Real vehicle usage rarely matches the predictions made during early phases of vehicle development and sales processes at commercial road vehicle manufacturers. The automotive industry needs multidisciplinary vehicle design methods to predict real-world vehicle operations by considering the vehicle level and the transport system level simultaneously, in a more holistic approach. The aim of this study was to analyse how realistic vehicle usage of driverless multipurpose vehicles can be modelled in Vehicle Routing Problems (VRPs) by conducting a systematic literature review. We found that real vehicle usage modelling of driverless multipurpose vehicles in VRPs mainly depended on the following elements: VRP variant, energy consumption model, energy consumption rate class, number of vehicle-specific design variables and transport system-level factors. Furthermore, we identified in the literature five classes of energy consumption rate edge behaviour in VRPs. These findings can support decision-making in the modelling process to select the most suitable combination of elements, and their level of detail for the overall modelling aim and purpose.

The translation of choice attributes into more meaningful information (e.g., from kWh to costs) is a form of choice architecture that is thought to facilitate decision making by providing decision signposts that activate personally relevant but latent objectives and guide decisions towards options that are most congruent with the activated objectives. Here, we investigated the psychological mechanisms that underlie and drive the directional effects of attribute translations on decision making. Across two choice experiments (total N = 973), we provide empirical support for our proposition that attribute translations operate via pre-decisional attention processes. Specifically, we demonstrate that attribute translations focus individuals’ attention on choice options that are most congruent with the concerns highlighted by translations, and that this attentional prioritization of alternatives predicts choice. In addition to the cognitive mechanisms underlying attribute translations, we highlight the choice architectural principles that moderate the effectiveness of translations. We show that the directional effects of attribute translations are driven by the information that translations provide rather than by contextual changes in the decision environment. In line with previous research on evaluability, we find the effectiveness of attribute translations to depend on information format, with translations conveying evaluative information having a larger impact on decision making than translations providing numerical information. The present study is among the first to investigate the decision making processes underlying a choice architectural intervention. It provides insights into the mechanisms that drive and facilitate the signpost effect and renders recommendations for the implementation of attribute translations in policy making.

This paper deals with the multi-objective optimal design of a novel 6-degree of freedom (DOF) hybrid spray-painting robot. Its kinematic model is obtained by dividing it into serial and parallel parts. The dynamic equation is formulated by virtual work principle. A performance index for evaluating the compactness of robot is presented. Taking compactness, motion/force transmissibility, and energy consumption as performance indices, the optimal geometric parameters of the robot are selected in the Pareto-optimal set by constructing a comprehensive performance index. This paper is very useful for the development of the spray-painting robot.

Many applications require conformance with specifications that constrain the use of resources, such as execution time, energy, bandwidth, etc. We present a configurable framework for static resource usage verification where specifications can include data size-dependent resource usage functions, expressing both lower and upper bounds. Ensuring conformance with respect to such specifications is an undecidable problem. Therefore, to statically check such specifications, our framework infers the same type of resource usage functions, which safely approximate the actual resource usage of the program, and compares them against the specification. We review how this framework supports several languages and compilation output formats by translating them to an intermediate representation based on Horn clauses and using the configurability of the framework to describe the resource semantics of the input language. We provide a detailed formalization and extend the framework so that both resource usage specification and analysis/verification output can include preconditions expressing intervals for the input data sizes for which assertions are intended to hold, proved, or disproved. Most importantly, we also extend the classes of functions that can be checked. We also report on and provide results from an implementation within the Ciao/CiaoPP framework, as well as on a practical tool built by instantiating this framework for the verification of energy consumption specifications for imperative/embedded programs. Finally, we show as an example how embedded software developers can use this tool, in particular, for determining values for program parameters that ensure meeting a given energy budget while minimizing the loss in quality of service.

Novel kinematic architectures can be alternatives for designing energy efficient robotic systems. In this work, the impact of kinematic redundancies in the energy consumption of a planar PKM, the 3PRRR manipulator, is experimentally verified. Because of the presence of the kinematic redundancies, the inverse kinematic problem presents infinity solutions. In this way, a redundancy resolution scheme based on the Model Predictive Control technique is proposed and exploited. It can be concluded that the energy consumption of the non-redundant parallel manipulator 3RRR for executing predefined tasks can be considerably reduced by the inclusion of kinematic redundancies.

