Search

In recent years, evidence has emerged about the importance of healthy fluid intake in children for physical and mental performance and health, and in the prevention of obesity. Accurate data on water intake are needed to inform researchers and policymakers and for setting dietary reference values. However, to date, there are few published data on fluid or water intakes in children. This is due partly to the fact that drinking water is not always reported in dietary surveys. The aim of this paper is to review the current status of the literature and highlight the challenges of assessing total fluid intake in children and adolescents. From the dietary assessment literature it is apparent that children present unique challenges to assessing intake due to ongoing cognitive capacity development, limited literacy skills, difficulties in estimating portion sizes and multiple caregivers during any 1 day making it difficult to track intakes. As such, many issues should be considered when assessing total fluid intakes in children or adolescents. Various methods to assess fluid intakes exist, each with its own strengths and weaknesses; the ultimate choice of method depends on the research question and resources available. Based on the literature review, it is apparent that if the research focus is to assess only fluid intake, a fluid-specific method, such as a diary or record, appears to be a feasible approach to provide an accurate estimate of intakes.

In Exp. 1, six individually fed Hereford steers were exposed to hot (HOT) or thermoneutral (TNL) environmental conditions (ENV) while being adapted (stepped-up) to a finishing diet by decreasing roughage level from 55 to 10% of the diet DM over 17 d. Only at 10% roughage did heat exposure result in reduced (P

The water collection behaviour of colony foundresses of a Japanese paper wasp, Polistes chinensis antennalis , was recorded. A single round-trip of water collection consists of (1) an outward flight, (2) water-sucking, and (3) a homeward flight. The rate of water intake decreased as the length of water-sucking increased. There was a positive correlation between the duration of the outward flight and that of water-sucking. The variance of time for outward flights was larger than that for homeward flights. The data were consistent with the predictions of the central place foraging model of Orians & Pearson (1979) .

A variety of dust control methods are often applied in coal mines, among which the application of wet scrubbers has proven to be an efficient technology for the removal of dust in airstreams, rather than diluting or confining the dust. In this paper, a wet scrubber design was developed. Based on a self-designed experimental test platform, the total dust concentration, respirable dust concentration, air volume, and average pressure drops of wet scrubbers with 12, 16, 20, and 24 blades were measured under different water intake conditions. The results show that the different water intake levels have only minimal effects on the air volume of the wet scrubbers. However, increased water intake had improved the dust removal efficiency of the wet scrubbers with the same number of blades. The wet scrubber with 16 blades was found to have the best dust removal efficiency at a water intake level of 1.35 m3/h. Its total dust and respirable dust removal efficiency reached 96.81% and 95.59%, respectively. The air volume was 200.4 m3/min, and the average pressure drop was determined to be 169.4 Pa. In addition, when the wet scrubber with 16 blades was applied in a coal preparation plant in China’s Shanxi Province, it was observed that the total dust concentration had fallen below 8.1 mg/m3, and the respirable dust concentration had fallen below 5.9 mg/m3. Therefore, the results obtained in this research investigation provide important references for the use of wet scrubbers to improve coal production environmental conditions.

Once the engine failure or fuel exhaustion above water, the aircraft should be ditching on the water surface immediately. From the perspective of floating characteristics, the overall layout of the wings will affect the float ability obviously. The paper based on the anti-sinking theory of floating characteristics and the discrete analysis method of water intake fragments, calculating the floatation characteristics for upper monoplane and lower mono-plane in different center of gravity. The analysis and conclusion can provide a reference for the safety assessment after ditching and the emergency escape device design.

After the above paper had been published it was discovered that because of difficulty in measuring rabbit water intake accurately with the containers used in the experiment described in that paper the amount of scopolamine hydrobromide ingested by the rabbits was less than as stated. It was therefore decided to repeat the experiment using a different type of water container. The original experiment was carried out in winter and the latter in summer and this could be another factor in the increase in water intake by the does in the present experiment.

Aim of the study To assess the effect of water intake on ultrasound tissue characteristics and hemodynamics of adult livers. Material and methods In February 2020, we prospectively performed ultrasound shear wave elastography and attenuation imaging (ATI) of the liver parenchyma, and spectral Doppler sonography of the portal vein and hepatic artery in 19 adult healthy volunteers (10 men and 9 women, mean age 27 years, mean body mass index 24.65 kg/m2). We measured liver shear wave velocity (SWV, m/s), shear wave dispersion (SWD, m/s/kHz), attenuation coefficient (dB/cm/MHz), main portal vein velocity (PVV, cm/s), hepatic artery peak systolic velocity (PSV, cm/s), and end diastolic velocity (EDV, cm/s) immediately before and at different time points (15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes) after water intake (1.0 l water and 1.5 l water for body weight < 150 lbs. and ≥ 150 lbs., respectively). Results The differences in SWV, PVV, hepatic artery PSV and EDV before and after water intake were significant (p < 0.01) whereas the differences in SWD and ATI were not (p > 0.05) based on repeated measures ANOVA tests. The values of SWV, PVV, PSV, and EDV reached a peak at 30-45 minutes and returned to baseline 60 minutes after water intake. We observed positive correlations of SWV with PVV, PSV, and EDV in linear regression analyses (r2 > 0.73). Conclusions Water intake affects the liver stiffness and hemodynamics. No water intake at least one hour prior to liver ultrasound elastography and Doppler sonography is recommended.

A vast population of the world is vulnerable to fluoride contaminated drinking water intake, and there are various defluoridation techniques available to date as well. But the removal of fluoride is still a challenge, especially in remote rural areas because available techniques require proper supervision and equally, ineffective due to economic issues and electricity crisis. Among all methods of defluoridation, adsorption methods are found better to carry out at the community and household level but sometimes demanded a replacement of commercial activated carbon (CAC) due to economic issues and less availability in remote areas. Hence keeping this in mind, the present study assessed the pine cone activated carbon (PCAC) as adsorbent material in the defluoridation that is easy to prepare like any other agriculture-waste material. The activated carbon was prepared using KOH as an impregnating agent for activation of pine cone by pyrolysis technique at 800 °C and has been analyzed for various parameters in the fluoride removal viz. contact time, dose variation, pH and initial fluoride concentration. The maximum adsorption capacity of fluoride on pine cone activated carbon was found 1.34 mg/g of initial fluoride concentration (2–12 mg/L) at pH (6.8–7.0) with a contact period of 45 min. Also, a comparison has been made between Pine Cone Activated Carbon (PCAC) with Commercial Activated Carbon (CAC) based on obtained results. It has been suggested that Pine cone activated carbon is efficient as well as cheap adsorbent and can be used for the removal of fluoride from drinking water in rural areas.

