Distribution Utilities Research Articles

Case Definition for Diagnosed Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias in Medicare

Lack of a US dementia surveillance system hinders efforts to support and address disparities among persons living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). To review diagnosis and prescription drug code ADRD identification algorithms to develop and implement case definitions for national surveillance. In this cross-sectional study, a systematic literature review was conducted to identify unique International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) and prescription drug codes used by researchers to identify ADRD in administrative records. Code frequency of use, characteristics of beneficiaries identified by codes, and expert and author consensus around code definitions informed code placement into categories indicating highly likely, likely, and possible ADRD. These definitions were applied cross-sectionally to 2017 to 2019 Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) claims and Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data to classify January 2019 Medicare enrollees. Data analysis was conducted from September 2022 to March 2024. ICD-10-CM and national drug codes in FFS claims or MA encounters. The primary outcome was counts and rates of beneficiaries meeting each case definition. Category-specific age, sex, race and ethnicity, MA enrollment, dual-eligibility, long-term care utilization, mortality, and rural residence distributions, as well as frailty scores and FFS monthly expenditures were also analyzed. Beneficiary characteristics were compared across categories, and age-standardized to minimize confounding by age. Of the 60 000 869 beneficiaries included (50 853 806 aged 65 years or older [84.8%]; 32 567 891 female [54.3%]; 5 555 571 Hispanic [9.3%]; 6 318 194 non-Hispanic Black [10.5%]; 44 384 980 non-Hispanic White [74.0%]), there were 4 312 496 (7.2%) with highly likely ADRD, 1 124 080 (1.9%) with likely ADRD, and 2 572 176 (4.3%) with possible ADRD, totaling more than 8.0 million with diagnostic evidence of at least possible ADRD. These beneficiaries were older, more frail, more likely to be female, more likely to be dual-eligible, more likely to use long-term care, and more likely to die in 2019 compared with beneficiaries with no evidence of ADRD. These differences became larger when moving from the possible ADRD group to the highly likely ADRD group. Mean (SD) FFS monthly spending was $2966 ($4921) among beneficiaries with highly likely ADRD compared with $936 ($2952) for beneficiaries with no evidence of ADRD. Differences persisted after age standardization. This cross-sectional study of 2019 Medicare beneficiaries identified more than 5.4 million Medicare beneficiaries with evidence of at least likely ADRD in 2019 using the diagnostic case definition. Pending validation against clinical and other methods of ascertainment, this approach can be adopted provisionally for national surveillance.

Exploring the association between multidimensional poverty and antenatal care utilization in two provinces of Papua New Guinea: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAlthough global poverty rates have declined in the last decade, the fall in the Asia-Pacific region has been slow relative to the rest of the world. Poverty continues to be a major cause of poor maternal and newborn health, and a barrier to accessing timely antenatal care. Papua New Guinea has one of the highest poverty rates and some of the worst maternal and neonatal outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region. Few studies have investigated equity in antenatal care utilization in this setting. We explored equity in antenatal care utilization and the determinants of service utilization, which include a measure of multidimensional poverty in Papua New Guinea.MethodsTo explore the association between poverty and antenatal care utilization this study uses data from a ten-cluster randomized controlled trial. The poverty headcount, average poverty gap, adjusted poverty headcount, and multidimensional poverty index of antenatal clinic attendees are derived using the Alkire-Foster method. The distribution of service utilization is explored using the multidimensional poverty index, followed by multivariate regression analyses to evaluate the determinants of service utilization.ResultsThe poverty headcount was 61.06%, the average poverty gap 47.71%, the adjusted poverty headcount 29.13% and the average multidimensional poverty index was 0.363. Further, antenatal care utilization was regressive with respect to poverty. The regression analyses indicated that older women; being a widow (small number of widows (n = 3) asserts interpreting result with caution); or formally employed increase the likelihood of accessing antenatal care more often in pregnancy. Travelling for over an hour to receive care was negatively associated with utilization.ConclusionThis study indicated high levels of multidimensional poverty in PNG and that ANC utilization was regressive; highlighting the need to encourage pregnant women, especially those who are economically more vulnerable to visit clinics regularly throughout pregnancy.

