Consumption Ratio Research Articles

Effects of a Multi-Enzyme on Humeral Immune Response against NDV and Performance of Broiler Chickens

Non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) are not fully digested by broiler’s endogenous enzymes and consequently the soluble NSPs in feed results in high digesta viscosity and poor retention of nutrients. Supplementation of NSPs digesting enzymes may release the nutrients from feed and reduce the anti-nutritional effects of NSPs. This study was executed to investigate the effect of NSPs digesting enzymes (Endo-Power) multi enzyme supplementation levels (500g/ton of feed) with standard diet (SD) on immune response, blood biochemistry and growth performance of broilers chickens during 1–35 days of age. A total of 200 unsexed 1-day-old Ross308 broiler chicks were randomly distributed, to four treatments. There were fifty chicks per treatments. Results showed that diet with multi enzyme supplementation significantly increased the humoral immune response against NDV of broilers. Addition of multienzymes at levels (500g/ton of feed) significantly increased body weight gain BWG and improved Feed consumption ratio FCR, compared to the control treatments. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspirate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly higher for treatments without multi enzyme than the treatments with multi enzyme. Supplementation of multienzymes significantly decreased ALT and AST compared to the control group.

An Energy-Efficient Field-Programmable Gate Array Rapid Implementation of a Structural Health Monitoring System

System health monitoring (SHM) of a ball screw laboratory system using an embedded real-time platform based on Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology was developed. The ball screw condition assessment algorithms based on machine learning approaches implemented on multiple platforms were compared and evaluated. Studies on electric power consumption during the processing of the proposed structure of a neural network, implementing SHM, were carried out for three hardware platforms: computer, Raspberry Pi 4B, and Kria KV260. It was found that the average electrical power consumed during calculations is the lowest for the Kria platform using the FPGA system. However, the best ratio of the average power consumption to the accuracy of the neural network was obtained for the Raspberry Pi 4B. The concept of an efficient and energy-saving hardware platform that enables monitoring and analysis of the operation of the selected dynamic system was proposed. It allows for easy integration of many software environments (e.g., MATLAB and Python) with the System-on-a-Chip (SoC) platform containing an FPGA and a CPU.

Tracking the scaling of urban open spaces in China from 1990 to 2020

Urban open spaces (UOS) are crucial for urban life, offering benefits across individual and societal levels. However, the understanding of the systematic dynamic of UOS scaling with city size and its potential non-linear performance remains a limited clarity area. This study bridges this gap by integrating urban scaling laws with remote sensing data from 1990 to 2020, creating a framework to analyze UOS trends in China. Our findings reveal that UOS growth is sub-linear scaling with city size, exhibiting economies of scale with scaling exponents between 0.55 and 0.65 and suggesting potential shortages. The distribution structure of UOS across cities is becoming increasingly balanced, as indicated by the rising Zipf’s slope from 0.66 to 0.88. Southeastern coastal cities outperform, highlighting spatial variations and path dependency in UOS development. Additionally, using metrics of Scale-adjusted metropolitan indicator (SAMI) and the ratio of open space consumption to population growth rates (OCRPGR), we observe a trend towards more coordinated development between UOS and population, with a declining proportion of uncoordinated cities. Our long-term, large sample coverage study of UOS in China may offer positive significance for urban ecological planning and management in similar rapidly urbanizing countries, contributing to critical insights for quantifying and monitoring urban sustainable development.

Health burden and attributable economic damage of conflict and terrorism in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

ABSTRACT This study aimed to vividly describe the direct and severe health impacts of conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). It also sought to quantify the staggering portion of economic damage attributable to the health burden of conflict and terrorism. From 1990 to 2019, the region endured the devastating effects of conflict and terrorism. These circumstances led to 64%, 50%, and 35% of all causes of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in Libya, Syria, and Palestine, respectively, in 2011, 2016, and 2008. These figures represent not just statistics but the profound human cost of these conflicts. The health-related economic burden (HEB) due to conflict was estimated at $4.6 billion in Iraq, $3.7 billion in Afghanistan, and $1.7 billion in Libya in current international dollars. However, due to missing data, the HEB could not be calculated for Yemen and Syria despite significant conflict-related DALYs. In 2019, the HEB to Current Health Expenditure (CHE) ratio, which indicates the proportion of the health-related economic burden compared to health expenditure, was 30% in Afghanistan and 25% in Iraq. This high ratio underscores the significant strain that conflict places on the health systems.

