Daily Output Research Articles

Daily output measures of Emergency Department in association with seasonality and day of the week: A retrospective cohort observational study.

To evaluate the daily output measures of the emergency department (ED) in association with seasonality and the day of the week. A retrospective cohort of ED visits to tertiary medical centers between 2016 and 2020. The research unit was each day during the study period. The independent variables were season and day of the week. The dependent variables were ED visits, admission and dropout rates, and duration of ED discharge. The comparison of means was evaluated using ANOVA. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. There were 1826 days, 792 thousand visits, 58% were female. Admission rate 28%, duration to discharge 3.8 h, dropout rate 2%. The average daily visits by season ranged from 101% of the overall average in autumn to 97% in spring. Average daily visits by day of the week were significantly different, with the highest on Sunday (Israel's first working day of the week), 124% of the overall daily average, and the lowest on Saturday (weekly day off) with 70%. Saturdays had the highest admission rate of 30% and 28% of the overall rate. There was a moderate dependency between the ED duration and discharge, with a dropout rate of r2 = 0.19. The average daily visits were not affected by season but differed considerably by day of the week. Admission rates varied slightly by season but were similar by day of the week apart from Saturdays. This may be attributable to the case mix on Saturdays or less restriction to admit when the number of visits is low. We recommended each Emergency Department to evaluate its daily output measures dependency with seasonality and day of the week for operational optimization.

The impacts of minor disruptions on a production system: Empirical analysis of assembly line data

Supply chain disruptions pose significant risks to production systems. Unfortunately, the number of publications that study the real-life impacts of supply chain disruptions on production systems is extremely small, and the question of how these disruptions affect production systems has not been fully investigated. This research seeks to fill this gap using assembly-line data from a vehicle manufacturer in China. With these data, the authors estimated econometric models to assess the impacts of minor disruptions on production using two different metrics: daily output in terms of number of vehicles manufactured, and the disruption duration in minutes. Time-dependent effects were also considered to assess the extent to which the effects of disruptions on daily output and disruption duration change over time. The resulting models were analysed to identify which disruption factors are the most impactful in terms of daily output and disruption duration.

Effect of Feeding Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) Root Powder on Quantity of Milk in Crossbred Cows

Background: Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) recommended as a galactagogue in case of lactational insufficiency. Shatavari can also help to boost the immune system, ward off infection of the udder and reproductive organs in cows. It may also be used to reduce the stress of dairy cows and increase their producing ability, resulting in the production of clean and nutritious milk. Methods: The present research work was carried out at the Research cum Development Project, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Dist- Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Twenty physically fit milking crossbred cows have been selected for the study and divided into four equal groups, five having five animals each. All the cows from treatment groups were fed as per ICAR (2013) feeding standard to meet the nutritional requirement. The experimental animals from group T1, T2, T3 and T4 were fed a diet containing shatavari root powder @ 0, 40, 80 and 120 gm/cow/day respectively for a period of 60 days. Result: At the time of milking, each cow’s daily milk output (kg) was recorded. The current study found that supplementing with shatavari root powder enhanced milk production significantly (P less than 0.05) over the control group (T1).