ObjectiveTo examine the association of water intake with risk of mortality from CVD.DesignProspective cohort study.Setting/SubjectsA total of 22 939 men and 35 362 women aged 40–79 years enrolled in the Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study with available data regarding water intake from foods and beverages. The underlying causes of death were determined based on the International Classification of Diseases.ResultsDuring the median 19·1 years of follow-up, 1637 men and 1707 women died from CVD. There was an inverse trend between high water intake and risk of CVD in both sexes. Compared with participants in the lowest quintile of water intake, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95 % CI) for mortality from total CVD in the highest quintile of water intake were 0·88 (0·72, 1·07; P for trend=0·03) in men and 0·79 (0·66, 0·95; P for trend=0·10) in women. Those for CHD were 0·81 (0·54, 1·21; P for trend=0·06) in men and 0·60 (0·39, 0·93; P for trend=0·20) in women. Reduced risk of mortality from ischaemic stroke was also observed among women in the highest water intake quintile: 0·70 (0·47, 0·99; P for trend=0·19). There was no association between water intake and mortality from haemorrhagic stroke in either sex.ConclusionsHigher intake of fluids from foods and beverages was associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality in both sexes and reduced risk of ischaemic stroke in women in Japan.

The European Food Safety Authority’s 2010 scientific opinion on dietary reference values for total water intakes was partly based on observed intakes in population groups. Large variability was observed, and it is unlikely that these differences can be explained by differences in climate, activity level and/or culture. This suggests that there are uncertainties in the methodologies used to assess water intake from food and fluids, including all types of beverages. To determine current methods for recording and reporting total water, beverages and fluid intakes, twenty-one European countries were surveyed using an electronic questionnaire. In total, twelve countries responded and ten completed surveys were summarised. Countries reported that their survey was representative of the population in terms of age and socio-economic status. However, a variety of methods were used – that is, repeated 24-h recalls, estimated food diaries and FFQ. None of the methods were validated to assess water and fluid intakes. The methods used to record liquid foods – for example, soup and diluted drinks – were inconsistent. Clarity and consistency on definitions of categories of beverages to facilitate comparisons between countries are needed. Recommendations for a unified approach to surveying and quantifying intake of water from fluids and foods are proposed.

ObjectiveTo examine the consumption of plain water among children in France and compare total water intakes with guidelines issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).DesignNationally representative data were used to assess food, beverage and water consumption by sex, age group (4–8 years, 9–13 years), income-to-poverty ratio, eating occasion and location. Beverages were classified into nine groups: water (tap or bottled), milk, 100 % fruit juice, sodas, fruit drinks, hot beverages, sports drinks and flavoured waters. Total water volume in relation to energy intake (litres/kcal) was also examined.SettingINCA 2 study (Étude Individuelle Nationale des Consommations Alimentaires 2006–2007).SubjectsFrench children (n 835) aged 4–13 years.ResultsTotal water intakes were accounted for by plain water (34 %), beverages (26 %) and food moisture (40 %). Plain water could be tap (18 %) or bottled (16 %). Older children drank more plain water than did younger children and boys drank more plain water than did girls. No socio-economic gradient for plain water consumption was observed. About 90 % of children did not meet the EFSA water intake recommendations. The daily water shortfall ranged from 367 to 594 ml/d. Water-to-energy ratio was 0·75–0·77 litres/1000 kcal (4184 kJ). Children drank milk at breakfast and plain water during lunch and dinner. Caloric beverages provided 10 % of dietary energy; consumption patterns varied by eating location.ConclusionsTotal water intakes among young children in France were below EFSA-recommended levels. Analyses of beverage consumption patterns by eating occasion and location can help identify ways to increase water consumption among children.

ObjectiveTo study the quantity and quality of water intake from beverages among pre-schoolers and investigate associations with gender and socio-economic status (SES).DesignKindergarten-based cross-sectional survey within the large-scale European ToyBox-study. A standardized protocol was used and parents/caregivers filled in sociodemographic data and a semi-quantitative FFQ.SettingKindergartens in six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain).SubjectsEuropean pre-schoolers (aged 3·5–5·5 years) and their parents/caregivers (n 7051).ResultsMean water intake was 1051 ml/d; plain water, 547 ml/d; plain milk, 241 ml/d; other fruit juice, 104 ml/d; pure fruit juice, 59 ml/d; soft drinks, 55 ml/d; tea, 45 ml/d; sugared and chocolate milk, 37 ml/d; smoothies, 15 ml/d; and light soft drinks, 6 ml/d. Boys had a higher water intake than girls due to a higher consumption of plain water, but more importantly to the consumption of beverages of less quality. Lower-SES pre-schoolers scored better on quantity than high-SES pre-schoolers, but as a consequence of consumption of sugared beverages. Nevertheless, the associations differed by country.ConclusionsThe water intake from beverages did not meet the European Food Safety Authority standard of 1280 ml/d; especially in Western European countries water intake from beverages was low. The most important water sources were plain water, milk and fruit juices. Interventions aiming at a proper and sufficient water intake should focus on both quantity and quality. Messages about water and water sources should be clear for everyone and interventions should be sufficiently tailored.

High fluid intake has been universally recommended for kidney stone prophylaxis. We evaluated 24-h urine osmolality regarded as the best biomarker of optimal hydration and upper metastable limit osmolality after water evaporation from urine sample to the onset of spontaneous crystallization and its usefulness as a new risk index that would describe an individual lithogenic potential. We collected 24-h urine from 257 pediatric patients with kidney stones and 270 controls. After volume and osmolality assessment, the urine samples were subjected to volume reduction in vacuum rotavapor continued to the onset of an induced urinary crystallization. The upper metastable limit osmolality of urine sample was calculated based on its initial osmolality value and the amount of water reduction. Pediatric stone formers presented with higher urine volume and lower urine osmolality than healthy controls. Despite that, their urine samples required much lower volume reduction to induce the spontaneous crystallization than those of controls. The ROC analysis revealed an AUC for the upper metastable limit osmolality of 0.9300 (95% CI 0.9104-0.9496) for distinguishing between stone formers and healthy subjects. At the cutoff of 2696 mOsm/kg, the test provided sensitivity and specificity of 0.8638 and 0.8189, respectively. 24-h urine osmolality provided the information about current hydration status, whereas evaporation test estimated the urinary potential to crystalize dependent on urine composition. Upper metastable limit osmolality may estimate the individual lithogenic capability and identify people at risk to stone formation when exposed to dehydration.

