Distribution Utilities Research Articles

Response of Guiana dolphins to the construction of a bridge in Ilhéus, Northeastern Brazil.

This study aimed to investigate whether the use of space and movements of Guiana dolphins were altered during the construction of a cable-stayed bridge at the mouth of the Cachoeira River estuary in Ilhéus, Brazil. We described and compared the visitation rate, use of space, and movements of the Guiana dolphins across two periods: before the construction began (2015-2016) and during the construction of the bridge (2017-2020). A theodolite and a total station were used to observe and record the trajectories of the dolphins. From these trajectories, we estimated the Utilization Distribution (UD) using the biased random bridge kernel (BRBK) method, the area of use, and the core area, based on the 95% and 50% BRBK density, respectively. The dolphins did not change their visitation frequency to the estuary. No significant change in area fidelity was identified by comparing the overlap of areas used during two-month periods. No change occurred in the velocity and linearity of the trajectories of the dolphins swimming close to the bridge. However, contrary to expectations, the results indicated an increase in the use of areas close to the bridge during its construction. This may have been caused by the change in the distribution of their prey in the estuary due to the emergence of a sandbank near the bridge. Bridge construction work seems not to have directly affected the Guiana dolphins' use of the area, but the impact of the construction on the local topography has changed their areas of use and core areas of activity.

Community-Level Internet Connectivity and Utilization of Maternal Telehealth.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a drastic increase in the utilization of telehealth services in place of or as a complement to in-person health services. Telehealth is a tool to help reduce disparities in the receipt of maternal health care. However, a stable internet connection is required for patients to connect to providers via telehealth; lack of internet connectivity is a barrier to maternal telehealth access. Methods: The objectives of this research were to determine whether community-level internet penetration is associated with community-level utilization of maternal telehealth services and assess the heterogeneity of this association across the maternal telehealth utilization spectrum. A cross-sectional study of community-level maternal telehealth is utilized in the United States in 2019. The underlying population is comprised of commercially insured maternal health patients receiving any antenatal, delivery-related, or postpartum care in the United States. The individual-level utilization data are aggregated to the geo-zip level (n = 404), which is a regional subdivision comprised of all zip codes that share the first three digits. Results: Findings show that the estimated relationship between the proportion of households with home-based internet connectivity was statistically significant at the 10th and 25th quantiles of maternal telehealth utilization. For these quantiles, an increase in community-level internet connectivity was associated with an increase in the utilization of maternal telehealth services. Conclusion: There is a positive association between community-level internet connectivity and maternal telehealth utilization, and the association varies in magnitude across the maternal telehealth utilization distribution. Policymakers should consider digital access when addressing telehealth policy for maternal care services.

Rural-Urban Disparities in Mobile Health Application Ownership and Utilization Among Cancer Survivors

Objective: Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) can provide health care and health-promoting information while contributing to improving cancer survivors’ quality of life and health outcomes. However, little is known about the rural-urban distribution of mHealth app ownership and utilization. In this study, we explore the characteristics of cancer survivors who own and use mHealth apps and examine rural-urban disparities in mHealth app ownership and utilization among cancer survivors. Methods: We utilized data from the “Health Information National Trends Survey–Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results” pilot study, fielded among cancer survivors from 3 U.S. cancer registries (Iowa, New Mexico, and California) in 2021. Our sample included 942 cancer survivors who reported owning a smart device (a smartphone and/or a tablet computer). The analyses included computing weighted proportions and fitting a multivariable regression model. Results: Overall, 60.3% of cancer survivors reported using mHealth apps, and 16.9% resided in rural areas. Approximately 45.0% of rural cancer survivors reported utilizing mHealth apps (vs 63.5% of urban survivors). Regression analysis revealed that rural cancer survivors had 46.0% lower odds of owning and using mHealth apps compared with their urban counterparts (adjusted odds ratio = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.80). Conclusions: Rural cancer survivors were less likely to own and use mHealth apps compared with urban survivors. Rural cancer survivors usually face structural and health care system-related barriers to health care access and affordability. Leveraging mHealth technology as a tool could potentially contribute to improving health care delivery for rural cancer survivors, and help address existing structural and informational barriers to access.