Comparison of Effects of Capromorelin and Mirtazapine on Appetite in New Zealand White Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Inappetence is a welfare concern in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), as it can lead to potentially fatal gastrointestinal stasis. In other species, inappetence is commonly treated with appetite stimulants; however, few published studies have evaluated the efficacy of appetite stimulants in rabbits. We performed 2 studies to evaluate the effects of capromorelin and mirtazapine on appetite in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. In the first study, healthy rabbits ( n = 9) were evaluated using a randomized crossover design and 9 treatments: capromorelin 4 mg/kg oral (PO) once a day (SID), capromorelin 8 mg/kg PO SID, saline control PO SID, capromorelin 4 mg/kg PO twice a day (BID), capromorelin 8 mg/kg PO BID, saline control PO BID, mirtazapine 0.5 mg/kg transdermal (TD) SID, mirtazapine 1 mg/kg TD SID, and saline control TD SID for 3 d with a 1-wk washout period between treatments. Treatment efficacy was assessed by measuring daily feed intake and fecal output and by weighing rabbits twice a week. Overall, feed intake and fecal output were higher for all treatments as compared with controls, except for fecal output in the capromorelin 4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg PO SID groups. Feed intake and fecal output were significantly higher with mirtazapine as compared with capromorelin. Body weight and erythema/petechia of the pinnae were greater in the mirtazapine 1 mg/kg TD SID group than in the control group. A second study evaluated rabbits that had undergone surgery (castration, n = 7) and then received one of 3 treatments: capromorelin 8 mg/kg PO BID, mirtazapine 1 mg/kg TD SID, or saline PO BID for 3 d postoperatively. Feed intake and fecal output in the postoperative mirtazapine group were not significantly different from those of the capromorelin and control groups. Due to its superior efficacy as compared with capromorelin in healthy NZW rabbits, we recommend considering mirtazapine as a treatment for inappetence in NZW rabbits.

Dynamic characteristics and control strategy of pumped thermal electricity storage with reversible Brayton cycle

The pumped thermal electricity storage (PTES) based on reversible Brayton cycle can effectively absorb the instability and periodic fluctuations of renewable energy. The dynamic model of heat pump cycle in 5 MW PTES system is established and the disturbance characteristics of the electric power input are obtained. The results indicate that the thermal energy storage temperature drops by 16.52K and the specific exergy loss of molten salt is 6.67% when the electric power input ramps down by 7%. Affected by thermal inertia, the variation trend of thermal energy storage temperature is obviously lagging behind the disturbance signal of electric power input. Inventory control strategy is employed to maintain the thermal energy storage temperature of the heat pump cycle, thereby maintaining energy quality of the thermal energy storage. During the 50% ramp-down progress of electric power input, the variation range of thermal energy storage temperature is within 1.87K and the specific exergy loss of molten salt is within 0.71% by the PI controller to adjust the total amount of working fluid inventory in the cycle. As the daily output of wind power plant is used as the electric power input of system, the variation range of thermal energy storage temperature is within 1.71K and the specific exergy loss of molten salt is within 0.65%, which further verifies the feasibility of the control strategy.

Relative Contribution of Atmospheric Drivers to “Extreme” Snowfall Over the Amundsen Sea Embayment

AbstractWe investigate the atmospheric drivers of extreme precipitation over the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) of West Antarctica (WA) using daily output from the RACMO2 model and reanalysis data (1979–2016). Overall, 93.7% of days with extreme precipitation at the two coastal stations of ASE are associated with the four dominant Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) modes of geopotential height anomalies (at 850 hPa) over WA. The second EOF mode, associated with a coupled pattern consisting of an Amundsen Sea Low and a blocking high to the east, is the main driver of extreme precipitation over ASE, linked to 44.75% of extreme precipitation days. This is followed by EOF‐3 (associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation/PSA‐1), EOF‐4 (likely associated with more frequent “atmospheric river” events), and EOF‐1 (i.e., Southern Annular mode) with a contribution of 22.16%, 21.1%, and 12%, respectively. Extreme precipitation linked to EOF‐2 and EOF‐4 is more intense (by ∼2 mm/day) than the rest.

Transhiatal chest drainage in mediastinoscope and laparoscope-assisted esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: a retrospective study