Application of timber structures in civil engineering is completely traditional technology. On the other hand, the materials with better durability characteristics are preferred in present construction. Increased or fluctuating moisture of wood is a significant limiting factor of its life. Wood modification, which results in water intake reduction and also serves to maintain the low equilibrium moisture, may significantly improve the properties of wood, reduces the caused volumetric changes and extends its durability. Utilization of partial or total wood mineralization is just one of the material modification possibilities. This method seems to be promising due to so far gathered results, namely the anti swelling efficiency was greater than 65% for tested wooden species.

The potential use of iron removal sludge of freshwater treatment facilities for the recovery of oil from aqueous media was established. A high adsorption capacity for oil of this material was shown using the deep-well water iron removal sludge from the Tomsk Akademgorodok water intake site. The oil-absorbing capacity of as-recived sludge was studied, conditions for its thermal treatment were chosen, and the ability of the thermally activated sludge to recover oil from aqueous media was examined.

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects on mortality, production performance, water intake (WI), and organ weight of Satureja khuzistanica essential oil (SkEO) using 720 1-day-old Arian broiler chicks in a 42-day trial. Experimental treatments were addition of 0 (control(-)), 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/L SkEO or 500 mg/L polysorbate 80 (control(+)) into drinking water. The birds were kept under natural ambient temperatures 4 to 6 °C above standard recommendation from days 22 to 42 of age. Addition of SkEO into drinking water at 200 and 500 mg/L decreased weight gain (P 0.05) of the birds from days 29 to 35 of age with no differences in feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to control groups (P 0.05). Supplementation of drinking water with 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/L SkEO resulted in a 0.47, 4.40, 8.60, and 12.93% decrease in WI, respectively, from days 1 to 42 of age. The calculated European broiler index was greater for the birds received 400 mg/L of SkEO in their drinking water compared with that of the other birds (P 0.05). Pancreas percentage was increased for the birds received 200 to 500 mg/L SkEO at days 21 and 42 of age compared with that of the control(-) birds (P 0.05). The gall bladder weight was 17.56, 40.50, 12.16, and 38.73% greater for the birds received 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/L SkEO compared with that of the control(-) birds, respectively. The results showed that an addition of 400 mg/L SkEO into drinking water for heat-stressed broiler chickens improves economic efficiency possibly by promoting digestion process, creating miniscule improvement in FCR and lowered mortality rate.

1. The effect of three metabolisable energy (ME) concentrations 12.2, 11.3 and 10.5 MJ ME/kg and two forms of diet (mash and pellet) on egg production in summer and winter were studied. The different ME values were obtained by diluting the 12.2 MJ ME/kg diet with sugar beet pulp of 2.88 MJ/kg DM. In a 3rd summer experiment the water intake of hens on these diets was examined. Data were analysed by factorial analysis of variance, and the relationship between performance and dietary energy concentration was examined by regression analysis. 2. The use of low energy diets (10.5 to 11.3 MJ ME/kg) decreased egg production in both seasons, but pelleting diets improved egg production and egg weight in summer. Egg weight was not affected by energy density in winter, but decreased in the summer when energy density increased. 3. In winter, food consumption was not affected by the dietary ME, while in summer food consumption increased when the dietary ME increased. Therefore, energy intake was not the same at all energy densities, but tended to increase as the energy density increased. 4. In summer, pelleting improved food efficiency and egg production and increased water consumption and the ratio of water to food intake. Water intake and water: food ratio decreased with increasing dietary energy concentration.

This chapter focuses on the balance of water intake and discharge in humans and animals. It explains how the intake of water by a human being is discharged by means of removal by kidneys and evaporation from the skin surface. It also describes the seriousness of reduction of water intake. It explains how sea birds can drink salt water and remove excess of salt by “weeping.” The chapter discusses the various studies and indicators used to measure water in humans. The chapter also describes how the constancy of volume and composition of liquids are maintained in an organism. It further explains the function of the kidneys and Henle's loop. It talks about ultrafiltration and equations for measuring urine concentrations. Cryobiology and biological antifreezes are detailed next. This chapter also describes the mechanism that many animals use for survival at extremely low temperatures. It discusses other types of solutions present in animals that act as natural antifreeze. Finally it explains how plants that survive cold temperatures also possess antifreeze.

A quantitative study of the course of water absorption by seeds during germination was made (1) to determine whether seeds actually differ in the total amount and rate of water intake; (2) to note the role played by the various parts of the seeds; (3) to determine whether there exist seeds with mesic (intermediate water), hydric (high water), or xeric (low water or desert) germination modifications; and (4) to determine whether there are varietal differences in water absorption by seeds. Many types of seeds have been studied, but, for the purposes of this report, the data are given only for the seeds of various beans studied. The bean seeds used are those of Phaseolus lunatus var. Florida Speckled Butter; Phaseolus coccineus var. Rubronanus; Phaseolus vulgaris var. Pinto or Mexican, and Glycine Max var. Arksoy, #2913. The details concerning the procedure, laboratory conditions, techniques, and handling of bean seeds used were described in an earlier paper (1). Seeds of each variety were sterilized in HgCl2, germinated on wet filter paper in Petri dishes at room temperature, and dissected at four 24-hour intervals of germination into their seed organs; the percentage of water was determined for like organs of each variety and expressed on absolute basis, and the percentage of water absorbed by the entire seed was determined by the same method.

The aim of the present study was to develop a simple disinfection method for reducing the content of bacteria in the water system of dental units to an acceptable level. The study was carried out at the Royal Dental College, Copenhagen, on 250 dental units. Samples of the cooling water supplying the ultrasonic scalers and of the water supplying the water glasses were obtained from eight different units representing different parts of the school. Disinfection of the water system was carried out by addition of chlorine to the pipe water near the institution's main water intake. The chlorination of the water was automatically regulated, and the installation was so flexible that the concentration of chlorine and the time and frequency of the chlorination could be varied. Different modes of chlorine dosage were examined. Before chlorination, the bacterial content in the water system of the units was about 104 - 105cfu/mL. It was found that an intermittent chlorination with 0.5-1 ppm chlorine for 10 minutes every day could reduce the normal bacterial counts in the water system to about a few hundred per mL.

