast techniques, and data bases employed by both contractors were examined, those elements of each judged to be the most appropriate were selected, and new forecasts were made. The demand for voice, data, and video services was first forecast in fundamental units of call-seconds, bits/year, and channels, respectively. Transmission technology characteristics and capabilities were then forecast, and the fundamental demand converted to an equivalent transmission capacity. The potential demand for satellite-provided services was found to grow by a factor of 6, from 400 to 2400 equivalent 36 MHz satellite transponders over the 20-year period. About 80 percent of this was found to be more appropriate for trunking systems and 20 percent CPS.

Demand for satellite-provided domestic communications services up to the year 2000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevenson, S.; Poley, W.; Lekan, J.; Salzman, J. A.

1984-11-01

Three fixed service telecommunications demand assessment studies were completed for NASA by The Western Union Telegraph Company and the U.S. Telephone and Telegraph Corporation. They provided forecasts of the total U.S. domestic demand, from 1980 to the year 2000, for voice, data, and video services. That portion that is technically and economically suitable for transmission by satellite systems, both large trunking systems and customer premises services (CPS) systems was also estimated. In order to provide a single set of forecasts a NASA synthesis of the above studies was conducted. The services, associated forecast techniques, and data bases employed by both contractors were examined, those elements of each judged to be the most appropriate were selected, and new forecasts were made. The demand for voice, data, and video services was first forecast in fundamental units of call-seconds, bits/year, and channels, respectively. Transmission technology characteristics and capabilities were then forecast, and the fundamental demand converted to an equivalent transmission capacity. The potential demand for satellite-provided services was found to grow by a factor of 6, from 400 to 2400 equivalent 36 MHz satellite transponders over the 20-year period. About 80 percent of this was found to be more appropriate for trunking systems and 20 percent CPS.

Research on prediction of agricultural machinery total power based on grey model optimized by genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Yan; Li, Mu; Zhou, Jin; Zheng, Chang-zheng

2009-07-01

Agricultural machinery total power is an important index to reflex and evaluate the level of agricultural mechanization. It is the power source of agricultural production, and is the main factors to enhance the comprehensive agricultural production capacity expand production scale and increase the income of the farmers. Its demand is affected by natural, economic, technological and social and other "grey" factors. Therefore, grey system theory can be used to analyze the development of agricultural machinery total power. A method based on genetic algorithm optimizing grey modeling process is introduced in this paper. This method makes full use of the advantages of the grey prediction model and characteristics of genetic algorithm to find global optimization. So the prediction model is more accurate. According to data from a province, the GM (1, 1) model for predicting agricultural machinery total power was given based on the grey system theories and genetic algorithm. The result indicates that the model can be used as agricultural machinery total power an effective tool for prediction.

Leachate characterization and performance evaluation of leachate treatment plant in Cipayung landfill, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noerfitriyani, E.; Hartono, D. M.; Moersidik, S. S.; Gusniani, I.

2018-01-01

The operation of landfill can cause environmental problems due to waste decomposition in the form of leachate production. Cipayung Landfill has a leachate treatment plant using stabilization ponds. The objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of stabilization ponds at Cipayung Landfill. The data were analyzed based on leachate samples from treatment unit’s influent and effluent under rainy season condition from April to May 2017. The results show the average leachate quality based on parameters of temperature by 34.81°C, Total Suspended Solid (TSS) of 72.33 mg/L, pH of 7.83, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of 3,959.63 mg/L, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of 6,860 mg/L, Total Nitrogen of 373.33 mg/L, and heavy metal Mercury of 0.0016 mg/L. The treatment plant’s effluent quality exceeds the leachate standard limit based on Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry Law No. 59 of 2016. The results of design evaluation show that the anaerobic pond, facultative pond, and maturation pond system do not meet the design criteria. Therefore, a design improvement is needed to increase the performance of the leachate treatment plant and to ensure that the leachate discharged to water bodies does not exceed the standard limit to prevent contamination of the environment.

Determining Regional Sensitivity to Energy-Related Water Withdrawals in Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCulloch, A.; Brauman, K. A.

2015-12-01

Minnesota has abundant freshwater resources, yet concerns about water-impacts of energy and mining development are increasing. Statewide, total annual water withdrawals have increased, and, in some watersheds, withdrawals make up a large fraction of available water. The energy and mining sectors play a critical role in determining water availability, as water is used to irrigate biofuel feedstock crops, cool thermoelectric plants, and process and transport fuels and iron ore. We evaluated the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Water and Reporting System (MPARS) dataset (1988-2014) to identify regions where energy and mining-related water withdrawals are high or where they are increasing. The energy and mining sectors account for over 65 percent of total water extractions in Minnesota, but this percentage is greater in some regions. In certain southern and northeastern Minnesota watersheds, these extractions account for 90 percent of total water demand. Sensitivity to these demands is not dependent on total water demand alone, and is also not uniform among watersheds. We identified and evaluated factors influencing sensitivity, including population, extraction type (surface water or groundwater), percentage of increased demand, and whether withdrawals are consumptive or not. We determined that southern Minnesota is particularly sensitive to increased water demands, because of growing biofuel and sand extraction industries (the products of which are used in hydraulic fracturing). In the last ten years, ethanol production in Minnesota has increased by 440 percent, and over fifteen refineries (each with a capacity over 1.1 billion gallons), have been built. These users primarily extract from surface water bodies within a few watersheds, compromising local supplies. As these energy-related industries continue to grow, so will the demand for freshwater resources. Determining regional sensitivity to increased demands will allow policy-makers to manage the increased competition for Minnesota's future water supplies.

Model for Assembly Line Re-Balancing Considering Additional Capacity and Outsourcing to Face Demand Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samadhi, TMAA; Sumihartati, Atin

2016-02-01

The most critical stage in a garment industry is sewing process, because generally, it consists of a number of operations and a large number of sewing machines for each operation. Therefore, it requires a balancing method that can assign task to work station with balance workloads. Many studies on assembly line balancing assume a new assembly line, but in reality, due to demand fluctuation and demand increased a re-balancing is needed. To cope with those fluctuating demand changes, additional capacity can be carried out by investing in spare sewing machine and paying for sewing service through outsourcing. This study develops an assembly line balancing (ALB) model on existing line to cope with fluctuating demand change. Capacity redesign is decided if the fluctuation demand exceeds the available capacity through a combination of making investment on new machines and outsourcing while considering for minimizing the cost of idle capacity in the future. The objective of the model is to minimize the total cost of the line assembly that consists of operating costs, machine cost, adding capacity cost, losses cost due to idle capacity and outsourcing costs. The model develop is based on an integer programming model. The model is tested for a set of data of one year demand with the existing number of sewing machines of 41 units. The result shows that additional maximum capacity up to 76 units of machine required when there is an increase of 60% of the average demand, at the equal cost parameters..

Energy Management Policies in Distributed Residential Energy Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duan, Sisi; Sun, Jingtao

2016-01-01

In this paper, we study energy management problems in communities with several neighborhood-level Residential Energy Systems (RESs). We consider control problems from both community level and residential level to handle external changes such as restriction on peak demand and restriction on the total demand from the electricity grid. We propose three policies to handle the problems at community level. Based on the collected data from RESs such as predicted energy load, the community controller analyzes the policies, distribute the results to the RES, and each RES can then control and schedule its own energy load based on different coordination functions.more » We utilize a framework to integrate both policy analysis and coordination of functions. With the use of our approach, we show that the policies are useful to resolve the challenges of energy management under external changes.« less

Determination of Sediment Oxygen Demand in the Ziya River Watershed, China: Based on Laboratory Core Incubation and Microelectrode Measurements

PubMed Central

Rong, Nan; Shan, Baoqing; Wang, Chao

2016-01-01

A study coupling sedimentcore incubation and microelectrode measurementwas performed to explore the sediment oxygen demand (SOD) at 16 stations in the Ziya River Watershed, a severely polluted and anoxic river system in the north of China. Total oxygen flux values in the range 0.19–1.41 g/(m2·d) with an average of 0.62 g/(m2·d) were obtained by core incubations, and diffusive oxygen flux values in the range 0.15–1.38 g/(m2·d) with an average of 0.51 g/(m2·d) were determined by microelectrodes. Total oxygen flux obviously correlated with diffusive oxygen flux (R2 = 0.842). The microelectrode method produced smaller results than the incubation method in 15 of 16 sites, and the diffusive oxygen flux was smaller than the total oxygen flux. Although the two sets of SOD values had significant difference accepted by the two methods via the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (p < 0.05), the microelectrode method was shown to produce results that were similar to those from the core incubation method. The microelectrode method, therefore, could be used as an alternative method for traditional core incubation method, or as a method to verify SOD rates measured by other methods. We consider that high potential sediment oxygen demand would occur in the Ziya River Watershed when the dissolved oxygen (DO) recovered in the overlying water. PMID:26907307

Ubiquitous Green Computing Techniques for High Demand Applications in Smart Environments

PubMed Central

Zapater, Marina; Sanchez, Cesar; Ayala, Jose L.; Moya, Jose M.; Risco-Martín, José L.

2012-01-01

Ubiquitous sensor network deployments, such as the ones found in Smart cities and Ambient intelligence applications, require constantly increasing high computational demands in order to process data and offer services to users. The nature of these applications imply the usage of data centers. Research has paid much attention to the energy consumption of the sensor nodes in WSNs infrastructures. However, supercomputing facilities are the ones presenting a higher economic and environmental impact due to their very high power consumption. The latter problem, however, has been disregarded in the field of smart environment services. This paper proposes an energy-minimization workload assignment technique, based on heterogeneity and application-awareness, that redistributes low-demand computational tasks from high-performance facilities to idle nodes with low and medium resources in the WSN infrastructure. These non-optimal allocation policies reduce the energy consumed by the whole infrastructure and the total execution time. PMID:23112621

CO2 Mitigation Measures of Power Sector and Its Integrated Optimization in China

PubMed Central

Dai, Pan; Chen, Guang; Zhou, Hao; Su, Meirong; Bao, Haixia

2012-01-01

Power sector is responsible for about 40% of the total CO2 emissions in the world and plays a leading role in climate change mitigation. In this study, measures that lower CO2 emissions from the supply side, demand side, and power grid are discussed, based on which, an integrated optimization model of CO2 mitigation (IOCM) is proposed. Virtual energy, referring to energy saving capacity in both demand side and the power grid, together with conventional energy in supply side, is unified planning for IOCM. Consequently, the optimal plan of energy distribution, considering both economic benefits and mitigation benefits, is figured out through the application of IOCM. The results indicate that development of demand side management (DSM) and smart grid can make great contributions to CO2 mitigation of power sector in China by reducing the CO2 emissions by 10.02% and 12.59%, respectively, in 2015, and in 2020. PMID:23213305

Ubiquitous green computing techniques for high demand applications in Smart environments.

PubMed

Zapater, Marina; Sanchez, Cesar; Ayala, Jose L; Moya, Jose M; Risco-Martín, José L

2012-01-01

Ubiquitous sensor network deployments, such as the ones found in Smart cities and Ambient intelligence applications, require constantly increasing high computational demands in order to process data and offer services to users. The nature of these applications imply the usage of data centers. Research has paid much attention to the energy consumption of the sensor nodes in WSNs infrastructures. However, supercomputing facilities are the ones presenting a higher economic and environmental impact due to their very high power consumption. The latter problem, however, has been disregarded in the field of smart environment services. This paper proposes an energy-minimization workload assignment technique, based on heterogeneity and application-awareness, that redistributes low-demand computational tasks from high-performance facilities to idle nodes with low and medium resources in the WSN infrastructure. These non-optimal allocation policies reduce the energy consumed by the whole infrastructure and the total execution time.

A Supply and Demand Management Perspective on the Accelerated Global Introductions of Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine in a Constrained Supply Market

PubMed Central

Ottosen, Ann; Rubin, Jennifer; Blanc, Diana Chang; Zipursky, Simona; Wootton, Emily

2017-01-01

Abstract A total of 105 countries have introduced IPV as of September 2016 of which 85 have procured the vaccine through UNICEF. The Global Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 called for the rapid introduction of at least one dose of IPV into routine immunization schedules in 126 all OPV-using countries by the end of 2015. At the time of initiating the procurement process, demand was estimated based on global modeling rather than individual country indications. In its capacity as procurement agency for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF set out to secure access to IPV supply for around 100 countries. Based on offers received, sufficient supply was awarded to two manufacturers to meet projected routine requirements. However, due to technical issues scaling up vaccine production and an unforecasted demand for IPV use in campaigns to interrupt wild polio virus and to control type 2 vaccine derived polio virus outbreaks, IPV supplies are severely constrained. Activities to stretch supplies and to suppress demand have been ongoing since 2014, including delaying IPV introduction in countries where risks of type 2 reintroduction are lower, implementing the multi-dose vial policy, and encouraging the use of fractional dose delivered intradermally. Despite these efforts, there is still insufficient IPV supply to meet demand. The impact of the supply situation on IPV introduction timelines in countries are the focus of this article, and based on lessons learned with the IPV introductions, it is recommended for future health programs with accelerated scale up of programs, to take a cautious approach on supply commitments, putting in place clear allocation criteria in case of shortages or delays and establishing a communication strategy vis a vis beneficiaries. PMID:28838159

Instructional Sensitivity Statistics Appropriate for Objectives-Based Test Items. CSE Report No. 91.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosecoff, Jacqueline B.; Klein, Stephen P.

Two types of sensitivity indices were developed in this paper, one internal to the total test and the second external. To evaluate the success of these statistics the three criteria suggested for a satisfactory index of item quality were considered. The Internal Sensitivity Index appears to meet these demands. Certainly it is easily computed. In…

Gene expression analysis among rainbow trout selected for increased biosynthesis and muscle deposition of omega-3 fatty acids when fed plant protein and plant oil formulated feeds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and other salmonids are piscivorous fish. In aquaculture, fish-based feed ingredients are rapidly becoming unsustainable due to increased demand and diminishing supply. Total replacement of fishmeal with plant proteins has been shown to cause severe intestinal ent...

Estimates of future water demand for selected water-service areas in the Upper Duck River basin, central Tennessee; with a section on Methodology used to develop population forecasts for Bedford, Marshall, and Maury counties, Tennessee, from 1993 through 2050

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutson, S.S.; Schwarz, G.E.

1996-01-01

Estimates of future water demand were determined for selected water-service areas in the upper Duck River basin in central Tennessee through the year 2050. The Duck River is the principal source of publicly-supplied water in the study area providing a total of 15.6 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) in 1993 to the cities of Columbia, Lewisburg, Shelbyville, part of southern Williamson County, and several smaller communities. Municipal water use increased 19 percent from 1980 to 1993 (from 14.5 to 17.2 Mgal/d). Based on certain assumptions about socioeconomic conditions and future development in the basin, water demand should continue to increase through 2050. Projections of municipal water demand for the study area from 1993 to 2015 were made using econometric and single- coefficient (unit-use) requirement models of the per capita type. The models are part of the Institute for Water Resources-Municipal and Industrial Needs System, IWR-MAIN. Socioeconomic data for 1993 were utilized to calibrate the models. Projections of water demand in the study area from 2015 to 2050 were made using a single- coefficient requirement model. A gross per capita use value (unit-requirement) was estimated for each water-service area based on the results generated by IWR-MAIN for year 2015. The gross per capita estimate for 2015 was applied to population projections for year 2050 to calculate water demand. Population was projected using the log-linear form of the Box-Cox regression model. Water demand was simulated for two scenarios. The scenarios were suggested by various planning agencies associated with the study area. The first scenario reflects a steady growth pattern based on present demographic and socioeconomic conditions in the Bedford, Marshall, and Maury/southern Williamson water-service areas. The second scenario considers steady growth in the Bedford and Marshall water-service areas and additional industrial and residential development in the Maury/southern Williamson water-service area beginning in 2000. For the study area, water demand for scenario one shows an increase of 121 percent (from 17.2 to 38 Mgal/d) from 1993 to 2050. In scenario two, simulated water demand increases 150 percent (17.2 to 43 Mgal/d) from 1993 to 2050.

29 CFR 20.22 - Notifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... shall send appropriate written demands to the debtor in terms which inform the debtor of the..., a total of three progressively stronger written demands at not more than 30-day intervals will... of limitations, 28 U.S.C. 2415, from expiring), written demand may be preceded by other appropriate...

Job characteristics and serum lipid profile in Japanese rural workers: the Jichi Medical School Cohort Study.

PubMed

Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Kayaba, Kazunori; Ishikawa, Shizukiyo; Gotoh, Tadao; Nago, Naoki; Yamada, Seishi; Mizooka, Masafumi; Sakai, Kenichiro; Hayasaka, Shinya

2003-03-01

To observe the association between adverse psychosocial job characteristics, measured by the Karasek job demand-control questionnaire, and a lipid profile, cross-sectional analyses were performed for a Japanese rural working population. The study population comprised 3,333 male and 3,596 female actively employed workers, aged 65 years and under. Among men, higher psychological demands were associated with high total cholesterol levels, with an adjusted difference from the top to bottom tertiles of 3.3 mg/dl (F = 3.03; p = 0.048). High demands were also positively associated with the total/HDL cholesterol ratio (F = 3.94; p = 0.020). Neither job control nor job strain (the ratio of demands to control) was associated with any of the lipid levels in either gender. A psychologically demanding job may be associated with an unfavorable lipid profile, but the impact of job strain on atherogenic lipids is negligible.

A Multiple Items EPQ/EOQ Model for a Vendor and Multiple Buyers System with Considering Continuous and Discrete Demand Simultaneously

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonrinaldi; Rahman, T.; Henmaidi; Wirdianto, E.; Zhang, D. Z.

2018-03-01

This paper proposed a mathematical model for multiple items Economic Production and Order Quantity (EPQ/EOQ) with considering continuous and discrete demand simultaneously in a system consisting of a vendor and multiple buyers. This model is used to investigate the optimal production lot size of the vendor and the number of shipments policy of orders to multiple buyers. The model considers the multiple buyers’ holding cost as well as transportation cost, which minimize the total production and inventory costs of the system. The continuous demand from any other customers can be fulfilled anytime by the vendor while the discrete demand from multiple buyers can be fulfilled by the vendor using the multiple delivery policy with a number of shipments of items in the production cycle time. A mathematical model is developed to illustrate the system based on EPQ and EOQ model. Solution procedures are proposed to solve the model using a Mixed Integer Non Linear Programming (MINLP) and algorithm methods. Then, the numerical example is provided to illustrate the system and results are discussed.

China’s rising hydropower demand challenges water sector

PubMed Central

Liu, Junguo; Zhao, Dandan; Gerbens-Leenes, P. W.; Guan, Dabo

2015-01-01

Demand for hydropower is increasing, yet the water footprints (WFs) of reservoirs and hydropower, and their contributions to water scarcity, are poorly understood. Here, we calculate reservoir WFs (freshwater that evaporates from reservoirs) and hydropower WFs (the WF of hydroelectricity) in China based on data from 875 representative reservoirs (209 with power plants). In 2010, the reservoir WF totaled 27.9 × 109 m3 (Gm3), or 22% of China’s total water consumption. Ignoring the reservoir WF seriously underestimates human water appropriation. The reservoir WF associated with industrial, domestic and agricultural WFs caused water scarcity in 6 of the 10 major Chinese river basins from 2 to 12 months annually. The hydropower WF was 6.6 Gm3 yr−1 or 3.6 m3 of water to produce a GJ (109 J) of electricity. Hydropower is a water intensive energy carrier. As a response to global climate change, the Chinese government has promoted a further increase in hydropower energy by 70% by 2020 compared to 2012. This energy policy imposes pressure on available freshwater resources and increases water scarcity. The water-energy nexus requires strategic and coordinated implementations of hydropower development among geographical regions, as well as trade-off analysis between rising energy demand and water use sustainability. PMID:26158871

China's rising hydropower demand challenges water sector.

PubMed

Liu, Junguo; Zhao, Dandan; Gerbens-Leenes, P W; Guan, Dabo

2015-07-09

Demand for hydropower is increasing, yet the water footprints (WFs) of reservoirs and hydropower, and their contributions to water scarcity, are poorly understood. Here, we calculate reservoir WFs (freshwater that evaporates from reservoirs) and hydropower WFs (the WF of hydroelectricity) in China based on data from 875 representative reservoirs (209 with power plants). In 2010, the reservoir WF totaled 27.9 × 10(9) m(3) (Gm(3)), or 22% of China's total water consumption. Ignoring the reservoir WF seriously underestimates human water appropriation. The reservoir WF associated with industrial, domestic and agricultural WFs caused water scarcity in 6 of the 10 major Chinese river basins from 2 to 12 months annually. The hydropower WF was 6.6 Gm(3) yr(-1) or 3.6 m(3) of water to produce a GJ (10(9) J) of electricity. Hydropower is a water intensive energy carrier. As a response to global climate change, the Chinese government has promoted a further increase in hydropower energy by 70% by 2020 compared to 2012. This energy policy imposes pressure on available freshwater resources and increases water scarcity. The water-energy nexus requires strategic and coordinated implementations of hydropower development among geographical regions, as well as trade-off analysis between rising energy demand and water use sustainability.

Cost minimization in a full-scale conventional wastewater treatment plant: associated costs of biological energy consumption versus sludge production.

PubMed

Sid, S; Volant, A; Lesage, G; Heran, M

2017-11-01

Energy consumption and sludge production minimization represent rising challenges for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The goal of this study is to investigate how energy is consumed throughout the whole plant and how operating conditions affect this energy demand. A WWTP based on the activated sludge process was selected as a case study. Simulations were performed using a pre-compiled model implemented in GPS-X simulation software. Model validation was carried out by comparing experimental and modeling data of the dynamic behavior of the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration and nitrogen compounds concentration, energy consumption for aeration, mixing and sludge treatment and annual sludge production over a three year exercise. In this plant, the energy required for bioreactor aeration was calculated at approximately 44% of the total energy demand. A cost optimization strategy was applied by varying the MLSS concentrations (from 1 to 8 gTSS/L) while recording energy consumption, sludge production and effluent quality. An increase of MLSS led to an increase of the oxygen requirement for biomass aeration, but it also reduced total sludge production. Results permit identification of a key MLSS concentration allowing identification of the best compromise between levels of treatment required, biological energy demand and sludge production while minimizing the overall costs.

A simulation based approach to optimize inventory replenishment with RAND algorithm: An extended study of corrected demand using Holt's method for textile industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morshed, Mohammad Sarwar; Kamal, Mostafa Mashnoon; Khan, Somaiya Islam

2016-07-01

Inventory has been a major concern in supply chain and numerous researches have been done lately on inventory control which brought forth a number of methods that efficiently manage inventory and related overheads by reducing cost of replenishment. This research is aimed towards providing a better replenishment policy in case of multi-product, single supplier situations for chemical raw materials of textile industries in Bangladesh. It is assumed that industries currently pursue individual replenishment system. The purpose is to find out the optimum ideal cycle time and individual replenishment cycle time of each product for replenishment that will cause lowest annual holding and ordering cost, and also find the optimum ordering quantity. In this paper indirect grouping strategy has been used. It is suggested that indirect grouping Strategy outperforms direct grouping strategy when major cost is high. An algorithm by Kaspi and Rosenblatt (1991) called RAND is exercised for its simplicity and ease of application. RAND provides an ideal cycle time (T) for replenishment and integer multiplier (ki) for individual items. Thus the replenishment cycle time for each product is found as T×ki. Firstly, based on data, a comparison between currently prevailing (individual) process and RAND is provided that uses the actual demands which presents 49% improvement in total cost of replenishment. Secondly, discrepancies in demand is corrected by using Holt's method. However, demands can only be forecasted one or two months into the future because of the demand pattern of the industry under consideration. Evidently, application of RAND with corrected demand display even greater improvement. The results of this study demonstrates that cost of replenishment can be significantly reduced by applying RAND algorithm and exponential smoothing models.

Characterization of stormwater discharges from Las Flores Industrial Park, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, 1998-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodriguez, Jose M.

2000-01-01

Stormwater discharges from Las Flores Industrial Park, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, were characterized from June 1998 to July 1999 by measuring the flow rate at two outfalls, delineating the drainage areas for each outfall, and calculating the volume of the stormwater discharges. Stormwater-discharge samples were collected and analyzed to determine the quality of the discharges. Constituent loads and loads per area were estimated for each drainage area. The studied drainage subareas covered approximately 46 percent of the total area of the Las Flores Industrial Park. Industrial groups represented in the study areas include manufacturers of textile, electronics, paper, fabricated metal, plastic, and chemical products. The concentrations of oil and grease (1 to 6 milligrams per liter), biochemical oxygen demand (4.7 to 16 milligrams per liter), total organic carbon (5.8 to 36 milligrams per liter), total suspended solids (28 to 100 milligrams per liter), and total phosphorous (0.11 to 0.78 milligrams per liter) from all the samples collected were less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stormwater benchmark concentrations. Concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (15.8 to 157 milligrams per liter) and nitrate and nitrite (0.06 to 1.75 milligrams per liter) exceeded benchmark concentrations at one of the studied drainage areas. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations (1.00 to 3.20 milligrams per liter) exceeded the benchmark concentrations at the two studied drainage areas. Maximum concentrations for oil and grease, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate plus nitrite, and total phosphorous were detected in an area where electronics, plastics, and chemical products are currently manufactured. The maximum concentration of total suspended solids was detected at an area where textile, paper, plastic, chemical, and fabricated metal products are manufactured.

Performance evaluation of a full-scale innovative swine waste-to-energy system.

PubMed

Xu, Jiele; Adair, Charles W; Deshusses, Marc A

2016-09-01

Intensive monitoring was carried out to evaluate the performance of a full-scale innovative swine waste-to-energy system at a commercial swine farm with 8640 heads of swine. Detailed mass balances over each unit of the system showed that the system, which includes a 7600m(3) anaerobic digester, a 65-kW microturbine, and a 4200m(3) aeration basin, was able to remove up to 92% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), 99% of the biological oxygen demand (BOD), 77% of the total nitrogen (TN), and 82% of the total phosphorous (TP) discharged into the system as fresh pig waste. The overall biogas yield based on the COD input was 64% of the maximum theoretical, a value that indicates that even greater environmental benefits could be obtained with process optimization. Overall, the characterization of the materials fluxes in the system provides a greater understanding of the fate of organics and nutrients in large scale animal waste management systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling the Economic Feasibility of Large-Scale Net-Zero Water Management: A Case Study.

PubMed

Guo, Tianjiao; Englehardt, James D; Fallon, Howard J

  While municipal direct potable water reuse (DPR) has been recommended for consideration by the U.S. National Research Council, it is unclear how to size new closed-loop DPR plants, termed "net-zero water (NZW) plants", to minimize cost and energy demand assuming upgradient water distribution. Based on a recent model optimizing the economics of plant scale for generalized conditions, the authors evaluated the feasibility and optimal scale of NZW plants for treatment capacity expansion in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Local data on population distribution and topography were input to compare projected costs for NZW vs the current plan. Total cost was minimized at a scale of 49 NZW plants for the service population of 671,823. Total unit cost for NZW systems, which mineralize chemical oxygen demand to below normal detection limits, is projected at ~$10.83 / 1000 gal, approximately 13% above the current plan and less than rates reported for several significant U.S. cities.

Simulation and modeling of the temporal performance of path-based restoration schemes in planar mesh networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhardwaj, Manish; McCaughan, Leon; Olkhovets, Anatoli; Korotky, Steven K.

2006-12-01

We formulate an analytic framework for the restoration performance of path-based restoration schemes in planar mesh networks. We analyze various switch architectures and signaling schemes and model their total restoration interval. We also evaluate the network global expectation value of the time to restore a demand as a function of network parameters. We analyze a wide range of nominally capacity-optimal planar mesh networks and find our analytic model to be in good agreement with numerical simulation data.

Comparison of conceptually based and regression rainfall-runoff models, Denver Metropolitan area, Colorado, and potential applications in urban areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindner-Lunsford, J. B.; Ellis, S.R.

1987-01-01

Multievent, conceptually based models and a single-event, multiple linear-regression model for estimating storm-runoff quantity and quality from urban areas were calibrated and verified for four small (57 to 167 acres) basins in the Denver metropolitan area, Colorado. The basins represented different land-use types - light commercial, single-family housing, and multi-family housing. Both types of models were calibrated using the same data set for each basin. A comparison was made between the storm-runoff volume, peak flow, and storm-runoff loads of seven water quality constituents simulated by each of the models by use of identical verification data sets. The models studied were the U.S. Geological Survey 's Distributed Routing Rainfall-Runoff Model-Version II (DR3M-II) (a runoff-quantity model designed for urban areas), and a multievent urban runoff quality model (DR3M-QUAL). Water quality constituents modeled were chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total lead, total manganese, and total zinc. (USGS)

12 CFR 1408.6 - Demand for payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Demand for payment. 1408.6 Section 1408.6 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT SYSTEM INSURANCE CORPORATION COLLECTION OF CLAIMS OWED THE UNITED STATES Administrative Collection of Claims § 1408.6 Demand for payment. (a) A total of three progressively stronger...

12 CFR 608.806 - Demand for payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Demand for payment. 608.806 Section 608.806 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS COLLECTION OF CLAIMS OWED THE UNITED STATES Administrative Collection of Claims § 608.806 Demand for payment. (a) A total of three...

Energy Management in Smart Cities Based on Internet of Things: Peak Demand Reduction and Energy Savings.

PubMed

Mahapatra, Chinmaya; Moharana, Akshaya Kumar; Leung, Victor C M

2017-12-05

Around the globe, innovation with integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) with physical infrastructure is a top priority for governments in pursuing smart, green living to improve energy efficiency, protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and bolster economy competitiveness. Cities today faces multifarious challenges, among which energy efficiency of homes and residential dwellings is a key requirement. Achieving it successfully with the help of intelligent sensors and contextual systems would help build smart cities of the future. In a Smart home environment Home Energy Management plays a critical role in finding a suitable and reliable solution to curtail the peak demand and achieve energy conservation. In this paper, a new method named as Home Energy Management as a Service (HEMaaS) is proposed which is based on neural network based Q -learning algorithm. Although several attempts have been made in the past to address similar problems, the models developed do not cater to maximize the user convenience and robustness of the system. In this paper, authors have proposed an advanced Neural Fitted Q -learning method which is self-learning and adaptive. The proposed method provides an agile, flexible and energy efficient decision making system for home energy management. A typical Canadian residential dwelling model has been used in this paper to test the proposed method. Based on analysis, it was found that the proposed method offers a fast and viable solution to reduce the demand and conserve energy during peak period. It also helps reducing the carbon footprint of residential dwellings. Once adopted, city blocks with significant residential dwellings can significantly reduce the total energy consumption by reducing or shifting their energy demand during peak period. This would definitely help local power distribution companies to optimize their resources and keep the tariff low due to curtailment of peak demand.

Energy Management in Smart Cities Based on Internet of Things: Peak Demand Reduction and Energy Savings

PubMed Central

Moharana, Akshaya Kumar

2017-01-01

Around the globe, innovation with integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) with physical infrastructure is a top priority for governments in pursuing smart, green living to improve energy efficiency, protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and bolster economy competitiveness. Cities today faces multifarious challenges, among which energy efficiency of homes and residential dwellings is a key requirement. Achieving it successfully with the help of intelligent sensors and contextual systems would help build smart cities of the future. In a Smart home environment Home Energy Management plays a critical role in finding a suitable and reliable solution to curtail the peak demand and achieve energy conservation. In this paper, a new method named as Home Energy Management as a Service (HEMaaS) is proposed which is based on neural network based Q-learning algorithm. Although several attempts have been made in the past to address similar problems, the models developed do not cater to maximize the user convenience and robustness of the system. In this paper, authors have proposed an advanced Neural Fitted Q-learning method which is self-learning and adaptive. The proposed method provides an agile, flexible and energy efficient decision making system for home energy management. A typical Canadian residential dwelling model has been used in this paper to test the proposed method. Based on analysis, it was found that the proposed method offers a fast and viable solution to reduce the demand and conserve energy during peak period. It also helps reducing the carbon footprint of residential dwellings. Once adopted, city blocks with significant residential dwellings can significantly reduce the total energy consumption by reducing or shifting their energy demand during peak period. This would definitely help local power distribution companies to optimize their resources and keep the tariff low due to curtailment of peak demand. PMID:29206159

A simulation-optimization model for water-resources management, Santa Barbara, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nishikawa, Tracy

1998-01-01

In times of drought, the local water supplies of the city of Santa Barbara, California, are insufficient to satisfy water demand. In response, the city has built a seawater desalination plant and gained access to imported water in 1997. Of primary concern to the city is delivering water from the various sources at a minimum cost while satisfying water demand and controlling seawater intrusion that might result from the overpumping of ground water. A simulation-optimization model has been developed for the optimal management of Santa Barbara?s water resources. The objective is to minimize the cost of water supply while satisfying various physical and institutional constraints such as meeting water demand, maintaining minimum hydraulic heads at selected sites, and not exceeding water-delivery or pumping capacities. The model is formulated as a linear programming problem with monthly management periods and a total planning horizon of 5 years. The decision variables are water deliveries from surface water (Gibraltar Reservoir, Cachuma Reservoir, Cachuma Reservoir cumulative annual carryover, Mission Tunnel, State Water Project, and desalinated seawater) and ground water (13 production wells). The state variables are hydraulic heads. Basic assumptions for all simulations are that (1) the cost of water varies with source but is fixed over time, and (2) only existing or planned city wells are considered; that is, the construction of new wells is not allowed. The drought of 1947?51 is Santa Barbara?s worst drought on record, and simulated surface-water supplies for this period were used as a basis for testing optimal management of current water resources under drought conditions. Assumptions that were made for this base case include a head constraint equal to sea level at the coastal nodes; Cachuma Reservoir carryover of 3,000 acre-feet per year, with a maximum carryover of 8,277 acre-feet; a maximum annual demand of 15,000 acre-feet; and average monthly capacities for the Cachuma and the Gibraltar Reservoirs. The base-case results indicate that water demands can be met, with little water required from the most expensive water source (desalinated seawater), at a total cost of $5.56 million over the 5-year planning horizon. The simulation model has drains, which operate as nonlinear functions of heads and could affect the model solutions. However, numerical tests show that the drains have little effect on the optimal solution. Sensitivity analyses on the base case yield the following results: If allowable Cachuma Reservoir carryover is decreased by about 50 percent, then costs increase by about 14 percent; if the peak demand is decreased by 7 percent, then costs will decrease by about 14 percent; if the head constraints are loosened to -30 feet, then the costs decrease by about 18 percent; if the heads are constrained such that a zero hydraulic gradient condition occurs at the ocean boundary, then the optimization problem does not have a solution; if the capacity of the desalination plant is constrained to zero acre-feet, then the cost increases by about 2 percent; and if the carryover of State Water Project water is implemented, then the cost decreases by about 0.5 percent. Four additional monthly diversion distribution scenarios for the reservoirs were tested: average monthly Cachuma Reservoir deliveries with the actual (scenario 1) and proposed (scenario 2) monthly distributions of Gibraltar Reservoir water, and variable monthly Cachuma Reservoir deliveries with the actual (scenario 3) and proposed (scenario 4) monthly distributions of Gibraltar Reservoir water. Scenario 1 resulted in a total cost of about $7.55 million, scenario 2 resulted in a total cost of about $5.07 million, and scenarios 3 and 4 resulted in a total cost of about $4.53 million. Sensitivities of the scenarios 1 and 2 to desalination-plant capacity and State Water Project water carryover were tested. The scenario 1 sensitivity analysis indicated that incorpo

The impacts of final demand changes on total output of Indonesian ICT sectors: An analysis using input-output approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuhdi, Ubaidillah

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impacts of final demand changes on total output of Indonesian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors. This study employs Input-Output (IO) analysis as a tool of analysis. More specifically, demand-pull IO quantity model is applied in order to achieve the objective. "Whole sector change" and "pure change" conditions are considered in this study. The results of calculation show that, in both conditions, the biggest positive impact to the total output of the sectors is given by the change of households consumption while the change of import has a negative impact. One of the recommendations suggested from this study is to construct import restriction policy for ICT products.

Airfreight forecasting methodology and results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

A series of econometric behavioral equations was developed to explain and forecast the evolution of airfreight traffic demand for the total U.S. domestic airfreight system, the total U.S. international airfreight system, and the total scheduled international cargo traffic carried by the top 44 foreign airlines. The basic explanatory variables used in these macromodels were the real gross national products of the countries involved and a measure of relative transportation costs. The results of the econometric analysis reveal that the models explain more than 99 percent of the historical evolution of freight traffic. The long term traffic forecasts generated with these models are based on scenarios of the likely economic outlook in the United States and 31 major foreign countries.

Employment consequences of depressive symptoms and work demands individually and combined.

PubMed

Thielen, Karsten; Nygaard, Else; Andersen, Ingelise; Diderichsen, Finn

2014-02-01

Denmark, like other Western countries, is recently burdened by increasingly high social spending on employment consequences caused by ill mental health. This might be the result of high work demands affecting persons with ill mental health. Therefore, this study assesses to what extent depressive symptoms and high work demands, individually and combined, have an effect on employment consequences. We conducted a population-based 7-year longitudinal follow-up study with baseline information from the year 2000 on socio-demographics, lifestyle, depressive symptoms and work demands. In total, 5785 employed persons, aged 40 and 50 years, were included. Information about employment status, sick leave and work disability was obtained from registers. Logistic regression models were used to measure separate and combined effects of depressive symptoms and work demands on job change, unemployment and sick leave during 2001-02 and work disability during 2003-07. After adjustment for covariates, high physical work demands and depressive symptoms had a graded effect on subsequent unemployment, sick leave and permanent work disability. Persons with both depressive symptoms and high physical demands had the highest risks, especially for sick leave, but the combined effect did not exceed the product of single effects. Persons who perceived high amount of work changed job significantly more frequently. Persons with depressive symptoms might have an increased risk of negative employment consequences irrespective of the kind and amount of work demands. This might be an effect on the level of work ability in general as well as partly the result of health selection and co-morbidity.

[Patterns and characteristics of ecological water demand in west arid zone of China--a case study of green corridor in the lower reaches of Tarim River].

PubMed

Wang, Ranghui; Lu, Xinming; Song, Yudong; Fan, Zili; Ma, Yingjie

2003-04-01

Ecological water demand has some characteristics. The ecological water demand that was used for protection of the green corridor in the lower reaches of Tarim River was chiefly water demand by natural vegetation below Daxihaizi reservoir, and it included gross restoration water amount of ground water level and gross stand water amount in all over the lower reaches of Tarim River. The gross restoration water amount of ground water level mainly included restoration water amount of ground water level and lateral discharge, as well as evaporation of the course. Based on the drainage target of Alagan in 2005, gross ecological water demand was the gross water amount of restoration ground water level between Daxihaizi and Alagan, which would be 13.20 x 10(8) m3. Meanwhile, the annual average water demand would be 2.64 x 10(8) m3. Because the drainage target and vegetation protection target would be all Taitema lake in 2010, the gross ecological water demand included not only the gross water amount of restoration ground water level between Alagan and Taitema lake, but also the ecological stand water amount between Daxihaizi and Taitema lake, which would be 18.32 x 10(8) m3. Meanwhile, the annual average water demand would be 3.66 x 10(8) m3. From the year 2010 to 2030, the gross ecological water demand would be consisted of two parts (the gross stand water amount between Daxihaizi and Alagan, and the water demand by increased vegetation of 18.67 x 10(4) hm2), and the total ecological water demand during the 20 years would be 139.00 x 10(8) m3. Meanwhile, the annual average water demand would be 6.95 x 10(8) m3.

Public Health Policy in Support of Insurance Coverage for Smoking Cessation Treatments

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Robert; Haji, Farzana; Babayan, Alexey; Longo, Christopher; Ferrence, Roberta

2017-01-01

Insurance coverage for evidence-based smoking cessation treatments (SCTs) promotes uptake and reduces smoking rates. Published studies in this area are based in the US where employers are the primary source of health insurance. In Ontario, Canada, publicly funded healthcare does not cover SCTs, but it can be supplemented with employer-sponsored benefit plans. This study explores factors affecting the inclusion/exclusion of smoking cessation (SC) benefits. In total, 17 interviews were conducted with eight employers (auto, retail, banking, municipal and university industries), four health insurers, two government representatives and three advisors/consultants. Overall, SCT coverage varied among industries; it was inconsistently restrictive and SCT differed by coverage amount and length of use. Barriers impeding coverage included the lack of the following: Canadian-specific return on investment (ROI), SC cost information, employer demand, government regulations/incentives and employee awareness of and demand. A Canadian evidence-based calculation of ROI for SC coupled with government incentives and public education may be needed to promote uptake of SCT coverage by employers. PMID:28617238

Vulnerability of supply basins to demand from multiple cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padowski, J. C.; Gorelick, S.

2013-12-01

Humans have appropriated more than half of the world's available water resources, and continued population growth and climate change threaten to put increasing pressure on remaining supplies. Many cities have constructed infrastructure to collect, transport from and store water at distant locations. Supply basins can become vulnerable if there are multiple users depending on the same supply system or network. Basin vulnerability assessments often only report the impacts of local demands on system health, but rarely account future stress from multi-urban demands. This study presents a global assessment of urban impacts on supply basins. Specifically, hydrologic and regulatory information are used to quantify the level of supply basin stress created by demand from multiple cities. The aim is to identify at-risk basins. This study focuses on large urban areas (generally over 1 million people) that use surface water (n=412). The stress on supply water basins by urban demand was based on three parameters: 1) the number of cities using a basin for water supply, 2) the number of alternative urban sources (e.g. lakes, reservoirs, rivers) within the supply basin, and 3) the percent of available surface water in each basin that is required to meet the total of urban and environmental demands. The degree of management within each basin is assessed using information on federal water policies and local basin management plans.

Ergonomics and patient handling.

PubMed

McCoskey, Kelsey L

2007-11-01

This study aimed to describe patient-handling demands in inpatient units during a 24-hour period at a military health care facility. A 1-day total population survey described the diverse nature and impact of patient-handling tasks relative to a variety of nursing care units, patient characteristics, and transfer equipment. Productivity baselines were established based on patient dependency, physical exertion, type of transfer, and time spent performing the transfer. Descriptions of the physiological effect of transfers on staff based on patient, transfer, and staff characteristics were developed. Nursing staff response to surveys demonstrated how patient-handling demands are impacted by the staff's physical exertion and level of patient dependency. The findings of this study describe the types of transfers occurring in these inpatient units and the physical exertion and time requirements for these transfers. This description may guide selection of the most appropriate and cost-effective patient-handling equipment required for specific units and patients.

Analytic hierarchy process-based approach for selecting a Pareto-optimal solution of a multi-objective, multi-site supply-chain planning problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayadi, Omar; Felfel, Houssem; Masmoudi, Faouzi

2017-07-01

The current manufacturing environment has changed from traditional single-plant to multi-site supply chain where multiple plants are serving customer demands. In this article, a tactical multi-objective, multi-period, multi-product, multi-site supply-chain planning problem is proposed. A corresponding optimization model aiming to simultaneously minimize the total cost, maximize product quality and maximize the customer satisfaction demand level is developed. The proposed solution approach yields to a front of Pareto-optimal solutions that represents the trade-offs among the different objectives. Subsequently, the analytic hierarchy process method is applied to select the best Pareto-optimal solution according to the preferences of the decision maker. The robustness of the solutions and the proposed approach are discussed based on a sensitivity analysis and an application to a real case from the textile and apparel industry.

Growing ethanol sector drives corn supply chain shift for the last decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, T.; Schmitt, J.; Brauman, K. A.; Smith, T. M.; Suh, K.

2017-12-01

The US is the largest producer in the world, 89% of corn production uses in domestic demands in 2012. Carbon emission and irrigated water usage in the corn farming stage are hot-spot in the meat production sectors, comprise 37% of all US corn demand. The annual capacity of the ethanol sector increases from 6.5 billion gallons to 15.3 billion gallons for the last decade. The growth of corn demand in ethanol sector makes corn supply chain shift. Most of the ethanol plants located in the Mid-west where is the top 12 corn producing states. Therefore animal feeds take more supply from the other states. The purpose of this study is to estimate environmental impacts and water scarcity associated embedded corn by the temporal and spatial corn supply chain model based on a cost minimization. We use publicly available county-level data on corn production, feed demands, aggregative carbon emission and irrigated water usage in farming state, and a water depletion index as a metric for determining water scarcity. The water stressed counties produce 23.3% of US total corn production in 2012, and the irrigated corn is 14.2%. We simulated the corn supply chain using linear programming and developed the web-based visualization tools called FoodS3 (Food Systems Supply-chain Sustainability tool, http://foods3.org).

Effects of land use on water quality and transport of selected constituents in streams in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 1994–98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferrell, Gloria M.

2001-01-01

Transport rates for total solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, biochemical oxygen demand, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc during 1994–98 were computed for six stormwater-monitoring sites in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. These six stormwater-monitoring sites were operated by the Mecklenburg County Department of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with the City of Charlotte, and are located near the mouths of major streams. Constituent transport at the six study sites generally was dominated by nonpoint sources, except for nitrogen and phosphorus at two sites located downstream from the outfalls of major municipal wastewater-treatment plants.To relate land use to constituent transport, regression equations to predict constituent yield were developed by using water-quality data from a previous study of nine stormwater-monitoring sites on small streams in Mecklenburg County. The drainage basins of these nine stormwater sites have relatively homogeneous land-use characteristics compared to the six study sites. Mean annual construction activity, based on building permit files, was estimated for all stormwater-monitoring sites and included as an explanatory variable in the regression equations. These regression equations were used to predict constituent yield for the six study sites. Predicted yields generally were in agreement with computed yields. In addition, yields were predicted by using regression equations derived from a national urban water-quality database. Yields predicted from the regional regression equations generally were about an order of magnitude lower than computed yields.Regression analysis indicated that construction activity was a major contributor to transport of the constituents evaluated in this study except for total nitrogen and biochemical oxygen demand. Transport of total nitrogen and biochemical oxygen demand was dominated by point-source contributions. The two study basins that had the largest amounts of construction activity also had the highest total solids yields (1,300 and 1,500 tons per square mile per year). The highest total phosphorus yields (3.2 and 1.7 tons per square mile per year) attributable to nonpoint sources also occurred in these basins. Concentrations of chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc were positively correlated with total solids concentrations at most of the study sites (Pearson product-moment correlation >0.50). The site having the highest median concentrations of chromium, copper, and nickel also was the site having the highest computed yield for total solids.

Physiological and Technical Demands of No Dribble Game Drill in Young Basketball Players.

PubMed

Conte, Daniele; Favero, Terence G; Niederhausen, Meike; Capranica, Laura; Tessitore, Antonio

2015-12-01

This study assessed the physiological and technical demands of no dribble game drill (NDGD) in comparison with a regular drill (RD). Twenty-three young basketball players performed RDs and NDGDs in a random order. All basketball rules were followed for RDs, whereas dribbling was not permitted for NDGDs. The independent variable was the drill condition, and the dependent variables were percentage of maximal heart rate (%HRmax), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), Edwards training load (TL), and the following technical actions (TAs): pass (total, correct, wrong, and percent of correct passes), shot (total, scored, missed, and percent of made shots), interception, steal, turnover, and rebound. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were applied to assess differences between NDGD and RD conditions for each dependent variable, and the level of statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results showed higher values for %HRmax (p = 0.007), Edwards TL (p = 0.006), and RPE (p = 0.027) in NDGD compared with RD condition. Technical action analysis revealed higher values in NDGD than RD for total (p = 0.000), correct (p = 0.000), and wrong pass (p = 0.005), and interception (p = 0.001), whereas no significant differences were found for the other TAs. The main finding of this study was that NDGD condition elicited a greater physiological demand and a higher number of passes and interceptions than the RD one. Basketball coaches should consider the NDGD as a viable method to increase the physiological load of their training sessions and to teach passing skills in a game-based situation.

Validating the Demand Control Support Questionnaire among white-collar employees in Switzerland and the United States.

PubMed

Mauss, Daniel; Herr, Raphael M; Theorell, Töres; Angerer, Peter; Li, Jian

2018-01-01

The Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) is an established self-reported tool to measure a stressful work environment. Validated German and English versions are however currently missing. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the psychometric properties of German and English versions of the DCSQ among white-collar employees in Switzerland and the US. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 499 employees in Switzerland and 411 in the US, respectively. The 17-item DCSQ with three scales assessed psychosocial stress at work (psychological demands, decision latitude, and social support at work). Depressive symptoms were measured by the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Cronbach's α and item-total correlations tested the scale reliability (internal consistency). Construct validity of the questionnaire was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Logistic regressions estimated associations of each scale and job strain with depressive symptoms (criterion validity). In both samples, all DCSQ scales presented satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.72; item-total correlations ≥ 0.33), and EFA showed the 17 items loading on three factors, which is in line with the theoretically assumed structure of the DCSQ construct. Moreover, all three scales as well as high job strain were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. The associations were stronger in the US sample. The German and the English versions of the DCSQ seem to be reliable and valid instruments to measure psychosocial stress based on the job demand-control-support model in the workplace of white-collar employees in Switzerland and the US.

Demand for long acting and permanent contraceptive methods and associated factors among married women of reproductive age group in Debre Markos Town, North West Ethiopia.

PubMed

Bulto, Gizachew Abdissa; Zewdie, Tatek Abate; Beyen, Teresa Kisi

2014-03-13

Ethiopia is the second most populous country in sub Saharan Africa with high total fertility rate, and high maternal and child mortality rates. In sub Saharan African countries, including Ethiopia, even though studies show that demand for contraception is high, the practice is low. Particularly, in Ethiopia, despite the fact that practices on long acting and permanent methods are believed to be low, there are limited evidences on the real magnitude of demand for the methods. To assess demand for long acting and permanent contraceptive methods and associated factors among married women of reproductive age group in Debre Markos town, Amhara Regional State, North West Ethiopia, A community based cross sectional study was conducted, from April 08-19, 2012. Systematic sampling technique was used to select 523 study participants. Pre tested structured Amharic version questionnaire was used to collect the data through interview. Both bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors. Among 519 respondents, 323 (62.2%) were using modern family planning (FP) methods in which 101 (19.5%) were using long acting and permanent contraceptive methods (LAPMs). Among all respondents, 171 (32.9%) had unmet need for LAPMs. The total demand for LAPMs was 272 (52.4%) of which 37.1% were satisfied and 62.9% unsatisfied demand. Being in the older age group (40-44 years) [AOR = 2.8; 95% CI:1.12, 9.55], having no desire for more child [AOR = 20.37; 95% CI:9.28, 44.72], desire to have a child after 2 years [AOR = 6.4; 95%CI:3.04,13.47], not ever heard of modern FP [AOR = 5.73; 95% CI:1.26, 25.91], not ever using of modern FP [AOR = 1.89; 95% CI:1.01, 3.55] and having no spousal discussion in the last six month [AOR = 1.642, 95% CI: 1.049, 2.57) were some of the factors significantly associated with demand for LAPMs. Demand and unmet need for LAPMs were high in the study area. Therefore raising awareness of the community, counseling/discussion about the methods with all clients, encouraging spousal involvement are fundamental areas of intervention. Moreover, increasing the availability and accessibility of LAPMs is required to meet the unmet needs.

Metabolic power demands of rugby league match play.

PubMed

Kempton, Tom; Sirotic, Anita Claire; Rampinini, Ermanno; Coutts, Aaron James

2015-01-01

To describe the metabolic demands of rugby league match play for positional groups and compare match distances obtained from high-speed-running classifications with those derived from high metabolic power. Global positioning system (GPS) data were collected from 25 players from a team competing in the National Rugby League competition over 39 matches. Players were classified into positional groups (adjustables, outside backs, hit-up forwards, and wide-running forwards). The GPS devices provided instantaneous raw velocity data at 5 Hz, which were exported to a customized spreadsheet. The spreadsheet provided calculations for speed-based distances (eg, total distance; high-speed running, >14.4 km/h; and very-high-speed running, >18.1 km/h) and metabolic-power variables (eg, energy expenditure; average metabolic power; and high-power distance, >20 W/kg). The data show that speed-based distances and metabolic power varied between positional groups, although this was largely related to differences in time spent on field. The distance covered at high running speed was lower than that obtained from high-power thresholds for all positional groups; however, the difference between the 2 methods was greatest for hit-up forwards and adjustables. Positional differences existed for all metabolic parameters, although these are at least partially related to time spent on the field. Higher-speed running may underestimate the demands of match play when compared with high-power distance-although the degree of difference between the measures varied by position. The analysis of metabolic power may complement traditional speed-based classifications and improve our understanding of the demands of rugby league match play.

Total pressing Indonesian gas development, exports

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-01-24

Total is on track to become Indonesia's leading gas exporter by the turn of the century. Total's aggressive development of its Mahakam Delta acreage in East Kalimantan is intended to keep pace with growing liquefied natural gas demand, mainly from Japan but also increasingly from South Korea and Taiwan. A frantic scramble is under way among natural gas suppliers in the Pacific Rim region, particularly those with current LNG export facilities, to accommodate projections of soaring natural gas demand in the region. Accordingly, Total's Indonesian gas production goal is the centerpiece of a larger strategy to become a major playermore » in the Far East Asia gas scene. Its goals also fall in line with Indonesia's. Facing flat or declining oil production while domestic oil demand continues to soar along with a rapidly growing economy, Indonesia is heeding some studies that project the country could become a net oil importer by the turn of the century. The paper describes Total's Far East strategy, the Mahakam acreage which it operates, the shift to gas development, added discoveries, future development, project spending levels, and LNG export capacity.« less

Reconciling quality and cost: A case study in interventional radiology.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Domröse, Sascha; Mahnken, Andreas

2015-10-01

To provide a method to calculate delay cost and examine the relationship between quality and total cost. The total cost including capacity, supply and delay cost for running an interventional radiology suite was calculated. The capacity cost, consisting of labour, lease and overhead costs, was derived based on expenses per unit time. The supply cost was calculated according to actual procedural material use. The delay cost and marginal delay cost derived from queueing models was calculated based on waiting times of inpatients for their procedures. Quality improvement increased patient safety and maintained the outcome. The average daily delay costs were reduced from 1275 € to 294 €, and marginal delay costs from approximately 2000 € to 500 €, respectively. The one-time annual cost saved from the transfer of surgical to radiological procedures was approximately 130,500 €. The yearly delay cost saved was approximately 150,000 €. With increased revenue of 10,000 € in project phase 2, the yearly total cost saved was approximately 290,000 €. Optimal daily capacity of 4.2 procedures was determined. An approach for calculating delay cost toward optimal capacity allocation was presented. An overall quality improvement was achieved at reduced costs. • Improving quality in terms of safety, outcome, efficiency and timeliness reduces cost. • Mismatch of demand and capacity is detrimental to quality and cost. • Full system utilization with random demand results in long waiting periods and increased cost.

Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China 2012: Inventory and Supply Chain Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Yaowen; Zhao, Xueli; Meng, Jing

2018-01-01

Reliable inventory information is critical in informing emission mitigation efforts. Using the latest officially released emission data, which is production based, we take a consumption perspective to estimate the non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for China in 2012. The non-CO2 GHG emissions, which cover CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, and SF6, amounted to 2003.0 Mt. CO2-eq (including 1871.9 Mt. CO2-eq from economic activities), much larger than the total CO2 emissions in some developed countries. Urban consumption (30.1%), capital formation (28.2%), and exports (20.6%) derived approximately four fifths of the total embodied emissions in final demand. Furthermore, the results from structural path analysis help identify critical embodied emission paths and key economic sectors in supply chains for mitigating non-CO2 GHG emissions in Chinese economic systems. The top 20 paths were responsible for half of the national total embodied emissions. Several industrial sectors such as Construction, Production and Supply of Electricity and Steam, Manufacture of Food and Tobacco and Manufacture of Chemicals, and Chemical Products played as the important transmission channels. Examining both production- and consumption-based non-CO2 GHG emissions will enrich our understanding of the influences of industrial positions, final consumption demands, and trades on national non-CO2 GHG emissions by considering the comprehensive abatement potentials in the supply chains.

A joint inventory policy under permissible delay in payment and stochastic demand (Case study: Pharmacy Department of Pariaman Hospital)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonrinaldi, Primadi, M. Yugo; Hadiguna, Rika Ampuh

2017-11-01

Inventory cannot be avoided by organizations. One of them is a hospital which has a functional unit to manage the drugs and other medical supplies such as disposable and laboratory material. The unit is called Pharmacy Department which is responsible to do all of pharmacy services in the hospital. The current problem in Pharmacy Department is that the level of drugs and medical supplies inventory is too high. Inventory is needed to keep the service level to customers but at the same time it increases the cost of holding the items, so there should be a policy to keep the inventory on an optimal condition. To solve such problem, this paper proposes an inventory policy in Pharmacy Department of Pariaman Hospital. The inventory policy is determined by using Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model under condition of permissible delay in payment for multiple products considering safety stock to anticipate stochastic demand. This policy is developed based on the actual condition of the system studied where suppliers provided a certain period to Pharmacy Department to complete the payment of the order. Based on implementation using software Lingo 13.0, total inventory cost of proposed policy of IDR 137,334,815.34 is 37.4% lower than the total inventory cost of current policy of IDR 219,511,519.45. Therefore, the proposed inventory policy is applicable to the system to minimize the total inventory cost.

A Perishable Inventory Model with Return

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan, S. W.; Lesmono, D.; Limansyah, T.

2018-04-01

In this paper, we develop a mathematical model for a perishable inventory with return by assuming deterministic demand and inventory dependent demand. By inventory dependent demand, it means that demand at certain time depends on the available inventory at that time with certain rate. In dealing with perishable items, we should consider deteriorating rate factor that corresponds to the decreasing quality of goods. There are also costs involved in this model such as purchasing, ordering, holding, shortage (backordering) and returning costs. These costs compose the total costs in the model that we want to minimize. In the model we seek for the optimal return time and order quantity. We assume that after some period of time, called return time, perishable items can be returned to the supplier at some returning costs. The supplier will then replace them in the next delivery. Some numerical experiments are given to illustrate our model and sensitivity analysis is performed as well. We found that as the deteriorating rate increases, returning time becomes shorter, the optimal order quantity and total cost increases. When considering the inventory-dependent demand factor, we found that as this factor increases, assuming a certain deteriorating rate, returning time becomes shorter, optimal order quantity becomes larger and the total cost increases.