Household consumption is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Some behaviours (for example energy use and vehicle use) may have far larger impacts than others (for example green consumerism of household products). Here, the driving forces of green consumerism and two domestic energy uses (electricity consumption and vehicle fuel use) are compared. This study found that environmental attitudes predicted green consumerism, but not electricity consumption or vehicle fuel use. Furthermore, green consumerism was correlated with income and individual level demographic factors, while energy consumption was primarily predicted by household size and structural constraints. Because household energy consumption has greater environmental impacts than green consumerism, policies that aim to improve pro-environmental attitudes may not be effective in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Policies should rather aim to change structural constraints influencing transportation and household energy decisions and improve the conspicuousness of household energy consumption.

Introduction. The cultivationof high-value fruit species is a profitable agricultural activityin many tropical countries; however, intensive fruit cultivationmay depend on high amounts of external inputs. The objective ofour study was to quantify and compare the resource use during thecultivation of eight tropical fruit species (Rubus glaucus, Solanum quitoense, Passiflora edulis, Cyphomandra betacea, Physalis peruviana, Ananas comosus, Persea americana and Mangifera indica) commonly cultivated in Colombia.It further aimed to identify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in theselected production systems and to highlight the potential to contributeto climate change mitigation efforts. Materials and methods. Theanalysis was based on data from agricultural databases and applieda life-cycle assessment with energy use and GHG emissions as impact categories.Furthermore, economic indicators were taken into account with theaim of integrating the environmental and economic goals of productionsystems. Results and discussion. Among the eight fruitspecies studied, mango (Mangifera indica) was foundto have the lowest and tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacea)the highest emission profile. The variability in resource use amonggrowers of the same species was high, indicating the need to improve managementabilities at the farm level. Mineral fertilizer production was the highestcontributor to GHG emissions. GHG- and energy-efficient managementalternatives would have a high potential to reduce the carbon footprint offruit cultivation.

Prompted by current concerns about energy resources and greenhouse gas emissions, we sought to assess the impact of certain key factors on energy efficiency in sheep-for-meat production and to evaluate the main directions for improvement. We used a modelling approach to simulate the functioning and performances of sheep-for-meat production systems integrating an energy balance calculation module. In the first step of this study, we reconstructed system functions and technical and economic results of four typological groups of farms in plainland areas. This served as a basis for calculating their energy efficiency in order to focus on the main factors of energy efficiency, such as high levels of fodder self-sufficiency (low concentrate consumption) and high ewe productivity. The Graze system presented the highest energy efficiency (EE) for sheep unit (EEs = 0.62) with the lowest consumption of equivalent fuel litres requirements (FuReq) per kilogram of lamb carcass produced (1.47), while the ‘sheep and cash crop’ system had the lowest EEs (0.36) and the highest FuReq per kg carcass (2.54). We then took the ‘mixed-farming system’ (a 130 ha farm, including 610 ewes and 40 ha of cropland) and studied three adaptations designed to increase the EEs: improvement of feed self-sufficiency (increased proportion of concentrate produced on-farm), introduction of legumes into the rotation (removal of bought-in nitrogen fertilisers), and production of fuel-oil (from rapeseed) with the flock using oil cakes. The most effective adaptation was the removal of the nitrogen fertilisers. The successive adaptations make it possible to cut energy consumption from 2.2 FuReq/kg carcass down to 0.98 after the optimisations, thereby increasing EEs from 0.42 to 0.93. Finally, we went on to study the energy impact of four factors influencing flock functioning and farm structure, i.e. ewe productivity, lamb weight, distances between plots, and flock size. Ewe productivity and lamb weight had a strong positive impact on EEs. When ewe productivity switched from 0.80 to 1.70, EEs increased from 0.29 to 0.48 while FuReq per kilogram carcass dropped from 3.39 to 1.88. When flock size was increased to over 1000 ewes, there were little or no energy-related economies of scale, as farm area also increased and most of the systems required more equipment.

In the Middle- and East-European countries the political, economic and social situation changed fundamentally in 1989 and 1990. These alterations are reflected in markers of dietary intake, physical activity and health with a trend similar in Czechia, East Germany, Lithuania and Poland. Thus, the previous increase in energy consumption stopped and was followed by a decline. The increasing preference for a lower level of activity is demonstrated by the number of private cars clearly accelerating its rate of growth after the change. Life expectancy had been increasing during the eighties only slightly. After the change the yearly increase became higher than before. The rate difference is higher in men than in women. Beginning from 1991 the CVD mortality decreased considerably.