Tracking drinking behaviors and digitally presenting the information can motivate people's daily water intake. In this paper, we present MossWater, a living interface designed to visualize the daily water intake and so as to motivate people to drink water more frequently and proactively. The system utilizes living interface as an unobtrusive ambient display to evoke empathy. Caring and watering the moss is designed as a metaphor for caring for people's health by regularly drinking, which invokes people's feeling of empathy to motivate their healthier behaviors. This paper also presents the results of a user study exploring the usability of MossWater and users' feedbacks to this living interface. Our system is expected to promote the welfare of both human and nature in the long-term.

The paper describes a method to calculate filtration rates that can be used to find equipment with best performance considering the well specific features. The method is presented by using an example of an infiltration intake in Kursk (Black Soil Region, Russia). The paper contains the formula to calculate filtration rates of various grounds for different well types located in different hydrological and hydrogeological areas. The applied equations are built on Dupuit equations.

This investigation was to find out whether captive common buzzards need additional drinking water to complement the water they obtain from their pre-slaughtered meat meals and to investigate their average daily water requirements. Twenty five (25) common buzzards were studied at the wildlife hospital and rehabilitation centre Aegina, Greece with weight ranging between 498.4g and 911g. Large quantity of potable water was measured equally into same size ceramic bowls and served each bird under study in separate individual paper boxes. At the end of 24 hours, the left over water was carefully brought out and re-measured to determine the quantity the birds have consumed. A control was set with a ceramic bowl with same quantity of water put in a paper box without a bird to determine the quantity of water lost to the atmosphere through evaporation on each day of the experiment. The water lost from the control on a daily basis was corrected in order to determine the quantity the common buzzards consumed daily. The weight of the studied buzzards were carefully taken and recorded 6 times each during the study period with W1 and W6 as entry and exit weights respectively. The mean of W1-W6 was used for the computation of the average percentage live body weight of the buzzards. The investigation revealed that captive common buzzards took water every day and the average daily water consumption of 724.9g buzzard was 31.4cc or 4.3% of its live body weight. The investigation further shows that the average water lost by evaporation daily (10.7cc) and that consumed by each buzzard daily (31.4cc) add up to 5.8%, equivalent of the average live body weight of the studied captive common buzzards which was 724.9g. The regression coefficient indicated that wt.gain / loss = 0.942 + 1.795 H2O. This implies that a unit increase in the average quantity of water consumed resulted in a corresponding increase of 1.795 body weight gain by the captive common buzzards.

A meta-analysis was conducted to elucidate the factors affecting drinking water intake (DWI) in order to develop new DWI empricial predictive models for lactating dairy cows and to compare with existing models. A large dataset, containing 262 experimental diets from 75 experiments published in 65 peer-reviewed papers was built. Selected explanatory variables were grouped into animal (body weight (BW); BW0.75; milk yield), diet composition (dry matter; ash; sodium; potassium; crude protein (CP); neutral detergent fiber), dry matter intake (DMI) and environment (mean air temperature and relative humidity) inputs. To develop the predictive models, the dataset (peer-reviewed papers) was randomly divided into two subsets for statistical analyses. The first data subset was used to develop equations to predict DWI (41 peer-reviewed papers; 47 experiments; 157 experimental diets), and the second data subset was used to assess the adequacy of the predictive models (24 peer-reviewed papers; 28 experiments; 105 experimental diets). Ash was the main diet input affecting DWI in lactating dairy cows, while BW0.75 affected DWI more than milk yield. Use of dietary characteristics (DM, ash and CP) and DMI as inputs could be enough to predict DWI as accurately as more complete models. Dry matter intake as predictive variable does not improve DWI prediction in models with only animal (BW0.75 and milk yield) as input, but it substantially improves prediction of models without use of animal as input. Among the existing models evaluated, those developed from just one experiment (Castle and Thomas, 1975; Little and Shaw, 1978; Murphy et al., 1983; Stockdale and King, 1983; Dahlborn et al., 1998) had poor prediction quality. We proposed the use of two models (diet II and animal + diet models) that presented the lowest root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) to predict DWI in lactating dairy cows.

This paper uses the equivalent linear model of Hardin-Drnevich and the dynamic effective stress analysis method, gets the safety coefficient of stability, the liquefaction zone distribution and seismic residual deformation of diversion dike under the seismic action of SL1 and SL2. The paper also uses the minimum safety coefficient and average minimum safety coefficient of the whole process of earthquake to evaluate the stability of diversion dike under different seismic action and compares the results. Compared with SL2, the diversion dike foundation liquefaction range is smaller than under the SL1 seismic action, so it is does not affect the normal use of diversion dike structure. When meet the seismic action of SL2 which is appears about one time in a ten thousand, diversion dike will produce bigger deformation, but the integral slip to the heart of canal will not happen, so the use of water of the nuclear power plant is safe. The result has a certain reference value and guiding significance for the similar engineering design.

Each winter, municipal water supply and thermal power plants drawing water from the Great Lakes face the problem of their water intakes becoming blocked by frazil ice formed in the lakes. Little is known about the manner in which frazil forms, how it is drawn down to the depths at which the intakes are located, and how to prevent frazil from fully blocking intakes. This paper presents an overview of frazil formation and intake blockage in the Great Lakes. The paper first reviews the current understanding of the processes of frazil formation and intake blockage, and it adds new insight regarding the processes. It then describes the problem by way of case-study examples of frazil blockage of two intakes in Lake Michigan. Based on the case studies, and experiences with other intakes in the Great Lakes, the paper outlines methods for monitoring and mitigating frazil blockage. Two options are recommended: monitoring rate of water level drop in the pump forebay onshore from the intake, and rate of headloss increase between the intake and the forebay. Laboratory modeling of intake blockage is then presented.

The existence of safe and abundant raw water sources is a priceless treasure for any country. Water resources are of particular importance for Montenegro, especially for the development of tourism and agriculture which represent the backbone of its economic development. With respect to water potential, Montenegro is at the top of Europe. However, it is not a sufficient factor, but the very way it is used and protected, as well as the improvement of its valorization. Economic development which is not based on the conservation and good governance of natural resources may have negative consequences for the overall development. The aim of the paper is the study of natural properties of karst ground waters and their changes through interrelation of some ions, as indicators, on the example of five intakes in use. The paper presents the results of the research on the said waters and the values of indicators which point to their exceptional benefits for the water supply. However, the effects of the anthropogenic factor are evident, which are reflected in the range of the mole ratio of Ca /Mg ions ranging from 5.4 to 9.6, and the values (eqv.SO4/Cl) ranging from 0.3 to 2.0. Protection of the environment, especially preservation of the quality of water resources of Montenegro, imposes the urgency of implementation of the objectives of the Water Framework Directive.

