Supply For Use Research Articles

Predictors of Emergency Preparedness Among Parents in Hawaii: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

To determine factors predicting emergency preparedness (EP) behaviors among Hawaii parents. A cross-sectional online survey of parents of children (age 0-12 y) living in Honolulu, Hawaii, in March 2023 examined associations with (1) having an EP kit (supplies for use during emergencies) and (2) having a family emergency plan (what to do, where to go, how to communicate during emergencies) with demographics/household characteristics and theoretical constructs of the Health Belief Model. A multivariable regression model obtained odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Participants (N = 278) were mainly female (84%), college-educated (68%), and were similar in diverse racial/ethnic composure (White; 13.3%) to the overall Honolulu County. Logistic regression determined participants with lower perceived susceptibility to disasters, greater time barriers, and those who needed help to prepare for emergencies were less likely to have an EP kit. Among participants without an EP kit, a website able to create personalized instructions for household EP would be useful. Participants who needed help to prepare for emergencies were less likely to have a family emergency plan. Future interventions should focus on evidence-based strategies that improve self-efficacy associated with developing EP kits and family emergency plans.

The benefits of low-carbon energy efficiency technology adoption for data centres

Economies are struggling to achieve a low-carbon transition while also fostering increased digitalisation. EU-level targets for renewable generation, emissions reduction and energy efficiency present a unique challenge for Ireland which features substantial intermittent renewable generation, limited district heating and data centres forecast to consume 37% of national electricity demand by 2028. This study quantifies the key private and public benefits associated with large-scale adoption of energy efficiency technology for data centre cooling. It considers technology that provides cooling to data centres, surplus hot water supply and electricity storage. A unique plant-level model informs a national forecast of data centre energy savings and estimates of hot water supply for use in district heating. National public benefits of adoption are quantified using a power systems model (ENGINE) of the Irish transmission system, subject to 2030 climate policy constraints. Results show that technology adoption could lower sectoral energy use by 26% and supply 12.40 TWh of hot water for a 4th generation district heating network. Technology adoption could reduce renewable electricity generation requirements by 6.92% and lower system-wide emissions by 3%. Results highlight the potential for technology adoption to deliver multiple benefits to private and public stakeholders.

Utilization of Plants for Medicinal Purposes and Concerns with Endangered Plant Species from Ghana

There has always been a strong human dependency on plants for health purposes and such an important relationship should be sustained. Plants remain a repository of drug leads for discovering new pharmaceutical agents for prevention, treatment and improving the quality of health for many people globally. In the effort to improve healthcare services, Ghana put up the Recommended Essential Herbal Medicine List (REHML) consisting of products that are used in the treatment of both Communicable and non-Communicable diseases. To inspire confidence among prescribers and clients of the products it has become necessary to validate the plants and their products. The aim of the study was to identify the medicinal plants' species in the herbal products in Ghana’s REHML commonly used for treatment, the conditions being treated with them and finding published research for the plants therapeutic use. Medicinal plants on the REHML with chances of getting extinct were also assessed. The REHML of Ghana and the Ghana Herbal Pharmacopoeia were reviewed for the required information. Electronic databases; PubMed and Scopus, as well as online search engines, Google Scholar and Google were used to obtain information on the identified medicinal plants and their families. A total of 167 medicinal plant species were found to be used in 180 products as compiled in the Ghana REHML and these belonged to 63 botanical families. Most of the medicinal plants are collected from the wild making sustainability and bio-conservation a challenge. Decoctions, creams and ointments are the commonest dosage forms. The REHML of Ghana caters for 13 disease areas using 180 finished herbal products. These products are made from 167 medicinal plants, 16 of which are in the group of medicinal plants classified as endangered species. There should be a conscious effort to bio-conserve these endangered medicinal plant species so that there can be continuous supply for use in the preparation of herbal products for healthcare purposes.

Achieving Surgical Supply Savings through Preference Card Standardization.