Investigation of distribution system modification using operation voltage unification in order to decrease interruptions in dust climate

Many events in power networks which caused failure and outage of subsystems have root in design and initial selection of equipment and their specification. This concern will be important while the any kind of expanding and acclimation plan need to be executed to strengthen the existing infrastructures in order to provide better condition with regard to satisfied criteria. In Iran one of the most adverse environmental occurrences known Fine Dust, may force several distribution utilities to be changed due to new technical requirements. Medium voltage level regrading in way to decrease or unification of distribution system have been proposed in this paper to reach reduced faults and fast replacement of equipment in damaged situations. Voltage level changing and selection have been investigated in order to increase the network strengthen and reselection of equipment and redesigning critical sections of system against natural events that called fine dust with aim to attain an upgraded distribution utility. Operating of existing 33 kV and 11 kV network in 20 kV level and investigation of changing process have been done for Ahvaz medium voltage distribution system as a case study in these paper's sections. Calculations and results will be contained maximum current capacities in different line conductors, insulation and air clearances assessment, poles acceptable mechanical values, short circuit current and protection coordination for changing voltage level in distribution system.

Hospital competition when patients learn through experience

We study competing hospitals’ incentives for quality provision in a dynamic setting where healthcare is an experience good. In our model, the utility a patient derives from choosing a particular provider depends on a subjective component specific to the match between the patient and the provider, which can only be learned through experience. We find that the experience-good nature of healthcare can either reinforce or dampen the demand responsiveness to quality and the hospitals’ incentives for quality provision, depending on two key factors: the shape of the distribution of match-specific utilities and the cost relationship between quality provision and treatment volume. We establish conditions under which ignoring the experience dimension of healthcare leads to inaccurate assessments of the competitiveness of hospital markets.

52322 Trends in phototherapy utilization, payments, and geographic distribution: an analysis of United States Medicare Part B from 2000 to 2021

52322 Trends in phototherapy utilization, payments, and geographic distribution: an analysis of United States Medicare Part B from 2000 to 2021

The Characteristics and Variation of the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Home Range

Satellite tracking allows for novel investigations into golden eagle home range characteristics. Understanding home range characteristics is important for conservation and for assessing the potential impact of landscape changes from forest planting, wind farms, etc. Small sample sizes, inconsistent definitions and methods restricted several previous studies. Our study involved 69 resident tagged eagles with over one year of data across five Scottish regions. Home range size was estimated from 95% isopleth contours extracted from Utilisation Distributions. Above a small threshold, estimated range size was not affected by the number of records but at least one year of data is required, largely because of the breeding and non-breeding seasonal differences. There were no significant range size differences between birds tagged as range holders and those previously tagged as nestlings. Across four regions, with considerable intra-regional variation, planar 95% isopleths did not differ (medians, km2): Argyll 58.9, Northwest Highlands 61.7, Northeast Highlands 89.3, South of Scotland 91.9. Ranges in the isolated Outer Hebrides region were exceptionally small, at 24.0 km2. Estimated range area was usually reduced to 70–80% of the planar area when restricted to usable habitat, as estimated by the Golden Eagle Topography (GET) model. Applying measures of known unsuitable habitat (closed-canopy commercial forest and wind turbines) further reduced usable open land. Loss of otherwise suitable habitat was substantially due to commercial forest. Larger ranges had larger extents of suitable habitat (according to GET), with no apparent optimum of preferred GET habitat. Range size was not different across a year between the sexes. Breeding ranges were smaller, and females’ breeding ranges were much smaller than those of males, but larger than males’ ranges in the non-breeding season. Breeding attempt duration was probably also influential. Our study provides novel insights into golden eagle home range characteristics and can guide further research and practical applications.

Beyond the Meter: Understanding Consumer Satisfaction with Torrent Power in Bhiwandi

This thesis investigates consumer satisfaction with Torrent Power, an electricity distribution company operating in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, India. It examines how various factors, including pricing, billing transparency, service quality, and grievance redressal, influence consumer perceptions and satisfaction. By employing a mixed-methods research design, this study explores the complexities of consumer-utility relationships in the Indian context. Findings reveal that while customers appreciate certain aspects of Torrent Power’s services, concerns about pricing, billing clarity, and power outages significantly impact overall satisfaction. Recommendations are provided to enhance customer experience and improve Torrent Power’s service delivery. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on consumer satisfaction in the electricity sector by providing insights into the specific challenges and opportunities faced by a distribution company operating in a developing country context. The findings of this study have implications for policymakers, industry practitioners, and consumer advocacy groups seeking to improve the performance of electricity distribution utilities.