ELECTRICAL LOAD ANTICIPATOR AND RECORDER

DOEpatents

Russell, J.B.; Thomas, R.J.

1961-07-25

A system is descrbied in which an indication of the prevailing energy consumption in an electrical power metering system and a projected Power demand for one demand interval is provided at selected increments of time withm the demand interval. Each watthour meter in the system is provided with an impulse generator that generates two impulses for each revolution of the meter disc. The total pulses received frorn all the meters are continuously totaled and are fed to a plurality of parallel connected gated counters. Each counter has its gate opened at different sub-time intervals during the demand interval. A multiplier is connected to each of the gated counters except the last one and each multiplier is provided with a different multiplier constant so as to provide an estimate of the power to be drawn over the entire demand interval at the end of each of the different sub-time intervals. Means are provided for recording the ontputs from the different circuits in synchronism with the actuation oi each gate circuit.

Work Demands and Work-to-Family and Family-to-Work Conflict: Direct and Indirect Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voydanoff, Patricia

2005-01-01

This article uses a demands-and-resources approach to examine relationships between three types of work demands and work-to-family and family-to-work conflict: time-based demands, strain-based demands, and boundary-spanning demands. The analysis is based on data from 2,155 employed adults living with a family member who were interviewed for the…

Evaluation of four structural best management practices for highway runoff in Beaufort and Colleton Counties, South Carolina, 2005–2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conlon, Kevin J.; Journey, Celeste A.

2008-01-01

In general, the four BMPs were not successful at significantly reducing fecal bacteria, nutrients, and total organic carbon (including associated properties of biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand). Three of the four BMPs significantly lowered oil and grease concentrations before the stormwater discharged from the outlet. Additionally, only one BMP was effective at reducing all total and particulate

Supporting Military Families with Young Children throughout the Deployment Lifecycle

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

military service since the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks has placed tremendous demands on families. Approximately 43% of the Total Forces are...Parents program on the primary outcomes of interest including parental reflective capacity, parent-child relationship quality, and parenting stress...Hire and train SFSF2 staff at BU and UTHSCSA (for Ft. Hood site) 4a) Provide intensive training on home-based intervention (Strong Families

Integrated Application of Multivariate Statistical Methods to Source Apportionment of Watercourses in the Liao River Basin, Northeast China

PubMed Central

Chen, Jiabo; Li, Fayun; Fan, Zhiping; Wang, Yanjie

2016-01-01

Source apportionment of river water pollution is critical in water resource management and aquatic conservation. Comprehensive application of various GIS-based multivariate statistical methods was performed to analyze datasets (2009–2011) on water quality in the Liao River system (China). Cluster analysis (CA) classified the 12 months of the year into three groups (May–October, February–April and November–January) and the 66 sampling sites into three groups (groups A, B and C) based on similarities in water quality characteristics. Discriminant analysis (DA) determined that temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), NH4+–N, total phosphorus (TP) and volatile phenols were significant variables affecting temporal variations, with 81.2% correct assignments. Principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) identified eight potential pollution factors for each part of the data structure, explaining more than 61% of the total variance. Oxygen-consuming organics from cropland and woodland runoff were the main latent pollution factor for group A. For group B, the main pollutants were oxygen-consuming organics, oil, nutrients and fecal matter. For group C, the evaluated pollutants primarily included oxygen-consuming organics, oil and toxic organics. PMID:27775679

The construction of a decision tool to analyse local demand and local supply for GP care using a synthetic estimation model

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This study addresses the growing academic and policy interest in the appropriate provision of local healthcare services to the healthcare needs of local populations to increase health status and decrease healthcare costs. However, for most local areas information on the demand for primary care and supply is missing. The research goal is to examine the construction of a decision tool which enables healthcare planners to analyse local supply and demand in order to arrive at a better match. Methods National sample-based medical record data of general practitioners (GPs) were used to predict the local demand for GP care based on local populations using a synthetic estimation technique. Next, the surplus or deficit in local GP supply were calculated using the national GP registry. Subsequently, a dynamic internet tool was built to present demand, supply and the confrontation between supply and demand regarding GP care for local areas and their surroundings in the Netherlands. Results Regression analysis showed a significant relationship between sociodemographic predictors of postcode areas and GP consultation time (F [14, 269,467] = 2,852.24; P <0.001). The statistical model could estimate GP consultation time for every postcode area with >1,000 inhabitants in the Netherlands covering 97% of the total population. Confronting these estimated demand figures with the actual GP supply resulted in the average GP workload and the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) GP too much/too few for local areas to cover the demand for GP care. An estimated shortage of one FTE GP or more was prevalent in about 19% of the postcode areas with >1,000 inhabitants if the surrounding postcode areas were taken into consideration. Underserved areas were mainly found in rural regions. Conclusions The constructed decision tool is freely accessible on the Internet and can be used as a starting point in the discussion on primary care service provision in local communities and it can make a considerable contribution to a primary care system which provides care when and where people need it. PMID:24161015

Modelling global water stress of the recent past: on the relative importance of trends in water demand and climate variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, Y.; van Beek, L. P. H.; Bierkens, M. F. P.

2011-12-01

During the past decades, human water use has more than doubled, yet available freshwater resources are finite. As a result, water scarcity has been prevalent in various regions of the world. Here, we present the first global assessment of past development of water stress considering not only climate variability but also growing water demand, desalinated water use and non-renewable groundwater abstraction over the period 1960-2001 at a spatial resolution of 0.5°. Agricultural water demand is estimated based on past extents of irrigated areas and livestock densities. We approximate past economic development based on GDP, energy and household consumption and electricity production, which are subsequently used together with population numbers to estimate industrial and domestic water demand. Climate variability is expressed by simulated blue water availability defined by freshwater in rivers, lakes, wetlands and reservoirs by means of the global hydrological model PCR-GLOBWB. We thus define blue water stress by comparing blue water availability with corresponding net total blue water demand by means of the commonly used, Water Scarcity Index. The results show a drastic increase in the global population living under water-stressed conditions (i.e. moderate to high water stress) due to growing water demand, primarily for irrigation, which has more than doubled from 1708/818 to 3708/1832 km3 yr-1 (gross/net) over the period 1960-2000. We estimate that 800 million people or 27% of the global population were living under water-stressed conditions for 1960. This number is eventually increased to 2.6 billion or 43% for 2000. Our results indicate that increased water demand is a decisive factor for heightened water stress in various regions such as India and North China, enhancing the intensity of water stress up to 200%, while climate variability is often a main determinant of extreme events. However, our results also suggest that in several emerging and developing economies (e.g. India, Turkey, Romania and Cuba) some of past extreme events were anthropogenically driven due to increased water demand rather than being climate-induced.

Growth and Energy Demand of Meloidogyne incognita on Susceptible and Resistant Vitis vinifera Cultivars.

PubMed

Melakeberhan, H; Ferris, H

1988-10-01

Food (energy) consumption rates ofMeloidogyne incognita were calculated on Vitis vinifera cv. French Colombard (highly susceptible) and cv. Thompson Seedless (moderately resistant). One-month-old grape seedlings in styrofoam cups were inoculated with 2,000 or 8,000 M. incognita second-stage juveniles (J2) and maintained at 17.5 degree days (DD - base 10 C)/day until maximum adult female growth and (or) the end of oviposition. At 70 DD intervals, nematode fresh biomass was calculated on the basis of volumes of 15-20 nematodes per plant obtained with a digitizer and computer algorithm. Egg production was measured at 50-80 DD intervals by weighing 7-10 egg masses and counting the number of eggs. Nematode growth and food (energy) consumption rates were calculated up to 1,000 DD based on biomass increase, respiratory requirements, and an assumption of 60 % assimilation efficiency. The growth rate of a single root-knot nematode, excluding egg production, was similar in both cultivars and had a logistic form. The maximum fresh weight of a mature female nematode was ca. 29-32 mug. The total biomass increase, including egg production, also had a logistic form. Maximum biomass (mature adult female and egg mass) was 211 mug on French Colombard and 127 mug on Thompson Seedless. The calculated total cost to the host for the development of a single J2 from root penetration to the end of oviposition for body growth and total biomass was 0.535 and 0.486 calories with a total energy demand of 1.176 and 0.834 calories in French Colombard and Thompson Seedless, respectively.

Introducing laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer in general practice: a retrospective cohort study based on a nationwide registry database in Japan.

PubMed

Kodera, Yasuhiro; Yoshida, Kazuhiro; Kumamaru, Hiraku; Kakeji, Yoshihiro; Hiki, Naoki; Etoh, Tsuyoshi; Honda, Michitaka; Miyata, Hiroaki; Yamashita, Yuichi; Seto, Yasuyuki; Kitano, Seigo; Konno, Hiroyuki

2018-02-09

Although laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) is considered a technically demanding procedure with safety issues, it has been performed in several hospitals in Japan. Data from a nationwide web-based data entry system for surgical procedures (NCD) that started enrollment in 2011 are now available for analysis. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from 32,144 patients who underwent total gastrectomy and were registered in the NCD database between January 2012 and December 2013. Mortality and morbidities were compared between patients who received LTG and those who underwent open total gastrectomy (OTG) in the propensity score-matched Stage I cohort and Stage II-IV cohort. There was no significant difference in mortality rate between LTG and OTG in both cohorts. Operating time was significantly longer in LTG while the blood loss was smaller. In the Stage I cohort, LTG, performed in 33.6% of the patients, was associated with significantly shorter hospital stay but significantly higher incidence of readmission, reoperation, and anastomotic leakage (5.4% vs. 3.6%, p < 0.01). In the Stage II-IV cohort, LTG was performed in only 8.8% of the patients and was associated with significantly higher incidence of leakage (5.7% vs. 3.6%, p < 0.02) although the hospital stay was shorter (15 days vs. 17 days, p < 0.001). LTG was more discreetly introduced than distal gastrectomy, but remained a technically demanding procedure as of 2013. This procedure should be performed only among the well-trained and informed laparoscopic team.

Reconnaissance of water-quality characteristics of streams in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eddins, W.H.; Crawford, J.K.

1984-01-01

In 1979-81, water samples were collected from 119 sites on streams throughout the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and were analyzed for specific conductance, dissolved chloride, hardness, pH, total alkalinity, total phosphorus, trace elements, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, silver, and zinc and biological measures including dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, fecal coliform bacteria, and fecal streptococcus bacteria. Sampling was conducted during both low flow (base flow) and high flow. Several water-quality measures including pH, total arsenic, total cadmium, total chromium, total copper, total iron, total lead, total manganese, total mercury, total silver, total zinc, dissolved oxygen, and fecal coliform bacteria at times exceeded North Carolina water-quality standards in various streams. Runoff from non-point sources appears to contribute more to the deterioration of streams in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County than point-source effluents. Urban and industrial areas contribute various trace elements. Residential and rural areas and municipal waste-water treatment plants contribute high amounts of phosphorus.

Colonoscopy demand and capacity in New Hampshire.

PubMed

Butterly, Lynn; Olenec, Christopher; Goodrich, Martha; Carney, Patricia; Dietrich, Allen

2007-01-01

Screening for colorectal cancer has been clearly shown to decrease the incidence and mortality from this disease. Accurate information about the demand and capacity for screening, particularly with colonoscopy, is critical in planning screening strategies. National assessments have recently begun; estimates of smaller geographic regions should improve the accuracy of national estimates, as well as inform strategies for individual states. This study evaluates the demand and capacity for colonoscopy in the state of New Hampshire. All endoscopy sites in the state of New Hampshire were contacted to determine their number of endoscopists, monthly colonoscopies, and estimates of the percentage of colonoscopy done for screening. Barriers to increasing current capacity were also assessed. The capacity estimates were compared to demand estimates based on population census figures. Data were collected in 2003 to 2004 and analyzed in 2005 to 2006. One hundred fourteen endoscopists at 36 centers performed 49,352 colonoscopies in 2002, an average of 39 to 43 total monthly colonoscopies per endoscopist. Approximately 60% were estimated to have been done for screening. Estimated demand was approximately twice the available capacity for screening and surveillance. The impact of factors such as compliance, percent screening, and population growth were assessed to inform future screening strategies. In 2002, demand for screening colonoscopy in New Hampshire for patients aged more than 50 years was approximately twice the available capacity. However, if the assessed screening capacity of 2002 were to increase by 20%, combined with a target of 60% population compliance with screening as an initial goal, the demand for colonoscopy in New Hampshire would be met.

Movement and physical demands of school and university rugby union match-play in England

PubMed Central

Read, Dale; Weaving, Daniel; Phibbs, Padraic; Darrall-Jones, Joshua; Roe, Gregory; Weakley, Jonathon; Hendricks, Sharief; Till, Kevin; Jones, Ben

2017-01-01

Background In England, rugby union is a popular sport and is widely played within schools. Despite the large participation numbers, the movement and physical demands of the sport and how they progress by age have not been explored. Method Ninety-six male rugby union players wore microtechnology devices during six rugby union matches within the education pathway to investigate the movement and physical demands of match-play. To quantify the positional differences and progression by age, data were obtained for participants at the under 16 (U16) (n=31 participants), under 18 (U18) (n=34 participants) and university (n=31 participants) levels. Players were further divided in forwards and backs. Data were analysed using magnitude-based inferences. Results For the movement demands, U16 total distance and ‘striding’ was likely higher for forwards than backs, whereas at U18, unclear differences were observed and from university players the inverse was observed (very likely). In all age groups sprint distance was likely to very likely greater for backs than forwards. Forwards had greater physical demands than backs at all age groups. For consecutive age groups, U16 had a likely higher relative distance than U18, and U18 had a likely lower relative distance than university players. Physical demands were similar across age groups for forwards, and greater for backs at older age groups. Conclusion The movement and physical demands of rugby union players participating in schools (U16 and U18), may not be as expected, however, the findings from university players show a similar pattern to the senior game. PMID:28879027

Comparison of Activity Profiles and Physiological Demands Between International Rugby Sevens Matches and Training.

PubMed

Higham, Dean G; Pyne, David B; Anson, Judith M; Hopkins, Will G; Eddy, Anthony

2016-05-01

The specificity of contemporary training practices of international rugby sevens players is unknown. We quantified the positional group-specific activity profiles and physiological demands of on-field training activities and compared these with match demands. Twenty-two international matches and 63 rugby-specific training drills were monitored in 25 backs and 17 forwards from a national squad of male rugby sevens players over a 21-month period. Drills were classified into 3 categories: low-intensity skill refining (n = 23 drills, 560 observations), moderate- to high-intensity skill refining (n = 28 drills, 600 observations), and game simulation (n = 12 drills, 365 observations). Movement patterns (via Global Positioning System devices) and physiological load (via heart rate monitors) were recorded for all activities, and the differences between training and matches were quantified using magnitude-based inferential statistics. Distance covered in total and at ≥3.5 m·s, maximal velocity, and frequency of accelerations and decelerations were lower for forwards during competition compared with those for backs by a small but practically important magnitude. No clear positional group differences were observed for physiological load during matches. Training demands exceeded match demands only for frequency of decelerations of forwards during moderate- to high-intensity skill-refining drills and only by a small amount. Accelerations and distance covered at ≥6 m·s were closer to match values for forwards than for backs during all training activities, but training drills consistently fell below the demands of international competition. Coaches could therefore improve physical and physiological specificity by increasing the movement demands and intensity of training drills.

Movement and physical demands of school and university rugby union match-play in England.

PubMed

Read, Dale; Weaving, Daniel; Phibbs, Padraic; Darrall-Jones, Joshua; Roe, Gregory; Weakley, Jonathon; Hendricks, Sharief; Till, Kevin; Jones, Ben

2016-01-01

In England, rugby union is a popular sport and is widely played within schools. Despite the large participation numbers, the movement and physical demands of the sport and how they progress by age have not been explored. Ninety-six male rugby union players wore microtechnology devices during six rugby union matches within the education pathway to investigate the movement and physical demands of match-play. To quantify the positional differences and progression by age, data were obtained for participants at the under 16 (U16) (n=31 participants), under 18 (U18) (n=34 participants) and university (n=31 participants) levels. Players were further divided in forwards and backs. Data were analysed using magnitude-based inferences. For the movement demands, U16 total distance and 'striding' was likely higher for forwards than backs, whereas at U18, unclear differences were observed and from university players the inverse was observed (very likely). In all age groups sprint distance was likely to very likely greater for backs than forwards. Forwards had greater physical demands than backs at all age groups. For consecutive age groups, U16 had a likely higher relative distance than U18, and U18 had a likely lower relative distance than university players. Physical demands were similar across age groups for forwards, and greater for backs at older age groups. The movement and physical demands of rugby union players participating in schools (U16 and U18), may not be as expected, however, the findings from university players show a similar pattern to the senior game.

Quantifying the link between crop production and mined groundwater irrigation in China.

PubMed

Grogan, Danielle S; Zhang, Fan; Prusevich, Alexander; Lammers, Richard B; Wisser, Dominik; Glidden, Stanley; Li, Changsheng; Frolking, Steve

2015-04-01

In response to increasing demand for food, Chinese agriculture has both expanded and intensified over the past several decades. Irrigation has played a key role in increasing crop production, and groundwater is now an important source of irrigation water. Groundwater abstraction in excess of recharge (which we use here to estimate groundwater mining) has resulted in declining groundwater levels and could eventually restrict groundwater availability. In this study we used a hydrological model, WBMplus, in conjunction with a process based crop growth model, DNDC, to evaluate Chinese agriculture's recent dependence upon mined groundwater, and to quantify mined groundwater-dependent crop production across a domain that includes variation in climate, crop choice, and management practices. This methodology allowed for the direct attribution of crop production to irrigation water from rivers and reservoirs, shallow (renewable) groundwater, and mined groundwater. Simulating 20 years of weather variability and circa year 2000 crop areas, we found that mined groundwater fulfilled 20%-49% of gross irrigation water demand, assuming all demand was met. Mined groundwater accounted for 15%-27% of national total crop production. There was high spatial variability across China in irrigation water demand and crop production derived from mined groundwater. We find that climate variability and mined groundwater demand do not operate independently; rather, years in which irrigation water demand is high due to the relatively hot and dry climate also experience limited surface water supplies and therefore have less surface water with which to meet that high irrigation water demand. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Convergent evolution of reduced energy demands in extremophile fish

PubMed Central

Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Tobler, Michael

2017-01-01

Convergent evolution in organismal function can arise from nonconvergent changes in traits that contribute to that function. Theory predicts that low resource availability and high maintenance costs in extreme environments select for reductions in organismal energy demands, which could be attained through modifications of body size or metabolic rate. We tested for convergence in energy demands and underlying traits by investigating livebearing fish (genus Poecilia) that have repeatedly colonized toxic, hydrogen sulphide-rich springs. We quantified variation in body size and routine metabolism across replicated sulphidic and non-sulphidic populations in nature, modelled total organismal energy demands, and conducted a common-garden experiment to test whether population differences had a genetic basis. Sulphidic populations generally exhibited smaller body sizes and lower routine metabolic rates compared to non-sulphidic populations, which together caused significant reductions in total organismal energy demands in extremophile populations. Although both mechanisms contributed to variation in organismal energy demands, variance partitioning indicated reductions of body size overall had a greater effect than reductions of routine metabolism. Finally, population differences in routine metabolism documented in natural populations were maintained in common-garden reared individuals, indicating evolved differences. In combination with other studies, these results suggest that reductions in energy demands may represent a common theme in adaptation to physiochemical stressors. Selection for reduced energy demand may particularly affect body size, which has implications for life history evolution in extreme environments. PMID:29077740

Proof of concept for a new energy-positive wastewater treatment scheme.

PubMed

Remy, C; Boulestreau, M; Lesjean, B

2014-01-01

For improved exploitation of the energy content present in the organic matter of raw sewage, an innovative concept for treatment of municipal wastewater is tested in pilot trials and assessed in energy balance and operational costs. The concept is based on a maximum extraction of organic matter into the sludge via coagulation, flocculation and microsieving (100 μm mesh size) to increase the energy recovery in anaerobic sludge digestion and decrease aeration demand for carbon mineralisation. Pilot trials with real wastewater yield an extraction of 70-80% of total chemical oxygen demand into the sludge while dosing 15-20 mg/L Al and 5-7 mg/L polymer with stable operation of the microsieve and effluent limits below 2-3 mg/L total phosphorus. Anaerobic digestion of the microsieve sludge results in high biogas yields of 600 NL/kg organic dry matter input (oDMin) compared to 430 NL/kg oDMin for mixed sludge from a conventional activated sludge process. The overall energy balance for a 100,000 population equivalent (PE) treatment plant (including biofilter for post-treatment with full nitrification and denitrification with external carbon source) shows that the new concept is an energy-positive treatment process with comparable effluent quality than conventional processes, even when including energy demand for chemicals production. Estimated operating costs for electricity and chemicals are in the same range for conventional activated sludge processes and the new concept.

[Estimation of prevalence, incidence and sex ratio of transsexualism in Catalonia according to health care demand].

PubMed

Gómez Gil, E; Trilla García, A; Godás Sieso, T; Halperin Rabinovich, I; Puig Domingo, M; Vidal Hagemeijer, A; Peri Nogués, J M

2006-01-01

To estimate the epidemiology of transsexualism in the autonomous community of Catalonia according to data gathered at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, the single public hospital providing specialized psychiatric and endocrinological care for transsexual patients in this community. Prevalence was calculated on the basis of the total number of patients diagnosed of transsexualism (ICD-10, F64.0) at the Hospital Clinic and living in Catalonia, and the incidence by counting all new cases of transsexuals for the last 5 years, based on the population census between 15 and 65 years of age. During the period from 1996 through 2004 a total of 201 subjects were referred to this hospital with complaints of gender dysphoria. Transsexualism was diagnosed in 182 patients, 161 of whom were living in Catalonia. This yields a prevalence rate in Catalonia of 1:21,031 males and 1:48,096 females. The sex ratio was 2.6. Annual incidence in the last five years was 0.73/100,000/year. The low prevalence compared with recently published data from European Union countries may be due to the relatively few years of data collection and to the low clinical demand because surgical procedures costs are not covered by the public health insurance. In contrast, the high incidence may be due to the increasing demand since 2000, when a more benevolent and tolerant social climate in Spain started.

Monitoring on The Quality and Quantity of DIY Rainwater Harvesting System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasmin, H.; Bakar, N. H.; Zubir, M. M.

2016-07-01

Rainwater harvesting is an alternative sources of water supply and can be used for potable and non-potable uses. It could helps to store treated rainwater for more beneficial use and also for flood mitigation. Sustainable approach for flooding problem reduction in urban areas is by slowing down the rate of surface runoff flows at source by providing more storage area/tank. In order to understand the performance of a rainwater harvesting system (RWH), a preliminary monitoring on a ‘do it yourself’ (DIY) RWH model with additional first -flush strategy for water quality treatment was done. The main concept behind first flush diversion is to prevent initial polluted rainwater from entering the storage tank. Based on seven rainfall events observed in Parit Raja, both quality and quantity of the rainfalls were analysed. For rainwater quality, the samples from first flush diverter and storage tank were taken to understand their performance based on pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity, total dissolved solid (TDS), total suspended solid (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) parameters. While for rainwater quantity, hydrograph analysis were done based on the performance of total rainfall and runoff, peak flow of rainfall and runoff; and delayed time parameters. Based on Interim National Water Quality Standard (INWQS) and National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS), first flush diverter apparently helps on water quality improvement in storage tanks when pH, DO, TDS, TSS and turbidity were classified as Class I (INWQS) and is allowable for drinking; but BOD and COD parameters were classified as Class III (INWQS). Hence, it has potential to be used as potable usage but will need extensive treatment to reduce its poor microbial quality. Based on the maximum observed rainfall event which had total volume of 3195.5 liter, had peakflow reduction from 0.00071 m3/s to 0.00034 m3/s and delayed runoff between 5 and 10 minutes after rainfall started. It concludes that the performance of water retention could be due to total rainfall and the tank capacity. Therefore, RWH has a potential to be used as potable use and at the same time it also has a potential to reduce local urban flooding.

Time series modelling and forecasting of emergency department overcrowding.

PubMed

Kadri, Farid; Harrou, Fouzi; Chaabane, Sondès; Tahon, Christian

2014-09-01

Efficient management of patient flow (demand) in emergency departments (EDs) has become an urgent issue for many hospital administrations. Today, more and more attention is being paid to hospital management systems to optimally manage patient flow and to improve management strategies, efficiency and safety in such establishments. To this end, EDs require significant human and material resources, but unfortunately these are limited. Within such a framework, the ability to accurately forecast demand in emergency departments has considerable implications for hospitals to improve resource allocation and strategic planning. The aim of this study was to develop models for forecasting daily attendances at the hospital emergency department in Lille, France. The study demonstrates how time-series analysis can be used to forecast, at least in the short term, demand for emergency services in a hospital emergency department. The forecasts were based on daily patient attendances at the paediatric emergency department in Lille regional hospital centre, France, from January 2012 to December 2012. An autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) method was applied separately to each of the two GEMSA categories and total patient attendances. Time-series analysis was shown to provide a useful, readily available tool for forecasting emergency department demand.

[A study on dental manpower distribution in Shanghai Pudong new district].

PubMed

Gu, Qin; Feng, Xi-ping

2006-02-01

A study of dental manpower distribution was made in Shanghai Pudong new district in order to analyze the needs and demands for dental services in Shanghai Pudong new district, to forecast the developmental trends of dental demand in the future and to provide basis for regional programs of dental manpower in the urban areas of China. An analysis was made in 601 subjects taken from all age groups in Shanghai Pudong new district by stratified and cluster random sampling and in 83 medical institutions of stomatology in Shanghai Pudong new district by mass examination. The amount of dental manpower need and demand was computed and forecasted by means of health care need and demand and proportional analogy methods. The total amounts needed were 755-834 dentists. The total amounts demanded were 285-314 dentists. It was forecasted that the figures would be 392-1041 in the year of 2010. The prevalence of oral disease was 90.18%, but only 37.66% of subjects visited dentist in a year. The ratio of dentists to the population was 1:9375. The unbalance between demand for and supply of dental manpower was mainly due to negative awareness of people, the irrationalness of demand levels, problems from service provider and the irrationalness of dental manpower levels.

Modeling the Trajectory of Analgesic Demand Over Time After Total Knee Arthroplasty Using the Latent Curve Analysis.

PubMed

Lo, Po-Han; Tsou, Mei-Yung; Chang, Kuang-Yi

2015-09-01

Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) is commonly used for pain relief after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to model the trajectory of analgesic demand over time after TKA and explore its influential factors using latent curve analysis. Data were retrospectively collected from 916 patients receiving unilateral or bilateral TKA and postoperative PCEA. PCEA demands during 12-hour intervals for 48 hours were directly retrieved from infusion pumps. Potentially influential factors of PCEA demand, including age, height, weight, body mass index, sex, and infusion pump settings, were also collected. A latent curve analysis with 2 latent variables, the intercept (baseline) and slope (trend), was applied to model the changes in PCEA demand over time. The effects of influential factors on these 2 latent variables were estimated to examine how these factors interacted with time to alter the trajectory of PCEA demand over time. On average, the difference in analgesic demand between the first and second 12-hour intervals was only 15% of that between the first and third 12-hour intervals. No significant difference in PCEA demand was noted between the third and fourth 12-hour intervals. Aging tended to decrease the baseline PCEA demand but body mass index and infusion rate were positively correlated with the baseline. Only sex significantly affected the trend parameter and male individuals tended to have a smoother decreasing trend of analgesic demands over time. Patients receiving bilateral procedures did not consume more analgesics than their unilateral counterparts. Goodness of fit analysis indicated acceptable model fit to the observed data. Latent curve analysis provided valuable information about how analgesic demand after TKA changed over time and how patient characteristics affected its trajectory.

Prospect and policy of palm oil mill effluents for future electricity in east kalimantan (utilization of pome as renewable energy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aipassa, M. I.; Kristiningrum, R.; Tarukan, V. Y.

2018-04-01

East Kalimantan economy for four decades was mainly based on natural resources extraction and dominated by primary sectorwith the six highest GDP in 2013. But, the contribution of oil and gas were decreasing production due to the absence of new wells.One of the mission was create natural resources and renewable energy based economic people oriented. The Goverment of EK Province chose a strategy of socio-economic transformation based on renewable natural resources. This strategy has been applied in the regional development plan by mainstreaming climate change issues. Data related to energy source and its potential, remote rural electrification, bioenergy feedstock, etc including from the Palm Oil company was collected and subsequently analized in line with the EK Governor Letter. Currently (2014) available of Biogas-Pome as bioenergy feedstock is 162 million m3year-1, where as currently utilized is only 22 millionm3year-1. Power demand supply status in January 2015 indicated as available capacity is 467 MW where the peak demand is 444 MW. About 22% of households without electricity are difficult to be electrified without breakthrough efforts. About 215 thousand households are un-electrified, with more power need about 150 MW in total capacity. As business opportunity, high demand for rural electrification, particularly in Kutai Kartanegera, Kutai Timur, Kutai Barat, Berau and Paser.

Out-of-hours demand in primary care: frequency, mode of contact and reasons for encounter in Switzerland.

PubMed

Huber, Carola A; Rosemann, Thomas; Zoller, Marco; Eichler, Klaus; Senn, Oliver

2011-02-01

To investigate the demand for traditional out-of-hours general practitioner (GP) emergency care in Switzerland including GPs' satisfaction and reasons for encounter (RFE). During a 2-month period (2009), a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was performed in GPs participating in the mandatory out-of-hours service in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. The number and mode of patient contacts were assessed to investigate the demand for GP care in traditional out-of-hours services. GPs and patient characteristics, including RFE according to the International Classification of Primary Care, were noted. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were conducted. Out of the 295 out-of-hours episodes during the study period, 148 (50%) duty periods were documented by a total of 93 GPs (75% men) with a mean (SD) age of 48.0 (6.2) years. The median (interquartile range) number of out-of-hours contacts was 5 (3-8) and the demand for home visits was significantly more common compared with practice and telephone consultations. A total of 112 different RFEs were responsible for the 382 documented patient contacts with fever accounting for the most common complaint (13.9%). Although 80% of GPs agreed to be satisfied overall with their profession as primary care provider, 57.6% among them were dissatisfied with the current out-of-hours service. Inappropriate payment and interference with their daily work in practice were most frequently reported. Our findings indicate that there is still strong patient demand for out-of-hours care with special need for home visits, suggesting that new organizational models such as integrating GPs into emergency care may not be an appropriate approach for all patients. Therefore, the ongoing reorganization of the out-of-hours-service in many health care systems has to be evaluated carefully in order not to miss important patient needs. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Agricultural Water Use under Global Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, T.; Ringler, C.; Rosegrant, M. W.

2008-12-01

Irrigation is by far the single largest user of water in the world and is projected to remain so in the foreseeable future. Globally, irrigated agricultural land comprises less than twenty percent of total cropland but produces about forty percent of the world's food. Increasing world population will require more food and this will lead to more irrigation in many areas. As demands increase and water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, agriculture's competition for water with other economic sectors will be intensified. This water picture is expected to become even more complex as climate change will impose substantial impacts on water availability and demand, in particular for agriculture. To better understand future water demand and supply under global change, including changes in demographic, economic and technological dimensions, the water simulation module of IMPACT, a global water and food projection model developed at the International Food Policy Research Institute, is used to analyze future water demand and supply in agricultural and several non-agricultural sectors using downscaled GCM scenarios, based on water availability simulation done with a recently developed semi-distributed global hydrological model. Risk analysis is conducted to identify countries and regions where future water supply reliability for irrigation is low, and food security may be threatened in the presence of climate change. Gridded shadow values of irrigation water are derived for global cropland based on an optimization framework, and they are used to illustrate potential irrigation development by incorporating gridded water availability and existing global map of irrigation areas.

A Supply and Demand Management Perspective on the Accelerated Global Introductions of Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine in a Constrained Supply Market.

PubMed

Lewis, Ian; Ottosen, Ann; Rubin, Jennifer; Blanc, Diana Chang; Zipursky, Simona; Wootton, Emily

2017-07-01

A total of 105 countries have introduced IPV as of September 2016 of which 85 have procured the vaccine through UNICEF. The Global Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 called for the rapid introduction of at least one dose of IPV into routine immunization schedules in 126 all OPV-using countries by the end of 2015. At the time of initiating the procurement process, demand was estimated based on global modeling rather than individual country indications. In its capacity as procurement agency for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF set out to secure access to IPV supply for around 100 countries. Based on offers received, sufficient supply was awarded to two manufacturers to meet projected routine requirements. However, due to technical issues scaling up vaccine production and an unforecasted demand for IPV use in campaigns to interrupt wild polio virus and to control type 2 vaccine derived polio virus outbreaks, IPV supplies are severely constrained. Activities to stretch supplies and to suppress demand have been ongoing since 2014, including delaying IPV introduction in countries where risks of type 2 reintroduction are lower, implementing the multi-dose vial policy, and encouraging the use of fractional dose delivered intradermally. Despite these efforts, there is still insufficient IPV supply to meet demand. The impact of the supply situation on IPV introduction timelines in countries are the focus of this article, and based on lessons learned with the IPV introductions, it is recommended for future health programs with accelerated scale up of programs, to take a cautious approach on supply commitments, putting in place clear allocation criteria in case of shortages or delays and establishing a communication strategy vis a vis beneficiaries. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Should We Recommend Renal Diet-Related Apps to Our Patients? An Evaluation of the Quality and Health Literacy Demand of Renal Diet-Related Mobile Applications.

PubMed

Lambert, Kelly; Mullan, Judy; Mansfield, Kylie; Owen, Paris

2017-11-01

Mobile phone applications (apps) are increasingly being used by patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We sought to describe the main purpose of commonly available renal diet apps and to quantify the accuracy of information, technical quality, and health literacy demand of renal diet apps. The design was content analysis. All eligible renal diet apps in the Australian Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Phone, and Blackberry App World were evaluated. Eligible apps were in English and were related to kidney disease in humans (of any type or stage). Exclusion criteria included apps which were prohibited because of password protection. Renal diet information in the apps was compared with evidence-based guidelines for the management of kidney disease to quantify information accuracy. App information was evaluated using the Silberg Scale. Technical quality and health literacy demand were evaluated using the Mobile Application Rating Scale. A total of 21 apps were eligible for evaluation. The main purpose of these apps was to provide food and nutrition information (57.1%) or for educative purposes for CKD patients (38.1%). Only 47.6% (10/21) of apps contained accurate evidence-based information. Overall, app technical quality was considered acceptable (mean Mobile Application Rating Scale score 3.19 ± 0.35 out of 5), with 80.9% of apps scoring acceptable or greater for app technical quality. Scores for health literacy demand also indicated that most apps (15/21, 71.4%) were acceptable. A range of apps currently exist that may provide individuals with CKD with useful food and nutrition information or increase their knowledge of the renal diet. These apps are also mainly of acceptable technical quality and health literacy demand. However, caution is required when using renal diet apps because more than half of the apps evaluated were not accurate and evidence based. Copyright © 2017 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulation of projected water demand and ground-water levels in the Coffee Sand and Eutaw-McShan aquifers in Union County, Mississippi, 2010 through 2050

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutson, Susan S.; Strom, E.W.; Burt, D.E.; Mallory, M.J.

2000-01-01

Ground water from the Eutaw-McShan and the Coffee Sand aquifers is the major source of supply for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes in Union County, Mississippi. Unbiased, scientifically sound data and assessments are needed to assist agencies in better understanding and managing available water resources as continuing development and growth places more stress on available resources. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority, conducted an investigation using water-demand and ground-water models to evaluate the effect of future water demand on groundwater levels. Data collected for the 12 public-supply facilities and the self-supplied commercial and industrial facilities in Union County were used to construct water-demand models. The estimates of water demand to year 2050 were then input to a ground-water model based on the U.S. Geological Survey finite-difference computer code, MODFLOW. Total ground-water withdrawals for Union County in 1998 were estimated as 2.85 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Of that amount, municipal withdrawals were 2.55 Mgal/d with about 1.50 Mgal/d (59 percent) delivered to residential users. Nonmunicipal withdrawals were 0.296 Mgal/d. About 80 percent (2.27 Mgal/d) of the total ground-water withdrawal is produced from the Eutaw-McShan aquifer and about 13 percent (0.371 Mgal/d) from the Coffee Sand aquifer. Between normal- and high-growth conditions, total water demand could increase from 72 to 131 percent (2.9 Mgal/d in 1998 to 6.7 Mgal/d in year 2050) with municipal demand increasing from 77 to 146 percent (2.6 to 6.4 Mgal/d). Increased pumping to meet the demand for water was simulated to determine the effect on water levels in the Coffee Sand and Eutaw- McShan aquifers. Under baseline-growth conditions, increased water use by year 2050 could result in an additional 65 feet of drawdown in the New Albany area below year 2000 water levels in the Coffee Sand aquifer and about 120 feet of maximum drawdown in the Eutaw-McShan aquifer. Under normal-growth conditions, increased water use could result in an additional 65 feet of drawdown in the New Albany area below year 2000 water levels in the Coffee Sand aquifer and about 135 feet of maximum drawdown in the Eutaw-McShan aquifer. Under high-growth conditions, increased water use could result in 75 feet of drawdown in the New Albany area below year 2000 water levels in the Coffee Sand aquifer and about 190 feet of maximum drawdown in the Eutaw-McShan aquifer. The resulting highgrowth projected water level for the year 2050 at the center of the drawdown cone in the New Albany area is between 450 and 500 feet above the top of the Eutaw-McShan aquifer.

Non-Interfering Effects of Active Post-Encoding Tasks on Episodic Memory Consolidation in Humans

PubMed Central

Varma, Samarth; Takashima, Atsuko; Krewinkel, Sander; van Kooten, Maaike; Fu, Lily; Medendorp, W. Pieter; Kessels, Roy P. C.; Daselaar, Sander M.

2017-01-01

So far, studies that investigated interference effects of post-learning processes on episodic memory consolidation in humans have used tasks involving only complex and meaningful information. Such tasks require reallocation of general or encoding-specific resources away from consolidation-relevant activities. The possibility that interference can be elicited using a task that heavily taxes our limited brain resources, but has low semantic and hippocampal related long-term memory processing demands, has never been tested. We address this question by investigating whether consolidation could persist in parallel with an active, encoding-irrelevant, minimally semantic task, regardless of its high resource demands for cognitive processing. We distinguish the impact of such a task on consolidation based on whether it engages resources that are: (1) general/executive, or (2) specific/overlapping with the encoding modality. Our experiments compared subsequent memory performance across two post-encoding consolidation periods: quiet wakeful rest and a cognitively demanding n-Back task. Across six different experiments (total N = 176), we carefully manipulated the design of the n-Back task to target general or specific resources engaged in the ongoing consolidation process. In contrast to previous studies that employed interference tasks involving conceptual stimuli and complex processing demands, we did not find any differences between n-Back and rest conditions on memory performance at delayed test, using both recall and recognition tests. Our results indicate that: (1) quiet, wakeful rest is not a necessary prerequisite for episodic memory consolidation; and (2) post-encoding cognitive engagement does not interfere with memory consolidation when task-performance has minimal semantic and hippocampally-based episodic memory processing demands. We discuss our findings with reference to resource and reactivation-led interference theories. PMID:28424596

Intelligent and robust optimization frameworks for smart grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhansri, Naren Reddy

A smart grid implies a cyberspace real-time distributed power control system to optimally deliver electricity based on varying consumer characteristics. Although smart grids solve many of the contemporary problems, they give rise to new control and optimization problems with the growing role of renewable energy sources such as wind or solar energy. Under highly dynamic nature of distributed power generation and the varying consumer demand and cost requirements, the total power output of the grid should be controlled such that the load demand is met by giving a higher priority to renewable energy sources. Hence, the power generated from renewable energy sources should be optimized while minimizing the generation from non renewable energy sources. This research develops a demand-based automatic generation control and optimization framework for real-time smart grid operations by integrating conventional and renewable energy sources under varying consumer demand and cost requirements. Focusing on the renewable energy sources, the intelligent and robust control frameworks optimize the power generation by tracking the consumer demand in a closed-loop control framework, yielding superior economic and ecological benefits and circumvent nonlinear model complexities and handles uncertainties for superior real-time operations. The proposed intelligent system framework optimizes the smart grid power generation for maximum economical and ecological benefits under an uncertain renewable wind energy source. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed framework is a viable approach to integrate various energy sources for real-time smart grid implementations. The robust optimization framework results demonstrate the effectiveness of the robust controllers under bounded power plant model uncertainties and exogenous wind input excitation while maximizing economical and ecological performance objectives. Therefore, the proposed framework offers a new worst-case deterministic optimization algorithm for smart grid automatic generation control.

Non-Interfering Effects of Active Post-Encoding Tasks on Episodic Memory Consolidation in Humans.

PubMed

Varma, Samarth; Takashima, Atsuko; Krewinkel, Sander; van Kooten, Maaike; Fu, Lily; Medendorp, W Pieter; Kessels, Roy P C; Daselaar, Sander M

2017-01-01

So far, studies that investigated interference effects of post-learning processes on episodic memory consolidation in humans have used tasks involving only complex and meaningful information. Such tasks require reallocation of general or encoding-specific resources away from consolidation-relevant activities. The possibility that interference can be elicited using a task that heavily taxes our limited brain resources, but has low semantic and hippocampal related long-term memory processing demands, has never been tested. We address this question by investigating whether consolidation could persist in parallel with an active, encoding-irrelevant, minimally semantic task, regardless of its high resource demands for cognitive processing. We distinguish the impact of such a task on consolidation based on whether it engages resources that are: (1) general/executive, or (2) specific/overlapping with the encoding modality. Our experiments compared subsequent memory performance across two post-encoding consolidation periods: quiet wakeful rest and a cognitively demanding n-Back task. Across six different experiments (total N = 176), we carefully manipulated the design of the n-Back task to target general or specific resources engaged in the ongoing consolidation process. In contrast to previous studies that employed interference tasks involving conceptual stimuli and complex processing demands, we did not find any differences between n-Back and rest conditions on memory performance at delayed test, using both recall and recognition tests. Our results indicate that: (1) quiet, wakeful rest is not a necessary prerequisite for episodic memory consolidation; and (2) post-encoding cognitive engagement does not interfere with memory consolidation when task-performance has minimal semantic and hippocampally-based episodic memory processing demands. We discuss our findings with reference to resource and reactivation-led interference theories.

The Ames Power Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Osetinsky, Leonid; Wang, David

2003-01-01

The Ames Power Monitoring System (APMS) is a centralized system of power meters, computer hardware, and specialpurpose software that collects and stores electrical power data by various facilities at Ames Research Center (ARC). This system is needed because of the large and varying nature of the overall ARC power demand, which has been observed to range from 20 to 200 MW. Large portions of peak demand can be attributed to only three wind tunnels (60, 180, and 100 MW, respectively). The APMS helps ARC avoid or minimize costly demand charges by enabling wind-tunnel operators, test engineers, and the power manager to monitor total demand for center in real time. These persons receive the information they need to manage and schedule energy-intensive research in advance and to adjust loads in real time to ensure that the overall maximum allowable demand is not exceeded. The APMS (see figure) includes a server computer running the Windows NT operating system and can, in principle, include an unlimited number of power meters and client computers. As configured at the time of reporting the information for this article, the APMS includes more than 40 power meters monitoring all the major research facilities, plus 15 Windows-based client personal computers that display real-time and historical data to users via graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The power meters and client computers communicate with the server using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) on Ethernet networks, variously, through dedicated fiber-optic cables or through the pre-existing ARC local-area network (ARCLAN). The APMS has enabled ARC to achieve significant savings ($1.2 million in 2001) in the cost of power and electric energy by helping personnel to maintain total demand below monthly allowable levels, to manage the overall power factor to avoid low power factor penalties, and to use historical system data to identify opportunities for additional energy savings. The APMS also provides power engineers and electricians with the information they need to plan modifications in advance and perform day-to-day maintenance of the ARC electric-power distribution system.

USEPA Resistance Management Research

EPA Science Inventory

A significant increase in genetically modified corn planting driven by biofuel demand is expected for future planted acreages approaching 80% of total corn plantings in 2009. As demand increases, incidence of farmer non-compliance with mandated non-genetically modified refuge is...

Price percolation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanai, Yasuhiro; Abe, Keiji; Seki, Yoichi

2015-06-01

We propose a price percolation model to reproduce the price distribution of components used in industrial finished goods. The intent is to show, using the price percolation model and a component category as an example, that percolation behaviors, which exist in the matter system, the ecosystem, and human society, also exist in abstract, random phenomena satisfying the power law. First, we discretize the total potential demand for a component category, considering it a random field. Second, we assume that the discretized potential demand corresponding to a function of a finished good turns into actual demand if the difficulty of function realization is less than the maximum difficulty of the realization. The simulations using this model suggest that changes in a component category's price distribution are due to changes in the total potential demand corresponding to the lattice size and the maximum difficulty of realization, which is an occupation probability. The results are verified using electronic components' sales data.

The relative impact of climate change mitigation policies and socioeconomic drivers on water scarcity - An integrated assessment modeling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hejazi, M. I.; Edmonds, J. A.; Clarke, L. E.; Kyle, P.; Davies, E. G.; Chaturvedi, V.; Patel, P.; Eom, J.; Wise, M.; Kim, S.; Calvin, K. V.; Moss, R. H.

2012-12-01

We investigate the relative effects of climate emission mitigation policies and socioeconomic drivers on water scarcity conditions over the 21st century both globally and regionally, by estimating both water availability and demand within a technologically-detailed global integrated assessment model of energy, agriculture, and climate change - the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM). We first develop a global gridded monthly hydrologic model that reproduces historical streamflow observations and simulates the future availability of freshwater under both a changing climate and an evolving landscape, and incorporate this model into GCAM. We then develop and incorporate technologically oriented representations of water demands for the agricultural (irrigation and livestock), energy (electricity generation, primary energy production and processing), industrial (manufacturing and mining), and municipal sectors. The energy, industrial, and municipal sectors are represented in fourteen geopolitical regions, with the agricultural sector further disaggregated into as many as eighteen agro-ecological zones (AEZs) within each region. To perform the water scarcity analysis at the grid scale, the global water demands for the six demand sectors are spatially downscaled to 0.5 o x 0.5o resolution to match the scale of GWAM. The water scarcity index (WSI) compares total water demand to the total amount of renewable water available, and defines extreme water scarcity in any region as demand greater than 40% of total water availability. Using a reference scenario (i.e., no climate change mitigation policy) with radiative forcing reaching 8.8 W/m2 by 2095 and a global population of 14 billion, global annual water demand grows from about 9% of total annual renewable freshwater in 2005 to about 32% by 2095. This results in almost half of the world population living under extreme water scarcity by the end of the 21st century. Regionally, the demands for water exceed the total renewable freshwater available in two GCAM regions, the Middle East and India. Additionally, 20% and 27% of the global population in years 2050 and 2095, respectively, is projected to live in areas (grid cells) that will experience greater water demands than the amount of renewable water available in a year (i.e., WSI > 1.0). We also investigate the effects of emission mitigation policies on water demand and compare them to the contribution of socioeconomic drivers both globally and regionally. Three climate policy scenarios with increasing mitigation stringency of 7.7, 5.5, and 4.2 W/m2 in year 2095, under two carbon tax regimes (a universal carbon tax (UCT) which includes land use change emissions, and a fossil fuel and industrial emissions carbon tax (FFICT) which excludes land use change emissions) are analyzed. With more stringent climate mitigation targets, water scarcity declines under a UCT mitigation policy while increases with a FFICT mitigation scenario by the year 2095. The decreasing trend with UCT policy stringency is due to substitution from more water-intensive to less water-intensive choices in food, energy, and land use. Under the FFICT scenario, water scarcity is projected to increase driven by higher water demands for bio-energy crops.

Water Quality Characteristics of Sembrong Dam Reservoir, Johor, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohd-Asharuddin, S.; Zayadi, N.; Rasit, W.; Othman, N.

2016-07-01

A study of water quality and heavy metal content in Sembrong Dam water was conducted from April - August 2015. A total of 12 water quality parameters and 6 heavy metals were measured and classified based on the Interim National Water Quality Standard of Malaysia (INWQS). The measured and analyzed parameter variables were divided into three main categories which include physical, chemical and heavy metal contents. Physical and chemical parameter variables were temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solid (TSS), turbidity, pH, nitrate, phosphate, ammonium, conductivity and salinity. The heavy metals measured were copper (Cu), lead (Pb), aluminium (Al), chromium (Cr), ferum (Fe) and zinc (Zn). According to INWQS, the water salinity, conductivity, BOD, TSS and nitrate level fall under Class I, while the Ph, DO and turbidity lie under Class IIA. Furthermore, values of COD and ammonium were classified under Class III. The result also indicates that the Sembrong Dam water are not polluted with heavy metals since all heavy metal readings recorded were falls far below Class I.

Demand for long acting contraceptive methods and associated factors among family planning service users, Northwest Ethiopia: a health facility based cross sectional study.

PubMed

Yalew, Saleamlak Adbaru; Zeleke, Berihun Megabiaw; Teferra, Alemayehu Shimeka

2015-02-04

Demand for long acting contraceptive methods is one of the key factors for total fertility rate and reproductive health issues. Increased demand for these methods can decline fertility rate through spacing and limiting family size in turn improving maternal and family health and socioeconomic development of a country. The aim of this study was to assess demand for long acting contraceptives and associated factors among family planning users in Debre-Tabor Town, Northwest Ethiopia. Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2013. Data was collected on 487 current family planning users through face to face interview using structured questionnaire. Study participants were selected by systematic sampling method. Data were entered in to Epi Info and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Bi-variable and multi-variable regression analyses were done to identify factors associated with demand for long acting contraceptive methods. Odds ratio with 95% CI was used to assess the association between the independent variables and demand for long acting family planning methods. The study showed that, demand for long acting contraceptives was 17%. Only 9.2% of the women were using long acting contraceptive methods (met need). About 7.8% of women were using short acting methods while they actually want to use long acting methods (unmet need). Demand for LACMs was positively associated 3 with being a daily labour (AOR = 3.87, 95% CI = [1.06, 14.20]), being a student (AOR = 2.64, 95% CI = [1.27, 5.47]), no future birth intensions (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI = [1.12, 4.23]), having five or more children (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI = [1.58, 4.83]), deciding together with husbands for using the methods (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI = [1.40, 5.32]) and often having discussion with husband (AOR = 3.89, 95% CI = [1.98, 7.65]). Clients treated poorly by the health care providers during taking the services was negatively associated with demand for LACMs (AOR = 0.42, 95% CI = [0.24, 0.74]). Demand for long acting family planning methods was observed to be lower as compared to other studies. There were also significant proportion of women having unmet need for long acting methods - women using short acting method while actually wanting long acting methods. Therefore, it is necessary to create and increase awareness and advocacy on demand for long acting contraceptive methods considering women and their husbands. Moreover, emphasis should be given to service provision of the methods.

Capturing well-being in activity pattern models within activity-based travel demand models.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

The activity-based approach which is based on the premise that the demand for travel is derived : from the demand for activities, currently constitutes the state of the art in metropolitan travel : demand forecasting and particularly in a form known ...

Capturing well-being in activity pattern models within activity-based travel demand models.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

The activity-based approach which is based on the premise that the demand for travel is derived : from the demand for activities, currently constitutes the state of the art in metropolitan travel : demand forecasting and particularly in a form known ...

Positional Differences in External On-Field Load During Specific Drill Classifications Over a Professional Rugby League Preseason.

PubMed

Cummins, Cloe; McLean, Blake; Halaki, Mark; Orr, Rhonda

2017-07-01

To quantify the external training loads of positional groups in preseason training drills. Thirty-three elite rugby league players were categorized into 1 of 4 positional groups: outside backs (n = 9), adjustables (n = 9), wide-running forwards (n = 9), and hit-up forwards (n = 6). Data for 8 preseason weeks were collected using microtechnology devices. Training drills were classified based on drill focus: speed and agility, conditioning, and generic and positional skills. Total, high-speed, and very-high-speed distance decreased across the preseason in speed and agility (moderate, small, and small, respectively), conditioning (large, large, and small) and generic skills (large, large, and large). The duration of speed and generic skills also decreased (77% and 48%, respectively). This was matched by a concomitant increase in total distance (small), high-speed running (small), very-high-speed running (moderate), and 2-dimensional (2D) BodyLoad (small) demands in positional skills. In positional skills, hit-up forwards (1240 ± 386 m) completed less very-high-speed running than outside backs (2570 ± 1331 m) and adjustables (2121 ± 1163 m). Hit-up forwards (674 ± 253 AU) experienced greater 2D BodyLoad demands than outside backs (432 ± 230 AU, P = .034). In positional drills, hit-up forwards experienced greater relative 2D BodyLoad demands than outside backs (P = .015). Conversely, outside backs experienced greater relative high- (P = .007) and very-high-speed-running (P < .001) demands than hit-up forwards. Significant differences were observed in training loads between positional groups during positional skills but not in speed and agility, conditioning, and generic skills. This work also highlights the importance of different external-load parameters to adequately quantify workload across different positional groups.

Influence of Forecast Accuracy of Photovoltaic Power Output on Capacity Optimization of Microgrid Composition under 30 min Power Balancing Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sone, Akihito; Kato, Takeyoshi; Shimakage, Toyonari; Suzuoki, Yasuo

A microgrid (MG) is one of the measures for enhancing the high penetration of renewable energy (RE)-based distributed generators (DGs). If a number of MGs are controlled to maintain the predetermined electricity demand including RE-based DGs as negative demand, they would contribute to supply-demand balancing of whole electric power system. For constructing a MG economically, the capacity optimization of controllable DGs against RE-based DGs is essential. By using a numerical simulation model developed based on a demonstrative study on a MG using PAFC and NaS battery as controllable DGs and photovoltaic power generation system (PVS) as a RE-based DG, this study discusses the influence of forecast accuracy of PVS output on the capacity optimization. Three forecast cases with different accuracy are compared. The main results are as follows. Even with no forecast error during every 30 min. as the ideal forecast method, the required capacity of NaS battery reaches about 40% of PVS capacity for mitigating the instantaneous forecast error within 30 min. The required capacity to compensate for the forecast error is doubled with the actual forecast method. The influence of forecast error can be reduced by adjusting the scheduled power output of controllable DGs according to the weather forecast. Besides, the required capacity can be reduced significantly if the error of balancing control in a MG is acceptable for a few percentages of periods, because the total periods of large forecast error is not so often.

Optimality of cycle time and inventory decisions in a two echelon inventory system with exponential price dependent demand under credit period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krugon, Seelam; Nagaraju, Dega

2017-05-01

This work describes and proposes an two echelon inventory system under supply chain, where the manufacturer offers credit period to the retailer with exponential price dependent demand. The model is framed as demand is expressed as exponential function of retailer’s unit selling price. Mathematical model is framed to demonstrate the optimality of cycle time, retailer replenishment quantity, number of shipments, and total relevant cost of the supply chain. The major objective of the paper is to provide trade credit concept from the manufacturer to the retailer with exponential price dependent demand. The retailer would like to delay the payments of the manufacturer. At the first stage retailer and manufacturer expressions are expressed with the functions of ordering cost, carrying cost, transportation cost. In second stage combining of the manufacturer and retailer expressions are expressed. A MATLAB program is written to derive the optimality of cycle time, retailer replenishment quantity, number of shipments, and total relevant cost of the supply chain. From the optimality criteria derived managerial insights can be made. From the research findings, it is evident that the total cost of the supply chain is decreased with the increase in credit period under exponential price dependent demand. To analyse the influence of the model parameters, parametric analysis is also done by taking with help of numerical example.

The price sensitivity of cigarette consumption in Bangladesh: evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) Surveys.

PubMed

Nargis, Nigar; Ruthbah, Ummul H; Hussain, A K M Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T; Huq, Iftekharul; Ashiquzzaman, S M

2014-03-01

In Bangladesh, the average excise tax on cigarettes accounted for just 38% of the average retail price of cigarettes in 2009, and 45% in 2010. Both these rates are well below the WHO recommended share of 70% of the retail price at a minimum. There is thus ample room for raising taxes on cigarettes in Bangladesh. The objective of the present work was therefore to estimate the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes and the effect of tax increases on the consumption of cigarettes and on tax revenue in Bangladesh. Based on data from Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) of the International Tobacco Control Bangladesh Survey, we estimated the overall impact of a price change on cigarette demand using a two-part model. The total price elasticity of cigarettes was measured by the sum of the elasticity of smoking prevalence and the elasticity of average daily consumption conditional on smoking participation. The price elasticity estimates were used in a simulation model to predict changes in cigarette consumption and tax revenue from tax and price increases. The total price elasticity of demand for cigarettes was estimated at -0.49. The elasticity of smoking prevalence accounted for 59% of the total price elasticity. The price elasticity of cigarette consumption is higher for people belonging to lower socioeconomic status. Increases in taxes would result in a significant reduction in cigarette consumption while increasing tax revenue. Raising cigarette prices through increased taxation could lead to a win-win-win situation in Bangladesh: it would reduce cigarette consumption, increase tobacco tax revenue and potentially decrease socioeconomic inequities.

The Price Sensitivity of Cigarette Consumption in Bangladesh: Evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) Surveys

PubMed Central

Nargis, Nigar; Ruthbah, Ummul H.; Hussain, AKM Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Huq, Iftekharul; Ashiquzzaman, SM

2014-01-01

Background In Bangladesh, the average excise tax on cigarettes accounted for merely 38% in 2009 and 45% in 2010 of the average retail price of cigarettes. It is well below the WHO recommended share of 70% of the retail price at a minimum. There is thus ample room for raising taxes on cigarettes in Bangladesh. Objective The objective of the paper is to estimate the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes and the effect of tax increases on the consumption of cigarettes and on tax revenue in Bangladesh. Methods Based on data from Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) of the International Tobacco Control Bangladesh Survey, we estimate the overall impact of a price change on cigarette demand using a two-part model. The total price elasticity of cigarettes is measured by the sum of the elasticity of smoking prevalence and the elasticity of average daily consumption conditional on smoking participation. The price elasticity estimates are used in a simulation model to predict changes in cigarette consumption and tax revenue from tax and price increases. Findings The total price elasticity of demand for cigarettes is estimated at −0.49. The elasticity of smoking prevalence accounts for 59% of the total price elasticity. The price elasticity of cigarette consumption is higher for people belonging to lower socio-economic status. Increases in taxes would result in significant reduction in cigarette consumption while tax revenue increases. Conclusion Raising cigarette price through increased taxation can lead to a win-win-win situation in Bangladesh—it will reduce cigarette consumption, increase tobacco tax revenue and potentially decrease socio-economic inequities. PMID:24105828

Public Health Policy in Support of Insurance Coverage for Smoking Cessation Treatments.