Among high volume procedures considerable variation exists in the average cost per case (ACPC) of surgical supplies used between surgeons. A contributing factor to these cost differences are divergences in surgeons' preference cards, which act as a guide to hospital staff for the supplies a surgeon requires to successfully perform a procedure. This article documents efforts and results of an initiative to standardize preference cards for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies. Data collected for this project outlined differences between surgeon's preference card composition, utilization of selected supplies and associated procedure costs. Reports were developed that grouped surgical supplies based on United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPC) product classes and highlighted classes with the highest per case standard deviations. Based on these findings and feedback from clinical partners, a composite set of supplies for use across all preference cards was developed in conjunction with the Chief of General Surgery. The net result of moving to a standardized set of supplies was an estimated $21,650 in annual supply expenses associated with Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies. Results suggest that standard deviation-based reports organized by product class facilitate effective surgeon-to-surgeon comparisons and make apparent readily available supply substitutes that are less expensive.

High-stability, high-voltage power supplies for use with multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrographs.

Achieving the highest possible mass resolving power in a multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer requires very high-stability power supplies. To this end, we have developed a programmable high-voltage power supply that can achieve long-term stability in the order of parts-per-million. Herein, we present the design of a stable high-voltage system and bench-top stability measurements up to 1 kV; a stabilization technique can, in principle, be applied up to 15 kV or more. We demonstrate that in the ≤1 Hz band, the output stability is at the level of 1 part per million (ppm) for 1 h, with only slightly more output variation across 3 days. We further demonstrate that the output is largely free of noise in the 1 Hz-200 Hz band. We also demonstrate settling to the ppm level within 1 min following a 100 V step transition. Finally, we demonstrate that when these power supplies are used to bias the electrodes of a multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph, the measured time-of-flight is stable at the ppm-level for at least 1 h.

Nanosecond pulse used to enhance the electrocoagulation of municipal wastewater treatment with low specific energy consumption

ABSTRACT This study compares the performance of nanosecond pulse (NSP) and direct current (DC) power supplies for use in a municipal wastewater treatment by electrocoagulation (EC). Four Al plates connected in monopolar-parallel configuration (MP-P) were used as electrodes during the EC process. The maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency reached 68% and 80% using DC and NSP, respectively. Moreover, NSP treatment reduced approximately 15% of the specific energy consumption (SEC) compared with that by DC at a similar COD removal efficiency of ≈ 68%, which was used as a benchmark value. In addition, when using NSP, the SEC required to increase the COD removal efficiency from 60% to 68% was two to three times less than that when DC was applied. The results suggest that an NSP operating at 10 kHz frequency (f) and 1 µs pulse width (pw) are preferred for obtaining higher COD removal efficiencies at a low SEC. The use of an NSP for EC can enhance the COD removal efficiency and reduce the wastewater treatment SEC. The results presented herein promote the use of EC systems combined with renewable energy sources for reducing the net carbon footprint of wastewater processing.

Enhancing the adoption of stockpiling tall fescue and managed grazing

One of the primary goals of extension is to encourage and support adoption of improved technologies. Managed grazing and stockpiling forage are two such technologies. The goal of this project was to encourage adoption of these practices by providing on-farm demonstrations of the technologies. We also collected forage and soil data and held workshops at each of the demonstration sites. Host producers were selected, given a basic kit of temporary fencing supplies for use during the demonstration, and instructed on their proper use during the winter stockpiling season. Forage yield and quality data were collected and soil tests made to show the economic advantages of proper fertilization and grazing fresh forage in contrast to feeding stored forage and concentrate. The nutritive value of the forage stockpiled in September through November (67% total digestible nutrients [TDN] and 14% crude protein, CP) exceeded the needs of the cattle and was greater than the nutrient content of hay present on the farms (59% TDN and 11% CP, P < 0.01). The mean quantity of available forage (2,856 ± 164 kg dry matter per hectare) provided an average of 260 (±81.8) standard cow (545 kg) grazing days per hectare of stockpiled forage. Taking into account the higher nutritive value of the fresh forage when compared with hay and the savings of time and equipment costs by grazing, we estimated that grazing stockpiled forage saved $1.28 per standard cow per day. The grazing management skills gained during this project and the temporary fencing technology were adopted by 93% of the demonstration farms that responded to our follow-up survey (78% of demonstration sites), and the area managed with these technologies increased on these sites more than 350%. Having the hosts share personal experiences played an important role in encouraging their peers to adopt the technologies.