RAW MATERIAL EXPORTS REDUCTION IN TRANSFORMING THE STRUCTURE OF RUSSIA’S GDP

The article presents a thesis that a phased reduction of the share of raw materials in the total volume of Russian exports and re-direction of a much greater part of it to domestic processing and subsequent export of final high-tech products are required. The need for such structural transformation is explained not only by the intensification of anti-Russian sanctions against fuel and energy complex, including the introduction of an embargo and price ceiling for its products, but also by the urgent need for a radical change in the very type of growth of the domestic economy - from raw materials export to the one based on innovations. Such shift is associated with devising and implementing a nationwide structural government policy, designed to resist further deindustrialization of the national economy. Based on the analysis of the key imbalances of the Russian economy developed during its market transformation, with a special emphasis on the ratio of consumption, investment, government purchases and trade balance, the author offers his own vision of an algorithm for a reasonable increase in the investment quota not through reducing personal consumption, but by temporarily reducing the contribution of net exports. The analysis concludes with the description of a fundamental scheme of urgently required changes in the functional structure of Russia’s GDP with the vision of ways to prevent an excessive imbalance between the revenue and expenditure parts of the Russian state budget.

Analisis Determinan Pembangunan Manusia Berbasis Gender Dan Desentralisasi Fiskal Pada Inklusifitas Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Di Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat

This research aims to examine the influence of gender and fiscal decentralization on inclusive economic growth in West Nusa Tenggara Province. This research uses a panel data regression analysis method using the Fixed Effect Model approach to determine the influence of the dependent variable on the independent variable. As a result, the gender-based development index variable, namely the ratio of average years of schooling, has a positive and significant value; the ratio of life expectancy and the open unemployment rate ratio has a negative value and is not substantial; the variable of the degree of fiscal decentralization, namely the ratio of the degree of fiscal decentralization and the capital expenditure ratio, has a value positive and significant towards inclusive economic growth in West Nusa Tenggara Province.

Effects of immersing Japanese quail eggs in various doses of riboflavin on reproductive, growth performance traits, blood indices and economics

This investigation aimed to evaluate the impact of immersion (IM) riboflavin treatment on the hatchability, production efficiency, and carcass characteristics of Japanese quail eggs. A total of 260 eggs of Japanese quail birds were used for hatching and were randomly divided into 4 treatments with 5 replicates (13 eggs/replicate) in a fully randomized design. Hatching eggs were immersed in riboflavin for 2 min before incubation. The experiment treatments were designed as follows: G1 control group with no treatment, G2 treated with 3 g/L vit. B2 (IM), G3 treated with 4 g/L vit. B2 (IM) and G4 were treated with 5 g/L vit. B2 (IM). After hatching, 128 Japanese quail chicks, aged 7 d, were randomly grouped into 4 treatment groups, with 32 birds in each group. When quails were given vitamin B2 via immersion, they demonstrated significant enhancements in live body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio at different stages compared to the control group. Compared to control and other groups, the carcass parameters of Japanese quails given a 4 g/L immersion solution showed a significant improvement (P < 0.05). Hatchability and fertility (%) were considerably raised by Vit.B2 treatments of 3, 4, and 5g; the group immersed in 5 g/L had the highest percentages compared to the other groups. Furthermore, treated chickens with all concentrations of vitamin B2 had significantly higher blood indices than the controls. During the exploratory phase (1-6 wk) of age, the highest returns were reported in G4 treated with 5g/L vit. B2 (IM). Treating Japanese quail eggs with different dosages of vitamin B2 by immersion may be recommended to improve their productive and reproductive performance, blood indices, carcass traits, and economic efficiency.