The nutritional cost of both the acquisition and maintenance of immunity to gastro-intestinal nematodes was investigated using immunologically naïve 5-month-old lambs and immunologically competent 17-month-old ewes. Within each age cohort, animals were either infected with the equivalent of 80 L3 Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae per kg live weight (LW) per day (IF), similarly infected and concurrently immuno-suppressed with weekly injections of 1·3 mg/kg LW of the glucocorticoid methylprednisolone acetate (ISIF), immuno-suppressed only (IS) or remained as controls (C). Body composition of all animals was estimated using X-ray computer tomography on days -14 and 76 relative to the start of infection. Body weight and faecal nematode egg counts (FEC; eggs per gram of fresh faeces (e.p.g.)) were taken weekly and blood samples for serum proteins and antibodies were obtained every 2 weeks. FEC in IF lambs peaked at 1250 e.p.g. before a typical decline as immunity developed to less than 100 e.p.g. by day 75. FEC of less than 100 e.p.g. in IF ewes indicated immunity was maintained. Successful immuno-suppression in ISIF lambs and ewes was indicated by FEC of 4000 e.p.g. on day 75 and was confirmed by comparative worm burdens and serum antibody titres. The typical reduction in voluntary food intake (VFI) as a consequence of infection was observed in IF lambs (proportionately 0·30, P < 0·001) but not in IF ewes, ISIF lambs or ISIF ewes. Gross efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for net energy deposition was reduced by proportionately 0·20 in lambs during acquisition of immunity and by 0·16 in ewes maintaining an established immunity. Infection in immuno-suppressed animals reduced efficiency by 0·05 and 0·15 for lambs and ewes, respectively. These findings allowed the hypothesis that the reduction in VFI and loss in performance in young parasitised sheep is caused by physiological signalling associated with the acquisition phase of the host immune response to infection, rather than simply the damage caused by the parasite per se.

An experiment was performed to assess the metabolic adaptation and hormonal regulation in young female rabbits during long-term food restriction and subsequent compensatory growth during rearing. Feeding level was either ad libitum (AL, no. = 52) or restricted (R, no. = 52). From 6 to 12 weeks of age, food intake ofR was kept at a constant level. This resulted in an increase in relative restriction as compared with AL to 0-54of AL intake at 12 weeks of age (restriction period). Thereafter food intake gradually increased to 0-95 of AL at 17 weeks of age (recovery period). During the last 5 days before insemination at 17-5 weeks of age, all animals were fed to appetite. Blood samples were taken weekly from 6 to 17 weeks of age from 11 animals in each group. Growth rate of R was reduced during the restricted period (29 (s.d. 2) v. 44 (s.d. 5) g/day for R and AL, respectively; P 0-05), but was higher in the recovery period (30 (s.d. 3) v. 27 (s.d. 4) g/day, respectively; P<0-05). At first insemination, AL rabbits were heavier than R (4202 (s.d. 388) v. 3798 (s.d. 220) g, respectively; P < 0-001). During the restricted period, plasma glucose was constantly lower (P < 0-05) in R. Insulin levels paralleled those of glucose, being lower (P < 0-05) in R than in AL. Restriction reduced (P < 0-05) circulating corticosterone and tri-iodothyronine (T3) levels in R. Leptin, non-esterified fatty acids, and plasma urea nitrogen levels were similar for AL and R during food restriction, whereas triglycerides were similar until 10 weeks of age, after which the levels were lower in R. During the recovery period, the food intake of the R but not AL rabbits increased. Insulin was the only hormone in R rabbits that had returned to levels found in AL rabbits by the 2nd week of the recovery period. Glucose, T3, and corticosterone levels returned to levels found in AL rabbits between 3 to 4 weeks after refeeding. Non-esterified fatty acids, triglycerides, and leptin were higher (P < 0-05) in AL rabbits from 13 weeks of age onwards. The pattern of changes in the endocrine status during food restriction and compensatory growth in rabbits do conform with those from other species, although some specific changes may vary depending on the severity of food restriction and its duration.