Taking on the challenge of motivating users to drink water regularly, we designed a smart water bottle that can track water intake behavior and inform users about this behavior through ambient feedback. We then conducted two studies to explore the bottle's feedback design from the perspective of users and designers. First, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 prospective users and found that they would like to receive personalized, precise, gamified and reminding feedback. Second, we conducted a design workshop with 13 professional designers to explore the range of visualizations that can be used to give feedback. Analyzing these visualizations, we identified three reminder types (augmenting, restoring and balancing) and six visualization styles grouped according to three dimensions of ambient displays (representation fidelity, notification level, aesthetic emphasis). In this paper, we first explain our water bottle concept along with existing solutions. Then, we report the results of these studies. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of the results for our own work as well as for designing ambient displays aimed at supporting users' water intake tracking practices., NA

The Kickapoo Water Intake Structure on the Delaware River is located on the Kickapoo Reservation in southern Brown County, Kansas, approximately 6 miles west of Horton, Kansas, and 1/2 mile south of Kansas 20. It is in section 32 of Township 4 South, Range 16 East. This paper addresses bank instability problems in the vicinity of a water intake structure owned/operated/maintained by the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas. Eroding left and right banks around the concrete weir structure have undergone previous attempts at stabilization. Previous repairs have not performed successfully. Erosion has continued, both in the area that had been protected by previous revetments immediately downstream of the weir, and along both banks for approximately 200 feet farther downstream. Bank erosion continues to threaten the stability of the structure, water supply lines, and the access road to the site. The purpose of this paper is to assess the instability problems, provide and compare conceptual alternatives with respect to feasibility, and make a recommendation as to the preferred alternative to accomplish the repairs.

In order to function properly the human body requires adequate hydration due to 70% of the human body being built up by water with lots of chemical reactions involved in order to work optimally throughout the day. This paper presents an idea to make a water intake app based on human excrement surveillance. It might be a solution to intensify people's ability to become self-conscious when drinking less water by surveying the excreted substance. Currently, available software that measures one indicator which is between urine and feces detector on how much water should the user drink. But actually, both excrement indicators are needed to detect users' drinking amount. If one of these indicators shows a bad result, it could lead to water intoxication or hydration. The application was created using Python to give feedback regarding the user's water intake based on the condition of their excreted substance.

Small dams managed by local governments in the Republic of Korea are facing operational difficulties owing to problems such as a decrease in the long-term storage capacity because of sedimentation and leakage, acceleration of aging, rapid lowering of water levels with seasonal rainfall and water usage, and the resulting deterioration of the overall integrity. However, the public demand for small dams has increased sharply for various purposes, especially flood and drought control. This paper presents a developed model for evaluating the condition of small dams using an analytic hierarchy process. Seventy-five earth dams in a province located in the eastern part of the Korean Peninsula were chosen. Three major components of dams, i.e., embankments, spillways, and water intake facilities, as well as the overall condition of the dam system, were evaluated. The usefulness of the improved model and its differences from the existing method were verified using the t-test. The improved model was found to be relatively simple and easy to apply in practice, and it enables on-time action for further treatment or reinforcement.

The paper presents the interlaced concept as well as the main finding of the investigation, which lead to a successful adaptation of the intake structure existing hydropower plant Una Kostela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, built in 1954. After conducting hydraulic model tests on a physical model and analysis performed on mathematical models, many dilemmas were clarified (or removed). This caused the need of a total redesign of the existing water intake. The results obtained by these hydraulic laboratory tests represents a basis for the design and construction of intake structures envisaged for the innovation of this hydropower plant. A mathematical model was applied, an experimental hydraulic tests in the laboratory done, with calibration and verification of this model. Namely, with these hydraulic tests on a physical model in the laboratory, it was necessary to test and confirm the designed technical solutions from the preliminary design. The construction of new hydropower plants is under great scrutiny and opposition from green NGOs for environmental protection. Reconstruction and expansion of existing hydropower plants is a solution for increasing electricity generation from renewable energy sources. One possibility is the reconstruction and upgrade of existing hydropower plant Una Kostela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, built in 1954.

The purpose of the paper is a comparative physiological and hygienic assessment of wild rosehip drinks and black tea, which are a part of a military ration, and the proposal development for their intake by military personnel under high physical loads. Materials and Methods. The authors used four varieties of wild rosehips and three varieties of black tea to determine the amount of vitamin C and microelements. Tillmans method and iodometry (GOST 24556-89) were used for vitamin C determination. Besides vitamin C, drinks were examined for the content of other vitamins, macro- and microelements using atomic absorption spectroscopy, MGA 915-M spectrophotometer (Lumex, Russia). Results. According to present-day ideas, functional drinks should possess not only well-known characteristics peculiar to traditional drinks (satisfying thirst, pleasure, etc.), but also be beneficial to human health. In the military food ration there are no facilities to prepare functional drinks, although such drinks are widely used by individuals engaged in rough labor. The laboratory studies show that the amount of vitamin C in wild rosehips is twice as much as in black tea. The content of vitamins A and E, and iron in dry wild rosehips is much higher than in black tea. Microelements, namely manganese, copper, molybdenum and zinc, are found in wild rosehips in a significant amount, while there is only a small amount of selenium. The above-mentioned microelements are not found in black tea. Conclusion. The research results demonstrate that wild rosehip drinks are valuable as they contain much vitamins and minerals. Its use can help restore water-electrolyte losses in individuals engaged in rough labor, athletes and military men, increase endurance and recovery process after heavy physical loads. Dry dose for preparing a drink will reduce the weight of the military stock, and positively affect the quality of mission accomplishment. Keywords: military men diet, drinks, water-electrolyte balance, vitamins, macroelements, microelements, vitamin C, ration, wild rosehip, black tea. Цель работы – сравнительная физиолого-гигиеническая оценка напитков из плодов шиповника и черного чая, входящих в состав пайков военнослужащих, и разработка предложений по их употреблению военнослужащими в условиях высоких физических нагрузок. Материалы и методы. Для определения содержания витамина С и микроэлементов использовали четыре сорта шиповника и три – черного чая. Определение витамина С проводили по методу Тильманса и йодометрическим методом по ГОСТ 24556-89. Кроме витамина С, напитки исследовали на содержание других витаминов, макро- и микроэлементов с помощью атомно-абсорбционной спектроскопии на спектрофотометре МГА 915-M («Люмекс», Россия). Результаты. Согласно современным представлениям функциональные напитки, помимо известных характеристик, присущих традиционным напиткам (утоление жажды, удовольствие и др.), должны обладать полезными для здоровья человека свойствами. В составе рационов питания военнослужащих отсутствуют средства для приготовления функциональных напитков, хотя они широко применяются лицами, занимающимися тяжелым физическим трудом. В ходе лабораторных исследований установлено, что содержание витамина С в плодах шиповника на два порядка выше, чем в черном чае. Содержание витаминов А и Е, железа в сухих плодах шиповника значительно выше, чем в черном чае. Микроэлементы марганец, медь, молибден и цинк присутствуют в шиповнике в значительном количестве, селен – в незначительном количестве. Указанные микроэлементы в черном чае отсутствуют. Выводы. Результаты исследования напитка на основе шиповника свидетельствуют о его высокой ценности в отношении витаминов и минеральных веществ. Его применение поможет восстановить водно-электролитные потери у лиц, занимающихся тяжелым физическим трудом, спортсменов и военнослужащих, повысит выносливость и ускорит восстановление организма после больших физических нагрузок. Сухая навеска для приготовления напитка снизит вес носимого запаса военнослужащих, что положительно скажется на качестве выполнения поставленных задач. Ключевые слова: питание военнослужащих, напитки, водно-электролитный баланс, витамины, макроэлементы, микроэлементы, витамин С, рацион, шиповник, черный чай.