Effect of the temperature on the kinetics of cocoa bean shell fat extraction using pressurized ethanol and evaluation of the lipid fraction and defatted meal

Cocoa byproducts are important inputs to the food industry. In recent decades, the consumption of these products has been reported to increase while the production of cocoa beans has reportedly decreased. In this scenario, the use of the cocoa bean shell (CS) as an alternative source of cocoa fat is a good strategy to increase the fat supply for use in food products. The main aim of this study was to characterize CS; extract fat from CS using pressurized ethanol as the solvent; perform kinetics extraction trials at temperatures of 60, 75 and 90 °C; and evaluate the lipid fraction and defatted meal characteristics. Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was found to be a very efficient way to obtain fat from cocoa shells, achieving high extraction yield values (up to 90%) after a single stage of contact. An increase in temperature positively influenced the composition of fat in terms of the tocopherol content, but negatively influenced the protein solubility in the defatted meal obtained at 90 °C. The experimental kinetic data of CS fat extraction were successfully mathematically described (absolute relative deviation up to 0.85%), allowing calculation of a diffusion coefficient with values between 4.56 and 12.15 × 10−12 m2 s−1, which increased with increasing extraction temperature.

Planning Considerations for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Partners to Receive Medical Countermeasures From CDC's Strategic National Stockpile During a Public Health Emergency.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Strategic National Stockpile is a national repository of potentially life-saving medical countermeasures including pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for use in a public health emergency severe enough to cause local, regional, and state supplies to run out. Several planning considerations can assist state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions in preparing to receive, distribute, dispense, and administer medical countermeasures from the Strategic National Stockpile. These considerations include, but are not limited to, issues surrounding regulatory requirements, controlled substances, cold chain management, and ancillary supply needs. Multiple aspects to consider for each of these functions are discussed here to assist partners in their planning efforts.

Capacity Fade of 26650 Lithium-Ion Phosphate Batteries Considered for Use Within a Pulsed-Power System’s Prime Power Supply

There is considerable need for a mobile, reliable, efficient, and compact prime power supply for use in a host of directed energy applications. Recent improvements in the energy and power density of electrochemical lithium-ion batteries have made them a very viable option for these types of applications where fast and rep-rate operation is of interest. Despite the proven ability of lithium-ion batteries to source high currents, it is still unclear how they age when they are used to repeatedly source high-rate currents in a pulsed manner, as they must when used in a repetitive rate prime power supply. Similarly, it is unclear how elevated rate recharge affects the life of the battery. Research has been performed at University of Texas at Arlington in which high-power, 2.6 Ah lithium-ion batteries have been repeatedly discharged and recharged at high pulsed rates. This paper will discuss the potential of lithium-ion batteries for use in these applications and will present experimental results performed when two 2.6 Ah cells were both discharged at 28 A (10.8C) and recharged at 9 A (3.5C) to 2.5 and 2.0 V, respectively.

Water Quality and Water Toxicity Sensing

Water quality sensing varies from specific chemical and biological sensing to toxicity sensing, depending on the application. This paper will give an overview of quantitative electrochemical sensors for the presence of heavy metals and bacteria in water supplies for use for commercial and municipal water analysis, but then goes on to detail new water toxicity biosensors utilizing thylakoid membrane modified electrodes and mitochondrial modified electrodes to provide threshold sensing of water toxicity. These type of sensors do not determine the contaminate present in the water and do not provide quantification of amount of contaminate present, but instead provide a sensor that determines if water is safe or toxic via the effect of plant (thylakoid) photosynthesis rates and mammalian (mitochondrial) metabolism. These new sensors are being designed for individual, point of use analysis.

