Total Energy Requirement Research Articles

Energy requirements in the separation-regeneration step in forward osmosis using TMA–CO2–H2O as the draw solution

Forward osmosis (FO) is a low-energy footprint membrane process that utilizes the spontaneous osmotic pressure difference between a dilute effluent and a more concentrated engineered draw solution (DS) to recover water into it. We report results from both laboratory and pilot-scale operation on the separation and regeneration of the DS: the two processes in FO where the operating cost arises from. We estimated the total energy requirement of an FO process using TMA–CO2–H2O as the DS with an experimentally verified thermodynamic model and a mass and energy balance software. The total operating energy consumption of the process was proven to not vary significantly with % carbonation of the DS. However, a strong relationship was identified between the total energy and the DS concentration. The total thermal energy requirements (heat duties) account for 175 to 440kWh/m3 of fresh water produced and depend on the concentration of the DS fed to the process (8–25wt.%). The specific equivalent work of our integrated FO process ranges from 6.8 to 16.7 kWh/m3 of fresh water produced, which indicates that FO is more energy efficient than evaporative processes in the recovery of water from high salinity effluents.

Energy conservation in residential buildings by incorporating Passive Solar and Energy Efficiency Design Strategies and higher thermal mass

In this study, two types of a detached residential house with two floors and four bedrooms in Sydney were analysed using a building energy simulation program. Several scenarios were built based on various parameters, such as Passive Solar and Energy Efficiency Design Strategies (PSEEDS) and different external walls and floor systems, to determine their influence on the total energy required to achieve thermal comfort in the house. This study shows that the total energy required for heating during winter is reduced by 37% and 36% using Passive Solar and Energy Efficiency Design Strategies for constructing standard fibro and brick veneer houses, respectively. On the other hand, increasing the thermal mass (building materials with higher R values) through utilizing different walls and flooring system, by replacing fibro house with brick veneer house and applying the PSEEDS, total energy requirement could be reduced by up to 58%. Thus incorporating PSEEDS and higher thermal mass in the construction of residential buildings can yield significant savings in energy costs over the considered lifetime of 50 years period. Energy consumptions obtained through simulation were verified with the real data and found to be within the tolerance limit of 16%.

Electrical energy consumption of CNC machine tools based on empirical modeling

With the growing concerns regarding the amount of energy consumption, the manufacturing sector is considered to play a significant role because of the large amount of consumed energy in the sector. As a result, a reliable and precise estimation model of energy consumption that can reflect various machining states is required. An improved energy consumption model that can effectively reflect the relationship between processing parameters (spindle speed, feed rate, and depth of cut) and energy consumption in a mechanical machining process based on empirical modeling is proposed in this paper. Additionally, the physical meanings of the model coefficients are given, making it easier to interpret the model while also being helpful to both manufacturers and designers to achieve sustainable manufacturing. By comparing the energy requirement obtained by the proposed SEC model with the results of the experiments and previous studies, it can be concluded that the proposed model can calculate the total energy requirement in the machining process accurately under various processing parameters. The good fit between simulations and experimental data effectively indicate that the SEC model we proposed can be used to predict the total energy requirement in the mechanical machining process.

Municipal wastewater treatment costs with an emphasis on assimilation wetlands in the Louisiana coastal zone

In recent decades, water quality standards for wastewater treatment have become more stringent, increasing costs and energy required to reduce pollutants. Wetland assimilation is a low-cost and low-energy alternative to traditional tertiary wastewater treatment where secondarily treated and disinfected municipal effluent is discharged primarily into freshwater forested wetlands in coastal Louisiana. In this paper, costs per gallon of treatment capacity for conventional secondary and tertiary treatment were compared to those for assimilation wetlands. Cost analysis reports were used to determine costs per gallon of treatment capacity for conventional wastewater treatment facilities, including costs for conveyance between the collection system and the assimilation wetland site, and between the treatment and disposal sites if they could not be co-located. Capital and operation and maintenance costs were considered. Because all wastewater treatment plants are required to treat at least to secondary standards, costs for primary and secondary treatment were combined. If necessary, these costs were adjusted for inflation to 2017 dollars using an average inflation rate of 2.19 percent and a cumulative inflation rate of 50.84 percent. To determine costs per gallon of treatment capacity for assimilation wetlands, actual costs provided by the project engineer were used when available. To simulate the future costs of facility construction and compare the replacement costs of conventional secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment facilities and treatment wetlands in the context of energy prices, U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) data for the price index for inputs to construction were used, as were the Energy Information Administration (EIA) data for the price of crude oil to model future wastewater treatment plant construction and operation costs. The cost for the Mandeville assimilation wetland included $1 million for the price of the land. Future costs of treatment facility construction and operation were modeled relative to average price of construction inputs between 1998 and 2015 using the projected price of crude oil. When treatment costs were compared among secondary, tertiary, and assimilation wetlands, mean cost for assimilation wetlands was $0.60 per gallon (>1 MGD capacity) compared to $4.90 and $6.50 per gallon for secondary and tertiary treatment, respectively. The lower total costs and energy requirements for assimilation wetlands result in lower variability in the price of construction and operation. Wetland assimilation is more economical than conventional wastewater treatment, especially compared to advanced secondary and tertiary treatment. It is likely that energy costs will increase significantly in coming decades. Because conventional secondary and tertiary treatment are energy intensive, increases in energy costs will significantly increase the costs of these treatment systems. Treatment systems that combine lower technology (e.g., oxidation ponds) secondary treatment with wetland assimilation are less likely to be impacted by rising energy costs than traditional wastewater treatment.