BackgroundMediastinoscope and laparoscope-assisted esophagectomy for esophageal cancer occasionally causes postoperative accumulation of pleural effusion despite the preservation of the mediastinal pleura. Transhiatal chest drainage has been reported to be useful for thoracic esophagectomy; however, its use in mediastinoscope and laparoscope-assisted esophagectomy remains unelucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transhiatal chest drainage in mediastinoscope and laparoscope-assisted esophagectomy.MethodsThis retrospective study included patients who underwent mediastinoscope and laparoscope-assisted esophagectomy for esophageal cancer from 2018 to 2021. Transhiatal chest drainage involved the insertion of a 19-Fr Blake® drain from the abdomen to the left thoracic cavity through the hiatus. We assessed its effectiveness and safety by the daily drainage output, accumulation of postoperative pleural effusion, frequency of postoperative thoracentesis, and other complications. The drainage group comprising 24 patients was compared with the non-drainage group comprising 13 patients, in whom a transhiatal chest drainage tube was not placed during mediastinoscope and laparoscope-assisted esophagectomy.ResultsThe median daily output of the transhiatal chest drainage was 230 mL on day 1, 385 mL on day 2, and 313 mL on day 3. The number of patients with postoperative pleural effusion was significantly reduced from 10/13 (76.9%) in the non-drainage group to 4/24 (16.7%) in the drainage group (p = 0.001). The frequency of thoracentesis in the drainage group was significantly lower than that in the non-drainage group (p = 0.002). There were no significant differences in the occurrence of other postoperative complications.ConclusionsTranshiatal chest drainage could evacuate pleural effusion effectively and safely after mediastinoscope and laparoscope-assisted esophagectomy.

Geochemical and mineralogical controls on the geomechanical properties of the Eze-Aku Shale: Implications for a potential hydrocarbon reservoir

Oil and Gas Shales are becoming major contributors to the daily crude output in the global energy market. Due to permeability concerns, they require hydraulic fracturing to be commercially productive. Analysing their geomechanical properties and mineralogical influences is key to understanding the fracability and production optimization of shale reservoirs. To this regard, this study evaluates the geomechanical, geochemical and mineralogical properties of the Eze-Aku Shale. Twenty Eze-Aku Shale samples were collected from four locations (Onoli-Awgu, Lokpanta, Okopsi and Aboine) in the Southern Benue Trough. The samples were analyzed to determine composition of major oxides and minerals using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) technology respectively. Parameters such as static Young's modulus and Poisson's Ratio were determined following the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) standard to define the brittleness and fracability of the shale samples. Average mechanical properties ranged from 0.07 to 0.13 GPa and 0.7–9.8 for Young's modulus (E) and Poisson's ratio (v) respectively. The ratio of Young's modulus to Poisson's ratio negatively relates with clay mineral presence (Illite, Kaolinite and Muscovite) in Okposi and Aboine while in Lokpanta and Onoli-Awgu these parameters however, relate positively with Calcite and Quartz. Good hydraulic fracture performance is linked to brittleness and high Young's moduli, which is favoured, by high silica and carbonate content. This research thus reveals that the mineralogy of the Eze-Aku Shale has prevailing effects on its geomechanical properties. In Lokpanta and Onoli-Awgu however, the shale can be compared most notably to the Barnett Formation (Shale), Eagle Ford Shale and Marcellus Formation.

Portable Solar Charger System with Energy Measurement and Access Control

The utilization of green energy is one trending issue in the current time. People try to increase the portion of energy gained from renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal energy. In this paper, the authors propose a portable solar charger system (PSCS) that can be used to charge cellular devices when electricity access is not available such as during a power shutdown or when traveling to remote locations. The PSCS is made compact in two parts: the solar panel and the utility box, making the whole system easy to carry. The energy obtained from the solar panel is stored in a dry battery, with the process carefully regulated by a solar charge controller. The PSCS is equipped with passcode protection and gained energy monitor. The electric current from the battery flows to the load through a DC-DC converter and a relay only if a correct passcode is entered via a keypad. The amount of gained energy by the solar panel is monitored by measuring the voltage across the panel and the current flowing through its circuit. The functionality of the PSCS is successfully tested. Eight experiments each with a 3-hour duration are conducted on 6 different days. The amount of gained energy varies from 5.26 Wh to 9.88 Wh (1,300 mAh to 2,670 mAh), which corresponds to 14.5 % and 31.5 % of the potential average daily output energy for the location of Cikarang, Indonesia.