Long-term performance of chemically modified cotton straw fibers in micro-surfacing asphalt mixtures

Using agricultural wastes in asphalt pavements presents a promising solution to enhance pavement performance and utilize agricultural wastes simultaneously. In the paper, the fibers are made from recycled cotton stalks. Chemical modifiers are chosen to enhance the adherence of fiber asphalt binders. Different modified fibers are added to the SBR-modified emulsified asphalt. The modified asphalt binders are then utilized to prepare asphalt mixtures. Comparative studies on construction performance, road performance, and durability were carried out. Results showed that water consumption and bitumen aggregate ratio at the micro-surfacing were increased after adding fiber. Fibers with low hygroscopicity, rough surface, and high asphalt absorption rate had better adhesion properties. The long-term performance of a micro-surfacing mixture was most remarkably improved by the CH3COOH-modified cotton straw fibers, demonstrating a 10.07 % drop in rutting depth, a 9.13 % decrease in abrasion value, and a 41.13 % gain in shear resistance compared to the micro-surfacing mixtures with unmodified fibers. The study concluded that modified fiber micro-surfacing asphalt mixes are more suitable for seasonal frozen regions than the conventional mixes. The findings offer a theory foundation for the future development of cotton straw fibers in road engineering.

Technical efficiency and its convergence among village clinics in rural China: evidence from Shanxi Province.

Village clinics (VCs) are the foundation of the three-tiered health service system in China, delivering basic and routine outpatient services to citizens in rural China. VC technical efficiency and its convergence play a critical role in policy decisions regarding the distribution of health service resources in rural China. This study measured VC technical efficiency (using the slacks-based measure model), its convergence (using the convergence model), and the factors that influence the convergence in Shanxi Province, China. Data were obtained from the Shanxi Rural Health Institute 2014-2018 Health Statistics Report, which involved 3,543 VCs. The results showed that VC technical efficiency was low and differed by region. There was no α convergence in VC technical efficiency, but evidence of β convergence was found in Shanxi. The main factors that influence convergence were the building area of each VC (BA), proportion of government subsidies (PGS), and ratio of total expenditure to total income of each VC (RTETI). The government should increase investments in VCs and improve VC technical efficiency. Meanwhile, the government should be aware of and take measures to curb the inequity in VC technical efficiency among different regions and take suitable measures to curb this disparity.

CMOS Based Voltage Reference Designs for Sub - 1V

This review paper presents an analysis of the most recent advancements in sub-1V voltage references, addressing the growing demand for ultra-low power consumption and high precision in modern integrated circuits (ICs). Voltage references are critical components in numerous applications, including IoT devices, wearable electronics, and energy-harvesting systems, where power efficiency and accuracy are paramount. It briefly discusses the challenges associated with designing voltage references at such low voltages, such as limited headroom, reduced noise margin, and process variations. Topics include high-order curvature compensation, modified differential pair configurations, and energy-efficient solutions for integrated energy harvesting. These advancements enhance precision and reliability in low-voltage circuits, paving the way for sustainable, low-power electronics and compact devices in the modern digital landscape. It emphasizes the importance of benchmarking different designs against criteria such as power consumption, line regulation, temperature stability, and supply voltage rejection ratio (PSRR). The paper include insights into the state-of-the-art sub-1V voltage reference designs, identification of design trade-offs, and recommendations for future research directions. It underscores the importance of continuous innovation in voltage reference design to address the evolving requirements of ultra-low power electronics. The study here is setting the stage for a detailed analysis of the latest developments in sub-1V voltage references.

Impact of India’s farm science centers (Krishi Vigyan Kendras) on farm households’ economic welfare: An evidence from a national farmers’ survey

This study examines the impact of access to India’s farm science centers (Krishi Vigyan Kendras, or KVKs) on agricultural households’ welfare using household data from the nationally representative Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households conducted by India’s National Sample Survey Office in 2013. Employing different matching techniques and endogenous switching regression models, it was observed that the KVKs have a positive and statistically significant impact on agricultural households’ economic welfare, although, that impact is heterogeneous. Further, the investments made in expansion of India’s network of KVKs have been quite remunerative, as the benefit- to-cost ratio of expenditure on KVKs ranges from 8–12. Moreover, present findings suggest that expanding rural formal credit markets and promoting literacy can maximize the potential impact of KVKs on agricultural households’ economic welfare.