Nutritional Requirements and Actual Dietary Intake of Adult Burn Patients

Introduction: Nutritional support of the burn patient is essential to optimize, host immune defenses and to promote prompt wound healing. Furthermore, the increased needs in calorie requirement of burned patients, the composition of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in their diet is important. The purpose of this study was to evaluate energy, macronutrient and micronutrient intake and comparing with Reference Daily Intake (RDI) in adult burn patients. Methods: Sixty thermally injured patients who were hospitalized in a burn care Imam Reza hospital in Mashhad, Iran, were included in this cross-sectional study. Information about actual intake was collected by ‘nutrient intake analysis (NIA) through direct observation. Individual nutritional intakes were assessed with the use of nutritionist 4 software and Data was analyzed by SPSS version 18. Results: The mean of energy, carbohydrate and protein intake was significantly lower than the mean total energy requirement and carbohydrate and protein RDA (p<0.001). While the mean fat intake was inside the range of RDI (20.5±8.3%). The mean of vitamins A and folate and C intake were significantly lower than the RDI (All p<0.001). Conclusions: This study showed that the energy, protein and carbohydrate intake in patients with major burn were lower than the RDA but the amount of fat intake was inside the range of RDA. In addition, we found that the vitamins and minerals intake in adult with major burn was lower than RDI and may decelerate wound healing and increase the duration of hospitalization.

Process Synthesis and Optimization of Heat Pump Assisted Distillation for Ethylene-Ethane Separation

Ethylene is a platform chemical, and its production process includes energy intensive ethylene-ethane separation via cryogenic distillation. As potential avenues for energy reduction, in this study we have explored four distillation process configurations based on the concepts of mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) of the top product and throttling of the bottom product i.e., bottom flashing (BF). Each of these configurations is optimized in MATLAB using the genetic algorithm to minimize the total annualized cost (TAC) of separation. Our results show that both MVR and BF reduce energy as well as cost of separation compared to the conventional distillation configuration. However, BF outperforms MVR, and together with a prethrottling cooler it provides the minimum TAC configuration for ethylene-ethane separation. The proposed heat pump assisted distillation configuration has the potential to reduce the total energy requirement by 57% and the separation cost by 44% over the conventional distillation process.

PERBANDINGAN FORMULA ENTERAL RENDAH LEMAK BERBASIS TEPUNG EDAMAME DENGAN FORMULA KOMERSIAL RENDAH LEMAK

Dyslipidemia leads to atherosclerosis which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Edamame contains omega-3 fatty acids and phytochemical components such as isoflavones, sterols and saponins, and also high in fiber content. Edamame has been proved to have ability to decrease LDL cholesterol level. This research aims to analyze the comparison of edamame flour based low fat enteral formula with commercial low fat formula. This was a descriptive comparatif research design. Data collection was done by doing calculations on nutrient content and bioavailability protein, also organoleptic quality of low fat enteral formula with edamame flour substitution. The result showed that fat content of modified formula was 26.4% of total energy requirement and the value had met dietary requirement for dyslipidemia diet which is not more than &lt;30% of total energy requirement. Type of fat in this formula largely contans unsaturated fats derived from omega-3 fatty acids of soy edamame and omega-9 fatty acids from olive oil. The value of protein bioavailability which was shown from Amino Acid Score was 32.18, Theoretical Digestibility was 89.27, Net Protein Utilization was 28.73, Protein Worth of Eggs was 16.77, and Protein Eficiency Ratio was 4.51. The result of hedonic quality test showed that the color of low fat enteral formula with edamame flour substitution was light brown, the taste was sweet, the smell was typical edamame aroma, and had liquid consistency. Based on the comparison of commercial enteral formula with non-commercial enteral formula based on edamame flour, it can be concluded that edamame based flour enteral formula can be recommended as a non-commercial enteral formula for patients with dyslipidemia replacing commercial formula.