Compound marine heatwaves and ocean acidity extremes

Compound MHW-OAX events, during which marine heatwaves (MHWs) co-occur with ocean acidity extreme (OAX) events, can have larger impacts on marine ecosystems than the individual extremes. Using monthly open-ocean observations over the period 1982–2019, we show that globally 1.8 in 100 months (or about one out of five present-day MHW months) are compound MHW-OAX event months under a present-day baseline, almost twice as many as expected for 90th percentile extreme event exceedances if MHWs and OAX events were statistically independent. Compound MHW-OAX events are most likely in the subtropics (2.7 in 100 months; 10°−40° latitude) and less likely in the equatorial Pacific and the mid-to-high latitudes (0.7 in 100 months; >40° latitude). The likelihood pattern results from opposing effects of temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon on [H+]. The likelihood is higher where the positive effect on [H+] from increased temperatures during MHWs outweighs the negative effect on [H+] from co-occurring decreases in dissolved inorganic carbon. Daily model output from a large-ensemble simulation of an Earth system model is analyzed to assess changes in the MHW-OAX likelihood under climate change. The projected long-term mean warming and acidification trends have the largest effect on the number of MHW-OAX days per year, increasing it from 12 to 265 days per year at 2 °C global warming relative to a fixed pre-industrial baseline. Even when long-term trends are removed, an increase in [H+] variability leads to a 60% increase in the number of MHW-OAX days under 2 °C global warming. These projected increases may cause severe impacts on marine ecosystems.

Digestibility of a Lignocellulose Supplemented Diet and Fecal Quality in Beagle Dogs.

Simple SummaryObesity is not only a serious health problem for humans, but is also recognized as an immense health threat in pets. The use of lignocellulose in extruded diet might be used in pet food companies as a strategy to reduce energy density. These findings suggest that including lignocellulose supplementation up to 4% in dogs’ diets was well accepted, with an allowable reduction of the apparent digestibility of the control diet. Moreover, the stool remains solid and well-formed , and it increases fecal dry matter, indicating that it should be considered as a potential source of dietary fiber in dog food.Lignocellulose (LC) might be used as a substitute fiber source for dogs as a strategy to decrease energy density and enhance gastrointestinal functionality. The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of including different levels of LC on apparent nutrient digestibility and fecal parameters (dry matter (DM), fecal score, and daily fecal output), as well as fecal fatty acid concentrations. Four diets were tested: control diet (no supplementation of LC; LC0), and three control diets diluted with increasing levels of LC: 1, 2, and 4% (LC1, LC2, and LC4). Six Beagle dogs (BW 17.1 kg ± 1.22) participated in a crossover experimental design. Before each experimental period, five days were used as a wash-out period. The fecal consistency was scored based on a 5-point scale (1 = very hard; 2 = solid, well-formed “optimum”; 3 = soft, still formed; 4 = pasty, slushy; and 5 = watery diarrhea). The results demonstrated that the organic matter apparent digestibility (p = 0.01) and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) (p < 0.01) was significantly lower for dogs fed LC4 compared to those fed LC0. Dogs fed LC2 and LC4 had a lower fecal consistency score (2.39 and 2.18, respectively; p < 0.05). The fecal DM was significantly the highest (p < 0.01), and the daily fecal output on fresh matter was lower (p < 0.05) when dogs were fed the LC4 diet compared with the LC0 diet. Including LC at 1% in the diet resulted in significantly higher fecal acidic pH levels. However, no differences among treatments were noted regarding fecal fatty acid concentrations.

A Smart-Phone App for Fluid Balance Monitoring in Patients with Heart Failure: A Usability Study.