Desulphurized tailings serve as a useful soil supplement for mine reclamation

Carson, A. W., Rutherford, P. M. and Burton, P. J. 2014. Desulphurized tailings serve as a useful soil supplement for mine reclamation. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 529–541. Soil is often in limited supply for use in mine reclamation activities; it may be necessary to build soils (Anthroposols) using locally available substrates. Eight test plots were established at Huckleberry Mine, Houston, BC, to investigate soil properties and evaluate the performance and metal uptake of plants established on stockpiled soils that were or were not supplemented with non-acid generating sand (NAGS) and fertilizer. Concentrations of total and extractable trace elements (including base metals) were lower in NAGS-supplemented soils than in non-supplemented soils. Supplementing soils with NAGS reduced cation exchange capacity and exchangeable base cations, yet plant performance was not significantly lower than that observed in non-supplemented soils. When combined with a fertilizer application, plant performance on NAGS-supplemented soils significantly increased. For heavy metals analyzed in plant tissues, only molybdenum (Mo) concentrations exceeded the National Research Council’s (NRC) recommended maxima for beef cattle. The copper (Cu):Mo ratio for all treatments was above a suggested adverse-health threshold value for ruminant feeds (with lesser values leading to adverse health effects). The use of NAGS (combined with fertilizer) as a supplement to stockpiled mine soil can increase the quantity of growth media for reclamation and is not expected to have any adverse effects on plant growth or the metal content in above-ground vegetation.

DESULPHURIZED TAILINGS SERVE AS A USEFUL SOIL SUPPLEMENT FOR MINE RECLAMATION

Carson, A. W., Rutherford, P. M. and Burton, P. J. 2014. Desulphurized tailings serve as a useful soil supplement for mine reclamation. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 529–541. Soil is often in limited supply for use in mine reclamation activities; it may be necessary to build soils (Anthroposols) using locally available substrates. Eight test plots were established at Huckleberry Mine, Houston, BC, to investigate soil properties and evaluate the performance and metal uptake of plants established on stockpiled soils that were or were not supplemented with non-acid generating sand (NAGS) and fertilizer. Concentrations of total and extractable trace elements (including base metals) were lower in NAGS-supplemented soils than in non-supplemented soils. Supplementing soils with NAGS reduced cation exchange capacity and exchangeable base cations, yet plant performance was not significantly lower than that observed in non-supplemented soils. When combined with a fertilizer application, plant performance on NAGS-supplemented soils significantly increased. For heavy metals analyzed in plant tissues, only molybdenum (Mo) concentrations exceeded the National Research Council’s (NRC) recommended maxima for beef cattle. The copper (Cu):Mo ratio for all treatments was above a suggested adverse-health threshold value for ruminant feeds (with lesser values leading to adverse health effects). The use of NAGS (combined with fertilizer) as a supplement to stockpiled mine soil can increase the quantity of growth media for reclamation and is not expected to have any adverse effects on plant growth or the metal content in above-ground vegetation.

Cluster randomized trial of a toolkit and early vaccine delivery to improve childhood influenza vaccination rates in primary care