Improved region-specific emission factors for enteric methane emissions from cattle in smallholder mixed crop: livestock systems of Nandi County, Kenya

National greenhouse-gas (GHG) inventories in most developing countries, and in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, use default (Tier I) GHG emission factors (EFs) provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to estimate enteric methane (CH4) emissions from livestock. Because these EFs are based on data primarily from developed countries, there is a high degree of uncertainty associated with CH4 emission estimates from African livestock systems. Accurate Tier II GHG emission reporting from developing countries becomes particularly important following the Paris Climate agreement made at COP21, which encourages countries to mitigate GHG emissions from agricultural sources. In light of this, the present study provides improved enteric CH4 emission estimates for cattle in Nandi County, Western Kenya, representing a common livestock production system found in East Africa. Using the data from measurements of liveweight and liveweight change, milk production and locomotion collected from 1143 cattle in 127 households across 36 villages over three major agro-ecological zones covering a full year, we estimated total metabolic energy requirements. From this and assessments of digestibility from seasonally available feeds, we estimated feed intake and used this to calculate daily CH4 production by season, and, subsequently, created new EFs. Mean EFs were 50.6, 45.5, 28.5, 33.2 and 29.0 kg CH4/head.year for females (&amp;gt;2 years), males (&amp;gt;2 years), heifers (1–2 years), young males (1–2 years) and calves (&amp;lt;1 year) respectively, and were lower than the IPCC Tier I estimates for unspecified African adult cattle, but higher for calves and young males. Thus, using IPCC Tier 1 EFs may overestimate current enteric CH4 emissions in some African livestock systems.

Results of the implementation of a nutritional support protocol for major burn pediatric patients hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit

"Major burn" is used to describe a person who suffers thermal damage affecting more than 30% of his/her total body surface area (TBSA). The secondary hypercatabolism causes lean body mass loss and delayed wound healing. To describe and analyze the results of implementing a nutritional support protocol for pediatric burn patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit in the first 6 weeks. Analytical, prospective, observational, and longitudinal design. Weight, height, %TBSA, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and mortality were measured. The basal metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry and the Schofield equation, and protein and energy intake, prealbumin, C-reactive protein, vitamins A, D, E, copper, and zinc levels were analyzed every week. Eighteen patients were included (mean: 3.9 years old, 49%TBSA). The mean energy target was achieved by week 2 and protein requirements were met by week 6. Twelve patients required complementary parenteral nutrition and there were no complications. Hypermetabolism parameters were observed, which returned to normal 4-6 weeks after hospitalization, except for C-reactive protein. Vitamins A and E and trace elements (zinc and copper) were reduced at the time of admission and showed a subsequent improvement. Vitamin D remained low. One patient died. Implementing the protocol was useful to cover the total energy requirement; the coverage of protein requirements was delayed until week 6. It is necessary to focus on solving limitations to achieve the latter.

The Effects of Good Agricultural Practises On Energy Use Effectiveness On Mandarin Production and Environmental

In this study, Good Agricultural Practices for mandarin production and their effects on the efficient energy use and environmental were examined. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted in the Adana province between January and February 2017. Data used in this study were obtained from 87 farmers and consultant engineers who practice good agriculture in mandarin production using a face-to-face interview method. In this research, the total energy requirement for the mandarin production was 4686.46 MJ kg−1. The energy use efficiency indicator, efficiency and specific energy values were 1.92, 0.52 kg MJ−1 and 0.92 MJ kg−1 respectively. As a result of the research, renewable energy ratio was determined as 7.79%, and non-renewable energy ratio was determined as 86.17% in the total energy input. When the effects of the survey are compared with those of the literature, it shows that good farming practices in Turkey affect energy efficiency and environmental expectations in production positively, albeit at a depressed point.