BackgroundFor a long time, fluid balance monitoring has been one of the most difficult problems in the management of patients with heart failure (HF). There is considerable interest in technology-facilitated fluid balance monitoring. However, little is known about patient acceptance and the use of mobile technology for fluid balance monitoring.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop a mobile app for technology-facilitated fluid balance monitoring and to determine its usability.MethodsA mixed-methods study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. A mobile app named I-Self-Care was developed through a best practice implementation project. Patients and nurses both completed the System Usability Scale (SUS, 0–100) and participated in semistructured interviews.ResultsI-Self-Care includes patients’ daily fluid intake and output (I&O), symptoms, hospitalization, and diuretic records. It can automatically calculate food water content and perform real-time analysis of I&O. The average SUS scores were 81.74 (SD 5.44) among 36 patients and 80.80 (SD 13.26) among 28 nurses (scale 0–100, with 100 being the best usability), which means that I-Self-Care has high usability for both patients and nurses. Semistructured interviews about the usability of the app were conducted with 17 participants. During the interviews, the patients expressed the high ease of use of I-Self-Care, their expectations for a continuously updated database, and improved self-management behaviour. The nurses thought that family support and repeated operation demonstrations were needed for patients to use the app. The nurses also expressed the convenience of this app for nursing work and the information security of patients.ConclusionWith participant feedback, we confirmed the usability of I-Self-Care for fluid balance monitoring in patients with HF. Continuously updated databases, family support, repeated operation demonstrations, and information security are important for HF patients to use I-Self-Care.

Performance Analysis of Different Type PV Module for 3kW Residential Roof Top PV System using PVSyst Simulation tool

The purpose of this article is to discuss a performance comparison of solar panel between mono crystalline, poly crystalline and HIT photovoltaic for roof top solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Residential PV power generation is a growing fast nowadays due to technology transfer success to everyone while also serving as a renewable energy source. Correct selection of PV modules possible to get a fast return of investment while wrong selection is vice versa. Three type of PV panel was applying in 3.12kW rooftop PV design in Selangor, Malaysia residential this work for comparison analysis. To make a fair comparison, the PV module analyse with same location, weather, orientation and losses. Simulation was performed fully under PVSyst software and looking at performance ratio system, a yearly balanced, effective output energy, daily output generation, system output generation, and yearly system losses. In this article the performance of three different types of PV panels is demonstrated. The HIT PV module shows the highest yearly performance ratio up to 81 % compare to mono and poly type. The normalized production with standardized variable to evaluate the PV output including collection losses, device losses and energy generated show the HIT type produces lowest losses while highest output. The performance of HIT PV module was good compared to PV module mono and poly type; this is due to the lower losses and high output produce significantly. The PV system’s payback period can be shortened, and the PV system can perform better, if the PV panels are more efficient.

Naturalistic social cognitive and emotional reactions to technology-mediated social exposures and cortisol in daily life

The emotional and social evaluative aspects of social interactions influence cortisol. The interactions that mothers have on social networking sites and via other technology involve heightened social comparison and emotion. We examined the associations between technology-mediated social engagement, social comparisons and emotion during technology-mediated social exposures (TMSEs), and cortisol during daily life. Forty-seven mothers (mean age = 34.38) completed a 4-day monitoring period involving four saliva collections and questionnaires daily at awakening, 4 h post-awakening, 9 h post-awakening, and bedtime. Higher social comparison during TMSE was associated with lower momentary cortisol, whereas higher negative emotions during TMSE and more time spent in TMSE were associated with higher momentary cortisol. Higher average social comparison during TMSE was associated with lower average daily cortisol output (area under the curve with respect to ground; AUCg), and more time spent on TMSE was associated with higher average AUCg. This study presents the first evidence that naturalistic social-cognitive and emotional reactions to TMSE are associated with cortisol in daily life.