Electricity consumption forecasting in Brazil: A structural Bayesian dynamic approach

ABSTRACT The main aim of this paper is to project electricity consumption for the five Brazilian regions using the Bayesian Structural Time-series (BSTS) which presents the best prediction evaluated within the sample. This methodology estimates fourteen models, each with a different specification in terms of its functional form, which ensures flexibility and can vary in terms of levels, trends, and treatment of seasonal fluctuations, as well as dealing with different hypotheses on regression errors or disturbances. The forecast validation criteria calculated for a 24-month horizon showed very satisfactory results. The findings corroborated expectations regarding the suitability of this methodology for drawing up projections. In every case, the forecasting error was 5% or less, which is the reference figure for distribution utilities. In the Center-West, Southeast and South regions, this indicator fell below 3%. The model thus appears to be a robust tool for utilities to project electricity demands.

How Much Hatchery-Reared Brown Trout Move in a Large, Deep Subalpine Lake? An Acoustic Telemetry Study

Fish movement into large, deep lakes has been rarely investigated due to the complexity and extent of such ecosystems. Among the different monitoring methods available, acoustic telemetry enables the study of the spatial ecology and behavior of aquatic organisms in lentic environments. In this study, the movement of 69 hatchery-reared adult brown trout (size 43–61 cm) marked with acoustic transmitters was monitored in the large and deep subalpine Lake Lugano (Switzerland and Italy). Trout were tracked for six consecutive months by seven acoustic receivers (March–August 2022), positioned in a non-overlapping array. Trout movement was reconstructed using R packages specific for acoustic telemetry (actel and RSP), which also allowed us to translate tracking information into utilization distribution (UD) areas for each fish. The effects of different environmental variables (rainfall, water discharge of the two main tributaries of Lake Lugano, atmospheric pressure, cloud coverage, and moon phases) on trout movement were tested, but none of these variables seemed to significantly correlate with fish movement. After release, most of the tagged fish exhibited reiterative movements during the initial month, with some maintaining this behavior throughout the entire study period. This spatial behavior can be particularly evident in hatchery-reared fish due to their aggressive and bold attitude. The association of these behavioral traits, shaped by domestication, could expose hatchery-reared fish to high risks and post-release mortality in the wild. Indeed, within a few months after the release, most of the tagged fish were no longer detected by the acoustic receivers. In addition, 26% of the total tagged fish were caught by recreational or professional fishermen.

Rethinking Natural Gas Infrastructure: How Non‐Pipe Alternatives are Shaping Utility Planning

As greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction efforts accelerate, utility regulators nationwide are rethinking the role of natural gas in reducing GHG emissions over current levels. A key strategy emerging in several states is the mandatory consideration of non‐pipe alternatives (NPAs); solutions that avoid the need for new natural gas hook‐ups. California, Massachusetts, New York, and Colorado are leading the effort, and other states like Maryland, Hawaii, Oregon, Minnesota, and New Jersey are not far behind. Before gaining approval for traditional new pipeline investments as opposed to pipeline replacement, regulators are requiring utilities to thoroughly analyze the costs and benefits of NPAs. This is compelling natural gas utilities to rethink their business models and find the most effective ways to present NPAs to regulators and customers. With this enhanced scrutiny and regulatory mandates that are increasingly focusing on sustainability, natural gas distribution utilities are at a crossroads. The challenge lies in adapting to these expectations and innovating scalable investments that will meet regulatory demands while driving the transition to a cleaner energy future.