Simulation and energy analysis of the ABE fermentation integrated with gas stripping

The production of acetone, n-butanol and ethanol (ABE) by fermentation has recently gained renewed attention to produce fuels and chemicals from renewable resources.The main problem associated with the ABE fermentation is the self-inhibition of the process due to butanol toxicity to the culture. The use of a separation method, which enables selective removal of toxic components from the fermentation broth, may contribute to improve the economics of such process.This work concerns the recovery of butanol from a batch fermenter, in which the ABE mixture is recovered from the broth by means of gas stripping. The aim of this work is to compare the performances of the integrated fermentation-gas stripping process with those of a conventional batch fermenter. For this purpose, both processes have been modeled and their energy requirements have been determined by means of an energy analysis. Results suggest that the continuous product removal from the fermenter allows to reduce the fermentation time by 50%. Therefore, the process productivity is almost double. At the same time, the total specific energy requirement for the integrated recovery process is almost three times greater than that of the traditional batch process. This is essentially due to the duty required at the condenser for products recovery from the gas stream, as a result of the low concentration of ABE in the recovered stream. Therefore, the application of an integrated recovery process allows to increase the process productivity, but at the expense of an increase in the whole process energy demand.

Inadequate Postoperative Energy Intake Relative to Total Energy Requirements Diminishes Acute Phase Functional Recovery From Hip Fracture

ObjectiveTo investigate whether postoperative voluntary energy intake (EI) affects functional recovery with hip fracture during the acute phase. DesignProspective cohort study. SettingThree acute care hospitals. ParticipantsHip fracture patients (N=200) who were consecutively admitted to 3 acute hospitals because of falling. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresPatients were stratified into 3 groups based on the ratio of measured EI to estimated total energy expenditure (TEE) as inadequate (EI/TEE<0.7), intermediate (0.7≤EI/TEE<1), and adequate (EI/TEE≥1) groups. The functional status was evaluated using the motor domain of a FIM. We calculated efficiency based on the motor FIM scores (change in postoperative motor FIM scores/length of the rehabilitation period) to assess the beneficial effect of rehabilitation. ResultsThe median hospital stay was 24 days. The inadequate group comprised 73 (36.5%) patients (median EI/TEE, 0.54; interquartile range, 0.42-0.64); intermediate group comprised 92 (46.0%) patients (median EI/TEE, 0.87; interquartile range, 0.78-0.94), and adequate group comprised 35 (17.5%) patients (median EI/TEE, 1.10; interquartile range, 1.04-1.15). Absolute functional gain (AFG) and efficiency of motor FIM gain (EFG) scores were higher in the adequate group than in the others (P<.01). After adjustment for potential confounders, a significant association between postoperative EI/TEE group and logarithm of EFG scores was observed to persist (inadequate group, standardized β =−0.14; reference: adequate group; P=0.03; R2 for the entire model =0.25). ConclusionsPostoperative EI that is less than 70% of TEE diminishes functional recovery with hip fracture.

Acute Insulin Secretory Effects of a Classic Ketogenic Meal in Healthy Subjects

Classic Ketogenic Diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that induces ketone body production through fat metabolism with the goal of mimicking a starvation state without depriving the body of necessary calories. KD is an established treatment of glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome and drug-resistant epilepsy, and it is currently evaluated in the management of insulin resistant states as metabolic syndrome, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Insulin is required for effective storage of meal substrates, but insulin secretory rate (ISR) response after a classic ketogenic meal (cKDm) has never been investigated We measured ISR after a cross-over administrations of a cKDm and of a Mediterranean meal (Mm) providing 2%vs60% carbohydrates, 88%vs25%fat and 10%vs15% protein, respectively of 40% of individual’s total energy requirement in 12 healthy subjects (6F/6M, 19-31 year. Venous blood was sampled at 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 180min to measure glucose, insulin and C-peptide concentrations. ISR was calculated from c-peptide deconvolution and normalized to estimated body surface area Glucose and insulin concentrations and ISR responses were markedly reduced (p&amp;lt;0,001 al parameters) after cKDm with respect to Mm (Figure). For the first time we have shown that cKDm is disposed with only a minimal ISR compared to a Mm. This finding may be of interest for patients with insulin resistance and or insulin secretory defects. Disclosure S. Bertoli: None. A. Spadafranca: None. R. De Amicis: None. A. Leone: None. A. Mari: None. A. Battezzati: None.