ANALISA KELAYAKAN RENCANA PEMBELANJAAN MODAL (CAPEX) PT UNITED TRACTORS TBK (UNTR) DALAM RANGKA MENGANTISIPASI PROYEKSI PERTUMBUHAN BISNIS PERUSAHAAN

The purpose of this study is to determine the performance of PT United Tractors Tbk through cash flow analysis that can be used as a decision-making tool by company and investors. Research approach to be used is quantitative descriptive, data used for analysis is secondary data, which is cash flow reports collected from the website of PT United Tractors Tbk. Data were analyzed using 8 cash flow ratios, namely: ration of operating cash flow, cash flow coverage ratio, interest coverage ratio of the cash, the cash coverage ratio of current liabilities, capital expenditure ratio, the ratio of total debt, the ration of net cash flow and free cash flow adequacy ratio. The results of the analysis indicate that the company's financial performance from 2017 to 2021 ratio generated tends to be deprived, where it seen from 5 ratios are on low average

The effects of solar insolation and cloud opacity on the optimum array size for a direct-coupled solar pumping system

The widespread adoption of solar photovoltaic pumping technology requires pertinent information on the sizing and design of these systems. This research investigated how the ratio of photovoltaic array peak power to motor power consumption, solar insolation and cloud opacity affects the water yield of a direct-coupled solar PV pumping system. The specific aim was to estimate the optimum photovoltaic power to motor power consumption (OPVM) ratio for a 3 W DC pump under Jamaican weather conditions. The PVM ratio is the ratio of peak array power to nominal motor power consumption. Four experimental direct coupled solar pumping systems were set up and the water yield for each measured daily for thirty days. Each system was identical in every respect except each having a different solar array peak power. The findings show that there is a strong correlation (Pearson coefficient of −0.903) between solar insolation and the optimum photovoltaic power to motor power consumption ratio. Additionally, there was found to be a strong correlation between average cloud opacity and optimum photovoltaic power to motor power consumption ratio (Pearson coefficient of 0.899). Both correlations were shown to be statistically significant, with both yielding p-values <0.001. The findings of the correlation analysis indicate that a relatively large PVM ratio would be economical when used on a site that regularly receives relatively low insolation and heavy cloud cover. Finally, the daily optimum photovoltaic power to motor power consumption ratio ranged from approximately 2.3 to 5.0. Generally, it was observed that the OPVM ratio shifted below 2.4 on clear sunny days and above 4.0 on very cloudy days. While these conclusions may not exactly extrapolate to scales of practical application, performance metrics of larger systems are expected to bear some similarity. Being guided by these results, additional studies at these larger scales are recommended.

Advancing Healthcare Networks: Optimizing Multi-Objective RPL for Diverse Traffic in Low-Power, Lossy Environments

RPL: Powering modern healthcare IoT Networks. The Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks(RPL) is a protocol specifically designed for routing in networks characterized by low power and lossy connections built on IPv6. It is specifically designed for the growing use of Instantaneous IoT (Internet of Things) applications. These networks cater to the specialized requirements of Low Power (resource-constrained) and Lossy Networks(unstable networks), also known as LLNs, where routing data smoothly and prioritizing traffic types are the significant challenges. Studies have shown that standard RPL, which makes use of a set of routing rules, struggles to provide the level of performance that many IoT applications in modern-day healthcare demand. This limits RPL’s potential in scenarios where we have a mix of data traffic, which is very common in healthcare settings. To handle the diverse data traffic found in healthcare settings, our method involves distributing several instances of RPL settings throughout the network. The main objective of this strategy is to improve the effectiveness of important and critical healthcare applications. We have developed and thoroughly tested our system using Contiki, which is an open-source IoT operating system. We have three instances in our MultiInstance RPL setup, each of which is intended to handle different kinds of network traffic and provide varying Quality of Service (QoS) measures. Different sets of Objective Function (OF) rules are used by each instance to decide which route is optimal for the data it processes. We have made use of OF0 (Objective Function 0) and MRHOF (Minimum Rank with Hysteresis Objective Function). We have rigorously tested our solution. Our focus has been on metrics like delay, average energy consumption and Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR). Compared to standard RPL, our approach improved packet delivery rates and significantly reduced delays for high priority data packets. This research shows how to better address the complex data traffic needs of real-time healthcare IoT networks.