Reservoirs-coolers are a typical component of technological schemes of large energy complexes. Thus, it is important to maximize the efficiency of their exploitation. The present paper discusses the possibilities of the increase in the efficiency of reservoir-cooler usage on the example of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (further, PJSC “MMK”), which produces the greatest amount of rolled steel on one industrial site. A reservoir-cooler created on the basis of the Magnitogorsk Reservoir of Ural river is considered. The schemes for the location of the enclosing and diverting dams is suggested on the basis of hydrodynamic modeling in a 2D approach. The calculations are performed for different scenarios where both extreme climatic and technological conditions and the ones characterized by the highest repeatability are considered. To increase the stability of the reservoir-cooler functioning in a short periods of extremely high air temperatures, the scheme of the organization of selective water intake from the deep layers of the reservoir-cooler characterized by lower temperatures is worked out on the basis of hydrodynamic modelling in 3D approach.

The Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility is moored with an internal turret allowing it to perform offloading operations of liquefied natural and petroleum gas products. It does so in either a Free Weathervaning (FW) mode, i.e. by allowing the unit to rotate according to environmental loads, or in a Thruster-Assisted (TA) mode, i.e. by using the stern thrusters to maintain a fixed heading deemed preferable for the entire operation, or a particular phase. An accurate estimation of the various environment effects, in terms of forces on the FLNG and LNG carrier, is critical to ensure a correct prediction of its heading or the required thruster forces, depending on the selected operating mode. The predominant loads driving the weathervaning behavior are wind and current loads. These loads have been estimated from wind tunnel tests during the engineering phase. Since the Prelude FLNG has been installed on-site, field measurements have provided an opportunity for comparison and shown some differences with the numerical predictions based on the estimated loads, prompting a need for verification of current loads by an independent method. For the Prelude FLNG application, current loads play an important role due to facility size and significant tidal currents. It has been shown in some previous studies that wind tunnel tests for a model of under-water geometry may underestimate current loads compared to those on a full-scale vessel. There is a boundary layer along the wind tunnel floor in wind tunnel tests, while the current profile is relatively uniform over the hull draft in the real ocean condition. Moreover experimental tests present some additional drawbacks: they are performed at a reduced scale (1:225), the Reynolds number is lower than full-scale even with a large wind tunnel speed, and it is difficult to model the long (150m full-scale) Water Intake Risers (WIR) extending below the hull bottom. In order to investigate these effects, state-of-the-art full-scale CFD simulations were performed for the Prelude hull and WIR. The test program included different current speeds and directions, and several sensitivity studies: Reynolds number effect between model- and full-scales, effect of current speed profile (comparing uniform and boundary layer profiles at model scale), effect of FLNG rotation in yaw, impact of unsteady current, and presence of marine growth. Extreme dimensions of Prelude FLNG and requirements for accuracy of this study called for the CFD calculations to be performed on the High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters - Stampede2 and Frontera - at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), which are both amongst the world’s largest supercomputers. This paper describes the assumptions and challenges of the CFD study and discusses the results of the main program and various sensitivities. The main conclusions and lessons learnt are also discussed.

This paper proposes a system which can monitor the behavior and growth of pigs in a pig shed. This system adopts Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques for image recognition on the head, tail, and whole body of pigs. It can track the position of each pig in the pig shed, and detect their feeding and drinking behaviors. When the feed intake or water intake of pig is abnormal, our system can detect it in time. Our system can also record the changes of pig’s body area, which can be used to observe their growth. If any pig is sick or suffers from growth retardation, special care can be taken accordingly.

Existing activity recognition focuses on a special scale activity with special sensors. In recent years, the sensorless sensing method which uses wireless signal to recognize activities by refraction and reflection of human body has been widely concerned. However, human activities in real situations are often concurrent (e.g., breathing is associated with motion state). These observations motivate us to answer the question of how to effectively recognize an activity that relies on concurrent cross-scale activities in sensorless pattern. To understand and attack this problem, this paper takes the daily activity recognition of drinking water into account. On the one hand, the measurement of drinking water quantity is of great significance to the determination of hydration state of human body. On the other hand, the micro-scale movements (i.e., respiration and deglutition) and meso-scale actions (i.e., arm movements) during drinking are typical concurrent cross-scale activities. A concurrent cross-scale activities recognition system is designed and implemented by taking the advantage of the ubiquitous channel state information, namely, DW-health, which can detect breath and drinking, estimate the water intake with commercial Wi-Fi devices. DW-health adopts the novel filter design which engenders better performance of noise elimination. Moreover, the activity segmentation method based on subcarrier correlation and dynamic threshold is proposed to recognize concurrent recognition of cross-scale activities. The experimental results indicate that the drinking and non-drinking detection accuracy of DW-health can reach 97% and 84.83%, respectively.