Design and performance investigation of a biogas fueled combined cooling and power generation system

Nowadays, different renewable sources and energy storages are attracting world attention due to the major concerns about the excessive emissions and the global energy crisis. Hence, this paper studies design and performance investigation of a biogas fueled building cooling and power system, which comprises of an air compressor, an air preheater, a combustion chamber, a gas turbine, some compression chillers and aggregated plug-in electric vehicles. In the proposed coproduction facility, biogas is used as an alternative fuel to reduce the total greenhouse gas emissions and increase the economic saving in the consumption of fossil fuels. The feasibility and robust performance of this microgrid is evaluated under extremely-hot summer days. Three compression chillers are installed to satisfy total cooling demand of a large hotel building located in Ahwaz, Iran. Moreover, the total energy requirement of chillers and building electricity demand is supplied through the biogas driven gas turbine cycle. A mid-high temperature waste heat is recovered from the exhaust gases of gas turbine to be used in the air preheating stage. A comprehensive thermodynamic analysis is developed to solve a mixed integer non-linear programming problem with the aim of minimizing total electricity procurement cost of the proposed zero-emission cogeneration micro-plant taking into account the operational constraints of gas turbine cycle, compression chillers, and electric drive vehicles.

Changes in the faecal bile acid profile in dogs fed dry food vs high content of beef: a pilot study

BackgroundDogs are fed various diets, which also include components of animal origin. In humans, a high-fat/low-fibre diet is associated with higher faecal levels of bile acids, which can influence intestinal health. It is unknown how an animal-based diet high in fat and low in fibre influences the faecal bile acid levels and intestinal health in dogs. This study investigated the effects of high intake of minced beef on the faecal bile acid profile in healthy, adult, client-owned dogs (n = 8) in a 7-week trial. Dogs were initially adapted to the same commercial dry food. Thereafter, incremental substitution of the dry food by boiled minced beef over 3 weeks resulted in a diet in which 75% of each dog’s total energy requirement was provided as minced beef during week 5. Dogs were subsequently reintroduced to the dry food for the last 2 weeks of the study. The total taurine and glycine-conjugated bile acids, the primary bile acids chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid, and the secondary bile acids lithocholic acid, deoxycholic acid (DCA) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) were analysed, using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.ResultsThe faecal quantities of DCA were significantly higher in dogs fed the high minced beef diet. These levels reversed when dogs were reintroduced to the dry food diet. The faecal levels of UDCA and taurine-conjugated bile acids had also increased in response to the beef diet, but this was only significant when compared to the last dry food period.ConclusionsThese results suggest that an animal-based diet with high-fat/low-fibre content can influence the faecal bile acids levels. The consequences of this for canine colonic health will require further investigation.

Validation of resting metabolic rate equations in obese and non-obese young healthy adults

Although validating resting metabolic rate (RMR) prediction equations in different populations is warranted to estimate total energy requirements, there are no data about the accuracy and applicability of RMR predictive equations in young healthy Jordanians. This study aimed to test the validity of predicted RMR using four prediction equations and its agreement with RMR measured using indirect calorimetry in healthy young obese and non-obese Jordanian adults. Predicted RMR was tested for agreement with indirect calorimetry. Harris-Benedict, Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations University, Mifflin and Owen equations were used to predict RMR. A total of 406 (200 females, 206 males) normal bodyweight, overweight, and obese healthy young adults aged 18-25 years were included. Of all tested equations, Harris-Benedict equation showed no significant differences compared to measured RMR using indirect calorimetry (p>0.05) in normal bodyweight (1374.1±72.5 vs. 1347.6±333.4), overweight (1513.1±66.8 vs. 1492.9±374.8) and obese (1673.5±178.4 vs. 1736.4±386.9) females. While significant differences (p<0.05) were found in all male participants. The other studied equations showed significant differences (p≤0.05) compared to measured RMR in gender based groups with different bodyweight status. Only Harris-Benedict equation was the most accurate in predicting RMR among females regardless of bodyweight status. Apart from that, these equations did not perform well at the group level. The tested prediction equations further underestimated RMR. Future studies aiming at validating RMR prediction equations in different populations are warranted in order to understand the factors that could affect the accuracy of RMR prediction.