PurposeTo increase childhood influenza vaccination rates using a toolkit and early vaccine delivery in a randomized cluster trial. MethodsTwenty primary care practices treating children (range for n=536–8183) were randomly assigned to Intervention and Control arms to test the effectiveness of an evidence-based practice improvement toolkit (4 Pillars Toolkit) and early vaccine supplies for use among disadvantaged children on influenza vaccination rates among children 6 months–18 years. Follow-up staff meetings and surveys were used to assess use and acceptability of the intervention strategies in the Intervention arm. Rates for the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 influenza seasons were compared. Two-level generalized linear mixed modeling was used to evaluate outcomes. ResultsOverall increases in influenza vaccination rates were significantly greater in the Intervention arm (7.9 percentage points) compared with the Control arm (4.4 percentage points; P<0.034). These rate changes represent 4522 additional doses in the Intervention arm vs. 1390 additional doses in the Control arm. This effect of the intervention was observed despite the fact that rates increased significantly in both arms – 8/10 Intervention (all P<0.001) and 7/10 Control sites (P-values=0.04 to <0.001). Rates in two Intervention sites with pre-intervention vaccination rates >58% did not significantly increase. In regression analyses, a child's likelihood of being vaccinated was significantly higher with: younger age, white race (Odds ratio [OR]=1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.23–1.34), having commercial insurance (OR=1.30; 95%CI=1.25–1.35), higher pre-intervention practice vaccination rate (OR=1.25; 95%CI=1.16–1.34), and being in the Intervention arm (OR=1.23; 95%CI=1.01–1.50). Early delivery of influenza vaccine was rated by Intervention practices as an effective strategy for raising rates. ConclusionsImplementation of a multi-strategy toolkit and early vaccine supplies can significantly improve influenza vaccination rates among children in primary care practices but the effect may be less pronounced in practices with moderate to high existing vaccination rates.Clinical trial registry name/number: From Innovation to Solutions: Childhood Influenza/NCT01664793.

Caregiver Survey Results Related to Handling of Oral Chemotherapy for Pediatric Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Oral chemotherapy is commonly administered in the home; however, there may be harmful effects on healthy individuals who handle these medications. Caregivers of pediatric patients were surveyed to establish educational needs for safe handling of oral chemotherapy agents. An 11-question self-report survey was developed to characterize handling practices for patients in maintenance therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia related to caregiver education, use of protective gear, preparation, and disposal of oral chemotherapy agents. Fifty questionnaires were collected. Seventy-two percent of responders reported receiving instruction on safe handling of oral chemotherapy. Ninety percent of responders reported that they did not utilize protective gear during preparation of oral chemotherapy. Although tablet crushers were designated for use with oral chemotherapy by 61% of responders, 22% used the same device to crush other nonchemotherapy medications. The majority of responders disposed of medication waste with regular garbage or poured the remainder down the sink. Caregiver survey responses demonstrated that personal safeguards were not routinely utilized by pediatric caregivers while handling oral chemotherapy. Future educational efforts should be directed to improve caregiver understanding related to the use of protective equipment, designation of supplies for use with chemotherapy agents, and safe disposal.

Causes and Consequences of Ecosystem Service Regionalization in a Coastal Suburban Watershed

The demand for ecosystem services and the ability of natural ecosystems to provide those services evolve over time as population, land use, and management practices change. Regionalization of ecosystem service activity, or the expansion of the area providing ecosystem services to a population, is a common response in densely populated coastal regions, with important consequences for watershed water and nitrogen (N) fluxes to the coastal zone. We link biophysical and historical information to explore the causes and consequences of change in ecosystem service activity—focusing on water provisioning and N regulation—from 1850 to 2010 in a coastal suburban watershed, the Ipswich River watershed in northeastern Massachusetts, USA. Net interbasin water transfers started in the late 1800s due to regionalization of water supply for use by larger populations living outside the Ipswich watershed boundaries, reaching a peak in the mid-1980s. Over much of the twentieth century, about 20 % of river runoff was diverted from reaching the estuary, with greater proportions during drought years. Ongoing regionalization of water supply has contributed to recent declines in diversions, influenced by socioecological feedbacks resulting from the river drying and fish kills. Similarly, the N budget has been greatly perturbed since the suburban era began in the 1950s due to food and lawn fertilizer imports and human waste release. However, natural ecosystems are able to remove most of this anthropogenic N, mitigating impacts on the coastal zone. We propose a conceptual model whereby the amount and type of ecosystem services provided by coastal watersheds in urban regions expand and contract over time as regional population expands and ecosystem services are regionalized. We hypothesize that suburban watersheds can be hotspots of ecosystem service sources because they retain sufficient ecosystem function to still produce services that meet increasing demand from the local population and nearby urban centers. Historical reconstruction of ecosystem service activity provides a perspective that may help to better understand coupled human–natural system processes and lead to more sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.