A new two-parameter Rayleigh distribution: Statistical properties, actuarial measures, regression analysis, and applications

This paper presents a novel two-parameter distribution derived from the Rayleigh distribution, thoroughly investigating its essential mathematical properties. We employ estimation techniques to determine the proposed distribution's estimated parameters. Through extensive simulation studies, we analyze and evaluate the asymptotic behavior of the model estimators. Furthermore, we calculate various actuarial measures to highlight the practical utility of the proposed distribution in actuarial science. To further substantiate the applicability of our distribution, we perform a comprehensive regression analysis. The practical relevance of the proposed distribution is demonstrated by modeling a lifetime dataset from the insurance field, where it exhibits a superior fit compared to existing distributions. The findings suggest that the new distribution significantly improves modeling capabilities, making it a valuable tool for theoretical research and practical applications in fields requiring accurate lifetime data modeling.

Role of Indian power markets in energy transition

India's power sector is transforming rapidly, marked by rising demand and a growing share of renewables. The short-term power market provides option for power distribution utilities to meet demand exigency. The paper presents trends and perspectives of short-term electricity trading of select states of India. Market transactions reflect seasonal demand variations, higher during summer-monsoon months, dipping in winters. Analysis of data highlights substantial share of short-term power in the total procurement. Quantum of power traded correlates inversely with operational performance of thermal plants as well as grid share of renewable energy. Suggested policy measures include honing of demand forecasting skills using advanced metering infrastructure, deploying energy storage technologies, including decentralized solar, ensuring sustained supply of coal and preventive maintenance of thermal power plants, initiating seasonal procurement contracts with merchant power plants, encouraging power banking arrangements and including storage component in solar and wind tenders. Power markets, if employed appropriately, can help minimize the demand-supply gap, facilitate energy access, and accommodate higher quantum of green power, thus fulfilling SDG-7 targets.

Aspects of Movement Ecology and Habitat Use of Migratory Raptors Using Satellite Telemetry from India to Central Asia

Single individuals of the Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga), Indian Spotted Eagle (Clanga hastata), Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax), Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), and two Pallid Harriers (Circus macrourus) were deployed with satellite transmitters in 2021 to study their home ranges, habitat associations, movement, and migration patterns. Data were collected for a combined number of 2291 days, providing 84,544 locations. Home ranges were calculated as kernel utilization distributions and expressed as 95% KDE and core areas as 50% KDE. Overall, eagles had larger home ranges (mean ± SD) of 942.70 ± 937.83 km2 compared to harriers, 43.84 ± 35.55 km2. Among eagles, the Greater Spotted Eagle had the largest home-range size of 2147.03 km2 calculated in Kazakhstan, while the female Pallid Harrier had the smallest home range of 5.74 km2 in Russia. Daily and monthly distances varied among eagles and harriers. The female Pallid Harrier covered the longest average monthly distance of 8585.43 ± 11,943.39 km, while the shortest monthly distance of 1338.22 ± 716.38 km was traveled by the Indian Spotted Eagle. All tagged birds migrated toward higher latitudes in the Northern hemisphere, except the Indian Spotted Eagle, which migrated to Pakistan. The male Western Marsh Harrier covered the longest migration distance in a shorter span of time, while the female Pallid Harrier took the longest to cover its migration distance. Overall, the daily distance covered during migration varied from 115.09 km traveled by the Indian Spotted Eagle to an overwhelming distance of 2035.85 km covered by the male Western Marsh Harrier. Scrubs, water bodies, croplands, and settlements were important habitat features associated with eagles, while croplands, open scrub, and built-up areas were associated with the female Pallid Harrier. The male Western Marsh Harrier was found to be primarily associated with saltpans and salt-affected areas having emergent vegetation. This study presents new insights into the movement and spatial ecology of long-distance migrant raptors that winter in Western India. We provide preliminary support for the use of the Western Circum–Himalayan Corridor as one of the important corridors of the Central Asian Flyway that warrants much appreciation among the current set of flyway corridors.