Sex Differences In Energy Expenditure, Metabolic Heat, And Substrate Utilization During Exercise-Heat Stress

Purpose: To understand the influence of repeated heat exposures and biological sex on metabolic outcomes surrounding heat acclimation (HA). Based on previous data, we hypothesized that repeated heat exposures would result in higher resting caloric expenditure and exercising metabolic heat production in men (vs. women). Methods: Twenty participants (65% men, 22±3 yrs, 70.1±13.7 kg, VO2max 49.9±6.8 mL·kg −1·min −1) had 8 daily exercise-heat sessions (40°C, 40%rh, at least 60min) including heat tolerance tests (HTT; 120 min, 3.1 mph, 2% grade) on days 1 and 8. Resting energy expenditure (REE) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were assessed pre- and post-HTT on days 1 and 8. Metabolic heat production (MHP) and RER were collected during the HTT. Data are presented as mean difference (MD) (95% confidence intervals). For REE and RER, a 2x2 ANOVA compared metrics before HTT vs. after HTT session, pre-HA vs. post HA with sex as a between-subjects factor. For MHP and RER during exercise, a dependent samples t-test compared pre-HA vs. post-HA and independent samples t-test compared sexes pre-HA vs. post-HA. Results: Pre-HA: RER was higher before vs. after the HTT (MD:0.07 (0.05,0.09) A.U., p&lt;0.001) overall with no difference between sexes. REE was not different before vs. after the HTT (p&gt;0.05) overall, but males had higher REE before HTT (MD:564 (291,836) kcal·day −1, p&lt;0.001) and after HTT (MD:666 (395,938) kcal·day −1, p&lt;0.001) than women. Post-HA: RER was higher before vs. after the HTT (MD:0.08 (0.06,0.10) A.U., p&lt;0.001) overall with no difference between sexes. REE was not different before vs. after the HTT (p&gt;0.05), but males had higher REE before (MD:581 (328,834) kcal·day −1, p&lt;0.001) and after HTT (MD:617 (411,823) kcal·day −1, p&lt;0.001) compared to women. Comparing HA Status: RER was not different between HA status before or after the HTT (p&gt;0.05). REE was not different between HA status before the HTT (p&gt;0.05). After HTT, REE was greater pre-HA compared to post-HA (MD:142 (26,259) kcal·day −1, p=0.019). During activity, MHP was greater pre-HA compared to post-HA (MD:14 (-2,31) W/m2, p=0.042); RER was not different (p&gt;0.05). Pre-HA there were no differences in MHP or RER between sexes (p&gt;0.05); post-HA, men had greater MHP than women (MD:36 (3,67) W/m2, p=0.016); there were no sex differences in RER. Conclusion: Men exhibited greater REE than women at each time point under both conditions and men produced more metabolic heat following HA. In response to completing 8 heat exposures as part of a HA protocol, men and women differed in caloric expenditure and MHP, but not in substrate utilization. Thus, our findings provide supporting evidence for sex-specific nutritional recommendations surrounding exercise-heat stress. Funding Source: DoD BA200299. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Dynamic Shift Towards Increased O2 Consumption and Reduced Lactate Uptake During Acute Volume Expansion in Sprague Dawley (SD) Rats

Rationale: In a recent study (PMID: 37575482), we established a method to assess alterations in O2 and substance metabolism in the kidneys in conscious free moving rat. This involved the repeated collection of renal arteriovenous blood and urine, alongside continuous measurements (24/7) of renal blood flow (RBF) and blood pressure (BP). Our previous studies demonstrated that in SD rats, there is an augmentation in RBF and GFR following chronic salt loading. Additionally, total renal O2 consumption (VO2) increases while there is a decrease in the net consumption of lactate with a tendency for its increased production. We hypothesize that these changes are not exclusive to the chronic phase of salt-loading but can also manifest during rapid increases of RBF and GFR. The primary aim of this study was to establish an experimental model reflecting these dynamics. Methods: SD rat (male, 10 wk age fed 0.4 NaCl (LS) diet, n=8) were studied. The jugular vein and femoral vein and artery were catheterized together with the renal vein. FITC-inulin (2 mg/mL) dissolved in 2%BSA saline was infused at 1.0 mL/100 g body wt/h from jugular vein. RBF was measured with an ultrasonic flow probe (Transonic, Inc) on the left renal artery and BP was measured through an arterial catheter. Whole blood, collected from donor rats, was diluted by 20% with saline, and a 6 mL volume expansion was performed with this solution over 1 hour. Blood was collected from both the renal venous and arterial catheters and urine from a ureteral catheter before and after volume expansion. O2 content was measured by radiometer and plasma lactate measured with a high sensitivity L-lactate fluorescent assay kit (ab169557, abcam). The same experiment was performed without volume expansion (i.e., sham study). O2 and lactate delivery and consumption were calculated as follows: Delivery = arterial content (A) x RBF; Consumption = (A − renal venous content (RV)) x RBF; Extraction = (A-RV) / A. Results: BP increased from 101 ± 3 to 111 ± 4 mmHg (p&lt;0.05), RBF increased from 5.4 ± 0.5 to 7.9 to 0.6 mL/min/g kidney weight (gkw) (p&lt;0.05) by volume expansion. GFR increased from 0.94 ± 0.06 to 1.19 ± 0.08 mL/min/gkw (p&lt;0.05). O2 delivery increased from 1.06 ± 0.09 to 1.61 ± 0.12 mL/min/gkw (p&lt;0.05). O2 consumption (VO2) increased from 0.06 ± 0.01 to 0.08 ± 0.01 mL/min/gkw (p&lt;0.05). The O2 extraction ratio remained unchanged. Both lactate consumption (0.94 ± 0.11 to 0.47 ± 0.11 mM/gkw, p&lt;0.05) and extraction ratio (0.18 ± 0.01 to 0.11 ± 0.02, p&lt;0.05) were reduced by volume expansion. Conclusion: The increase of O2 consumption and reduction of lactate consumption with acute volume expansion model appear to be similar to those that we observed when SD rats were subjected to a chronic step increase of salt intake (from 0.4 to 4.0% NaCl). In contrast, however, an increase in O2 extraction was not observed with acute volume expansion as was the case with a high salt diet in which our studies have indicated that a prolonged tubular reabsorptive workload leads to enhanced oxidative stress with an uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. R01 HL151587, AHA 23POST1008714. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Beta-3 Adrenergic Receptor Activation Increases Resting Energy Expenditure and Brown Adipose Tissue Activity in a Cool Environment