Chyle Leak After Axillary Node Clearance in Breast Cancer Surgery—A Rare Complication and a Proposed Management Strategy from the British and Italian Experience

Chyle leak after axillary surgery is a rare complication that lacks consensus and management guidelines. This study aimed to present the experiences of two centers in chyle leak management after axillary node clearance for breast cancer. Furthermore the authors provide a review of its pathophysiology and clinical diagnostic methods. They compare approaches for management of the axilla with those for other locations. A multicentre case series descriptive analysis of chyle leak after breast cancer axillary node clearance between 1 January 2013 and 31 May 2020 was performed. The center in the United Kingdom and the center in Italy performed 655 and 4969 axillary node clearances, respectively. Four patients experienced chyle leaks. All the leaks had left-sided surgery (3 patients had level 3 clearances with mastectomy and implant-based breast reconstructions; 1 patient had level 2 clearance with therapeutic mammoplasty). All the leaks appeared within 3 days after surgery. Leak duration was between 11 and 29 days. The maximum daily output was 600 mL. All the leaks were treated conservatively with nutritional team support together with close drainage monitoring. The management strategy included a low-fat diet, a high-protein diet, total parenteral nutrition, and medium chain triglyceride supplements, as well as other elements. No negative effects on oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery wound-healing and no delays in adjuvant treatment were observed. The incidence of chyle leak after breast cancer axillary node clearance was 0.07%. Early diagnosis and close monitoring together with conservative management involving nutritional team support can result in successful treatment of chyle leak without negative sequalae of breast cancer oncologic treatment.

Development of consensus recommendations for the management of post-operative chylothorax in paediatric CHD.

A standardised multi-site approach to manage paediatric post-operative chylothorax does not exist and leads to unnecessary practice variation. The Chylothorax Work Group utilised the Pediatric Critical Care Consortium infrastructure to address this gap. Over 60 multi-disciplinary providers representing 22 centres convened virtually as a quality initiative to develop an algorithm to manage paediatric post-operative chylothorax. Agreement was objectively quantified for each recommendation in the algorithm by utilising an anonymous survey. "Consensus" was defined as ≥ 80% of responses as "agree" or "strongly agree" to a recommendation. In order to determine if the algorithm recommendations would be correctly interpreted in the clinical environment, we developed ex vivo simulations and surveyed patients who developed the algorithm and patients who did not. The algorithm is intended for all children (<18 years of age) within 30 days of cardiac surgery. It contains rationale for 11 central chylothorax management recommendations; diagnostic criteria and evaluation, trial of fat-modified diet, stratification by volume of daily output, timing of first-line medical therapy for "low" and "high" volume patients, and timing and duration of fat-modified diet. All recommendations achieved "consensus" (agreement >80%) by the workgroup (range 81-100%). Ex vivo simulations demonstrated good understanding by developers (range 94-100%) and non-developers (73%-100%). The quality improvement effort represents the first multi-site algorithm for the management of paediatric post-operative chylothorax. The algorithm includes transparent and objective measures of agreement and understanding. Agreement to the algorithm recommendations was >80%, and overall understanding was 94%.

Magnetic Field Energy Harvesting in Railway

Magnetic field energy harvesting (MFEH) is a method by which a system can harness an ambient, alternating magnetic field in order to scavenge energy. Presented in this article is a novel application of the concept aimed at the magnetic fields surrounding the rail current in electrified railway. Due to its noninvasive nature, the approach has the potential to be widely deployed as a part of low-cost trackside condition monitoring systems in order to increase lifetime and reduce maintenance requirements. In this article, the viability of MFEH in railway is substantiated experimentally—two different configurations are assessed both in a controlled laboratory environment as well as <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in situ</i> along Norwegian railway. When placed near an emulated section of railway carrying 200 A in the laboratory, the power output of the system is up to 40.5 mW at 50 Hz and 4.15 mW at 16 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\frac{2}{3}\; \mathrm{Hz}$</tex-math></inline-formula> . In the field, the prototype system harvests 109 mJ from a single freight train passing by, rendering an estimated daily energy output of 1.14 J in a moderately trafficked location. It is argued that the approach could indeed eliminate the need for battery replacements and potentially increase the lifetime of an energy-efficient, battery-powered condition monitoring system indefinitely.