Habitat use and movement patterns of broad-snouted caimans (Caiman latirostris) in an impacted Atlantic forest environment in Brazil

BackgroundAnimal habitat use can be influenced by a suite of factors including intraspecific interactions and resource availability. The broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) is the largest crocodylian species distributed in freshwater environments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where it inhabits many types of human-impacted and preserved habitats. Despite their ability to occupy ecologically different water bodies, little is known about their movement patterns and their habitat use. We investigated the variation in movements and space use of adult caimans relative to sex, body condition, and environmental conditions in northeastern Brazil.MethodsWe conducted long-term capture surveys from 2013 to 2022 and used GPS telemetry from 2021–2022 (n = 12 individuals) to assess movement patterns and home ranges of caimans and their habitat use based on Brownian Bridge Movement Modeling (BBMM) and Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling (GLMM).ResultsFemales ranged farther from reservoir’s forested margins, exploring a greater diversity of habitats during the wet/non-reproductive season. During the dry/reproductive season, females remained close to nesting sites within forest fragments. The body condition of caimans did not change significantly over the wet and dry season, indicating that resources are available year-round. Caimans moved more at night than during daytime, likely due to nocturnal foraging and possibly avoiding periods of increased human activity. Female movement rates were positively associated with rainfall, in a pattern likely linked to nest attendance in the dry season. Male movement was positively correlated with reservoir volume in the wet season, possibly due to increased availability of habitats in comparison to dry periods and to decreased overlap with territories controlled by other males. Home ranges estimated as 95% utilization distributions were relatively small in both sexes, averaging 0.64 km2 (range: 0.001–1.4 km2), as were their core areas estimated as 50% utilization distributions, which averaged 0.12 km2 (range: 0.0003–0.12 km2). Small core areas may indicate that caimans remain most of their time in a specific habitat, suggesting abundant resource availability or territoriality.ConclusionsOur work reveals the complexity of social interactions and how caimans select their habitats in a highly altered environment.

Derivation and Initial Validation of the Utility Function for the Hearing Utility Measure (HUM).

The Hearing Utility Measure (HUM) is a replacement hearing attribute for the Health Utilities Index, Mark 3 (HUI-3) designed to improve the responsiveness of utility estimates to changes in hearing-related quality of life. The final development step is to derive the instrument's utility scoring function. Residents of Ontario, Canada, aged ≥18 years participated in standard gamble and visual analogue scale exercises. Valuations for levels (response options) within each domain, and for each domain relative to the other domains were elicited and used to generate a hearing utility function. The function outputs hearing utility ranging from 0 = 'unable to hear at all' to 1 = 'perfect hearing' for each of the 25,920 hearing states classifiable by the HUM. Performance was assessed relative to the criterion standard: directly elicited standard gamble utility. Distributions of HUM-derived hearing utility were compared with legacy HUI-3 derived estimates. A total of 126 respondents participated (mean age 39.2, range 18-85 years, 53% female [67/126]). The utility function performed well in the estimation of directly elicited utilities (mean difference 0.03, RMSE 0.06). Using the legacy HUI-3, estimated hearing utility was 1.0 for 118/126 respondents (93.6%) compared with just 66/126 (52.4%) using the HUM. The new hearing attribute is capable of measuring variations in hearing utility not captured by the legacy HUI-3, especially near the ceiling of hearing function. These findings justify its application and further work to study its measurement properties in hearing loss populations. 3 Laryngoscope, 134:4754-4762, 2024.

Analysis of Zakat as an Alternative Fiscal Instrument in Supporting Economic Development in Indonesia

This study explores the potential of zakat as an alternative fiscal instrument in supporting economic development in Indonesia. Zakat, a mandatory charitable contribution in Islam, has the ability to address poverty, reduce income inequality, and contribute to economic growth. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 80 respondents, including zakat payers, recipients, and administrators, through a Likert-scale survey. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 to evaluate the impact of zakat distribution efficiency and utilization on poverty reduction and economic development. The results demonstrate that both zakat distribution efficiency and utilization significantly contribute to poverty reduction and economic development, supporting the hypothesis that zakat can play a crucial role as a fiscal tool. The study's findings suggest that improving zakat management practices and aligning zakat utilization with long-term development goals could enhance its impact on Indonesia's economic growth.