Concrete thermal energy storage for linear Fresnel collectors: Exploiting the South Mediterranean’s solar potential for agri-food processes

Italy is celebrated in the world for its agri-food industries while the process of production of pasta is highly energy demanding and requires both electrical and thermal energy simultaneously. Because most of the Italian factories producing pasta are located in the Southern part of the country, the direct use of thermal energy generated from the sun would be particularly profitable. In this study, the authors examine the possibility of generating by a Solar Industrial Process Heating plant the thermal energy required annually by an existing factory that produces durum wheat pasta located in Sicily (Italy). The hypothesized plant scheme consists of an array of Fresnel linear solar collectors and a concrete thermal energy storage system in which a heat transfer diathermal fluid circulates. This particular combination, although not the most efficient from the thermodynamic point of view, determines a lower visual impact and easier maintenance during the life span of the system. The use of food graded thermal oil ensures a high level of safety. A TRNSYS model has been developed in order to simulate the energy performance of the above described plant with the aim of optimizing the design of the solar heat for industrial process systems in terms of solar collectors and thermal energy storage dimensions taking into account the available space in the specific location. The obtained results show that the direct use of the thermal energy generated with the Fresnel solar collectors can significantly contribute to increase the sustainability of the most thermal energy-demanding factories working in the food industry, a strategic sector in the Mediterranean Area. The average annual solar contribution can reach about 40% of the total thermal energy requirement, maximizing the solar energy production during the summer season. Moreover, the proposed study allowed the determination of the maximum investment cost of the plant linked to a simple payback time, without external incentives, of 8 years.

The changing sensitivity of power systems to meteorological drivers: a case study of Great Britain

The increasing use of intermittent renewable generation (such as wind) is increasing the exposure of national power systems to meteorological variability. This study identifies how the integration of wind power in one particular country (Great Britain, GB) is affecting the overall sensitivity of the power system to weather using three key metrics: total annual energy requirement, peak residual load (from sources other than wind) and wind power curtailment.The present-day level of wind power capacity (approximately 15 GW) is shown to have already changed the power system’s overall sensitivity to weather in terms of the total annual energy requirement, from a temperature- to a wind-dominated regime (which occurred with 6GW of installed wind power capacity). Peak residual load from sources other than wind also shows a similar shift. The associated changes in the synoptic- and large-scale meteorological drivers associated with each metric are identified and discussed. In a period where power systems are changing rapidly, it is therefore argued that past experience of the weather impacts on the GB power system may not be a good guide for the impact on the present or near-future power system.

Movement patterns and athletic performance of leopards in the Okavango Delta.

Although leopards are the most widespread of all the big cats and are known for their adaptability, they are elusive and little is known in detail about their movement and hunting energetics. We used high-resolution GPS/IMU (inertial measurement unit) collars to record position, activity and the first high-speed movement data on four male leopards in the Okavango Delta, an area with high habitat diversity and habitat fragmentation. Leopards in this study were generally active and conducted more runs during the night, with peaks in activity and number of runs in the morning and evening twilight. Runs were generally short (less than 100 m) and relatively slow (maximum speed 5.3 m s-1, mean of individual medians) compared to other large predators. Average daily travel distance was 11 km and maximum daily travel distance was 29 km. No direct correlation was found between average daily temperature and travel distance or between season and travel distance. Total daily energy requirements based on locomotor cost and basal metabolic rate varied little between individuals and over time. This study provides novel insights into movement patterns and athletic performance of leopards through quantitative high-resolution measurement of the locomotor, energetic, spatial and temporal movement characteristics. The results are unbiased by methodological and observational limitations characteristic of previous studies and demonstrate the utility of applying new technologies to field studies of elusive nocturnal species.

Assessing food security using household consumption expenditure surveys (HCES): a scoping literature review.

To meet some of the UN's seventeen Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, there is a need for more effective policy to reduce food insecurity in low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LMIC). Measuring progress towards these goals requires reliable indicators of food security in these countries. Routinely conducted household consumption and expenditure surveys (HCES) provide potentially valuable and nationally representative data sets for this purpose. The present study aimed to assess methods used to determine national food security status using proxy measures from HCES data in LMIC globally. A scoping literature review was conducted using electronic databases. Of the 929 abstracts identified, a total of twenty articles were reviewed against strict inclusion and exclusion criteria and included for further analysis. Fourteen LMIC globally were represented in the twenty articles. The simplest metric used to indicate food insecurity compared household food expenditure against a level of expenditure considered to be below the poverty line. Data on acquisition of food was commonly converted to available energy for the household using local food composition tables and expressed as a proportion of household total energy requirements. Dietary diversity was also assessed in some studies as well as experience of food insecurity. The review demonstrated that routinely collected HCES data sets provide a useful resource for the measurement of household food security in often resource-limited LMIC. Standardisation of methods used to assess food security is needed to allow for more useful comparisons between countries, as well as to assess temporal trends.