PubMed

Schwartz, Robert; Haji, Farzana; Babayan, Alexey; Longo, Christopher; Ferrence, Roberta

2017-05-01

Insurance coverage for evidence-based smoking cessation treatments (SCTs) promotes uptake and reduces smoking rates. Published studies in this area are based in the US where employers are the primary source of health insurance. In Ontario, Canada, publicly funded healthcare does not cover SCTs, but it can be supplemented with employer-sponsored benefit plans. This study explores factors affecting the inclusion/exclusion of smoking cessation (SC) benefits. In total, 17 interviews were conducted with eight employers (auto, retail, banking, municipal and university industries), four health insurers, two government representatives and three advisors/consultants. Overall, SCT coverage varied among industries; it was inconsistently restrictive and SCT differed by coverage amount and length of use. Barriers impeding coverage included the lack of the following: Canadian-specific return on investment (ROI), SC cost information, employer demand, government regulations/incentives and employee awareness of and demand. A Canadian evidence-based calculation of ROI for SC coupled with government incentives and public education may be needed to promote uptake of SCT coverage by employers. Copyright © 2017 Longwoods Publishing.

Use of an App-Controlled Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation System for Improved Self-Management of Knee Conditions and Reduced Costs.

PubMed

Chughtai, Morad; Piuzzi, Nicholas; Yakubek, George; Khlopas, Anton; Sodhi, Nipun; Sultan, Assem A; Nasir, Salahuddin; Yates, Benjamin S T; Bhave, Anil; Mont, Michael A

2017-10-12

Patients suffering from quadriceps muscle weakness secondary to osteoarthritis or after surgeries, such as total knee arthroplasty, appear to benefit from the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), which can improve muscle strength and function, range of motion, exercise capacity, and quality of life. Several modalities exist that deliver this therapy. However, with the ever-increasing demand to improve clinical efficiency and costs, digitalize healthcare, optimize data collection, improve care coordination, and increase patient compliance and engagement, newer devices incorporating technologies that facilitate these demands are emerging. One of these devices, an app-controlled home-based NMES therapy system that allows patients to self-manage their condition and potentially increase adherence to the treatment, incorporates a smartphone-based application which allows a cloud-based portal that feeds real-time patient monitoring to physicians, allowing patients to be supported remotely and given feedback. This device is a step forward in improving both patient care and physician efficiency, as well as decreasing resource utilization, which potentially may reduce healthcare costs.

Resistance Management Research for PIP Crops

EPA Science Inventory

A significant increase in genetically modified corn planting driven by biofuel demand is expected for future planted acreages approaching 80% of total corn plantings in 2009. As demand increases, incidence of farmer non-compliance with mandated non-genetically modified refuge is...

Forecasting the demand potential for STOL air transportation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fan, S.; Horonjeff, R.; Kanafani, A.; Mogharabi, A.

1973-01-01

A process for predicting the potential demand for STOL aircraft was investigated to provide a conceptual framework, and an analytical methodology for estimating the STOL air transportation market. It was found that: (1) schedule frequency has the strongest effect on the traveler's choice among available routes, (2) work related business constitutes approximately 50% of total travel volume, and (3) air travel demand follows economic trends.

Efficacy of web-based cognitive-behavioural therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome: randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Janse, A; Worm-Smeitink, M; Bleijenberg, G; Donders, R; Knoop, H

2018-02-01

Face-to-face cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) leads to a reduction of fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Aims To test the efficacy of internet-based CBT (iCBT) for adults with CFS. A total of 240 patients with CFS were randomised to either iCBT with protocol-driven therapist feedback or with therapist feedback on demand, or a waiting list. Primary outcome was fatigue severity assessed with the Checklist Individual Strength (Netherlands Trial Register: NTR4013). Compared with a waiting list, intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis showed a significant reduction of fatigue for both iCBT conditions (protocol-driven feedback: B = -8.3, 97.5% CI -12.7 to -3.9, P < 0.0001; feedback on demand: B = -7.2, 97.5% CI -11.3 to -3.1, P < 0.0001). No significant differences were found between both iCBT conditions on all outcome measures (P = 0.3-0.9). An exploratory analysis revealed that feedback-on-demand iCBT required less therapist time (mean 4 h 37 min) than iCBT with protocol-driven feedback (mean 6 h 9 min, P < 0.001) and also less than face-to-face CBT as reported in the literature. Both iCBT conditions are efficacious and time efficient. Declaration of interest None.

Quantifying the influence of environmental and water conservation attitudes on household end use water consumption.

PubMed

Willis, Rachelle M; Stewart, Rodney A; Panuwatwanich, Kriengsak; Williams, Philip R; Hollingsworth, Anna L

2011-08-01

Within the research field of urban water demand management, understanding the link between environmental and water conservation attitudes and observed end use water consumption has been limited. Through a mixed method research design incorporating field-based smart metering technology and questionnaire surveys, this paper reveals the relationship between environmental and water conservation attitudes and a domestic water end use break down for 132 detached households located in Gold Coast city, Australia. Using confirmatory factor analysis, attitudinal factors were developed and refined; households were then categorised based on these factors through cluster analysis technique. Results indicated that residents with very positive environmental and water conservation attitudes consumed significantly less water in total and across the behaviourally influenced end uses of shower, clothes washer, irrigation and tap, than those with moderately positive attitudinal concern. The paper concluded with implications for urban water demand management planning, policy and practice. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Re-assessing accumulated oxygen deficit in middle-distance runners.

PubMed

Bickham, D; Le Rossignol, P; Gibbons, C; Russell, A P

2002-12-01

The purpose of this study was to re-assess the accumulated oxygen deficit (AOD), incorporating recent methodological improvements i.e., 4 min submaximal tests spread above and below the lactate threshold (LT). We Investigated the Influence of the VO2 -speed regression, on the precision of the estimated total energy demand and AOD. utilising different numbers of regression points and including measurement errors. Seven trained middle-distance runners (mean +/- SD age: 25.3 +/- 5.4y, mass: 73.7 +/- 4.3kg. VO2max 64.4 +/- 6.1 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) completed a VO2max, LT, 10 x 4 min exercise tests (above and below LT) and high-intensity exhaustive tests. The VO2 -speed regression was developed using 10 submaximal points and a forced y-intercept value. The average precision (measured as the width of 95% confidence Interval) for the estimated total energy demand using this regression was 7.8mL O2 Eq x kg(-1) x min(-1). There was a two-fold decrease in precision of estimated total energy demand with the Inclusion of measurement errors from the metabolic system. The mean AOD value was 43.3 mL O2 Eq x kg(-1) (upper and lower 95% CI 32.1 and 54.5mL o2 Eq x kg(-1) respectively). Converting the 95% CI for estimated total energy demand to AOD or including maximum possible measurement errors amplified the error associated with the estimated total energy demand. No significant difference in AOD variables were found, using 10,4 or 2 regression points with a forced y-intercept. For practical purposes we recommend the use of 4 submaximal values with a y-intercept. Using 95% CIs and calculating error highlighted possible error in estimating AOD. Without accurate data collection, increased variability could decrease the accuracy of the AOD as shown by a 95% CI of the AOD.

The effect of equalizing landing task demands on sex differences in lower extremity energy absorption.

PubMed

Montgomery, Melissa M; Shultz, Sandra J; Schmitz, Randy J

2014-08-01

Less lean mass and strength may result in greater relative task demands on females compared to males when landing from a standardized height and could explain sex differences in energy absorption strategies. We compared the magnitude of sex differences in energy absorption when task demands were equalized relative to the amount of lower extremity lean mass available to dissipate kinetic energy upon landing. Male-female pairs (n=35) were assessed for lower extremity lean mass with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Relative task demands were calculated when landing from a standardized height. Based on the difference in lower extremity lean mass within each pair, task demands were equalized by increasing the drop height for males. Joint energetics were measured while landing from the two heights. Multivariate repeated measures ANOVAs compared the magnitude of sex differences in joint energetics between conditions. The multivariate test for absolute energy absorption was significant (P<0.01). The magnitude of sex difference in energy absorption was greater at the hip and knee (both P<0.01), but not the ankle (P=0.43) during the equalized condition compared to the standardized and exaggerated conditions (all P<0.01). There was no difference in the magnitude of sex differences between equalized, standardized and exaggerated conditions for relative energy absorption (P=0.18). Equalizing task demands increased the difference in absolute hip and knee energy absorption between sexes, but had no effect on relative joint contributions to total energy absorption. Sex differences in energy absorption are likely influenced by factors other than differences in relative task demands. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, and biochemical oxygen demand : in Florida surface waters, 1972

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaufman, Matthew I.; Dysart, J.E.

1978-01-01

Water samples were collected during spring and autumn 1972 from about 100 surface-water sites in Florida. The samples were analyzed for the plant nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus. In most waters, nitrogen concentrations are less than 2.0 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, and organic nitrogen is dominant. Median total nitrogen concentration for Florida surface waters is between 1.2 and 2.0 milligrams per liter as nitrogen. In samples from 85 percent of the sites, total nitrogen exceeded 0.6 milligrams per liter. Median total phosphorus concentration as phosphorus for Florida surface waters is between 0.05 and 0.1 milligrams per liter. The information will form a base useful to agencies concerned with setting concentration limits for nitrogen and phosphorus in industrial and sewage plant outfalls. (Woodard-USGS)

Scientific Challenges in Sustainable Energy Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Nathan

2006-03-01

This presentation will describe and evaluate the challenges, both technical, political, and economic, involved with widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies. First, we estimate the available fossil fuel resources and reserves based on data from the World Energy Assessment and World Energy Council. In conjunction with the current and projected global primary power production rates, we then estimate the remaining years of supply of oil, gas, and coal for use in primary power production. We then compare the price per unit of energy of these sources to those of renewable energy technologies (wind, solar thermal, solar electric, biomass, hydroelectric, and geothermal) to evaluate the degree to which supply/demand forces stimulate a transition to renewable energy technologies in the next 20-50 years. Secondly, we evaluate the greenhouse gas buildup limitations on carbon-based power consumption as an unpriced externality to fossil-fuel consumption, considering global population growth, increased global gross domestic product, and increased energy efficiency per unit of globally averaged GDP, as produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). A greenhouse gas constraint on total carbon emissions, in conjunction with global population growth, is projected to drive the demand for carbon-free power well beyond that produced by conventional supply/demand pricing tradeoffs, at potentially daunting levels relative to current renewable energy demand levels. Thirdly, we evaluate the level and timescale of R&D investment that is needed to produce the required quantity of carbon-free power by the 2050 timeframe, to support the expected global energy demand for carbon-free power. Fourth, we evaluate the energy potential of various renewable energy resources to ascertain which resources are adequately available globally to support the projected global carbon-free energy demand requirements. Fifth, we evaluate the challenges to the chemical sciences to enable the cost-effective production of carbon-free power on the needed scale by the 2050 timeframe. Finally, we discuss the effects of a change in primary power technology on the energy supply infrastructure and discuss the impact of such a change on the modes of energy consumption by the energy consumer and additional demands on the chemical sciences to support such a transition in energy supply.

Responsiveness of measures of heartburn improvement in non-erosive reflux disease

PubMed Central

Junghard, Ola; Halling, Katarina

2007-01-01

Background When measuring treatment effect on symptoms, the treatment success variable should be as responsive as possible. The aim of the study was to investigate the responsiveness of various treatment success variables in patients with symptoms of heartburn. Methods A total of 1640 patients with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) were treated with proton pump inhibitors for 4 weeks. Treatment success variables were based on a symptom questionnaire (Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale) and on investigator-assessed heartburn, measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment. The rates of treatment success were compared with patients' perceived change in symptoms, assessed by the Overall Treatment Effect questionnaire. Results Generally, more stringent treatment success criteria (i.e., those demanding the better response) translated into more responsive treatment success variables. For example, the treatment success variable 'no heartburn' at 4 weeks was more responsive than the variable 'at most mild heartburn' at 4 weeks. Treatment success variables based on change from baseline to 4 weeks were, in general, less responsive than those based on the week 4 assessments only. Conclusion In patients with NERD, responsiveness varied among different treatment success definitions, with more demanding definitions (based on the 4-week assessment) giving better responsiveness. PMID:17562006

Wind energy in the United States and materials required for the land-based wind turbine industry from 2010 through 2030

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilburn, David R.

2011-01-01

The generation of electricity in the United States from wind-powered turbines is increasing. An understanding of the sources and abundance of raw materials required by the wind turbine industry and the many uses for these materials is necessary to assess the effect of this industry's growth on future demand for selected raw materials relative to the historical demand for these materials. The U.S. Geological Survey developed estimates of future requirements for raw (and some recycled) materials based on the assumption that wind energy will supply 20 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States by 2030. Economic, environmental, political, and technological considerations and trends reported for 2009 were used as a baseline. Estimates for the quantity of materials in typical "current generation" and "next generation" wind turbines were developed. In addition, estimates for the annual and total material requirements were developed based on the growth necessary for wind energy when converted in a wind powerplant to generate 20 percent of the U.S. supply of electricity by 2030. The results of the study suggest that achieving the market goal of 20 percent by 2030 would require an average annual consumption of about 6.8 million metric tons of concrete, 1.5 million metric tons of steel, 310,000 metric tons of cast iron, 40,000 metric tons of copper, and 380 metric tons of the rare-earth element neodymium. With the exception of neodymium, these material requirements represent less than 3 percent of the U.S. apparent consumption for 2008. Recycled material could supply about 3 percent of the total steel required for wind turbine production from 2010 through 2030, 4 percent of the aluminum required, and 3 percent of the copper required. The data suggest that, with the possible exception of rare-earth elements, there should not be a shortage of the principal materials required for electricity generation from wind energy. There may, however, be selective manufacturing shortages if the total demand for raw materials from all markets is greater than the available supply of these materials or the capacity of industry to manufacture components. Changing economic conditions could also affect the development schedule of anticipated capacity.

Interim Data Changes in the Short-term Energy Outlook Data Systems Related to Electric Power Sector and Natural Gas Demand Data Revisions (Short-Term Energy Outlook Supplement December 2002)

EIA Publications

2002-01-01

Beginning with the December 2002 issue of the Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), electricity generation and related fuel consumption totals will be presented on a basis that is consistent with the definitions and aggregates used in the 2001 edition of EIA's Annual Energy Review (AER). Particularly affected by these changes are the demand and balancing item totals for natural

Burnout and engagement at work as a function of demands and control.

PubMed

Demerouti, E; Bakker, A B; de Jonge, J; Janssen, P P; Schaufeli, W B

2001-08-01

The present study was designed to test the demand-control model using indicators of both health impairment and active learning or motivation. A total of 381 insurance company employees participated in the study. Discriminant analysis was used to examine the relationship between job demands and job control on one hand and health impairment and active learning on the other. The amount of demands and control could be predicted on the basis of employees' perceived health impairment (exhaustion and health complaints) and active learning (engagement and commitment). Each of the four combinations of demand and control differentially affected the perception of strain or active learning. Job demands were the most clearly related to health impairment, whereas job control was the most clearly associated with active learning. These findings partly contradict the demand-control model, especially with respect to the validity of the interaction between demand and control. Job demands and job control seem to initiate two essentially independent processes, and this occurrence is consistent with the recently proposed job demands-resources model.

Flexible Demand Management under Time-Varying Prices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yong

In this dissertation, the problem of flexible demand management under time-varying prices is studied. This generic problem has many applications, which usually have multiple periods in which decisions on satisfying demand need to be made, and prices in these periods are time-varying. Examples of such applications include multi-period procurement problem, operating room scheduling, and user-end demand scheduling in the Smart Grid, where the last application is used as the main motivating story throughout the dissertation. The current grid is experiencing an upgrade with lots of new designs. What is of particular interest is the idea of passing time-varying prices that reflect electricity market conditions to end users as incentives for load shifting. One key component, consequently, is the demand management system at the user-end. The objective of the system is to find the optimal trade-off between cost saving and discomfort increment resulted from load shifting. In this dissertation, we approach this problem from the following aspects: (1) construct a generic model, solve for Pareto optimal solutions, and analyze the robust solution that optimizes the worst-case payoffs, (2) extend to a distribution-free model for multiple types of demand (appliances), for which an approximate dynamic programming (ADP) approach is developed, and (3) design other efficient algorithms for practical purposes of the flexible demand management system. We first construct a novel multi-objective flexible demand management model, in which there are a finite number of periods with time-varying prices, and demand arrives in each period. In each period, the decision maker chooses to either satisfy or defer outstanding demand to minimize costs and discomfort over a certain number of periods. We consider both the deterministic model, models with stochastic demand or prices, and when only partial information about the stochastic demand or prices is known. We first analyze the stochastic optimization problem when the objective is to minimize the expected total cost and discomfort, then since the decision maker is likely to be risk-averse, and she wants to protect herself from price spikes, we study the robust optimization problem to address the risk-aversion of the decision maker. We conduct numerical studies to evaluate the price of robustness. Next, we present a detailed model that manages multiple types of flexible demand in the absence of knowledge regarding the distributions of related stochastic processes. Specifically, we consider the case in which time-varying prices with general structures are offered to users, and an energy management system for each household makes optimal energy usage, storage, and trading decisions according to the preferences of users. Because of the uncertainties associated with electricity prices, local generation, and the arrival processes of demand, we formulate a stochastic dynamic programming model, and outline a novel and tractable ADP approach to overcome the curses of dimensionality. Then, we perform numerical studies, whose results demonstrate the effectiveness of the ADP approach. At last, we propose another approximation approach based on Q-learning. In addition, we also develop another decentralization-based heuristic. Both the Q-learning approach and the heuristic make necessary assumptions on the knowledge of information, and each of them has unique advantages. We conduct numerical studies on a testing problem. The simulation results show that both the Q-learning and the decentralization based heuristic approaches work well. Lastly, we conclude the paper with some discussions on future extension directions.

Rapid integrated water quality evaluation of Mahisagar river using benthic macroinvertebrates.

PubMed

Bhadrecha, M H; Khatri, Nitasha; Tyagi, Sanjiv

2016-04-01

The water quality of Mahisagar river, near Galteshwar in Kheda district of Gujarat, India, was assessed through a rapid integrated technique by physicochemical parameters as well as benthic macroinvertebrates. Physicochemical parameters retrieved were pH, color, conductivity, total solids, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, chlorides, total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, alkalinity, turbidity, ammoniacal nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, sulfates, and nitrates. The biological indices calculated were BMWP (Bio Monitoring Working Party) score or saprobic score and sequential comparison index or diversity score. In total, 37 families were encountered along the studied river stretch. The findings indicate that the water quality of Mahisagar river at sampled locations is “slightly polluted.” Moreover, the results of physicochemical analysis are also in consonance with the biological water quality criteria developed by Central Pollution Control Board.

Revisiting Marshall's Third Law: Why Does Labor's Share Interact with the Elasticity of Substitution to Decrease the Elasticity of Labor Demand?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Saul D.

2009-01-01

The third Marshall-Hicks-Allen rule of elasticity of derived demand purports to show that labor demand is less elastic when labor is a smaller share of total costs. As Hicks, Allen, and then Bronfenbrenner showed, this rule is not quite correct, and actually is complicated by an unexpected negative relationship involving labor's share of total…

Analysis of nitrogenous and algal oxygen demand in effluent from a system of aerated lagoons followed by polishing pond.

PubMed

Khorsandi, Hassan; Alizadeh, Rahimeh; Tosinejad, Horiyeh; Porghaffar, Hadi

2014-01-01

In this descriptive-analytical study, nitrogenous and algal oxygen demand were assessed for effluent from a system of facultative partially mixed lagoons followed by the polishing pond using 120 grab samples over 1 year. Filtered and non-filtered samples of polishing pond effluent were tested in the presence and absence of a nitrification inhibitor. Effective factors, including 5-day biochemical and chemical oxygen demand (BOD and COD), total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll A, and temperature, were measured using standard methods for water and wastewater tests. The results were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with SPSS version 16. Findings show that the annual mean of the total 5-day BOD in the effluent from the polishing pond consisted of 44.92% as the algal carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD), 43.61% as the nitrogenous biochemical oxygen demand (NBOD), and 11.47% as the soluble CBOD. According to this study, the annual mean ratios of algal COD and 5-day algal CBOD to TSS were 0.8 and 0.37, respectively. As the results demonstrate, undertaking quality evaluation of the final effluent from the lagoons without considering nitrogenous and algal oxygen demand would undermine effluent quality assessment and interpretation of the performance of the wastewater treatment plant.

Impact of small-scale storage systems on the photovoltaic penetration potential at the municipal scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez Camargo, Luis; Dorner, Wolfgang

2016-04-01

The yearly cumulated technical energy generation potential of grid-connected roof-top photovoltaic power plants is significantly larger than the demand of domestic buildings in sparsely populated municipalities in central Europe. However, an energy balance with cumulated annual values does not deliver the right picture about the actual potential for photovoltaics since these run on a highly variable energy source as solar radiation. The mismatch between the periods of generation and demand creates hard limitations for the deployment of the theoretical energy generation potential of roof-top photovoltaics. The actual penetration of roof-top photovoltaic is restricted by the energy quality requirements of the grid and/or the available storage capacity for the electricity production beyond the coverage of own demands. In this study we evaluate in how far small-scale storage systems can contribute to increment the grid-connected roof-top photovoltaic penetration in domestic buildings at a municipal scale. To accomplish this, we calculate, in a first step, the total technical roof-top photovoltaic energy generation potential of a municipality in a high spatiotemporal resolution using a procedure that relies on geographic information systems. Posteriorly, we constrain the set of potential photovoltaic plants to the ones that would be necessary to cover the total yearly demand of the municipality. We assume that photovoltaic plants with the highest yearly yield are the ones that should be installed. For this sub-set of photovoltaic plants we consider five scenarios: 1) no storage 2) one 7 kWh battery is installed in every building with a roof-top photovoltaic plant 3) one 10 kWh battery is installed in every building with a roof-top photovoltaic plant 4) one 7 kWh battery is installed in every domestic building in the municipality 5) one 10 kWh battery is installed in every domestic building in the municipality. Afterwards we evaluate the energy balance of the municipality using a series of indicators. These indicators include: a) the total photovoltaic installed capacity, b) the total storage installed capacity, c) the output variability, d) the total unfulfilled demand, e) total excess energy, f) total properly supplied energy, g) the loss of power supply probability, h) the amount of hours of supply higher than the highest demand in a year, i) the number of hours, when supply is 1.5. times higher than the highest demand in a year, and j) the additional storage energy capacity and power required to store all excess energy generated by the photovoltaic installations. The comparison of the proposed indicators serves to quantify the contribution that household-sized small-scale storage systems would make to the energy balance of the studied municipality. Increased installed energy storage capacity allows a higher roof-top photovoltaic share and improves energy utilization, variability and reliability indicators. The proposed methodology serves also to determine the amount of storage capacity with the highest positive impact on the local energy balance.

The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 Showed Consistent Factor Structure Across Six Working Samples.

PubMed

Abma, Femke I; Bültmann, Ute; Amick Iii, Benjamin C; Arends, Iris; Dorland, Heleen F; Flach, Peter A; van der Klink, Jac J L; van de Ven, Hardy A; Bjørner, Jakob Bue

2017-09-09

Objective The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 (WRFQ) is an outcome measure linking a persons' health to the ability to meet work demands in the twenty-first century. We aimed to examine the construct validity of the WRFQ in a heterogeneous set of working samples in the Netherlands with mixed clinical conditions and job types to evaluate the comparability of the scale structure. Methods Confirmatory factor and multi-group analyses were conducted in six cross-sectional working samples (total N = 2433) to evaluate and compare a five-factor model structure of the WRFQ (work scheduling demands, output demands, physical demands, mental and social demands, and flexibility demands). Model fit indices were calculated based on RMSEA ≤ 0.08 and CFI ≥ 0.95. After fitting the five-factor model, the multidimensional structure of the instrument was evaluated across samples using a second order factor model. Results The factor structure was robust across samples and a multi-group model had adequate fit (RMSEA = 0.63, CFI = 0.972). In sample specific analyses, minor modifications were necessary in three samples (final RMSEA 0.055-0.080, final CFI between 0.955 and 0.989). Applying the previous first order specifications, a second order factor model had adequate fit in all samples. Conclusion A five-factor model of the WRFQ showed consistent structural validity across samples. A second order factor model showed adequate fit, but the second order factor loadings varied across samples. Therefore subscale scores are recommended to compare across different clinical and working samples.

Psychosocial work conditions, unemployment, and leisure-time physical activity: a population-based study.

PubMed

Ali, Sadiq Mohammad; Lindström, Martin

2006-01-01

To investigate the association between psychosocial work conditions and unemployment, and low leisure-time physical activity. The 2000 public health survey in Scania is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study with a 59% participation rate. A total of 5,180 persons aged 18-64 years who belonged to the workforce and the unemployed were included in this study. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between psychosocial factors at work and unemployment, and low leisure-time physical activity. Psychosocial conditions at work were defined according to the Karasek-Theorell demand-control/decision latitudes into relaxed, active, passive, and job strain categories. The multivariate analyses included age, country of birth, education, economic stress, and social participation. In total, 16.1% of men and 14.8% of women had low leisure-time physical activity. The job strain (high demands/low control) and unemployed categories had significantly higher odds ratios of low leisure-time physical activity among both men and women compared with the relaxed (low demands/high control) reference category. However, the significant differences between the job strain, the unemployed, and the relaxed categories disappeared in the multivariate models. Respondents with job strain or unemployment have significantly higher odds ratios of low leisure-time physical activity than the relaxed category. However, after adjustments for education in particular the differences disappear. Nevertheless, the results suggest that the association between psychosocial work conditions, which are often dependent on education, and leisure-time physical activity may be interesting to study in more detail.

Statistical, graphical, and trend summaries of selected water-quality and streamflow data from the Trinity River near Crockett, Texas, 1964-85

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goss, Richard L.

1987-01-01

As part of the statistical summaries, trend tests were conducted. Several small uptrends were detected for total nitrogen, total organic nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen, total nitrite nitrogen, total nitrate nitrogen, total organic plus ammonia nitrogen, total nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Small downtrends were detected for biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved magnesium.

An Economic Evalution of Demand-side Energy Storage Systems by using a Multi-agent based Electricity Market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furusawa, Ken; Sugihara, Hideharu; Tsuji, Kiichiro

Opened wholesale electric power market in April 2005, deregulation of electric power industry in Japan has faced a new competitive environment. In the new environment, Independent Power Producer (: IPP), Power Producer and Supplier (: PPS), Load Service Entity (: LSE) and electric utility can trade electric energy through both bilateral contracts and single-price auction at the electricity market. In general, the market clearing price (: MCP) is largely changed by amount of total load demand in the market. The influence may cause price spike, and consequently the volatility of MCP will make LSEs and their customers to face a risk of revenue and cost. DSM is attracted as a means of load leveling, and has effect on decreasing MCP at peak load period. Introducing Energy Storage systems (: ES) is one of DSM in order to change demand profile at customer-side. In case that customers decrease their own demand at jumped MCP, a bidding strategy of generating companies may be changed their strategy. As a result, MCP is changed through such complex mechanism. In this paper the authors evaluate MCP by multi-agent. It is considered that customer-side ES has an effect on MCP fluctuation. Through numerical examples, this paper evaluates the influence on MCP by controlling customer-side ES corresponding to variation of MCP.

Integrated modeling approach for optimal management of water, energy and food security nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaodong; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

2017-03-01

Water, energy and food (WEF) are inextricably interrelated. Effective planning and management of limited WEF resources to meet current and future socioeconomic demands for sustainable development is challenging. WEF production/delivery may also produce environmental impacts; as a result, green-house-gas emission control will impact WEF nexus management as well. Nexus management for WEF security necessitates integrated tools for predictive analysis that are capable of identifying the tradeoffs among various sectors, generating cost-effective planning and management strategies and policies. To address these needs, we have developed an integrated model analysis framework and tool called WEFO. WEFO provides a multi-period socioeconomic model for predicting how to satisfy WEF demands based on model inputs representing productions costs, socioeconomic demands, and environmental controls. WEFO is applied to quantitatively analyze the interrelationships and trade-offs among system components including energy supply, electricity generation, water supply-demand, food production as well as mitigation of environmental impacts. WEFO is demonstrated to solve a hypothetical nexus management problem consistent with real-world management scenarios. Model parameters are analyzed using global sensitivity analysis and their effects on total system cost are quantified. The obtained results demonstrate how these types of analyses can be helpful for decision-makers and stakeholders to make cost-effective decisions for optimal WEF management.

Feasibility of groundwater recharge dam projects in arid environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaafar, H. H.

2014-05-01

A new method for determining feasibility and prioritizing investments for agricultural and domestic recharge dams in arid regions is developed and presented. The method is based on identifying the factors affecting the decision making process and evaluating these factors, followed by determining the indices in a GIS-aided environment. Evaluated parameters include results from field surveys and site visits, land cover and soils data, precipitation data, runoff data and modeling, number of beneficiaries, domestic irrigation demand, reservoir objectives, demography, reservoirs yield and reliability, dam structures, construction costs, and operation and maintenance costs. Results of a case study on more than eighty proposed dams indicate that assessment of reliability, annualized cost/demand satisfied and yield is crucial prior to investment decision making in arid areas. Irrigation demand is the major influencing parameter on yield and reliability of recharge dams, even when only 3 months of the demand were included. Reliability of the proposed reservoirs as related to their standardized size and net inflow was found to increase with increasing yield. High priority dams were less than 4% of the total, and less priority dams amounted to 23%, with the remaining found to be not feasible. The results of this methodology and its application has proved effective in guiding stakeholders for defining most favorable sites for preliminary and detailed design studies and commissioning.

Validity and Reliability of Malay Version of the Job Content Questionnaire among Public Hospital Female Nurses in Malaysia.

PubMed

Amin, N A; Quek, K F; Oxley, J A; Noah, R M; Nordin, R

2015-10-01

The Job Content Questionnaire (M-JCQ) is an established self-reported instrument used across the world to measure the work dimensions based on the Karasek's demand-control-support model. To evaluate the psychometrics properties of the Malay version of M-JCQ among nurses in Malaysia. This cross-sectional study was carried out on nurses working in 4 public hospitals in Klang Valley area, Malaysia. M-JCQ was used to assess the perceived psychosocial stressors and physical demands of nurses at their workplaces. Construct validity of the questionnaire was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Cronbach's α values were used to estimate the reliability (internal consistency) of the M-JCQ. EFA showed that 34 selected items were loaded in 4 factors. Except for psychological job demand (Cronbach's α 0.51), the remaining 3 α values for 3 subscales (job control, social support, and physical demand) were greater than 0.70, indicating acceptable internal consistency. However, an item was excluded due to poor item-total correlation (r<0.3). The final M-JCQ was consisted of 33 items. The M-JCQ is a reliable and valid instrument to measure psychosocial and physical stressors in the workplace of public hospital nurses in Malaysia.

Combination of budesonide/formoterol on demand improves asthma control by reducing exercise-induced bronchoconstriction

PubMed Central

Lazarinis, Nikolaos; Jørgensen, Leif; Ekström, Tommy; Bjermer, Leif; Dahlén, Barbro; Pullerits, Teet; Hedlin, Gunilla; Carlsen, Kai-Håkon; Larsson, Kjell

2014-01-01

Background In mild asthma exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is usually treated with inhaled short-acting β2 agonists (SABAs) on demand. Objective The hypothesis was that a combination of budesonide and formoterol on demand diminishes EIB equally to regular inhalation of budesonide and is more effective than terbutaline inhaled on demand. Methods Sixty-six patients with asthma (>12 years of age) with verified EIB were randomised to terbutaline (0.5 mg) on demand, regular budesonide (400 μg) and terbutaline (0.5 mg) on demand, or a combination of budesonide (200 μg)  + formoterol (6 μg) on demand in a 6-week, double-blind, parallel-group study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00989833). The patients were instructed to perform three to four working sessions per week. The main outcome was EIB 24 h after the last dosing of study medication. Results After 6 weeks of treatment with regular budesonide or budesonide+formoterol on demand the maximum post-exercise forced expiratory volume in 1 s fall, 24 h after the last medication, was 6.6% (mean; 95% CI −10.3 to −3.0) and 5.4% (−8.9 to −1.8) smaller, respectively. This effect was superior to inhalation of terbutaline on demand (+1.5%; −2.1 to +5.1). The total budesonide dose was approximately 2.5 times lower in the budesonide+formoterol group than in the regular budesonide group. The need for extra medication was similar in the three groups. Conclusions The combination of budesonide and formoterol on demand improves asthma control by reducing EIB in the same order of magnitude as regular budesonide treatment despite a substantially lower total steroid dose. Both these treatments were superior to terbutaline on demand, which did not alter the bronchial response to exercise. The results question the recommendation of prescribing SABAs as the only treatment for EIB in mild asthma. PMID:24092567

The effects of session length on demand functions generated using FR schedules.

PubMed

Foster, T Mary; Kinloch, Jennifer; Poling, Alan

2011-05-01

In comparing open and closed economies, researchers often arrange shorter sessions under the former condition than under the latter. Several studies indicate that session length per se can affect performance and there are some data that indicate that this variable can influence demand functions. To provide further data, the present study exposed domestic hens to series of increasing fixed-ratio schedules with the length of the open-economy sessions varied over 10, 40, 60, and 120 min. Session time affected the total-session response rates and pause lengths. The shortest session gave the greatest response rates and shortest pauses and the longest gave the lowest response rates and longest pauses. The total-session demand functions also changed with session length: The shortest session gave steeper initial slopes (i.e., the functions were more elastic at small ratios) and smaller rates of change of elasticity than the longest session. Response rates, pauses, and demand functions were, however, similar for equivalent periods of responding taken from within sessions of different overall lengths (e.g., total-session data for 10-min sessions and the data for the first 10 min of 120-min sessions). These findings suggest that differences in session length can confound the results of studies comparing open and closed economies when those economies are arranged in sessions that differ substantially in length, hence data for equivalent-length periods of responding, rather than total-session data, should be of primary interest under these conditions.

Optimal ordering quantities for substitutable deteriorating items under joint replenishment with cost of substitution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Vinod Kumar

2017-09-01

In this paper we develop an inventory model, to determine the optimal ordering quantities, for a set of two substitutable deteriorating items. In this inventory model the inventory level of both items depleted due to demands and deterioration and when an item is out of stock, its demands are partially fulfilled by the other item and all unsatisfied demand is lost. Each substituted item incurs a cost of substitution and the demands and deterioration is considered to be deterministic and constant. Items are order jointly in each ordering cycle, to take the advantages of joint replenishment. The problem is formulated and a solution procedure is developed to determine the optimal ordering quantities that minimize the total inventory cost. We provide an extensive numerical and sensitivity analysis to illustrate the effect of different parameter on the model. The key observation on the basis of numerical analysis, there is substantial improvement in the optimal total cost of the inventory model with substitution over without substitution.

The capacity credit of grid-connected photovoltaic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsema, E. A.; van Wijk, A. J. M.; Turkenburg, W. C.

The capacity credit due photovoltaic (PV) power plants if integrated into the Netherlands grid was investigated, together with an estimate of the total allowable penetration. An hourly simulation was performed based on meteorological data from five stations and considering tilted surfaces, the current grid load pattern, and the load pattern after PV-power augmentation. The reliability of the grid was assessed in terms of a loss of load probability analysis, assuming power drops were limited to 1 GW. A projected tolerance for 2.5 GW of PV power was calculated. Peak demands were determined to be highest in winter, contrary to highest insolation levels; however, daily insolation levels coincided with daily peak demands. Combining the PV input with an equal amount of wind turbine power production was found to augment the capacity credit for both at aggregate outputs of 2-4 GW.

Introduction Analysis of Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Technologies in Micro Grid Type Food Industrial Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimazaki, Yoichi

The aim of this study was to evaluate the refrigerating and air-conditioning technologies in cases of introducing both cogeneration system and energy network in food industrial park. The energy data of 14 factories were classified into steam, hot water, heating, cooling, refrigerating, freezing and electric power by interviews. The author developed a micro grid model based on linear programming so as to minimize the total system costs. The industrial park was divided into the 2,500 square meter mesh in order to take steam transport into consideration. Four cases were investigated. It was found that the electric power driven freezer was introduced compared with the ammonia absorption freezer. The ammonia absorption freezer was introduced in the factory that there is a little steam demand and large freezing demand at the same time.

EOQ model for perishable products with price-dependent demand, pre and post discounted selling price

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santhi, G.; Karthikeyan, K.

2017-11-01

In this article we introduce an economic order quantity model for perishable products like vegetables, fruits, milk, flowers, meat, etc.,with price-dependent demand, pre and post discounted selling price. Here we consider the demand is depending on selling price and deterioration rate is constant. Here we developed mathematical model to determine optimal discounton the unit selling price to maximize total profit. Numerical examples are given for illustrated.

Load limit of a UASB fed septic tank-treated domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Lohani, Sunil Prasad; Bakke, Rune; Khanal, Sanjay N

2015-01-01

Performance of a 250 L pilot-scale up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, operated at ambient temperatures, fed septic tank effluents intermittently, was monitored for hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 18 h to 4 h. The total suspended solids (TSS), total chemical oxygen demand (CODT), dissolved chemical oxygen demand (CODdis) and suspended chemical oxygen demand (CODss) removal efficiencies ranged from 20 to 63%, 15 to 56%, 8 to 35% and 22 to 72%, respectively, for the HRT range tested. Above 60% TSS and 47% CODT removal were obtained in the combined septic tank and UASB process. The process established stable UASB treatment at HRT≥6 h, indicating a hydraulic load design limit. The tested septic tank-UASB combined system can be a low-cost and effective on-site sanitation solution.

Effectiveness of demand generation interventions on use of modern contraceptives in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Belaid, L; Dumont, A; Chaillet, N; Zertal, A; De Brouwere, V; Hounton, S; Ridde, V

2016-10-01

To synthesise evidence on the implementation, costs and cost-effectiveness of demand generation interventions and their effectiveness in improving uptake of modern contraception methods. A Cochrane systematic review was conducted. Searches were performed in electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE) and the grey literature. Randomised controlled trials, cluster randomised trials and quasi-experimental studies, including controlled before-after studies (CBAs) and cost and cost-effectiveness studies that aimed to assess demand interventions (including community- and facility-based interventions, financial mechanisms and mass media campaigns) in low- and middle-income countries were considered. Meta-analyses and narrative synthesis were conducted. In total, 20 papers meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this review. Of those, 13 were used for meta-analysis. Few data were available on implementation and on the influence of context on demand interventions. Involving family members during counselling, providing education activities and increasing exposure to those activities could enhance the success of demand interventions. Demand generation interventions were positively associated with increases in current use (pooled OR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.46-1.69, P < 0.01). Financial mechanism interventions (vouchers) appeared effective to increase use of modern contraceptive methods (pooled OR 2.16; 95% CI: 1.91-2.45, P < 0.01; I 2 = 0%). Demand interventions improved knowledge (pooled OR 1.02; 95% CI 0.63-1.64, P = 0.93) and attitudes towards family planning and improved discussion with partners/husbands around modern contraceptive methods. However, given the limited number of studies included in each category of demand generation interventions, the dates of publication of the studies and their low quality, caution is advised in considering the results. Very limited evidence was available on costs; studies including data on costs were old and inconsistent. Demand generation interventions contribute to increases in modern contraceptive methods use. However, more studies with robust designs are needed to identify the most effective demand generation intervention to increase uptake of modern contraceptive methods. More evidence is also needed about implementation, costs and cost-effectiveness to inform decisions on sustainability and scaling-up. © 2016 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental Impact of Buildings--What Matters?

PubMed

Heeren, Niko; Mutel, Christopher L; Steubing, Bernhard; Ostermeyer, York; Wallbaum, Holger; Hellweg, Stefanie

2015-08-18

The goal of this study was to identify drivers of environmental impact and quantify their influence on the environmental performance of wooden and massive residential and office buildings. We performed a life cycle assessment and used thermal simulation to quantify operational energy demand and to account for differences in thermal inertia of building mass. Twenty-eight input parameters, affecting operation, design, material, and exogenic building properties were sampled in a Monte Carlo analysis. To determine sensitivity, we calculated the correlation between each parameter and the resulting life cycle inventory and impact assessment scores. Parameters affecting operational energy demand and energy conversion are the most influential for the building's total environmental performance. For climate change, electricity mix, ventilation rate, heating system, and construction material rank the highest. Thermal inertia results in an average 2-6% difference in heat demand. Nonrenewable cumulative energy demand of wooden buildings is 18% lower, compared to a massive variant. Total cumulative energy demand is comparable. The median climate change impact is 25% lower, including end-of-life material credits and 22% lower, when credits are excluded. The findings are valid for small offices and residential buildings in Switzerland and regions with similar building culture, construction material production, and climate.

Characteristics of drug demand reduction structures in Britain and Iran

PubMed Central

Narenjiha, Hooman; Noori, Roya; Ghiabi, Maziyar; Khoddami-Vishteh, Hamid-Reza

2016-01-01

Administrative structure of drug demand reduction and the way in which involved organizations interact with each other has been neglected by researchers, policy makers, and administrators at the national level and even in international institutions in this field. Studying such structures in different countries can reveal their attributes and features. In this study, key experts from the addictive behavior department of St George’s University of London and a group of Iranian specialists in the field of drug demand reduction first wrote on a sheet the name of organizations that are in charge of drug demand reduction. Then, via teamwork, they drew the connections between the organizations and compared the two charts to assess the relations between the member organizations. In total, 17 features of efficient structure were obtained as follow: multi-institutional nature, collaborative inter-institutional activities, clear and relevant inter-institutional and intra-institutional job description, the ability to share the experiences, virtual institutions activity, community-based associations activity, mutual relationships, the existence of feedback sys-tems, evaluation, changeability, the ability to collect data rapidly, being rooted in community, flexibility at the local and regional levels, connection with research centers, updated policymaking, empowering the local level, and seeking the maximum benefit and the minimum resources. Recognizing the characteristics of substance related organizations in various countries could help policy makers to improve drug demand reduction structures and to manage the wide-spread use of psychoactive substances more effectively. PMID:27853729

Characteristics of drug demand reduction structures in Britain and Iran.

PubMed

Narenjiha, Hooman; Noori, Roya; Ghiabi, Maziyar; Khoddami-Vishteh, Hamid-Reza

2015-01-01

Administrative structure of drug demand reduction and the way in which involved organizations interact with each other has been neglected by researchers, policy makers, and administrators at the national level and even in international institutions in this field. Studying such structures in different countries can reveal their attributes and features. In this study, key experts from the addictive behavior department of St George's University of London and a group of Iranian specialists in the field of drug demand reduction first wrote on a sheet the name of organizations that are in charge of drug demand reduction. Then, via teamwork, they drew the connections between the organizations and compared the two charts to assess the relations between the member organizations. In total, 17 features of efficient structure were obtained as follow: multi-institutional nature, collaborative inter-institutional activities, clear and relevant inter-institutional and intra-institutional job description, the ability to share the experiences, virtual institutions activity, community-based associations activity, mutual relationships, the existence of feedback sys-tems, evaluation, changeability, the ability to collect data rapidly, being rooted in community, flexibility at the local and regional levels, connection with research centers, updated policymaking, empowering the local level, and seeking the maximum benefit and the minimum resources. Recognizing the characteristics of substance related organizations in various countries could help policy makers to improve drug demand reduction structures and to manage the wide-spread use of psychoactive substances more effectively.

Psychosocial work conditions, unemployment and self-reported psychological health: a population-based study.

PubMed

Lindström, Martin

2005-10-01

To investigate the association between psychosocial conditions at work, unemployment and self-reported psychological health. A cross-sectional postal questionnaire for the 2000 public health survey in Scania was administered to both working and unemployed people aged 18-64 years. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between psychosocial factors at work/unemployment and self-reported psychological health (General Health Questionnaire 12). Psychosocial conditions at work were classified according to the Karasek-Theorell demand-control/decision latitudes into relaxed, active, passive and job strain. The multivariate analyses included age, country of origin, education, economic stress and social participation. A total of 5180 people returned their questionnaire, giving a participation rate of 59%. Fifteen per cent of men and 20% of women reported poor psychological health. Those with high demands and high control (active category), those with high demands and low control (job strain category) and the unemployed had significantly higher odds ratios of poor psychological health compared to those with low demands and high control (relaxed category). Those with low demands and low control (passive category) did not differ significantly from the relaxed category. The associations remained in the multivariate analyses. The study found that certain psychosocial work factors are associated with higher levels of self-reported psychological ill-health and illustrates the great importance of psychosocial conditions in determining psychological health at the population level. As found elsewhere, being unemployed was an even stronger predictor of psychological ill-health.

Effects of psychosocial strain on back symptoms in Tehran general hospital nursing personnel.

PubMed

Golabadi, Majid; Attarchi, Mirsaeed; Raeisi, Saeed; Namvar, Mohamad

2013-12-01

Nursing is a stressful and highly demanding job. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between psychosocial job strain and the prevalence of back symptoms in nursing personnel using the demand-control model. In a cross-sectional study, 545 nursing professionals answered to a self-administered questionnaire on demography, job content, and lower and upper back symptoms (LBS and UBS, respectively). Based on their answers, the participants were grouped as follows: low strain, high strain, active job, and passive job. The groups were compared in regard to the prevalence of LBS and UBS (totalling 58.5% and 47.9%, respectively) over the past 12 months. We found no association between job control and back symptoms, but participants with high psychosocial job demands showed greater risk of LBS (OR=1.57 and p=0.014) and UBS (OR=1.73 and p=0.005) than those with low job demands. LBS in the low strain, high strain, and active job groups was more prevalent than in the passive group (OR=1.64, OR=2.49 and OR=1.90, respectively; p≤0.05). In addition, the high strain group showed greater prevalence of UBS than the passive group (OR=1.82 and p=0.019). Our study suggests that psychosocial job strain, high psychosocial demands in particular, may be associated with greater prevalence of back symptoms in nursing personnel. Our findings may help to design preventive measures that would lower the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in this profession.

Empirical models of demand for out-patient physician services and their relevance to the assessment of patient payment policies: a critical review of the literature.

PubMed

Skriabikova, Olga; Pavlova, Milena; Groot, Wim

2010-06-01

This paper reviews the existing empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services where the size of patient payment is included either directly as an independent variable (when a flat-rate co-payment fee) or indirectly as a level of deductibles and/or co-insurance defined by the insurance coverage. The paper also discusses the relevance of these models for the assessment of patient payment policies. For this purpose, a systematic literature review is carried out. In total, 46 relevant publications were identified. These publications are classified into categories based on their general approach to demand modeling, specifications of data collection, data analysis, and main empirical findings. The analysis indicates a rising research interest in the empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services that incorporate the size of patient payment. Overall, the size of patient payments, consumer socio-economic and demographic features, and quality of services provided emerge as important determinants of demand for out-patient physician services. However, there is a great variety in the modeling approaches and inconsistencies in the findings regarding the impact of price on demand for out-patient physician services. Hitherto, the empirical research fails to offer policy-makers a clear strategy on how to develop a country-specific model of demand for out-patient physician services suitable for the assessment of patient payment policies in their countries. In particular, theoretically important factors, such as provider behavior, consumer attitudes, experience and culture, and informal patient payments, are not considered. Although we recognize that it is difficult to measure these factors and to incorporate them in the demand models, it is apparent that there is a gap in research for the construction of effective patient payment schemes.

Empirical Models of Demand for Out-Patient Physician Services and Their Relevance to the Assessment of Patient Payment Policies: A Critical Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Skriabikova, Olga; Pavlova, Milena; Groot, Wim

2010-01-01

This paper reviews the existing empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services where the size of patient payment is included either directly as an independent variable (when a flat-rate co-payment fee) or indirectly as a level of deductibles and/or co-insurance defined by the insurance coverage. The paper also discusses the relevance of these models for the assessment of patient payment policies. For this purpose, a systematic literature review is carried out. In total, 46 relevant publications were identified. These publications are classified into categories based on their general approach to demand modeling, specifications of data collection, data analysis, and main empirical findings. The analysis indicates a rising research interest in the empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services that incorporate the size of patient payment. Overall, the size of patient payments, consumer socio-economic and demographic features, and quality of services provided emerge as important determinants of demand for out-patient physician services. However, there is a great variety in the modeling approaches and inconsistencies in the findings regarding the impact of price on demand for out-patient physician services. Hitherto, the empirical research fails to offer policy-makers a clear strategy on how to develop a country-specific model of demand for out-patient physician services suitable for the assessment of patient payment policies in their countries. In particular, theoretically important factors, such as provider behavior, consumer attitudes, experience and culture, and informal patient payments, are not considered. Although we recognize that it is difficult to measure these factors and to incorporate them in the demand models, it is apparent that there is a gap in research for the construction of effective patient payment schemes. PMID:20644697

Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance

PubMed Central

Alhola, Paula; Polo-Kantola, Päivi

2007-01-01

Today, prolonged wakefulness is a widespread phenomenon. Nevertheless, in the field of sleep and wakefulness, several unanswered questions remain. Prolonged wakefulness can be due to acute total sleep deprivation (SD) or to chronic partial sleep restriction. Although the latter is more common in everyday life, the effects of total SD have been examined more thoroughly. Both total and partial SD induce adverse changes in cognitive performance. First and foremost, total SD impairs attention and working memory, but it also affects other functions, such as long-term memory and decision-making. Partial SD is found to influence attention, especially vigilance. Studies on its effects on more demanding cognitive functions are lacking. Coping with SD depends on several factors, especially aging and gender. Also interindividual differences in responses are substantial. In addition to coping with SD, recovering from it also deserves attention. Cognitive recovery processes, although insufficiently studied, seem to be more demanding in partial sleep restriction than in total SD. PMID:19300585

COMPARISON OF METHODS TO DETERMINE OXYGEN DEMAND FOR BIOREMEDIATION OF A FUEL CONTAMINATED AQUIFER

EPA Science Inventory

Four analytical methods were compared for estimating concentrations of fuel contaminants in subsurface core samples. The methods were total organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand, oil and grease, and a solvent extraction of fuel hydrocarbons combined with a gas chromatographic te...

Scenario analysis of energy-based low-carbon development in China.

PubMed

Zhou, Yun; Hao, Fanghua; Meng, Wei; Fu, Jiafeng

2014-08-01

China's increasing energy consumption and coal-dominant energy structure have contributed not only to severe environmental pollution, but also to global climate change. This article begins with a brief review of China's primary energy use and associated environmental problems and health risks. To analyze the potential of China's transition to low-carbon development, three scenarios are constructed to simulate energy demand and CO₂ emission trends in China up to 2050 by using the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) model. Simulation results show that with the assumption of an average annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 6.45%, total primary energy demand is expected to increase by 63.4%, 48.8% and 12.2% under the Business as Usual (BaU), Carbon Reduction (CR) and Integrated Low Carbon Economy (ILCE) scenarios in 2050 from the 2009 levels. Total energy-related CO₂ emissions will increase from 6.7 billiontons in 2009 to 9.5, 11, 11.6 and 11.2 billiontons; 8.2, 9.2, 9.6 and 9 billiontons; 7.1, 7.4, 7.2 and 6.4 billiontons in 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050 under the BaU, CR and ILCE scenarios, respectively. Total CO₂ emission will drop by 19.6% and 42.9% under the CR and ILCE scenarios in 2050, compared with the BaU scenario. To realize a substantial cut in energy consumption and carbon emissions, China needs to make a long-term low-carbon development strategy targeting further improvement of energy efficiency, optimization of energy structure, deployment of clean coal technology and use of market-based economic instruments like energy/carbon taxation. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The role of storage capacity in coping with intra-annual runoff variability on a global scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaupp, Franziska; Hall, Jim; Dadson, Simon

2015-04-01

Intra-annual variability poses a risk to water security in many basins as runoff is unevenly distributed over the year. Areas such as Northern Africa, Australia and the South-Western USA are characterized by a high coefficient of variability of monthly runoff. Analyzing the global risk of water scarcity, this study examines 680 basin-country units (BCUs) (403 river basins divided by country borders). By calculating the water balance for each BCU, the interplay of runoff on the one hand and domestic, industrial and environmental water needs on the other hand is shown. In contrast to other studies on average water scarcity, this work focuses on variability of water supply as metrics based on annual average water availability and demand can underestimate the risk of scarcity. The model is based on the assumption that each country-basin with sub-basins and tributaries can be treated as one single reservoir with storage capacity aggregated over that BCU. It includes surface runoff and the possibility to withdraw groundwater as water supply. The storage capacity of each BCU represents the ability to transfer water from wet months to dry months in order to buffer and cope with intra-annual water supply variability and to meet total water demand. Average monthly surface runoff per country-basin for the period 1979 to 2012 is derived from outcomes of the hydrological model Mac-PDM. Mac-PDM is forced with monthly ERAI-Interim reanalysis climate data on a one degree resolution. Groundwater withdrawal capacity, total water demand and storage capacity are taken from the IMPACT model provided by the International Food Research Institute (IFPRI). Storage refers to any kind of surface reservoir whose water can be managed and used for human activities in the industrial, domestic and agricultural sectors. Groundwater withdrawal capacity refers to the technological capacity to pump water rather than the amount of groundwater available. Total water demand includes consumptive water use from the industrial, domestic and agricultural sectors and varies between months. Due to a lack of data, the 2010 figures for groundwater withdrawal capacity are assumed to be equally distributed over 12 months without accounting for possible variation within a year. For runoff and water demand, monthly data are used. Our study shows that storage capacity helps to cope with intra-annual water variability and thereby decreases the risk of water scarcity. Several cases emerge where water security is critically dependent on transboundary flows such as the Nile in Egypt or the Aral Drainage in Uzbekistan. Furthermore, we calculate environmental flow requirements using the Variable Monthly Flow (VMF) method and analyse the effects of abstraction and dam construction on environmental flows. For each BCU, we examine whether environmental water requirements can be met with given human abstractions. Additionally, water scarcity is examined for the case when water is reserved for the environment and cannot be abstracted for human purposes.

Reuse of drinking water treatment sludge for olive oil mill wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Fragoso, R A; Duarte, E A

2012-01-01

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) results from the production of olive oil, which is an important traditional agro-industry in Mediterranean countries. In continuous three-phase centrifugation 1.0-1.2 m(3) of OMW are produced per ton of processed olives. Discharge of OMW is of serious environmental concern due to its high content of organic matter with phytotoxic properties, namely phenolic compounds. Meanwhile, drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) is produced in high amounts and has long been considered as a waste for landfill. The aim of this work was the assessment of reusing DWTS for OMW treatment. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was carried out to determine the phenolic compounds present and to evaluate if they are recalcitrant. Treatability assays were performed using a dosage of DWTS from 50 to 300 g L(-1). Treatment efficiency was evaluated based on the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total solids (TS), total suspended solids (TSS), total volatile solids (TVS), oil and grease (OG), phenols (total phosphorous (TP) and HPLC fraction). Results from OMW HPLC characterization identified a total of 13 compounds; the major ones were hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, caffeic acid, p-cumaric acid and oleuropein. Treatability assays led to a maximum reduction of about 90% of some of the phenolic compounds determined by HPLC. Addition of 200-300 g L(-1) of DWTS reduced 40-50% of COD, 45-50% of TP, a maximum of nearly 70% TSS and 45% for TS and TVS. The OG fraction showed a reduction of about 90%, achieved adding 300 g L(-1) od DWTS. This study points out the possibility of establishing an integrated management of OMW and DWTS, contributing to a decrease in the environmental impact of two industrial activities, olive oil production and drinking water treatment.

50 CFR 648.21 - Procedures for determining initial annual amounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...; virtual population analysis results; levels of noncompliance by harvesters or individual states; impact of...: (A) Total world export potential of mackerel producing countries. (B) Total world import demand of...

Comparative impacts of stormwater runoff on water quality of an urban, a suburban, and a rural stream.

PubMed

Mallin, Michael A; Johnson, Virginia L; Ensign, Scott H

2009-12-01

Water quality data at 12 sites within an urban, a suburban, and a rural stream were collected contemporaneously during four wet and eight dry periods. The urban stream yielded the highest biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), orthophosphate, total suspended sediment (TSS), and surfactant concentrations, while the most rural stream yielded the highest total organic carbon concentrations. Percent watershed development and percent impervious surface coverage were strongly correlated with BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), orthophosphate, and surfactant concentrations but negatively with total organic carbon. Excessive fecal coliform abundance most frequently occurred in the most urbanized catchments. Fecal coliform bacteria, TSS, turbidity, orthophosphate, total phosphorus, and BOD were significantly higher during rain events compared to nonrain periods. Total rainfall preceding sampling was positively correlated with turbidity, TSS, BOD, total phosphorus, and fecal coliform bacteria concentrations. Turbidity and TSS were positively correlated with phosphorus, fecal coliform bacteria, BOD, and chlorophyll a, which argues for better sedimentation controls under all landscape types.

A model of the demand for Islamic banks debt-based financing instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jusoh, Mansor; Khalid, Norlin

2013-04-01

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the demand for debt-based financing instruments of the Islamic banks. Debt-based financing, such as through baibithamanajil and al-murabahah, is by far the most prominent of the Islamic bank financing and yet it has been largely ignored in Islamic economics literature. Most studies instead have been focusing on equity-based financing of al-mudharabah and al-musyarakah. Islamic bank offers debt-based financing through various instruments derived under the principle of exchange (ukud al-mu'awadhat) or more specifically, the contract of deferred sale. Under such arrangement, Islamic debt is created when goods are purchased and the payments are deferred. Thus, unlike debt of the conventional bank which is a form of financial loan contract to facilitate demand for liquid assets, this Islamic debt is created in response to the demand to purchase goods by deferred payment. In this paper we set an analytical framework that is based on an infinitely lived representative agent model (ILRA model) to analyze the demand for goods to be purchased by deferred payment. The resulting demand will then be used to derive the demand for Islamic debt. We also investigate theoretically, factors that may have an impact on the demand for Islamic debt.