A Study on the Impact of Overtaking Lane-Changing Behaviour in Expressway Interchange Weaving Areas

This study investigates the overtaking lane-changing (OLC) behaviour in expressway interchange weaving areas, aiming to analyse these behaviours’ causes and potential impacts. Field data are utilised to analyse the statistical characteristics of lane-changing points and spatio-temporal utilisation in weaving areas. A modified NS model, which considers the distribution pattern of vehicle speeds, and a rigid lane-changing rule based on Gaussian distribution are proposed. Additionally, a cellular automaton simulation model is constructed to quantify the influence of OLC behaviour on traffic efficiency and spatio-temporal utilisation based on simulated data. The findings indicate that the imbalanced distribution of lane-changing points and spatio-temporal utilisation in weaving segments, caused by rigid lane-changing behaviour, is an objective factor that triggers OLC behaviour. When the traffic volume in weaving areas ranges from 500 to 1,100 pcu/5 min and the proportion of OLC behaviour is between 0.35 and 0.7, the behaviour will significantly enhance the average vehicle speeds of the outermost lane of the main road and normal rigid lane-changing (NRLC) vehicles, with increases of up to 48% and 51%, respectively. Moreover, OLC behaviour also improves the balance of spatio-temporal utilisation in weaving areas and reduces the average spatio-temporal utilisation. This study clarifies the positive impact of OLC behaviour on expressway interchange weaving areas and provides new research ideas for enhancing the efficiency of these areas.

A General Concave Fairness Framework for Influence Maximization Based on Poverty Reward

Influence maximization (IM) aims to find a group of influential nodes as initial spreaders to maximize the influence spread over a network. Yet, traditional IM algorithms have not been designed with fairness in mind, resulting in discrimination against some groups, like LGBTQ communities and racial minorities, etc. This issue has spurred research on Fair Influence Maximization (FIM). However, existing FIM studies come with some drawbacks. Firstly, most proposed notions of fairness for FIM cannot adjust the trade-off between fairness level and influence spread. Secondly, though a few specific notions of fairness allow such balancing, they are limited to a few specific concave functions, which may not be suitable for various real-world scenarios. Furthermore, none of them have studied the deep relations between the features of concave functions and the level of fairness. Thirdly, existing fairness metrics are limited to their corresponding concepts of fairness. Comparing the level of fairness across different algorithms using existing metrics can be challenging. To tackle the above problems, this paper first proposes a novel fairness notion named Poverty Reward (PR), which achieves fairness by rewarding the enrichment of groups with low utility. Based on PR, we further propose an algorithmic framework called Concave Fairness Framework (CFF) that allows any concave function that satisfies specific requirements. We also systematically clarify how fairness is improved by applying concave functions and provide an in-depth quantitative analysis of how to select appropriate concave functions for different utility distributions. Moreover, we propose the Reward of Fairness (RoF) metric that evaluates the disparity between groups. Based on RoF, an evaluation system is built to uniformly compare FIM algorithms from different fairness notions. Experiments in real-world datasets have demonstrated the validity of the CFF, as well as the proposed fairness notion.

Experimental study on the charging and discharging performance of a thermal energy storage unit using low temperature phase change material

The latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) unit offers a versatile solution for storing waste heat and solar thermal energy across various temperature ranges. Despite its potential, limited experimental research has been conducted on LHTES units operating at low temperature ranges. This study addresses this gap by experimentally investigating the performance of an LHTES unit using water as the heat transfer fluid (HTF) and myristic acid (PCM) with a phase change temperature of 53–55 °C. The rectangular configuration of the TES unit was chosen for its practical advantages in industrial and residential applications, facilitating efficient space utilization and uniform thermal distribution. Experiments were conducted with various HTF volumetric flow rates (200, 300, and 400 LPH) using a constant temperature heat source. PCM and HTF temperature profiles at three segments of the TES unit were used to evaluate key parameters essential for designing a storage system, including thermodynamic analysis, Nusselt number, stratification analysis, storage/recovery efficiency, and charging/discharging efficiency. These parameters provide valuable insights into the performance of the LHTES unit. The outcomes indicate that increasing the HTF flow rate from 200 to 400 LPH decreases the charging/discharging duration by 40.73 % and 38.24 %, respectively. At the higher flow rate (400 LPH), convective mixing increases, reducing stratified layer stability. Furthermore, increasing the HTF flow rate leads to a reduction in peak Richardson numbers by 31.6 % and 27.8 % during charging/discharging, indicating a transition towards diminished stratification and increased turbulence in the HTF flow. In conclusion, while the TES unit exhibited better performance at a lower HTF flow rate (200 LPH), practical applications demand efficient fast charging and discharging. Despite this, minimal differences in efficiencies, energy, and exergy rates across flow rates suggest practical viability in various test conditions.