Purpose: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is highly thermogenic and contributes to non-shivering thermogenesis. Acute mirabegron (MIRA) ingestion, ranging in doses from 50-200 mg, stimulates beta-3-adrenergic receptors in BAT. This increases resting energy expenditure (REE) and elevates supraclavicular skin temperature (Tsc, marker of BAT activation) in thermoneutral environments for up to 4 h. However, it is not known if the thermogenic effects of different MIRA doses are also observed during exposure to a cool environment. We tested the hypotheses that EE and markers of BAT activity during a 6 h cool environmental exposure would be greater following each dose of MIRA (100 mg, 150 mg and 200 mg) versus a placebo (PLA). Methods: 11 healthy adults (age: 22±2 y; BMI: 26±4 kg/m2; 5 women) completed four, double-blind, randomized study visits involving the acute ingestion of 100 mg, 150 mg, and 200 mg of MIRA (Myrbetriq; Astellas Pharma US) or PLA. 30 min following ingestion, subjects rested in a semi-recumbent position for 6 h in a whole-body indirect calorimeter (20°C, 50% RH). REE was calculated for each study visit. O2 consumption (VO2; ml/kg/min), CO2 production (VCO2; ml/kg/min), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were averaged over the last 10 min of each 30 min block. BAT activity was estimated using Tsc assessed via infrared thermography every 30 min and expressed relative to sternal skin temperature and as the area under the curve (AUC) for relative Tsc for each study visit. Mean skin temperature (Tsk; 12 sites), and rectal temperature (Tc) were measured every 30 min. Thermal comfort (1=comfortable, 4=very uncomfortable) and sensation (1=cold, 7=hot) were measured every 30 min. Values are reported as mean ± SD. Results: REE during the 6 h intervention was greater following ingestion of 100 mg (494±75 kcal; p &lt; 0.001), 150 mg (481±67 kcal; p = 0.017), and 200 mg (492±69 kcal; p = 0.001) of MIRA vs. PLA (456±67 kcal). However, there were no differences in REE between doses ( p &gt; 0.05 for all comparisons). There was a main effect of drug dose for VO2 ( p = 0.010), which was greater following ingestion of 100 mg (3.88±0.19 ml/kg/min; p = 0.007) and 150 mg (3.82±0.22 ml/kg/min; p = 0.046) of MIRA vs. PLA (3.59±0.11 ml/kg/min). There was a main effect of drug dose for VCO2 ( p = 0.019), which was greater following ingestion of 100 mg of MIRA vs. PLA (3.03±0.10 vs. 2.84±0.05 ml/kg/min; p = 0.004). There were no dose x time interactions or main effects of dose ( p = 0.421) for RER or BAT activity indexed via relative Tsc ( p &gt; 0.237). However, the AUC for Tsc was greater following ingestion of 100 mg (12.54±7.51°C x min; p = 0.011), 150 mg (10.01±6.05°C x min; p = 0.021), and 200 mg (9.17±5.95°C x min; p = 0.028) of MIRA vs. PLA (4.74±3.86°C x min). There was a main effect of drug dose for Tsk ( p = 0.040) but there was no dose x time interaction ( p = 0.608) and there was no main effect of dose ( p = 0.155) for Tc. There was a main effect of dose for thermal sensation ( p = 0.040), which was greater following ingestion of 100 mg (2.9±0.3; p = 0.011) of MIRA vs. PLA (2.4±0.4). There was no dose x time interaction ( p = 0.528) or main effect of dose ( p = 0.080) for thermal comfort. Conclusions: Our data indicate that acute doses of MIRA (100 mg, 150 mg and 200 mg) elicit greater REE and BAT activity vs. PLA during a 6 h of exposure to a cool environment. However, REE and BAT activity was not different between the MIRA doses. This suggests that beta-3 adrenergic receptor activation in BAT appears to be a physiologically effective method to enhance thermogenesis in cool environments. Funded by: Offce of Naval Research N00014-21-1-2276. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