Collision activity during training increases total energy expenditure measured via doubly labelled water.

PubMed

Costello, Nessan; Deighton, Kevin; Preston, Thomas; Matu, Jamie; Rowe, Joshua; Sawczuk, Thomas; Halkier, Matt; Read, Dale B; Weaving, Daniel; Jones, Ben

2018-06-01

Collision sports are characterised by frequent high-intensity collisions that induce substantial muscle damage, potentially increasing the energetic cost of recovery. Therefore, this study investigated the energetic cost of collision-based activity for the first time across any sport. Using a randomised crossover design, six professional young male rugby league players completed two different 5-day pre-season training microcycles. Players completed either a collision (COLL; 20 competitive one-on-one collisions) or non-collision (nCOLL; matched for kinematic demands, excluding collisions) training session on the first day of each microcycle, exactly 7 days apart. All remaining training sessions were matched and did not involve any collision-based activity. Total energy expenditure was measured using doubly labelled water, the literature gold standard. Collisions resulted in a very likely higher (4.96 ± 0.97 MJ; ES = 0.30 ± 0.07; p = 0.0021) total energy expenditure across the 5-day COLL training microcycle (95.07 ± 16.66 MJ) compared with the nCOLL training microcycle (90.34 ± 16.97 MJ). The COLL training session also resulted in a very likely higher (200 ± 102 AU; ES = 1.43 ± 0.74; p = 0.007) session rating of perceived exertion and a very likely greater (- 14.6 ± 3.3%; ES = - 1.60 ± 0.51; p = 0.002) decrease in wellbeing 24 h later. A single collision training session considerably increased total energy expenditure. This may explain the large energy expenditures of collision-sport athletes, which appear to exceed kinematic training and match demands. These findings suggest fuelling professional collision-sport athletes appropriately for the "muscle damage caused" alongside the kinematic "work required".

The eGo grid model: An open-source and open-data based synthetic medium-voltage grid model for distribution power supply systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amme, J.; Pleßmann, G.; Bühler, J.; Hülk, L.; Kötter, E.; Schwaegerl, P.

2018-02-01

The increasing integration of renewable energy into the electricity supply system creates new challenges for distribution grids. The planning and operation of distribution systems requires appropriate grid models that consider the heterogeneity of existing grids. In this paper, we describe a novel method to generate synthetic medium-voltage (MV) grids, which we applied in our DIstribution Network GeneratOr (DINGO). DINGO is open-source software and uses freely available data. Medium-voltage grid topologies are synthesized based on location and electricity demand in defined demand areas. For this purpose, we use GIS data containing demand areas with high-resolution spatial data on physical properties, land use, energy, and demography. The grid topology is treated as a capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) combined with a local search metaheuristics. We also consider the current planning principles for MV distribution networks, paying special attention to line congestion and voltage limit violations. In the modelling process, we included power flow calculations for validation. The resulting grid model datasets contain 3608 synthetic MV grids in high resolution, covering all of Germany and taking local characteristics into account. We compared the modelled networks with real network data. In terms of number of transformers and total cable length, we conclude that the method presented in this paper generates realistic grids that could be used to implement a cost-optimised electrical energy system.

A Probabilistic and Observation Based Methodology to Estimate Small Craft Harbor Vulnerability to Tsunami Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keen, A. S.; Lynett, P. J.; Ayca, A.

2016-12-01

Because of the damage resulting from the 2010 Chile and 2011 Japanese tele-tsunamis, the tsunami risk to the small craft marinas in California has become an important concern. The talk will outline an assessment tool which can be used to assess the tsunami hazard to small craft harbors. The methodology is based on the demand and structural capacity of the floating dock system, composed of floating docks/fingers and moored vessels. The structural demand is determined using a Monte Carlo methodology. Monte Carlo methodology is a probabilistic computational tool where the governing might be well known, but the independent variables of the input (demand) as well as the resisting structural components (capacity) may not be completely known. The Monte Carlo approach uses a distribution of each variable, and then uses that random variable within the described parameters, to generate a single computation. The process then repeats hundreds or thousands of times. The numerical model "Method of Splitting Tsunamis" (MOST) has been used to determine the inputs for the small craft harbors within California. Hydrodynamic model results of current speed, direction and surface elevation were incorporated via the drag equations to provide the bases of the demand term. To determine the capacities, an inspection program was developed to identify common features of structural components. A total of six harbors have been inspected ranging from Crescent City in Northern California to Oceanside Harbor in Southern California. Results from the inspection program were used to develop component capacity tables which incorporated the basic specifications of each component (e.g. bolt size and configuration) and a reduction factor (which accounts for the component reduction in capacity with age) to estimate in situ capacities. Like the demand term, these capacities are added probabilistically into the model. To date the model has been applied to Santa Cruz Harbor as well as Noyo River. Once calibrated, the model was able to hindcast the damage produced in Santa Cruz Harbor during the 2010 Chile and 2011 Japan events. Results of the Santa Cruz analysis will be presented and discussed.

An application of corelap algoritm to improve the utilization space of the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembiring, A. C.; Budiman, I.; Mardhatillah, A.; Tarigan, U. P.; Jawira, A.

2018-04-01

The high demand of the room due to the increasing number of students requires the addition of the room The limited number of rooms, the price of land and the cost of building expensive infrastructure requires effective and efficient use of the space. The facility layout redesign is done using the Computerized Relationship Planning (CORELAP) algorithm based on total closeness rating (TCR). By calculating the square distance between the departments based on the coordinates of the central point of the department. The distance obtained is multiplied by the material current from the From-to chart matrix. The analysis is done by comparing the total distance between the initial layout and the proposed layout and then viewing the activities performed in each room. The results of CORELAP algorithm processing gives an increase of room usage efficiency equal to 14, 98% from previous activity.

Physical demand of seven closed agility drills.

PubMed

Atkinson, Mark; Rosalie, Simon; Netto, Kevin

2016-11-01

The present study aimed to quantify the demand of seven generic, closed agility drills. Twenty males with experience in invasion sports volunteered to participate in this study. They performed seven, closed agility drills over a standardised 30-m distance. Physical demand measures of peak velocity, total foot contacts, peak impacts, completion time, and maximum heart rate were obtained via the use of wearable sensor technologies. A subjective rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was also obtained. All measures, with the exception of maximum heart rates and RPE were able to delineate drills in terms of physical and physiological demand. The findings of this study exemplify the differences in demand of agility-type movements. Drill demand was dictated by the type of agility movement initiated with the increase in repetitiveness of a given movement type also contributing to increased demand. Findings from this study suggest agility drills can be manipulated to vary physical and physiological demand. This allows for the optimal application of training principles such as overload, progression, and periodisation.

Impact of uncoordinated plug-in electric vehicle charging on residential power demand - supplementary data

DOE Data Explorer

Muratori, Matteo (ORCID:0000000316886742)

2017-06-15

This data set is provided in support of a forthcoming paper: "Impact of uncoordinated plug-in electric vehicle charging on residential power demand," [1]. These files include electricity demand profiles for 200 households randomly selected among the ones available in the 2009 RECS data set for the Midwest region of the United States. The profiles have been generated using the modeling proposed by Muratori et al. [2], [3], that produces realistic patterns of residential power consumption, validated using metered data, with a resolution of 10 minutes. Households vary in size and number of occupants and the profiles represent total electricity use, in watts. The files also include in-home plug-in electric vehicle recharging profiles for 348 vehicles associated with the 200 households assuming both Level 1 (1920 W) and Level 2 (6600 W) residential charging infrastructure. The vehicle recharging profiles have been generated using the modeling proposed by Muratori et al. [4], that produces real-world recharging demand profiles, with a resolution of 10 minutes. [1] M. Muratori, "Impact of uncoordinated plug-in electric vehicle charging on residential power demand." Forthcoming. [2] M. Muratori, M. C. Roberts, R. Sioshansi, V. Marano, and G. Rizzoni, "A highly resolved modeling technique to simulate residential power demand," Applied Energy, vol. 107, no. 0, pp. 465 - 473, 2013. [3] M. Muratori, V. Marano, R. Sioshansi, and G. Rizzoni, "Energy consumption of residential HVAC systems: a simple physically-based model," in 2012 IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting. San Diego, CA, USA: IEEE, 22-26 July 2012. [4] M. Muratori, M. J. Moran, E. Serra, and G. Rizzoni, "Highly-resolved modeling of personal transportation energy consumption in the United States," Energy, vol. 58, no. 0, pp. 168-177, 2013.

Influence of vegetation and gravel mesh on the tertiary treatment of wastewater from a cosmetics industry.

PubMed

Vlyssides, Apostolos G; Mai, Sofia T H; Barampouti, Elli Maria P; Loukakis, Haralampos N

2009-07-01

To estimate the influence of gravel mesh (fine and coarse) and vegetation (Phragmites and Arundo) on the efficiency of a reed bed, a pilot plant was included after the wastewater treatment plant of a cosmetic industry treatment system according to a 22 factorial experimental design. The maximum biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phosphorous (TP) reduction was observed in the reactor, where Phragmites and fine gravel were used. In the reactor with Phragmites and coarse gravel, the maximum total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and total suspended solids (TSS) reduction was observed. The maximum total solids reduction was measured in the reed bed, which was filled with Arundo and coarse gravel. Conclusively, the treatment of a cosmetic industry's wastewater by reed beds as a tertiary treatment method is quite effective.

Non-Point Source Pollutant Load Variation in Rapid Urbanization Areas by Remote Sensing, Gis and the L-THIA Model: A Case in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China.

PubMed

Li, Tianhong; Bai, Fengjiao; Han, Peng; Zhang, Yuanyan

2016-11-01

Urban sprawl is a major driving force that alters local and regional hydrology and increases non-point source pollution. Using the Bao'an District in Shenzhen, China, a typical rapid urbanization area, as the study area and land-use change maps from 1988 to 2014 that were obtained by remote sensing, the contributions of different land-use types to NPS pollutant production were assessed with a localized long-term hydrologic impact assessment (L-THIA) model. The results show that the non-point source pollution load changed significantly both in terms of magnitude and spatial distribution. The loads of chemical oxygen demand, total suspended substances, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were affected by the interactions between event mean concentration and the magnitude of changes in land-use acreages and the spatial distribution. From 1988 to 2014, the loads of chemical oxygen demand, suspended substances and total phosphorus showed clearly increasing trends with rates of 132.48 %, 32.52 % and 38.76 %, respectively, while the load of total nitrogen decreased by 71.52 %. The immigrant population ratio was selected as an indicator to represent the level of rapid urbanization and industrialization in the study area, and a comparison analysis of the indicator with the four non-point source loads demonstrated that the chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads are linearly related to the immigrant population ratio. The results provide useful information for environmental improvement and city management in the study area.

Non-Point Source Pollutant Load Variation in Rapid Urbanization Areas by Remote Sensing, Gis and the L-THIA Model: A Case in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tianhong; Bai, Fengjiao; Han, Peng; Zhang, Yuanyan

2016-11-01

Urban sprawl is a major driving force that alters local and regional hydrology and increases non-point source pollution. Using the Bao'an District in Shenzhen, China, a typical rapid urbanization area, as the study area and land-use change maps from 1988 to 2014 that were obtained by remote sensing, the contributions of different land-use types to NPS pollutant production were assessed with a localized long-term hydrologic impact assessment (L-THIA) model. The results show that the non-point source pollution load changed significantly both in terms of magnitude and spatial distribution. The loads of chemical oxygen demand, total suspended substances, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were affected by the interactions between event mean concentration and the magnitude of changes in land-use acreages and the spatial distribution. From 1988 to 2014, the loads of chemical oxygen demand, suspended substances and total phosphorus showed clearly increasing trends with rates of 132.48 %, 32.52 % and 38.76 %, respectively, while the load of total nitrogen decreased by 71.52 %. The immigrant population ratio was selected as an indicator to represent the level of rapid urbanization and industrialization in the study area, and a comparison analysis of the indicator with the four non-point source loads demonstrated that the chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads are linearly related to the immigrant population ratio. The results provide useful information for environmental improvement and city management in the study area.

Characterization of domestic graywater and graywater solids.

PubMed

Sievers, Jan Christian; Londong, Jörg

2018-03-01

The knowledge of loads and concentrations is fundamental for the design of graywater treatment units, but the data on the characteristics of graywater and in particular graywater solids are weak. As general design values regarding graywater treatment facilities are not available for Germany, the objective of this article is to elaborate the characteristics of graywater and graywater solids. This paper describes the results of six sampling campaigns carried out on graywater systems in the German cities Berlin, Lübeck and Kiel. All graywater samples were collected proportional to the flow and the graywater solids were gathered separately. The collected data include graywater volumes and characteristics regarding the organic pollution (chemical oxygen demand (COD), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 )) and nutrients (total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP)). The graywater volume fluctuated depending on the location. The specific average flow was 68 litre per inhabitant per day (L/inh.d). Inhabitant-specific loads of 49.3 gCOD t /inh·d, 28 gBOD 5 /inh.d, 1 gTN t /inh.d and 0.38 gTP t /inh.d (subscript 't' = total) were found. Information about the composition of graywater solids in terms of quantity and quality is seriously lacking. Therefore, graywater solids were examined with respect to organic matter (COD) and nutrients (TN, TP). The contribution of graywater solids with particle sizes over 200 microns in relation to the total inhabitant-specific load was approximately 3-8% depending on the parameter. The qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the investigated graywater fractions may serve as a base for the estimation of design values.

Evaluation of polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity in two onion varieties grown under organic and conventional production systems.

PubMed

Ren, Feiyue; Reilly, Kim; Gaffney, Michael; Kerry, Joseph P; Hossain, Mohammad; Rai, Dilip K

2017-07-01

Onions contain a number of bioactive compounds, in particular polyphenols. They are rich sources of such compounds in the human diet and offer significant health benefits to the consumer. Demand for organic crops is steadily increasing partly based on the expected health benefits of organic food consumption. The current study examines the influence of organic and conventional crop management practices on bioactive polyphenolic content of onion. We examined the effect of conventional, organic, and mixed cultivation practices on the content of total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in two varieties of onion grown over 4 years in a split-plot factorial systems comparison trial. Levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids showed a significant year-on-year variation and were significantly different between organic and conventional production systems. The levels of total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in general were significantly higher (P < 0.05) under fully organic compared to fully conventional management. Organic cultivation practices resulted in significantly higher levels of potential bioactive compounds in onion. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mapping the Green Infrastructure potential - and it's water-energy impacts on New York City roof Tops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engström, Rebecka; Destouni, Georgia; Howells, Mark

2017-04-01

Green Roofs have the potential to provide multiple services in cities. Besides acting as carbon sinks, providing noise reduction and decreasing air pollution - without requiring any additional "land-use" in a city (only roof-use), green roofs have a quantifiable potential to reduce direct and indirect energy and water use. They enhance the insulating capacity of a conventional residential roof and thereby decrease both cooling demands in summer and heating demands in winter. The former is further mitigated by the cooling effect of evapotranspiration from the roofs In New York City green roofs are additionally a valuable component of reducing "combined sewer overflows", as these roofs can retain storm water. This can improve water quality in the city's rivers as well as decrease the total volume of water treated in the city's wastewater treatment plants, thereby indirectly reduce energy demands. The impacts of green roofs on NYC's water-energy nexus has been initially studied (Engström et. al, forthcoming). The present study expands that work to more comprehensively investigate the potential of this type of nature-based solution in a dense city. By employing Geographical Information Systems analysis, the roof top area of New York City is analysed and roof space suitable for green roofs of varying types (ranging from extensive to intensive) are mapped and quantified. The total green roof area is then connected with estimates of potential water-energy benefits (and costs) of each type of green roof. The results indicate where green roofs can be beneficially installed throughout the city, and quantifies the related impacts on both water and energy use. These outputs can provide policy makers with valuable support when facing investment decisions in green infrastructure, in a city where there is great interest for these types of nature-based solutions.

Agricultural production and stability of settlement systems in Upper Mesopotamia during the Early Bronze Age (third millennium BCE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalayci, Tuna

This study investigates the relationship between rainfall variation and rain-fed agricultural production in Upper Mesopotamia with a specific focus on Early Bronze Age urban settlements. In return, the variation in production is used to explore stability of urban settlement systems. The organization of the flow of agricultural goods is the key to sustaining the total settlement system. The vulnerability of a settlement system increases due to the increased demand for more output from agricultural lands. This demand is the key for the success of urbanization project. However, without estimating how many foodstuffs were available at the end of a production cycle, further discussions on the forces that shaped and sustained urban settlement systems will be lacking. While large scale fluctuations in the flow of agricultural products between settlements are not the only determinants of hierarchical structures, the total available agricultural yield for each urban settlement in a hierarchy must have influenced settlement relations. As for the methodology, first, Early Bronze Age precipitation levels are estimated by using modern day associations between the eastern Mediterranean coastal areas and the inner regions of Upper Mesopotamia. Next, these levels are integrated into a remote-sensing based biological growth model. Also, a CORONA satellite imagery based archaeological survey is conducted in order to map the Early Bronze Age settlement system in its entirety as well as the ancient markers of agricultural intensification. Finally, ancient agricultural production landscapes are modeled in a GIS. The study takes a critical position towards the traditionally held assumption that large urban settlements (cities) in Upper Mesopotamia were in a state of constant demand for food. The results from this study also suggest that when variations in ancient precipitation levels are translated into the variations in production levels, the impact of climatic aridification on ancient settlement systems becomes less visible in the archaeological record.

NASA and the U.S. climate program - A problem in data management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quann, J. J.

1978-01-01

NASA's contribution to the total data base for the National Climate Plan will be to produce climate data sets from its experimental space observing systems and to maximize the value of these data for climate analysis and prediction. Validated data sets will be provided to NOAA for inclusion into their overall diagnostic data base. NASA data management for the Climate Plan will involve: (1) cataloging and retrieval of large integrated and distributed data sets upon user demand, and (2) the storage equivalent of 100,000 digital data tapes. It will be the largest, most complex data system ever developed by NASA

Site Selection and Resource Allocation of Oil Spill Emergency Base for Offshore Oil Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yunbin; Liu, Jingxian; Wei, Lei; Wu, Weihuang

2018-02-01

Based on the analysis of the historical data about oil spill accidents in the Bohai Sea, this paper discretizes oil spilled source into a limited number of spill points. According to the probability of oil spill risk, the demand for salvage forces at each oil spill point is evaluated. Aiming at the specific location of the rescue base around the Bohai Sea, a cost-benefit analysis is conducted to determine the total cost of disasters for each rescue base. Based on the relationship between the oil spill point and the rescue site, a multi-objective optimization location model for the oil spill rescue base in the Bohai Sea region is established. And the genetic algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem, and determine the emergency rescue base optimization program and emergency resources allocation ratio.

The demand for doctorally prepared public health personnel in institutions of higher education.

PubMed

Scutchfield, F D; Quimson, S; Williams, S J; Hofstetter, R

1988-01-01

We examined the demand for doctorally prepared public health personnel in academia. We developed an unduplicated list of positions advertised during 1983 in several of the nation's public health journals. Based on this, we identified a total of 217 available positions. We surveyed the persons who placed the advertisements regarding their perceptions of the applicant pool, their experiences in filling the positions, and their perceptions of the future supply of doctorally prepared public health personnel. Of the respondents, 93% were in institutions of higher education. Based on their response, it appears that the current supply of doctorally prepared public health personnel is short and is likely to continue to be limited. Respondents had difficulty filling the advertised positions, based on the amount of time necessary to fill the position, and a number of positions had to be modified in order to be filled. Thirty-two percent of the respondents replied that the pool of applicants was low or poor. Thirty-four percent felt there was a shortage of such personnel, and a similar percentage felt there would be a future shortage. Based on our data, we believe that there is now a shortage of doctorally educated public health personnel for academic positions and that this shortage is likely to continue.

Musculoskeletal health and work ability in physically demanding occupations: study protocol for a prospective field study on construction and health care workers.

PubMed

Lunde, Lars-Kristian; Koch, Markus; Knardahl, Stein; Wærsted, Morten; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Forsman, Mikael; Holtermann, Andreas; Veiersted, Kaj Bo

2014-10-16

Musculoskeletal disorders have a profound impact on individual health, sickness absence and early retirement, particularly in physically demanding occupations. Demographics are changing in the developed countries, towards increasing proportions of senior workers. These senior workers may have particular difficulties coping with physically demanding occupations while maintaining good health. Previous studies investigating the relationship between physical work demands and musculoskeletal disorders are mainly based on self-reported exposures and lack a prospective design. The aim of this paper is to describe the background and methods and discuss challenges for a field study examining physical demands in construction and health care work and their prospective associations with musculoskeletal disorders, work ability and sickness absence. This protocol describes a prospective cohort study on 1200 construction and health care workers. Participants will answer a baseline questionnaire concerning musculoskeletal complaints, general health, psychosocial and organizational factors at work, work demands, work ability and physical activity during leisure. A shorter questionnaire will be answered every 6th months for a total of two years, together with continuous sickness absence monitoring during this period. Analysis will prospectively consider associations between self-reported physical demands and musculoskeletal disorders, work ability and sickness absence. To obtain objective data on physical exposures, technical measurements will be collected from two subgroups of N = 300 (Group A) and N = 160 (Group B) during work and leisure. Both group A and B will be given a physical health examination, be tested for physical capacity and physical activity will be measured for four days. Additionally, muscle activity, ground reaction force, body positions and physical activity will be examined during one workday for Group B. Analysis of associations between objectively measured exposure data and the outcomes described above will be done separately for these subpopulations. The field study will at baseline produce objectively measured data on physical demands in the construction and health care occupations. In combination with clinical measurements and questionnaire data during follow-up, this will provide a solid foundation to prospectively investigate relationships between physical demands at work and development of musculoskeletal disorders, work ability and sickness absence.

A future Demand Side Management (DSM) opportunity for utility as variable renewable penetrate scale up using agriculture.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ines, A.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Modi, V.; Robertson, A. W.; Lall, U.; Kocaman Ayse, S.; Chaudhary, S.; Kumar, A.; Ganapathy, A.; Kumar, A.; Mishra, V.

2015-12-01

Energy demand management, also known as demand side management (DSM), is the modification of consumer demand for energy through various methods such as smart metering, incentive based schemes, payments for turning off loads or rescheduling loads. Usually, the goal of demand side management is to encourage the consumer to use less power during periods of peak demand, or to move the time of energy use to off-peak times. Peak demand management does not necessarily decrease total energy consumption, but could be expected to reduce the need for investments in networks and/or power plants for meeting peak demands. Electricity use can vary dramatically on short and medium time frames, and the pricing system may not reflect the instantaneous cost as additional higher-cost that are brought on-line. In addition, the capacity or willingness of electricity consumers to adjust to prices by altering elasticity of demand may be low, particularly over short time frames. In the scenario of Indian grid setup, the retail customers do not follow real-time pricing and it is difficult to incentivize the utility companies for continuing the peak demand supply. A question for the future is how deeper penetration of renewable will be handled? This is a challenging problem since one has to deal with high variability, while managing loss of load probabilities. In the case of managing the peak demand using agriculture, in the future as smart metering matures with automatic turn on/off for a pump, it will become possible to provide an ensured amount of water or energy to the farmer while keeping the grid energized for 24 hours. Supply scenarios will include the possibility of much larger penetration of solar and wind into the grid. While, in absolute terms these sources are small contributors, their role will inevitably grow but DSM using agriculture could help reduce the capital cost. The other option is of advancing or delaying pump operating cycle even by several hours, will still ensure soil moisture requirements met while, balancing the overall system load with generation, reducing critical power mismatches. Through this presentation the author will describe different techniques and results from field experiments in India.

Bioregenerative food system cost based on optimized menus for advanced life support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waters, Geoffrey C R.; Olabi, Ammar; Hunter, Jean B.; Dixon, Mike A.; Lasseur, Christophe

2002-01-01

Optimized menus for a bioregenerative life support system have been developed based on measures of crop productivity, food item acceptability, menu diversity, and nutritional requirements of crew. Crop-specific biomass requirements were calculated from menu recipe demands while accounting for food processing and preparation losses. Under the assumption of staggered planting, the optimized menu demanded a total crop production area of 453 m2 for six crew. Cost of the bioregenerative food system is estimated at 439 kg per menu cycle or 7.3 kg ESM crew-1 day-1, including agricultural waste processing costs. On average, about 60% (263.6 kg ESM) of the food system cost is tied up in equipment, 26% (114.2 kg ESM) in labor, and 14% (61.5 kg ESM) in power and cooling. This number is high compared to the STS and ISS (nonregenerative) systems but reductions in ESM may be achieved through intensive crop productivity improvements, reductions in equipment masses associated with crop production, and planning of production, processing, and preparation to minimize the requirement for crew labor.

Error image aware content restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Sungwoo; Lee, Moonsik; Jung, Byunghee

2015-12-01

As the resolution of TV significantly increased, content consumers have become increasingly sensitive to the subtlest defect in TV contents. This rising standard in quality demanded by consumers has posed a new challenge in today's context where the tape-based process has transitioned to the file-based process: the transition necessitated digitalizing old archives, a process which inevitably produces errors such as disordered pixel blocks, scattered white noise, or totally missing pixels. Unsurprisingly, detecting and fixing such errors require a substantial amount of time and human labor to meet the standard demanded by today's consumers. In this paper, we introduce a novel, automated error restoration algorithm which can be applied to different types of classic errors by utilizing adjacent images while preserving the undamaged parts of an error image as much as possible. We tested our method to error images detected from our quality check system in KBS(Korean Broadcasting System) video archive. We are also implementing the algorithm as a plugin of well-known NLE(Non-linear editing system), which is a familiar tool for quality control agent.

Sustainability of Welding Process through Bobbin Friction Stir Welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sued, M. K.; Samsuri, S. S. M.; Kassim, M. K. A. M.; Nasir, S. N. N. M.

2018-03-01

Welding process is in high demand, which required a competitive technology to be adopted. This is important for sustaining the needs of the joining industries without ignoring the impact of the process to the environment. Friction stir welding (FSW) is stated to be benefitting the environment through low energy consumption, which cannot be achieved through traditional arc welding. However, this is not well documented, especially for bobbin friction stir welding (BFSW). Therefore, an investigation is conducted by measuring current consumption of the machine during the BFSW process. From the measurement, different phases of BFSW welding process and its electrical demand are presented. It is found that in general total energy in BFSW is about 130kW inclusive of all identified process phases. The phase that utilise for joint formation is in weld phase that used the highest total energy of 120kWs. The recorded total energy is still far below the traditional welding technology and the conventional friction stir welding (CFSW) energy demand. This indicates that BFSW technology with its vast benefit able to sustain the joining technology in near future.

Water-saving analysis on an effective water reuse system in biodiesel feedstock production based on Chlorella zofingiensis fed-batch cultivation.

PubMed

Yang, Kang; Qin, Lei; Wang, Zhongming; Feng, Wei; Feng, Pingzhong; Zhu, Shunni; Xu, Jingliang; Yuan, Zhenhong

2015-01-01

The micralgae-based biofuel obtained from dairy wastewater (DWW) is considered a promising source of energy. However, this process consumes water due to the concentration of wastewater being normally too high for some micoralgae cultivation, and dilution is always needed. In this work, the cultivation of microalgae has been examined in non-recirculated water (NR) and recirculated water systems (R). The growth of Chlorella zofingiensis and the nutrient removal of DWW have been recorded. The comparison indicates the R had a little more advantage in biomass and lipid output (1.55, 0.22 g, respectively) than the NR (1.51, 0.20 g, respectively). However, the total chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and total phosphorus (TP) removals of the R were lower than those of the NR system during the culture. The highest removal of total COD, TKN, and TP were 85.05%, 93.64%, and 98.45%, respectively. Furthermore, no significant difference has been observed in the higher heating value and lipid content of the biomass of the R and NR. The results show the R can save 30% of the total water input during the culture. All above results indicate the R system has great potential in industry.

Unmet demand for training among mature age Australians: Prevalence, differentials and perceived causes.

PubMed

Adair, Tim; Lourey, Emma; Taylor, Philip

2016-03-01

To explore the prevalence of unmet demand for training by mature age Australians and to identify the main barriers to accessing training. A total of 3007 Australians aged 45-74 years were surveyed using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing. The sample frame was randomly selected and stratified based on the capital city and the rest of the state, and data were weighted to be nationally representative. Over one-third (37%) of respondents who had worked in the past five years reported wanting to attend some form of training but were unable to; these were most likely women and those aged 45-54 year. Commonly cited reasons for not being able to attend training included not being able to fit it in with work commitments, affordability and employer reluctance. Reduction of these barriers to workplace training can improve mature age people's ability to remain engaged in the workforce. © 2015 AJA Inc.

Applying the ICF to identify requirements for students with Asperger syndrome in higher education.

PubMed

Adolfsson, Margareta; Simmeborn Fleischer, Ann

2015-06-01

Higher education requires more than academic skills and everyday student-life can be stressful. Students with Asperger syndrome (AS) may need support to manage their education due to difficulties in social functioning. As preparation for the development of a structured tool to guide student and coordinator dialogues at Swedish universities, this study aimed to identify ICF categories that reflect requirements in everyday student-life for students with AS. Using descriptive qualitative approach, information in documents reflecting the perspectives of university students, international classifications, user/health organisations and education authorities were linked to ICF codes. In total, 114 ICF categories were identified, most of which related to learning, tasks and demands, communication and interactions. Students with AS need varying accommodations to be successful in higher education. In the future, ICF-based code sets, including demands on student roles, can be used as checklists to describe functioning and needs for support.

Correlations between Energy and Displacement Demands for Performance-Based Seismic Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mollaioli, Fabrizio; Bruno, Silvia; Decanini, Luis; Saragoni, Rodolfo

2011-01-01

The development of a scientific framework for performance-based seismic engineering requires, among other steps, the evaluation of ground motion intensity measures at a site and the characterization of their relationship with suitable engineering demand parameters (EDPs) which describe the performance of a structure. In order to be able to predict the damage resulting from earthquake ground motions in a structural system, it is first necessary to properly identify ground motion parameters that are well correlated with structural response and, in turn, with damage. Since structural damage during an earthquake ground motion may be due to excessive deformation or to cumulative cyclic damage, reliable methods for estimating displacement demands on structures are needed. Even though the seismic performance is directly related to the global and local deformations of the structure, energy-based methodologies appear more helpful in concept, as they permit a rational assessment of the energy absorption and dissipation mechanisms that can be effectively accomplished to balance the energy imparted to the structure. Moreover, energy-based parameters are directly related to cycles of response of the structure and, therefore, they can implicitly capture the effect of ground motion duration, which is ignored by conventional spectral parameters. Therefore, the identification of reliable relationships between energy and displacement demands represents a fundamental issue in both the development of more reliable seismic code provisions and the evaluation of seismic vulnerability aimed at the upgrading of existing hazardous facilities. As these two aspects could become consistently integrated within a performance-based seismic design methodology, understanding how input and dissipated energy are correlated with displacement demands emerges as a decisive prerequisite. The aim of the present study is the establishment of functional relationships between input and dissipated energy (that can be considered as parameters representative of the amplitude, frequency content and duration of earthquake ground motions) and displacement-based response measures that are well correlated to structural and non-structural damage. For the purpose of quantifying the EDPs to be related to the energy measures, for comprehensive range of ground motion and structural characteristics, both simplified and more accurate numerical models will be used in this study for the estimation of local and global displacement and energy demands. Parametric linear and nonlinear time-history analyses will be performed on elastic and inelastic SDOF and MDOF systems, in order to assume information on the seismic response of a wide range of current structures. Hysteretic models typical of frame force/displacement behavior will be assumed for the local inelastic cyclic response of the systems. A wide range of vibration periods will be taken into account so as to define displacement, interstory drift and energy spectra for MDOF systems. Various scalar measures related to the deformation demand will be used in this research. These include the spectral displacements, the peak roof drift ratio, and the peak interstory drift ratio. A total of about 900 recorded ground motions covering a broad variety of condition in terms of frequency content, duration and amplitude will be used as input in the dynamic analyses. The records are obtained from 40 earthquakes and grouped as a function of magnitude of the event, source-to-site condition and site soil condition. In addition, in the data-set of records a considerable number of near-fault signals is included, in recognition of the particular significance of pulse-like time histories in causing large seismic demands to the structures.

Status of national CO{sub 2}-mitigation projects and initiatives in the Philippine energy sector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tupas, C.T.

1996-12-31

The Philippines has a huge energy requirement for the next 30 years in order to achieve its economic growth target. Based on an expected annual GDP growth rate of 6.9 percent, the Philippines total energy requirement is estimated to increase at an average of 6.6 percent annually from 1996 to 2025. Gross energy demand shall increase from 219.0 million barrels of fuel oil equivalent (MMBFOE) in 1996 to 552.4 MMBFOE in 2010 and 1,392.6 MMBFOE by 2025. These energy demand levels shall be driven primarily by the substantial increase in fuel requirements for power generation whose share of total energymore » requirement is 28.3 percent in 1996, 48.0 percent in 2010 and 55.0 percent in 2025. With the expected increase in energy demand, there will necessarily be adverse impacts on the environment. Energy projects and their supporting systems - from fuel extraction and storage to distribution - can and will be major contributors not only to local but also to regional and global environmental pollution and degradation. International experiences and trends in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory have shown that the energy sector has always been the dominant source of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) - the principal contributor to global climate change. The energy sector`s CO{sub 2} emissions come primarily from fossil fuels combustion. Since energy use is the dominant source of CO{sub 2} emissions, efforts should therefore be concentrated on designing a mitigation strategy in this sector.« less

Total Water Management - slides

EPA Science Inventory

Total Water Management (TWM) examines urban water systems in an interconnected manner. It encompasses reducing water demands, increasing water recycling and reuse, creating water supply assets from stormwater management, matching water quality to end-use needs, and achieving envi...

Effects of rainfalls variability and physical-chemical parameters on enteroviruses in sewage and lagoon in Yopougon, Côte d'Ivoire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momou, Kouassi Julien; Akoua-Koffi, Chantal; Traoré, Karim Sory; Akré, Djako Sosthène; Dosso, Mireille

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess the variability of the content of nutrients, oxidizable organic and particulate matters in raw sewage and the lagoon on the effect of rainfall. Then evaluate the impact of these changes in the concentration of enteroviruses (EVs) in waters. The sewage samples were collected at nine sampling points along the channel, which flows, into a tropical lagoon in Yopougon. Physical-chemical parameters (5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Suspended Particulate Matter, Total Phosphorus, Orthophosphate, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen and Nitrate) as well as the concentration of EV in these waters were determined. The average numbers of EV isolated from the outlet of the channel were 9.06 × 104 PFU 100 ml-1. Consequently, EV was present in 55.55 and 33.33 % of the samples in the 2 brackish lagoon collection sites. The effect of rainfall on viral load at the both sewage and brackish lagoon environments is significant correlate (two-way ANOVA, P < 0.05). Furthermore, in lagoon environment, nutrients (Orthophosphate, Total Phosphorus), 5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand and Suspended Particulate Matter were significant correlated with EVs loads ( P < 0.05 by Pearson test). The overall results highlight the problem of sewage discharge into the lagoon and correlation between viral loads and water quality parameters in sewage and lagoon.

Supercritical methanol for polyethylene terephthalate depolymerization: Observation using simulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Genta, Minoru; Iwaya, Tomoko; Sasaki, Mitsuru

2007-07-01

To apply PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol to commercial recycling, the benefits of supercritical methanol usage in PET depolymerization was investigated from the viewpoint of the reaction rate and energy demands. PET was depolymerized in a batch reactor at 573 K in supercritical methanol under 14.7 MPa and in vapor methanol under 0.98 MPa in our previous work. The main products of both reactions were the PET monomers of dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and ethylene glycol (EG). The rate of PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol was faster than that of PET depolymerization in vapor methanol. This indicates supercritical fluid is beneficialmore » in reducing reaction time without the use of a catalyst. We depicted the simple process flow of PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol and in vapor methanol, and by simulation evaluated the total heat demand of each process. In this simulation, bis-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET) was used as a model component of PET. The total heat demand of PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol was 2.35 x 10{sup 6} kJ/kmol Produced-DMT. That of PET depolymerization in vapor methanol was 2.84 x 10{sup 6} kJ/kmol Produced-DMT. The smaller total heat demand of PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol clearly reveals the advantage of using supercritical fluid in terms of energy savings.« less

Evidence of market-driven size-selective fishing and the mediating effects of biological and institutional factors.

PubMed

Reddy, Sheila M W; Wentz, Allison; Aburto-Oropeza, Octavio; Maxey, Martin; Nagavarapu, Sriniketh; Leslie, Heather M

2013-06-01

Market demand is often ignored or assumed to lead uniformly to the decline of resources. Yet little is known about how market demand influences natural resources in particular contexts, or the mediating effects of biological or institutional factors. Here, we investigate this problem by examining the Pacific red snapper (Lutjanus peru) fishery around La Paz, Mexico, where medium or "plate-sized" fish are sold to restaurants at a premium price. If higher demand for plate-sized fish increases the relative abundance of the smallest (recruit size class) and largest (most fecund) fish, this may be a market mechanism to increase stocks and fishermen's revenues. We tested this hypothesis by estimating the effect of prices on the distribution of catch across size classes using daily records of prices and catch. We linked predictions from this economic choice model to a staged-based model of the fishery to estimate the effects on the stock and revenues from harvest. We found that the supply of plate-sized fish increased by 6%, while the supply of large fish decreased by 4% as a result of a 13% price premium for plate-sized fish. This market-driven size selection increased revenues (14%) but decreased total fish biomass (-3%). However, when market-driven size selection was combined with limited institutional constraints, both fish biomass (28%) and fishermen's revenue (22%) increased. These results show that the direction and magnitude of the effects of market demand on biological populations and human behavior can depend on both biological attributes and institutional constraints. Fisheries management may capitalize on these conditional effects by implementing size-based regulations when economic and institutional incentives will enhance compliance, as in the case we describe here, or by creating compliance enhancing conditions for existing regulations.

An empirical analysis of cigarette demand in Argentina

PubMed Central

Martinez, Eugenio; Mejia, Raul; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J

2014-01-01

Objective To estimate the long-term and short-term effects on cigarette demand in Argentina based on changes in cigarette price and income per person >14 years old. Method Public data from the Ministry of Economics and Production were analysed based on monthly time series data between 1994 and 2010. The econometric analysis used cigarette consumption per person >14 years of age as the dependent variable and the real income per person >14 years old and the real average price of cigarettes as independent variables. Empirical analyses were done to verify the order of integration of the variables, to test for cointegration to capture the long-term effects and to capture the short-term dynamics of the variables. Results The demand for cigarettes in Argentina was affected by changes in real income and the real average price of cigarettes. The long-term income elasticity was equal to 0.43, while the own-price elasticity was equal to −0.31, indicating a 10% increase in the growth of real income led to an increase in cigarette consumption of 4.3% and a 10% increase in the price produced a fall of 3.1% in cigarette consumption. The vector error correction model estimated that the short-term income elasticity was 0.25 and the short-term own-price elasticity of cigarette demand was −0.15. A simulation exercise showed that increasing the price of cigarettes by 110% would maximise revenues and result in a potentially large decrease in total cigarette consumption. Conclusion Econometric analyses of cigarette consumption and their relationship with cigarette price and income can provide valuable information for developing cigarette price policy. PMID:23760657

An empirical analysis of cigarette demand in Argentina.

PubMed

Martinez, Eugenio; Mejia, Raul; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J

2015-01-01

To estimate the long-term and short-term effects on cigarette demand in Argentina based on changes in cigarette price and income per person >14 years old. Public data from the Ministry of Economics and Production were analysed based on monthly time series data between 1994 and 2010. The econometric analysis used cigarette consumption per person >14 years of age as the dependent variable and the real income per person >14 years old and the real average price of cigarettes as independent variables. Empirical analyses were done to verify the order of integration of the variables, to test for cointegration to capture the long-term effects and to capture the short-term dynamics of the variables. The demand for cigarettes in Argentina was affected by changes in real income and the real average price of cigarettes. The long-term income elasticity was equal to 0.43, while the own-price elasticity was equal to -0.31, indicating a 10% increase in the growth of real income led to an increase in cigarette consumption of 4.3% and a 10% increase in the price produced a fall of 3.1% in cigarette consumption. The vector error correction model estimated that the short-term income elasticity was 0.25 and the short-term own-price elasticity of cigarette demand was -0.15. A simulation exercise showed that increasing the price of cigarettes by 110% would maximise revenues and result in a potentially large decrease in total cigarette consumption. Econometric analyses of cigarette consumption and their relationship with cigarette price and income can provide valuable information for developing cigarette price policy. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

In-Class Simulation of Pooling Safety Stock

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bandy, D. Brent

2005-01-01

In managing business process flows, safety stock can be used to protect against stockouts due to demand variability. When more than one location is involved, the concept of aggregation enables the pooling of demands and associated inventories, resulting in improved service levels without increasing the total level of safety stock. This pooling of…

Wood Residue Distribution Simulator (WORDS)

Treesearch

Douglas A. Eza; James W. McMinn; Peter E. Dress

1984-01-01

Successful development of woody biomass for energy will depend on the distribution of local supply and demand within subregions, rather than on the total inventory of residues. The Wood Residue Distribution Simulator (WORDS) attempts to find a least-cost allocation of residues from local sources of supply to local sources of demand, given the cost of the materials,...

DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTI-TIERED INSECT RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR GENETICALLY MODIFIED CORN HYBRIDS EXPRESSING THE PLANT INCORPORATED PROTECTANT, BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS

EPA Science Inventory

A significant increase in genetically modified corn planting driven by biofuel demand is expected for the 2007 growing season with future planted acreages approaching 80% of total corn plantings anticipated by 2009. As demand increases, incidence of farmer non-compliance with ma...

The 18/30 GHz fixed communications system service demand assessment. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabriszeski, T.; Reiner, P.; Rogers, J.; Terbo, W.

1979-01-01

The total demand for voice, video, and data communications services, and satellite transmission services at the 4/6 GHz, 12/14 GHz, and 18/30 GHz frequencies is discussed. Major study objectives, overall methodology, results, and general observations about a satellite systems market characteristics and trends are summarized.

[The demand for health care services in the gender identity units of Andalusia and Catalonia during the period of 2000 to 2009].

PubMed

Gómez-Gil, E; Esteva de Antonio, I; Almaraz, M C; Godás Sieso, T; Halperin Rabinovich, I; Soriguer Escofet, F

2011-05-01

To evaluate the demand for public health services in two gender identity disorder units (Andalusia and Catalonia) during the period of 2000-2009. A descriptive and comparative study was made of the demand for health services, the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, and the sex reassignment surgeries performed. A total of 828 subjects in Andalusia and 549 in Catalonia requested clinical assistance. In both communities, the percentages of cases diagnosed of transsexualism (88 vs 89.7%), the percentages excluded in the sex reassignment program (16.7 vs 15.3%), the male/female ratio (1.6:1 vs 2.1:1), and the mean age (28 vs 29 years) were similar. A total of 284 sex-reassignment surgeries were performed in Andalusia and 50 in Catalonia. The demand has been maintained in Andalusia and has increased in Catalonia in recent years. The basic demographic and clinical characteristics of transsexual patients were similar between both units and comparable to those of other countries. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Factor demand in Swedish manufacturing industry with special reference to the demand for energy. Instantaneous adjustment models; some results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sjoeholm, K. R.

1981-02-01

The dual approach to the theory of production is used to estimate factor demand functions of the Swedish manufacturing industry. Two approximations of the cost function, the translog and the generalized Leontief models, are used. The price elasticities of the factor demand do not seem to depend on the choice of model. This is at least true as to the sign pattern and as to the inputs capital, labor, total energy and other materials. Total energy is separated into solid fuels, gasoline, fuel oil, electricity and a residual. Fuel oil and electricity are found to be substitutes by both models. Capital and energy are shown to be substitutes. This implies that Swedish industry will save more energy if the capital cost can be reduced. Both models are, in the best versions, able to detect an inappropriate variable. The assumption of perfect competition on the product market, is shown to be inadequate by both models. When this assumption is relaxed, the normal substitution pattern among the inputs is resumed.

Geostatistical modeling of the spatial distribution of sediment oxygen demand within a Coastal Plain blackwater watershed

PubMed Central

Todd, M. Jason; Lowrance, R. Richard; Goovaerts, Pierre; Vellidis, George; Pringle, Catherine M.

2010-01-01

Blackwater streams are found throughout the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States and are characterized by a series of instream floodplain swamps that play a critical role in determining the water quality of these systems. Within the state of Georgia, many of these streams are listed in violation of the state’s dissolved oxygen (DO) standard. Previous work has shown that sediment oxygen demand (SOD) is elevated in instream floodplain swamps and due to these areas of intense oxygen demand, these locations play a major role in determining the oxygen balance of the watershed as a whole. This work also showed SOD rates to be positively correlated with the concentration of total organic carbon. This study builds on previous work by using geostatistics and Sequential Gaussian Simulation to investigate the patchiness and distribution of total organic carbon (TOC) at the reach scale. This was achieved by interpolating TOC observations and simulated SOD rates based on a linear regression. Additionally, this study identifies areas within the stream system prone to high SOD at representative 3rd and 5th order locations. Results show that SOD was spatially correlated with the differences in distribution of TOC at both locations and that these differences in distribution are likely a result of the differing hydrologic regime and watershed position. Mapping of floodplain soils at the watershed scale shows that areas of organic sediment are widespread and become more prevalent in higher order streams. DO dynamics within blackwater systems are a complicated mix of natural and anthropogenic influences, but this paper illustrates the importance of instream swamps in enhancing SOD at the watershed scale. Moreover, our study illustrates the influence of instream swamps on oxygen demand while providing support that many of these systems are naturally low in DO. PMID:20938491

[Sports participation after joint arthroplasty].

PubMed

Dauty, M; Letenneur, J

2007-12-01

To recommand sports activities after joint arthroplasty from the literature analysis, the French surgeon's opinion and wish patients. From the Medline data base interrogation according to keywords: Sports, Arthroplasty, Athletics, Physical training, two different readers, an orthopedic surgeon and a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician selected articles in French or English language according to the level of proofs of the french classification of the Accreditation and Health Evaluation National Agency (Anaes). Professional practices were estimated by the interrogation of 30 orthopedic surgeons members of the french West Orthopaedics Society (SOO). The demand of sports practice was studied with patients recently operated for a primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) after gonarthrosis. Twenty-two articles were selected from 305 articles obtained by the search according to keywords. Ten literature reviews are limited by the absence of prospective randomized study. A level II study and eleven level IV articles are reported. According to the subjective orthropedic surgeon's opinion, the objective results based on the joint load studied and the percentage of arthroplasty revision, sport is beneficial for the individual health but perhaps not for the arthroplasty survey. However, aerobic and leisure activities are recommended (walking, swimming, cycling) in agreement with the demand of the patients recently operated with a TKA. TKA differs from Total Hip Arthroplasty for jogging because of knee joint constraints during the knee flexion. A single study reports sports possibilities after shoulder arthroplasty and ankle arthroplasty and no study reports results after elbow arthroplasty.

Total hip arthroplasty in dwarfism. A case report.

PubMed

De Fine, Marcello; Traina, Francesco; Palmonari, Massimo; Tassinari, Enrico; Toni, Aldo

2008-05-01

In dwarfism hip arthritis, usually secondary to hip dysplasia, is a common finding at an early age. In these patients a joint replacement is a demanding procedure due to the peculiar joint deformity and the small size of the bones. We present a case of a bilateral hip replacement in a dwarf patient. In order to reduce intraoperative complications and improve the joint kinematics a thorough preoperative planning was performed by a CT based computerised system. On the basis of the planning we chose a conical shaped stem that enable as to restore limb length and offset with a low risk of femoral fracture. In conclusion, we consider total hip replacement in dwarfism a safe and effective procedure if an accurate preoperative planning is performed.

Global aesthetic surgery statistics: a closer look.

PubMed

Heidekrueger, Paul I; Juran, S; Ehrl, D; Aung, T; Tanna, N; Broer, P Niclas

2017-08-01

Obtaining quality global statistics about surgical procedures remains an important yet challenging task. The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) reports the total number of surgical and non-surgical procedures performed worldwide on a yearly basis. While providing valuable insight, ISAPS' statistics leave two important factors unaccounted for: (1) the underlying base population, and (2) the number of surgeons performing the procedures. Statistics of the published ISAPS' 'International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Surgery' were analysed by country, taking into account the underlying national base population according to the official United Nations population estimates. Further, the number of surgeons per country was used to calculate the number of surgeries performed per surgeon. In 2014, based on ISAPS statistics, national surgical procedures ranked in the following order: 1st USA, 2nd Brazil, 3rd South Korea, 4th Mexico, 5th Japan, 6th Germany, 7th Colombia, and 8th France. When considering the size of the underlying national populations, the demand for surgical procedures per 100,000 people changes the overall ranking substantially. It was also found that the rate of surgical procedures per surgeon shows great variation between the responding countries. While the US and Brazil are often quoted as the countries with the highest demand for plastic surgery, according to the presented analysis, other countries surpass these countries in surgical procedures per capita. While data acquisition and quality should be improved in the future, valuable insight regarding the demand for surgical procedures can be gained by taking specific demographic and geographic factors into consideration.

Prevalence, Incidence, and Sex Ratio of Transsexualism in the Autonomous Region of Madrid (Spain) According to Healthcare Demand.

PubMed

Becerra-Fernández, Antonio; Rodríguez-Molina, José Miguel; Asenjo-Araque, Nuria; Lucio-Pérez, María Jesús; Cuchí-Alfaro, Miguel; García-Camba, Eduardo; Pérez-López, Gilberto; Menacho-Román, Miriam; Berrocal-Sertucha, María Carmen; Ly-Pen, Domingo; Aguilar-Vilas, María Victorina

2017-07-01

In recent years, different studies have provided estimates of the prevalence of transsexualism with very diverse results. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence, incidence, and sex ratio of transsexualism in the autonomous region of Madrid (Spain). A total of 1234 patients who attended from 2007 to the end of 2015 in the only Gender Identity Unit (GIU) in Madrid were analyzed. Sixty-three patients were excluded for various reasons; thus, 1171 could be included: 803 male-to-female (MtF) and 368 female-to-male (FtM) transsexual patients. Transsexualism was diagnosed based on the ICD-10, World Health Organization, 1992, and/or gender identity disorder based on the DSM-IV-TR, American Psychiatric Association, 2000. The demographic statistics were calculated on the basis of the population over 15 years old of Madrid. Based on healthcare demand, the prevalence of transsexualism was 22.1 in 100,000 inhabitants: 31.2 for MtF and 12.9 for FtM, making the MtF/FtM ratio approximately 2.2:1. The incidence rate was 2.5 in 100,000 inhabitants, representing an annual average of 130 demands. Although transsexualism occurs in all countries with different rates of prevalence, in our area, this prevalence was higher than reported from other European countries. We believe that two main circumstances might influence this high prevalence: the easy accessibility and the absence of a waiting list to the GIU, and the permissive social and legal climate and openness of Spain, especially in Madrid.

Mapping the ecosystem service delivery chain: Capacity, flow, and demand pertaining to aesthetic experiences in mountain landscapes.

PubMed

Egarter Vigl, Lukas; Depellegrin, Daniel; Pereira, Paulo; de Groot, Rudolf; Tappeiner, Ulrike

2017-01-01

Accounting for the spatial connectivity between the provision of ecosystem services (ES) and their beneficiaries (supply-benefit chain) is fundamental to understanding ecosystem functioning and its management. However, the interrelationships of the specific chain links within ecosystems and the actual benefits that flow from natural landscapes to surrounding land have rarely been analyzed. We present a spatially explicit model for the analysis of one cultural ecosystem service (aesthetic experience), which integrates the complete ecosystem service delivery chain for Puez-Geisler Nature Park (Italy): (1) The potential service stock (ES capacity) relies on an expert-based land use ranking matrix, (2) the actual supply (ES flow) is based on visibility properties of observation points along recreational routes, (3) the beneficiaries of the service (ES demand) are derived from socioeconomic data as a measure of the visitation rate to the recreation location, and (4) the supply-demand relationship (ES budget) addresses the spatially explicit oversupply and undersupply of ES. The results indicate that potential ES stocks are substantially higher in core and buffer zones of protected areas than in surrounding land owing to the specific landscape composition. ES flow maps reveal service delivery to 80% of the total area studied, with the highest actual service supply to locations with long and open vistas. ES beneficiary analyses show the highest demand for aesthetic experiences in all-season tourist destinations like Val Badia and Val Gardena, where both recreational amenity and overnight stays are equally high. ES budget maps identify ES hot and cold spots in terms of ES delivery, and they highlight ES undersupply in nature protection buffer zones although they are characterized by highest ES capacity. We show how decision/policy makers can use the presented methodology to plan landscape protection measures and develop specific regulation strategies for visitors based on the ES delivery chain concept. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrated Modeling Approach for Optimal Management of Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xiaodong; Vesselinov, Velimir Valentinov

We report that water, energy and food (WEF) are inextricably interrelated. Effective planning and management of limited WEF resources to meet current and future socioeconomic demands for sustainable development is challenging. WEF production/delivery may also produce environmental impacts; as a result, green-house-gas emission control will impact WEF nexus management as well. Nexus management for WEF security necessitates integrated tools for predictive analysis that are capable of identifying the tradeoffs among various sectors, generating cost-effective planning and management strategies and policies. To address these needs, we have developed an integrated model analysis framework and tool called WEFO. WEFO provides a multi-periodmore » socioeconomic model for predicting how to satisfy WEF demands based on model inputs representing productions costs, socioeconomic demands, and environmental controls. WEFO is applied to quantitatively analyze the interrelationships and trade-offs among system components including energy supply, electricity generation, water supply-demand, food production as well as mitigation of environmental impacts. WEFO is demonstrated to solve a hypothetical nexus management problem consistent with real-world management scenarios. Model parameters are analyzed using global sensitivity analysis and their effects on total system cost are quantified. Lastly, the obtained results demonstrate how these types of analyses can be helpful for decision-makers and stakeholders to make cost-effective decisions for optimal WEF management.« less

Integrated Modeling Approach for Optimal Management of Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Xiaodong; Vesselinov, Velimir Valentinov

2016-12-28

We report that water, energy and food (WEF) are inextricably interrelated. Effective planning and management of limited WEF resources to meet current and future socioeconomic demands for sustainable development is challenging. WEF production/delivery may also produce environmental impacts; as a result, green-house-gas emission control will impact WEF nexus management as well. Nexus management for WEF security necessitates integrated tools for predictive analysis that are capable of identifying the tradeoffs among various sectors, generating cost-effective planning and management strategies and policies. To address these needs, we have developed an integrated model analysis framework and tool called WEFO. WEFO provides a multi-periodmore » socioeconomic model for predicting how to satisfy WEF demands based on model inputs representing productions costs, socioeconomic demands, and environmental controls. WEFO is applied to quantitatively analyze the interrelationships and trade-offs among system components including energy supply, electricity generation, water supply-demand, food production as well as mitigation of environmental impacts. WEFO is demonstrated to solve a hypothetical nexus management problem consistent with real-world management scenarios. Model parameters are analyzed using global sensitivity analysis and their effects on total system cost are quantified. Lastly, the obtained results demonstrate how these types of analyses can be helpful for decision-makers and stakeholders to make cost-effective decisions for optimal WEF management.« less

Halophytes, Algae, and Bacteria Food and Fuel Feedstocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, R. C.; Bushnell, D. M.

2009-01-01

The constant, increasing demand for energy, freshwater, and food stresses our ability to meet these demands within reasonable cost and impact on climate while sustaining quality of life. This environmental Triangle of Conflicts between energy, food, and water--while provoked by anthropogenic monetary and power struggles--can be resolved through an anthropogenic paradigm shift in how we produce and use energy, water, and food. With world population (6.6 billion) projected to increase 40 percent in 40 to 60 yr, proper development of saline agriculture and aquaculture is required, as 43 percent of the Earth's landmass is arid or semi-arid and 97 percent of the Earth's water is seawater. In light of this, we seek fuel alternatives in plants that thrive in brackish and saltwater with the ability to survive in arid lands. The development and application of these plants (halophytes) become the primary focus. Herein we introduce some not-so-familiar halophytes and present a few of their benefits, cite a few research projects (including some on the alternatives algae and bacteria), and then set theoretical limits on biomass production followed by projections in terms of world energy demands. Based on diverse arid lands with a total size equivalent to the Sahara Desert (8.6(exp 8) ha, or 2.1(exp 9) acres), these projections show that halophyte agriculture and algae systems can provide for the projected world energy demand.

A Budget Impact Model of Hemophilia Bypassing Agent Prophylaxis Relative to Recombinant Factor VIIa On-Demand.