Trends in Phototherapy Utilization, Payments, and Geographic Distribution: An Analysis of United States Medicare Part B From 2000 to 2021.

Trends in phototherapy utilization in the context of new therapeutics have not been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate phototherapy utilization, payments, and geographic distribution for Medicare beneficiaries from 2000 to 2021. A longitudinal analysis of the Medicare Part B National Summary Data Files was conducted to obtain phototherapy utilization and payment amounts. Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners by Provider and Service datasets were used to determine provider type and geographic distribution. Between 2000 and 2021, total Medicare phototherapy volume increased from 335,152 to 621,850, correlating with a 3.0% annual growth rate (5.0% between 2000 and 2015, -3.1% between 2016 and 2021). Ultraviolet B phototherapy represented the majority of use, rising from 68.1% in 2000 to 78.0% in 2021. Psoralens plus ultraviolet A decreased by 11.3% annually, while laser treatments increased by 17.3%. Between 2013 and 2021, the number of clinics offering phototherapy declined; facilities were available in only 9.9% of counties, mainly clustered along both coasts and east of the Mississippi. Overall, phototherapy continues to be an important therapeutic option. Limited access in non-urban areas remains a significant challenge, and further work is necessary to both evaluate this impact and reduce disparities.

Construction of honeycomb-like N-doped porous carbon framework with effective aperture distribution toward advanced supercapacitors and sodium-ion batteries

Smart synthesis of porous carbon with appropriate aperture distribution and high area utilization still retains an enormous challenge for efficient charge storage. Herein, a simple freeze-drying along with subsequent one-step carbonization/activation process is ingeniously devised to fabricate honeycomb-like nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC) framework with high-level active N/O-functional groups and hierarchical porous structure including substantial ultra-micropores (<0.7 nm). The underlying formation mechanism of such porous NPC framework is tentatively proposed. By finely regulating the dosage of NaHCO3, the optimized NPC (i.e., NPC114) is endowed with ultra-high surface area utilization of ∼26.4 μF/cm2 at 1 A/g in KOH electrolyte, which is close to theoretical value of electrochemical double-layer capacitance (15 – 25 μF/cm2), and even larger than the case (∼22.4 μF/cm2) with H2SO4 electrolyte due to the inaccessible ultra-micropores by SO42− of larger size. Similarly, as for the organic system, the as-prepared NPC115 with higher meso- and macropore surface area exhibits higher energy density of 22.36 Wh/kg than other counterparts. Furthermore, NPC114, when evaluated as anode material for sodium-ion batteries, exhibited more attractive high-rate Na+-storage properties as well. The in-depth understanding into intrinsic relationship between aperture distribution and electrochemical behaviors will provide meaningful guidance for electrode material design.

Plasmonic chitosan cross-linked dialdehyde chitosan aerogels as 3D surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates for sensitive and reliable detection