A total of 317 dairy and beef cattle, offered grass silage-based diets, have been subjected to energy metabolism measurements in calorimetric chambers in 11 feeding experiments at this Institute. In addition the silages (no. = 33) were also given individually to sheep as a sole food at maintenance feeding level for measurement of energy intake and outputs (faeces and urine). The digestible (DE) and metabolizable (ME) energy concentrations of mixed diets for sheep at maintenance were estimated using these measured silage data, predicted silage methane energy output and tabulated energy values of concentrates. The objective of the present study was to use treatment mean data (no. = 59), derived from the cattle (production level) (MEprod or DEprod) and the sheep (maintenance level) (MEmaint or DEmaint), to evaluate the combined effects of animal species and level of feeding on dietary ME or DE concentration. The mean-square prediction error technique and the sensitivity test both indicated that there was little bias derived from the deviation of the slope (line bias) when relating MEprod (DEprod) with cattle to MEmaint (DEmaint) with sheep. Relating feeding level to the decline in ME or DE concentration (from maintenance to production level) revealed that the constant had no significant effect on the relationship, suggesting that there was little difference in dietary ME or DE concentration between sheep and cattle when given food at maintenance. ME d and DE d were significantly related to MEmaint and DEmaint (P < 0001) respectively. These two relationships were however influenced (P < 0001) by level of feeding above maintenance (FL-1). There was little effect of silage DM proportion in the total diets (S/T) on the depression of ME concentration from maintenance to production levels, while this effect on the depression of DE concentration was significant (P < 0001). Therefore, the following two equations are recommended to calculate MEprod and DEprod concentrations respectively for cattle using data obtained with sheep at maintenance. Alternatively, with each unit increase in feeding level above maintenance, dietary ME and DE concentrations respectively were reduced by proportionately 0016 and 0025 for grass silage-based diets, irrespective of the effect of forage proportion on the latter. MEprod = [1 068 - 0019 ✕ (FL-1)] ✕ MEmaint - 0·755 DE d = [0·891 + (-0027 + 0018 ✕ S/T) ✕ (FL-1)] ✕ DEmaint + 1·355

Six multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were offered a total mixed ration based on maize silage in a repeated measure design to evaluate the partition of gross energy (GE) during early to mid lactation. Four measurements were made at 6-week intervals with energy and nitrogen balances carried out in open-circuit respiration chambers over 6 days during lactation weeks 6, 12, 18 and 24. The intakes of total diet dry matter (DM) corrected for volatile losses (VCDM), organic matter (OM) and GE declined significantly (P < 0•01) as lactation progressed, although apparent digestibility of these fractions was not altered, resulting in a significant (P < 0•01) decline in digestible nutrient intake at each stage of lactation. Methane and urine energy losses were not significantly affected, resulting in significantly (P < 0·001) higher amounts of digestible energy (DE) partitioned to methane and urine as lactation progressed with associated significant reductions in metabolizable energy (ME) intake (MEI) (P < 0·01) and ME as a proportion of DE (P < 0·001) and GE (q) (P < 0·05). With advancing lactation there was a significant (P < 0·001) increase in the amount of ME partitioned to heat (HP/MEI), but no significant change in the amount partitioned to milk and tissue. Individual values for diet metabolizability (ME/GE) at actual (production) levels (qa) (mean 0·625 MJ/MJ) were corrected to an equivalent value at maintenance (qmc) (mean 0·666 MJ/MJ). The overall ME intakes (MJ/day) were: ad libitum, 246, corrected for level of feeding effect, 263, with a predicted ME requirement according to AFRC (1993) (MER93) of 242. Substitution of the calculated qmc into the predictive equations (AFRC, 1993) resulted in a mean maintenance requirement of 57·6 MJ/day (0·464 MJ/kg M0·75/day) whilst the mean value derived from the linear model describing the experimental data was 82·5 MJ/day (0·664 MJ/kg M0·75/day). The mean efficiencies of utilization of ME for milk production derived from AFRC (1993) and the linear regression model were 0·653 MJ/MJ and 0·625 MJ/MJ respectively.