A HYBRID MVO-BMO TECHNIQUE FOR PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING OPTIMIZATION

The electric vehicle (EV) market is expanding rapidly around the world due to technological advancements, decreasing cost of batteries, and supportive government regulations. It is both a challenge and an opportunity for distribution utilities to manage the additional power demand from EVs. Effective and optimal EV charging scheduling strategies are essential to avoid the adverse effects of large EV penetration in the power grid system. This paper proposes an optimal plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging scheduling in a distribution grid system using a hybrid algorithm approach that combines a multiverse optimizer (MVO) and also a barnacle mating optimizer (BMO) termed as HMVO-BMO. The optimization model is developed with the objective to minimize the grid power loss, considering overnight home charging. Random arrival times of PEVs are considered and charging is scheduled based on available power demand on the distribution grid. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on the IEEE 33-bus system with different PEV penetration levels. Comparisons are made between three optimization algorithm approaches, namely the standard MVO and BMO, and the proposed HMVO-BMO algorithms. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed hybrid technique can achieve better and efficient results in terms of system power loss.

Construction of Utility Tunnel power supply and distribution system

As an underground structure that can accommodate multiple municipal pipelines, the utility tunnel can not only coordinate the planning, construction, and management of various municipal pipelines, but also achieve intensive development of urban underground space. In theory, any municipal pipeline can be included in the utility tunnel, thereby eradicating phenomena such as "road zippers" and "aerial spider webs" in the urban construction process. As a massive underground structure, the utility tunnel has its own electricity demand. Only by constructing a safe and stable power supply and distribution system inside the pipe gallery can it effectively ensure personal safety and the reliability of pipeline operation.

Multiple factors shape social contacts in dairy cows

Cattle develop preferential relationships with other individuals in the herd. These social interactions between individuals have a significant impact on both animal welfare and production. Given the relevance of social behaviour in dairy cattle, scientific studies have focused on understanding social interactions among cattle. These may also be influenced by individual area preferences, particularly when animals are housed in confined spaces. Therefore, investigating the relationship between individual area preferences and social interactions is essential for understanding social behaviour in dairy cattle. Real-time location systems provide the opportunity to monitor individual area preferences and social contacts at the same time. This study aims to assess the impact of dairy cows' area preferences on their daily social contacts and to determine the potential implications of overlooking individual area preferences in social behaviour studies. The individual position of the lactating cows was automatically collected once per second for two months on a Swedish commercial farm housing dairy cows inside a free-stall barn. The location data of 243 lactating cows was used to construct the social networks and to estimate the similarity of the area utilisation distributions between these individuals. The effect of utilisation distribution similarity in social networks was investigated by applying separable temporal exponential random graph mixed models. The role of different cow characteristics in the similarity of the utilisation distributions was assessed through a linear mixed model. Our analyses stressed the importance of similarity of area preference, parity, kindergarten effect, and filial relatedness in shaping daily social contacts in dairy cattle. The kindergarten effect refers to the effect on cow behaviour of being grouped together in the early stages of their lives. Similarity of area preference was influenced by the kindergarten effect and relatedness by pedigree, which favoured interactions between these individuals. The described approach allowed to disassociate the area preference from the social contacts between cows, providing more accurate results of the importance of the cow’s characteristics on their social behaviour.

Utilization of Special Services among Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs: A Time-to-Event Analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health Data, 2016-2022

BackgroundSpecial services including physical, occupational, speech, or behavioral therapies are associated with enhanced long-term functioning and well-being of children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN). Yet, there is a lack of recent evidence on the utilization of these services, and the age at which CYSHCN first receive them. ObjectiveThis study assessed the distribution, timing, and determinants of special services utilization across different types of special healthcare needs. MethodsData from 63,734 caregivers of CYSHCN aged 0-17 years from the 2016-2022 National Survey of Children’s Health were analyzed using Rao-Scott Chi-Square, Log-rank, and Cox proportional hazard tests. ResultsOverall, 41.9% of CYSHCN ever received special services, including 91.4%, 90.3%, 88.0, and 34.1% of children and youth with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, and other special healthcare needs (OSHCN), respectively. Children with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy received special services earlier than those with autism or OSHCN. Utilization of special services was higher among male children and youth (aHR 1.41; 95% CI: 1.33-1.49), aged 0-5 years (aHR: 4.70; 95% CI: 4.32-5.11), second or later born children (aHR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.10-1.26), from families with low-income (aHR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04-1.24), living with married parents (aHR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04-1.19), consistently insured (aHR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.08-1.42), and with a more complex health condition (aHR: 3.40; 95% CI: 3.13-3.70) compared to their counterparts. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the necessity of adopting tailored approaches for children with different special healthcare needs to optimize and sustain the utilization of special services.