The characteristics of frost heave have been evaluated with experimental results based on individual testing apparatus and methods even though frost heave testing methods have already been standardized in Japan and the U.S., such as through JGS 0172 and ASTM 5918. This paper introduces a simple frost heave testing method using a newly developed temperature-controllable cell. The reliability of the testing apparatus was carefully examined with various boundary temperature conditions based on a comparison between measured and calculated volumetric expansion of sandy soils when the pore water in a specimen was frozen. After temperature boundary conditions were determined, frost heave tests with frost-susceptible soils were performed along with measuring water intake. The adfreezing bond and side friction were thoroughly assessed, and a simple frost heave test method was finally established.

Pigs are prandial feeders and drinkers. Focus has been directed to pig nutritional needs that include micro- and macro-nutrients, mineral and vitamin requirements and feed particle size. Water is the most important nutrient for pigs without which pigs will only survive for a short time. Additionally, detailed information on pigs' temporal drinking patterns is essential when delivering water-based health products because there is a risk that not all pigs will visit the drinker adequately and hence, may not have received sufficient vaccine or antibiotics required to protect the animal. To date there has been little focus on water function, quality and availability and how it affects pig welfare. This review paper will (a) address water functions, requirement and quality, (b) describe drinking behaviours and patterns, (c) explain factors that impact drinking behaviour and water intake and (d) discuss the water systems and pen designs that enhance drinking behaviour.

The paper focuses on practical ways of water intake in the raw sewage source heat-pump system and the application of the new type heat-exchanger, and gives an analysis on its hydraulic regime of its heat-supply. The experimental data shows that the system operates well and the coefficient of performance approximates to 4.0. The actual cost of the sewage-source heat pump system is about ¥16.77/m 2 , and the yearly saving cost is about ¥444000, which proves a great energy-saving effect. According to its operation, it gives an analysis about its unit exergetic cost from the prospective of thermal economy. The calculation result shows that the unit exergetic cost in intermediate pump is the highest, and the average value is 7.8 W/W.

Received: 2016-07-04 | Accepted: 2016-10-27 | Available online: 2017-03-31 http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/afz.2017.20.01.01-05 The aim of this study was to continuously monitored drinking regime of 7 dairy cows of Holstein breed using boluses during 24 weeks of lactation in relation to the outside temperature and observed daily drinking regime with the impact of drinking on rumen temperature at University Experimental Farm in Oponice. Animals were fed once daily and milked 3 times per day. The bolus pH and temperature values implemented via esophagus were measured every 15 minutes (96 data points per day) with accuracy ±0.1 ph and °C. Outside temperature by FREEMETEO meteorological server (48 times per day) was measured. Outside temperature can affect the drinking regime of dairy cows. During lactation weeks with higher outside temperature higher average number of drinking events (ANDE) was determined. The biggest difference between weeks in ANDE 18.33 % (p = 0.000) was found. Daily ANDE 9.25 ±1.85 and average daily temperature (ADT) 19.03 ±5.19 °C were observed. The most of the drinking events (NDE) concentrated to 4 main peaks (25.17 %) during working hours (74.98 %) was found. After the feed intake and milking the highest frequencies of NDE were observed. The highest average ruminal temperature after drinking (ARTAD) during night before first feeding due to lower NDE in this time were found. Overall ARTAD 36.86 °C was observed. The most measured ruminal temperatures after drinking (RTAD) (51.53 %) in the interval 35–37 °C were found. This research proved that continuous ruminal monitoring with boluses is an appropriate tool for drinking regime evaluation and heat stress determination in herd of dairy cows. Keywords: dairy cows, Hostein cattle, bolus, rumen, temperature, water intake, outside temperature References Arias, R., Mader, T. and Escobar, P. (2008) Climatic factors affecting cattle performance in dairy and beef farms. Archivos de Medicina Veterinaria , vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 7-22. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0301-732x2008000100002 Bewley, J. M. et al. (2008) Impact of Intake Water Temperatures on Reticular Temperatures of Lactating Dairy Cows. Journal of Dairy Science , vol. 91, no. 10, pp. 3880–3887. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1159 Bodas, R. et al. (2014) Ruminal pH and temperature, papilla characteristics, and animal performance of fattening calves fed concentrate or maize silage-based diets. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research , vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 280–285. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0718-58392014000300005 Brown-Brandl, T. M. et al. (2006) Comparison of heat tolerance of feedlot heifers of different breeds. Livestock Science , vol. 105, no. 1, pp. 19-26. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2006.04.012 Burgos, M. S. et al. (2001) Effect of water restriction on feeding and metabolism in dairy cows. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology , vol. 280, no. 2, pp. 418-427. CARDOT, V., LE ROUX, Y. and JURJANZ, S. (2008) Drinking Behavior of Lactating Dairy Cows and Prediction of Their Water Intake. Journal of Dairy Science , vol. 91, no. 6, pp. 2257–2264. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2007-0204 Gasteiner, J. et al. (2009) Measuring rumen pH and temperature by an indwelling and wireless data transmitting unit and application under different feeding conditions. In Papers Presented at the 4th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming , Wageningen 6-8 July 2009. Wageningen Academic Pub, pp. 127-133. Gonzalez Pereyra, A. V. et al. (2010) Influence of Water Temperature and Heat Stress on Drinking Water Intake in Dairy Cows. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research , vol. 70, no. 2., pp 328-336. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0718-58392010000200017 Huzzey, J. M., von Keyserlingk, M. A. G. and WEARY, D. M. (2005) Changes in Feeding, Drinking, and Standing Behavior of Dairy Cows During the Transition Period. Journal of Dairy Science , vol. 88, no. 7, pp. 2454–2461. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(05)72923-4 JAGO, J. G. et al. (2005) The drinking behaviour of dairy cows in late lactation. In 65th Conference of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Christchurch 21-24 June 2005. New Zealand: NZ Society Animal Production, pp. 153-156. Matarazzo, S. V. et al. (2003) Water Intake and Behavior of Dairy Cows in Response to Environmental Conditions. In Fifth International Dairy Housing Proceedings , Forth Worth, 29-31 January 2003. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, pp 213-217. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13031/2013.11624 Meyer, U. et al. (2004) Investigations on the water intake of lactating dairy cows. Livestock production science , vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 117-121. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livprodsci.2004.03.005 Murphy, M. R. (1992) Water metabolism of dairy cattle. Journal of dairy science , vol. 75, no. 1, pp. 326-333. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(92)77768-6 National Research Council (2001). Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle , 7th. rev. ed. Proceedings of National Academy Sciences, Washington,D.C. Nocek, J. E. and Braund, D. G. (1985) Effect of feeding frequency on diurnal dry matter and water consumption, liquid dilution rate, and milk yield in first lactation. Journal of Dairy Science , vol. 68. no. 9, pp. 2238-2247. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(85)81096-1 Osborne, V. R., Hacker, R. R., and McBride, B. W. (2002) Effects of heated drinking water on the production responses of lactating Holstein and Jersey cows. Canadian journal of animal science , vol. 82, no. 3, pp. 267-273. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/A01-055 Perera, K. S. et al. (1986) Effect of season and stage of lactation on performance of Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science , vol. 69, no. 1, pp. 228-236. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(86)80390-3