PubMed

Mehta, Darshan A; Oladapo, Abiola O; Epstein, Joshua D; Novack, Aaron R; Neufeld, Ellis J; Hay, Joel W

2016-02-01

Hemophilia patients use factor-clotting concentrates (factor VIII for hemophilia A and factor IX for hemophilia B) for improved blood clotting. These products are used to prevent or stop bleeding episodes. However, some hemophilia patients develop inhibitors (i.e., the patient's immune system develops antibodies against these factor concentrates). Hence, these patients do not respond well to the factor concentrates. A majority of hemophilia patients with inhibitors are managed on-demand with the following bypassing agents: recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) and activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC). The recently published U.S. registries Dosing Observational Study in Hemophilia (DOSE) and Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Society (HTRS) reported higher rFVIIa on-demand use for bleed management than previously described. To estimate aPCC and rFVIIa prophylaxis costs relative to rFVIIa on-demand treatment cost based on rFVIIa doses reported in U.S. registries. A literature-based cost model was developed assuming a base case on-demand annual bleed rate (ABR) of 28.7 per inhibitor patient, which was taken from a randomized phase 3 clinical trial. The doses for rFVIIa on-demand were taken from the median dose per bleed reported by the DOSE and HTRS registries. Model inputs for aPCC and rFVIIa prophylaxis (i.e., dosing and efficacy) were derived from respective randomized clinical trials. Cost analysis was from the U.S. payer perspective, and only direct drug costs were considered. The drug cost was based on the Medicare Part B 2014 average sale price (ASP). Two-way sensitivity and threshold analyses were performed by simultaneously varying on-demand ABR, prophylaxis efficacy, and unit drug cost. In addition to studying relative costs associated with on-demand and prophylaxis treatments, relative cost per bleeding episode avoided were also calculated for aPCC and rFVIIa prophylaxis treatments. The prophylaxis efficacy reported in the trials were used to determine the number of bleeding episodes avoided. Based on the median on-demand dose of 695 mcg per kg per bleed, reported by the DOSE registry, the annual rFVIIa on-demand cost was $34,009 per kg of body weight. The annual rFVIIa on-demand cost was $22,020 per kg of body weight when the median dose of 450 mcg per kg per bleed reported by the HTRS registry was considered. The annual cost rose to $38,461 per kg of body weight when the rFVIIa on-demand dose of 786 mcg per kg per bleed among patients infusing an initial dose ≥ 250 mcg per kg was considered. The aPCC (85 units per kg per every other day) and rFVIIa (90 mcg per kg per every day) annual prophylaxis costs were $26,536 and $60,700, respectively. Also, aPCC and rFVIIa prophyaxis treatments were estimated to prevent a total of 20.8 and 12.9 annual bleeding episodes, respectively. When compared with the on-demand dose of 695 mcg per kg per bleed (DOSE registry), the annual aPCC and rFVIIa prophylaxis costs were 21.9% lower and 78.4% higher, respectively. Additionally, aPCC prophylaxis saved $360 per kg for each bleeding episode avoided. rFVIIa prophylaxis cost $2,066 per kg for each bleeding episode avoided. Compared with the on-demand dose of 450 mcg per kg per bleed (HTRS registry), aPCC and rFVIIa prophylaxis costs were 20.5% and 174.9% higher, respectively. In this case, aPCC and rFVIIa prophylaxis treatment costs were $217 per kg and $2,995 per kg, respectively, for each bleeding episode avoided. aPCC and rFVIIa prophylaxis costs were 31.0% lower and 57.8% higher, respectively, when compared with the rFVIIa on-demand dose of 786 mcg per kg per bleed, among patients infusing an initial dose ≥ 250 mcg per kg (HTRS registry). In this case, aPCC prophylaxis saved $573 per kg for each bleeding episode avoided, while rFVIIa prophylaxis costs $1,724 per kg for each bleeding episode avoided. Results of the 2-way sensitivity analyses were robust in the majority of the scenarios considered. aPCC prophylaxis may be cost saving for managing hemophilia patients with inhibitors who bleed frequently and infuse significant quantities of rFVIIa on-demand.

How much runoff originates as snow in the western United States, and how will that change in the future?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dongyue; Wrzesien, Melissa L.; Durand, Michael; Adam, Jennifer; Lettenmaier, Dennis P.

2017-06-01

In the western United States, the seasonal phase of snow storage bridges between winter-dominant precipitation and summer-dominant water demand. The critical role of snow in water supply has been frequently quantified using the ratio of snowmelt-derived runoff to total runoff. However, current estimates of the fraction of annual runoff generated by snowmelt are not based on systematic analyses. Here based on hydrological model simulations and a new snowmelt tracking algorithm, we show that 53% of the total runoff in the western United States originates as snowmelt, despite only 37% of the precipitation falling as snow. In mountainous areas, snowmelt is responsible for 70% of the total runoff. By 2100, the contribution of snowmelt to runoff will decrease by one third for the western U.S. in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 scenario. Snowmelt-derived runoff currently makes up two thirds of the inflow to the region's major reservoirs. We argue that substantial impacts on water supply are likely in a warmer climate.

Identifying the critical physical demanding tasks of paramedic work: Towards the development of a physical employment standard.

PubMed

Fischer, Steven L; Sinden, Kathryn E; MacPhee, Renee S

2017-11-01

Public safety related occupations including police, fire and military commonly apply physical employment standard (PES) to facilitate job matching, an approach to evaluate if candidates demonstrate acceptable physical capabilities as required to perform the job safely and effectively. In Canada, paramedics remain as one of the few public safety occupations without an evidence-based, validated PES. The purpose of this study was to document and describe the physical demands of paramedic work and to identify the most physically demanding tasks. These outcomes are essential to inform the design and development of an evidence-based PES for the paramedic sector. Physical demands of paramedic work were documented and described using a direct observation-based task analysis technique. Five paramedic's were trained to document the physical demands of their work, then applied their training to observe more than 90 calls over the course of 20 full 12-h work shifts. Physical demands data were then listed in a survey, administered service-wide, where 155 frontline paramedics identified critically demanding tasks and rank-ordered physical demands from not physically demanding to very strongly demanding. Critically important and physically demanding tasks were identified such as: transferring a patient; loading or unloading a stretcher in to or out of the ambulance; performing CPR; and, raising and lowering a stretcher. It is important that a paramedic-based PES evaluate a candidate's physical capabilities to perform the critical and physically demanding tasks identified in this study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Base Stock Policy in a Join-Type Production Line with Advanced Demand Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiraiwa, Mikihiko; Tsubouchi, Satoshi; Nakade, Koichi

Production control such as the base stock policy, the kanban policy and the constant work-in-process policy in a serial production line has been studied by many researchers. Production lines, however, usually have fork-type, join-type or network-type figures. In addition, in most previous studies on production control, a finished product is required at the same time as arrival of demand at the system. Demand information is, however, informed before due date in practice. In this paper a join-type (assembly) production line under base stock control with advanced demand information in discrete time is analyzed. The recursive equations for the work-in-process are derived. The heuristic algorithm for finding appropriate base stock levels of all machines at short time is proposed and the effect of advanced demand information is examined by simulation with the proposed algorithm. It is shown that the inventory cost can decreases with little backlogs by using the appropriate amount of demand information and setting appropriate base stock levels.

The cost of demand creation activities and voluntary medical male circumcision targeting school-going adolescents in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Voluntary medical male circumcision is an integral part of the South African government’s response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. However, there remains a limited body of economic analysis on the cost of VMMC programming, and the demand creation activities used to mobilize males, especially among adolescent boys in school. This study addresses this gap by presenting the costs of a VMMC program which adopted two demand creation strategies targeting school-going males in South Africa. Methods Cost data was collected from a VMMC program in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A retrospective, micro-costing ingredient approach was applied to identify, measure and value resources of two demand creation strategies targeting young males. Results The program circumcised 4987 young males between May 2011 and February 2013, at a cost of $127.68 per circumcision. Demand creation activities accounted for 32% of the total cost, HCT contributing 10% with the medical circumcision procedure accounting for 58% of the total cost. Using the first demand creation strategy, 2168 circumcisions were performed at a cost of $149.57 per circumcision. Following this first strategy, a second demand creation strategy was adopted which saw the cost fall to $110.85 per circumcision. More young males were recruited following the second strategy with clinic services more efficiently utilized. Whilst the cost per circumcision of demand activities rose slightly between the first ($39.94) and second ($41.65) strategy, there was a substantial reduction in the cost of the circumcision procedure; $90.01 under the first strategy falling to $60.60 following the adoption of the second demand creation strategy. Conclusion Ensuring the optimal use of clinic facilities was the primary driver in reducing the cost per circumcision. This VMMC program has illustrated the value of evaluating progress and instituting changes to attain better cost efficiencies. This adjustment resulted in a substantial reduction in the cost per circumcision. PMID:28632768

The cost of demand creation activities and voluntary medical male circumcision targeting school-going adolescents in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

George, Gavin; Strauss, Michael; Asfaw, Elias

2017-01-01

Voluntary medical male circumcision is an integral part of the South African government's response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. However, there remains a limited body of economic analysis on the cost of VMMC programming, and the demand creation activities used to mobilize males, especially among adolescent boys in school. This study addresses this gap by presenting the costs of a VMMC program which adopted two demand creation strategies targeting school-going males in South Africa. Cost data was collected from a VMMC program in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A retrospective, micro-costing ingredient approach was applied to identify, measure and value resources of two demand creation strategies targeting young males. The program circumcised 4987 young males between May 2011 and February 2013, at a cost of $127.68 per circumcision. Demand creation activities accounted for 32% of the total cost, HCT contributing 10% with the medical circumcision procedure accounting for 58% of the total cost. Using the first demand creation strategy, 2168 circumcisions were performed at a cost of $149.57 per circumcision. Following this first strategy, a second demand creation strategy was adopted which saw the cost fall to $110.85 per circumcision. More young males were recruited following the second strategy with clinic services more efficiently utilized. Whilst the cost per circumcision of demand activities rose slightly between the first ($39.94) and second ($41.65) strategy, there was a substantial reduction in the cost of the circumcision procedure; $90.01 under the first strategy falling to $60.60 following the adoption of the second demand creation strategy. Ensuring the optimal use of clinic facilities was the primary driver in reducing the cost per circumcision. This VMMC program has illustrated the value of evaluating progress and instituting changes to attain better cost efficiencies. This adjustment resulted in a substantial reduction in the cost per circumcision.

Pricing strategy for aesthetic surgery: economic analysis of a resident clinic's change in fees.

PubMed

Krieger, L M; Shaw, W W

1999-02-01

The laws of microeconomics explain how prices affect consumer purchasing decisions and thus overall revenues and profits. These principles can easily be applied to the behavior aesthetic plastic surgery patients. The UCLA Division of Plastic Surgery resident aesthetics clinic recently offered a radical price change for its services. The effects of this change on demand for services and revenue were tracked. Economic analysis was applied to see if this price change resulted in the maximization of total revenues, or if additional price changes could further optimize them. Economic analysis of pricing involves several steps. The first step is to assess demand. The number of procedures performed by a given practice at different price levels can be plotted to create a demand curve. From this curve, price sensitivities of consumers can be calculated (price elasticity of demand). This information can then be used to determine the pricing level that creates demand for the exact number of procedures that yield optimal revenues. In economic parlance, revenues are maximized by pricing services such that elasticity is equal to 1 (the point of unit elasticity). At the UCLA resident clinic, average total fees per procedure were reduced by 40 percent. This resulted in a 250-percent increase in procedures performed for representative 4-month periods before and after the price change. Net revenues increased by 52 percent. Economic analysis showed that the price elasticity of demand before the price change was 6.2. After the price change it was 1. We conclude that the magnitude of the price change resulted in a fee schedule that yielded the highest possible revenues from the resident clinic. These results show that changes in price do affect total revenue and that the nature of these effects can be understood, predicted, and maximized using the tools of microeconomics.

Job stress and mortality in older age.

PubMed

Tobiasz-Adamczyk, Beata; Brzyski, Piotr; Florek, Marzena; Brzyska, Monika

2013-06-01

This paper aims to assess the relationship between the determinants of the psychosocial work environment, as expressed in terms of JDC or ERI models, and all-cause mortality in older individuals. The baseline study was conducted on a cohort comprising a random sample of 65-year-old community-dwelling citizens of Kraków, Poland. All of the 727 participants (410 women, 317 men) were interviewed in their households in the period between 2001 and 2003; a structured questionnaire was used regarding their occupational activity history, which included indexes measuring particular dimensions of their psychosocial work environment based on Karasek's Job Demand-Control model and Siegrist's Effort-Reward Imbalance model, as well as health-related quality of life and demographic data. Mortality was ascertained by monitoring City Vital Records for 7 years. Analyses were conducted separately for men and women, with the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. During a 7-year follow-up period, 59 participants (8.1%) died, including 21 women (5.1% of total women) and 38 men (12%) (p < 0.05). Significant differences in the number of deaths occurred regarding disproportion between physical demands and control in men: those with low physical demands and low control died three times more often than those with high control, regardless of the level of demands. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that significantly higher risk of death was observed only in men with low physical demands and low control, compared to those with low physical demands and high control (Exp(B) = 4.65, 95% CI: 1.64-13.2). Observed differences in mortality patterns are similar to the patterns of relationships observed in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) level at the beginning of old age; however, the relationship between efforts and rewards or demands and control and mortality was not fully confirmed.

The possible absence of a healthy-worker effect: a cross-sectional survey among educated Japanese women.

PubMed

Nishikitani, Mariko; Nakao, Mutsuhiro; Tsurugano, Shinobu; Yano, Eiji

2012-01-01

Despite being highly educated in comparison with women in other member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Japanese women are expected to assume traditional gender roles, and many dedicate themselves to full-time housewifery. Women working outside the home do so under poor conditions, and their health may not be better than that of housewives. This study compared the self-rated health status and health behaviours of housewives and working women in Japan. Cross-sectional survey. A national university in Tokyo with 9864 alumnae. A total 1344 women who graduated since 1985 and completed questionnaires in an anonymous mail-based survey. Health anxiety and satisfaction, receipt of health check-ups, eating breakfast, smoking, and sleep problems according to job status and family demands: housewives (n=247) and working women with (n=624) and without (n=436) family demands. ORs were used for risk assessment, with housewives as a reference. After adjustment for satisfaction with present employment status and other confounding factors, working women were more likely than housewives to feel health anxiety (with family demands, OR: 1.68, 95% CI1.10 to 2.57; without family demands, OR: 3.57, 95% CI 2.19 to 4.50) and health dissatisfaction (without family demands, OR: 3.50, 95% CI 2.35 to 5.21); they were also more likely than housewives to eat an insufficient breakfast (with family demands, OR: 1.91, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.00; without family demands, OR: 4.02, 95% CI 2.47 to 6.57) and to have sleep problems (ORs: 2.08 to 4.03). No healthy-worker effect was found among Japanese women. Housewives, at least those who are well educated, appear to have better health status and health-related behaviours than do working women with the same level of education.

Crowd medical services in the English Football League: remodelling the team for the 21st century using a realist approach

PubMed Central

Leary, Alison; Kemp, Anthony; Greenwood, Peter; Hart, Nick; Agnew, James; Barrett, John; Punshon, Geoffrey

2017-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the new model of providing care based on demand. This included reconfiguration of the workforce to manage workforce supply challenges and meet demand without compromising the quality of care. Design Currently the Sports Ground Safety Authority recommends the provision of crowd medical cover at English Football League stadia. The guidance on provision of services has focused on extreme circumstances such as the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, while the majority of demand on present-day services is from patients with minor injuries, exacerbations of injuries and pre-existing conditions. A new model of care was introduced in the 2009/2010 season to better meet demand. A realist approach was taken. Data on each episode of care were collected over 14 consecutive football league seasons at Millwall FC divided into two periods, preimplementation of changes and postimplementation of changes. Data on workforce retention and volunteer satisfaction were also collected. Setting The data were obtained from one professional football league team (Millwall FC) located in London, UK. Primary and secondary outcomes The primary outcome was to examine the demand for crowd medical services. The secondary outcome was to remodel the service to meet these demands. Results In total, 981 episodes of care were recorded over the evaluation period of 14 years. The groups presenting, demographic and type of presentation did not change over the evaluation. First aiders were involved in 87.7% of episodes of care, nurses in 44.4% and doctors 17.8%. There was a downward trend in referrals to hospital. Workforce feedback was positive. Conclusions The new workforce model has met increased service demands while reducing the number of referrals to acute care. It involves the first aid workforce in more complex care and key decision-making and provides a flexible registered healthcare professional team to optimise the skill mix of the team. PMID:29273665

Climate Change and water in Southwestern North America special feature: water, climate change, and sustainability in the southwest.

PubMed

MacDonald, Glen M

2010-12-14

The current Southwest drought is exceptional for its high temperatures and arguably the most severe in history. Coincidentally, there has been an increase in forest and woodland mortality due to fires and pathogenic outbreaks. Although the high temperatures and aridity are consistent with projected impacts of greenhouse warming, it is unclear whether the drought can be attributed to increased greenhouse gases or is a product of natural climatic variability. Climate models indicate that the 21st century will be increasingly arid and droughts more severe and prolonged. Forest and woodland mortality due to fires and pathogens will increase. Demography and food security dictate that water demand in the Southwest will remain appreciable. If projected population growth is twinned with suburb-centered development, domestic demands will intensify. Meeting domestic demands through transference from agriculture presents concerns for rural sustainability and food security. Environmental concerns will limit additional transference from rivers. It is unlikely that traditional supply-side solutions such as more dams will securely meet demands at current per-capita levels. Significant savings in domestic usage can be realized through decreased applications of potable water to landscaping, but this is a small fraction of total regional water use, which is dominated by agriculture. Technical innovations, policy measures, and market-based solutions that increase supply and decrease water demand are all needed. Meeting 21st-century sustainability challenges in the Southwest will also require planning, cooperation, and integration that surpass 20th-century efforts in terms of geographic scope, jurisdictional breadth, multisectoral engagement, and the length of planning timelines.

Water, climate change, and sustainability in the southwest

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

The current Southwest drought is exceptional for its high temperatures and arguably the most severe in history. Coincidentally, there has been an increase in forest and woodland mortality due to fires and pathogenic outbreaks. Although the high temperatures and aridity are consistent with projected impacts of greenhouse warming, it is unclear whether the drought can be attributed to increased greenhouse gasses or is a product of natural climatic variability. Climate models indicate that the 21st century will be increasingly arid and droughts more severe and prolonged. Forest and woodland mortality due to fires and pathogens will increase. Demography and food security dictate that water demand in the Southwest will remain appreciable. If projected population growth is twinned with suburb-centered development, domestic demands will intensify. Meeting domestic demands through transference from agriculture presents concerns for rural sustainability and food security. Environmental concerns will limit additional transference from rivers. It is unlikely that traditional supply-side solutions such as more dams will securely meet demands at current per-capita levels. Significant savings in domestic usage can be realized through decreased applications of potable water to landscaping, but this is a small fraction of total regional water use, which is dominated by agriculture. Technical innovations, policy measures, and market-based solutions that increase supply and decrease water demand are all needed. Meeting 21st-century sustainability challenges in the Southwest will also require planning, cooperation, and integration that surpass 20th-century efforts in terms of geographic scope, jurisdictional breadth, multisectoral engagement, and the length of planning timelines. PMID:21149704

Patient-specific instrumentation for total shoulder arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Gomes, Nuno Sampaio

2016-01-01

Shoulder arthroplasty is a demanding procedure with a known complication rate. Most complications are associated with the glenoid component, a fact that has stimulated investigation into that specific component of the implant. Avoiding glenoid component malposition is very important and is a key reason for recent developments in pre-operative planning and instrumentation to minimise risk. Patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) was developed as an alternative to navigation systems, originally for total knee arthroplasty, and is a valid option for shoulder replacements today. It offers increased accuracy in the placement of the glenoid component, which improves the likelihood of an optimal outcome. A description of the method of pre-operative planning and surgical technique is presented, based on the author’s experience and a review of the current literature. Cite this article: Gomes N. Patient-specific instrumentation for total shoulder arthroplasty. EFORT Open Rev 2016;1:177-182. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000033. PMID:28461945

Drops of energy: conserving urban water to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

PubMed

Zhou, Yuanchun; Zhang, Bing; Wang, Haikun; Bi, Jun

2013-10-01

Water and energy are two essential resources of modern civilization and are inherently linked. Indeed, the optimization of the water supply system would reduce energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions in the municipal water sector. This research measured the climatic cobenefit of water conservation based on a water flow analysis. The results showed that the estimated energy consumption of the total water system in Changzhou, China, reached approximately 10% of the city's total energy consumption, whereas the industrial sector was found to be more energy intensive than other sectors within the entire water system, accounting for nearly 70% of the total energy use of the water system. In addition, four sustainable water management scenarios would bring the cobenefit of reducing the total energy use of the water system by 13.9%, and 77% of the energy savings through water conservation was indirect. To promote sustainable water management and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, China would require its water price system, both for freshwater and recycled water, to be reformed.

Perceived demands during modern military operations.

PubMed

Boermans, Sylvie M; Kamphuis, Wim; Kamhuis, Wim; Delahaij, Roos; Korteling, J E Hans; Euwema, Martin C

2013-07-01

Using a cross-sectional design, this study explored operational demands during the International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan (2009-2010) across distinct military units. A total of 1,413 Dutch soldiers, nested within four types of units (i.e., combat, combat support, service support, and command support units) filled out a 23-item self-survey in which they were asked to evaluate the extent to which they experienced operational characteristics as demanding. Exploratory factor analysis identified six underlying dimensions of demands. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that distinct units are characterized by their own unique constellation of perceived demands, even after controlling for previous deployment experience. Most notable findings were found when comparing combat units to other types of units. These insights can be used to better prepare different types of military units for deployment, and support them in the specific demands they face during deployment. Reprint & Copyright © 2013 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Spatial analysis of electricity demand patterns in Greece: Application of a GIS-based methodological framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyralis, Hristos; Mamassis, Nikos; Photis, Yorgos N.

2016-04-01

We investigate various uses of electricity demand in Greece (agricultural, commercial, domestic, industrial use as well as use for public and municipal authorities and street lightning) and we examine their relation with variables such as population, total area, population density and the Gross Domestic Product. The analysis is performed on data which span from 2008 to 2012 and have annual temporal resolution and spatial resolution down to the level of prefecture. We both visualize the results of the analysis and we perform cluster and outlier analysis using the Anselin local Moran's I statistic as well as hot spot analysis using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic. The definition of the spatial patterns and relationships of the aforementioned variables in a GIS environment provides meaningful insight and better understanding of the regional development model in Greece and justifies the basis for an energy demand forecasting methodology. Acknowledgement: This research has been partly financed by the European Union (European Social Fund - ESF) and Greek national funds through the Operational Program "Education and Lifelong Learning" of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) - Research Funding Program: ARISTEIA II: Reinforcement of the interdisciplinary and/ or inter-institutional research and innovation (CRESSENDO project; grant number 5145).

Investigating the water consumption for electricity generation at Turkish power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Khozondar, Balkess; Aydinalp Koksal, Merih

2017-11-01

The water-energy intertwined relationship has recently gained more importance due to the high water consumption in the energy sector and to the limited availability of the water resources. The energy and electricity demand of Turkey is increasing rapidly in the last two decades. More thermal power plants are expected to be built in the near future to supply the rapidly increasing demand in Turkey which will put pressure on water availability. In this study, the water consumption for electricity generation at Turkish power plants is investigated. The main objectives of this study are to identify the amount of water consumed to generate 1 kWh of electricity for each generation technology currently used in Turkey and to investigate ways to reduce the water consumption at power plants expected to be built in the near future to supply the increasing demand. The various electricity generation technology mixture scenarios are analyzed to determine the future total and per generation water consumption, and water savings based on changes of cooling systems used for each technology. The Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) program is used to determine the minimum water consuming electricity generation technology mixtures using optimization approaches between 2017 and 2035.

Dynamics Behaviors of Scale-Free Networks with Elastic Demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yan-Lai; Sun, Hui-Jun; Wu, Jian-Jun

Many real-world networks, such as transportation networks and Internet, have the scale-free properties. It is important to study the bearing capacity of such networks. Considering the elastic demand condition, we analyze load distributions and bearing capacities with different parameters through artificially created scale-free networks. The simulation results show that the load distribution follows a power-law form, which means some ordered pairs, playing the dominant role in the transportation network, have higher demand than other pairs. We found that, with the decrease of perceptual error, the total and average ordered pair demand will decrease and then stay in a steady state. However, with the increase of the network size, the average demand of each ordered pair will decrease, which is particularly interesting for the network design problem.

Dealing with the predicted increase in demand for revision total knee arthroplasty: challenges, risks and opportunities.

PubMed

Hamilton, D F; Howie, C R; Burnett, R; Simpson, A H R W; Patton, J T

2015-06-01

Worldwide rates of primary and revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are rising due to increased longevity of the population and the burden of osteoarthritis. Revision TKA is a technically demanding procedure generating outcomes which are reported to be inferior to those of primary knee arthroplasty, and with a higher risk of complication. Overall, the rate of revision after primary arthroplasty is low, but the number of patients currently living with a TKA suggests a large potential revision healthcare burden. Many patients are now outliving their prosthesis, and consideration must be given to how we are to provide the necessary capacity to meet the rising demand for revision surgery and how to maximise patient outcomes. The purpose of this review was to examine the epidemiology of, and risk factors for, revision knee arthroplasty, and to discuss factors that may enhance patient outcomes. ©2015 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Projected national impact of colorectal cancer screening on clinical and economic outcomes and health services demand.

PubMed

Ladabaum, Uri; Song, Kenneth

2005-10-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is effective and cost-effective, but the potential national impact of widespread screening is uncertain. It is controversial whether screening colonoscopy can be offered widely and how emerging tests may impact health services demand. Our aim was to produce integrated, comprehensive estimates of the impact of widespread screening on national clinical and economic outcomes and health services demand. We used a Markov model and census data to estimate the national consequences of screening 75% of the US population with conventional and emerging strategies. Screening decreased CRC incidence by 17%-54% to as few as 66,000 cases per year and CRC mortality by 28%-60% to as few as 23,000 deaths per year. With no screening, total annual national CRC-related expenditures were 8.4 US billion dollars. With screening, expenditures for CRC care decreased by 1.5-4.4 US billion dollars but total expenditures increased to 9.2-15.4 US billion dollars. Screening colonoscopy every 10 years required 8.1 million colonoscopies per year including surveillance, with other strategies requiring 17%-58% as many colonoscopies. With improved screening uptake, total colonoscopy demand increased in general, even assuming substantial use of virtual colonoscopy. Despite savings in CRC care, widespread screening is unlikely to be cost saving and may increase national expenditures by 0.8-2.8 US billion dollars per year with conventional tests. The current national endoscopic capacity, as recently estimated, may be adequate to support widespread use of screening colonoscopy in the steady state. The impact of emerging tests on colonoscopy demand will depend on the extent to which they replace screening colonoscopy or increase screening uptake in the population.

The bright side of snow cover effects on PV production - How to lower the seasonal mismatch between electricity supply and demand in a fully renewable Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahl, Annelen; Dujardin, Jérôme; Dupuis, Sonia; Lehning, Michael

2017-04-01

One of the major problems with solar PV in the context of a fully renewable electricity production at mid-latitudes is the trend of higher production in summer and lower production in winter. This trend is most often exactly opposite to demand patterns, causing a seasonal mismatch that requires extensive balancing power from other production sources or large storage capacities. Which possibilities do we have to bring PV production into closer correlation with demand? This question motivated our research and in response we investigated the effects of placing PV panels at different tilt angles in regions with extensive snow cover to increase winter production from ground reflected short wave radiation. The aim of this project is therefore to quantify the effect of varying snow cover duration (SCD) and of panel tilt angle on the annual total production and on production during winter months when electricity is most needed. We chose Switzerland as ideal test site, because it has a wide range of snow cover conditions and a high potential for renewable electricity production. But methods can be applied to other regions of comparable conditions for snow cover and irradiance. Our analysis can be separated into two steps: 1. A systematic, GIS and satellite-based analysis for all of Switzerland: We use time series of satellite-derived irradiance, and snow cover characteristics together with land surface cover types and elevation information to quantify the environmental conditions and to estimate potential production and ideal tilt angles. 2. A scenario-based analysis that contrasts the production patterns of different placement scenarios for PV panels in urban, rural and mountainous areas. We invoke a model of a fully renewable electricity system (including Switzerland's large hydropower system) at national level to compute the electricity import and storage capacity that will be required to balance the remaining mismatch between production and demand to further illuminate trade-offs between the different placement scenarios. Our results show that in regions with extended periods of snow cover the winter production can be 10% higher without sacrifices on the annual total production. This helps significantly in reducing the energy gap mentioned above; annual required import can be lowered by 10%-20% and forced export due to overproduction during summer months reduces to less than half.

The impact of job and family demands on partner's fatigue: A study of Japanese dual-earner parents.

PubMed

Watanabe, Mayumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B; Demerouti, Evangelia; Shimada, Kyoko; Kawakami, Norito

2017-01-01

This study of Japanese dual-earner couples examined the impact of family and job demands on one's own and one's partner's fatigue as well as gender differences in these effects. A total of 2,502 parents (1,251 couples) were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. A crossover model was tested using structural equation modeling. The results of structural equation modeling analyses showed that both job and family demands independently exacerbated fatigue. There was an indirect effect of job and family demands on partner fatigue through one's own fatigue only from husbands to wives. An indirect effect of job demands on partner fatigue through partner's family demands was identified only from wives to husbands. Furthermore, there were gender differences in the crossover of fatigue. This study shows that job and family demands influence family circumstances. When considering means to reduce employees' fatigue, gender differences in the mechanism of fatigue need to be taken into account.

Estimated Use of Water in the Upper Duck River Watershed, Central Tennessee, and Water-Demand Projections through 2030

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutson, Susan S.

2008-01-01

Future municipal water demand was estimated for the Bedford, Coffee, Marshall, and Maury-southern Williamson water-service areas in the upper Duck River watershed in central Tennessee through 2030. The Duck River, a primary source of municipal water, provided a total of 24.3 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) or 92 percent of the total water use in the study area during 2000. Municipal water use increased 46 percent from 1981 to 2000 (from 18.0 to 26.3 Mgal/d). Water demand for municipal use is expected to continue to increase through 2030 because of the recent intensive and anticipated growth in the residential and commercial sectors. Constant-rate models were used to estimate future municipal water demand. Data on residential and nonresidential billing accounts and estimates of public use and losses were used to calibrate the models. Two watershed scenarios for each water-supply system that depends on the Duck River for supply were simulated. Scenario 1 considered monthly water demand during typical weather conditions as represented by monthly per account use during 2003 and a rate of growth in customer accounts from 1999 to 2003. Results showed that total municipal water use could increase about 104 percent to 51 Mgal/d by 2030, residential water use could increase about 140 percent to 24 Mgal/d, nonresidential water use could increase about 110 percent to 17 Mgal/d, and public use and losses could increase about 83 percent to 11 Mgal/d. Scenario 2 considered monthly water demand during drought conditions as represented by monthly per account use during 2000 and recent growth in customer accounts from 1999 to 2003 or, for selected water-supply systems, an increasing rate of growth. Results showed that total municipal water use could increase about 120 percent to 55 Mgal/d, residential water use could increase about 160 percent to 26 Mgal/d, nonresidential water use could increase about 122 percent to 18 Mgal/d, and public use and losses could double and increase to 12 Mgal/d. For both scenarios the model assumed that the Duck River would supply all future surface-water needs in the study area, that ground-water resources would be sufficient to meet growing demands of the water-supply systems that depend on ground water, and that the amount of surface water sold to water-supply systems primarily dependent on ground water would remain the same through 2030.

Factors affecting unmet need for family planning in Eastern Sudan

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In the developing countries millions of women in the reproductive age who don’t use contraceptives prefer to postpone or limit their birth. This indicates their failure to take necessary decision to prevent and avoid unwanted pregnancy. Methods A community-based cross sectional household survey was conducted to investigate unmet need for family planning and associated factors and total demand for family planning in Kassala, Eastern Sudan between 1st May and 31st July 2012. Results A total of 812 married women were enrolled in this study. Their mean age and parity was 31.8 (7.3) and 3.4 (1.8) respectively. Ever use of contraception was 25.4% (206/812) and 26.2% (213/812) were currently using contraception. Unmet need for spacing was 15.1% while unmet need for limiting was 0.7%. The pregnant and amenorrheic women whose the pregnancy or birth was unwanted and mistimed were 105 (13%) and 130 (16%) respectively. Using Westoff model the total unmet need was estimated as 44.8%. The total demand for family planning was 71%. In logistic regression model, while age, age at marriage, parity, residence and experience of child death were not associated with total unmet need for family planning, women education < secondary level (OR=7.8; CI=5.6-10.9; P=0.00), husband education < secondary level (OR=1.9; CI=1.3-2.6, P = 0.00) and woman’s occupation; housewife (OR=4.3; CI=2.5-7.2; P=0.00) were associated with the total unmet need. Conclusions Unmet need for family planning in Eastern Sudan was significantly higher among women with less than secondary education. Also; it is influenced by couple’s educational status and woman’s occupation. The results of this study necessitate the need for the programme managers to take into account the concept of reproductive health education. PMID:23379387

Use of a latency-based demand assessment to identify potential demands for functional analyses.

PubMed

Call, Nathan A; Miller, Sarah J; Mintz, Joslyn Cynkus; Mevers, Joanna Lomas; Scheithauer, Mindy C; Eshelman, Julie E; Beavers, Gracie A

2016-12-01

Unlike potential tangible positive reinforcers, which are typically identified for inclusion in functional analyses empirically using preference assessments, demands are most often selected arbitrarily or based on caregiver report. The present study evaluated the use of a demand assessment with 12 participants who exhibited escape-maintained problem behavior. Participants were exposed to 10 demands, with aversiveness measured by average latency to the first instance of problem behavior. In subsequent functional analyses, results of a demand condition that included the demand with the shortest latency to problem behavior resulted in identification of an escape function for 11 of the participants. In contrast, a demand condition that included the demand with the longest latency resulted in identification of an escape function for only 5 participants. The implication of these findings is that for the remaining 7 participants, selection of the demand for the functional analysis without using the results of the demand assessment could have produced a false-negative finding. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Incremental cost of increasing access to maternal health care services: perspectives from a demand and supply side intervention in Eastern Uganda.

PubMed

Mayora, Chrispus; Ekirapa-Kiracho, Elizabeth; Bishai, David; Peters, David H; Okui, Olico; Baine, Sebastian Olikira

2014-01-01

High maternal and infant mortality continue to be major challenges to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals for many low and middle-income countries. There is now evidence that voucher initiatives can increase access to maternal health services. However, a dearth of knowledge exists on the cost implications of voucher schemes. This paper estimates the incremental costs of a demand and supply side intervention aimed at increasing access to maternal health care services. This costing study was part of a quasi-experimental voucher study conducted in two districts in Eastern Uganda to explore the impact of demand and supply - side incentives on increasing access to maternal health services. The provider's perspective was used and the ingredients approach to costing was employed. Costs were based on market prices as recorded in program records. Total, unit, and incremental costs were calculated. The estimated total financial cost of the intervention for the one year of implementation was US$525,472 (US$1 = 2200UgShs). The major cost drivers included costs for transport vouchers (35.3%), health system strengthening (29.2%) and vouchers for maternal health services (18.2%). The average cost of transport per woman to and from the health facility was US$4.6. The total incremental costs incurred on deliveries (excluding caesarean section) was US$317,157 and US$107,890 for post natal care (PNC). The incremental costs per additional delivery and PNC attendance were US$23.9 and US$7.6 respectively. Subsidizing maternal health care costs through demand and supply - side initiatives may not require significant amounts of resources contrary to what would be expected. With Uganda's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of US$55` (2012), the incremental cost per additional delivery (US$23.9) represents about 5% of GDP per capita to save a mother and probably her new born. For many low income countries, this may not be affordable, yet reliance on donor funding is often not sustainable. Alternative ways of raising additional resources for health must be explored. These include; encouraging private investments in critical sectors such as rural transport, health service provision; mobilizing households to save financial resources for preparedness, and financial targeting for the most vulnerable.

The Imminent Manpower Crisis: An Opportunity for Society's Rejects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, Larry J.

Despite predictions in the 1950's and 1960's that computer technology would reduce job opportunities by 90%, historical data published by the Department of Labor reveal that total manpower demands accelerated from 1947 through 1977 and were primarily satisfied by a decreased demand for farm laborers, an increase in percentage of women in the…

Resource Limitations, the Demand for Education and Economic Growth--A Macroeconomic View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stam, Jerome M.

To develop a theoretical framework for explaining the observed change in demand for human skill and knowledge that occurs with economic growth, a macroeconomic analysis was made of economic variables which are influenced by political, social, and cultural factors. In the three-dimensional framework, total output (Y) of all final goods and services…

39 CFR 310.5 - Payment of postage on violation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... destination. (b) The amount equal to postage will be due and payable not later than 15 days after receipt of... persons who engage in, cause, or assist such activity to pay an amount or amounts not exceeding the total... 959 of this chapter. (c) Refusal to pay an unappealed demand or a demand that becomes final after...

Place attachment and recreation demand on the west branch of the Farmington River

Treesearch

Jordan W. Smith; Roger L. Moore

2012-01-01

This paper analyzes the effect of place attachment on recreation demand for theWest Branch of the Farmington River. Data were collected via on-site and optional mail-back questionnaires administered to river recreationists during the summer of 2001. A total of 247 respondents (51 percent response rate) returned complete questionnaires. Questions concerned respondents...

The outlook for housing in Japan to the year 2000.

Treesearch

Michichiko Ueda; David R. Darr

1980-01-01

Housing demand in Japan is analyzed in terms of new household formations, vacancies, and replacements of housing stock. Total number of starts is projected to stay near current levels or decline, depending on assumptions about replacement demands. This contrasts with rapid growth in number of starts during the 1960's and early 1970's.

Advertising and the Management of Aggregate Consumer Demand: A Cross-National Test of the Galbraithian Argument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quarles, Rebecca C.; And Others

John Kenneth Galbraith maintains that advertising is the prime instrument for the management of total consumer demand and results in increased consumption. Galbraith also maintains that television is a more effective advertising tool, in that it reaches people in all spectrums of intelligence. Other economists disagree, holding that it is actually…

36 CFR 1251.20 - Are there any fees associated with producing records or providing testimony?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... searching, reviewing, and duplicating records, costs of attorney time spent in reviewing the demand or... records certification fees, must be submitted to the official who makes the final determination on demands... fees. Fees are not assessed if the total charge is $10.00 or less, or as otherwise stated in NARA...

36 CFR 1251.20 - Are there any fees associated with producing records or providing testimony?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... searching, reviewing, and duplicating records, costs of attorney time spent in reviewing the demand or... records certification fees, must be submitted to the official who makes the final determination on demands... fees. Fees are not assessed if the total charge is $10.00 or less, or as otherwise stated in NARA...

Predicting the Effects of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes on Food and Beverage Demand in a Large Demand System

PubMed Central

Zhen, Chen; Finkelstein, Eric A.; Nonnemaker, James; Karns, Shawn; Todd, Jessica E.

2013-01-01

A censored Exact Affine Stone Index incomplete demand system is estimated for 23 packaged foods and beverages and a numéraire good. Instrumental variables are used to control for endogenous prices. A half-cent per ounce increase in sugar-sweetened beverage prices is predicted to reduce total calories from the 23 foods and beverages but increase sodium and fat intakes as a result of product substitution. The predicted decline in calories is larger for low-income households than for high-income households, although welfare loss is also higher for low-income households. Neglecting price endogeneity or estimating a conditional demand model significantly overestimates the calorie reduction. PMID:24839299

Predicting the Effects of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes on Food and Beverage Demand in a Large Demand System.

PubMed

Zhen, Chen; Finkelstein, Eric A; Nonnemaker, James; Karns, Shawn; Todd, Jessica E

2014-01-01

A censored Exact Affine Stone Index incomplete demand system is estimated for 23 packaged foods and beverages and a numéraire good. Instrumental variables are used to control for endogenous prices. A half-cent per ounce increase in sugar-sweetened beverage prices is predicted to reduce total calories from the 23 foods and beverages but increase sodium and fat intakes as a result of product substitution. The predicted decline in calories is larger for low-income households than for high-income households, although welfare loss is also higher for low-income households. Neglecting price endogeneity or estimating a conditional demand model significantly overestimates the calorie reduction.

Comparing microscopic activity-based and traditional models of travel demand : an Austin area case study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-09-01

Two competing approaches to travel demand modeling exist today. The more traditional 4-step travel demand models rely on aggregate demographic data at a traffic analysis zone (TAZ) level. Activity-based microsimulation methods employ more robus...

Dynamic management of integrated residential energy systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muratori, Matteo

This study combines principles of energy systems engineering and statistics to develop integrated models of residential energy use in the United States, to include residential recharging of electric vehicles. These models can be used by government, policymakers, and the utility industry to provide answers and guidance regarding the future of the U.S. energy system. Currently, electric power generation must match the total demand at each instant, following seasonal patterns and instantaneous fluctuations. Thus, one of the biggest drivers of costs and capacity requirement is the electricity demand that occurs during peak periods. These peak periods require utility companies to maintain operational capacity that often is underutilized, outdated, expensive, and inefficient. In light of this, flattening the demand curve has long been recognized as an effective way of cutting the cost of producing electricity and increasing overall efficiency. The problem is exacerbated by expected widespread adoption of non-dispatchable renewable power generation. The intermittent nature of renewable resources and their non-dispatchability substantially limit the ability of electric power generation of adapting to the fluctuating demand. Smart grid technologies and demand response programs are proposed as a technical solution to make the electric power demand more flexible and able to adapt to power generation. Residential demand response programs offer different incentives and benefits to consumers in response to their flexibility in the timing of their electricity consumption. Understanding interactions between new and existing energy technologies, and policy impacts therein, is key to driving sustainable energy use and economic growth. Comprehensive and accurate models of the next-generation power system allow for understanding the effects of new energy technologies on the power system infrastructure, and can be used to guide policy, technology, and economic decisions. This dissertation presents a bottom-up highly resolved model of a generic residential energy eco-system in the United States. The model is able to capture the entire energy footprint of an individual household, to include all appliances, space conditioning systems, in-home charging of plug-in electric vehicles, and any other energy needs, viewing residential and transportation energy needs as an integrated continuum. The residential energy eco-system model is based on a novel bottom-up approach that quantifies consumer energy use behavior. The incorporation of stochastic consumer behaviors allows capturing the electricity consumption of each residential specific end-use, providing an accurate estimation of the actual amount of available controllable resources, and for a better understanding of the potential of residential demand response programs. A dynamic energy management framework is then proposed to manage electricity consumption inside each residential energy eco-system. Objective of the dynamic energy management framework is to optimize the scheduling of all the controllable appliances and in-home charging of plug-in electric vehicles to minimize cost. Such an automated energy management framework is used to simulate residential demand response programs, and evaluate their impact on the electric power infrastructure. For instance, time-varying electricity pricing might lead to synchronization of the individual residential demands, creating pronounced rebound peaks in the aggregate demand that are higher and steeper than the original demand peaks that the time-varying electricity pricing structure intended to eliminate. The modeling tools developed in this study can serve as a virtual laboratory for investigating fundamental economic and policy-related questions regarding the interplay of individual consumers with energy use. The models developed allow for evaluating the impact of different energy policies, technology adoption, and electricity price structures on the total residential electricity demand. In particular, two case studies are reported in this dissertation to illustrate application of the tools developed. The first considers the impact of market penetration of plug-in electric vehicles on the electric power infrastructure. The second provides a quantitative comparison of the impact of different electricity price structures on residential demand response. Simulation results and an electricity price structure, called Multi-TOU, aimed at solving the rebound peak issue, are presented.

Reading Text While Driving

PubMed Central

Horrey, William J.; Hoffman, Joshua D.

2015-01-01

Objective In this study, we investigated how drivers adapt secondary-task initiation and time-sharing behavior when faced with fluctuating driving demands. Background Reading text while driving is particularly detrimental; however, in real-world driving, drivers actively decide when to perform the task. Method In a test track experiment, participants were free to decide when to read messages while driving along a straight road consisting of an area with increased driving demands (demand zone) followed by an area with low demands. A message was made available shortly before the vehicle entered the demand zone. We manipulated the type of driving demands (baseline, narrow lane, pace clock, combined), message format (no message, paragraph, parsed), and the distance from the demand zone when the message was available (near, far). Results In all conditions, drivers started reading messages (drivers’ first glance to the display) before entering or before leaving the demand zone but tended to wait longer when faced with increased driving demands. While reading messages, drivers looked more or less off road, depending on types of driving demands. Conclusions For task initiation, drivers avoid transitions from low to high demands; however, they are not discouraged when driving demands are already elevated. Drivers adjust time-sharing behavior according to driving demands while performing secondary tasks. Nonetheless, such adjustment may be less effective when total demands are high. Application This study helps us to understand a driver’s role as an active controller in the context of distracted driving and provides insights for developing distraction interventions. PMID:25850162

The demand control model and circadian saliva cortisol variations in a Swedish population based sample (The PART study)

PubMed Central

Alderling, Magnus; Theorell, Töres; de la Torre, Bartolomé; Lundberg, Ingvar

2006-01-01

Background Previous studies of the relationship between job strain and blood or saliva cortisol levels have been small and based on selected occupational groups. Our aim was to examine the association between job strain and saliva cortisol levels in a population-based study in which a number of potential confounders could be adjusted for. Methods The material derives from a population-based study in Stockholm on mental health and its potential determinants. Two data collections were performed three years apart with more than 8500 subjects responding to a questionnaire in both waves. In this paper our analyses are based on 529 individuals who held a job, participated in both waves as well as in an interview linked to the second wave. They gave saliva samples at awakening, half an hour later, at lunchtime and before going to bed on a weekday in close connection with the interview. Job control and job demands were assessed from the questionnaire in the second wave. Mixed models were used to analyse the association between the demand control model and saliva cortisol. Results Women in low strain jobs (high control and low demands) had significantly lower cortisol levels half an hour after awakening than women in high strain (low control and high demands), active (high control and high demands) or passive jobs (low control and low demands). There were no significant differences between the groups during other parts of the day and furthermore there was no difference between the job strain, active and passive groups. For men, no differences were found between demand control groups. Conclusion This population-based study, on a relatively large sample, weakly support the hypothesis that the demand control model is associated with saliva cortisol concentrations. PMID:17129377

Design Quality in the Context of Healthcare Environments: A Scoping Review.

PubMed

Anåker, Anna; Heylighen, Ann; Nordin, Susanna; Elf, Marie

2017-07-01

We explored the concept of design quality in relation to healthcare environments. In addition, we present a taxonomy that illustrates the wide range of terms used in connection with design quality in healthcare. High-quality physical environments can promote health and well-being. Developments in healthcare technology and methodology put high demands on the design quality of care environments, coupled with increasing expectations and demands from patients and staff that care environments be person centered, welcoming, and accessible while also supporting privacy and security. In addition, there are demands that decisions about the design of healthcare architecture be based on the best available information from credible research and the evaluation of existing building projects. The basic principles of Arksey and O'Malley's model of scoping review design were used. Data were derived from literature searches in scientific databases. A total of 18 articles and books were found that referred to design quality in a healthcare context. Design quality of physical healthcare environments involves three different themes: (i) environmental sustainability and ecological values, (ii) social and cultural interactions and values, and (iii) resilience of the engineering and building construction. Design quality was clarified herein with a definition. Awareness of what is considered design quality in relation to healthcare architecture could help to design healthcare environments based on evidence. To operationalize the concept, its definition must be clear and explicit and able to meet the complex needs of the stakeholders in a healthcare context, including patients, staff, and significant others.

Estimation of crop water requirements using remote sensing for operational water resources management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasiliades, Lampros; Spiliotopoulos, Marios; Tzabiras, John; Loukas, Athanasios; Mylopoulos, Nikitas

2015-06-01

An integrated modeling system, developed in the framework of "Hydromentor" research project, is applied to evaluate crop water requirements for operational water resources management at Lake Karla watershed, Greece. The framework includes coupled components for operation of hydrotechnical projects (reservoir operation and irrigation works) and estimation of agricultural water demands at several spatial scales using remote sensing. The study area was sub-divided into irrigation zones based on land use maps derived from Landsat 5 TM images for the year 2007. Satellite-based energy balance for mapping evapotranspiration with internalized calibration (METRIC) was used to derive actual evapotranspiration (ET) and crop coefficient (ETrF) values from Landsat TM imagery. Agricultural water needs were estimated using the FAO method for each zone and each control node of the system for a number of water resources management strategies. Two operational strategies of hydro-technical project development (present situation without operation of the reservoir and future situation with the operation of the reservoir) are coupled with three water demand strategies. In total, eight (8) water management strategies are evaluated and compared. The results show that, under the existing operational water resources management strategies, the crop water requirements are quite large. However, the operation of the proposed hydro-technical projects in Lake Karla watershed coupled with water demand management measures, like improvement of existing water distribution systems, change of irrigation methods, and changes of crop cultivation could alleviate the problem and lead to sustainable and ecological use of water resources in the study area.

Assessing the impact of typeface design in a text-rich automotive user interface.

PubMed

Reimer, Bryan; Mehler, Bruce; Dobres, Jonathan; Coughlin, Joseph F; Matteson, Steve; Gould, David; Chahine, Nadine; Levantovsky, Vladimir

2014-01-01

Text-rich driver-vehicle interfaces are increasingly common in new vehicles, yet the effects of different typeface characteristics on task performance in this brief off-road based glance context remains sparsely examined. Subjects completed menu selection tasks while in a driving simulator. Menu text was set either in a 'humanist' or 'square grotesque' typeface. Among men, use of the humanist typeface resulted in a 10.6% reduction in total glance time as compared to the square grotesque typeface. Total response time and number of glances showed similar reductions. The impact of typeface was either more modest or not apparent for women. Error rates for both males and females were 3.1% lower for the humanist typeface. This research suggests that optimised typefaces may mitigate some interface demands. Future work will need to assess whether other typeface characteristics can be optimised to further reduce demand, improve legibility, increase usability and help meet new governmental distraction guidelines. Practitioner Summary: Text-rich in-vehicle interfaces are increasingly common, but the effects of typeface on task performance remain sparsely studied. We show that among male drivers, menu selection tasks are completed with 10.6% less visual glance time when text is displayed in a 'humanist' typeface, as compared to a 'square grotesque'.

Assessing the impact of typeface design in a text-rich automotive user interface

PubMed Central

Reimer, Bryan; Mehler, Bruce; Dobres, Jonathan; Coughlin, Joseph F.; Matteson, Steve; Gould, David; Chahine, Nadine; Levantovsky, Vladimir

2014-01-01

Text-rich driver–vehicle interfaces are increasingly common in new vehicles, yet the effects of different typeface characteristics on task performance in this brief off-road based glance context remains sparsely examined. Subjects completed menu selection tasks while in a driving simulator. Menu text was set either in a ‘humanist’ or ‘square grotesque’ typeface. Among men, use of the humanist typeface resulted in a 10.6% reduction in total glance time as compared to the square grotesque typeface. Total response time and number of glances showed similar reductions. The impact of typeface was either more modest or not apparent for women. Error rates for both males and females were 3.1% lower for the humanist typeface. This research suggests that optimised typefaces may mitigate some interface demands. Future work will need to assess whether other typeface characteristics can be optimised to further reduce demand, improve legibility, increase usability and help meet new governmental distraction guidelines. Practitioner Summary: Text-rich in-vehicle interfaces are increasingly common, but the effects of typeface on task performance remain sparsely studied. We show that among male drivers, menu selection tasks are completed with 10.6% less visual glance time when text is displayed in a ‘humanist’ typeface, as compared to a ‘square grotesque’. PMID:25075429

Determining residential energy consumption-based CO2 emissions and examining the factors affecting the variation in Ankara, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kus, Melike; Akan, Perihan; Aydinalp Koksal, Merih; Gullu, Gulen

2017-11-01

Energy demand of Turkey has been showing a remarkable increase in the last two decades due to rapid increase in population and changes in consumption trends. In parallel to the increase in energy demand, the CO2 emissions in Turkey are also increasing dramatically due to high usage of fossil fuels. CO2 emissions from the residential sector covers almost one fourth of the total sectoral emissions. In this study, CO2 emissions from the residential sector are estimated, and the factors affecting the emission levels are determined for the residential sector in Ankara, Turkey. In this study, detailed surveys are conducted to more than 400 households in Ankara. Using the information gathered from the surveys, the CO2 emissions associated with energy consumption of the households are calculated using the methodology outlined at IPCC. The statistical analyses are carried out using household income, dwelling characteristics, and household economic and demographic data to determine the factors causing the variation in emission levels among the households. The results of the study present that the main factors impacting the amount of total energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions are household income, dwelling construction year, age, education level of the household, and net footage of the dwelling.

Estuarine water-quality and sediment data, and surface-water and ground-water-quality data, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Camden County, Georgia, January 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leeth, David C.; Holloway, Owen G.

2000-01-01

In January 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey collected estuarine-water, estuarine-sediment, surface-water, and ground-water quality samples in the vicinity of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Camden County, Georgia. Data from these samples are used by the U.S. Navy to monitor the impact of submarine base activities on local water resources. Estuarine water and sediment data were collected from five sites on the Crooked River, Kings Bay, and Cumberland Sound. Surface-water data were collected from seven streams that discharge from Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay. Ground-water data were collected from six ground-water monitoring wells completed in the water-table zone of the surficial aquifer at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Samples were analyzed for nutrients, total and dissolved trace metals, total and dissolved organic carbon, oil and grease, total organic halogens, biological and chemical oxygen demand, and total and fecal coliform. Trace metals in ground and surface waters did not exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Standards; and trace metals in surface water also did not exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Surface Water Standards. These trace metals included arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, silver, tin, and zinc. Barium was detected in relatively high concentrations in ground water (concentrations ranged from 18 to 264 micrograms per liter). Two estuarine water samples exceeded the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division standards for copper (concentrations of 6.2 and 3.0 micrograms per liter).

A new three-dimensional, print-on-demand temporomandibular prosthetic total joint replacement system: Preliminary outcomes.

PubMed

Dimitroulis, George; Austin, Stephen; Sin Lee, Peter Vee; Ackland, David

2018-05-16

The aim of this study is to present the preliminary clinical data on the OMX Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Prosthetic total joint replacement system. A prospective, cohort, clinical study was undertaken of consecutive adult patients with Category 5 end-stage joint disease who were implanted with the OMX TMJ prosthesis between May 2015 and April 2017. A total of 50 devices were implanted in 38 patients, with 12 patients receiving bilateral prosthetic joints. There were 31 females and 7 males in this cohort, who ranged in age from 20 to 66 years, with a mean of 43.8 years (±14.0 years). Ten of the 50 prosthetic joints (20%) were fully customized, while the remaining were patient matched using virtual planning software. Based on a mean follow-up period of 15.3 months (range 12-24 months) following the TMJ total joint replacement, preliminary results suggest the OMX TMJ prosthesis has made a positive impact on clinical outcomes, with a mean 74.4% reduction in joint pain levels and significant improvements (p < 0.05) in jaw function as measured by the visual analogue scales for mouth opening (30.8%), diet (77.1%), and function (59.2%). No device failures were reported during the study period. This study suggests that the print-on-demand OMX TMJ prosthesis, designed for rapid delivery of both patient-matched and fully customize devices, represents a safe, reliable and versatile implantable joint replacement system for the treatment of category 5 end-stage TMJ disease. Copyright © 2018 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attentional Demand of a Virtual Reality-Based Reaching Task in Nondisabled Older Adults.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-An; Chung, Yu-Chen; Proffitt, Rachel; Wade, Eric; Winstein, Carolee

2015-12-01

Attention during exercise is known to affect performance; however, the attentional demand inherent to virtual reality (VR)-based exercise is not well understood. We used a dual-task paradigm to compare the attentional demands of VR-based and non-VR-based (conventional, real-world) exercise: 22 non-disabled older adults performed a primary reaching task to virtual and real targets in a counterbalanced block order while verbally responding to an unanticipated auditory tone in one third of the trials. The attentional demand of the primary reaching task was inferred from the voice response time (VRT) to the auditory tone. Participants' engagement level and task experience were also obtained using questionnaires. The virtual target condition was more attention demanding (significantly longer VRT) than the real target condition. Secondary analyses revealed a significant interaction between engagement level and target condition on attentional demand. For participants who were highly engaged, attentional demand was high and independent of target condition. However, for those who were less engaged, attentional demand was low and depended on target condition (i.e., virtual > real). These findings add important knowledge to the growing body of research pertaining to the development and application of technology-enhanced exercise for elders and for rehabilitation purposes.

Attentional Demand of a Virtual Reality-Based Reaching Task in Nondisabled Older Adults

PubMed Central

Chen, Yi-An; Chung, Yu-Chen; Proffitt, Rachel; Wade, Eric; Winstein, Carolee

2015-01-01

Attention during exercise is known to affect performance; however, the attentional demand inherent to virtual reality (VR)-based exercise is not well understood. We used a dual-task paradigm to compare the attentional demands of VR-based and non-VR-based (conventional, real-world) exercise: 22 non-disabled older adults performed a primary reaching task to virtual and real targets in a counterbalanced block order while verbally responding to an unanticipated auditory tone in one third of the trials. The attentional demand of the primary reaching task was inferred from the voice response time (VRT) to the auditory tone. Participants' engagement level and task experience were also obtained using questionnaires. The virtual target condition was more attention demanding (significantly longer VRT) than the real target condition. Secondary analyses revealed a significant interaction between engagement level and target condition on attentional demand. For participants who were highly engaged, attentional demand was high and independent of target condition. However, for those who were less engaged, attentional demand was low and depended on target condition (i.e., virtual > real). These findings add important knowledge to the growing body of research pertaining to the development and application of technology-enhanced exercise for elders and for rehabilitation purposes. PMID:27004233

Fuzzy Multi-Objective Transportation Planning with Modified S-Curve Membership Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peidro, D.; Vasant, P.

2009-08-01

In this paper, the S-Curve membership function methodology is used in a transportation planning decision (TPD) problem. An interactive method for solving multi-objective TPD problems with fuzzy goals, available supply and forecast demand is developed. The proposed method attempts simultaneously to minimize the total production and transportation costs and the total delivery time with reference to budget constraints and available supply, machine capacities at each source, as well as forecast demand and warehouse space constraints at each destination. We compare in an industrial case the performance of S-curve membership functions, representing uncertainty goals and constraints in TPD problems, with linear membership functions.

Evaluating diffraction based overlay metrology for double patterning technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saravanan, Chandra Saru; Liu, Yongdong; Dasari, Prasad; Kritsun, Oleg; Volkman, Catherine; Acheta, Alden; La Fontaine, Bruno

2008-03-01

Demanding sub-45 nm node lithographic methodologies such as double patterning (DPT) pose significant challenges for overlay metrology. In this paper, we investigate scatterometry methods as an alternative approach to meet these stringent new metrology requirements. We used a spectroscopic diffraction-based overlay (DBO) measurement technique in which registration errors are extracted from specially designed diffraction targets for double patterning. The results of overlay measurements are compared to traditional bar-in-bar targets. A comparison between DBO measurements and CD-SEM measurements is done to show the correlation between the two approaches. We discuss the total measurement uncertainty (TMU) requirements for sub-45 nm nodes and compare TMU from the different overlay approaches.