Transient response of a megawatt-scale solar photovoltaic in an electric distribution utility

There is an increasing trend among customers of an electrical distribution utility to adopt grid-tied solar photovoltaic systems. This shift offers multiple benefits to consumers, including lower monthly electricity bills and a contribution to the development of green energy. For the electrical distribution utility, various impacts may arise due to varying levels of solar energy penetration. This study investigates the effects of integrating varying levels of solar photovoltaic penetration into the commercial consumer network of Cagayan de Oro Electric Power and Light Company (CEPALCO) in the Philippines. Utilizing PowerWorld simulator, the research evaluates 11 different scenarios with solar penetration levels adjusted according to the percentage of load demand. Key findings include alterations in solar megavolt ampere of reactive power output, bus voltage levels, transformer power loading, and transmission line ampacity, with frequency levels remaining stable across scenarios. The optimal solar penetration level was identified at 70%, balancing the benefits of solar energy integration with the need to maintain grid stability and operational limits. This optimal level ensures the effective utilization of renewable energy sources without compromising the performance of CEPALCO’s electrical infrastructure. The research concludes with recommendations for maintaining grid stability and operational limits at the optimal solar penetration limits.

Optimal placement of uPMUs to improve the reliability of distribution systems through genetic algorithm and variable neighborhood search

Due to the dynamic nature of modern distribution systems, the deployment of micro-phasor measurement units (uPMU) is becoming increasingly common among utilities to improve system monitoring and reliability. However, given their high investment costs, deploying a large number of these devices becomes unfeasible. Hence, unlike other approaches found in the literature that focus on observability criteria, this work presents an algorithm for optimal placement of uPMUs aimed at improving distribution system reliability. The algorithm defines the optimal number and location of the uPMUs through an objective function based on the resolution of a fault location technique that works in conjunction with pseudo-measurements to successfully locate a contingency. The meta-heuristics Genetic Algorithm and Reduced Variable Neighborhood Search are employed to address this problem. The proposed method has been validated on a three-phase 39-bus distribution system and a real distribution feeder with 962 buses from an Ecuadorian electric distribution utility. The results obtained confirm the effectiveness of the method, as with the deployment of only two uPMUs, the energy not supplied decreases by 13.84 % and 24.96 % for the 39-bus and 962-bus systems, respectively. Moreover, in the 962-bus system, the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) is reduced by 20.36 %.

Across the professional lifespan: comparing the workforce trends of early career and established counselling psychologists in South Africa

ABSTRACT Counselling Psychologists (CPs) constitute a considerable proportion of psychologists in South Africa (SA), yet empirical knowledge on this workforce remains limited. Furthermore, changes within this workforce overtime have not been thoroughly examined. This study compares early career (<10 years) and established (>10 years) CPs relating to demographic characteristics, work settings, professional roles and activities, career satisfaction, and perspectives on efforts to demarcate the practice of CPs in SA. A total of 512 survey responses were analysed, with 39% representing early career CPs and 61% representing established CPs. Findings reveal significant differences between early career and established CPs across several domains, including age, race, geographic location, highest professional degree, languages spoken; current job-seeking status; satisfaction with income, employment opportunities, work-life balance and primary work settings; likelihood of emigration; and supervision frequency and format. Overall, the results suggest movement towards transformation within the CP profession in SA. Nevertheless, systemic issues continue to hinder the optimal utilisation and equitable distribution of CPs within the country. Advocacy and ongoing workforce analysis is thus essential to support, retain, and effectively utilise CPs as a valuable resource, especially in light of the ongoing debates surrounding the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) system in SA.