Purified and enriched lignin as a marker to estimate faecal output of sheep fed temperate and tropical grasses

A series of trials were conducted in different experimental and feeding conditions to evaluate a purified and enriched lignin extracted from Eucalyptus grandis (LIPE®) as a marker to estimate faecal output in sheep fed temperate and tropical grasses. Two indoor trials were conducted in metabolism cages: the first one (Trial I) was conducted with sheep fed Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) pastures, which was evaluated in two different periods [Period I (n = 14), and Period II (n = 15)], and the second one (Trial II) was performed with sheep fed pearl millet [Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke] pastures (n = 16). Grazing trials were performed with sheep grazing Italian ryegrass [Trial III (n = 62)] and pearl millet [Trial IV (n = 34)]. According to the manufacturer's statements, sheep were dosed once a day with capsules containing 250 mg of LIPE® for a period of seven days, beginning two days before total faecal collections started and finishing on the last faecal collection day. To measure the observed daily faecal output, sheep were harnessed with faecal bags that were emptied once a day at 0800 h for five days. Faecal subsamples from indoor and grazing trials were taken to determine the LIPE® content by infrared spectroscopy. Regression analyses performed between estimated and observed faecal output (g DM/kg LW/day) by sheep were not significant (p > 0.05) in three of the four evaluated trials. Faecal LIPE® recovery from the total data of the four trials showed a statistical difference when compared to the reference value (100%). In conclusion, our results show that the LIPE® marker presents low accuracy to estimate the daily faecal output of sheep fed temperate (Italian ryegrass) and tropical (pearl millet) grasses.

Quantifying the benefits of a nodal market design in the Texas electricity market

This study quantifies the economic and environmental impacts associated with the change from a zonal to nodal design in the Texas electricity market. To begin, we present a framework to understand the mechanisms that lead to inefficient outcomes under a zonal market model. Then, we estimate a semiparametric partially linear conditional mean function to quantify changes in selected market metrics for the same set of underlying system conditions after versus before the implementation of the nodal market design. We estimate that daily operating costs of thermal generation given the same level of daily output fell by 3.9% with the implementation of the nodal market design. In contrast, we find that total heat input and CO2 emissions increased with the market design change. We show how changes in the operation of coal and natural gas technologies contributed to these outcomes, and find that a large proportion of the daily operating cost savings was due to the synergies achieved through increased efficiency of operation of these two generation technologies.

Development of cost-effective solar water desalination unit for the arid regions of rural areas of Sindh

In this study we have designed and fabricated a household solar water desalination unit for the arid regions of rural areas of Sindh like Tharparkar district. Drought conditions, shortage of drinking water and relying on saline water in arid regions of Sindh is a serious problem. In areas under these tracts, it is difficult to obtain drinkable water. This study focuses on the development of a cost effective and affordable desalination unit having simple construction, easy to use, repair, maintain and can be operated by an unskilled man. The solar desalination unit comprises of a solar oven, condenser, and collector pot. In this research various water samples were collected from three arid regions of Tharparkar district i.e., Islamkot, Diplo and Mithi. The performance of solar water desalination unit was assessed by analysing the Total Dissolve Solids (TDS), pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) of all samples. The sample collected, before treatment had maximum TDS, conductivity, and pH values as 10421 mg/L, 20842 μS/cm and 8 respectively. Those sample after treatment reduced to TDS of 230 mg/L, conductivity of 460 μS/cm and pH of 7.4. This portable solar desalination unit showed remarkable results and found as effective in the removal of TDS from all water samples. The efficiency of unit was calculated as 35.2% with maximum daily output of 5 litres. This unit was constructed at very low cost of PAKPKR 4500/- and its complete rely on solar energy which makes it quite affordable for those which cannot afford expensive treatment techniques. This unit has very minimal maintenance cost and does not require electricity. The values for pH, TDS, and EC achieved from this unit are satisfying the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water quality.