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has the advantages of non-destructive detection and high sensitivity, however, low hotspots utilisation and inhomogeneous distribution limit its application. In response to the problem of underutilization of hotspots in most SERS substrates, a crosslinking of chitosan with dialdehyde chitosan aerogels loaded with Ag NPs (CDSA) as SERS substrates with chitosan (CS) as the main body and dialdehyde chitosan (DACS) as the reducing and cross-linking agent were prepared. Unlike other 3D structures such as hydrogels, CDSA can capture probe molecules in a much shorter period of time and enhance SERS signals by collapse. The SERS performance of CDSA was evaluated by rhodamine 6 G (R6G) and methylene blue (MB), indicating that the CDSA substrate has good stability (90 days), repeatability (RSD=4.15 %) and reproducibility (RSD=4.86 %). The enhancement factors (EFs) was 1.3×108 for R6G and 9.2×107 for MB. Both gas sample and liquid sample were detected to evaluate the performances of CDSA in practical application. 4-Aminothiophenol (4-ATP) was utilized to test the efficacy of CDSA on gas-phase to-be-tested substances and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.59 mg/L. The tests performed on sildenafil (SD) in real samples showed recoveries ranging from 97.5 % to 103.4 % with a LOD of 0.055 mg/L. It was indicated that the CDSA substrate could serves as a satisfactory SERS sensor for sensitive and rapid detection for both gas phase and liquid samples.

Utility-Scale Grid-Connected Microgrid Planning Framework for Sustainable Renewable Energy Integration

Microgrids have emerged as a crucial focus in power engineering and sustainable energy research, with utility-scale microgrids playing a significant role in both developed and developing countries like the Philippines. This study presents a comprehensive framework for utility-scale microgrid planning, emphasizing the sustainable integration of renewable energy resources to the distribution grid. The framework addresses the operational modes of grid-connected and islanded microgrids, emphasizing the seamless transition between these modes to ensure a continuous power supply. By leveraging local distributed energy resources, the microgrid aims to reduce dependence on the main transmission grid while enhancing resilience and reliability. The proposed planning framework not only eases the economic burden of constructing renewable energy sources but also aids distribution utilities in maximizing local resources to achieve sustainable energy goals. Through a detailed network analysis and modeling, the framework provides a robust foundation for optimizing the energy mix and enhancing the overall system performance. This research contributes to advancing microgrid technology as a key driver towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in promoting clean and affordable energy access.

Health utilities of patients with epilepsy in a Canadian population.

Health state utilities are required to obtain quality adjusted life years, a common metric that informs clinical decision-making at individual, group, and health policy levels. Health state utilities are different from health-related quality of life, and their distribution across patients with epilepsy, as well as the factors that impact them, have not been studied in depth. We aimed to describe the distribution of health state utilities in people with epilepsy and the impact of different combinations of clinical and demographic factors on health state evaluation. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients' data prospectively collected in the Calgary Comprehensive Epilepsy Program registry. Patient-reported health state utilities were measured using the 5-level EuroQol 5-Dimension scale (EQ-5D-5L) completed at their initial assessment. EQ-5D-5L index scores were derived via the time trade-off approach based on Canadian norms, and their distribution across different health states and patient characteristics was obtained. The Tobit regression model was used to evaluate the determinants of EQ-5D-5L index scores. Of 1446 patients included in this analysis, 724 (50.5%) were female. The median (interquartile range) Canada-normed EQ-5D-5L index score was .87 (.71-.91). Patients with significantly lower health utilities were more likely to be female (p = .008), to be older (p = .034), to be unmarried (p = .013), to have failed to achieve 1-year seizure freedom (p < .001), to have no postsecondary education (p = .028), to be depressed (p < .001), to have antiseizure medication side effects (p = .001), to be unemployed (p < .001), and to be unable to drive (p < .001). A look-up table of health utilities based on combinations of clinical-demographic characteristics was produced. Health utility estimates for combinations of different health states in people with epilepsy attending specialty clinics are now available. These can help guide clinical decision-making in routine clinical practice, economic evaluations of treatment interventions, and health care policies.

Socioeconomic inequality in postnatal care utilisation among reproductive age women in sub-Saharan African countries with high maternal mortality: a decomposition analysis.