Electricity demand and storage dispatch modeling for buildings and implications for the smartgrid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Menglian; Meinrenken, Christoph

2013-04-01

As an enabler for demand response (DR), electricity storage in buildings has the potential to lower costs and carbon footprint of grid electricity while simultaneously mitigating grid strain and increasing its flexibility to integrate renewables (central or distributed). We present a stochastic model to simulate minute-by-minute electricity demand of buildings and analyze the resulting electricity costs under actual, currently available DR-enabling tariffs in New York State, namely a peak/offpeak tariff charging by consumed energy (monthly total kWh) and a time of use tariff charging by power demand (monthly peak kW). We then introduce a variety of electrical storage options (from flow batteries to flywheels) and determine how DR via temporary storage may increase the overall net present value (NPV) for consumers (comparing the reduced cost of electricity to capital and maintenance costs of the storage). We find that, under the total-energy tariff, only medium-term storage options such as batteries offer positive NPV, and only at the low end of storage costs (optimistic scenario). Under the peak-demand tariff, however, even short-term storage such as flywheels and superconducting magnetic energy offer positive NPV. Therefore, these offer significant economic incentive to enable DR without affecting the consumption habits of buildings' residents. We discuss implications for smartgrid communication and our future work on real-time price tariffs.

The future of copper in China--A perspective based on analysis of copper flows and stocks.

PubMed

Zhang, Ling; Cai, Zhijian; Yang, Jiameng; Yuan, Zengwei; Chen, Yan

2015-12-01

This study attempts to speculate on the future of copper metabolism in China based on dynamic substance flow analysis. Based on tremendous growth of copper consumption over the past 63 years, China will depict a substantially increasing trend of copper in-use stocks for the next 30 years. The highest peak will be possibly achieved in 2050, with the maximum ranging between 163 Mt and 171 Mt. After that, total stocks are expected to slowly decline 147-154 Mt by the year 2080. Owing to the increasing demand of in-use stocks, China will continue to have a profound impact on global copper consumption with its high import dependence until around 2020, and the peak demand for imported copper are expected to approach 5.5 Mt/year. Thereafter, old scrap generated by domestic society will occupy an increasingly important role in copper supply. In around 2060, approximately 80% of copper resources could come from domestic recycling of old scrap, implying a major shift from primary production to secondary production. With regard to the effect of lifetime distribution uncertainties in different end-use sectors of copper stocks on the predict results, uncertainty evaluation was performed and found the model was relatively robust to these changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What is the Impact of Utility Demand Charges on a DCFC host

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Francfort, James Edward

The PEV Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) delivered by The EV Project included both AC Level 2 and DCFC units. Over 100 of these dual-port Blink DC fast chargers were deployed by The EV Project. These DCFCs were installed in workplaces and in publicly accessible locations near traffic hubs, retail centers, parking lots, restaurants, and similar locations. The Blink DCFC is capable of charging at power up to 60 kW. Its dual-port design sequences the charge from one port to the other, delivering power to only one of two vehicles connected at a time. The actual power delivered through amore » port is determined by the PEV’s on-board battery management system (BMS). Both the power and the total energy used to recharge a PEV can represent a significant cost for the charging site host. Many electric utilities impose fees for power demand as part of their commercial rate structure. The demand charge incurred by a customer is related to the peak power used during a monthly billing cycle. This is in contrast to the cumulative total energy usage that is the more familiar utility charge seen for most residential services. A demand charge is typically assessed for the highest average power over any 15 minute interval during the monthly billing cycle. One objective of The EV Project was to identify and elucidate the motivations and barriers to potential DCFC site hosts. The application of electric utility demand charges is one such potential barrier. This subject was introduced in the paper: DC Fast Charge - Demand Charge Reduction1. It discussed demand charge impact in general terms in order to focus on potential mitigation actions. This paper identifies specific cases in order to quantify the impact of demand charges on EV Project DCFC hosts.« less

The Effects of Presentation Modality, Task Demand, and Content Structure on Age-Related Memory Differences for Prose.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corgiat, Mark D.; And Others

1989-01-01

Evaluated contributions of age, presentation modality, task demand, and content structure to prose recall variation among adults. Tested 60 young and 60 older adults for recall of ideas in 641-word prose passage. Found recall for total number of idea units was significantly lower for older participants and for auditory presentation across both age…

Marital and Family Satisfaction as a Function of Work-Family Demands and Community Resources: Individual- and Couple-Level Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hostetler, Andrew J.; Desrochers, Stephan; Kopko, Kimberly; Moen, Phyllis

2012-01-01

This study uses individual- and couple-level analyses to examine the influence of work-family demands and community resources on marital and family satisfaction within a sample of dual-earner parents with dependent children (N = 260 couples, 520 individuals). Total couple work hours were strongly negatively associated with marital satisfaction for…

Developement of watershed and reference loads for a TMDL in Charleston Harbor System, SC.

Treesearch

Silong Lu; Devenra Amatya; Jamie Miller

2005-01-01

It is essential to determine point and non-point source loads and their distribution for development of a dissolved oxygen (DO) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). A series of models were developed to assess sources of oxygen-demand loadings in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. These oxygen-demand loadings included nutrients and BOD. Stream flow and nutrient...

2003-05 High Demand Enrollment Grants Report: Competitive Grants to Link Higher Education and Economic Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2006

2006-01-01

The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) received two appropriations totaling $11.8 million in the 2003-05 state operating budget to award competitive grants to increase enrollment in high-demand fields. Grants were available to Washington's public four-year colleges and universities during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 academic years. This report…

Physiological demands of women's rugby union: time-motion analysis and heart rate response.

PubMed

Virr, Jody Lynn; Game, Alex; Bell, Gordon John; Syrotuik, Daniel

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the physical demands of women's rugby union match play using time-motion analysis and heart rate (HR) response. Thirty-eight premier club level female rugby players, ages 18-34 years were videotaped and HRs monitored for a full match. Performances were coded into 12 different movement categories: 5 speeds of locomotion (standing, walking, jogging, striding, sprinting), 4 forms of intensive non-running exertion (ruck/maul/tackle, pack down, scrum, lift) and 3 discrete activities (kick, jump, open field tackle). The main results revealed that backs spend significantly more time sprinting and walking whereas forwards spend more time in intensive non-running exertion and jogging. Forwards also had a significantly higher total work frequency compared to the backs, but a higher total rest frequency compared to the backs. In terms of HR responses, forwards displayed higher mean HRs throughout the match and more time above 80% of their maximum HR than backs. In summary, women's rugby union is characterised by intermittent bursts of high-intensity activity, where forwards and backs have similar anaerobic energy demands, but different specific match demands.

Research on compressive sensing reconstruction algorithm based on total variation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yu-xuan; Sun, Huayan; Zhang, Tinghua; Du, Lin

2017-12-01

Compressed sensing for breakthrough Nyquist sampling theorem provides a strong theoretical , making compressive sampling for image signals be carried out simultaneously. In traditional imaging procedures using compressed sensing theory, not only can it reduces the storage space, but also can reduce the demand for detector resolution greatly. Using the sparsity of image signal, by solving the mathematical model of inverse reconfiguration, realize the super-resolution imaging. Reconstruction algorithm is the most critical part of compression perception, to a large extent determine the accuracy of the reconstruction of the image.The reconstruction algorithm based on the total variation (TV) model is more suitable for the compression reconstruction of the two-dimensional image, and the better edge information can be obtained. In order to verify the performance of the algorithm, Simulation Analysis the reconstruction result in different coding mode of the reconstruction algorithm based on the TV reconstruction algorithm. The reconstruction effect of the reconfigurable algorithm based on TV based on the different coding methods is analyzed to verify the stability of the algorithm. This paper compares and analyzes the typical reconstruction algorithm in the same coding mode. On the basis of the minimum total variation algorithm, the Augmented Lagrangian function term is added and the optimal value is solved by the alternating direction method.Experimental results show that the reconstruction algorithm is compared with the traditional classical algorithm based on TV has great advantages, under the low measurement rate can be quickly and accurately recovers target image.

Total synthesis of dihydrolysergic acid and dihydrolysergol: development of a divergent synthetic strategy applicable to rapid assembly of D-ring analogs.

PubMed

Lee, Kiyoun; Poudel, Yam B; Glinkerman, Christopher M; Boger, Dale L

2015-09-02

The total syntheses of dihydrolysergic acid and dihydrolysergol are detailed based on a Pd(0)-catalyzed intramolecular Larock indole cyclization for the preparation of the embedded tricyclic indole (ABC ring system) and a subsequent powerful inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction of 5-carbomethoxy-1,2,3-triazine with a ketone-derived enamine for the introduction of a functionalized pyridine, serving as the precursor for a remarkably diastereoselective reduction to the N -methylpiperidine D-ring. By design, the use of the same ketone-derived enamine and a set of related complementary heterocyclic azadiene [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions permitted the late stage divergent preparation of a series of alternative heterocyclic derivatives not readily accessible by more conventional approaches.

Water quality of Tampa Bay, Florida, June 1972-May 1976

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goetz, Carole L.; Goodwin, Carl R.

1980-01-01

A comprehensive assessment of the water quality of Tampa Bay, Florida, was initiated in 1970 to provide background information to evaluate the effects of widening and deepening the ship channel to the port of Tampa. This report provides results of water-quality sampling in the bay from 1972 to 1976, prior to dredging. Measurements of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, specific conductance, biochemical oxygen demand, and total organic carbon were made as well as measurements for several nutrient, metal, and pesticide parameters. Many parameters were measured at as many as three points in the vertical. These data indicate that Tampa Bay is well-mixed vertically with little density stratification. Time histories of average temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, specific conductance and nutrient values within four subareas of Tampa Bay are given to reveal seasonal or other trends during the period of record. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, specific conductance, nutrient, biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, and metal data are also presented as areal distributions. Nutrient concentrations were generally higher in Hillsborough Bay than in other sub-areas of Tampa Bay. Biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, and total organic nitrogen distribution patterns show regions of highest concentrations to be along bay shorelines near population centers. Of the metals analyzed, all were present in concentrations of less than 1 milligram per liter. (USGS)

Impacts of Change in Irrigation Water Availability on Food Production in the Yellow River Basin under Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Y. Y.; Tang, Q.

2014-12-01

Approximately 9 percent of China's population and 17 percent of its agricultural area are settled in the Yellow River Basins. Irrigation, which plays an important role in agricultural production, occupies the largest share of human consumptive water use in the basin. Given increasing water demands, the basin faces acute water scarcity. Previous studies have suggested that decrease in irrigation water availability under climate change might have an overall adverse impact on the food production of the basin. The timing and area that would face severe water stress are yet to be identified. We used a land surface hydrological model forced with the bias-corrected climatic variables from 5 climate models under 4 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) to estimate total water availability in the sub-basins of the Yellow River basin. The future socioeconomic conditions, the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), were used to estimate the water requirement in the nonagricultural water use sectors. The irrigation water availability was estimated from the total water availability and nonagricultural water use, and the irrigation water demands were estimated based on the current irrigation project efficiencies. The timing and area of irrigation water shortage were shown and the implication of change in irrigation water availability on food production was assessed. The results show that the sub-basins with high population density and gross domestic product (GDP) are likely to confront severe water stress and reduction in food production earlier because irrigation water was to be appropriated by the rapid increase in nonagricultural water use sectors. The study stresses the need for adaptive management of water to balance agriculture and nonagricultural demands in northern China.

Blockchain Based Decentralized Management of Demand Response Programs in Smart Energy Grids.

PubMed

Pop, Claudia; Cioara, Tudor; Antal, Marcel; Anghel, Ionut; Salomie, Ioan; Bertoncini, Massimo

2018-01-09

In this paper, we investigate the use of decentralized blockchain mechanisms for delivering transparent, secure, reliable, and timely energy flexibility, under the form of adaptation of energy demand profiles of Distributed Energy Prosumers, to all the stakeholders involved in the flexibility markets (Distribution System Operators primarily, retailers, aggregators, etc.). In our approach, a blockchain based distributed ledger stores in a tamper proof manner the energy prosumption information collected from Internet of Things smart metering devices, while self-enforcing smart contracts programmatically define the expected energy flexibility at the level of each prosumer, the associated rewards or penalties, and the rules for balancing the energy demand with the energy production at grid level. Consensus based validation will be used for demand response programs validation and to activate the appropriate financial settlement for the flexibility providers. The approach was validated using a prototype implemented in an Ethereum platform using energy consumption and production traces of several buildings from literature data sets. The results show that our blockchain based distributed demand side management can be used for matching energy demand and production at smart grid level, the demand response signal being followed with high accuracy, while the amount of energy flexibility needed for convergence is reduced.

0-6759 : developing a business process and logical model to support a tour-based travel demand model design for TxDOT.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

The Texas Department of Transportation : (TxDOT) created a standardized trip-based : modeling approach for travel demand modeling : called the Texas Package Suite of Travel Demand : Models (referred to as the Texas Package) to : oversee the travel de...

Demand response, behind-the-meter generation and air quality.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiyue; Zhang, K Max

2015-02-03

We investigated the implications of behind-the-meter (BTM) generation participating in demand response (DR) programs. Specifically, we evaluated the impacts of NOx emissions from BTM generators enrolled in the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)'s reliability-based DR programs. Through analyzing the DR program enrollment data, DR event records, ozone air quality monitoring data, and emission characteristics of the generators, we found that the emissions from BTM generators very likely contribute to exceedingly high ozone concentrations in the Northeast Corridor region, and very likely account for a substantial fraction of total NOx emissions from electricity generation. In addition, a companion study showed that the emissions from BTM generators could also form near-source particulate matter (PM) hotspots. The important policy implications are that the absence of up-to-date regulations on BTM generators may offset the current efforts to reduce the emissions from peaking power plants, and that there is a need to quantify the environmental impacts of DR programs in designing sound policies related to demand-side resources. Furthermore, we proposed the concept of "Green" DR resources, referring to those that not only provide power systems reliability services, but also have verifiable environmental benefits or minimal negative environmental impacts. We argue that Green DR resources that are able to maintain resource adequacy and reduce emissions at the same time are key to achieving the cobenefits of power system reliability and protecting public health during periods with peak electricity demand.

Satellite Supported Estimates of Human Rate of NPP Carbon Use on Land: Challenges Ahead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imhoff, M. L.; Bounoua, L.; Zhang, P.; Wolfe, R. E.

2010-12-01

The human demand for products of photosynthesis is a powerful measure of the aggregate impact of human action on the biosphere and indicator of societal vulnerability to climate change. We show results from several studies that use satellite and statistical data to estimate the amount of Earth’s net primary production (NPP) on land required to support regional and global use of food, fiber and NPP-based fuel products across a ten-year period. Earth’s planetary NPP ‘supply’ was estimated using AVHRR vegetation index and MODIS derived NPP products to establish a baseline extending from 1982 - 2005. NPP carbon ‘demand’ was estimated by applying biophysical models to consumption data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to calculate the annual amount of NPP required for the products consumed. Results show that globally, humans consume more than 20% of Earth’s total net primary production on land and that both populations and per capita consumption increased between 1995 and 2005. Regionally, the NPP-carbon balance percentage varies from 6% to over 70% and locally from near 0% to over 30,000% in major urban areas. Large uncertainties exist in both supply and demand calculations but while the supply trend varies in sign demand continues to rise. Scenarios modeling the impact of per capita consumption, population growth, and technology suggest that NPP demand as percent of supply is likely to increase substantially in the next 40 years despite better harvesting and processing efficiencies.

Psychosocial work conditions, social capital, and daily smoking: a population based study.

PubMed

Lindström, M

2004-09-01

To investigate the associations between psychosocial conditions at work, social capital/social participation, and daily smoking. The 2000 public health survey in Scania is a cross sectional postal questionnaire study with a 59% participation rate. A total of 5180 persons aged 18-64 years that belonged to the work force and the unemployed were included in this study. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between psychosocial factors at work/unemployment, social participation, and daily smoking. Psychosocial conditions at work were defined according to the Karasek-Theorell demand-control/decision latitudes into relaxed, active, passive, and jobstrain categories. The multivariate analyses included age, country of origin, education and economic stress. 17.2% proportion of all men and 21.9% of all women were daily smokers. The jobstrain (high demands/low control) and unemployed categories had significantly higher odds ratios of daily smoking among both men and women compared to the relaxed (low demands/high control) reference category. The passive (low demands/low control), jobstrain, and unemployed categories were also significantly associated with low social participation. Low social participation was significantly and positively associated with daily smoking within each of the psychosocial work conditions and unemployed categories. The positive association between low social capital/low social participation and daily smoking is well known. However, both social participation and daily smoking are associated with psychosocial work conditions and unemployment. Psychosocial work conditions and unemployment may affect daily smoking both directly and through a pathway including social participation.

A distributed algorithm for demand-side management: Selling back to the grid.

PubMed

Latifi, Milad; Khalili, Azam; Rastegarnia, Amir; Zandi, Sajad; Bazzi, Wael M

2017-11-01

Demand side energy consumption scheduling is a well-known issue in the smart grid research area. However, there is lack of a comprehensive method to manage the demand side and consumer behavior in order to obtain an optimum solution. The method needs to address several aspects, including the scale-free requirement and distributed nature of the problem, consideration of renewable resources, allowing consumers to sell electricity back to the main grid, and adaptivity to a local change in the solution point. In addition, the model should allow compensation to consumers and ensurance of certain satisfaction levels. To tackle these issues, this paper proposes a novel autonomous demand side management technique which minimizes consumer utility costs and maximizes consumer comfort levels in a fully distributed manner. The technique uses a new logarithmic cost function and allows consumers to sell excess electricity (e.g. from renewable resources) back to the grid in order to reduce their electric utility bill. To develop the proposed scheme, we first formulate the problem as a constrained convex minimization problem. Then, it is converted to an unconstrained version using the segmentation-based penalty method. At each consumer location, we deploy an adaptive diffusion approach to obtain the solution in a distributed fashion. The use of adaptive diffusion makes it possible for consumers to find the optimum energy consumption schedule with a small number of information exchanges. Moreover, the proposed method is able to track drifts resulting from changes in the price parameters and consumer preferences. Simulations and numerical results show that our framework can reduce the total load demand peaks, lower the consumer utility bill, and improve the consumer comfort level.

Relationship between napping during night shift work and household obligations of female nursing personnel.

PubMed

Silva-Costa, Aline; Fischer, Frida Marina; Griep, Rosane Harter; Rotenberg, Lúcia

2013-01-01

Night shift employment involves displacing sleep to the daytime. For female workers, the opportunity for daytime sleep is influenced by routine housework demands, which aggravates sleep deprivation. Allowing naps to be taken during the night shift of work is a frequent practice at some hospitals and can help reduce the effects of sleep deprivation. We hypothesize that an association between domestic work and the length of naps during night work exists for nursing professionals. To test this hypothesis, two cross-sectional studies were conducted in two different hospitals. In Study 1, female workers answered questionnaires regarding sleeping habits, professional work, and housework demands. In Study 2, data regarding napping during shifts was obtained by actigraphy, a noninvasive method of monitoring the human sleep-wake cycle. The demand for the performance of housework was measured by (i) domestic work hours (total time spent performing domestic work per week), and (ii) domestic workload, which considers the degree of sharing domestic tasks and the number of people living at home. The populations from the two studies were subdivided into groups, based on the duration of napping at work. Data on naps were analyzed according to domestic demands, using the Mann-Whitney and Chi-squared tests. Among the two study populations (Studies 1 and 2), those in Study 2 were older, had shorter professional weekly work hours, worked more night shifts, and dedicated more time to housework. significant associations were only found in Study 2, where greater time napping at work was associated with both greater time spent doing housework and greater domestic workload. The known benefits of napping during night shifts seem to be especially relevant for female workers who are more sleep-deprived from working more night shifts and who have higher demands for housework.

Transportation Sector Model of the National Energy Modeling System. Volume 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-01-01

This report documents the objectives, analytical approach and development of the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) Transportation Model (TRAN). The report catalogues and describes the model assumptions, computational methodology, parameter estimation techniques, model source code, and forecast results generated by the model. The NEMS Transportation Model comprises a series of semi-independent models which address different aspects of the transportation sector. The primary purpose of this model is to provide mid-term forecasts of transportation energy demand by fuel type including, but not limited to, motor gasoline, distillate, jet fuel, and alternative fuels (such as CNG) not commonly associated with transportation. Themore » current NEMS forecast horizon extends to the year 2010 and uses 1990 as the base year. Forecasts are generated through the separate consideration of energy consumption within the various modes of transport, including: private and fleet light-duty vehicles; aircraft; marine, rail, and truck freight; and various modes with minor overall impacts, such as mass transit and recreational boating. This approach is useful in assessing the impacts of policy initiatives, legislative mandates which affect individual modes of travel, and technological developments. The model also provides forecasts of selected intermediate values which are generated in order to determine energy consumption. These elements include estimates of passenger travel demand by automobile, air, or mass transit; estimates of the efficiency with which that demand is met; projections of vehicle stocks and the penetration of new technologies; and estimates of the demand for freight transport which are linked to forecasts of industrial output. Following the estimation of energy demand, TRAN produces forecasts of vehicular emissions of the following pollutants by source: oxides of sulfur, oxides of nitrogen, total carbon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds.« less

Is irrigation water price an effective leverage for water management? An empirical study in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Qing; Wu, Feng; Zhang, Qian

Serious water scarcity, low water-use efficiency, and over-exploitation of underground water have hindered socio-economic development and led to environmental degradation in the Heihe River basin, northwestern China. Price leveraging is an important tool in water demand management, and it is considered to be effective in promoting water conservation and improving water use efficiency on the premise that water demand is elastic. In the present study, we examine whether price is an effective and applicable instrument for restraining the increasing demand for agricultural irrigation water in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin and how will it affect farmers' decisions on irrigation and crop structure. Specifically, the price elasticity of agricultural water demand was estimated based on the irrigation water demand function. The results show that the agricultural irrigation water price is statistically significant, but its elasticity is very low under current low water price. Price leverage cannot play a significant role in the context of the current pricing regime and farmers' response to price increase is intrinsically weak. To create incentives for conserving water and improving irrigation efficiency, price mechanism should be accompanied with clearly defined and legally enforceable water rights, restricted water quota measures, and reform of water authorities and water-user associations. Furthermore, increases of surface irrigation water price may lead to the over-withdrawal of groundwater, consequently, effective groundwater licensing and levying must take place to limit the total volume of groundwater withdrawal. In all, improving irrigation efficiency through better management and the adoption of water-saving technologies is the ultimate way to deal with the challenges facing irrigated agriculture in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin.

The demographic impact and development benefits of meeting demand for family planning with modern contraceptive methods.

PubMed

Goodkind, Daniel; Lollock, Lisa; Choi, Yoonjoung; McDevitt, Thomas; West, Loraine

2018-01-01

Meeting demand for family planning can facilitate progress towards all major themes of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. Many policymakers have embraced a benchmark goal that at least 75% of the demand for family planning in all countries be satisfied with modern contraceptive methods by the year 2030. This study examines the demographic impact (and development implications) of achieving the 75% benchmark in 13 developing countries that are expected to be the furthest from achieving that benchmark. Estimation of the demographic impact of achieving the 75% benchmark requires three steps in each country: 1) translate contraceptive prevalence assumptions (with and without intervention) into future fertility levels based on biometric models, 2) incorporate each pair of fertility assumptions into separate population projections, and 3) compare the demographic differences between the two population projections. Data are drawn from the United Nations, the US Census Bureau, and Demographic and Health Surveys. The demographic impact of meeting the 75% benchmark is examined via projected differences in fertility rates (average expected births per woman's reproductive lifetime), total population, growth rates, age structure, and youth dependency. On average, meeting the benchmark would imply a 16 percentage point increase in modern contraceptive prevalence by 2030 and a 20% decline in youth dependency, which portends a potential demographic dividend to spur economic growth. Improvements in meeting the demand for family planning with modern contraceptive methods can bring substantial benefits to developing countries. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show formally how such improvements can alter population size and age structure. Declines in youth dependency portend a demographic dividend, an added bonus to the already well-known benefits of meeting existing demands for family planning.

Sizing the cannabis market: a demand-side and user-specific approach in seven European countries.

PubMed

van Laar, Margriet; Frijns, Tom; Trautmann, Franz; Lombi, Linda

2013-06-01

Demand-based estimates of total cannabis consumption rarely consider differences among different user types and variation across countries. To describe cannabis consumption patterns and estimate annual consumption for different user types across EU Member States, a web survey in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and United Kingdom (England & Wales) collected data on cannabis use patterns from 3,922 persons who had consumed cannabis at least once in the past year. They were classified into four groups based on their number of use days in the past 12 months: infrequent users or chippers (<11 days), occasional users (11-50 days), regular users (51-250 days) and intensive users (>250 days). User type specific data on typical amounts consumed were matched with data on numbers of users per user type estimated from existing population surveys, taking differences in mode of consumption, age and gender into account. Estimates were supplemented with data from populations of problem users to compensate for under coverage. Results showed remarkably consistent differences among user groups across countries. Both the average number of units consumed per typical use day and the average amount of cannabis consumed per unit increased across user types of increasing frequency of use. In all countries except Portugal, intensive users formed the smallest group of cannabis users but were responsible for the largest part of total annual cannabis consumption. Annual cannabis consumption varied across countries but confidence intervals were wide. Results are compared with previous estimates and discussed in the context of improving estimation methods.

Modeling a full-scale primary sedimentation tank using artificial neural networks.

PubMed

Gamal El-Din, A; Smith, D W

2002-05-01

Modeling the performance of full-scale primary sedimentation tanks has been commonly done using regression-based models, which are empirical relationships derived strictly from observed daily average influent and effluent data. Another approach to model a sedimentation tank is using a hydraulic efficiency model that utilizes tracer studies to characterize the performance of model sedimentation tanks based on eddy diffusion. However, the use of hydraulic efficiency models to predict the dynamic behavior of a full-scale sedimentation tank is very difficult as the development of such models has been done using controlled studies of model tanks. In this paper, another type of model, namely artificial neural network modeling approach, is used to predict the dynamic response of a full-scale primary sedimentation tank. The neuralmodel consists of two separate networks, one uses flow and influent total suspended solids data in order to predict the effluent total suspended solids from the tank, and the other makes predictions of the effluent chemical oxygen demand using data of the flow and influent chemical oxygen demand as inputs. An extensive sampling program was conducted in order to collect a data set to be used in training and validating the networks. A systematic approach was used in the building process of the model which allowed the identification of a parsimonious neural model that is able to learn (and not memorize) from past data and generalize very well to unseen data that were used to validate the model. Theresults seem very promising. The potential of using the model as part of a real-time process control system isalso discussed.

The impact of job and family demands on partner’s fatigue: A study of Japanese dual-earner parents

PubMed Central

Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B.; Demerouti, Evangelia; Shimada, Kyoko; Kawakami, Norito

2017-01-01

Objectives This study of Japanese dual-earner couples examined the impact of family and job demands on one’s own and one’s partner’s fatigue as well as gender differences in these effects. Methods A total of 2,502 parents (1,251 couples) were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. A crossover model was tested using structural equation modeling. Results The results of structural equation modeling analyses showed that both job and family demands independently exacerbated fatigue. There was an indirect effect of job and family demands on partner fatigue through one’s own fatigue only from husbands to wives. An indirect effect of job demands on partner fatigue through partner’s family demands was identified only from wives to husbands. Furthermore, there were gender differences in the crossover of fatigue. Conclusions This study shows that job and family demands influence family circumstances. When considering means to reduce employees’ fatigue, gender differences in the mechanism of fatigue need to be taken into account. PMID:28235008

Acceleration in the care of older adults: new demands as predictors of employee burnout and engagement.

PubMed

Kubicek, Bettina; Korunka, Christian; Ulferts, Heike

2013-07-01

This paper introduces the concept of acceleration-related demands in the care of older adults. It examines these new demands and their relation to cognitive, emotional, and physical job demands and to employee well-being. Various changes in the healthcare systems of Western societies pose new demands for healthcare professionals' careers and jobs. In particular today's societal changes give rise to acceleration-related demands, which manifest themselves in work intensification and in increasing requirements to handle new technical equipment and to update one's job-related knowledge. It is, therefore, of interest to investigate the effects of these new demands on the well-being of employees. Survey. Between March-June 2010 the survey was conducted among healthcare professionals involved in care of older adults in Austria. A total of 1498 employees provided data on cognitive, emotional, and physical job demands and on acceleration-related demands. The outcome variables were the core dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization) and engagement (vigour and dedication). Hierarchical regression analyses show that acceleration-related demands explain additional variance for exhaustion, depersonalization, vigour, and dedication when controlling for cognitive, emotional, and physical demands. Furthermore, acceleration-related demands associated with increasing requirements to update one's knowledge are related to positive outcomes (vigour and dedication). Acceleration-related demands associated with an increasing work pace are related to negative outcomes such as emotional exhaustion. Results illustrate that new demands resulting from social acceleration generate potential challenges for on-the-job learning and potential risks to employees' health and well-being. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Reading text while driving: understanding drivers' strategic and tactical adaptation to distraction.

PubMed

Liang, Yulan; Horrey, William J; Hoffman, Joshua D

2015-03-01

In this study, we investigated how drivers adapt secondary-task initiation and time-sharing behavior when faced with fluctuating driving demands. Reading text while driving is particularly detrimental; however, in real-world driving, drivers actively decide when to perform the task. In a test track experiment, participants were free to decide when to read messages while driving along a straight road consisting of an area with increased driving demands (demand zone) followed by an area with low demands. A message was made available shortly before the vehicle entered the demand zone. We manipulated the type of driving demands (baseline, narrow lane, pace clock, combined), message format (no message, paragraph, parsed), and the distance from the demand zone when the message was available (near, far). In all conditions, drivers started reading messages (drivers' first glance to the display) before entering or before leaving the demand zone but tended to wait longer when faced with increased driving demands. While reading messages, drivers looked more or less off road, depending on types of driving demands. For task initiation, drivers avoid transitions from low to high demands; however, they are not discouraged when driving demands are already elevated. Drivers adjust time-sharing behavior according to driving demands while performing secondary tasks. Nonetheless, such adjustment may be less effective when total demands are high. This study helps us to understand a driver's role as an active controller in the context of distracted driving and provides insights for developing distraction interventions. © 2014, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

The job demands-resources model of burnout.

PubMed

Demerouti, E; Bakker, A B; Nachreiner, F; Schaufeli, W B

2001-06-01

The job demands-resources (JD-R) model proposes that working conditions can be categorized into 2 broad categories, job demands and job resources. that are differentially related to specific outcomes. A series of LISREL analyses using self-reports as well as observer ratings of the working conditions provided strong evidence for the JD-R model: Job demands are primarily related to the exhaustion component of burnout, whereas (lack of) job resources are primarily related to disengagement. Highly similar patterns were observed in each of 3 occupational groups: human services, industry, and transport (total N = 374). In addition, results confirmed the 2-factor structure (exhaustion and disengagement) of a new burnout instrument--the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory--and suggested that this structure is essentially invariant across occupational groups.

Total pollution effect of urban surface runoff.

PubMed

Luo, Hongbing; Luo, Lin; Huang, Gu; Liu, Ping; Li, Jingxian; Hu, Sheng; Wang, Fuxiang; Xu, Rui; Huang, Xiaoxue

2009-01-01

For pollution research with regard to urban surface runoff, most sampling strategies to date have focused on differences in land usage. With single land-use sampling, total surface runoff pollution effect cannot be evaluated unless every land usage spot is monitored. Through a new sampling strategy known as mixed stormwater sampling for a street community at discharge outlet adjacent to river, this study assessed the total urban surface runoff pollution effect caused by a variety of land uses and the pollutants washed off from the rain pipe system in the Futian River watershed in Shenzhen City of China. The water quality monitoring indices were COD (chemical oxygen demand), TSS (total suspend solid), TP (total phosphorus), TN (total nitrogen) and BOD (biochemical oxygen demand). The sums of total pollution loads discharged into the river for the four indices of COD, TSS, TN, and TP over all seven rainfall events were very different. The mathematical model for simulating total pollution loads was established from discharge outlet mixed stormwater sampling of total pollution loads on the basis of four parameters: rainfall intensity, total land area, impervious land area, and pervious land area. In order to treat surface runoff pollution, the values of MFF30 (mass first flush ratio) and FF30 (first 30% of runoff volume) can be considered as split-flow control criteria to obtain more effective and economical design of structural BMPs (best management practices) facilities.

EnviroAtlas - Big Game Hunting Recreation Demand by 12-Digit HUC in the Conterminous United States

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset includes the total number of recreational days per year demanded by people ages 18 and over for big game hunting by location in the contiguous United States. Big game includes deer, elk, bear, and wild turkey. These values are based on 2010 population distribution, 2011 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Fish, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) survey data, and 2011 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring program data, and have been summarized by 12-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC). This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to the EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

Total Water Management: A Research Project of the United States Environmental Protection Agency

EPA Science Inventory

Total Water Management (TWM) examines urban water systems in an interconnected manner. It encompasses reducing water demands, increasing water recycling and reuse, creating water supply assets from stormwater management, matching water quality to end-use needs, and achieving envi...

Global Uranium And Thorium Resources: Are They Adequate To Satisfy Demand Over The Next Half Century?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambert, I. B.

2012-04-01

This presentation will consider the adequacy of global uranium and thorium resources to meet realistic nuclear power demand scenarios over the next half century. It is presented on behalf of, and based on evaluations by, the Uranium Group - a joint initiative of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency, of which the author is a Vice Chair. The Uranium Group produces a biennial report on Uranium Resources, Production and Demand based on information from some 40 countries involved in the nuclear fuel cycle, which also briefly reviews thorium resources. Uranium: In 2008, world production of uranium amounted to almost 44,000 tonnes (tU). This supplied approximately three-quarters of world reactor requirements (approx. 59,000 tU), the remainder being met by previously mined uranium (so-called secondary sources). Information on availability of secondary sources - which include uranium from excess inventories, dismantling nuclear warheads, tails and spent fuel reprocessing - is incomplete, but such sources are expected to decrease in market importance after 2013. In 2008, the total world Reasonably Assured plus Inferred Resources of uranium (recoverable at less than 130/kgU) amounted to 5.4 million tonnes. In addition, it is clear that there are vast amounts of uranium recoverable at higher costs in known deposits, plus many as yet undiscovered deposits. The Uranium Group has concluded that the uranium resource base is more than adequate to meet projected high-case requirements for nuclear power for at least half a century. This conclusion does not assume increasing replacement of uranium by fuels from reprocessing current reactor wastes, or by thorium, nor greater reactor efficiencies, which are likely to ameliorate future uranium demand. However, progressively increasing quantities of uranium will need to be mined, against a backdrop of the relatively small number of producing facilities around the world, geopolitical uncertainties and strong opposition to growth of nuclear power in a number of quarters - it is vital that the market provides incentives for exploration and development of environmentally sustainable mining operations. Thorium: World Reasonably Assured plus Inferred Resources of thorium are estimated at over 2.2 million tonnes, in hard rock and heavy mineral sand deposits. At least double this amount is considered to occur in as yet undiscovered thorium deposits. Currently, demand for thorium is insignificant, but even a major shift to thorium-fueled reactors would not make significant inroads into the huge resource base over the next half century.

Water quality in the Sugar Creek basin, Bloomington and Normal, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prugh, Byron J.

1978-01-01

Urban runoff and overflows from combined sewers affect water quantity and quality in Sugar Creek within the twin cities of Bloomington and Normal, Illinois. Water-quality data from five primary and eight secondary locations showed three basic types of responses to climatic and hydrologic stresses. Stream temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, biochemical oxygen demand, and fecal bacteria showed seasonal variations. Specific conductivity, pH, chloride, and suspended solids concentrations varied more closely with stream discharges. Total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, biochemical oxygen demand, and fecal coliform and fecal streptococcal bacteria concentrations exhibited variations indicative of intial flushing action during storm runoff. Selected analyses for herbicides, insecticides, and other complex organic compounds in solution and in bed material showed that these constituents were coming from sources other than the municipal sanitary treatment plant effluent. Analyses for 10 common metals: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, and zinc showed changes in concentrations below the municipal sanitary plant outfall. (Woodard-USGS)

Analysis of an inventory model for both linearly decreasing demand and holding cost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malik, A. K.; Singh, Parth Raj; Tomar, Ajay; Kumar, Satish; Yadav, S. K.

2016-03-01

This study proposes the analysis of an inventory model for linearly decreasing demand and holding cost for non-instantaneous deteriorating items. The inventory model focuses on commodities having linearly decreasing demand without shortages. The holding cost doesn't remain uniform with time due to any form of variation in the time value of money. Here we consider that the holding cost decreases with respect to time. The optimal time interval for the total profit and the optimal order quantity are determined. The developed inventory model is pointed up through a numerical example. It also includes the sensitivity analysis.

Safety and Acceptability of Community-Based Distribution of Injectable Contraceptives: A Pilot Project in Mozambique

PubMed Central

Jacinto, Ana; Mobaracaly, Mahomed Riaz; Ustáb, Momade Bay; Bique, Cassimo; Blazer, Cassandra; Weidert, Karen; Prata, Ndola

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Mozambique has witnessed a climbing total fertility rate in the last 20 years. Nearly one-third of married women have an unmet need for family planning, but the supply of family planning services is not meeting the demand. This study aimed to explore the safety and effectiveness of training 2 cadres of community health workers—traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and agentes polivalentes elementares (APEs) (polyvalent elementary health workers)—to administer the injectable contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), and to provide evidence to policy makers on the feasibility of expanding community-based distribution of DMPA in areas where TBAs and APEs are present. A total of 1,432 women enrolled in the study between February 2014 and April 2015. The majority (63% to 66%) of women in the study started using contraception for the first time during the study period, and most women (over 66%) did not report side effects at the 3-month and 6-month follow-up visits. Very few (less than 0.5%) experienced morbidities at the injection site on the arm. Satisfaction with the performance of TBAs and APEs was high and improved over the study period. Overall, the project showed a high continuation rate (81.1%) after 3 injections, with TBA clients having significantly higher continuation rates than APE clients after 3 months and after 6 months. Clients’ reported willingness to pay for DMPA (64%) highlights the latent demand for modern contraceptives. Given Mozambique’s largely rural population and critical health care workforce shortage, community-based provision of family planning in general and of injectable contraceptives in particular, which has been shown to be safe, effective, and acceptable, is of crucial importance. This study demonstrates that community-based distribution of injectable contraceptives can provide access to family planning to a large group of women that previously had little or no access. PMID:27651076

Meeting Rural Demand: A Case for Combining Community-Based Distribution and Social Marketing of Injectable Contraceptives in Tigray, Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Prata, Ndola; Weidert, Karen; Fraser, Ashley; Gessessew, Amanuel

2013-01-01

Background In Sub-Saharan Africa, policy changes have begun to pave the way for community distribution of injectable contraceptives but sustaining such efforts remains challenging. Combining social marketing with community-based distribution provides an opportunity to recover some program costs and compensate workers with proceeds from contraceptive sales. This paper proposes a model for increasing access to injectable contraceptives in rural settings by using community-based distributers as social marketing agents and incorporating financing systems to improve sustainability. Methods This intervention was implemented in three districts of the Central Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia and program data has been collected from November 2011 through October 2012. A total of 137 Community Based Reproductive Health Agents (CBRHAs) were trained to provide injectable contraceptives and were provided with a loan of 25 injectable contraceptives from a drug revolving fund, created with project funds. The price of a single dose credited to a CBRHA was 3 birr ($0.17) and they provide injections to women for 5 birr ($0.29), determined with willingness-to-pay data. Social marketing was used to create awareness and generate demand. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine important feasibility aspects of the intervention. Results Forty-four percent of CBRHAs were providing family planning methods at the time of the training and 96% believed providing injectable contraceptives would improve their services. By October 2012, 137 CBRHAs had successfully completed training and provided 2541 injections. Of total injections, 47% were provided to new users of injectable contraceptives. Approximately 31% of injections were given for free to the poorest women, including adolescents. Conclusions Insights gained from the first year of implementation of the model provide a framework for further expansion in Tigray, Ethiopia. Our experience highlights how program planners can tailor interventions to match family planning preferences and create more sustainable contraceptive service provision with greater impact. PMID:23874767

Meeting rural demand: a case for combining community-based distribution and social marketing of injectable contraceptives in Tigray, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Prata, Ndola; Weidert, Karen; Fraser, Ashley; Gessessew, Amanuel

2013-01-01

In Sub-Saharan Africa, policy changes have begun to pave the way for community distribution of injectable contraceptives but sustaining such efforts remains challenging. Combining social marketing with community-based distribution provides an opportunity to recover some program costs and compensate workers with proceeds from contraceptive sales. This paper proposes a model for increasing access to injectable contraceptives in rural settings by using community-based distributers as social marketing agents and incorporating financing systems to improve sustainability. This intervention was implemented in three districts of the Central Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia and program data has been collected from November 2011 through October 2012. A total of 137 Community Based Reproductive Health Agents (CBRHAs) were trained to provide injectable contraceptives and were provided with a loan of 25 injectable contraceptives from a drug revolving fund, created with project funds. The price of a single dose credited to a CBRHA was 3 birr ($0.17) and they provide injections to women for 5 birr ($0.29), determined with willingness-to-pay data. Social marketing was used to create awareness and generate demand. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine important feasibility aspects of the intervention. Forty-four percent of CBRHAs were providing family planning methods at the time of the training and 96% believed providing injectable contraceptives would improve their services. By October 2012, 137 CBRHAs had successfully completed training and provided 2541 injections. Of total injections, 47% were provided to new users of injectable contraceptives. Approximately 31% of injections were given for free to the poorest women, including adolescents. Insights gained from the first year of implementation of the model provide a framework for further expansion in Tigray, Ethiopia. Our experience highlights how program planners can tailor interventions to match family planning preferences and create more sustainable contraceptive service provision with greater impact.

Safety and Acceptability of Community-Based Distribution of Injectable Contraceptives: A Pilot Project in Mozambique.

PubMed

Jacinto, Ana; Mobaracaly, Mahomed Riaz; Ustáb, Momade Bay; Bique, Cassimo; Blazer, Cassandra; Weidert, Karen; Prata, Ndola

2016-09-28

Mozambique has witnessed a climbing total fertility rate in the last 20 years. Nearly one-third of married women have an unmet need for family planning, but the supply of family planning services is not meeting the demand. This study aimed to explore the safety and effectiveness of training 2 cadres of community health workers-traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and agentes polivalentes elementares (APEs) (polyvalent elementary health workers)-to administer the injectable contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), and to provide evidence to policy makers on the feasibility of expanding community-based distribution of DMPA in areas where TBAs and APEs are present. A total of 1,432 women enrolled in the study between February 2014 and April 2015. The majority (63% to 66%) of women in the study started using contraception for the first time during the study period, and most women (over 66%) did not report side effects at the 3-month and 6-month follow-up visits. Very few (less than 0.5%) experienced morbidities at the injection site on the arm. Satisfaction with the performance of TBAs and APEs was high and improved over the study period. Overall, the project showed a high continuation rate (81.1%) after 3 injections, with TBA clients having significantly higher continuation rates than APE clients after 3 months and after 6 months. Clients' reported willingness to pay for DMPA (64%) highlights the latent demand for modern contraceptives. Given Mozambique's largely rural population and critical health care workforce shortage, community-based provision of family planning in general and of injectable contraceptives in particular, which has been shown to be safe, effective, and acceptable, is of crucial importance. This study demonstrates that community-based distribution of injectable contraceptives can provide access to family planning to a large group of women that previously had little or no access. © Jacinto et al.

On-site phytoremediation applicability assessment in Alur Ilmu, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia based on spatial and pollution removal analyses.

PubMed

Mahmud, Mohd Hafiyyan; Lee, Khai Ern; Goh, Thian Lai

2017-10-01

The present paper aims to assess the phytoremediation performance based on pollution removal efficiency of the highly polluted region of Alur Ilmu urban river for its applicability of on-site treatment. Thirteen stations along Alur Ilmu were selected to produce thematic maps through spatial distribution analysis based on six water quality parameters of Malaysia's Water Quality Index (WQI) for dry and raining seasons. The maps generated were used to identify the highly polluted region for phytoremediation applicability assessment. Four free-floating plants were tested in treating water samples from the highly polluted region under three different conditions, namely controlled, aerated and normal treatments. The selected free-floating plants were water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), rose water lettuce (Pistia sp.) and pennywort (Centella asiatica). The results showed that Alur Ilmu was more polluted during dry season compared to raining season based on the water quality analysis. During dry season, four parameters were marked as polluted along Alur Ilmu, namely dissolve oxygen (DO), 4.72 mg/L (class III); ammoniacal nitrogen (NH 3 -N), 0.85 mg/L (class IV); total suspended solid (TSS), 402 mg/L (class V) and biological oxygen demand (BOD), 3.89 mg/L (class III), whereas, two parameters were classed as polluted during raining season, namely total suspended solid (TSS), 571 mg/L (class V) and biological oxygen demand (BOD), 4.01 mg/L (class III). The thematic maps generated from spatial distribution analysis using Kriging gridding method showed that the highly polluted region was recorded at station AL 5. Hence, water samples were taken from this station for pollution removal analysis. All the free-floating plants were able to reduce TSS and COD in less than 14 days. However, water hyacinth showed the least detrimental effect from the phytoremediation process compared to other free-floating plants, thus made it a suitable free-floating plants to be used for on-site treatment.

Controls on biochemical oxygen demand in the upper Klamath River, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, Annett B.; Snyder, Dean M.; Rounds, Stewart A.

2010-01-01

A series of 30-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) experiments were conducted on water column samples from a reach of the upper Klamath River that experiences hypoxia and anoxia in summer. Samples were incubated with added nitrification inhibitor to measure carbonaceous BOD (CBOD), untreated to measure total BOD, which included demand from nitrogenous BOD (NBOD), and coarse-filtered to examine the effect of removing large particulate matter. All BOD data were fit well with a two-group model, so named because it considered contributions from both labile and refractory pools of carbon: BODt = a1(1 − e− a0t) + a2t. Site-average labile first-order decay rates a0 ranged from 0.15 to 0.22/day for CBOD and 0.11 to 0.29/day for BOD. Site-average values of refractory zero-order decay rates a2 ranged from 0.13 to 0.25 mg/L/day for CBOD and 0.01 to 0.45 mg/L/day for BOD; the zero-order CBOD decay rate increased from early- to mid-summer. Values of ultimate CBOD for the labile component a1 ranged from 5.5 to 28.8 mg/L for CBOD, and 7.6 to 30.8 mg/L for BOD. Two upstream sites had higher CBOD compared to those downstream. Maximum measured total BOD5 and BOD30 during the study were 26.5 and 55.4 mg/L; minimums were 4.2 and 13.6 mg/L. For most samples, the oxygen demand from the three components considered here were: labile CBOD > NBOD > refractory CBOD, though the relative importance of refractory CBOD to oxygen demand increased over time. Coarse-filtering reduced CBOD for samples with high particulate carbon and high biovolumes of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. There was a strong positive correlation between BOD, CBOD, and the labile component of CBOD to particulate C and N, with weaker positive correlation to field pH, field dissolved oxygen, and total N. The refractory component of CBOD was not correlated to particulate matter, instead showing weak but statistically significant correlation to dissolved organic carbon, UV absorbance at 254 nm, and total N. Particulate organic matter, especially the alga A.flos-aquae, is an important component of oxygen demand in this reach of the Klamath River, though refractory dissolved organic matter would continue to exert an oxygen demand over longer time periods and as water travels downstream.

Disaster Preparedness Among University Students in Guangzhou, China: Assessment of Status and Demand for Disaster Education.

PubMed

Tan, Yibing; Liao, Xiaolan; Su, Haihao; Li, Chun; Xiang, Jiagen; Dong, Zhaoyang

2017-06-01

This study had 2 aims. First, we evaluated the current levels of disaster preparedness among university students in southern China. Second, we assessed students' demands for future disaster education. In addition, we examined the influence of demographic factors on current disaster preparedness status and demand. A cross-sectional design was used. The data were collected from 1893 students in 10 universities in the Guangzhou Higher Education Mega (GHEM) center. A self-administered questionnaire developed for this study was administered to assess the current status and demand for disaster education. The results are based on 1764 valid questionnaires. Among the participants, 77.8% reported having had disaster education experiences before, 85.5% indicated their desire for a systematic disaster course, and 75.4% expressed their willingness to take such a course upon its availability. The total mean score for demand for disaster course content (5-point Likert scale) was 4.17±0.84, with items relating to rescue skills given the highest scores. These results suggested that students had high desires for disaster preparedness knowledge, especially knowledge concerning rescue skills. We observed significant differences in disaster education experiences between male and female students and across programs, school years, and home locations. Furthermore, we observed significant differences in demand for disaster course content between male and female students and across universities, student programs, years of school, and students' majors. A systematic disaster course focused on rescue skills is needed by all types of universities. To improve the disaster education system in universities, disaster drills should be performed on a semester basis as a refresher and to enhance disaster preparedness. The government and universities should support building a simulated disaster rescue center and recruit faculty from the emergency department, especially those who have had disaster relief experience. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:310-317).

The Demand Reduction Potential of Smart Appliances in U.S. Homes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Makhmalbaf, Atefe; Srivastava, Viraj; Parker, Graham B.

The widespread deployment of demand respond (DR) enabled home appliances is expected to have significant reduction in the demand of electricity during peak hours. The work documented in this paper focuses on estimating the energy shift resulting from the installation of DR enabled smart appliances in the U.S. This estimation is based on analyzing the market for smart appliances and calculating the total energy demand that can potentially be shifted by DR control in appliances. Appliance operation is examined by considering their sub components individually to identify their energy consumptions and savings resulting from interrupting and shifting their load, e.g.,more » by delaying the refrigerator defrost cycle. In addition to major residential appliances, residential pool pumps are also included in this study given their energy consumption profiles that make them favorable for DR applications. In the market analysis study documented in this paper, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) databases are used to examine the expected life of an appliance, the number of appliances installed in homes constructed in 10 year intervals after 1940 and home owner income. Conclusions about the effectiveness of the smart appliances in reducing electrical demand have been drawn and a ranking of appliances in terms of their contribution to load shift is presented. E.g., it was concluded that DR enabled water heaters result in the maximum load shift; whereas, dishwashers have the highest user elasticity and hence the highest potential for load shifting through DR. This work is part of a larger effort to bring novel home energy management concepts and technologies to reduce energy consumption, reduce peak electricity demand, integrate renewables and storage technology, and change homeowner behavior to manage and consume less energy and potentially save consumer energy costs.« less

Identifying Potential Markets for Behind-the-Meter Battery Energy Storage: A Survey of U.S. Demand Charges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McLaren, Joyce A; Gagnon, Pieter J; Mullendore, Seth

This paper presents the first publicly available comprehensive survey of the magnitude of demand charges for commercial customers across the United States -- a key predictor of the financial performance of behind-the-meter battery storage systems. Notably, the analysis estimates that there are nearly 5 million commercial customers in the United States who can subscribe to retail electricity tariffs that have demand charges in excess of $15 per kilowatt (kW), over a quarter of the 18 million commercial customers in total in the United States. While the economic viability of installing battery energy storage must be determined on a case-by-case basis,more » high demand charges are often cited as a critical factor in battery project economics. Increasing use of demand charges in utility tariffs and anticipated future declines in storage costs will only serve to unlock additional markets and strengthen existing ones.« less

Integrated Demand Management: Minimizing Unanticipated Excessive Departure Delay while Ensuring Fairness from a Traffic Management Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoo, Hyo-Sang; Brasil, Connie; Buckley, Nathan; Mohlenbrink, Christoph; Speridakos, Constantine; Parke, Bonny; Hodell, Gita; Lee, Paul U.; Smith, Nancy M.

2017-01-01

This paper introduces NASA's Integrated Demand Management (IDM) concept and presents the results from an early proof-of-concept evaluation and an exploratory experiment. An initial development of the concept was focused on integrating two systems - i.e. the FAA's newly deployed Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) tool called the Collaborative Trajectory Options Program (CTOP) and the Time-Based Flow Management (TBFM) system with Extended Metering (XM) capabilities to manage projected heavy traffic demand into a capacity-constrained airport. A human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation experiment was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the initial development of the concept by adapting it to an arrival traffic problem at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) during clear weather conditions. In this study, the CTOP was utilized to strategically plan the arrival traffic demand by controlling take-off times of both short- and long-haul flights (long-hauls specify aircraft outside TBFM regions and short-hauls specify aircraft within TBFM regions) in a way that results in equitable delays among the groups. Such strategic planning allows less airborne delay to occur within TBFM by feeding manageable long-haul traffic demand while reserving sufficient slots in the overhead streams for the short-haul departures. The manageable traffic demand indicates the TBFM scheduler assigns no more airborne delay than its assigned airspace is capable of absorbing. TBFM then uses its time-based metering capabilities to deliver the desirable throughput by tactically rescheduling the TBFM entered long-haul flights and short-haul departures. Additional research was also performed to explore use of Required Time of Arrival (RTA) capabilities as a potential control mechanism for the airborne flights to improve arrival traffic delivery accuracy of scheduled long-haul traffic demand. The study results show that both short- and long-haul flights received similar ground delays. In addition, there was a noticeable reduction in the total amount of excessive unanticipated last-minute ground delays, i.e. delays that are frequently imposed on the short-haul flight in current day operations due to saturation in the overhead stream, commonly referred to as 'double penalty'. Furthermore, the concept achieved the target throughput while minimizing the expected cost associated with overall delays in arrival traffic. Assessment of the RTA capabilities showed that there was indeed improvement of the scheduled entry times into TBFM regions by using RTA capabilities. However, with respect to reduction in delays incurred within TBFM, there was no observable benefit of improving the precision of long-haul flights entry times.

A Masters Programme in Telecommunications Management--Demand-Based Curriculum Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gharaibeh, Khaled M.; Kaylani, Hazem; Murphy, Noel; Brennan, Conor; Itradat, Awni; Al-Bataineh, Mohammed; Aloqlah, Mohammed; Salhieh, Loay; Altarazi, Safwan; Rawashdeh, Nathir; del Carmen Bas Cerdá, María; Conchado Peiró, Andrea; Al-Zoubi, Asem; Harb, Bassam; Bany Salameh, Haythem

2015-01-01

This paper presents a curriculum design approach for a Masters Programme in Telecommunications Management based on demand data obtained from surveying the needs of potential students of the proposed programme. Through online surveys disseminated at telecom companies in Jordan, it was possible to measure the demand for such a programme and to…

Market-based demand forecasting promotes informed strategic financial planning.

PubMed

Beech, A J

2001-11-01

Market-based demand forecasting is a method of estimating future demand for a healthcare organization's services by using a broad range of data that describe the nature of demand within the organization's service area. Such data include the primary and secondary service areas, the service-area populations by various demographic groupings, discharge utilization rates, market size, and market share by service line and organizationwide. Based on observable market dynamics, strategic planners can make a variety of explicit assumptions about future trends regarding these data to develop scenarios describing potential future demand. Financial planners then can evaluate each scenario to determine its potential effect on selected financial and operational measures, such as operating margin, days cash on hand, and debt-service coverage, and develop a strategic financial plan that covers a range of contingencies.

Replacement of chemical oxygen demand (COD) with total organic carbon (TOC) for monitoring wastewater treatment performance to minimize disposal of toxic analytical waste.

PubMed

Dubber, Donata; Gray, Nicholas F

2010-10-01

Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is widely used for wastewater monitoring, design, modeling and plant operational analysis. However this method results in the production of hazardous wastes including mercury and hexavalent chromium. The study examined the replacement of COD with total organic carbon (TOC) for general performance monitoring by comparing their relationship with influent and effluent samples from 11 wastewater treatment plants. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) was also included in the comparison as a control. The results show significant linear relationships between TOC, COD and BOD5 in settled (influent) domestic and municipal wastewaters, but only between COD and TOC in treated effluents. The study concludes that TOC can be reliably used for the generic replacement of both COD (COD=49.2+3.00*TOC) and BOD5 (BOD5=23.7+1.68*TOC) in influent wastewaters but only for COD (COD=7.25+2.99*TOC) in final effluents.

Global energy demand to 2060

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Starr, C.

The projection of global energy demand to the year 2060 is of particular interest because of its relevance to the current greenhouse concerns. The long-term growth of global energy demand in the time scale of climatic change has received relatively little attention in the public discussion of national policy alternatives. The sociological, political, and economic issues have rarely been mentioned in this context. This study emphasizes that the two major driving forces are global population growth and economic growth (gross national product per capita), as would be expected. The modest annual increases assumed in this study result in a yearmore » 2060 annual energy use of >4 times the total global current use (year 1986) if present trends continue, and >2 times with extreme efficiency improvements in energy use. Even assuming a zero per capita growth for energy and economics, the population increase by the year 2060 results in a 1.5 times increase in total annual energy use.« less

Energy management and cooperation in microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahbar, Katayoun

Microgrids are key components of future smart power grids, which integrate distributed renewable energy generators to efficiently serve the load demand locally. However, random and intermittent characteristics of renewable energy generations may hinder the reliable operation of microgrids. This thesis is thus devoted to investigating new strategies for microgrids to optimally manage their energy consumption, energy storage system (ESS) and cooperation in real time to achieve the reliable and cost-effective operation. This thesis starts with a single microgrid system. The optimal energy scheduling and ESS management policy is derived to minimize the energy cost of the microgrid resulting from drawing conventional energy from the main grid under both the off-line and online setups, where the renewable energy generation/load demand are assumed to be non-causally known and causally known at the microgrid, respectively. The proposed online algorithm is designed based on the optimal off-line solution and works under arbitrary (even unknown) realizations of future renewable energy generation/load demand. Therefore, it is more practically applicable as compared to solutions based on conventional techniques such as dynamic programming and stochastic programming that require the prior knowledge of renewable energy generation and load demand realizations/distributions. Next, for a group of microgrids that cooperate in energy management, we study efficient methods for sharing energy among them for both fully and partially cooperative scenarios, where microgrids are of common interests and self-interested, respectively. For the fully cooperative energy management, the off-line optimization problem is first formulated and optimally solved, where a distributed algorithm is proposed to minimize the total (sum) energy cost of microgrids. Inspired by the results obtained from the off-line optimization, efficient online algorithms are proposed for the real-time energy management, which are of low complexity and work given arbitrary realizations of renewable energy generation/load demand. On the other hand, for self-interested microgrids, the partially cooperative energy management is formulated and a distributed algorithm is proposed to optimize the energy cooperation such that energy costs of individual microgrids reduce simultaneously over the case without energy cooperation while limited information is shared among the microgrids and the central controller.