PIG Ion Source with Permanent Magnets: Model Based Anode Current Return Circuit

Ion sources are widely used in fusion technologies. A new high voltage pulsed power supply for use in penning ion gauge ion sources is proposed in this paper. To use discharge current, a diode-capacitor bank is included. The power supply is composed of 3 stages. A fast switching transistor is used as a single switch which is trigged by a pulse generator. A transformer is used to level up the voltage up to 2 kV without power loss. It is also used to isolate input and high voltage output. Also; the proposed high voltage power supply implementation uses a diode-capacitor bank whose capacitors are charged during plasma discharge. This system structure gives compactness and easiness to implement the total system which in combination with inexpensive commercially available components, makes the unit versatile and inexpensive.

Development of a lab-on-a-chip device for diagnosis of plant pathogens

A lab-on-a-chip system for rapid nucleic acid-based analysis was developed that can be applied for diagnosis of selected Phytophthora species as a first example for use in plant pathology. All necessary polymerase chain reaction process (PCR) and hybridization steps can be performed consecutively within a single chip consisting of two components, an inflexible and a flexible one, with integrated microchannels and microchambers. Data from the microarray is collected from a simple electrical measurement that is based on elementary silver deposition by enzymatical catalyzation. Temperatures in the PCR and in the hybridization zone are managed by two independent Peltier elements. The chip will be integrated in a compact portable system with a pump and power supply for use on site. The specificity of the lab-on-a-chip system could be demonstrated for the tested five Phytophthora species. The two Pythium species gave signals below the threshold. The results of the electrical detection of the microarray correspond to the values obtained with the control method (optical grey scale analysis).

The Underwater Vision Profiler 5: An advanced instrument for high spatial resolution studies of particle size spectra and zooplankton

The Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) was developed to quantify the vertical distribution of macroscopic particles and zooplankton &gt; 100 mm in size. The smaller size limit is fixed by optical resolution, whereas the larger size limit is determined by the volume of water illuminated per image. The new fifth generation instrument (UVP5) is compact (30 kg in air) and operates either as a stand‐alone instrument with an independent power supply for use on a mooring or free‐drifting array, or as a component of a Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD)‐rosette package. Images are recorded at a frequency up to 6 Hz. If the UVP5 is interfaced with a CTD, these images are acquired and analyzed in real time. Images are recorded every 20 cm at the 1 m s−1 lowering speed. The current maximum deployment depth is 3000 m. The recorded volume per image is 1.02 L, and the conversion equation from pixel area to size in mm2 is Sm=0.003Sp1.3348 where Sp is the surface of the particle in pixels and Sm the surface in mm2. Comparisons between the earlier UVP versions and UVP5 indicate that images ranging in size from 105 µm to 2.66 mm are identical so historical and contemporary data sets can be compared.

Development of 70kV, 22A DC power supply for High Power RF and microwave tubes

Our institute (IPR) is involved in the development of High Power RF and Microwave sources for various fusion related heating and current drive applications. All the high power RF and microwave tubes e.g. Klystron, Gyrotron tetrode etc need a high voltage DC power supply to deliver the required high power with necessary protections. To cater to the initial testing and commissioning requirements, the development of 70kV, 22A power supply is initiated. The supply ratings are chosen to meet general tube requirements i.e. Klystron, Gyrotron and Tetrode used in RF group. The supply would be a part of test facility, rather than a regular supply for use in an experiment. Hence some ripple and regulation requirements are relaxed to optimize the cost. However all protections including crowbar protection are accommodated. This supply when ready enables continuous full power testing of TH 2103D Klystrons, GLGD-82.6/0.2 Gyrotron and short time (3Sec-"ON", 120Sec-"OFF") full power testing of 1.5MW Tetrode. This paper presents analysis of requirements of various tubes, power supply rating optimization, topology selection, protection requirements and other facilities required. Remote monitoring through DAC and remote control requirement from various locations, are highlighted. Present status of development is mentioned.