The objective of the paper was to investigate the moisture change ability of bean, broad bean, pea, lupine, radish, beetroot, winter wheat, maize, cucumber, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Seeds absorbed water in the system for measurement of the water absorption kinetics with the capillary and weighting method. The research results were presented in the form of plots of the relation of kinetics of the moisture change of seeds in the time for the first and second stage of the process which precedes germination. Moreover, the water content in seeds for the time of the end of the second stage of water absorption was determined and the maximum water absorption speed coefficient and the time of its obtaining was calculated. The water content for the end of the 2nd stage of its collection was the highest for seeds which include a hard caryopsis and for broad bean plant seeds. The maximum water absorption speed coefficient was the highest for seeds with low initial moisture - radish, beetroot, cucumber and pumpkin. The measurement of the water absorption speed with the use of the capillary and weighting method enabled investigation of seeds with a varied size, construction of a seed coat and chemical composition for a long period of time to the moment seedlings were obtained.

People suffering from dementia often forget to drink water due to deterioration of their cognitive functions. Usually water intake of these people is managed by care workers. However, the water intake cannot be monitored while the care workers are absent. Therefore, if we could estimate water intake of the patients while the care workers are absent, we could better manage the water intake of said patients. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method for estimating water intake by measuring vibrations caused by larynx movement and swallowing sounds.When we ingest water, the larynx rises up with a vibration of 1 Hz to 20 Hz in the pharyngeal stage, and water flows into the stomach with a swallowing sound of frequency 400 Hz to 750 Hz in esophageal stage. Here, we assume that water intake is associated with the vibration and the swallowing sound. To measure the vibration and the swallowing sound, we developed two sensing devices based on an electret condenser microphone. The first device is an earphone-type device that measures the swallowing sound. The other sensing device is a neck-collar type device and measures the vibrations caused due to larynx movement. Output signals from the earphone-type device and the neck-collar type device are filtered by band-pass filters with passbands of 1 Hz to 20 Hz, and 400 Hz to 750 Hz, respectively. To estimate the water intake, we apply the dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm that can take time dynamics into account for template matching method. The template data, which have n types of labels representing the water intake, is prepared in advance. Water intake is estimated by comparing the unknown data with the template data and selecting the label which gives minimum DTW distance.We conducted an experiment with two healthy subjects in their twenties. Each subject wears the proposed sensing devices. The sampling frequency is 25 kHz and measurement time is 3.2 s. In this experiment, n is set to three different values: 5 ml, 10 ml, and 15 ml. These are used as labels for the template data. Three trials were conducted for each round of water intake; therefore, the total number of observations is 18. The leave-one-data-out cross validation is applied, and accuracy is calculated to be 0.78. This result indicates that the proposed method can be helpful for the improvement of food management.

Maintaining fluid balance is critical for life. The central components that control fluid intake are only partly understood. This contribution to the collection of papers highlighting work by members of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior focuses on the role that dopamine has on fluid intake and describes the roles that various bioregulators can have on thirst and sodium appetite by influencing dopamine systems in the brain. The goal of the review is to highlight areas in need of more research and to propose a framework to guide that research. We hope that this framework will inspire researchers in the field to investigate these interesting questions in order to form a more complete understanding of how fluid intake is controlled.

Deposition of debris on the screens of hydroelectric power plants translates into measurable economic losses. Occurring plant debris, although it is an organic material, is characterised by different forms and structure. It is often leaves, branches, and grasses in lowland areas, while in mountainous regions, broken boughs and trees can be expected. On the trash racks of power plants, debris may be deposited in different forms, shapes, and places. This work aims to determine the impact of the degree of submergence of debris on the values of the force acting on the racks. This paper analyzes the influence of the rectangular shape of the debris deposited on the trash racks and its degree of submergence and weight on the obtained values of the force acting on the racks as a result of water pressure, which directly affects the hydraulic losses and productivity of hydroelectric power plants. Our research confirms the negative influence of the deposited plant debris on the value of forces recorded on the gratings. The increase in the recorded force, and thus the resistance on the grating, is obviously dependent on the degree of obstruction of the debris by the grating obtained by changing the degree of debris immersion and its weight. In the case of changing the degree of submergence, the increase in force recorded on the gratings varied during the experiment from about 25% recorded for the fully submerged debris compared to that of the partially submerged debris for the mass of 100 g, in comparison, an increase of about 31% was recorded for that of the mass of 200 g. However, comparing the values of the forces recorded on the obstructed grids to that of the forces recorded on the clean grids, the increase ranged from about 15–53%.

This paper presents a water intake monitoring system for animal agriculture that tracks individual animal watering behavior, water quality, and water consumption. The system is deployed in an outdoor environment to reach remote areas. The proposed system integrates motion detectors, cameras, water level sensors, flow meters, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) systems, and water temperature sensors. The data collection and control are performed using Arduino microcontrollers with custom-designed circuit boards. The data associated with each drinking event are water consumption, water temperature, drinking duration, animal identification, and pictures. The data and pictures are automatically stored on Secure Digital (SD) cards. The prototypes are deployed in a remote grazing site located in Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA. The system can be used to perform water consumption and watering behavior studies of both domestic animals and wild animals. The current system automatically records the drinking behavior of 29 cows in a two-week duration in the remote ranch.

The methodical recommendation on the process designing of the system of removal and preparation for use of manure and excrement is to assume the daily output of cow excrement equal to 55 kg (feces 35 kg, urine 20 kg), not considering the productivity and live weight of the animal. The mathematical model for definition of the daily output of excrement is offered in the paper considering the daily consumption of water and dry substance by the cow, live weight, and productivity. The excrement output according to the offered mathematical model from the cow with the live weight 400–700 kg and productivity 4000–10000 kg of milk per year varies within 51–107 kg per day.