“Clustering Protocol Based on Territorial Energy for Random Deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks"

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have become increasingly essential for monitoring and gathering data in diverse environments. The efficient utilization of energy resources is crucial for prolonging the network lifetime in WSNs. This paper presents a comparative analysis of three prominent clustering protocols: Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH), Residual Energy Aware Clustering (REAC), and Territorial Energy-Driven Clustering Protocol (TEDC). TEDC introduces a novel approach where cluster heads are elected based on territorial dominance and energy levels, aiming to enhance energy efficiency and prolong network lifetime. The performance of LEACH, REAC, and TEDC is evaluated under various scenarios, including node density, network size, and communication range. Key performance metrics such as energy consumption, network lifetime, and packet delivery ratio are analyzed to assess the effectiveness of each protocol. The results provide valuable insights into the comparative strengths and weaknesses of these protocols, aiding network designers and researchers in selecting the most suitable protocol for specific WSN deployments. Additionally, the paper discusses potential optimizations and future research directions to further enhance the performance of clustering protocols in WSNs.

Enhancing sustainable ethanol fuel production from cassava in Vietnam

This study focused on developing a comprehensive model to perform techno-economic analysis and calculate greenhouse gas emissions and net energy balance of cassava-based ethanol production in Vietnam. Four steps were involved in this study: (1) collecting data on the cassava-based ethanol conversion pathway, (2) modeling an ethanol production plant, (3) calculating greenhouse gas emissions and net energy balance, and (4) evaluating economic feasibility. The total capital investment and production cost per liter of ethanol are 0.6 $/l/yr and 0.4 $/l, respectively. The fossil energy consumption and net energy ratio during cultivation, transportation, production, and use of ethanol are 12.4 MJ/l and 1.70, respectively. The total greenhouse gas emissions of cassava-based ethanol production are 1252 gCO2eq/l or 59.1 gCO2eq/MJ, which equals 63 % of greenhouse gas emissions from gasoline. This finding confirms that cassava-based ethanol can be an alternative fuel based on economic feasibility and environmental benefit by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Vietnam.

Performance and economic efficiency of laying hens in response to adding zeolite to feed and litter

This study investigated the effect of different levels of zeolite in laying hen (Silver Montazah) diet and litter on productive performance, egg quality criteria, and economics during the second stage of production (40-56 wk of age). An experiment with a 3 × 4 factorial design was performed to study the effects of four levels of zeolite (0, 10, 15, and 20 g/kg feed) in the diet and three levels of zeolite (0, 1.5, and 2 kg/m2) in the litter. Adding zeolite to diet and litter significantly improved final BW and BW change, egg number, egg weight, egg mass, laying rate, feed consumption (FC), and feed conversion ratio (FCR), as well as egg quality criteria when compared to the unsupplemented group. Additionally, adding zeolite at a level of 2 kg /m2 litter and 20 g/kg diet achieved the greatest enhancement in productive performance features. Therefore, it can be suggested that the greatest results were obtained in laying farms when zeolite was added as a litter addition and as a supplement to feed.