[Study on strategies of pollution prevention in coastal city of Zhejiang Province based on scenario analysis].

PubMed

Tian, Jin-Ping; Chen, Lü-Jun; Du, Peng-Fei; Qian, Yi

2013-01-01

Scenario analysis was used to study the environmental burden in a coastal city of Zhejiang province under different patterns of economic development. The aim of this research is to propose advices on decision making by illustrating how to make emissions reduced by transforming the pattern of economic development in a developed coastal area, which had acquired the level of 70 000 yuan GDP per cap. At first, 18 heavy pollution industries were screened out, by referencing total emissions of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia-nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide. Then, a model of scenario analysis and the back-up calculation program were designed to study the sustainable development of the heavy pollution industries. With 2008 and 2015 as the reference year and the target year respectively, emissions of four pollutants mentioned above in the 18 heavy pollution industries in the city were analyzed under six scenarios. The total emissions of 4 pollutants should be reduced to an expectant degree, which is set as the constraint prerequisite of the scenario analysis. At last, some suggestions for decision-making are put forward, which include maintaining a moderate increase rate of GDP around 7%, strengthening the adjustment of economic structure, controlling the increasing rate of industrial added value of the industries with heavy pollution, optimizing the structure of industries with heavy pollution, decreasing the intensity of waste emission by implementing cleaner production to reduce emission produce at the source, and strengthening regulations on the operation of waste treatment plants to further promote the efficiency of waste treatment. Only by implementing such measures mentioned above, can the total emissions of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia-nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide of the 18 industries with heavy pollution in the city be reduced by a 10%, 10%, 5%, and 15% respectively based on the reference year.

Factors influencing the turnover intention of Chinese community health service workers based on the investigation results of five provinces.

PubMed

Sun, Yu; Luo, Zhenni; Fang, Pengqian

2013-12-01

After the implementation of the new health reform, the Chinese government paid increasing attention to developing its community health service (CHS). The focus is mainly on cultivating community general medical practitioners but paying less attention to the working status and occupational demands of in-service CHS workers. CHS requires a stable team that can provide good service to community residents. At present, the demission rate of CHS workers is high. Studying how to increase the stability of CHS workers is noteworthy. The goal of this study is to ascertain the key factors that influence the CHS worker turnover intention to increase their work satisfaction and stability. A total of 100 CHS organizations were sampled randomly in 10 cities from 5 Chinese provinces for this study. All CHS workers from these organizations took a questionnaire survey. In total, 3,212 valid answer sheets were collected. Pearson Chi square test and Binary logistic regression were used to analyze the related influencing factors that result in CHS worker turnover intention. A total of 38.7% of those who accomplished the questionnaire intended to quit. The influencing factors that result in CHS worker turnover intention are (1) socio-demographic factors such as age, post of duty, professional title, and working seniority, and (2) other work-related factors such as pay packets, learning and training opportunities, promotion and personal development space, and working stress. CHS workers were less satisfied with the balance between payment and work quantity, promotion opportunity, and working conditions. Based on the results, the government should pay more attention to the various demands of CHS workers in service, especially by increasing their income, providing more learning and training opportunities, and increasing the degree of their work satisfaction to avoid turnover intention and ensure the stability of the CHS workforce.

Solar + Storage Synergies for Managing Commercial-Customer Demand Charges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gagnon, P.; Govindarajan, A.; Bird, L.

Demand charges, which are based on a customer’s maximum demand in kilowatts (kW), are a common element of electricity rate structures for commercial customers. Customer-sited solar photovoltaic (PV) systems can potentially reduce demand charges, but the level of savings is difficult to predict, given variations in demand charge designs, customer loads, and PV generation profiles. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are collaborating on a series of studies to understand how solar PV can impact demand charges. Prior studies in the series examined demand charge reductions from solar on a stand-alone basis formore » residential and commercial customers. Those earlier analyses found that solar, alone, has limited ability to reduce demand charges depending on the specific design of the demand charge and on the shape of the customer’s load profile. This latest analysis estimates demand charge savings from solar in commercial buildings when co-deployed with behind-the-meter storage, highlighting the complementary roles of the two technologies. The analysis is based on simulated loads, solar generation, and storage dispatch across a wide variety of building types, locations, system configurations, and demand charge designs.« less

An Airline-Based Multilevel Analysis of Airfare Elasticity for Passenger Demand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castelli, Lorenzo; Ukovich, Walter; Pesenti, Raffaele

2003-01-01

Price elasticity of passenger demand for a specific airline is estimated. The main drivers affecting passenger demand for air transportation are identified. First, an Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis is performed. Then, a multilevel analysis-based methodology to investigate the pattern of variation of price elasticity of demand among the various routes of the airline under study is proposed. The experienced daily passenger demands on each fare-class are grouped for each considered route. 9 routes were studied for the months of February and May in years from 1999 to 2002, and two fare-classes were defined (business and economy). The analysis has revealed that the airfare elasticity of passenger demand significantly varies among the different routes of the airline.

Feasibility Study of Grid Connected PV-Biomass Integrated Energy System in Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barakat, Shimaa; Samy, M. M.; Eteiba, Magdy B.; Wahba, Wael Ismael

2016-10-01

The aim of this paper is to present a feasibility study of a grid connected photovoltaic (PV) and biomass Integrated renewable energy (IRE) system providing electricity to rural areas in the Beni Suef governorate, Egypt. The system load of the village is analyzed through the environmental and economic aspects. The model has been designed to provide an optimal system configuration based on daily data for energy availability and demands. A case study area, Monshaet Taher village (29° 1' 17.0718"N, 30° 52' 17.04"E) is identified for economic feasibility in this paper. HOMER optimization model plan imputed from total daily load demand, 2,340 kWh/day for current energy consuming of 223 households with Annual Average Insolation Incident on a Horizontal Surface of 5.79 (kWh/m2/day) and average biomass supplying 25 tons / day. It is found that a grid connected PV-biomass IRE system is an effective way of emissions reduction and it does not increase the investment of the energy system.

A supplier selection and order allocation problem with stochastic demands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yun; Zhao, Lei; Zhao, Xiaobo; Jiang, Jianhua

2011-08-01

We consider a system comprising a retailer and a set of candidate suppliers that operates within a finite planning horizon of multiple periods. The retailer replenishes its inventory from the suppliers and satisfies stochastic customer demands. At the beginning of each period, the retailer makes decisions on the replenishment quantity, supplier selection and order allocation among the selected suppliers. An optimisation problem is formulated to minimise the total expected system cost, which includes an outer level stochastic dynamic program for the optimal replenishment quantity and an inner level integer program for supplier selection and order allocation with a given replenishment quantity. For the inner level subproblem, we develop a polynomial algorithm to obtain optimal decisions. For the outer level subproblem, we propose an efficient heuristic for the system with integer-valued inventory, based on the structural properties of the system with real-valued inventory. We investigate the efficiency of the proposed solution approach, as well as the impact of parameters on the optimal replenishment decision with numerical experiments.

Locating inefficient links in a large-scale transportation network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Li; Liu, Like; Xu, Zhongzhi; Jie, Yang; Wei, Dong; Wang, Pu

2015-02-01

Based on data from geographical information system (GIS) and daily commuting origin destination (OD) matrices, we estimated the distribution of traffic flow in the San Francisco road network and studied Braess's paradox in a large-scale transportation network with realistic travel demand. We measured the variation of total travel time Δ T when a road segment is closed, and found that | Δ T | follows a power-law distribution if Δ T < 0 or Δ T > 0. This implies that most roads have a negligible effect on the efficiency of the road network, while the failure of a few crucial links would result in severe travel delays, and closure of a few inefficient links would counter-intuitively reduce travel costs considerably. Generating three theoretical networks, we discovered that the heterogeneously distributed travel demand may be the origin of the observed power-law distributions of | Δ T | . Finally, a genetic algorithm was used to pinpoint inefficient link clusters in the road network. We found that closing specific road clusters would further improve the transportation efficiency.

Characteristic of leachate at Alor Pongsu Landfill Site, Perak, Malaysia: A comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nor Farhana Zakaria, Siti; Aziz, Hamidi Abdul

2018-04-01

Leachate is a harmful by product generated from the landfill site. Leachate contains a high concentration of pollutant which can cause serious pollution to environmental. In this study, characteristics of leachate in Alor Pongsu Landfill Site (APLS) were monitored and analyzed according to the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (2005). Composition in leachate at APLS was monitored for one year starting from January 2015 until January 2016. Nine parameters were monitored including color, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), biodegradability ratio (BOD5/COD), temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solid (TDS) and pH. Based on the analysis, Alor Pongsu Landfill leachate was categorized as stabilized landfill leachate by referring to the BOD5/COD < 0.1. Comparison with allowable discharge limits for leachate shows that most of parameters exceeded the standard discharge limitation. Thus, proper treatment is needed before leachate can be discharged to the environment.

Development of a water quality index (WQI) for the Loktak Lake in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das Kangabam, Rajiv; Bhoominathan, Sarojini Devi; Kanagaraj, Suganthi; Govindaraju, Munisamy

2017-10-01

The present work was carried out to assess a water quality index (WQI) of the Loktak Lake, an important wetland which has been under pressure due to the increasing anthropogenic activities. Physicochemical parameters like temperature (Tem), potential hydrogen (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity (T), dissolved oxygen (DO), total hardness (TH), calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), fluoride (F), sulphate ({SO}4^{2-}), magnesium (Mg), phosphate ({PO}4^{3-}), sodium (Na), potassium (K), nitrite (NO2), nitrate (NO3), total dissolved solids (TDS), total carbon (TC), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analyzed using standard procedures. The values obtained were compared with the guidelines for drinking purpose suggested by the World Health Organization and Bureau of Indian Standard. The result shows the higher concentration of nitrite in all the location which is beyond the permissible limit. Eleven parameters were selected to derive the WQI for the estimation of water potential for five sampling sites. A relative weight was assigned to each parameter range from 1.46 to 4.09 based on its importance. The WQI values range from 64 to 77 indicating that the Loktak Lake water is not fit for drinking, including both human and animals, even though the people living inside the Lake are using it for drinking purposes. The implementation of WQI is necessary for proper management of the Loktak Lake and it will be a very helpful tool for the public and decision makers to evaluate the water quality of the Loktak Lake for sustainable management.

Surgical work output: is there room for increase? An analysis of surgical work effort from 1999 to 2003.

PubMed

Breslin, Tara M; Mahvi, David M; Vanness, David J; Mullahy, John

2008-05-01

To analyze physician work production over a 5-year period to discover trends in productivity. Surgical workforce calculations over the past 25 years have projected major oversupply as well as looming shortages. Recent studies indicate that demand for surgical services will increase over the next two decades as the population ages and develops age related chronic diseases. This study examines actual physician productivity to determine whether there is capacity for increased work output in response to projected increases in demand. Physician productivity data as measured by relative value units were obtained from the Medical Group Management Association Physician Compensation Reports for a 5-year period. Surgeons were compared with nonsurgeons and across subspecialties. Surgeon and nonsurgeon productivity in terms of relative value units remained relatively stable over the study period; surgical:nonsurgical productivity per provider was 1.30-1.46:1. Surgeons produce a significant amount of the total work in multi-specialty medical groups. These results may indicate that the surgical and general surgical workforce has reached a plateau with respect to clinical productivity. Predicted increases in demand for procedure-based work to care for the aging population are likely to be difficult to meet with the available workforce.

Mental distress among shift workers in Norwegian offshore petroleum industry--relative influence of individual and psychosocial work factors.

PubMed

Ljoså, Cathrine Haugene; Tyssen, Reidar; Lau, Bjørn

2011-11-01

This study aimed to investigate the association between individual and psychosocial work factors and mental distress among offshore shift workers in the Norwegian petroleum industry. All 2406 employees of a large Norwegian oil and gas company, who worked offshore during a two-week period in August 2006, were invited to participate in the web-based survey. Completed questionnaires were received from 1336 employees (56% response rate). The outcome variable was mental distress, assessed with a shortened version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-5). The following individual factors were adjusted for: age, gender, marital status, and shift work locus of control. Psychosocial work factors included: night work, demands, control and support, and shift work-home interference. The level of mental distress was higher among men than women. In the adjusted regression model, the following were associated with mental distress: (i) high scores on quantitative demands, (ii) low level of support, and (iii) high level of shift work-home interference. Psychosocial work factors explained 76% of the total explained variance (adjusted R (²)=0.21) in the final adjusted model. Psychosocial work factors, such as quantitative demands, support, and shift work-home interference were independently associated with mental distress. Shift schedules were only univariately associated with mental distress.

Virtual water content for meat and egg production through livestock farming in Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, Shakhawat; Ouda, Omar K. M.; Papadopoulou, Maria P.

2017-12-01

The concept of virtual water content (VWC) may facilitate an understanding of total water demand for commodity production. The water consumption for livestock production forms a significant fraction of freshwater demand in arid regions, i.e., Saudi Arabia. In this paper, VWC was estimated for different livestocks in the 13 regions of Saudi Arabia. The VWC for camel production was also estimated, which has not been investigated in the previous studies. The overall VWC for livestock in Saudi Arabia was about 10.5 and 8.9 billion m3 in 2006 and 2010, respectively. This study shows the decreasing trend of overall VWC in producing livestock in Saudi Arabia. The VWC were highest in Riyadh followed by Eastern region, Qaseem, Hail, and Makkah with ranges of 3587-4112, 1684-2044, 1007-1331, 644-810, and 504-715 million m3/year, respectively. The results demonstrate that a shift in diet from the high VWC meat to low VWC meat may reduce the overall VWC for livestock production. The findings of this analysis provide an assessment of the quantity and trend of water demand for livestock production in Saudi Arabia, which is useful to assess the development of an information-based agricultural water management strategy.

Blockchain Based Decentralized Management of Demand Response Programs in Smart Energy Grids

PubMed Central

Pop, Claudia; Cioara, Tudor; Antal, Marcel; Anghel, Ionut; Salomie, Ioan; Bertoncini, Massimo

2018-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the use of decentralized blockchain mechanisms for delivering transparent, secure, reliable, and timely energy flexibility, under the form of adaptation of energy demand profiles of Distributed Energy Prosumers, to all the stakeholders involved in the flexibility markets (Distribution System Operators primarily, retailers, aggregators, etc.). In our approach, a blockchain based distributed ledger stores in a tamper proof manner the energy prosumption information collected from Internet of Things smart metering devices, while self-enforcing smart contracts programmatically define the expected energy flexibility at the level of each prosumer, the associated rewards or penalties, and the rules for balancing the energy demand with the energy production at grid level. Consensus based validation will be used for demand response programs validation and to activate the appropriate financial settlement for the flexibility providers. The approach was validated using a prototype implemented in an Ethereum platform using energy consumption and production traces of several buildings from literature data sets. The results show that our blockchain based distributed demand side management can be used for matching energy demand and production at smart grid level, the demand response signal being followed with high accuracy, while the amount of energy flexibility needed for convergence is reduced. PMID:29315250

Medium- and long-term electric power demand forecasting based on the big data of smart city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Zhanmeng; Li, Xiyuan; Li, Xizhong; Hu, Qinghe; Zhang, Haiyang; Cui, Pengjie

2017-08-01

Based on the smart city, this paper proposed a new electric power demand forecasting model, which integrates external data such as meteorological information, geographic information, population information, enterprise information and economic information into the big database, and uses an improved algorithm to analyse the electric power demand and provide decision support for decision makers. The data mining technology is used to synthesize kinds of information, and the information of electric power customers is analysed optimally. The scientific forecasting is made based on the trend of electricity demand, and a smart city in north-eastern China is taken as a sample.

Evaluating Outdoor Water Use Demand under Changing Climatic and Demographic Conditions: An Agent-based Modeling Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanta, L.

2016-12-01

Outdoor water use for landscape and irrigation constitutes a significant end use in residential water demand. In periods of water shortages, utilities may reduce garden demands by implementing irrigation system audits, rebate programs, local ordinances, and voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions. Because utilities do not typically record outdoor and indoor water uses separately, the effects of policies for reducing garden demands cannot be readily calculated. The volume of water required to meet garden demands depends on the housing density or lawn size, type of vegetation, climatic conditions, efficiency of garden irrigation systems, and consumer water-use behaviors. Many existing outdoor demand estimation methods are deterministic and do not include consumer responses to conservation campaigns. In addition, mandatory restrictions may have a substantial impact on reducing outdoor demands, but the effectiveness of mandatory restrictions depends on the timing and the frequency of restrictions, in addition to the distribution of housing density and consumer types within a community. This research investigates a garden end-use model by coupling an agent-based modeling approach and a mechanistic-stochastic water demand model to create a methodology for estimating garden demand and evaluating demand reduction policies. The garden demand model is developed for two water utilities, using a diverse data sets, including residential customer billing records, records of outdoor conservation programs, frequency and type of mandatory water use restrictions, lot size distribution, population growth, and climatic data. A set of garden irrigation parameter values, which are based on the efficiency of irrigation systems and irrigation habits of consumers, are determined for a set of conservation ordinances and restrictions. The model parameters are then validated using customer water usage data from the participating water utilities. A sensitivity analysis is conducted for garden irrigation parameters to determine the most significant factors that should be considered by water utilities to reduce outdoor demand. Data from multiple sources and the agent-based modeling methodology are integrated using a holistic approach to assist utilities in efficiently and sustainably managing outdoor demand.

Electrocoagulation efficiency of the tannery effluent treatment using aluminium electrodes.

PubMed

Espinoza-Quiñones, Fernando R; Fornari, Marilda M T; Módenes, Aparecido N; Palácio, Soraya M; Trigueros, Daniela E G; Borba, Fernando H; Kroumov, Alexander D

2009-01-01

An electro-coagulation laboratory scale system using aluminium plates electrodes was studied for the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants as a by-product from leather finishing industrial process. A fractional factorial 2(3) experimental design was applied in order to obtain optimal values of the system state variables. The electro-coagulation (EC) process efficiency was based on the chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, total suspended solid, total fixed solid, total volatile solid, and chemical element concentration values. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for final pH, total fixed solid (TFS), turbidity and Ca concentration have confirmed the predicted models by the experimental design within a 95% confidence level. The reactor working conditions close to real effluent pH (7.6) and electrolysis time in the range 30-45 min were enough to achieve the cost effective reduction factors of organic and inorganic pollutants' concentrations. An appreciable improvement in COD removal efficiency was obtained for electro-coagulation treatment. Finally, the technical-economical analysis results have clearly shown that the electro-coagulation method is very promising for industrial application.

Potential Impacts of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles on Regional Power Generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hadley, Stanton W; Tsvetkova, Alexandra A

2008-01-01

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are being developed around the world, with much work aiming to optimize engine and battery for efficient operation, both during discharge and when grid electricity is available for recharging. However, the general expectation has been that the grid will not be greatly affected by the use of PHEVs because the recharging will occur during off-peak hours, or the number of vehicles will grow slowly enough so that capacity planning will respond adequately. This expectation does not consider that drivers will control the timing of recharging, and their inclination will be to plug in when convenient,more » rather than when utilities would prefer. It is important to understand the ramifications of adding load from PHEVs onto the grid. Depending on when and where the vehicles are plugged in, they could cause local or regional constraints on the grid. They could require the addition of new electric capacity and increase the utilization of existing capacity. Usage patterns of local distribution grids will change, and some lines or substations may become overloaded sooner than expected. Furthermore, the type of generation used to meet the demand for recharging PHEVs will depend on the region of the country and the timing of recharging. This paper analyzes the potential impacts of PHEVs on electricity demand, supply, generation structure, prices, and associated emission levels in 2020 and 2030 in 13 regions specified by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Energy Information Administration (EIA), and on which the data and analysis in EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2007 are based (Figure ES-1). The estimates of power plant supplies and regional hourly electricity demand come from publicly available sources from EIA and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Electricity requirements for PHEVs are based on analysis from the Electric Power Research Institute, with an optimistic projection of 25% market penetration by 2020, involving a mixture of sedans and sport utility vehicles. The calculations were done using the Oak Ridge Competitive Electricity Dispatch (ORCED) model, a model developed over the past 12 years to evaluate a wide variety of critical electricity sector issues. Seven scenarios were run for each region for 2020 and 2030, for a total of 182 scenarios. In addition to a base scenario of no PHEVs, the authors modeled scenarios assuming that vehicles were either plugged in starting at 5:00 p.m. (evening) or at 10:00 p.m.(night) and left until fully charged. Three charging rates were examined: 120V/15A (1.4 kW), 120V/20A (2 kW), and 220V/30A (6 kW). Most regions will need to build additional capacity or utilize demand response to meet the added demand from PHEVs in the evening charging scenarios, especially by 2030 when PHEVs have a larger share of the installed vehicle base and make a larger demand on the system. The added demands of evening charging, especially at high power levels, can impact the overall demand peaks and reduce the reserve margins for a region's system. Night recharging has little potential to influence peak loads, but will still influence the amount and type of generation.« less

Characteristics of produced water discharged to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxiczone.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veil, J. A.; Kimmell, T. A.; Rechner, A. C.

2005-08-24

Each summer, an area of low dissolved oxygen (the hypoxic zone) forms in the shallow nearshore Gulf of Mexico waters from the Mississippi River Delta westward to near the Texas/Louisiana border. Most scientists believe that the leading contributor to the hypoxic zone is input of nutrients (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus compounds) from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. The nutrients stimulate growth of phytoplankton. As the phytoplankton subsequently die, they fall to the bottom waters where they are decomposed by microorganisms. The decomposition process consumes oxygen in the bottom waters to create hypoxic conditions. Sources other than the two rivers mentionedmore » above may also contribute significant quantities of oxygen-demanding pollutants. One very visible potential source is the hundreds of offshore oil and gas platforms located within or near the hypoxic zone. Many of these platforms discharge varying volumes of produced water. However, only limited data characterizing oxygen demand and nutrient concentration and loading from offshore produced water discharges have been collected. No comprehensive and coordinated oxygen demand data exist for produced water discharges in the Gulf of Mexico. This report describes the results of a program to sample 50 offshore oil and gas platforms located within the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. The program was conducted in response to a requirement in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) general National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for offshore oil and gas discharges. EPA requested information on the amount of oxygen-demanding substances contained in the produced water discharges. This information is needed as inputs to several water quality models that EPA intends to run to estimate the relative contributions of the produced water discharges to the occurrence of the hypoxic zone. Sixteen platforms were sampled 3 times each at approximately one-month intervals to give an estimate of temporal variability. An additional 34 platforms were sampled one time. The 50 sampled platforms were scattered throughout the hypoxic zone to give an estimate of spatial variability. Each platform was sampled for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total organic carbon (TOC), nitrogen (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen [TKN]), and phosphorus (total phosphorus and orthophosphate). In addition to these parameters, each sample was monitored for pH, conductivity, salinity, and temperature. The sampling provided average platform concentrations for each parameter. Table ES-1 shows the mean, median, maximum, and minimum for the sampled parameters. For some of the parameters, the mean is considerably larger than the median, suggesting that one or a few data points are much higher than the rest of the points (outliers). Chapter 4 contains an extensive discussion of outliers and shows how the sample results change if outliers are deleted from consideration. A primary goal of this study is to estimate the mass loading (lb/day) of each of the oxygen-demanding pollutants from the 50 platforms sampled in the study. Loading is calculated by multiplying concentrations by the discharge volume and then by a conversion factor to allow units to match. The loadings calculated in this study of 50 platforms represent a produced water discharge volume of about 176,000 bbl/day. The total amount of produced water generated in the hypoxic zone during the year 2003 was estimated as 508,000 bbl/day. This volume is based on reports by operators to the Minerals Management Service each year. It reflects the volume of produced water that is generated from each lease, not the volume that is discharged from each platform. The mass loadings from offshore oil and gas discharges to the entire hypoxic zone were estimated by multiplying the 50-platform loadings by the ratio of total water generated to 50-platform discharge volume. The loadings estimated for the 50 platforms and for the entire hypoxic zone are shown in Table ES-2. These estimates and the sampling data from 50 platforms represent the most complete and comprehensive effort ever undertaken to characterize the amount and potential sources of the oxygen demand in offshore oil and gas produced water discharges.« less

Competing with lower level opponents decreases intra-team movement synchronization and time-motion demands during pre-season soccer matches.

PubMed

Folgado, Hugo; Duarte, Ricardo; Fernandes, Orlando; Sampaio, Jaime

2014-01-01

This study aimed to quantify the time-motion demands and intra-team movement synchronization during the pre-season matches of a professional soccer team according to the opposition level. Positional data from 20 players were captured during the first half of six pre-season matches of a Portuguese first league team. Time-motion demands were measured by the total distance covered and distance covered at different speed categories. Intra-team coordination was measured by calculating the relative phase of all pairs of outfield players. Afterwards, the percentage of time spent in the -30° to 30° bin (near-in-phase mode of coordination) was calculated for each dyad as a measure of space-time movement synchronization. Movement synchronization data were analyzed for the whole team, according to each dyad average speed and by groups of similar dyadic synchronization tendencies. Then, these data were compared according to the opponent team level (first league; second league; amateurs). Time-motion demands showed no differences in total distance covered per opposition levels, while matches opposing teams of superior level revealed more distance covered at very high intensity. Competing against superior level teams implied more time in synchronized behavior for the overall displacements and displacements at higher intensities. These findings suggest that playing against higher-level opponents (1st league teams) increased time-motion demands at high intensities in tandem with intra-team movement synchronization tendencies.

How much runoff originates as snow in the western United States and what its future changes tell us?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, D.; Wrzesien, M.; Durand, M. T.; Adam, J. C.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2017-12-01

Snow is a vital hydrologic cycle component in the western United States. The seasonal phase of snowmelt bridges between winter-dominant precipitation and summer-dominant human and ecosystem water demand. Current estimates of the fraction of total annual runoff generated by snowmelt (f_Q,snow) are not based on defensible, systematic analyses. Here, based on hydrological model simulations, we describe a new algorithm that explicitly quantifies the contribution of snow to runoff in the Western U.S. Specifically, the algorithm tracks the fate of the snowmelt runoff in the modeled hydrological fluxes in the soil, surface water, and the atmosphere, and accounts for the exchanges among the three. The hydrological fluxes are simulated by the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model using an ensemble of ten general circulation model (GCM) outputs trained by ground observations. We conducted the tracking to the VIC modeling ensemble and reported the mean of the ten tracking results. We computed the historical f_Q,snow with the modeling estimates from 1960 to 2005, and predicted the future f_Q,snow using the modeling estimates from 2006 to 2100 in the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Our tracking results show that from 1960 to 2005, slightly over one-half of the total runoff in the western United States originated as snowmelt, despite only 37% of the region's total precipitation falling as snow; snowfall is more efficient than rainfall in runoff generation. Snow's importance varies physiographically: snowmelt from the mountains is responsible for over 70% of the total runoff in the West. Snowmelt-derived runoff currently makes up about 2/3 of the inflow to the region's major reservoirs; for Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which are the two largest reservoirs of the nation, snow contributes over 70% of their storage. The contribution of snowmelt to the total runoff will decrease in a warmer climate, by about 1/3 over the West by 2100. Snow will melt earlier and the snowmelt-induced peak flow will shift earlier by 1.5 to up to 4 weeks. Thus, in the context of predicted reductions and earlier shifts of the snow-induced runoff, and the fact that the region's major reservoirs were designed for the historical snow climatology, we argue that substantial impacts on water supply may occur especially in the summer season when water demand peaks.

Optical interconnects for satellite payloads: overview of the state-of-the-art

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vervaeke, Michael; Debaes, Christof; Van Erps, Jürgen; Karppinen, Mikko; Tanskanen, Antti; Aalto, Timo; Harjanne, Mikko; Thienpont, Hugo

2010-05-01

The increased demand of broadband communication services like High Definition Television, Video On Demand, Triple Play, fuels the technologies to enhance the bandwidth of individual users towards service providers and hence the increase of aggregate bandwidths on terrestial networks. Optical solutions clearly leverage the bandwidth appetite easily whereas electrical interconnection schemes require an ever-increasing effort to counteract signal distortions at higher bitrates. Dense wavelength division multiplexing and all-optical signal regeneration and switching solve the bandwidth demands of network trunks. Fiber-to-the-home, and fiber-to-the-desk are trends towards providing individual users with greatly increased bandwidth. Operators in the satellite telecommunication sector face similar challenges fuelled by the same demands as for their terrestial counterparts. Moreover, the limited number of orbital positions for new satellites set the trend for an increase in payload datacommunication capacity using an ever-increasing number of complex multi-beam active antennas and a larger aggregate bandwidth. Only satellites with very large capacity, high computational density and flexible, transparent fully digital payload solutions achieve affordable communication prices. To keep pace with the bandwidth and flexibility requirements, designers have to come up with systems requiring a total digital througput of a few Tb/s resulting in a high power consuming satellite payload. An estimated 90 % of the total power consumption per chip is used for the off-chip communication lines. We have undertaken a study to assess the viability of optical datacommunication solutions to alleviate the demands regarding power consumption and aggregate bandwidth imposed on future satellite communication payloads. The review on optical interconnects given here is especially focussed on the demands of the satellite communication business and the particular environment in which the optics have to perform their functionality: space.

Future satellite systems - Market demand assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reiner, P. S.

1981-01-01

During 1979-80, a market study was performed regarding the future total demand for communications services, and satellite transmission service at the 4/6 GHz, 12/14 GHz, and 20/30 GHz frequencies. Included in the study were a variety of communications traffic characteristics as well as projections of the cost of C and Ku band satellite systems through the year 2000. In connection with the considered study, a total of 15 major study tasks and subtasks were undertaken and were all interrelated in various ways. The telecommunications service forecasts were concerned with a total of 21 data services, 5 voice services, and 5 video services. The traffic volumes within the U.S. for the three basic services were projected for three time periods. It is found that the fixed frequency allocation for domestic satellites combined with potential interference from adjacent satellites means a near term lack of orbital positions above the U.S.

The Energy Efficiency Potential of Cloud-Based Software: A U.S. Case Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Masanet, Eric; Shehabi, Arman; Liang, Jiaqi

The energy use of data centers is a topic that has received much attention, given that data centers currently account for 1-2% of global electricity use. However, cloud computing holds great potential to reduce data center energy demand moving forward, due to both large reductions in total servers through consolidation and large increases in facility efficiencies compared to traditional local data centers. However, analyzing the net energy implications of shifts to the cloud can be very difficult, because data center services can affect many different components of society’s economic and energy systems.

Generalized DSS shell for developing simulation and optimization hydro-economic models of complex water resources systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulido-Velazquez, Manuel; Lopez-Nicolas, Antonio; Harou, Julien J.; Andreu, Joaquin

2013-04-01

Hydrologic-economic models allow integrated analysis of water supply, demand and infrastructure management at the river basin scale. These models simultaneously analyze engineering, hydrology and economic aspects of water resources management. Two new tools have been designed to develop models within this approach: a simulation tool (SIM_GAMS), for models in which water is allocated each month based on supply priorities to competing uses and system operating rules, and an optimization tool (OPT_GAMS), in which water resources are allocated optimally following economic criteria. The characterization of the water resource network system requires a connectivity matrix representing the topology of the elements, generated using HydroPlatform. HydroPlatform, an open-source software platform for network (node-link) models, allows to store, display and export all information needed to characterize the system. Two generic non-linear models have been programmed in GAMS to use the inputs from HydroPlatform in simulation and optimization models. The simulation model allocates water resources on a monthly basis, according to different targets (demands, storage, environmental flows, hydropower production, etc.), priorities and other system operating rules (such as reservoir operating rules). The optimization model's objective function is designed so that the system meets operational targets (ranked according to priorities) each month while following system operating rules. This function is analogous to the one used in the simulation module of the DSS AQUATOOL. Each element of the system has its own contribution to the objective function through unit cost coefficients that preserve the relative priority rank and the system operating rules. The model incorporates groundwater and stream-aquifer interaction (allowing conjunctive use simulation) with a wide range of modeling options, from lumped and analytical approaches to parameter-distributed models (eigenvalue approach). Such functionality is not typically included in other water DSS. Based on the resulting water resources allocation, the model calculates operating and water scarcity costs caused by supply deficits based on economic demand functions for each demand node. The optimization model allocates the available resource over time based on economic criteria (net benefits from demand curves and cost functions), minimizing the total water scarcity and operating cost of water use. This approach provides solutions that optimize the economic efficiency (as total net benefit) in water resources management over the optimization period. Both models must be used together in water resource planning and management. The optimization model provides an initial insight on economically efficient solutions, from which different operating rules can be further developed and tested using the simulation model. The hydro-economic simulation model allows assessing economic impacts of alternative policies or operating criteria, avoiding the perfect foresight issues associated with the optimization. The tools have been applied to the Jucar river basin (Spain) in order to assess the economic results corresponding to the current modus operandi of the system and compare them with the solution from the optimization that maximizes economic efficiency. Acknowledgments: The study has been partially supported by the European Community 7th Framework Project (GENESIS project, n. 226536) and the Plan Nacional I+D+I 2008-2011 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2009-13238-C02-01 and CGL2009-13238-C02-02).

Effect of a package of integrated demand- and supply-side interventions on facility delivery rates in rural Bangladesh: Implications for large-scale programs

PubMed Central

Choudhury, Aziz Ahmed; Khanam, Rasheda; Moin, Syed Mamun Ibne; Ahmed, Salahuddin; Begum, Nazma; Shoma, Nurun Naher; Quaiyum, Md Abdul; Baqui, Abdullah H.

2017-01-01

Background According to the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014, only approximately 37 percent of women deliver in a health facility. Among the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh, the facility delivery rate is lowest in the Sylhet division (22.6 percent) where we assessed the effect of integrated supply- and demand-side interventions on the facility-based delivery rate. Methods Population-based cohort data of pregnant women from an ongoing maternal and newborn health improvement study being conducted in a population of ~120,000 in Sylhet district were used. The study required collection and processing of biological samples immediately after delivery. Therefore, the project assembled various strategies to increase institutional delivery rates. The supply-side intervention included capacity expansion of the health facilities through service provider refresher training, 24/7 service coverage, additions of drugs and supplies, and incentives to the providers. The demand-side component involved financial incentives to cover expenses, a provision of emergency transport, and referral support to a tertiary-level hospital. We conducted a before-and-after observational study to assess the impact of the intervention in a total of 1,861 deliveries between December 2014 and November 2016. Results Overall, implementation of the intervention package was associated with 52.6 percentage point increase in the proportions of facility-based deliveries from a baseline rate of 25.0 percent to 77.6 percent in 24 months. We observed lower rates of institutional deliveries when only supply-side interventions were implemented. The proportion rose to 47.1 percent and continued increasing when the project emphasized addressing the financial barriers to accessing obstetric care in a health facility. Conclusions An integrated supply- and demand-side intervention was associated with a substantial increase in institutional delivery. The package can be tailored to identify which combination of interventions may produce the optimum result and be scaled. Rigorous implementation research studies are needed to draw confident conclusions and to provide information about the costs, feasibility for scale-up and sustainability. PMID:29073229

Clinical-outcome-based demand management in health services.

PubMed

Brogan, C; Lawrence, D; Mayhew, L

2008-01-01

THE PROBLEM OF MANAGING DEMAND: Most healthcare systems have 'third-party payers' who face the problem of keeping within budgets despite pressures to increase resources due to the ageing population, new technologies and patient demands to lower thresholds for care. This paper uses the UK National Health Service as a case study to suggest techniques for system-based demand management, which aims to control demand and costs whilst maintaining the cost-effectiveness of the system. The technique for managing demand in primary, elective and urgent care consists of managing treatment thresholds for appropriate care, using a whole-systems approach and costing the care elements in the system. It is important to analyse activity in relation to capacity and demand. Examples of using these techniques in practice are given. The practical effects of using such techniques need evaluation. If these techniques are not used, managing demand and limiting healthcare expenditure will be at the expense of clinical outcomes and unmet need, which will perpetuate financial crises.

Synthesis and application of lignin-based copolymer LSAA on controlling non-point source pollution resulted from surface runoff.

PubMed

Liu, Chen; Wu, Guangxia; Mu, Huanzhen; Yuan, Zonghuan; Tang, Lianyi; Lin, Xiangwei

2008-01-01

In this article, alkali lignin separated from paper pulp waste was grafted into a novel copolymer LSAA (a copolymer of lignin, starch, acrylamide, and acrylic acid). Its practical application effect and environmental safety were studied. The results of field simulation experiment indicated that the application of LSAA significantly affected the output of the runoff and pollutants. The runoff quantity was decreased by 16.67%-47.00% and the loads of total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) were reduced by 17.78%-62.14%, 26.32%-59.91%, 15.25%-47.42%, and 22.18%-52.78%, respectively. The tests on its environmental safety showed that LSAA did no harm the soil. Compared with polyacrylamide (PAM), a dominant product in this field, LSAA exhibited similar effects and cheap cost. Thus, this study not only created a new product for controlling runoff water quality but also offered a beneficial application for industrial paper waste.

Effluent composition prediction of a two-stage anaerobic digestion process: machine learning and stoichiometry techniques.

PubMed

Alejo, Luz; Atkinson, John; Guzmán-Fierro, Víctor; Roeckel, Marlene

2018-05-16

Computational self-adapting methods (Support Vector Machines, SVM) are compared with an analytical method in effluent composition prediction of a two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) process. Experimental data for the AD of poultry manure were used. The analytical method considers the protein as the only source of ammonia production in AD after degradation. Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), total solids (TS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total volatile solids (TVS) were measured in the influent and effluent of the process. The TAN concentration in the effluent was predicted, this being the most inhibiting and polluting compound in AD. Despite the limited data available, the SVM-based model outperformed the analytical method for the TAN prediction, achieving a relative average error of 15.2% against 43% for the analytical method. Moreover, SVM showed higher prediction accuracy in comparison with Artificial Neural Networks. This result reveals the future promise of SVM for prediction in non-linear and dynamic AD processes. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Comparison of solar-thermal and fossil total-energy systems for selected industrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pine, G. D.

1980-06-01

Economic analyses of a conventional system and total energy systems based on phosphoric acid fuel cells, diesel piston engines, and central receiver solar thermal systems were performed for each of four industrial applications; a concrete block plant in Arizona, a fluid milk processing plant in California, a sugar beet processing plant in Colorado, and a meat packing plant in Texas. A series of sensitivity analyses was performed to show the effects of variations in fuel price, system size, cost of capital, and system initial cost. Solar total energy systems (STES) are more capital intensive than the other systems, and significant economies of scale are associated with the STES. If DOE solar system cost goals are met, STES can compete with the other systems for facilities with electrical demands greater than two or three megawatts, but STES are not competitive for smaller facilities. Significant energy resource savings, especially of oil and gas, resulted from STES implementation in the four industries.

Impact of water quality on chlorine demand of corroding copper

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Copper is widely used in drinking water premise plumbing system materials. In buildings such ashospitals, large and complicated plumbing networks make it difficult to maintain good water quality.Sustaining safe disinfectant residuals throughout a building to protect against waterborne pathogenssuch as Legionella is particularly challenging since copper and other reactive distribution system materialscan exert considerable demands. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of pH andorthophosphate on the consumption of free chlorine associated with corroding copper pipes over time. Acopper test-loop pilot system was used to control test conditions and systematically meet the studyobjectives. Chlorine consumption trends attributed to abiotic reactions with copper over time weredifferent for each pH condition tested, and the total amount of chlorine consumed over the test runsincreased with increasing pH. Orthophosphate eliminated chlorine consumption trends with elapsedtime (i.e., chlorine demand was consistent across entire test runs). Orthophosphate also greatly reducedthe total amount of chlorine consumed over the test runs. Interestingly, the total amount of chlorineconsumed and the consumption rate were not pH dependent when orthophosphate was present. Thefindings reflect the complex and competing reactions at the copper pipe wall including corrosion,oxidation of Cu(I) minerals and ions, and possible oxidation of Cu(II) minerals, and the change in

Energy production for environmental issues in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuksel, Ibrahim; Arman, Hasan; Halil Demirel, Ibrahim

2017-11-01

Due to the diversification efforts of energy sources, use of natural gas that was newly introduced into Turkish economy, has been growing rapidly. Turkey has large reserves of coal, particularly of lignite. The proven lignite reserves are 8.0 billion tons. The estimated total possible reserves are 30 billion tons. Turkey, with its young population and growing energy demand per person, its fast growing urbanization, and its economic development, has been one of the fast growing power markets of the world for the last two decades. It is expected that the demand for electric energy in Turkey will be 580 billion kWh by the year 2020. Turkey's electric energy demand is growing about 6-8% yearly due to fast economic growing. This paper deals with energy demand and consumption for environmental issues in Turkey.

Water quality of storm runoff and comparison of procedures for estimating storm-runoff loads, volume, event-mean concentrations, and the mean load for a storm for selected properties and constituents for Colorado Springs, southeastern Colorado, 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Von Guerard, Paul; Weiss, W.B.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that municipalities that have a population of 100,000 or greater obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits to characterize the quality of their storm runoff. In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Springs City Engineering Division, began a study to characterize the water quality of storm runoff and to evaluate procedures for the estimation of storm-runoff loads, volume and event-mean concentrations for selected properties and constituents. Precipitation, streamflow, and water-quality data were collected during 1992 at five sites in Colorado Springs. Thirty-five samples were collected, seven at each of the five sites. At each site, three samples were collected for permitting purposes; two of the samples were collected during rainfall runoff, and one sample was collected during snowmelt runoff. Four additional samples were collected at each site to obtain a large enough sample size to estimate storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations for selected properties and constituents using linear-regression procedures developed using data from the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program (NURP). Storm-water samples were analyzed for as many as 186 properties and constituents. The constituents measured include total-recoverable metals, vola-tile-organic compounds, acid-base/neutral organic compounds, and pesticides. Storm runoff sampled had large concentrations of chemical oxygen demand and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand. Chemical oxygen demand ranged from 100 to 830 milligrams per liter, and 5.-day biochemical oxygen demand ranged from 14 to 260 milligrams per liter. Total-organic carbon concentrations ranged from 18 to 240 milligrams per liter. The total-recoverable metals lead and zinc had the largest concentrations of the total-recoverable metals analyzed. Concentrations of lead ranged from 23 to 350 micrograms per liter, and concentrations of zinc ranged from 110 to 1,400 micrograms per liter. The data for 30 storms representing rainfall runoff from 5 drainage basins were used to develop single-storm local-regression models. The response variables, storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations were modeled using explanatory variables for climatic, physical, and land-use characteristics. The r2 for models that use ordinary least-squares regression ranged from 0.57 to 0.86 for storm-runoff loads and volume and from 0.25 to 0.63 for storm-runoff event-mean concentrations. Except for cadmium, standard errors of estimate ranged from 43 to 115 percent for storm- runoff loads and volume and from 35 to 66 percent for storm-runoff event-mean concentrations. Eleven of the 30 concentrations collected during rainfall runoff for total-recoverable cadmium were censored (less than) concentrations. Ordinary least-squares regression should not be used with censored data; however, censored data can be included with uncensored data using tobit regression. Standard errors of estimate for storm-runoff load and event-mean concentration for total-recoverable cadmium, computed using tobit regression, are 247 and 171 percent. Estimates from single-storm regional-regression models, developed from the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program data base, were compared with observed storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations determined from samples collected in the study area. Single-storm regional-regression models tended to overestimate storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean con-centrations. Therefore, single-storm local- and regional-regression models were combined using model-adjustment procedures to take advantage of the strengths of both models while minimizing the deficiencies of each model. Procedures were used to develop single-stormregression equations that were adjusted using local data and estimates from single-storm regional-regression equations. Single-storm regression models developed using model- adjustment proce

Assessing Unmet and Latent Demand for Pharmacists at the State Level

PubMed Central

Arora, Prachi; Mott, David A.; Chui, Michelle A.; Kreling, David H.

2016-01-01

Background Past reports suggest that a near balance has been reached in the supply and demand for pharmacists in the US. Although data on the level of supply of pharmacists is available, there is no continuous and systematic tracking of the level of demand (unmet and latent) for pharmacists at state level. Unmet demand, an established construct in pharmacy workforce, is important to measure the number of vacancies and assess pharmacist shortage consistently over time. Latent demand or potential demand is a novel construct and has never been measured in pharmacy workforce. With the increase in supply, it is important to measure the potential demand that could be budgeted in pharmacies in the near future. Objective The objective of this study was to measure the unmet and latent demand for pharmacists and explore the association between latent demand and workload characteristics in community and hospital pharmacies in Wisconsin in 2011-12. Methods The study used a cross-sectional, descriptive survey design. A sample of community pharmacies (n=1,064) and hospital pharmacies (n=126) licensed in Wisconsin in 2011-12 was identified. Key informants (managers/owners) of sampled pharmacies were sent a one-page cover letter explaining the purpose of the study and requesting participation and a three page survey form. The main outcome measures of the study were total number of FTE pharmacist positions vacant, presence of adequate staff size, additional number of FTE pharmacist positions needed to attain adequate staff size, prescription volume, daily census, hospital size and number of hours prescription department is open. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all the pharmacies collectively, then separately for community and hospital pharmacies. Pharmacy setting, vacancies and workload characteristics of pharmacies with and without latent demand were compared using chi-squared test of independence and/or t-test. Sample weights were calculated and used in all the analyses to weigh the estimates to all pharmacies in Wisconsin. Results Overall response rate to the survey was 50.1%. Of the total number of FTE pharmacist positions budgeted in Wisconsin, 54.3 FTE positions (1.5%) were reported vacant in 2011-12. Approximately 28.2% of the community and hospital pharmacies reported the presence of latent demand. Latent demand was significantly associated with higher workload in community pharmacies and larger bed size in hospital pharmacies. Conclusion There appeared to be a balance between the supply and demand for pharmacists in Wisconsin in 2011-12. There is a potential for additional FTE positions (latent demand) to be budgeted in pharmacies to attain adequate pharmacist staff size. It is important to consistently track the level of unmet and latent demand for pharmacists in Wisconsin and combine this information with other workforce characteristics to guide the decision making of pharmacy workforce planners and pharmacy managers. PMID:27330846

Design Quality in the Context of Healthcare Environments: A Scoping Review

PubMed Central

Anåker, Anna; Heylighen, Ann; Nordin, Susanna; Elf, Marie

2016-01-01

Objective: We explored the concept of design quality in relation to healthcare environments. In addition, we present a taxonomy that illustrates the wide range of terms used in connection with design quality in healthcare. Background: High-quality physical environments can promote health and well-being. Developments in healthcare technology and methodology put high demands on the design quality of care environments, coupled with increasing expectations and demands from patients and staff that care environments be person centered, welcoming, and accessible while also supporting privacy and security. In addition, there are demands that decisions about the design of healthcare architecture be based on the best available information from credible research and the evaluation of existing building projects. Method: The basic principles of Arksey and O’Malley’s model of scoping review design were used. Data were derived from literature searches in scientific databases. A total of 18 articles and books were found that referred to design quality in a healthcare context. Results: Design quality of physical healthcare environments involves three different themes: (i) environmental sustainability and ecological values, (ii) social and cultural interactions and values, and (iii) resilience of the engineering and building construction. Design quality was clarified herein with a definition. Conclusions: Awareness of what is considered design quality in relation to healthcare architecture could help to design healthcare environments based on evidence. To operationalize the concept, its definition must be clear and explicit and able to meet the complex needs of the stakeholders in a healthcare context, including patients, staff, and significant others. PMID:28643560

Validity and Reliability of the Upper Extremity Work Demands Scale.

PubMed

Jacobs, Nora W; Berduszek, Redmar J; Dijkstra, Pieter U; van der Sluis, Corry K

2017-12-01

Purpose To evaluate validity and reliability of the upper extremity work demands (UEWD) scale. Methods Participants from different levels of physical work demands, based on the Dictionary of Occupational Titles categories, were included. A historical database of 74 workers was added for factor analysis. Criterion validity was evaluated by comparing observed and self-reported UEWD scores. To assess structural validity, a factor analysis was executed. For reliability, the difference between two self-reported UEWD scores, the smallest detectable change (SDC), test-retest reliability and internal consistency were determined. Results Fifty-four participants were observed at work and 51 of them filled in the UEWD twice with a mean interval of 16.6 days (SD 3.3, range = 10-25 days). Criterion validity of the UEWD scale was moderate (r = .44, p = .001). Factor analysis revealed that 'force and posture' and 'repetition' subscales could be distinguished with Cronbach's alpha of .79 and .84, respectively. Reliability was good; there was no significant difference between repeated measurements. An SDC of 5.0 was found. Test-retest reliability was good (intraclass correlation coefficient for agreement = .84) and all item-total correlations were >.30. There were two pairs of highly related items. Conclusion Reliability of the UEWD scale was good, but criterion validity was moderate. Based on current results, a modified UEWD scale (2 items removed, 1 item reworded, divided into 2 subscales) was proposed. Since observation appeared to be an inappropriate gold standard, we advise to investigate other types of validity, such as construct validity, in further research.

Functional integration of vertical flight path and speed control using energy principles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambregts, A. A.

1984-01-01

A generalized automatic flight control system was developed which integrates all longitudinal flight path and speed control functions previously provided by a pitch autopilot and autothrottle. In this design, a net thrust command is computed based on total energy demand arising from both flight path and speed targets. The elevator command is computed based on the energy distribution error between flight path and speed. The engine control is configured to produce the commanded net thrust. The design incorporates control strategies and hierarchy to deal systematically and effectively with all aircraft operational requirements, control nonlinearities, and performance limits. Consistent decoupled maneuver control is achieved for all modes and flight conditions without outer loop gain schedules, control law submodes, or control function duplication.

Diagnosing phosphorus limitations in natural terrestrial ecosystems in carbon cycle models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yan; Peng, Shushi; Goll, Daniel S.; Ciais, Philippe; Guenet, Bertrand; Guimberteau, Matthieu; Hinsinger, Philippe; Janssens, Ivan A.; Peñuelas, Josep; Piao, Shilong; Poulter, Benjamin; Violette, Aurélie; Yang, Xiaojuan; Yin, Yi; Zeng, Hui

2017-07-01

Most of the Earth System Models (ESMs) project increases in net primary productivity (NPP) and terrestrial carbon (C) storage during the 21st century. Despite empirical evidence that limited availability of phosphorus (P) may limit the response of NPP to increasing atmospheric CO2, none of the ESMs used in the previous Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment accounted for P limitation. We diagnosed from ESM simulations the amount of P need to support increases in carbon uptake by natural ecosystems using two approaches: the demand derived from (1) changes in C stocks and (2) changes in NPP. The C stock-based additional P demand was estimated to range between -31 and 193 Tg P and between -89 and 262 Tg P for Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 and RCP8.5, respectively, with negative values indicating a P surplus. The NPP-based demand, which takes ecosystem P recycling into account, results in a significantly higher P demand of 648-1606 Tg P for RCP2.6 and 924-2110 Tg P for RCP8.5. We found that the P demand is sensitive to the turnover of P in decomposing plant material, explaining the large differences between the NPP-based demand and C stock-based demand. The discrepancy between diagnosed P demand and actual P availability (potential P deficit) depends mainly on the assumptions about availability of the different soil P forms. Overall, future P limitation strongly depends on both soil P availability and P recycling on ecosystem scale.

Diagnosing phosphorus limitations in natural terrestrial ecosystems in carbon cycle models.

PubMed

Sun, Yan; Peng, Shushi; Goll, Daniel S; Ciais, Philippe; Guenet, Bertrand; Guimberteau, Matthieu; Hinsinger, Philippe; Janssens, Ivan A; Peñuelas, Josep; Piao, Shilong; Poulter, Benjamin; Violette, Aurélie; Yang, Xiaojuan; Yin, Yi; Zeng, Hui

2017-07-01

Most of the Earth System Models (ESMs) project increases in net primary productivity (NPP) and terrestrial carbon (C) storage during the 21st century. Despite empirical evidence that limited availability of phosphorus (P) may limit the response of NPP to increasing atmospheric CO 2 , none of the ESMs used in the previous Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment accounted for P limitation. We diagnosed from ESM simulations the amount of P need to support increases in carbon uptake by natural ecosystems using two approaches: the demand derived from (1) changes in C stocks and (2) changes in NPP. The C stock-based additional P demand was estimated to range between -31 and 193 Tg P and between -89 and 262 Tg P for Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 and RCP8.5, respectively, with negative values indicating a P surplus. The NPP-based demand, which takes ecosystem P recycling into account, results in a significantly higher P demand of 648-1606 Tg P for RCP2.6 and 924-2110 Tg P for RCP8.5. We found that the P demand is sensitive to the turnover of P in decomposing plant material, explaining the large differences between the NPP-based demand and C stock-based demand. The discrepancy between diagnosed P demand and actual P availability (potential P deficit) depends mainly on the assumptions about availability of the different soil P forms. Overall, future P limitation strongly depends on both soil P availability and P recycling on ecosystem scale.

Total Quality Management Seminar.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massachusetts Career Development Inst., Springfield.

This booklet is one of six texts from a workplace literacy curriculum designed to assist learners in facing the increased demands of the workplace. The booklet contains seven sections that cover the following topics: (1) meaning of total quality management (TQM); (2) the customer; (3) the organization's culture; (4) comparison of management…

Carbon and energy footprint of electrochemical vinegar wastewater treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerek, Emine Esra; Yilmaz, Seval; Savaş Koparal, A.; Nezih Gerek, Ömer

2017-11-01

Electrochemical treatment of wastewaters that are rich in organic compounds is a popular method, due to its acidic nature that avoids biological treatment. In many cases, the pollution hazard is considered as the chemical oxygen demand (COD) from active carbon, and the success of the treatment is measured in terms of how much this specific parameter is reduced. However, if electricity is used during the treatment process, the treatment "itself" has manufacturing and operational energy costs. Many of the studies consider energy utilization as a monetary cost, and try to reduce its amount. However, the energy cost of the treatment also causes emission of carbon at the energy producing side of the closed loop. This carbon emission can be converted into oxygen demand, too. Therefore, it can be argued that one must look for the total optimal carbon efficiency (or oxygen demand), while reducing the COD. We chose a highly acidic wastewater case of vinegar production, which is a popular food product in Turkey, to demonstrate the high energy consumption and carbon emission problem of the electrochemical treatment approach. A novel strategy is presented to monitor total oxygen demand simultaneously at the treatment and energy production sides. Necessity of renewable energy utilization and conditions on process termination points are discussed.

The cost of meeting increased cooling-water demands for CO2 capture and storage utilizing non-traditional waters from geologic saline formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klise, Geoffrey T.; Roach, Jesse D.; Kobos, Peter H.; Heath, Jason E.; Gutierrez, Karen A.

2013-05-01

Deep (> ˜800 m) saline water-bearing formations in the United States have substantial pore volume that is targeted for storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) and the associated saline water can be extracted to increase CO2 storage efficiency, manage pressure build up, and create a new water source that, once treated, can be used for power-plant cooling or other purposes. Extraction, treatment and disposal costs of saline formation water to meet added water demands from CO2 capture and storage (CCS) are discussed. This underutilized water source may be important in meeting new water demand associated with CCS. For a representative natural gas combined-cycle (NGCC) power plant, simultaneous extraction of brine from the storage formation could provide enough water to meet all CCS-related cooling demands for 177 out of the 185 (96 %) saline formations analyzed in this study. Calculated total cost of water extraction, treatment and disposal is less than 4.00 US Dollars (USD) m-3 for 93 % of the 185 formations considered. In 90 % of 185 formations, treated water costs are less than 10.00 USD tonne-1 of CO2 injected. On average, this represents approximately 6 % of the total CO2 capture and injection costs for the NGCC scenario.

Game Demands of Seven-A-Side Soccer in Young Players.

PubMed

Barbero-Alvarez, José C; Gómez-López, Maite; Castagna, Carlo; Barbero-Alvarez, Verónica; Romero, David V; Blanchfield, Anthony W; Nakamura, Fábio Y

2017-07-01

Barbero-Alvarez, JC, Gómez-López, M, Castagna, C, Barbero-Alvarez, V, Romero, DV, Blanchfield, AW, and Nakamura, FY. Game demands of seven-a-side soccer in young players. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1771-1779, 2017-The aim of this study was to examine the activity patterns and physiological demands of 7-a-side youth soccer matches across 2 chronological age categories (U12 and U14). Twenty-two soccer players of a national youth soccer academy were investigated. Players of each age category performed 2 training matches (2 × 25 minutes) and were monitored by global positioning system and heart rate monitor units. Players of both categories covered similar total distance (5,348 ± 307 m), at similar mean heart rate values (86 ± 4% of maximum). However, the number of high-intensity runs (82.5 ± 17.4 vs. 69.7 ± 15.2) and total distance covered during sprints (264 ± 207 vs. 128 ± 74 m) were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in U14 compared with U12. The results suggest a highly demanding nature of 7-a-side soccer for skilled players, with physical maturity possibly influencing the match-related high-intensity performance at these ages.

[Supply and demand of clinical practice fields for training undergraduate health sciences students in Peru, 2005-2009].