To assess the socioeconomic inequality in postnatal care (PNC) utilisation and its contributors among women in 14 sub-Saharan African countries with high maternal mortality. Community-based cross-sectional study using Demographic Health Survey SETTING: Africa countries with the highest maternal mortality ratio (14 countries) PARTICIPANTS: All women who had given birth within 2 years prior to the survey (n=64 912) PRIMARY OUTCOMES: Postnatal care utilisation RESULTS: The percentage of women who had PNC utilisation was lowest in Ethiopia (23.4%: 95% CI: 22.1%, 24.7%) and highest in The Gambia (91.5%: 95% CI: 90.6%, 92.4%). There was statistically significant pro-rich inequality in the PNC utilisation in all countries except Liberia, meaning PNC utilisation was disproportionately concentrated among women from wealthier households. The weighted Erreygers Normalized Concentration Index (ECI) ranged from 0.0398 in The Gambia to 0.476 in Nigeria; the second-highest inequality was in Cameroon (0.382), followed by Guinea (0.344). The decomposition analysis revealed that the wealth index was the largest contributor to inequality in PNC utilisation in seven countries: Benin, Burundi, The Gambia, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania. In contrast, educational status emerged as the primary contibutor in Cameroon and Zimbabwe, media exposure in Mali and Mauritania, and distance to healthcare facilities in Ethiopia. However, in Liberia, the weighted ECI of 0.0012 with a p value of 0.96 indicate that there is no significant socioeconomic inequality in PNC utilisation, suggesting that the distribution of PNC utilisation is almost equal across different socioeconomic groups. Our study revealed a pro-rich inequality in PNC utilisation across all included sub-Saharan African countries with high maternal mortality, except Liberia. This implies that PNC utilisation disproportionately favours the wealthy. Therefore, financially better-off women are more likely to utilise PNC services compared to those who are poor. Addressing the identified contributors of socioeconomic inequalities in PNC utilisation in each country remains crucial for achieving equity in PNC utilisation.

A methodology for preliminary benefit evaluation of Distributed Generation to drive private investments

Private investments in distributed generation (DG) are typically driven by the interests of private investor, often overlooking possible benefits for the distribution operator. This work presents a methodology that enables power distribution utilities to assess the potential for attracting investments in their networks, considering a regulatory framework where utilities could actively encourage private DG investors. The methodology involves calculating and integrating the benefits associated with investment deferral, losses reduction and reliability improvement into the energy price negotiated between the utility and the DG owner. The proposed approach was applied to an adapted test grid, considering real regulatory aspects related to technical losses and reliability. The results provide support for utilities to perform preliminary financial analyses to determine the appropriate incentives for private DG investors, identifying cases with competitive energy prices for generators. Key contributions of this methodology include a clear and reasonable metric for quantifying the capacity to attract investments based on standard utility data and the importance of incorporating regulatory aspects related to technical losses and reliability, that are often neglected in similar studies. Furthermore, the methodology not only promotes new opportunities for DG investors but also addresses challenges associated with network congestion.

Examining the role of virtual teams on project management processes in the Nigerian fintech sector

This study examined the role of virtual teams on project management processes in the Nigerian fintech industry. To achieve this aim, the study sought to examine how communication technology utilisation, trust, and geographical distribution of team members affected the project management processes of virtual team members in the Nigerian fintech industry. Building upon the theoretical frameworks of social presence theory and transaction cost theory, the study adopted a quantitative approach and used a sample of 385 employees of fintech firms in Nigeria. Using an electronic close-ended questionnaire (Google forms), data were collected from 378 participants, indicating a response rate of 98.2%. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the study’s participants. Data were analysed using both descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (multiple linear regression) via the aid of STATA 17. Findings from the study revealed that communication technology utilization (β = 0.3114694, p &lt; 0.05) and geographical distribution of team members (β =0.7622249, p &lt; 0.05) both had statistically significant effects on project management processes. Trust was found to have an insignificant effect on project management processes (β = -0.0085031, p &gt; 0.798). The study concluded that virtual teams significantly and positively affects project management processes in the Nigerian fintech industry, and recommends that firms in the industry should continue with the use of virtual teams in their given projects. Also, the study recommends that policies regarding work in the virtual environment should be formalised so as to maximise the benefits associated with virtual work.