Study on controllability assessment of a new type of power system based on lagrangian function integrated assessment method

The complex structure and multiple controllability metrics of the new power system require a comprehensive assessment approach. We propose a controllability assessment method based on the Lagrangian function, analyzing key factors that influence controllability. Our index system includes distributed power supply utilization rate, energy storage station charge state, power factor, and voltage offset. Using Lagrange shadow price theory, we construct a guideline layer index system treating bottom indexes as constraints. We formulate an optimization function utilizing the Lagrangian shadow price theory and considering weights calculated from the bottom index’s shadow price. These weights inform primary evaluation. By combining primary evaluation results, weights, and variable coefficients using the percentage system method, we determine comprehensive evaluation results for the new power system’s controllability. Experimental results demonstrate the high reliability of this method’s evaluation indexes, indicating their effectiveness. This research provides valuable insight for the advancement of the new power system. Region 1 had the lowest overall evaluation score of 51.57 and was rated general. The overall score of Region 2 was 77.24, which was considered good. Region 3 received the highest overall score of 86.29 and was rated as excellent.Graphical

Health clinic gardens as models for social-ecological systems: Floristic composition and potential utilization of plants in the Bojanala Platinum District North-West Province, South Africa

Health clinic gardens (HCGs) are social-ecological systems (SESs) associated with health clinics on government land and are intended to provide fresh vegetables and fruits to patients struggling to keep healthy immune systems. Little is known about their comparability to other garden types with regards to plant distribution and potential utilization, and thus their potential to address some of the challenges limiting ecosystem services (ESs) provision in other garden types. In this study, we report on the floristic composition and presence of utilitarian plant species at 105 HCGs across a district municipality in the North-West Province, South Africa. Different micro-gardens, including vegetable, medicinal, ornamental, natural vegetation, bare soil, orchard, hedge, and lawn micro-gardens, were identified. To understand plant composition, species were classified according to status of origin, invasive characteristics, Raunkiaer’s life-forms, growth forms, and potential usefulness. To determine the frequency of species occurrence we enumerated the number of gardens containing the respective species. Six-hundred and thirty-three species from 404 genera and 116 plant families were encountered. Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. and Urochloa mosambicensis (Hack.) Dandy, found in 91 % and 79 % of gardens, respectively, occurred the most. Herbaceous species were the most dominant, with Schkuhria pinnata (Lam.) Kuntze ex Thell. and Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronquist occurring the most. Plant species richness was greater in the ornamental (282 species) and natural area (naga) (281 species) micro-gardens, while the hedge had the least (8 species). Fifty-five percent of species in the natural vegetation micro-garden were indigenous, compared to 44 % in the ornamental micro-garden. There was greater diversity in fruit-bearing plants, and most medicinal plant species (70 %) are used as a tonic. Health clinic gardens resemble home gardens and are well positioned to enhance ESs provision at the community scale. Future HCGs research should evaluate community usage of the gardens and the extent to which knowledge of useful plants and efficient gardening practices is upscaled to home gardens around HCGs.

Incorporating vertical movement of fishes in habitat use models.

Fish telemetry studies now routinely collect positional and depth data, yet analytical approaches that integrate three-dimensional data are limited. Here we apply the potential path volume (PPV) model, a method previously developed to estimate habitat volume based on rates of avian movement, to free-swimming fish. Using a telemetry dataset of white sucker (Catastomus commersonii) from Turkey Lake (Ontario, Canada), we evaluated the effects of the number of spatial positions and different methods of selecting swim speed (vswim), a key parameter for PPV models, on habitat volume estimates. We subsequently compared habitat volume estimates and habitat overlap among white sucker pairs from the PPV models to those calculated using kernel utilization distribution-based approaches. The number of spatial positions in the PPV model had a significant effect on habitat volume estimates, whereas the magnitude of the vswim parameter or its specificity (constant value vs. fish-season specific parameter values) did not affect habitat volume estimates. The PPV method resulted in larger habitat volume estimates and greater habitat overlap estimates among fish pairs relative to those obtained from a three-dimensional kernel utilization distribution method. The PPV model is a useful analytical tool that, by incorporating potential animal movement into habitat use evaluations, can help answer key ecological questions and provide insight into fish space use in a wide range of conservation and management applications.