PubMed

Alva, Javier; Verastegui, George; Velasquez, Edgar; Pastor, Reyna; Moscoso, Betsy

2011-06-01

To describe the supply and demand of clinical fields for undergraduate students of Peru. A descriptive study was considering as supply of clinical fields the total number of existing hospital beds in Peru. The demand was calculated using the total number of alumni registered in health science carrers following the clinical years or the internship. We calculated the number of beds per student and the coverage of clinical fields nationally and in some selected regions (Lima, Arequipa, La Libertad and Lambayeque). In 2009, Peru had 34,539 hospital beds, 78.5% of which pertained to the public sector and 48.4% are from Lima. We estimated that in 2008 44,032 alumni needed clinical fields, 70% from private universities, which grew 65% since 2005. The coverage of clinical fields, considering only interns from four carreers (medicine, nursery, obstetrics and dentistry) was only 31.5% at the national level. The number of beds per student oscillated between 0.5 in La Libertad to 0.82 in Lima with a national mean of 0.45. The supply of clinical fields for teaching undergraduates is insufficient to satisfy the demand, which continues to grow because of private universities, and hence requires urgent regulation.

Variation in bioactive content in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) grown under conventional and organic production systems.

PubMed

Valverde, Juan; Reilly, Kim; Villacreces, Salvador; Gaffney, Michael; Grant, James; Brunton, Nigel

2015-04-01

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain a number of bioactive compounds, in particular glucosinolates and polyphenols, which are proposed to confer health benefits to the consumer. Demand for organic crops is at least partly based on a perception that organic crops may contain higher levels of bioactive compounds; however, insufficient research has been carried out to either support or refute such claims. In this study we examined the effect of conventional, organic, and mixed cultivation practices on the content of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and total and individual glucosinolates in two varieties of broccoli grown over 2 years in a split-plot factorial systems comparison trial. Levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids showed a significant year-on-year variation but were not significantly different between organic and conventional production systems. In contrast, levels of the indolyl glucosinolates glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin were significantly higher (P < 0.05) under fully organic compared to fully conventional management. Organic cultivation practices resulted in significantly higher levels of glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin in broccoli florets; however, other investigated compounds were unaffected by production practices. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Degradable transportation network with the addition of electric vehicles: Network equilibrium analysis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Rui; Yao, Enjian; Yang, Yang

2017-01-01

Introducing electric vehicles (EVs) into urban transportation network brings higher requirement on travel time reliability and charging reliability. Specifically, it is believed that travel time reliability is a key factor influencing travelers’ route choice. Meanwhile, due to the limited cruising range, EV drivers need to better learn about the required energy for the whole trip to make decisions about whether charging or not and where to charge (i.e., charging reliability). Since EV energy consumption is highly related to travel speed, network uncertainty affects travel time and charging demand estimation significantly. Considering the network uncertainty resulted from link degradation, which influences the distribution of travel demand on transportation network and the energy demand on power network, this paper aims to develop a reliability-based network equilibrium framework for accommodating degradable road conditions with the addition of EVs. First, based on the link travel time distribution, the mean and variance of route travel time and monetary expenses related to energy consumption are deduced, respectively. And the charging time distribution of EVs with charging demand is also estimated. Then, a nested structure is considered to deal with the difference of route choice behavior derived by the different uncertainty degrees between the routes with and without degradable links. Given the expected generalized travel cost and a psychological safety margin, a traffic assignment model with the addition of EVs is formulated. Subsequently, a heuristic solution algorithm is developed to solve the proposed model. Finally, the effects of travelers’ risk attitude, network degradation degree, and EV penetration rate on network performance are illustrated through an example network. The numerical results show that the difference of travelers’ risk attitudes does have impact on the route choice, and the widespread adoption of EVs can cut down the total system travel cost effectively when the transportation network is more reliable. PMID:28886167

[Relationship between occupational stress, recovery experience, and physiological health of nurses in a municipal grade A tertiary hospital].

PubMed

He, L; Zhang, C L; Yang, T; Lan, Y J

2017-06-20

Objective: To examine the relationship between recovery experience, occupational stress, and physiological health of nurses in a municipal grade A tertiary hospital. Methods: A total of 296 in-service nurses from 7 municipal grade A tertiary hospitals were selected from October 2015 to February 2016. Individual characteristics of the subjects were collected using a self-made questionnaire. The recovery experience, occupational stress, and physiological health of the subjects were assessed based on the physiological health dimensions in the Chinese version of Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ-C) , Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) , and Quality of Work Life (QWL7-32) . Results: The mean recovery experience score of nurses from the municipal grade A tertiary hospital was 45.04±7.72, and 51.35% of the nurses had satisfactory recovery experience. Occupational stress was identified in 81.76% of the nurses. Based on the four categories of occupational stress, 65 nurses were identified with high-strain jobs (21.95%) , 56 with relaxed (low-strain) jobs (18.92%) , 49 with passive jobs (16.55%) , and 126 with active jobs (42.57%) . In addition, the mean physiological health score of the nurses was 21.20±4.24. Physiological health was negatively correlated with occupational stress ( r =-0.173, P <0.05) , but positively correlated with recovery experience ( r =0.198, P <0.01) . Recovery experience was negatively correlated with occupational stress ( r =-0.116, P <0.05) . Job demand was the major contributor to occupational stress, where subjects with high-demand active jobs had the poorest recovery experience ( F =2.610, P <0.05) and physiological health ( F =8.166, P <0.01) . Conclusion: Job demand has a great impact on the occupational stress of nurses, where increased job demand can lead to stronger stress response, reduced recovery experience, and poorer physiological health.

Degradable transportation network with the addition of electric vehicles: Network equilibrium analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Yao, Enjian; Yang, Yang

2017-01-01

Introducing electric vehicles (EVs) into urban transportation network brings higher requirement on travel time reliability and charging reliability. Specifically, it is believed that travel time reliability is a key factor influencing travelers' route choice. Meanwhile, due to the limited cruising range, EV drivers need to better learn about the required energy for the whole trip to make decisions about whether charging or not and where to charge (i.e., charging reliability). Since EV energy consumption is highly related to travel speed, network uncertainty affects travel time and charging demand estimation significantly. Considering the network uncertainty resulted from link degradation, which influences the distribution of travel demand on transportation network and the energy demand on power network, this paper aims to develop a reliability-based network equilibrium framework for accommodating degradable road conditions with the addition of EVs. First, based on the link travel time distribution, the mean and variance of route travel time and monetary expenses related to energy consumption are deduced, respectively. And the charging time distribution of EVs with charging demand is also estimated. Then, a nested structure is considered to deal with the difference of route choice behavior derived by the different uncertainty degrees between the routes with and without degradable links. Given the expected generalized travel cost and a psychological safety margin, a traffic assignment model with the addition of EVs is formulated. Subsequently, a heuristic solution algorithm is developed to solve the proposed model. Finally, the effects of travelers' risk attitude, network degradation degree, and EV penetration rate on network performance are illustrated through an example network. The numerical results show that the difference of travelers' risk attitudes does have impact on the route choice, and the widespread adoption of EVs can cut down the total system travel cost effectively when the transportation network is more reliable.

LONG-TERM GLOBAL WATER USE PROJECTIONS USING SIX SOCIOECONOMIC SCENARIOS IN AN INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT MODELING FRAMEWORK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hejazi, Mohamad I.; Edmonds, James A.; Clarke, Leon E.

2014-01-19

In this paper, we assess future water demands for the agricultural (irrigation and livestock), energy (electricity generation, primary energy production and processing), industrial (manufacturing and mining), and municipal sectors, by incorporating water demands into a technologically-detailed global integrated assessment model of energy, agriculture, and climate change – the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM). Base-year water demands—both gross withdrawals and net consumptive use—are assigned to specific modeled activities in a way that maximizes consistency between bottom-up estimates of water demand intensities of specific technologies and practices, and top-down regional and sectoral estimates of water use. The energy, industrial, and municipal sectorsmore » are represented in fourteen geopolitical regions, with the agricultural sector further disaggregated into as many as eighteen agro-ecological zones (AEZs) within each region. We assess future water demands representing six socioeconomic scenarios, with no constraints imposed by future water supplies. The scenarios observe increases in global water withdrawals from 3,578 km3 year-1 in 2005 to 5,987 – 8,374 km3 year-1 in 2050, and to 4,719 – 12,290 km3 year-1 in 2095. Comparing the projected total regional water withdrawals to the historical supply of renewable freshwater, the Middle East exhibits the highest levels of water scarcity throughout the century, followed by India; water scarcity increases over time in both of these regions. In contrast, water scarcity improves in some regions with large base-year electric sector withdrawals, such as the USA and Canada, due to capital stock turnover and the almost complete phase-out of once-through flow cooling systems. The scenarios indicate that: 1) water is likely a limiting factor in climate change mitigation policies, 2) many regions can be expected to increase reliance on non-renewable groundwater, water reuse, and desalinated water, but they also highlight an important role for development and deployment of water conservation technologies and practices.« less

Evidence of market-driven size-selective fishing and the mediating effects of biological and institutional factors

PubMed Central

Reddy, Sheila M. W.; Wentz, Allison; Aburto-Oropeza, Octavio; Maxey, Martin; Nagavarapu, Sriniketh; Leslie, Heather M.

2014-01-01

Market demand is often ignored or assumed to lead uniformly to the decline of resources. Yet little is known about how market demand influences natural resources in particular contexts, or the mediating effects of biological or institutional factors. Here, we investigate this problem by examining the Pacific red snapper (Lutjanus peru) fishery around La Paz, Mexico, where medium or “plate-sized” fish are sold to restaurants at a premium price. If higher demand for plate-sized fish increases the relative abundance of the smallest (recruit size class) and largest (most fecund) fish, this may be a market mechanism to increase stocks and fishermen’s revenues. We tested this hypothesis by estimating the effect of prices on the distribution of catch across size classes using daily records of prices and catch. We linked predictions from this economic choice model to a staged-based model of the fishery to estimate the effects on the stock and revenues from harvest. We found that the supply of plate-sized fish increased by 6%, while the supply of large fish decreased by 4% as a result of a 13% price premium for plate-sized fish. This market-driven size selection increased revenues (14%) but decreased total fish biomass (−3%). However, when market-driven size selection was combined with limited institutional constraints, both fish biomass (28%) and fishermen’s revenue (22%) increased. These results show that the direction and magnitude of the effects of market demand on biological populations and human behavior can depend on both biological attributes and institutional constraints. Fisheries management may capitalize on these conditional effects by implementing size-based regulations when economic and institutional incentives will enhance compliance, as in the case we describe here, or by creating compliance enhancing conditions for existing regulations. PMID:23865225

Factors influencing the work passion of Chinese community health service workers: an investigation in five provinces

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background After the implementation of new healthcare reform, Chinese government paid increasing attention to developing community health service (CHS). The current focus is mainly on cultivating community general practitioners but paying less attention to the working status and occupational demands of in-service CHS workers. Work passion is playing an important role for medical workers. With work passion, CHS workers’ team will become more stable and more effective, ensuring the sustainable development of CHS system. At present, the work passion of CHS workers is relatively low. Studying on influencing factors of work passion of CHS workers, promoting their work passion, and making them keep enthusiasm for work are significant. Methods A total of 100 CHS organizations were sampled randomly in 10 cities from 5 Chinese provinces for this study. A total of 3450 CHS workers from these CHS institutions took part in the surveys. Questionnaires were used to collect data, including socio-demographic information, work passion and opinion on influencing causes, and work-related satisfaction. Pearson chi-square statistical method was used to identify the factors related to CHS workers’ work passion. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine the significant factors that influence CHS workers’ work passion. Results A total of 38.77% of those who accomplished the questionnaire expressed that they didn’t have passion for current work. The related factors that influence CHS workers’ work passion are (1) socio-demographic factors such as age, and years of employment, and (2) other work-related factors such as learning and training opportunities, compensation packages, work stress, and personal development opportunities. CHS workers were most dissatisfied with the balance between remuneration and workload, job promotion opportunities. Conclusions Based on the results, the government should concern for CHS workers’ working status and work-related demands, pay more attention and meet their demands for reasonable compensation packages and self-development, balance the income and workload, provide more learning and training opportunities and personal development opportunities for CHS workers, in order to promote CHS workers’ work satisfaction, improve their work passion and enthusiasm. PMID:24885642

Factors influencing the work passion of Chinese community health service workers: an investigation in five provinces.

PubMed

Luo, Zhenni; Bai, Xue; Min, Rui; Tang, Changmin; Fang, Pengqian

2014-05-01

After the implementation of new healthcare reform, Chinese government paid increasing attention to developing community health service (CHS). The current focus is mainly on cultivating community general practitioners but paying less attention to the working status and occupational demands of in-service CHS workers. Work passion is playing an important role for medical workers. With work passion, CHS workers' team will become more stable and more effective, ensuring the sustainable development of CHS system. At present, the work passion of CHS workers is relatively low. Studying on influencing factors of work passion of CHS workers, promoting their work passion, and making them keep enthusiasm for work are significant. A total of 100 CHS organizations were sampled randomly in 10 cities from 5 Chinese provinces for this study. A total of 3450 CHS workers from these CHS institutions took part in the surveys. Questionnaires were used to collect data, including socio-demographic information, work passion and opinion on influencing causes, and work-related satisfaction. Pearson chi-square statistical method was used to identify the factors related to CHS workers' work passion. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine the significant factors that influence CHS workers' work passion. A total of 38.77% of those who accomplished the questionnaire expressed that they didn't have passion for current work. The related factors that influence CHS workers' work passion are (1) socio-demographic factors such as age, and years of employment, and (2) other work-related factors such as learning and training opportunities, compensation packages, work stress, and personal development opportunities. CHS workers were most dissatisfied with the balance between remuneration and workload, job promotion opportunities. Based on the results, the government should concern for CHS workers' working status and work-related demands, pay more attention and meet their demands for reasonable compensation packages and self-development, balance the income and workload, provide more learning and training opportunities and personal development opportunities for CHS workers, in order to promote CHS workers' work satisfaction, improve their work passion and enthusiasm.

Agricultural Green And Blue Water Uses And Their Impact on the Water System in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, M.; Tang, Q.; Cai, X.

2016-12-01

Both agricultural green and blue water uses in China were estimated using the H08 global hydrological model. The blue water use here refers to the water withdrawn for irrigation in irrigated croplands from rivers, reservoirs and aquifers. The green water use refers to precipitation directly supplied to croplands and natural ecosystems. The H08 model was used to trace water sources of crop water use. Total evapotranspiration of varied crops, namely barley, corn, rice, soy, and wheat, was divided into blue and green water resources based on their origins. Model results indicated that in southern China, green water, representing 78% of crop water use, was found to be a dominant component in the total crop water use, whereas in northern China, blue water occupied about half (52%) of total crop water use. The Mann-Kendall test was utilized to analyze the trends of water uses. At the national level, green water use experienced a significant decrease during 1981-2000 and then a significant increase in 2001-2010, while blue water use experienced a slight increase during 1981-2000 and then a significant decrease in 2001-2010. Monthly mean green and blue water uses at the national level showed that the demand for blue water reached peak during May, although the peak came earlier or later in some individual basins. Some variables including green and blue water uses were mapped to observe nonnegligible spatial heterogeneity. Impact analysis showed that almost one third of runoff volumes was withdrawn as agricultural blue water in most arid and semi-arid river basins during crop growing season (generally from March to August in China), suggesting that water demand for food production has imposed great pressure on blue water resources in these regions. The situation got worse if the study period was narrowed to one certain month, when river channels in some basins, e.g. Hai River basin, would run dry if the demand for irrigation was fully satisfied. Our research provides insight for large-scale agricultural water resource management.

Design of limited-stop service based on the degree of unbalance of passenger demand

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

This paper presents a limited-stop service for a bus fleet to meet the unbalanced demand of passengers on a bus route and to improve the transit service of the bus route. This strategy includes two parts: a degree assessment of unbalanced passenger demand and an optimization of the limited-stop service. The degree assessment of unbalanced passenger demand, which is based on the different passenger demand between stations and the unbalance of passengers within the station, is used to judge whether implementing the limited-stop service is necessary for a bus route. The optimization of limited-stop service considers the influence of stop skipping action and bus capacity on the left-over passengers to determine the proper skipping stations for the bus fleet serving the entire route by minimizing both the waiting time and in-vehicle time of passengers and the running time of vehicles. A solution algorithm based on genetic algorithm is also presented to evaluate the degree of unbalanced passenger demand and optimize the limited-stop scheme. Then, the proper strategy is tested on a bus route in Changchun city of China. The threshold of degree assessment of unbalanced passenger demand can be calibrated and adapted to different passenger demands. PMID:29505585

Design of limited-stop service based on the degree of unbalance of passenger demand.

PubMed

Zhang, Hu; Zhao, Shuzhi; Liu, Huasheng; Liang, Shidong

2018-01-01

This paper presents a limited-stop service for a bus fleet to meet the unbalanced demand of passengers on a bus route and to improve the transit service of the bus route. This strategy includes two parts: a degree assessment of unbalanced passenger demand and an optimization of the limited-stop service. The degree assessment of unbalanced passenger demand, which is based on the different passenger demand between stations and the unbalance of passengers within the station, is used to judge whether implementing the limited-stop service is necessary for a bus route. The optimization of limited-stop service considers the influence of stop skipping action and bus capacity on the left-over passengers to determine the proper skipping stations for the bus fleet serving the entire route by minimizing both the waiting time and in-vehicle time of passengers and the running time of vehicles. A solution algorithm based on genetic algorithm is also presented to evaluate the degree of unbalanced passenger demand and optimize the limited-stop scheme. Then, the proper strategy is tested on a bus route in Changchun city of China. The threshold of degree assessment of unbalanced passenger demand can be calibrated and adapted to different passenger demands.

Reversibly pH-responsive polyurethane membranes for on-demand intravaginal drug delivery.

PubMed

Kim, Seungil; Chen, Yufei; Ho, Emmanuel A; Liu, Song

2017-01-01

To provide better protection for women against sexually transmitted infections, on-demand intravaginal drug delivery was attempted by synthesizing reversibly pH-sensitive polyether-polyurethane copolymers using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and 1,4-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine (HEP). Chemical structure and thermo-characteristics of the synthesized polyurethanes were confirmed by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), 1 H-nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H-NMR), and melting point testing. Membranes were cast by solvent evaporation method using the prepared pH-sensitive polyurethanes. The impact of varying pH on membrane swelling and surface morphology was evaluated via swelling ratio change and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared pH-responsive membranes showed two times higher swelling ratio at pH 4 than pH 7 and pH-triggered switchable surface morphology change. The anionic anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium (NaDF) was used as a model compound for release studies. The prepared pH-responsive polyurethane membranes allowed continuous NaDF release for 24h and around 20% release of total NaDF within 3h at pH 7 but little-to-no drug release at pH 4.5. NaDF permeation across the prepared membranes demonstrated a reversible pH-responsiveness. The pH-responsive polyurethane membranes did not show any noticeable negative impact on vaginal epithelial cell viability or induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine production compared to controls. Overall, the non-cytotoxic HEP-based pH-responsive polyurethane demonstrated its potential to be used in membrane-based implants such as intravaginal rings to achieve on-demand "on-and-off" intravaginal drug delivery. A reversible and sharp switch between "off" and "on" drug release is achieved for the first time through new pH-sensitive polyurethane membranes, which can serve as window membranes in reservoir-type intravaginal rings for on-demand drug delivery to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Close to zero drug release occurs at the normal vaginal pH (4.5) for minimal side effects. Drug release is only triggered by elevation of pH to 7 during heterosexual intercourse. The reversibly sharp and fast "on-and-off" switch arises from the creative incorporation of a pH-sensitive monomer in the soft segment of polyurethane. This polyurethane biomaterial holds great potential to better protect women who are generally at higher risk and are more vulnerable to STIs. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of robust building energy demand-side control strategy under uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sean Hay

The potential of carbon emission regulations applied to an individual building will encourage building owners to purchase utility-provided green power or to employ onsite renewable energy generation. As both cases are based on intermittent renewable energy sources, demand side control is a fundamental precondition for maximizing the effectiveness of using renewable energy sources. Such control leads to a reduction in peak demand and/or in energy demand variability, therefore, such reduction in the demand profile eventually enhances the efficiency of an erratic supply of renewable energy. The combined operation of active thermal energy storage and passive building thermal mass has shown substantial improvement in demand-side control performance when compared to current state-of-the-art demand-side control measures. Specifically, "model-based" optimal control for this operation has the potential to significantly increase performance and bring economic advantages. However, due to the uncertainty in certain operating conditions in the field its control effectiveness could be diminished and/or seriously damaged, which results in poor performance. This dissertation pursues improvements of current demand-side controls under uncertainty by proposing a robust supervisory demand-side control strategy that is designed to be immune from uncertainty and perform consistently under uncertain conditions. Uniqueness and superiority of the proposed robust demand-side controls are found as below: a. It is developed based on fundamental studies about uncertainty and a systematic approach to uncertainty analysis. b. It reduces variability of performance under varied conditions, and thus avoids the worst case scenario. c. It is reactive in cases of critical "discrepancies" observed caused by the unpredictable uncertainty that typically scenario uncertainty imposes, and thus it increases control efficiency. This is obtainable by means of i) multi-source composition of weather forecasts including both historical archive and online sources and ii) adaptive Multiple model-based controls (MMC) to mitigate detrimental impacts of varying scenario uncertainties. The proposed robust demand-side control strategy verifies its outstanding demand-side control performance in varied and non-indigenous conditions compared to the existing control strategies including deterministic optimal controls. This result reemphasizes importance of the demand-side control for a building in the global carbon economy. It also demonstrates a capability of risk management of the proposed robust demand-side controls in highly uncertain situations, which eventually attains the maximum benefit in both theoretical and practical perspectives.

A New Filtering and Smoothing Algorithm for Railway Track Surveying Based on Landmark and IMU/Odometer

PubMed Central

Jiang, Qingan; Wu, Wenqi; Jiang, Mingming; Li, Yun

2017-01-01

High-accuracy railway track surveying is essential for railway construction and maintenance. The traditional approaches based on total station equipment are not efficient enough since high precision surveying frequently needs static measurements. This paper proposes a new filtering and smoothing algorithm based on the IMU/odometer and landmarks integration for the railway track surveying. In order to overcome the difficulty of estimating too many error parameters with too few landmark observations, a new model with completely observable error states is established by combining error terms of the system. Based on covariance analysis, the analytical relationship between the railway track surveying accuracy requirements and equivalent gyro drifts including bias instability and random walk noise are established. Experiment results show that the accuracy of the new filtering and smoothing algorithm for railway track surveying can reach 1 mm (1σ) when using a Ring Laser Gyroscope (RLG)-based Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with gyro bias instability of 0.03°/h and random walk noise of 0.005°/h while control points of the track control network (CPIII) position observations are provided by the optical total station in about every 60 m interval. The proposed approach can satisfy at the same time the demands of high accuracy and work efficiency for railway track surveying. PMID:28629191

Effect of peracetic acid, ultraviolet radiation, nanofiltration-chlorine in the disinfection of a non conventional source of water (Tula Valley).

PubMed

Trujillo, J; Barrios, J A; Jimenez, B

2008-01-01

Water supply for human consumption requires certain quality that reduces health risks to consumers. In this sense, the process of disinfection plays an important role in the elimination of pathogenic microorganisms. Even though chlorination is the most applied process based on its effectiveness and cost, its application is being questioned considering the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). Therefore, alternative disinfectants are being evaluated and some treatment processes have been proposed to remove DBPs precursors (organic matter. This paper reports the results of disinfection of a non conventional source of water (aquifer recharged unintentionally with raw wastewater) with peracetic acid (PAA) and ultraviolet radiation (UV) as well as nanofiltration (NF) followed by chlorination to produce safe drinking water. The results showed that a dose of 2 mg/L PAA was needed to eliminate total and faecal coliforms. For UV light, a dose of 12.40 mWs/cm2 reduced total and faecal coliforms below the detection limit. On the other hand, chlorine demand of water before NF was 1.1-1.3 mg/L with a trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) of 118.62 microg/L, in contrast with chlorination after NF where the demand was 0.5 mg/L and THMFP of 17.64 microg/L. The recommended scheme is nanofiltration + chlorination.

ECKG Kladno project: First IPP in the Czech Republic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rode, J.R.; Tichy, O.J.

1999-07-01

The Energy Center Kladno project is the first independent power producer (IPP) project to be financed in the Czech Republic, one of Europe's most rapidly evolving markets. The total financing is $401 million and is structured in three currencies; Czech crowns, German marks, and US dollars. This paper will focus on: Enhanced technology to meet energy demands; Execution to meet the ambitious; and Overall project status. The coal and gas fired plant will produce a total of 343 MW to provide electricity and heat to the town of Kladno, west of Prague. The new plant will be located within themore » existing ECK facility and the project encompasses demolition, upgrading, and rebuilding. The base load will be from two coal-fired 135 MW circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers and peaking capacity from the gas-fired combustion (66 MW) turbine. The CFB's will fire a range of low sulfur brown coal supplied from the local mining company Ceskomoravske Doly (CMD). The new CFB's were designed to meet the overall steam demands specified by ECKG. The CFB's design features include in-furnace heat transfer surface and a split backpass that utilizes a biasing damper to allow for control of both the superheat and reheat steam temperatures. The various CFB auxiliary systems will be discussed in the paper as well as the flue gas particulate collection equipment.« less

Effects of a Web-based course on nursing skills and knowledge learning.

PubMed

Lu, Der-Fa; Lin, Zu-Chun; Li, Yun-Ju

2009-02-01

The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of supplementing traditional classroom teaching with Web-based learning design when teaching intramuscular injection nursing skills. Four clusters of nursing students at a junior college in eastern Taiwan were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. A total of 147 students (80 in the experimental group, 67 in the control group) completed the study. All participants received the same classroom lectures and skill demonstration. The experimental group interacted using a Web-based course and were able to view the content on demand. The students and instructor interacted via a chatroom, the bulletin board, and e-mail. Participants in the experimental group had significantly higher scores on both intramuscular injection knowledge and skill learning. A Web-based design can be an effective supplementing learning tool for teaching nursing knowledge and skills.

Mass Spectrometry for Paper-Based Immunoassays: Toward On-Demand Diagnosis.

PubMed

Chen, Suming; Wan, Qiongqiong; Badu-Tawiah, Abraham K

2016-05-25

Current analytical methods, either point-of-care or centralized detection, are not able to meet recent demands of patient-friendly testing and increased reliability of results. Here, we describe a two-point separation on-demand diagnostic strategy based on a paper-based mass spectrometry immunoassay platform that adopts stable and cleavable ionic probes as mass reporter; these probes make possible sensitive, interruptible, storable, and restorable on-demand detection. In addition, a new touch paper spray method was developed for on-chip, sensitive, and cost-effective analyte detection. This concept is successfully demonstrated via (i) the detection of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 antigen and (ii) multiplexed and simultaneous detection of cancer antigen 125 and carcinoembryonic antigen.

Activity analysis of English Premiership rugby football union refereeing.

PubMed

Martin, J; Smith, N C; Tolfrey, K; Jones, A M

2001-10-10

Little is known about the physiological demands placed on officials during sporting activities. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the movement activities of referees during English Premiership rugby football union matches, and to determine the frequency and duration of these activities. Nine referees who were ranked in the top 20 referees in England were videotaped during a total of 19 matches. During playback of the videotapes, a single observer coded the referees' activities into one of six distinct categories (standing, walking forwards, walking backwards, jogging, running and sprinting) using a computerized video editing system (Observer Video-Pro). The referees were timed over a 20 m distance for the modes of locomotory activity, and the average velocity of the referee for each activity was used to calculate the total distance covered in each mode of activity during matches. The total distance covered during a match was (chi +/- SD) 8581 +/- 668 m. The mean percentage of total playing time spent in each activity was: standing still, 37.0 +/- 11.0%; walking forward, 29.5 +/- 7.2%; walking backward, 9.9 +/- 3.2%; jogging, 12.8 +/- 3.2%; running, 9.8 +/- 2.3%; and sprinting, 1.0 +/- 0.4%. There were a total of 672 transitions between modes of activity during a match. The results of this study suggest that refereeing top English rugby football union matches is physically demanding. Although the major physiological load is placed on the oxygen transport system, frequent sprint bouts and the associated requirements for acceleration and deceleration impose additional metabolic demands on referees. This information may be used in the design of physical training programmes to optimize performance in referees.

Industrial Scale Energy Systems Integration; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruth, Mark

2015-07-28

The industrial sector consumes 25% of the total energy in the U.S. and produces 18% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Energy Systems Integration (ESI) opportunities can reduce those values and increase the profitability of that sector. This presentation outlines several options. Combined heat and power (CHP) is an option that is available today for many applications. In some cases, it can be extended to trigeneration by adding absorbtion cooling. Demand response is another option in use by the industrial sector - in 2012, industry provided 47% of demand response capacity. A longer term option that combines the benefits ofmore » CHP with those of demand response is hybrid energy systems (HESs). Two possible HESs are described and development implications discussed. extended to trigeneration by adding absorbtion cooling. Demand response is another option in use by the industrial sector - in 2012, industry provided 47% of demand response capacity. A longer term option that combines the benefits of CHP with those of demand response is hybrid energy systems (HESs). Two possible HESs are described and development implications discussed.« less

Estimating the market for nursing personnel in North Carolina.

PubMed

Cleary, B L; Lacey, L M; Beck-Warden, M

1998-01-01

To facilitate nurse workforce planning in the United States at the state level, the North Carolina Center for Nursing conducted a statewide survey of nurse employers to describe the current market for nurses; identify the types of nursing personnel in short supply; estimate the effect of organizational changes on nursing demand; examine preferences for RNs with varying levels of education; and identify the specific skills or competencies desired by employers. Descriptive. A geographically stratified random sample of 909 nurse-employing organizations in North Carolina was surveyed in 1996 by telephone. A total of 667 interviews were completed for a response rate of 78%. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses are reported. A nursing labor market was found characterized by uncertainty in hospitals, particularly those undergoing reorganization, but of definite growth outside of hospitals. Demand is increasing for unlicensed assistive personnel, RNs with baccalaureate degrees, some advanced practice RNs, and in hospitals, for RNs with master's degrees in management. Recruitment continues to be a major challenge to hospitals in specialty areas, particularly critical care and surgery. In the community sector, demand is strong for all types of nursing personnel. Tests for substitution of specific types of nursing personnel revealed no systematic substitution by employers. Critical thinking and management skills were competencies most valued by hospital employers while specific clinical competencies, including assessment skills and technical skills, received priority emphasis by community-based employers. Although change is occurring in the health system of North Carolina, there remains a strong demand for nursing personnel. The findings pose a challenge to produce a nursing workforce sufficient in numbers and education.

Locations of Sampling Stations for Water Quality Monitoring in Water Distribution Networks.

PubMed

Rathi, Shweta; Gupta, Rajesh

2014-04-01

Water quality is required to be monitored in the water distribution networks (WDNs) at salient locations to assure the safe quality of water supplied to the consumers. Such monitoring stations (MSs) provide warning against any accidental contaminations. Various objectives like demand coverage, time for detection, volume of water contaminated before detection, extent of contamination, expected population affected prior to detection, detection likelihood and others, have been independently or jointly considered in determining optimal number and location of MSs in WDNs. "Demand coverage" defined as the percentage of network demand monitored by a particular monitoring station is a simple measure to locate MSs. Several methods based on formulation of coverage matrix using pre-specified coverage criteria and optimization have been suggested. Coverage criteria is defined as some minimum percentage of total flow received at the monitoring stations that passed through any upstream node included then as covered node of the monitoring station. Number of monitoring stations increases with the increase in the value of coverage criteria. Thus, the design of monitoring station becomes subjective. A simple methodology is proposed herein which priority wise iteratively selects MSs to achieve targeted demand coverage. The proposed methodology provided the same number and location of MSs for illustrative network as an optimization method did. Further, the proposed method is simple and avoids subjectivity that could arise from the consideration of coverage criteria. The application of methodology is also shown on a WDN of Dharampeth zone (Nagpur city WDN in Maharashtra, India) having 285 nodes and 367 pipes.

Limitations of subjective cognitive load measures in simulation-based procedural training.

PubMed

Naismith, Laura M; Cheung, Jeffrey J H; Ringsted, Charlotte; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo B

2015-08-01

The effective implementation of cognitive load theory (CLT) to optimise the instructional design of simulation-based training requires sensitive and reliable measures of cognitive load. This mixed-methods study assessed relationships between commonly used measures of total cognitive load and the extent to which these measures reflected participants' experiences of cognitive load in simulation-based procedural skills training. Two groups of medical residents (n = 38) completed three questionnaires after participating in simulation-based procedural skills training sessions: the Paas Cognitive Load Scale; the NASA Task Load Index (TLX), and a cognitive load component (CLC) questionnaire we developed to assess total cognitive load as the sum of intrinsic load (how complex the task is), extraneous load (how the task is presented) and germane load (how the learner processes the task for learning). We calculated Pearson's correlation coefficients to assess agreement among these instruments. Group interviews explored residents' perceptions about how the simulation sessions contributed to their total cognitive load. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Total cognitive load scores differed significantly according to the instrument used to assess them. In particular, there was poor agreement between the Paas Scale and the TLX. Quantitative and qualitative findings supported intrinsic cognitive load as synonymous with mental effort (Paas Scale), mental demand (TLX) and task difficulty and complexity (CLC questionnaire). Additional qualitative themes relating to extraneous and germane cognitive loads were not reflected in any of the questionnaires. The Paas Scale, TLX and CLC questionnaire appear to be interchangeable as measures of intrinsic cognitive load, but not of total cognitive load. A more complete understanding of the sources of extraneous and germane cognitive loads in simulation-based training contexts is necessary to determine how best to measure and assess their effects on learning and performance outcomes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lessons learned from the usability assessment of home-based telemedicine systems.

PubMed

Agnisarman, Sruthy Orozhiyathumana; Chalil Madathil, Kapil; Smith, Kevin; Ashok, Aparna; Welch, Brandon; McElligott, James T

2017-01-01

At-home telemedicine visits are quickly becoming an acceptable alternative for in-person patient visits. However, little work has been done to understand the usability of these home-based telemedicine solutions. It is critical for user acceptance and real-world applicability to evaluate available telemedicine solutions within the context-specific needs of the users of this technology. To address this need, this study evaluated the usability of four home-based telemedicine software platforms: Doxy.me, Vidyo, VSee, and Polycom. Using a within-subjects experimental design, twenty participants were asked to complete a telemedicine session involving several tasks using the four platforms. Upon completion of these tasks for each platform, participants completed the IBM computer system usability questionnaire (CSUQ) and the NASA Task Load Index test. Upon completing the tasks on all four platforms, the participants completed a final post-test subjective questionnaire ranking the platforms based on their preference. Of the twenty participants, 19 completed the study. Statistically significant differences among the telemedicine software platforms were found for task completion time, total workload, mental demand, effort, frustration, preference ranking and computer system usability scores. Usability problems with installation and account creation led to high mental demand and task completion time, suggesting the participants preferred a system without such requirements. Majority of the usability issues were identified at the telemedicine initiation phase. The findings from this study can be used by software developers to develop user-friendly telemedicine systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Search Algorithm for Determination of Economic Order Quantity in a Two-Level Supply Chain System with Transportation Cost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirayesh Neghab, Mohammadali; Haji, Rasoul

This study considers a two-level supply chain system consisting of one warehouse and a number of identical retailers. In this system, we incorporate transportation costs into inventory replenishment decisions. The transportation cost contains a fixed cost and a variable cost. We assume that the demand rate at each retailer is known and the demand is confined to a single item. First, we derive the total cost which is the sum of the holding and ordering cost at the warehouse and retailers as well as the transportation cost from the warehouse to retailers. Then, we propose a search algorithm to find the economic order quantities for the warehouse and retailers which minimize the total cost.

Nitrogen removal from wastewater by an aerated subsurface-flow constructed wetland in cold climates.

PubMed

Redmond, Eric D; Just, Craig L; Parkin, Gene F

2014-04-01

The objective of this study was to assess the role of cyclic aeration, vegetation, and temperature on nitrogen removal by subsurface-flow engineered wetlands. Aeration was shown to enhance total nitrogen and ammonia removal and to enhance removal of carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and phosphorus. Effluent ammonia and total nitrogen concentrations were significantly lower in aerated wetland cells when compared with unaerated cells. There was no significant difference in nitrogen removal between planted and unplanted cells. Effluent total nitrogen concentrations ranged from 9 to 12 mg N/L in the aerated cells and from 23 to 24 mg N/L in unaerated cells. Effluent ammonia concentrations ranged from 3 to 7 mg N/L in aerated wetland cells and from 22 to 23 mg N/L in unaerated cells. For the conditions tested, temperature had only a minimal effect on effluent ammonia or total nitrogen concentrations. The tanks-in-series and the PkC models predicted the general trends in effluent ammonia and total nitrogen concentrations, but did not do well predicting short-term variability. Rate coefficients for aerated systems were 2 to 10 times greater than those for unaerated systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Joyce Jihyun; Yin, Rongxin; Kiliccote, Sila

Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR), an XML-based information exchange model, is used to facilitate continuous price-responsive operation and demand response participation for large commercial buildings in New York who are subject to the default day-ahead hourly pricing. We summarize the existing demand response programs in New York and discuss OpenADR communication, prioritization of demand response signals, and control methods. Building energy simulation models are developed and field tests are conducted to evaluate continuous energy management and demand response capabilities of two commercial buildings in New York City. Preliminary results reveal that providing machine-readable prices to commercial buildings can facilitate bothmore » demand response participation and continuous energy cost savings. Hence, efforts should be made to develop more sophisticated algorithms for building control systems to minimize customer's utility bill based on price and reliability information from the electricity grid.« less

Price elasticity matrix of demand in power system considering demand response programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Xinyao; Hui, Hongxun; Yang, Shengchun; Li, Yaping; Ding, Yi

2018-02-01

The increasing renewable energy power generations have brought more intermittency and volatility to the electric power system. Demand-side resources can improve the consumption of renewable energy by demand response (DR), which becomes one of the important means to improve the reliability of power system. In price-based DR, the sensitivity analysis of customer’s power demand to the changing electricity prices is pivotal for setting reasonable prices and forecasting loads of power system. This paper studies the price elasticity matrix of demand (PEMD). An improved PEMD model is proposed based on elasticity effect weight, which can unify the rigid loads and flexible loads. Moreover, the structure of PEMD, which is decided by price policies and load types, and the calculation method of PEMD are also proposed. Several cases are studied to prove the effectiveness of this method.

Optimal load scheduling in commercial and residential microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganji Tanha, Mohammad Mahdi

Residential and commercial electricity customers use more than two third of the total energy consumed in the United States, representing a significant resource of demand response. Price-based demand response, which is in response to changes in electricity prices, represents the adjustments in load through optimal load scheduling (OLS). In this study, an efficient model for OLS is developed for residential and commercial microgrids which include aggregated loads in single-units and communal loads. Single unit loads which include fixed, adjustable and shiftable loads are controllable by the unit occupants. Communal loads which include pool pumps, elevators and central heating/cooling systems are shared among the units. In order to optimally schedule residential and commercial loads, a community-based optimal load scheduling (CBOLS) is proposed in this thesis. The CBOLS schedule considers hourly market prices, occupants' comfort level, and microgrid operation constraints. The CBOLS' objective in residential and commercial microgrids is the constrained minimization of the total cost of supplying the aggregator load, defined as the microgrid load minus the microgrid generation. This problem is represented by a large-scale mixed-integer optimization for supplying single-unit and communal loads. The Lagrangian relaxation methodology is used to relax the linking communal load constraint and decompose the independent single-unit functions into subproblems which can be solved in parallel. The optimal solution is acceptable if the aggregator load limit and the duality gap are within the bounds. If any of the proposed criteria is not satisfied, the Lagrangian multiplier will be updated and a new optimal load schedule will be regenerated until both constraints are satisfied. The proposed method is applied to several case studies and the results are presented for the Galvin Center load on the 16th floor of the IIT Tower in Chicago.

CO{sub 2} mitigation potential of efficient demand-side technologies: The case of Thailand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shrestha, R.M.; Biswas, W.K.; Timilsina, G.R.

This study assesses the techno-economic potential of selected demand-side efficient appliances to mitigate CO{sub 2} emission from the power sector in Thailand under national, consumer, and utility perspectives. A key finding of this study is that about 5.5--7% of the total annual CO{sub 2} emission from the electricity sector of the country can be reduced during 1996--2011 from the national perspective.

Limnological Monitoring on the Upper Mississippi River System, 1993-1996: Lake City Field Station

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-10-01

Reports of this type provide a synopsis of the collected data and collection methods, as well as a preliminary report of remarkable or unusual conditions ... conditions . To meet this need, Congress authorized a Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). The LTRMP...primarily for human consumption or regulatory purposes (e.g., chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total coliform bacteria , fecal coliform

Thailand Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2017-01-01

Thailand is an oil and natural gas producer, however, the country increasingly relies on hydrocarbon imports to sustain its rising fuel demand. Domestic crude oil reserves are declining in Thailand, and the country imports a significant share of its total oil consumption. Even though Thailand’s natural gas production has increased substantially in the last two decade, high demand growth and access to imports led the country to become a net importer of natural gas in 2000.

Two-and-a-half-year-olds succeed at a traditional false-belief task with reduced processing demands.

PubMed

Setoh, Peipei; Scott, Rose M; Baillargeon, Renée

2016-11-22

When tested with traditional false-belief tasks, which require answering a standard question about the likely behavior of an agent with a false belief, children perform below chance until age 4 y or later. When tested without such questions, however, children give evidence of false-belief understanding much earlier. Are traditional tasks difficult because they tap a more advanced form of false-belief understanding (fundamental-change view) or because they impose greater processing demands (processing-demands view)? Evidence that young children succeed at traditional false-belief tasks when processing demands are reduced would support the latter view. In prior research, reductions in inhibitory-control demands led to improvements in young children's performance, but often only to chance (instead of below-chance) levels. Here we examined whether further reductions in processing demands might lead to success. We speculated that: (i) young children could respond randomly in a traditional low-inhibition task because their limited information-processing resources are overwhelmed by the total concurrent processing demands in the task; and (ii) these demands include those from the response-generation process activated by the standard question. This analysis suggested that 2.5-y-old toddlers might succeed at a traditional low-inhibition task if response-generation demands were also reduced via practice trials. As predicted, toddlers performed above chance following two response-generation practice trials; toddlers failed when these trials either were rendered less effective or were used in a high-inhibition task. These results support the processing-demands view: Even toddlers succeed at a traditional false-belief task when overall processing demands are reduced.

Diagnosing phosphorus limitations in natural terrestrial ecosystems in carbon cycle models

DOE PAGES

Sun, Yan; Peng, Shushi; Goll, Daniel S.; ...

2017-04-28

Most of the Earth System Models (ESMs) project increases in net primary productivity (NPP) and terrestrial carbon (C) storage during the 21st century. Despite empirical evidence that limited availability of phosphorus (P) may limit the response of NPP to increasing atmospheric CO 2, none of the ESMs used in the previous Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment accounted for P limitation. We diagnosed from ESM simulations the amount of P need to support increases in carbon uptake by natural ecosystems using two approaches: the demand derived from changes in C stocks and changes in NPP. The C stock-based additional Pmore » demand was estimated to range between -31 and 193 Tg P and between -89 and 262 Tg P for Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 and RCP8.5, respectively, with negative values indicating a P surplus. The NPP-based demand, which takes ecosystem P recycling into account, results in a significantly higher P demand of 648–1606 Tg P for RCP2.6 and 924–2110 Tg P for RCP8.5. We found that the P demand is sensitive to the turnover of P in decomposing plant material, explaining the large differences between the NPP-based demand and C stock-based demand. The discrepancy between diagnosed P demand and actual P availability (potential P deficit) depends mainly on the assumptions about availability of the different soil P forms. Altogether, future P limitation strongly depends on both soil P availability and P recycling on ecosystem scale.« less

Future supply and demand of net primary production in the Sahel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallaba, Florian; Olin, Stefan; Engström, Kerstin; Abdi, Abdulhakim M.; Boke-Olén, Niklas; Lehsten, Veiko; Ardö, Jonas; Seaquist, Jonathan W.

2017-12-01

In the 21st century, climate change in combination with increasing demand, mainly from population growth, will exert greater pressure on the ecosystems of the Sahel to supply food and feed resources. The balance between supply and demand, defined as the annual biomass required for human consumption, serves as a key metric for quantifying basic resource shortfalls over broad regions.Here we apply an exploratory modelling framework to analyse the variations in the timing and geography of different NPP (net primary production) supply-demand scenarios, with distinct assumptions determining supply and demand, for the 21st century Sahel. We achieve this by coupling a simple NPP supply model forced with projections from four representative concentration pathways with a global, reduced-complexity demand model driven by socio-economic data and assumptions derived from five shared socio-economic pathways.For the scenario that deviates least from current socio-economic and climate trends, we find that per capita NPP begins to outstrip supply in the 2040s, while by 2050 half the countries in the Sahel experience NPP shortfalls. We also find that despite variations in the timing of the onset of NPP shortfalls, demand cannot consistently be met across the majority of scenarios. Moreover, large between-country variations are shown across the scenarios, in which by the year 2050 some countries consistently experience shortage or surplus, while others shift from surplus to shortage. At the local level (i.e. grid cell), hotspots of total NPP shortfall consistently occur in the same locations across all scenarios but vary in size and magnitude. These hotspots are linked to population density and high demand. For all scenarios, total simulated NPP supply doubles by 2050 but is outpaced by increasing demand due to a combination of population growth and the adoption of diets rich in animal products. Finally, variations in the timing of the onset and end of supply shortfalls stem from the assumptions that underpin the shared socio-economic pathways rather than the representative concentration pathways.Our results suggest that the UN sustainable development goals for eradicating hunger are at high risk for failure. This emphasizes the importance of policy interventions such as the implementation of sustainable and healthy diets, family planning, reducing yield gaps, and encouraging the transfer of resources to impoverished areas via trade relations.

Demand modelling of passenger air travel: An analysis and extension. Volume 1: Background and summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, I. D.

1978-01-01

The framework for a model of travel demand which will be useful in predicting the total market for air travel between two cities is discussed. Variables to be used in determining the need for air transportation where none currently exists and the effect of changes in system characteristics on attracting latent demand are identified. Existing models are examined in order to provide insight into their strong points and shortcomings. Much of the existing behavioral research in travel demand is incorporated to allow the inclusion of non-economic factors, such as convenience. The model developed is characterized as a market segmentation model. This is a consequence of the strengths of disaggregation and its natural evolution to a usable aggregate formulation. The need for this approach both pedagogically and mathematically is discussed.

Projecting Electricity Demand in 2050

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hostick, Donna J.; Belzer, David B.; Hadley, Stanton W.

2014-07-01

This paper describes the development of end-use electricity projections and load curves that were developed for the Renewable Electricity (RE) Futures Study (hereafter RE Futures), which explored the prospect of higher percentages (30% - 90%) of total electricity generation that could be supplied by renewable sources in the United States. As input to RE Futures, two projections of electricity demand were produced representing reasonable upper and lower bounds of electricity demand out to 2050. The electric sector models used in RE Futures required underlying load profiles, so RE Futures also produced load profile data in two formats: 8760 hourly datamore » for the year 2050 for the GridView model, and in 2-year increments for 17 time slices as input to the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model. The process for developing demand projections and load profiles involved three steps: discussion regarding the scenario approach and general assumptions, literature reviews to determine readily available data, and development of the demand curves and load profiles.« less

Satellite provided customer premise services: A forecast of potential domestic demand through the year 2000. Volume 2: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kratochvil, D.; Bowyer, J.; Bhushan, C.; Steinnagel, K.; Al-Kinani, G.

1983-01-01

The potential United States domestic telecommunications demand for satellite provided customer premises voice, data and video services through the year 2000 were forecast, so that this information on service demand would be available to aid in NASA program planning. To accomplish this overall purpose the following objectives were achieved: development of a forecast of the total domestic telecommunications demand, identification of that portion of the telecommunications demand suitable for transmission by satellite systems, identification of that portion of the satellite market addressable by Computer premises services systems, identification of that portion of the satellite market addressabble by Ka-band CPS system, and postulation of a Ka-band CPS network on a nationwide and local level. The approach employed included the use of a variety of forecasting models, a market distribution model and a network optimization model. Forecasts were developed for; 1980, 1990, and 2000; voice, data and video services; terrestrial and satellite delivery modes; and C, Ku and Ka-bands.

Generalized networking engineering: optimal pricing and routing in multiservice networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, Debasis; Wang, Qiong

2002-07-01

One of the functions of network engineering is to allocate resources optimally to forecasted demand. We generalize the mechanism by incorporating price-demand relationships into the problem formulation, and optimizing pricing and routing jointly to maximize total revenue. We consider a network, with fixed topology and link bandwidths, that offers multiple services, such as voice and data, each having characteristic price elasticity of demand, and quality of service and policy requirements on routing. Prices, which depend on service type and origin-destination, determine demands, that are routed, subject to their constraints, so as to maximize revenue. We study the basic properties of the optimal solution and prove that link shadow costs provide the basis for both optimal prices and optimal routing policies. We investigate the impact of input parameters, such as link capacities and price elasticities, on prices, demand growth, and routing policies. Asymptotic analyses, in which network bandwidth is scaled to grow, give results that are noteworthy for their qualitative insights. Several numerical examples illustrate the analyses.

Satellite provided customer premise services: A forecast of potential domestic demand through the year 2000. Volume 2: Technical report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kratochvil, D.; Bowyer, J.; Bhushan, C.; Steinnagel, K.; Al-Kinani, G.

1983-08-01

The potential United States domestic telecommunications demand for satellite provided customer premises voice, data and video services through the year 2000 were forecast, so that this information on service demand would be available to aid in NASA program planning. To accomplish this overall purpose the following objectives were achieved: development of a forecast of the total domestic telecommunications demand, identification of that portion of the telecommunications demand suitable for transmission by satellite systems, identification of that portion of the satellite market addressable by Computer premises services systems, identification of that portion of the satellite market addressabble by Ka-band CPS system, and postulation of a Ka-band CPS network on a nationwide and local level. The approach employed included the use of a variety of forecasting models, a market distribution model and a network optimization model. Forecasts were developed for; 1980, 1990, and 2000; voice, data and video services; terrestrial and satellite delivery modes; and C, Ku and Ka-bands.

Conceptualizing and measuring demand for recreation on national forests: a review and synthesis.

Treesearch

Brian E. Garber-Yonts

2005-01-01

This analysis examines the problem of measuring demand for recreation on national forests and other public lands. Current measures of recreation demand in Forest Service resource assessments and planning emphasize population-level participation rates and activity-based economic values for visitor days. Alternative measures and definitions of recreation demand are...

The role of husband's and wife's economic activity status in the demand for children.

PubMed

Wong, Y

1987-04-01

Data from Hong Kong were used to examine how the demand for children is affected by the economic returns to different types of market activities. The specific data used was a 1% sample of the 1976 "Hong Kong By-Census of Population." Only women under 50 who were currently married and living with their husbands were included. The households were restricted to land-based and non-farm families with economically active husbands. There were a total of 4128 families in the sample; in 3768 families the wife had experienced at least 1 birth. A simple 1-period model of household production and fertility demand is outlined. Emphasis was on 2 aspects of the demand for children in households who choose to work in the informal sector: children are more readily employed in a family business; and wife's work in a family business or in a wage employment at home is more compatible with childcare activities. Both effects imply that holding constant other characteristics, a higher desired stock of children will be demanded. As expected, an increase in wife's predicted log earnings in home work had a negative effect on the demand for children. The effect was almost always significant. An increase in wife's productivity in the family business, as proxied by her predicted log earnings in the family business, increased the demand for children significantly. This usually is interpreted to be a result of entering a market activity which is compatible with childcare. Another possible explanation is that the price of children is lowered because if children work in the family business then their productive contributions subsidize their parents' consumption. Yet, without direct measures or proxies for these effects, it is not possible to distinguish between them. An increase in husband's predicted log earnings in wage employment had a significant negative effect on demand for children. This can be interpreted in 2 ways: if an interior solution exists for husband's allocation of time, then a negative effect implies either that children are inferior (or are observed to be so) or husband's predicted log earnings in wage employment increases the probability of specializing in it. Thus, the role of children in the family business vanishes, and the desired number of children is reduced. Both husband's and wife's schooling reduced significantly the demand for children. In general, estimates of coefficients from families with at least 1 child were smaller in absolute magnitude and less significant statistically.

High Demand for Psychotherapy in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

PubMed

Klag, Thomas; Mazurak, Nazar; Fantasia, Laura; Schwille-Kiuntke, Juliane; Kirschniak, Andreas; Falch, Claudius; Goetz, Martin; Malek, Nisar P; Enck, Paul; Wehkamp, Jan

2017-10-01

The relative contribution of psychological factors to the onset and course of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is a matter of constant debate since its beginning, as is the clinical need and the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions. However, the perspective of patients with IBD has largely been ignored in this debate. Psychometric tests including the Short-Form IBD Questionnaire (SIBDQ), the ADAP test measuring demand for psychotherapy, and the Fear-of-Progression Questionnaire Short Form as well as disease-related questions were positioned on the internet between December 2014 and January 2016. The study was advertised through DCCV (German branch of the European Federation of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Associations). n = 631 patients responded, and complete data from n = 578 (356 Crohn's disease, 219 ulcerative colitis, 3 unclear) were available for analysis. n = 296 had previous experiences with psychotherapy, whereas n = 282 had not. This distribution clearly determined the factor "demand for psychotherapy" (chi-square = 23.7, P < 0.001). When all available data were entered into a (stepwise-forward) regression model, psychotherapy demand was dependent on previous experience (P < 0.001), fear of progression (P < 0.001), quality of life (P = 0.001), smoking (P = 0.003), and previous surgery (P = 0.005) with the total model explaining 29.7% of the variance. The total explained variance of this model was higher in ulcerative colitis (37.6%) than in Crohn's disease alone (25.4%). The demand for psychotherapy as additional therapy in IBD depends on previous experience with psychotherapy, fear for disease progression but also other disease or social characteristics and quality of life.

Physical and Physiological Demands of Elite Rugby Union Officials.

PubMed

Blair, Matthew R; Elsworthy, Nathan; Rehrer, Nancy J; Button, Chris; Gill, Nicholas D

2018-04-13

To examine the movement and physiological demands of rugby union officiating within elite competition. Movement demands of 9 elite officials across 12 Super Rugby matches were calculated, using global positioning system devices. Total distance (m), relative distance (m·min -1 ), percentage time spent within various speed zones were calculated across a match. Heart rate responses were also recorded throughout each match. Cohen d effect sizes were reported to examine the within match variations. The total distance covered was 8,030 ± 506 m, with a relative distance of 83 ± 5 m·min -1 and with no differences observed between halves. Most game time was spent at lower movement speeds (76 ± 2%; <2.0 m·s -1 ), with large effects for time spent >7.0 m·s -1 between halves (d=2.85). Mean heart rate was 154 ± 10 b·min -1 (83.8 ± 2.9% HR max ), with no differences observed between the first and second halves. Most game time was spent between 81-90% HR max (40.5 ± 7.5%) with no observable differences between halves. Distances covered above 5.1 m·s -1 were highest during the first 10 minutes of a match, while distance at speeds 3.7-5 m·s -1 decreased during the final 10 minutes of play. These findings highlight the highly demanding and intermittent nature of rugby union officiating, with only some minor variations in physical and physiological demands across a match. These results have implications for the physical preparation of professional rugby union referees.

Levocetirizine in persistent allergic rhinitis: continuous or on-demand use? A pilot study.

PubMed

Canonica, Giorgio Walter; Fumagalli, Federica; Guerra, Laura; Baiardini, Ilaria; Compalati, Enrico; Rogkakou, Anthi; Massacane, Pierangela; Gamalero, Cinzia; Riccio, Anna Maria; Scordamaglia, Antonio; Passalacqua, Giovanni

2008-10-01

Allergic rhinitis is a high-prevalence disease that affects quality of life (QOL), sleep quality and productivity of patients. According to the ARIA initiative, it is classified as intermittent and persistent, the latter being the most troublesome. The aim of this randomized, open-label, 6-month, pilot study was to determine whether levocetirizine 5 mg administered continuously once daily in the morning was better than levocetirizine 5 mg on-demand in symptomatic subjects with persistent allergic rhinitis. Total and individual symptom scores were recorded in a diary card throughout the study. QOL, quality of sleep, nasal cytology, rate of drug intake, and safety were also assessed at pre-defined time-points. In all, adult patients (31 in each group) were enrolled, of whom 22 dropped out. Both treatment regimens considerably decreased the total and individual symptoms scores from baseline and achieved similar levels up to week 14. Continuous treatment was generally better than on-demand from week 15 onwards, reaching statistical significance from weeks 17 to 21 (from week 19 to 21 for nasal pruritus). Both regimens substantially improved QOL and sleep quality. Both treatments were well tolerated, although the on-demand group reported more adverse events. The present open label study in 62 patients indicates that levocetirizine 5 mg reliably controls persistent rhinitis over a period of 6 months, and shows a trend to be more effective in controlling the symptoms of rhinitis, improving QOL and decreasing nasal inflammation, when administered as long-term continuous therapy rather than as on-demand therapy.

Intercostal nerve blockade with a mixture of bupivacaine and phenol enhance the efficacy of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia in the control of post-cholecystectomy pain.

PubMed

Maidatsi, P; Gorgias, N; Zaralidou, A; Ourailoglou, V; Giala, M

1998-09-01

Prolonged nerve conduction blockade has been proposed to result from the summed effects of charged and neutral local anaesthetics. Thirty-seven patients were randomly allocated to receive intravenous patient-controlled analgesia alone or combined with intercostal blockade (T7-T11) with a mixture of 0.45% bupivacaine and 0.6% phenol for post-cholecystectomy analgesia. Adequacy of pain relief was measured by patient scores on a 10-cm visual analogue scale and by dose-demand ratio, amounts of loading dose and total consumption of morphine and also the duration of patient-controlled analgesia in each group. No differences were found between groups in post-operative scores, dose-demand ratios and loading doses of morphine. However, in the combined treatment group, a significantly lower total consumption of morphine (P < 0.05), associated with a shorter duration of patient-controlled analgesia (P < 0.02) and a decreased mean number of unsuccessful demands (P < 0.001) were recorded. Intercostal blockade with bupivacaine-phenol supplements intravenous patient-controlled analgesia for post-cholecystectomy pain relief.