Four multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows fitted with simple cannulas in the proximal duodenum and the rumen were offered four diets in a 4 ✕ 4 Latin-square design to evaluate the effect on energy and nitrogen balance of crop maturity of maize when offered as ensiled food with grass silage and a concentrate. Forage maize (cv. Hudson) was ensiled at target dry matter (DM) contents of 230, 280, 330 and 380 g per kg fresh weight (FW). The mean values for volatile corrected DM (VCDM) and starch content of the maize forages as given were 226, 278, 319 and 357 g/kg FW and 180, 263, 327 and 401 g/kg VCDM respectively. Grass silage (GS) containing 247 g VCDM per kg FW was produced from the primary growth of a perennial ryegrass sward. The diets comprised 8·7 kg DM concentrate per day with one of four forage treatments offered ad libitum, in a 3 : 1 DM ratio of maize silage with GS, designated T23, T28, T33 and T38. Each period was of 6 weeks with energy and nitrogen balances conducted in respiration chambers over 6 days in either week 5 or 6. There were no significant effects of maturity on DM intake. Changes in milk yield and composition were not significant but milk protein yield increased significantly (P < 0·05) with maize maturity up to T33 and was linearly related (P < 0·05) to changes in maize silage starch and neutraland acid-detergent fibre (NDF, ADF) content. Total starch intake increased significantly (P < 0·01) with maturity but apparent digestibility of starch was significantly (P < 0·05) reduced only with the most mature maize silage (T38). NDF and ADF intake and amounts digested were not significantly different despite a numerical decline with stage of maturity. Total nitrogen intake and apparent digestibility were not significantly different although there were significant differences (P < 0·05) in the amount of nitrogen excreted as urine, which was greatest on T23 and least on T33, and milk which was least on T23 and greatest on T33. Mean gross energy (GE) intake increased by 17 MJ/day from T23 to T33 but the differences were non-significant. Faecal energy output on T23 was significantly lower (P < 0·05) than the other treatments whilst urine energy on T23 was significantly higher (P < 0·05) compared with T33. Methane energy losses were not significantly different. There were no significant differences between treatments in either GE digestibility or metabolizability, digestible or metabolizable energy (ME) intakes or in the partition of ME to heat, tissue or milk. The calculated ME concentrations of the maize silages were not significantly different with an overall mean of 12·3 MJ/kg VCDM estimated at maintenance intake, or 0·63 MJ/MJ GE. Changes in maize silage composition resulted in a doubling of the ratio of digested starch to digested NDF (0·66, 0·94, 1·10 and 1·21) for treatments T23 to T38 respectively. Despite this large change in digested nutrients no differences in the efficiency of energy utilization were detected.

Energy and nitrogen metabolism were examined at weekly intervals during lactation weeks 1 to 8 in Holstein-Friesian cows (no. = 9) offered a diet of hay, maize pellets (whole plant) and concentrates, (barley, maize and soya bean; forage : concentrate ratio 65 : 35), with feeding levels close to ad libitum.

After calving, the cows lost body weight until week 7, with peak milk yield (35 kg/day) recorded during week 3. Dry-matter intakes increased progressively to week 4 then remained relatively constant. Apparent digestibility of dietary energy was unaffected by stage of lactation but the overall value was low (0·653) indicative of the quantity and quality of long hay in the diet. Metabolizable energy intakes ranged between 163 and 202 MJ/day, with little between-week variation after that between weeks 1 and 2 (P < 0·01). Milk energy output was relatively stable during weeks 1 to 4 but then declined progressively for each remaining week, whilst heat energy output was relatively constant throughout. Estimates of body energy retention indicated the cows were in negative energy balance at all times, being greater in week 1 (64 MJ/day, P < 0·01) than weeks 2 to 4 (mean, 35 MJ/day) or weeks 5 to 8 (22 MJ/day). Digestible nitrogen (N) intake was reduced in week 1, whilst apparent N digestibility declined significantly , with little between-week variation after that between weeks 1 and 2 < 0·05) as lactation progressed. The cows were in negative N balance (–19 g/day) during week 1, with zero (week 2) or positive balances noted thereafter.

It is concluded that during early lactation, the extent of body tissue mobilization in average yielding cows can be substantial and prolonged, whilst attainment of positive body N status occurred earlier and was not related to the energy status of the cows.

Twenty-four multiparous ewes were used to test the hypothesis that synchronizing the hourly rate of release of energy and nitrogen in the rumen would optimize milk production. Three diets were formulated using the in situ degradability of the food ingredients, to differ in their rate of organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (N) release in the rumen. All diets contained 400 g grass silage per kg dry matter (DM) and were predicted to have a similar content of metabolizable energy (11·8 MJ/kg DM), metabolizable protein (102 g/kg DM), neutral-detergent fibre (365 g/kg DM) and daily ratio of N: OM supply to the rumen but differ in their hourly pattern of nutrient release to be either synchronous (S), asynchronous (A) or intermediate (I). The diets were offered ad libitum as a complete feed in a 3 × 3 Latin-square design consisting of three periods each of 28 days duration. Synchronizing the hourly supply of energy and N to the rumen did not significantly alter milk or milk fat yield (g/d), milk protein content (g/kg), DM intake (kg/day), total time spent eating or the number of meals per day. However, compared with ewes offered diets I or A, those offered diet S had a lower milk fat content (g/kg; P < 0·05) whilst protein yield (g/day) tended to be increased (P = 0·05). Animals offered the synchronous diet (S) had lower plasma urea concentrations throughout the day and significantly higher beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations at 14:00 and 18:00 h than those offered diets I or A. In conclusion, synchronizing dietary energy and N supply to the rumen did not have a major effect on milk production in ewes.